Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 1st to 7th, 2023 - Update #22

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Guillermo del Toro explains why he didn't direct nor watch "Pacific Rim: Uprising," the 2018 sequel to his 2013 film, "Pacific Rim."

CELEBRITY - From THR:  That time Primetime Emmy winner, Kerry Washington, found out that she was conceived via a sperm donor.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Kevin Costner's Western epic, "Horizon: An American Saga," will be released in two-parts.  Chapter 1 opens June 28, 2024, and Chapter 2 opens August 16, 2024.  The Oscar-winning Costner's previous Western epics include "Dances with Wolves" (1990) and Open Range (2003).

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures is setting up to produce definitive biographical film about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The studio has optioned the rights to adapt Jonathan Eig’s critically acclaimed biography, "King: A Life."  Chris Rock is in final talks to direct and produce, and Steven Spielberg will be executive producer. [Don't forget Selma, though. - Ed.]

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Apple TV+ has released first-look photos from its World War II drama series, "Master of the Air," starring Austin Butler (Elvis).  The series, which is produced by the "Band of Brothers" team of Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Gary Goetzman is set to debut Friday, January 26, 2024.

POLITICS - From CNN:  Retired Marine Corps General John Kelly was also former president Donald Trump's longest serving White House chief of staff.  Now, Kelly is confirming numerous horrid stories about Trump's utter disrespect to servicemen who were wounded, killed in action, or prisoners of war.

SCANDAL - From BleedingCool:  A lawsuit alleges that a media entity once asked Robert Downey, Jr. (Iron Man) pay it 60 million dollars in order to get a bigger payday.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  "The Drew Barrymore Show" will finally return on Oct. 16th, but the show will be without its three head writers, who have decided not to return.

DISNEY - From Variety:  This year is the 30th anniversary of the release of the Disney film, "Cool Runnings," a Disneyfied account of a real event in Jamaican Olympic history. Apparently, the director, Jon Turteltaub (The Meg) and the cast, tussled with Disney over the cast's Jamaican accents.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Hulu has renewed its popular series, "Only Murders in the Building," its most watched original comedy series ever.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Lionsgate's Michael Jackson biopic, entitled "Michael," will have Universal Pictures International as its distributor to the international film market.

TELEVISION/NFL - From Deadline:  Just the presence of Taylor Swift attending made the Chiefs at Jets Sunday Night Football game (Sun., Oct. 1st) the highest rated NFL games since Super Bowl LVII in February.

AI - From Deadline:  Zelda Williams, the daughter of the late legend Robin Williams, says that she is disturbed by a use of AI to recreate his voice.

POLITICS - From SheKnows:  Author Michael Lewis was on "60 Minutes" (Sun., Oct. 1st) promoting his new book, "Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon," which is about disgraced FTX founder, Sam Bankman-Fried. In the book Bankman-Fried says that Donald Trump told him that he wanted 5 BILLION DOLLARS to sit out the 2024 presidential race. Lewis wrote the book that was the basis for the 2009 Sandra Bullock film, The Blind Side.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:  Miramax CEO Bill Block is leaving the company as soon as today, Tues., Oct. 3rd.  Block is credited with reviving the company since his became CEO in 2017.

MOVIES - From EW:  Action director John Woo (Paycheck) talks about making the essentially dialogue-free revenge thriller, "Silent Night," starring Joel Kinnaman.  The film is due Dec. 1st.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 9/29 to 10/1/2023 weekend box office is Paramount's "Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie" with an estimated take of 23 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From THR:  Director Albert Hughes says that his John Wick prequel series, "The Continental" (Peacock), was locked in before they knew the how John Wick 4 would conclude.

MOVIES/MUSIC - From Variety:  A film based on Beyonce‘s smash hit "Renaissance World Tour" is in advanced talks to distribute directly to AMC Theatres, sources with knowledge of the project told Variety.

DISNEY - From Deadline:   Media entrepreneur Byron Allen talks about his 10 billion dollar offer for ABC and other Disney networks.  Allen said that "capital’s not an issue,” but that Disney CEO Bob Iger “is not ready” yet to pursue linear sale.

OBITS:

From ESPN:  The former American football player, sportscaster, actor, and philanthropist, Dick Butkus, has died at the age of 80, Thursday, October 5, 2023.  Butkus was best known for his legendary career as a middle linebacker for the NFL's Chicago Bears from 1965-73.  Butkus was one of the "Monsters of the Midway," and was an eight-time "Pro Bowl" selection and was twice voted "NFL Defensive Player of the Year."  He was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.  Butkus has an extensive acting career, appearing in a number of films ("The Longest Yard," "Any Given Sunday) and television series ("My Two Dads," "Hang Time").

From Deadline:  Film and television actor, Keith Jefferson, has died at the age of 53, Thursday, October 5, 2023.  Jefferson has announced his cancer diagnosis on August 9th.  Jefferson had appeared in three of director Quentin Tarantino's films:  Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.  He was set to appear in "The Burial," an Amazon Prime film starring his longtime friend, Jamie Foxx, who announced Jefferson's passing.

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WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

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:  Television writers rooms are opening again in the wake of the end of the writers strike.  On Monday, such series as "Grey's Anatomy," "9-1-1," and "Family Guy," to name a few, go back to work.

From Variety:  The Writers Guild (WGA) and AMPTP to meet today (Sun., Sept. 24th) after the studios supposedly make their "best and final" offer to the writers.

From Deadline:  A meeting between leading television showrunners, including Kenya Barris and Noah Hawley, and WGA leadership has been cancelled.

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:  The AMPTP says that the Writers Guild's claims that their is division in the ranks of the studios about the strike are false.

From Deadline:  The WGA (Writers Guild of America) told its members Friday (Sept. 8th) that despite the united front the streamers and studios (via the AMPTP) have shown in public during the guild’s 130-day strike, several of the legacy companies privately have expressed “both the desire and willingness to negotiate an agreement that adequately addresses writers’ issues.”

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

From Deadline:  The writers of MTV’s "Ridiculousness" are coming closer to being unionized. The show’s writing team, which was behind over 230 episodes last year, has been going through the process to unionize over the last few months, hoping to join the WGA.

From THR:  As talks with the Writers Guild of America stall, the studio trade association, AMPTP, has retained D.C.-based firm, The Levinson Group, to pursue a fresh messaging strategy.

From Deadline:  Regarding the Hollywood writers strike, the AMPTP (representing the studios) released the details of a proposed labor agreement that it made to the WGA (the Writers Guild) on August 11th.

From Deadline:  A pair of former production assistants-turned-assistant directors have created a nonprofit in hopes of providing financial aid to PAs (production assistants) who’ve been put out of work due to the strike.

From Deadline:  Writers Guild (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) will resume strike talks today, Fri., Aug. 11th.

From Deadline:  Meeting for the first time in more than three months, the Writers Guild and the AMPTP on Friday failed to reach an agreement to resume contract negotiations. The Writers Strike will go on indefinitely.

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 THR:  Production works at Warner Bros. Animation (66) and at Cartoon Network (22) have gone public with their attempt to unionize via The Animation Guild.

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:  Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.

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

From Deadline:  WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.

From THR:  TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.

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

From Deadline:  Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.

From THR:  Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.

From Deadline:  The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.

From Deadline:  Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.  The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke.  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.

From Deadline:   President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.

From Deadline:  Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.

From Deadline:  Retaliation!  Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike.  Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.

From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.

From Deadline:  Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.

From Deadline:  The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.

From Deadline:  What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?

From Deadline:  The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 13th to 19th, 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:

MOVIES - From Variety:  Michael Cera talks about how he was cast in director Greta Gerwig's "Barbie."

STREAMING - From Deadline:  For the fourth week in a row, the former USA Network legal drama, "Suits" (2011-19), leads the streaming charts, according to tracking service, Nielsen.  The series, which also featured Meghan Markle a.k.a. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on its first seven seasons, also continues to set Nielsen records and currently streams on both Netflix and Peacock.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  "American Horror Story: Delicate" will launch Wednesday, Sept. 30th on FX.  It's spinoff, "American Horror Stories," will launch a four-episode event on Hulu, starting Oct. 26th.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Director Greta Gerwig's comedy, "Barbie," starring Margot Robbie, has now grossed 537.5 million dollars at the domestic box office. That makes it the highest-grossing domestic release in Warner Bros.'s history, surpassing the 536 million dollars "The Dark Knight" grossed in 2008.

From Variety:  Some people wonder why its so hard to hear some dialogue in "Oppenheimer."  Well, director Christopher Nolan refuses to "record ADR."

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Actor-producer Alec Baldwin may once again face manslaughter charges related to the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Film financier, TSG, is suing Disney for what it claims are unpaid profits from films in which it co-financed with Disney.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Tom Hanks was so concerned for Austin Butler’s mental health after his starring role in "Elvis" that he offered Butler a next role (starring in Apple TV+'s "Masters of the Air") immediately to prevent "emotional whiplash."  Hanks co-starred in the 2022 Elvis Presley biopic with Butler as Elvis' manager, Col. Tom Parker.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Netflix has released the first official trailer for "Maestro."  Bradley Cooper directs and stars in the film about late conductor Leonard Bernstein's 25-year marriage to Felicia Montealegre.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Margot Robbie is the star and producer of Summer 2023's biggest hit, "Barbie."  Now, Robbie could make as much as 50 million dollars in salary and bonuses.

CELEBRITY/ECO - From THR:  A new species of snake discovered in Peru, South America has been named in honor of Hollywood icon, Harrison Ford.  The snake is called "Tachymenoides harrisonfordi."

SPORTS/MOVIES - From ESPN:  Former NFL player, Michael Oher, was the subject of the 2009 Oscar-winning film, "The Blind Side." Now, he's suing the real-life couple, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, because they lied to him and stole from him.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 8/11 to 8/13/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros.'s "Barbie" with an estimated take of 33.7 million dollars.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Adam Sandler's daughters, Sunny and Sadie, have joined their father in the Netflix film, "You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah." Netflix has released a trailer for the film, which is due August 25th.

OBITS:

From THR:  American music executive, business, and film producer, Clarence Avant, has died at the age of 92, Sunday, August 13, 2023.  Nicknamed "the Godfather of Black Music," he was a manager, advisor, mentor, and behind-the-scenes force in so many music deals.  He was the manager of jazz legend, Sarah Vaugh.  Avant brokered the sale of Stax Records and co-promoted the late Michael Jackson's first solo world tour, "Bad."  Avant advised countless music producers, executives, and recording artists, including Quincy Jones, David Geffen, Irving Azoff, Jay Z, Pharrell Williams, and Queen Latifah, to name a few.

From Deadline:  The American rapper and recording artist, Melvin "Magoo" Barcliff, has died at the age of 50, Sunday, August 13, 2023.  He was best known for his collaboration with rapper/producer, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley.  The two formed the rap duo, "Timbaland & Magoo," which released three albums, including the platinum certified, "Welcome to Our World" (1997).  Magoo also made guest appearances and collaborated with several other recording artists, including Bubba Sparxxx, Ginuwine, and Missy Elliot.  He also recorded on Timbaland's solo projects.

WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  Writers Guild (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) will resume strike talks today, Fri., Aug. 11th.

From Deadline:  Meeting for the first time in more than three months, the Writers Guild and the AMPTP on Friday failed to reach an agreement to resume contract negotiations. The Writers Strike will go on indefinitely.

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 THR:  Production works at Warner Bros. Animation (66) and at Cartoon Network (22) have gone public with their attempt to unionize via The Animation Guild.

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:  Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.

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

From Deadline:  WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.

From THR:  TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.

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

From Deadline:  Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.

From THR:  Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.

From Deadline:  The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.

From Deadline:  Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.  The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke.  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.

From Deadline:   President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.

From Deadline:  Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.

From Deadline:  Retaliation!  Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike.  Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.

From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.

From Deadline:  Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.

From Deadline:  The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.

From Deadline:  What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?

From Deadline:  The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.

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Review: Baz Luhrmann's "ELVIS" Reveals That White People Ruined Presley

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 55 of 2022 (No. 1867) by Leroy Douresseaux

Elvis (2022)
Running time:  159 minutes (2 hours, 39 minutes)
MPA – PG-13 for substance abuse, strong language, suggestive material and smoking
DIRECTOR:  Baz Luhrmann
WRITERS:  Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner; from a story by Baz Luhrmann and Jeremy Doner
PRODUCERS:  Baz Luhrmann, Gail Berman, Catherine Martin, Patrick McCormick, and Schuyler Weiss
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mandy Walker (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Jonathan Redmond and Matt Villa
COMPOSER:  Elliot Wheeler

BIOPIC/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Luke Bracey, Dacre Montgomery, Leon Ford, Gary Clark, Jr., Yola, Natasha Bassett, Xavier Samuel, Adam Dunn, Shonka Dukureh, and Chaydon Jay

Elvis is a 2022 biopic, musical drama, and historical film from director Baz Luhrmann.  The film is an overview and fictional account of the life of Elvis Presley (1935–1977), the singer, songwriter, performer, and actor best known as simply “Elvis” and also as the “King of Rock and Roll.”  Elvis the movie examines his life – from his childhood to his rise to cultural icon status – and his complicated relationship with his notorious manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

Elvis opens in 1997 and introduces Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).  After suffering a stroke, he is on his deathbed.  His gambling addiction has left him broke, but once upon a time, he was somebody.  He was both famous and infamous.  He was the manager of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll.

Early in his life, Elvis Aaron Presley (Chaydon Jay) was a just a kid whose family had moved into a housing project in the white section of an African-American neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee (1948).  Elvis' family was poor, and his father was in prison.  Elvis, already familiar with country music, became steeped in the gospel music of the nearby Black churches and also in the rhythm and blues of the Black clubs and music halls on Memphis' Beale Street.

Later (1955), when Colonel Parker meets the now adult Elvis Presley (Austin Butler), he is making waves as a young singer and guitarist.  Parker is already partnered with country singer, Hank Snow (David Wenham), when he hears Elvis, a young white artist who sounds black, especially on the groundbreaking single, “That's All Right.”

Soon, Parker is managing Elvis, and the young man's stage performances are making him very popular with young people, especially young women, who are driven crazy by Elvis' salacious wiggling legs, swinging hips, and thrusting pelvis.  Under Parker's management, Elvis begins a meteoric rise to stardom, but his stage act is drawing the ire of white people who don't want their kids exposed to Black music and culture.  To save Elvis from trouble, Colonel Parker exerts more control over Elvis' music, performances, and life, but what will that do to Parker and Elvis' already complex relationship?

Hard as it is to believe, Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann has only directed six films in his thirty-year career, beginning with his 1992 debut, Strictly Ballroom, which I have never seen.  Other than Elvis, I have only seen Luhrmann's William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet (1996) and Moulin Rouge! (2001), and I have only reviewed the latter.

Elvis is like Moulin Rouge!, a flashy, fast-moving musical drama with excellent production values.  Everything about Elvis is lavish, spectacular, fabulous and beautiful.  The production design, art direction, and sets are the most beautiful that I have seen this year and maybe in a long time.  The costumes, regardless of the characters' wealth and social status, are gorgeous (the only word I can think of).  The cinematography and lighting create a world of fantasy, and the film editing manages to convey the seemingly incalculable number of moods and emotions that Luhrmann wants the audience for Elvis to experience.

The soundtrack is filled with Presley's iconic recordings, including some sung by Austin Butler.  There are a number of famous gospel and blues songs performed by their legendary originators.  There are also modern jams, some reinterpretations of classic songs, including the work of Elvis.

Simply put, Austin Butler makes you believe that he is Elvis Presley.  Butler seems to channel everything that made Elvis an icon and a legend.  Even Elvis' ex-wife, Priscilla, and daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, were awed by Butler's performance.  For anyone to beat Butler to the Oscar this year, they will have to be as amazing as him.

As for the entire film:  Elvis is at its best when it chronicles Elvis' rise before he enters the military service (the U.S. Army 1958-60).  When Elvis is close to his Memphis roots and hanging around Black singers and performers, he is happy and so is the film.  Post-military, the film is still beautiful to look like, but the film takes a darker turn as Elvis is disconnected from his roots and becomes surrounded by white people, most of whom are parasites.  And the ones that are not parasites are manipulators.

Tom Hanks' Colonel Tom Parker is one of the most ridiculously awful and awfully ridiculous film characters that I have ever seen.  Hanks' Parker is like a mix of “Pennywise the Clown” from the It films (based on the Stephen King books) and a mangy elf.  Parker epitomizes the morass that drags at the film for most of its running time.  Hanks' Parker does make one of the film's themes obvious and true.  Maybe, Elvis and Parker snowed themselves as much as they snowed each other.

My grade reflects how much I like this film's production values, music, and Austin Butler's performance.  Butler is the shining light of Elvis.  I could watch him play Elvis Presley again – in a better film.

6 of 10
B
★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, September 29, 2022


The text is copyright © 2022 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 November 1st to 6th, 2021 - Update #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

NEWS - From THR:   On Fri., Nov. 5th, a crowd at rapper and record producer, Travis Scott’s "Astroworld Festival" unexpectedly began pushing toward the stage, causing panic and chaos, and leaving eight people dead, authorities said.  The dead range from age 14 to 27.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  "Stranger Things" Season 4 will debut Summer 2022 and will be comprised of 9 episodes.  Netflix has also released the titles for each episode.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Emilio Estevez will not be back for the second season of the Disney+ series, "The Mighty Duck: Game Changers," likely over COVID vaccination rules.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  "Wonder Woman" Gal Gadot will play the "Evil Queen" in Disney's live-action version of it classic animated film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Film collective and comedy troupe, "Broken Lizard," has begun production on its next film, "Quasi," a new satirical take on the "Hunchback of Notre Dame" story.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  On "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," Tom Hanks offered a poignant remembrance of his friend, the late actor Peter Scolari, who was also Hank's co-star on the late ABC sitcom, "Bosom Buddies."

CELEBRITY - From THR:  David Chase, creator of HBO's beloved "The Soparnos," gives a wide-ranging interview to "The Hollywood Reporter."  He talks extensively about that show's final episode.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Robert Downey, Jr. and Matt Damon have joined Christopher Nolan's World War II epic, "Oppenheimer," about the development of the atomic bomb.  Cillian Murphy will play J. Robert Oppenheimer.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Director Troy Duffy has reunited with actors Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery for "Boondock Saints III."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   "Burn Notice" star Jeffrey Donovan will lead NBC's "Law & Order" revival, playing an NYPD detective.

ANIMATION - From Variety:  Chris Pratt will provide the voice of famous cartoon feline, "Garfield," in an upcoming animated film from Alcon Entertainment and Sony Pictures.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 10/29 to 10/31/2021 weekend box office is Dune with an estimated take of $15.53 million.

From Deadline:  "Dune" has now crossed the 300 million dollar mark in worldwide box office.

TRAILER - From LiveForFilm:  There is a teaser trailer for the upcoming new "Jeepers Creepers" film, "Jeepers Creepers: Reborn."

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"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 5th, 2021 - Update #14

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:   Christina Ricci has been cast in a mystery role in "The Matrix 4."

AMAZON - From InTheseTimes:  Bezos the Great and Powerful: Beyond the dangers of corporate consolidation, Amazon’s acquisition of MGM has exposed an American economy that’s mostly make-believe.

CULTURE/BLM - From THR: Tom Hanks penned a guest essay for The New York Times on Friday in which he called for the truth of the Tulsa race massacre to be taught in schools.

POLITICS - From Variety:   Facebook says that it will suspend former president Donald Trump from its Facebook and Instagram social media platforms until at least January 2023.  Further, Trump will only be reinstated "if conditions permit."

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actor, Billy Porter, and executive producer Greg Berlanti are developing a TV series, "Fruits of Thy Labor," for NBC's "Peacock" streaming service.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:   Nickelodeon has released a teaser trailer and art form the "Spongebob Squarepants" spinoff, "The Patrick Star Show."

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Hong Kong actor and filmmaker, Donnie Yen, is joining Keanu Reeves in "John Wick 4."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Despite all Tom Cruise's cussin' and hollarin', production on "Mission: Impossible 7" in the U.K. will shut down for 14 days because of a positive COVID-19 test.

FILM FESTIVALS - From Variety:   The lineup for the 2021 Cannes Film Festival has been announced.  This year's festival will be held from July 6th to 17th, 2021.

DISNEY - From Deadline:   "Indiana Jones 5" will begin filming in the United Kingdom next week, according to sources.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   Paramount Pictures brings resurrects movie-going with "A Quiet Place Part II" ... or do "Deadline" says.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Actor Sebastian Stan (Marvel's "Winter Soldier") has posted a new photo of himself as the rocker, Tommy Lee (of the band "Motley Crue") to promote Hulu's limited series, "Pam & Tommy."

OBITS:

From Deadline:   The actress Romy Walthall has died at the age of 57, Wednesday, 19, 2021.  Her first screen was in 1984 and her last in 2011.  Walthall made appearances in some of the biggest television series of the 1980 and 90s.  This included "T.J. Hooker," "Moonlight," "Matlock," "In the Heat of the Night," "L.A. Law," and "The X-Files," to name a few.  Walthall also had small role in the director John Woo's hit movie, "Face/Off," starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta.

From Deadline:   American stunt coordinator and film director, Buddy Van Horn, has died at the age of 92, Tuesday, May 11, 2021.  Van Horn was actor Clint Eastwood's stunt double and was credited as the stunt coordinator on Eastwood films from 1972 to 2011.  Van Horn also directed three films in which Eastwood starred, "Any Which Way You Can" (1980), "The Dead Pool" (1988), and "Pink Cadillac" (1989).

From XXL:   Dashawn Maurice Robertson, known as the rapper "Lil Loaded," has died at the age of 20, Monday, May 31, 2021.  Lil Loaded came to fame in 2019 when his song, "Blocc Baby" went viral.  He self-released his one studio album, "A Demon in Blue," October 2020, as a digital download/streaming.

 

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 1st to 8th, 2021 - Update #20

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MUSIC - From NYDailyNews:   The rapper "Pop Smoke" (birth name: Bashar Barakah Jackson) was killed last year, Feb. 2020, in Los Angeles.  The "New York Daily News" is reporting that the Brooklyn rapper was allegedly murdered by a 15-year-old who wanted Pop Smoke's diamond studded Rolex watch.

MOVIES - From THR:   Legendary Entertainment is developing a remake of the 1978 fake documentary, "Faces of Death," which spawned a grisly franchise.

GOLDEN GLOBES - From THR:   The membership of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the organization that puts on the "Golden Globes" awards, have approved sweeping reforms in order to address the demographic and ethics questions that have riled Hollywood.

From THR:  The Time’s Up organization and a coalition of more than 100 PR firms released separate letters on Friday afternoon indicating that they are not satisfied with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association plans to address demographic and ethics problems.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  After 12 seasons as a cast member of ABC's long-running hospital drama, "Grey's Anatomy," actor Jessie Williams is leaving the series after this season, the series' 17th.

MOVIES - From VanityFair:   In this "Vanity Fair" video, Sacha Baron Cohen breaks down the Oscar-nominated film, "The Trial of the Chicago 7" with writer-director Aaron Sorkin

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Mark Wahlberg and director Antoine Fuqua's sci-fi film, "Infinite," will debut on Paramount+ and skip movie theaters.

MOVIES - From VogueUK:   British "Vogue" gets you up to date about the early production of the film, "My Policeman," starring Harry Styles and Emma Corrin.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   HBO releases the first images (three of them) from its "Game of Thrones" prequel, "House of the Dragon."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Ben Mendelsohn joins Daisy Ridley in Neil Burger's psychological thriller, "The Marsh King's Daughter."

TELEVISION - From Truthout:   Director Raoul Peck talks to Amy Goodman of "Democracy Now" about his epic new documentary series, "Exterminate All the Brutes," which exposes the worldwide brutality of European colonialism.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   TBS has set a date for the final episode of "Conan," comic Conan O'Brien's talk show for the cable network.  The final episode will air June 24, 2021.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Apple Original Films has picked up "Finch," starring Tom Hanks.  The film, from Amblin Entertainment, is a science fiction movie originally called "Bios" and originally was to be released by Universal Pictures.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   NBC has given a straight-to-series order for a new "Law & Order" series, "Law & Order: For the Defense."

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 4/30 to 5/2/21 weekend box office is "Demon Slayer" with an estimated 6.4 million at the box office.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:   British film and TV actor, Noel Clarke, is in serious trouble.  Multiple women are alleging sexual harassment, bullying, and now, sexual offenses against him.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  A long-lost prototype for the "Xenomorph" from the director Ridley Scott's film, "Alien" (1979) has been found and will go on auction.  It was created by the late artist H.R. Giger, who was part of the team that won an Oscar for the film's visual effects.

SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment:  Former reality TV star, Josh Duggar ("19 Kids and Counting"), was recently arrested by federal authorities.  Now, disturbing details about Duggar's receiving and possessing material depicting the sexual abuse of children have emerged.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:    Actors Joana Ribeiro ("The Man Who Killed Don Quixote") and Annelle Olayele ("Doctors") are set as series regulars opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor and Naomie Harris in Showtime's "The Man Who Fell to Earth."  The drama series is based on Walter Tevis' 1963 novel and the 1976 film adaptation starring the late David Bowie.

OBITS:

From Variety:   Actress and media personality, Tawny Kitaen, has died at the age of 59, Friday, May 8, 2021.  Kitaen was a "video vixen" in the 1980s.  She was known for her association with the rock band, Whitesnake, appearing in several of the band's music videos, including "Here I Go Again" (1987 version) and "Is This Love" (1987).  She also appeared as a cover model on the band, Ratt's EP, "Ratt" (1983), and on its debut studio LP, "Out of the Cellar" (1984).  Her best known film role as actress was playing the bride-to-be of Tom Hank's character in "Bachelor Party" (1984).

From Deadline:   Former NFL player and actor, Frank McRae, has died at the age of 77 , Thursday, April 29, 2021.  McRae was a defensive tackle for the NFL's Chicago Bears and played one season for them, appearing in six games.  After football, he became a character actor and appeared in in more than 40 movies, including a number of TV movies.  His most memorable appearances includes roles in "Red Dawn," "Last Action Hero," "F.I.S.T." and a James Bond movie - 1989's "License to Kill."

From Deadline:  The film, television, and stage actress, Olympia Dukakis, has died at the age of 89, Saturday, May 1, 2021.  She won a "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar for her performance in the film, "Moonstruck" (1987).  Dukakis was also a three-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee.  Her other films include "Look Who's Talking" (1989), "Steel Magnolias" (1989), and "Mr. Holland's Opus" (1995).

From Deadline:  Co-stars Cher, Viola Davis, and Paul Reiser and others in Hollywood mourn the passing of Academy Award-winning actress, Olympia Dukakis.

Principal Photography to Begin on Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis"

Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” Set to Get Underway September 23, 2020 in Australia

Cameras will roll in Queensland, with Luhrmann directing Austin Butler as Elvis, Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker and Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley in the highly anticipated musical drama

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography will begin on September 23, 2020 on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Elvis,” Oscar-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann’s (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”) musical drama about the life and music of Elvis Presley. Seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the film stars Austin Butler (“Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood”) as Elvis, Tom Hanks (“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” “Forrest Gump”) as Colonel Tom Parker and Olivia DeJonge (“Stray Dolls”) as Priscilla Presley.

Looking forward to getting to work after the lengthy delay, Luhrmann stated, “We’re back to, as Elvis liked to say, ‘taking care of business!’ It is a real privilege in this unprecedented global moment that Tom Hanks has been able to return to Australia to join Austin Butler and all of our extraordinary cast and crew to commence production on ‘Elvis.’ I cannot emphasize enough how lucky we feel in the current climate that the state of Queensland, and Queenslanders in general, have been so supportive of this film. We thank our partners in the Queensland Government and Queensland Health for their extremely diligent process, so that we can be an example how creativity and productivity can proceed safely and responsibly in a way that protects our team and the community at large. We are all excited to start working with Tom Hanks when he is out of quarantine in two weeks.”

The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley.

Luhrmann directs from the current screenplay written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce. Luhrmann is also producing the film, alongside Catherine Martin, Gail Berman, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss, with Andrew Mittman executive producing.

The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Mandy Walker (“Mulan,” “Australia”), Oscar-winning production designer and costume designer Catherine Martin (“The Great Gatsby,” “Moulin Rouge!”), editors Matt Villa (“The Great Gatsby,” “Australia”) and Jonathan Redmond (“The Great Gatsby”) and composer Elliott Wheeler (“The Get Down”).

Principal photography on “Elvis” is taking place in Queensland, Australia with the support of the Queensland Government, Screen Queensland and the Australian Government’s Producer Offset program. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 1st to 11th, 2020 - Update #28

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Black Neff, the writer most responsible for the shit that Fox News personality, Tucker Carlson, spews from his mouth, has resigned from Fox after CNN Business discovered a Neff's racist and sexist post on an online forum.

BLM - From YahooEntertainment:  Actress and activist, Rashida Jones, is the daughter of an African-American man (music legend Quincy Jones) and a white actress (Peggy Lipton).  Regarding Black Lives Matter protests mean that this is the time for the country to show what it can be.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actors Zendaya and John David Washington made a secret movie during the COVID-19 pandemic with Euphoria creator, Sam Levinson.  The film, entitled "Malcolm & Marie," has already completed production.

POLITICS - From RSN:  Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich warns of a looming even worse "Great Recession."

DISNEY - From Variety:  Jude Law is in talks to portray Captain Hook in Disney's live-action Peter Pan film, "Peter Pan & Wendy."

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:   Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award winning actress Viola Davis' "Black Meryl Streep" speech goes viral again.

COVID-19 - From LATimes:  Tom Hanks is baffled by people who don't take COVID-19 seriously.  Hanks and his wife, film producer/singer Rita Wilson, both contracted COVID-19.

CELEBRITY - From Vulture:  The Emmy Award-winning actress, Thandie Newton, gives up juicy details in this career-spanning interview with "Vulture."

DISNEY - From Variety:  Blacklisted NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, has signed a first look deal with the Walt Disney Company.  Part of the deal includes a documentary series produced by ESPN Films.

DISNEY - From YahooEnterainment:  Why "Song of the South" is still a cultural flashpoint...

BLM - From YahooNews:  Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said that some soldiers deployed to Washington, D.C. to possibly assist in thwarting Black Lives Matter protests were issued bayonets, USA TODAY has confirmed.

CULTURE - From Slate:   How Being Bullied Affects Your Adulthood

STAR TREK-ANIMATION - From Deadline:  The new Star Trek animated comedy series, "Star Trek: Lower Decks," debuts August 6th, 2020 on the streaming service, CBS All Access.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  The lovely Sarah Jessica Parker is developing a dating show for the Lifetime cable network.

COVID-19/CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Acclaimed actress Jennifer Aniston pleads with her fans to wear masks to prevent the spread of #COVID19.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Mike Judge has signed a 2-season deal with Comedy Central to revive his animated creation, "Beavis and Butt-Head," which includes spin-offs and specials.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Apple will pay a record amount for the Antoine Fuqua-Will Smith project, "Emancipation."  The deal may exceed $120 million.

MOVIES - From Vulture:  The site asks if it is safe to go to the movies right now.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The Italian film composer, Ennio Morricone, has died at the age of 91, Monday, July 6, 2020.  Morricone is best known to American audiences for scoring director Sergio Leone's "Dollars" trilogy, and Morricone's score for the the third film in that trilogy, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," is considered one of the most influential film scores in history.  Morricone received an "Honorary Academy Award" in 2007.  He received six competitive Academy Award nominations, finally winning the "Best Original Score" Oscar for his work on Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" (2015).

From Deadline:  Screen and television writer, Bettina Gilois, has died at the age of 58, Sunday, July 5, 2020.  She was best known for co-writing the 2015 HBO TV miniseries, "Bessie," (for which she earned an Emmy nomination) and for co-writing two sports films, 2006's "Glory Road" and 2015's "McFarland USA."

From Deadline:  Broadway and television actor, Nick Cordero, has died at the age of 41, Sunday, July 5, 2020, of complications of COVID-19.  He had been battling the disease since early April.  Cordero received a Tony Award nomination for his role in "Bullets Over Broadway," and appeared in such productions as "A Bronx Tale," "Rock of Ages," and "Waitress."

From THR:  Trailblazing Black British actor, Earl Cameron, died at the age of 102, Friday, July 3, 2020.  Born in Bermuda, Cameron became the first Black actor to play a role in a mainstream British film with his appearance in the 1951 film, "Pool of London."  Cameron's character in the film, "Johnny Lambert," also has an interracial romance, which also broke ground in British cinema.

From THR:  The broadcaster, television host, and news anchor, Hugh Downs, has died at the age of 99, Wednesday, July 1, 2020.  Downs game to fame a co-host of NBC's "Today" from 1962 to 1971.  He was probably best known as the anchor of ABC News television magazine, "20/20," from 1978 to 1999.

From Deadline:  Pioneering television comedy writer and director, Carl Reiner has died at the age of 98, Monday, June 29, 2020.  Reiner is best known as the creator and writer-director and actor on "The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66).  Five of the 9 Primetime Emmy Awards Reiner won were for his work on the show.  He first came to big TV fame and acclaim working on Sid Ceasar's TV series, "Your Show of Shows" (NBC, 1950-54) and "Ceasar's Hour" (NBC, 1954-57).  Reiner was also famous for being the son of television and film writer, director, and actor, Rob Reiner.

From Deadline:  Mel Brooks pays homage to his friend, the late, great Carl Reiner.


BLACK LIVES MATTER NEWS:

From RSN:  The four corners of police violence

From TheIntercept:  Black Lives Matter Wants to End Police Brutality. History Suggests It Will Go Much Further.

From YahooNews:  "The Confederacy of California": life in the valley where Robert Fuller was found hanged

From CNN:  Colorado police officers involved in the death of Elijah McClain reassigned for safety reasons.

From Truthout: " Three North Carolina Police Fired for Racist Rants, Threats to Kill Black People" - and what they said is crazy and scary

From Truthout: Bryant Gumbel Gives Powerful Commentary on the 'Black Tax,' the 'Added Burden' of Being Black

From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-nominated songwriter and Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Ray Parker, Jr., may be best known for writing the theme to the film, "Ghostbusters," but when he was a teenager, Parker was beaten by Detroit police officers.

From RSNewYorker:  Jelani Cobb: An American Spring of Reckoning.

From NBCNews:  Baton Rouge, LA activist, Gary Chambers, makes an impassioned speech about changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School in Baton Rouge.

From YahooNews:  Racial violence and a pandemic: How the Red Summer of 1919 relates to 2020

From DemocracyNow:   Fear Grows of Modern-Day Lynchings as Five People of Color Are Found Hanged

From NYPost:  Caramel, Indiana Catholic priest suspended for comparing Black Lives Matters activists to maggots.

From NBCNews:   NYPD is disbanding a unit that is the 'last chapter' of stop-and-frisk

From YahooLifestyle:  A history of the "Karen."


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 NPR:  A sad milestone: over 100,000 American have died due to COVID-19.

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 Truthout:  Trump Moves to End Federal Support for Testing Sites Amid Record COVID Spikes

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.

From NYPost:  Students in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, are reportedly throwing “COVID parties” with their friends and gambling on who will get sick first, according to local officials.

From KABB:  Alice Guzman, the stepmother of Congressman Joaquin Castro and former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro, has died of COVID-19.  Their father is also ill with the virus.


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