Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 24th to 31st, 2026 - UPDATE #9

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:

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/29 to 5/31/2026 weekend box office is A24's "Backrooms" with an estimated take of 81.45 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  There is a television limited series remake of director Alfred Hitchcock's legendary film, "The Birds" (1963).  However, the producers of the limited series are saying that it is closer to Daphne du Maurier's 1952 short story that inspired Hitchcock's film.  Starring Sarah Snook ("Succession"), the series is currently for sale on the international marketplace.

AMAZON - From Toonado:  Amazon MGM Studios will not release its live-action movie, "Voltron," to movie theaters. It will go straight-to-streaming and with debut on either Prime Video or on the add-on service, MGM+.  Starring Henry Cavill ("Man of Steel"), the film is based on the 1980s animated series, "Voltron, Defender of the Universe."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/22 to 5/24/2026 weekend box office is Disney/Lucasfilm's "Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu" with an estimated take of 82 million dollars.

STREAMING - From Variety:  In an exclusive story, "Variety" is now reporting that Tom Hardy has not been fired from the Paramout+ hit crime series, "Mobland."  "Things are being worked creatively" for him to return for Season 3 of the series.

From Variety:  After production on Season 2 of Paramount+'s crime series, "Mobland," was completed, star Tom Hardy was fired from the series.  Although it has yet to be announced, there will apparently be a third season of the hit series.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American-born musician, songwriter, and vocalist, Ronald LaPread, has died at the age of 75, Saturday, May 30, 2026.  LaPread is best known as the former bassist of popular 1970s and 80s R&B and pop music band, "The Commodores."  LaPread joined the band in 1970, two years after its initial founding, and he was one of the original members when the band signed its recording deal with Motown Records.  LaPread won a Grammy Award as a member of "The Commodores" for their hit 1985 single, "Nightshift" ("Best Vocal R&B Performance by a Duo/Group").  LaPread left The Commodores in 1986 and moved to Auckland, New Zealand.

From THR:  American film and television actress, Kelly Curtis, has died at the age of 69, Saturday, May 30, 2026.  Kelly was the oldest child of the legendary Hollywood actors, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh.  Kelly was also the older sister of Oscar-winning actress, Jamie Lee Curtis.  Her two biggest film roles were in the films, "Magic Sticks" (1987) and "The Devil's Daughter" (1991).  Kelly was a regular on the first season of CBS' former action-crime thriller series, "The Sentinel."  She was a guest on the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode, "Captive Pursuit" (Season 1, Episode 6).  Other TV appearances include guest roles on original version of "The Equalizer" (CBS), "Hunter," (NBC), and "Judging Amy" (CBS). 

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From Variety:  American film editor, Marcia Lucas, has died at the age of 80 Wednesday, May 27, 2026.  Marcia is best known for her work with her ex-husband, George Lucas, to whom she was married from 1969-83.  Marcia was on the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for "Star Wars" (1977), sharing it with Paul Hirsch and Richard Chew.  Marcia's work on "Star Wars" is often credited as being what saved the film.  She was also Oscar-nominated for editing editing George's 1973 film, "American Graffiti."  Marcia would later edit "Return of the Jedi" (1983) for the film's director Richard Marquand.  Marcia edited three films for director Martin Scorsese, including "Taxi Driver" (1976).

From Deadline:  Lucasfilm offers a tribute to Oscar-winning film editor, Marcia Lucas, who died Wed., May 27th.  The ex-wife of Star Wars creator, George Lucas, Marcia contributed greatly to shape and form of both "Star Wars" (1977) and "Return of the Jedi" (1983), as a film editor and advisor.

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Review: Netflix's "HAVOC" is Stylish, Blood-Splattered Fluff

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 25 of 2025 (No. 2031) by Leroy Douresseaux

Havoc (2025)

Running time:  107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)

Rated: TV-MA

WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Gareth Evans

PRODUCERS:  Gareth Evans, Tom Hardy, Ed Talfan, and Aram Tertzakian

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Matt Flannery (D.o.P.)

COMPOSER:  Aria Prayogi

EDITORS:  Sara Jones and Matt Platts-Mills

CRIME/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring:  Tom Hardy, Jessie Mei Li, Justin Cornwell, Quelin Sepulveda, Richard Harrington, Serhat Metin, Gordon Alexander, John Cummins, Jeremy Ang Jones, Yann Yann Yeo, Michelle Waterson, Narges Rashidi, Astrid Fox-Sahan, Luis Guzman, and Timothy Olyphant and Forest Whitaker

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- Havoc is a violent action movie with so much gun play that it would be okay to mistake it for something like a first-person shooter video game

-- Havoc seems like a video game that wants to be a movie, and as a movie it will entertain people who enjoy violent crime movies and action films

-- Otherwise, Havoc is an average film

Havoc is a 2025 crime and action-thriller film from writer-director Gareth Evans.  The film is a co-production between the U.S. and the U.K.  The film is a “Netflix Original” and began streaming on the service April 25, 2025.  Havoc focuses on a beat-up detective who must rescue a politician's estranged son, after the son is implicated in the violent modern of young drug lord.

Havoc introduces Patrick Walker (Tom Hardy), a homicide detective who is estranged from his wife, Helena (Narges Rashidi), and daughter, Emily (Astrid Fox-Sahan).  Walker is also on the payroll of the powerful real estate magnate and mayoral candidate, Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker).  Beaumont's son, Charlie (Justin Cornwell), is implicated in the murder of Tsui (Jeremy Ang Jones), a young drug lord.  Tsui's mother, Clarice Fong (Yann Yann Yeo), arrives in the city and demands that her legion of henchman find Charlie.

Knowing that Walker is compromised because he has been on the take from him, Beaumont demands that Walker find Charlie before he is killed.  After insisting that this is the last job he will to do for Beaumont, Walker sets about searching for Charlie and his girlfriend, Mia (Quelin Sepulveda), who are on the run.  However, the killing of Tsui is complicated and involves people who know how dirty Walker is because they have joined him in some of his dirtiest deeds.

I am a fan of director Gareth Evan's 2011 Indonesian crime-thriller, The Raid, which was released in the U.S. under the title, The Raid: Redemption.  After that, I had not watched another of Evans films until Havoc, and I don't have a lot to say about it.

The cast is quite good.  They are mostly people I don't know, but they deliver good performances.  I am a fan of the film's star Tom Hardy and of Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland, 2006).  They also deliver good performances...

...But Havoc plays like a violent action-adventure video game that is transitioning into a violent crime and action film.  In fact, the car chase scenes in this film look like game animation.  The film's screenplay has back story and character drama, but ultimately Gareth Evans makes the drama and story take a backseat to the violent action.  The violent gun play results in gory gunshot wounds, and every shooting victim is shot way more times than it should take to kill them.

Havoc looks like a first-person shooter video game, and it might make a good one at that.  As a movie, it is average entertainment.  Havoc won't be memorable, but it will help viewers pass the time.

5 of 10

C+

★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, June 6, 2025

The text is copyright © 2025 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "VENOM: THE LAST DANCE" Has a Death Wish

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 of 2025 (No. 2016) by Leroy Douresseaux

Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

Running time:  110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, bloody images and strong language

DIRECTOR:  Kelly Marcel

WRITERS:  Kelly Marcel; from a story by Kelly Marcel and Tom Hardy (based on the Marvel Comics)

PRODUCERS:  Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Matt Tolmach, Tom Hardy, Kelly Marcel, and Hutch Parker

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Fabian Wagner (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Mark Sanger

COMPOSER:  Dan Deacon

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring:  Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu, Clark Backo, Alanna Ubach, Hala Finley, Dash McCloud, Cristo Fernandez, Jared Abrahamson, Jack Brady, Reid Scott, and Andy Serkis

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

Venom: The Last Dance is the least of the three films in this series in terms of quality.

The entire point of the movie seems to be to end the series as soon as possible, so it is strictly for fans of this series

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Venom: The Last Dance is a 2024 superhero fantasy-action film directed by Kelly Marcel.  The film is based on the Marvel Comics super-villain/anti-hero characters, Eddie Brock/Venom.  Several comic book writers, artists, and editors contributed in the development of this duo, and artist Todd McFarlane and writer David Michelinie are the creators of Venom.  This is also the third entry in the Venom film series.  In Venom: The Last Dance, Eddie Brock and Venom are on the run from both an alien monster and a mysterious military officer, and they may be forced to break up their symbiotic partnership.

Venom: The Last Dance opens on Klyntar, the home world of the symbiotes.  Knull (Andy Serkis), the creator of the symbiotes, seeks a way to escape the prison made for him by his rebellious creations.  To that end, he has discovered a key – some thing called a “Codex” – that will free him.  What and where is the codex?

Well, it is on Earth, and the Codex exists because of the relationship between the symbiote, Venom, and his human host, the former investigative reporter, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy).  They have just returned to Earth after their short stay in the multiverse (as seen in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home) and has landed in the Mexico of their own Earth.  While there, Eddie and Venom learn that Eddie is being blamed for the death of Detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham).

Mulligan is not dead.  He was infected by a symbiote (as seen in 2021's Venom: Let There Be Carnage).  He has been imprisoned in an underground facility at “Area 55” (which is beneath “Area 51”), and is being held in captivity by the “Imperium Program.”  There, Mulligan and his symbiote are under the watchful gazes of Imperium scientist, Dr. Teddy Paine (Juno Temple), and the Imperium's military commander, General Rex Strickland (Chiwetel Ejiofor).

Eddie and Venom are headed for New York City in a bid to clear Eddie's name, unaware that General Strickland is hunting them.  The duo, however, is soon made aware of an even more dangerous hunter.  Knull has sent a creature known as a “Xenophage” to capture the Codex within Eddie and Venom.  Now, a year into their symbiotic relationship, Eddie Brock and Venom may have to make a most devastating and heart-wrenching decision in order to save the Earth and at least one of their lives.

Venom: The Last Dance is the fifth film in “Sony's Spider-Man Universe” line of films.  It follows Venom (2018), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), Morbius (2022), and Madame Web (2024).  The Last Dance arrived in movie theaters a little more than a month before the series' sixth film, Kraven the Hunter (2024).  This film series stars characters and properties commonly associated with Marvel Comics' character, Spider-Man.  Sadly, media reports indicate that Kraven the Hunter will be the last entry in Sony's Spider-Man Universe.

Anyway, just before the halfway mark in Venom: The Last Dance, the Venom symbiote enters a horse, and “venomizes” it, creating a “Venom horse.”  The sequence featuring Venom as a horse, which becomes a wild ride across the desert with Eddie on its back, is probably the liveliest moment in this movie.  Venom does not venomize any more animals the rest of the way, but strangely, the beginning of the film's end-credits is a montage of venomized animals, everything from insects and birds to mammals and amphibians.  A Venom movie featuring the Venom symbiote venomizing countless different insects and animals?! – now, that would be a Venom movie I'd love and a lot of people would watch.  Sadly, that is what we get in Venom: The Last Dance.

Yes, there are some genuine character moments – such as Eddie/Venom's relationship with the Moon family – but even that is overwhelmed by Venom: The Last Dance's need to end.  Yes, this isn't so much a movie as it is an execution or suicide pact.  Venom is a trilogy and Venom: The Last Dance must be the end of it:  that's what this movie feels like – a race to the end.

I found myself unable to really enjoy this movie.  I really didn't connect with the film's best action scenes, and there were a few really good ones.  Also, I feel like the Knull subplot was woefully underutilized.  There are some good moments here, and by the end of the film, I thought the good things had been downplayed in favor of this movie's fatalistic mood.  Ultimately, I think Venom: The Last Dance is only for fans of the series who will want to see it through to the end.

5 of 10

C+

★★½ out of 4 stars out of 4 stars

[This film has one mid-credits scene and one scene that occurs at the end of the credits.]

The text is copyright © 2025 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 May 12th to 18th, 2024 - UPDATE #15

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).

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From ScreenRant:  Will Smith confirms that production is ongoing for "I Am Legend 2," and that he has had a "productive" meeting with Michael B. Jordan, his co-star.

MOVIES - From THR:  Universal has made a number of changes to and announcements concerning its 2025 horror movie slate.  That includes the following:  "Five Nights at Freddy’s 2" has received an official release date in theaters. Dec. 5, 2025. "M3GAN 2.0" moves from May 16, 2025 to June 27, 2025.  "The Black Phone 2" moves from June 27, 2025 to Oct. 17, 2025.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Mortal Kombat 2" is set for an October 24, 2025 release date.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Junior broadcast network, "The CW," is looking to expand its reach into live sports. While that can't compete for the NFL or NBA rights, they are considering partnerships with entities like ESPN.

BUSINESS - From CBSNews:  McDonald's is considering a $5 meal deal.

From CBSNews:  Americans are choking on surging fast food prices.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Director George Miller said that there was "no excuse" for the feud between Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, the stars of his 2015 hit film, "Mad Max: Fury Road."

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Steve Buscemi is the latest celebrity to be attacked on the streets of New York City.  An unknown man walked up and struck the 66-year-old actor while he was walking in a neighborhood on Manhattan's East side. Buscemi's publicist said the actor is doing ok.

CANNES - From Deadline:  Francis Ford Coppola's much-talked about film, "Megalopolis," has buyers that will distribute the film in key European markets.  Constantin Film has bought the film for distribution in Germany and all German-speaking territories, including Switzerland and Austria.  Eagle Pictures bought it for Ital.  Tripictures has the film for Spain.  Entertainment Film Distributors Limited purchased the film for the U.K.  As announced last week, Le Pacte will distribute the film in France.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/10 to 5/12/2024 Mother's Day weekend box office is 20th Century's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" with an estimated take of 56.5 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Warner Bros. is set to release a new "Lord of the Rings" movie.  Entitled "The Hunt for Gollum", the film will focus on the tragic character, "Gollum," to be played again, by Andy Serkis.  "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit" trilogy director, Peter Jackson, and his partners, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, will produce the film and will be involved every step of the way.  Andy Serkis will direct the feature which is scheduled for 2026.

From Deadline:  Peter Jackson, Andy Serkins, and Philippa Boyens talk about their return to "Middle-Earth" for more "Lord of the Rings" films.  They also talk about how the Cannes 2001 saved the original films.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American film and television actor, Dabney Coleman, has died at the age of 92, Thursday, May 16, 2024.  Best known as a character actor, Coleman's best known work was in such films as "9 to 5" (1980), "On Golden Pond" (1981), "Tootsie" (1982), and "WarGames" (1983), to name a few.  He was also the lead in several short-lived TV series:  "Buffalo Bill" (NBC, 1983-84), "The Slap Maxwell Stoy" (ABC, 1987-88), "Drexell's Class" (Fox, 1991-92), and "Madman of the People" (NBC, 1994-95).  Coleman was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards and won once, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special," for his performance in the ABC made-for-TV movie, "Sworn to Silence" (1987).

From Deadline:  American alto saxophone player, jazz musician, and composer, David Sanborn, has died at the age of 78, Sunday, May 12, 2024.  According to "Discogs," Sanborn had over 800 recorded music credits, including 33 albums releases.  Sanborn also won six Grammy Awards.  He also composed the score for several films, including "Lethal Weapon 2," "Lethal Weapon 3," and "Lethal Weapon 4."

From Variety:  American film producer and director, Roger Corman, has died at the age of 98, Thursday, May 9, 2024.  According to his IMDb stats, Corman directed 55 films and produced 385 between 1954 and 2008.  With his brother, Gene Corman, Roger founded New World Pictures, a small film production and distribution company.  Corman mentored and gave starts to a number of directors who would go on to fame, including Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, John Sayles, and James Cameron, to name a few.  Future acting legend who got a start with Corman, including Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson, and Dennis Hopper, to name a few.  In 2009, Corman received an honorary Academy Award.  Among Corman's most famous films are "The Big Doll House" (1971), "The Little Shop of Horrors" (1960), and "The Masque of the Red Death" (1964), to name a few.

From Deadline:  Hollywood remembers Roger Corman, including quotes from Gale Anne Hurd, William Shatner, Ron Howard, John Carpenter, and Joe Russo.

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GAZA:

5/7/2024 - From NewYorkTimes:  The actions of police officers and counterprotesters at campus demonstrations came under further scrutiny on Tuesday, with the University of California system saying it would investigate the law enforcement response to a violent attack on pro-Palestinian protesters at its Los Angeles campus, while the White House condemned the taunting of a Black student captured in a video at the University of Mississippi.

5/4/2024 - From TheGuardian:  On the police crackdown on campus Gaza ceasefire protests: "the police are sending a message" says Dartmouth labor historian.

5/3/24 - From NBCNews:  In an interview with Kristin Welker on NBC's "Meet the Press," Cindy McCain, the executive director of the World Food Programme, said she believes there is a "full-blown famine" in northern Gaza.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 8th to 14th, 2023 - Update #20

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From THR:  Martin Scorsese's new film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," is a historical drama about the "Osage Reign of Terror."  However, in 1926, Hollywood's first Native American director, James Young Deer, released his film on the subject, "Tragedies of the Osage Hills."  It is one of thousands of silent films that are lost or no longer exist.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  Two-time Oscar-winning actor, Michael Caine (Cider House Rules) has made it official that he is retiring from acting.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has released a second trailer for its upcoming film, "Wonka," a prequel to Roald Dahl's beloved novel, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," which has been adapted into film twice in 1971 and 2005.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Miramax has won the television rights to the Halloween film franchise, which is controlled by Malek Akkad's Trancas International Films.  Miramax sees this new "Halloween" franchise as potential launch of a cinematic universe spanning film and TV.  The franchise began with director John Carpenter's 1978 film, Halloween.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  In his new self-help book, "Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life," Hollywood legend and former governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger says that director John Milius made him do "terrible shit" on the set of his breakthrough movie, Conan the Barbarian (1982), including biting into a real, dead vulture.

ANIMATION - From Variety:  Paramount+ has set an Oct. 27th date from the U.S. and Canadian streaming debut of its exclusive feature, "South Park: Joining the Panderverse."

STAR TREK - From Variety:  Netflix will stream the second season of the animated series, "Star Trek: Prodigy" beginning in 2024. Paramount cancelled the series earlier this year. The first season will arrive on Netflix later this year.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Jerry Seinfeld teases a possible reunion of his beloved former NBC sitcom, "Seinfeld" (1989-98).  He teased "something is going to happen" related to series final episode.

CELEBRITY - From THR:  Emmy winner Jada Pinkett Smith says that she and her husband, Oscar-winner Will Smith, have been living separate lives since 2016, in an interview with NBC's "Today" show.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Currently promoting his new film, "Ferrari," starring Adam Driver, director Michael Mann says his next film will be a sequel to his 1995 classic, "Heat."

WRITERS STRIKE - From Deadline:  This afternoon (Mon. Oct. 9th), the Writers Guild of America (WGA) membership ratified its contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), bringing to a final end to the strike that lasted for nearly five months.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Pablo Larraín (Jackie) has revealed the first two photos of Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas in his new film, "Maria," that will explore the life of the legendary singer, often described as the original diva.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  DreamWorks Animation is laying off four precent of its staff (about 70 positions). The reasons apparently have to do with a business slowdown, rising production costs, and the recent Hollywood strikes.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 10/6 to 10/8/2023 weekend box office is Universal Pictures' "The Exorcist: The Believer" with an estimated take of 27.2 million dollars.

STAR TREK - From Variety:  Acclaimed actor and "Star Trek: The Next Generations," star, Patrick Stewart ("Captain Jean-Luc Picard"), explains why he thought that, Tom Hardy, his then young co-star in the film, Star Trek: Nemesis, would not last long in the acting profession.  In "Nemesis," Hardy plays "Shinzon," a clone of Picard produced by the Romulans.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American television and stage actor, Mark Goddard, has died at the age of 87, Tuesday, October 10, 2023.  Goddard is best known for his role as "Major Don West" in the former CBS sci-fi series, "Lost in Space" (1965-68).  He was a rising young star in the early to mid-1960s and was also a regular cast members of such series as the former CBS Western, "Johnny Ringo" (1959-60), the former ABC-NBC crime drama, "The Detectives" (1960-62), and the former CBS sitcom, "Many Happy Returns" (1964-65), before joining "Lost in Space."

From Deadline:  British film director and screenwriter, Terence Davies, has died at the age of 77, Saturday, October 7, 2023.  He is best known for his films, "Distant Voice, Still Lives" (1988), "The Long Day Closes" (1992), and "The House of Mirth" (2000), to name a few.

From Deadline:  American costume designer, Shawna Trpcic, has died at the age of 56, Wednesday, October 4, 2023.  She is best remembered for her work on the Disney+ Star Wars series:  "Anakin," "The Book of Boba Fett," and "The Mandalorian."  Trpcic was also known for her work on Joss Whedon's television series, "Angel," Firefly," and "Dollhouse," as well as on Whedon's 2012 film, "Much Ado About Nothing."  She received three Primetime Emmy Nominations for her work on the "Star Wars" series.

ISRAEL:

From CNN:  The news network's website has published a "Here's what to know" article on the unprecedented attack the Hamas has launched against Israel.

From TheGuardian:  from Patrick Wintour at "The Guardians UK": Hamas' attack has abruptly altered the picture for Middle East diplomacy. Iran wants to make it impossible for Saudi Arabia to strike deal with Israel, while others in region cannot afford mayhem in Gaza.

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ACTORS STRIKE:

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: Entertaining "VENOM: Let There Be Carnage" Offers Some Crazy Love

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 59 of 2021 (No. 1797) by Leroy Douresseaux

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Running time:  97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some strong language, disturbing material and suggestive references
DIRECTOR:  Andy Serkis
WRITERS:  Kelly Marcel; from a story by Kelly Marcel and Tom Hardy (based on the Marvel Comics)
PRODUCERS:  Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Matt Tolmach, Tom Hardy, Kelly Marcel, and Hutch Parker
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Robert Richardson (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Maryann Brandon and Stan Salfas
COMPOSER:  Marco Beltrami

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring:  Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, Reid Scott, Stephen Graham, Peggy Lu, Little Simz, Jack Bandeira, Olumide Olorunfemi, and Woody Harrelson

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is a 2021 superhero fantasy-action film directed by Andy Serkis.  The film is based on the Marvel Comics super-villain/anti-hero characters, Eddie Brock/Venom, to which several comic book writers, artists, and editors contributed in the creation, most especially artist Todd McFarlane and writer David Michelinie.  This film is a direct sequel to the 2018 film, Venom, and it is also the second film in “Sony's Spider-Man Universe” series.  In Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Eddie Brock and Venom face a new symbiote, a violent monster more powerful than Venom.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage opens in “St. Estes Home for Unwanted Children,” circa 1996.  There, young Cletus Kasady (Jack Bandeira) watches helplessly as his love, young Frances Barrison (Olumide Olorunfemi), is taken away.  She will be placed at the “Ravencroft Institute,” where she will be experimented upon because of her special power, her ability to emit a sonic scream.

In the present day, police Detective Patrick Mulligan (Stephen Graham) contacts Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy), who is attempting to revive his journalism career.  Mulligan asks Brock to speak to Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), now a serial killer who sits on death row and awaits execution.  Kasady refuses to talk to anyone other than Brock.  Kasady invites Brock to attend his execution, but Brock uses the visit to benefit himself.  Kasady sees Brock's actions as betrayal.

Meanwhile, Brock and the symbiote, Venom, have hit a wall in their relationship.  Each believes that the other does not really appreciate what he brings to the relationship.  Plus, Brock's ex-fiancée, Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), tells him that she is now engaged to Dr. Dan Lewis (Reid Scott).  This news and his cantankerous relationship with Venom lead Brock into being careless when he visits Kasady a second time, which leads to the creation of a monstrous new symbiote named “Carnage.”  Meanwhile, the adult Frances Barrison (Naomie Harris) is still imprisoned and, in her new identity as “Shriek, she still pines for her man, Cletus.

From what information I have gathered, the general consensus seems to be that the sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, is better than the first film, Venom.  As entertaining as I found the sequel, I think the original is the better film.  Yes, Venom: Let There Be Carnage has a lot going for it.  Its main cast:  Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Naomie Harris, and Woody Harrelson have all received Academy Award nominations for their acting – Williams and Harrelson more than once.

Yes, the sequel's special effects are excellent.  It is quite an achievement to create multiple scenes featuring not one but two shape-shifting, morphing CGI characters.  Venom and Carnage transmute at the same speed and frequency with which the late actor and comic legend, Robin Williams, blabbed and babbled – every chance he got.

Yes, I will give Venom: Let There Be Carnage credit for attempting to be something more than just a superhero film.  [Venom considers himself a hero.]  The film offers themes related to romance, fractured relationships, troubled friendships, jealousy, unrequited love, and love triangles.  In fact, I have to credit Tom Hardy for sharing so much of what is essentially his film with another actor.  Much of this film is about the story of Woody Harrelson's character, Cletus Kasady.

However, the first film seemed more sure of its plots and story points.  As eye-popping as Carnage is in this sequel, I think the original film's human/symbiote villains, Carlton Drake (played by Riz Ahmed) and Riot, were … deliciously evil.  Carnage is needlessly homicidal, and the character takes away from the subtle notes that Woody Harrelson tries to play as Cletus Kasady.

So, in the end, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is entertaining and often funny.  The supporting characters get to play, even fifth wheel Dr. Dan, and I'm always happy to see Naomi Harris, who makes the most of her time as Shriek.  But Venom: Let There Be Carnage feels like a placeholder.  It is as if Sony Pictures offered this sequel in order to satisfy demand while it takes time to develop a really good follow-up to the original Venom, instead of this merely good one.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, October 5, 2021


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

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Review: First "VENOM" is Surprisingly Entertaining and Unexpectedly Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 57 of 2021 (No. 1795) by Leroy Douresseaux

Venom (2018)
Running time:  112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for language
DIRECTOR:  Ruben Fleischer
WRITERS:  Scott Rosenberg and Kelly Marcel; from a screen story by Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg (based on the Marvel Comics)
PRODUCERS:  Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, and Matt Tolmach
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Matthew Libatique (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Alan Baumgarten and Maryann Brandon
COMPOSER:  Ludwig Göransson

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring:  Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott, Jenny Slate, Melora Walters, Peggy Lu, Ron Cephas Jones, Stan Lee, and Woody Harrelson

Venom is a 2018 superhero fantasy-action film directed by Ruben Fleischer.  The film is based on the Marvel Comics super-villain/anti-hero characters, Eddie Brock/Venom, to which several comic book writers, artists, and editors contributed in the creation of, most especially artist Todd McFarlane and writer David Michelinie.  It is also the first film in the “Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters” series.  In Venom the film, a troubled television reporter gains superpowers after bonding with an alien entity that is part of an invasion force.

As Venom opens, a space exploration probe belonging to the bio-engineering corporation, Life Foundation, discovers a comet covered in strange lifeforms.  The probe returns to Earth with four samples of these lifeforms, but one escapes.  Later, Life Foundation CEO, Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), has realized that these lifeforms are “symbiotes,” and that they cannot survive without human hosts.  However, soon after the symbiotes bond with humans, the humans' bodies start to reject the aliens.  Drake is obsessed with finding the perfect human hosts for these symbiotes, even if his experiments lead to the deaths of many humans.

Six months later, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a failed television reporter and former star of “The Brock Report.”  He previously had a run-in with Drake, but fate has given him the opportunity to infiltrate the Life Foundation.  That is how Eddie has an unfortunate encounter with a symbiote that calls itself “Venom.”  Eddie struggles to adapt to what he calls the “parasite” inside his body and is shocked to learn that there are millions more like Venom out in space.  But Eddie will need Venom's help to stay alive when Drake and Life Foundation discover his strange union and come after him to retrieve their property – the symbiote Venom.

Except for his early comic book appearances, I have never been a fan of Venom, but I am a fan of Venom the movie.  He is one of those characters whose potential reveals itself in the movement that television and film offers.  The visual-effects crew of Venom does excellent work in creating Venom as a fascinating and alluring CGI character; noisy, chaotic, obnoxious, inconsistent, and aggressive work for this character.  In fact, there are many inconsistencies in what is supposed to be the nature of human-symbiote relationship, especially in what are the rules of Eddie Brock and Venom's merger, but I found this movie to be too much fun for me to pay attention to logic.

Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock and Riz Ahmed as Carlton Drake make the most of two characters that are not that well developed, and the characters make a good adversarial pair.  Even acclaimed actress and multiple Oscar nominee, Michelle Williams, manages to make Eddie's ex, Anne Weying, seem like something more than an obligatory female character.  But still, the gold in Venom is the special effect that is Venom the character.  I like Venom enough to watch a sequel...

7 of 10
B+

Monday, July 5, 2021


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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 12th to 18th, 2020 - Update #24

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS - Hollywood and Beyond:

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 YahooSports:   Brian Allen, the starting center for the Los Angeles Rams, announced that he has twice tested positive for COVID-19.  He is the first known NFL player to test positive for the virus.

From NBCSports:  Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller of the Denver Broncos has tested positive for COVID-19. 

From Deadline:  "Saturday Night Live" performer, Michael Che, is paying one month's rent for residents of the New York house complex where his late grandmother lived.  Che's grandmother, Martha, recently died of complications of COVID-19.

From NJHerald:  An investigation has been launched into an elder care facility after 17 bodies are found piled into a small morgue at the facility.

From Variety:  Thanks to a COVID-19 surge in orders, shares of Amazon's stock hits an all-time high.  The company is currently valued at 1.1 trillion dollars.

From CNN:  Actress and film producer, Rita Wilson (and wife of Tom Hanks), describes her experience with COVID-19 in her first interview

From YahooNews:  President Donald once wanted to let COVID-19 "wash over the country."

From Deadline:  Disney World to furlough 43,000 due to COVID-19 disruptions.

COVID-19 STIMULUS CHECK NEWS:

From YahooNews:  Deceased people are getting stimulus check... and the heirs and spouses may be able to keep them.

From YahooNews:  This article updates information on COVID-19 stimulus checks, including the introduction of a web tool that will let people track their checks.

According to the Washington Post, here is the timetable for when the IRS will start issuing checks to those who will receive their checks by mail:

Taxpayers with income up to $10,000: April 24

Taxpayers with income up to $20,000: May 1

Taxpayers with income up to $40,000: May 15.

The article has information about mailing dates after May 15th,

COVID-19 OBIT:

From Deadline:  The legendary celebrity, film and TV hairstylist, Charles Gregory Ross, died Wednesday, April 8, 2020 due to complications of COVID-19.  He worked on numerous film and TV productions over a nearly 30-year career.  Ross worked on many Tyler Perry productions and he received a 2005 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work on the 2005 HBO movie, "Lackawanna Blues."

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REGULAR ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

MOVIES - From BET:  Halle Berry debuts her chiseled abs and hard new body as she preps for the martial arts drama, "Bruised," which she is directing.

TRAILER - From Variety:  Actor Tom Hardy and director Josh Trank's Al Capone biopic, "Capone," will hit video-on-demand (VOD) on May 12th.

MOVIES-CHARITY - From Deadline:  Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro offer a chance to win a walk-on role in Martin Scorsese's film, "Killers of the Flower Moon."

TELEVISION - From THR:  The site offers a review of "The Last Dance," ESPN's 10-part documentary TV series about Michael Jordan and the NBA's Chicago Bulls.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS has cancelled its Sunday night TV series, "God Friended Me" after two seasons.  The two-hour series finale will be broadcast Sunday, April 26th.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures is still collecting data, but it expects a record-setting digital rental weekend for "Trolls: World Tour."  The DreamWorks Animation film was #1 on all on-demand platforms.

MOVIES - From VanityFair:  The magazine has a first look at Oscar-nominated actor Timothee Chalamet as "Paul Atreides" in director Denis Villeneuve's upcoming "Dune."

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney is in early development of a live-action/CG-hybrid of its animated film, "Robin Hood" (1973).  Carlos Lopez Estrada ("Blindspotting") will direct.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Dwayne Johnson talks about a "Hobbs & Shaw" sequel and about losing out of "Jack Reacher" to Tom Cruise.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Award-winning film, television, and stage actor, Brian Dennehy, has died at the age of 81, Wednesday, April 15, 2020, of cardiac arrest.  Dennehy is best known for his appearances in such films as "First Blood" (1982) and "Tommy Boy" (1995).  He won the Tony Award for "Best Actor in a Play," including for 1999 revival of the play, "Death of a Salesman."

From Heavy:  Prolific Japanese voice actor Keiji Fujiwara has died at the age of 55, Sunday, April 12, 2020 of cancer.  Fujiwara was a voice actor in numerous Japanese anime film ("Crayon Shin-chan" franchise) and television series ("Fullmetal Alchemist," "Kingdom Hearts") and video games ("Final Fantasy" franchise).  He also provided the Japanese dub for numerous English-language live-action movies.  He was most notably the Japanese voice dub for actor Robert Downey, Jr., providing the Japanese voice for Downey's "Tony Stark/Iron Man" and "Sherlock Holmes."

From CNN:  American actor and animation voice actor, Danny Goldman, has died at the age of 80, Monday, April 12, 2020, has died from complications of two strokes he suffered earlier this year.  Goldman is best known for being the voice of "Brainy Smurf" on NBC's Saturday morning animation series, "The Smurfs" (1981 to 1989).  His most memorable scene in a movie was as an annoying medical student vexing Gene Wilder in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" (1974).

From BleacherReport:  Former NFL quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has died at the age of 36, Sunday, April 12, 2020 in a single-car crash.  Jackson played in the NFL from 2006 to 2015.  It was during his second stint with the Seattle Seahawks (2013-2015) that he was a member of the Seahawks' Super Bowl XLVIII (#48 held on Feb. 2nd, 2014) championship team.  Since 2019, he had been a quarterbacks coach with Tennessee State University.

From CNN:   American entrepreneur, publisher, businessman, philanthropist, and advocate of African-American businesses, Earl G. Graves, Sr., has died at the age of 85, Monday, April 6, 2020 of complications from Alzheimer's disease.  Graves was best known for founding "Black Enterprise" magazine, which was founded to focus on Black entrepreneurs and Black businesses.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 1st to 6th, 2018 - Update #22

Support Leroy on Patreon:

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Trailer for "Star Trek: Discovery" Season 2 provides first look at Spock.

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DISNEY - From Deadline:  Janelle Monae joins the voice cast of  Disney's "Lady and the Tramp" reboot, which already has Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  AFI, the American Film Institute, will present actor Denzel Washington with its "AFI Life Achievement Award," making Washington the 47th recipient.

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STREAMING - From THR:  TV super-producer Shonda Rhimes ("Grey's Anatomy") and director Matt Reeves (Fox's recent "Planet of the Apes" films) are united for a Netflix a film and TV series based on Blake Crouch's sci-fi novel, "Recursion."

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DISNEY - From TheWrap:  The producers behind the live-action remake of Disney's "Aladdin," will produce a live-action remake of Disney's delightful animated hit, "Lilo & Stitch."

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POLITICS/CELEBRITY - From YahooET:   Actresses Amy Schumer and Emily Ratajkowski are apparently among the people being detained for the protests at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington DC.  There have been vigorous protests against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  Paramount Network will air the "Heathers" television series.  It is a reboot of the Michael Lehmann-directed and Daniel Waters-written 1998 dark comedy.  However, Episode 10 of the reboot will not be aired because of its controversial ending.  There will be some re-editing to make Episode 9 to be the last episode.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix will produce films and TV series based on "The Chronicle of Narnia" books.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Damon Wayans has announced that he is leaving the Fox TV series, "Lethal Weapon," after filming the 13 episodes of the Warner Bros. produced series that Fox ordered.  The series' other star, Clayne Crawford, was fired after Season 2.

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MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:  "Bad Boys 3" is apparently close to being greenlit by Sony.  Will Smith is reportedly officially on board, and Martin Lawrence is close.  The oft-delayed film currently as the title "Bad Boys for Life."

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BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Venom" estimated to have a $175 million debut at the worldwide box office.

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MOVIES - From MSNMoviefone:  "Rambo 5" begins filming, and Sylvester Stallone has a new look.

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COMICS-FILM -From IndieWire:  Critics divided over Sony Pictures' "Venom," starring Tom Hardy.

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SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment:  Actress Illeana Douglas talks about her claims against former CBS chairman Les Moonves, which include allegations of sexual assault.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Singer-actress Janelle Monae joins Fox Searchlight's film, "Harriet," a Harriet Tubman.

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MOVIES - From Collider:  Director Simon Kinberg talks about "X-Men: Dark Phoenix" reshoots and the recent release date change from Feb. 14, 2018 to June 2019.

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MOVIES - From Collider:  Writer-director Christopher McQuarrie talks about his involvement with the "Green Lantern" reboot and "Man of Steel 2."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Ansel Elgort will star as "Tony" in Steven Spielberg's version of "West Side Story."

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COMICS-FILM - From Movieweb:  40 minutes worth of scenes has been cut from Sony's "Venom," some of which Tom Hardy says are his favorite scenes.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/28 to 9/30/2018 weekend box office is "Night School," with an estimated take of $28 million.

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CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  Samuel L. Jackson Reacts To Viral ‘Pulp Fiction’ Kavanaugh Hearing Video Mashup

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  First official trailer for Marvel/Netflix's "Daredevil" Season 3

From YouTube:  Aquaman Official Extended Trailer.

OBIT:

From TheWrap:  Screenwriter and director, Audrey Wells, has died at the age of 58, Thursday, October 4, 2018.  She wrote and directed the romantic comedy, "Under the Tuscan Sun" (2003).  She wrote the screenplay adaptation of the just released, "The Hate U Give."

From THR:  Film set decorator, John M. Dwyer, died at the age of  83, September 15, 2018.  Dwyer earned an Oscar for his work on "Coal Miner's Daughter."  He was an Emmy winner for his work on "The Gangster Chronicles."  Dwyer did extensive work on the original "Star Trek," TV series, and worked on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" for one season.  He also worked on several "Star Trek" films, beginning with 1986's "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 25th to 31st, 2018 - Update #16

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ANIMATION-SCANDAL - From BuzzFeed:  John Kricfalusi, creator of "Ren and Stimpy," has been accused of preying on underage girls who wanted animation careers

MUSIC-SCANDAL - From HuffPostBlog:  While crazy rock musician Ted Nugent criticizes the #ParklandShooting survivors, let's look at his pedophile and statutory rape issues.

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POLITICS - From TheDailyBeast:  Neil Young Sounds Off on Trump: ‘He Has No Balls’

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STREAMING - From JoBlo:  Comic book luminary Frank Miller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns) and Tom Wheeler will develop a TV series for Netflix.  It is (another) take on King Arthur based on Miller and Wheeler's upcoming YA book.

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MOVIES - From TheVillageVoice:  The magazine's Bilge Ebiri talks to eccentric actor, Joaquin Phoenix.

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ANIMATION - From TheWrap:  In the wake of the cancellation of his "Deadpool" animated series for FX, Donald Glover posts a fake episodic script he wrote for "Deadpool" (for an imagined finale) and he wonders if the series was cancelled because it was too black...

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COMICS-FILM - From DenofGeek:  Fox's next "X-Men" franchise films get more release changes.  "The New Mutants was moved from Spring 2018 to February 2019 and now it's new release date is August 2, 2019.  "X-Men: Dark Phoenix" has also been moved, from Nov. 2, 2018 to Feb. 14th, 2019.

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#MarchForOurLives - From TheDailyBeast: Paul McCartney Honors John Lennon at NYC March for Our Lives

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 3/23 to 3/25/2018 weekend box office is "Pacific Rim: Uprising" with an estimated take of $28 million.

From Variety:  After five weekends at the top of the box office, "Black Panther" is finally dethroned.

From Deadline:  "Pacific Rim: Uprising" opens at $65 mil in China for a possible worldwide box of about $150 million.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Steven Spielberg says no Oscars for Netflix films.

From Deadline:  Peter Bart and Mike Fleming, Jr. had a similar conversation a few weeks earlier.

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ANIMATION - From THR:  Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, and FX have dropped their involvement in an animated series based on Marvel Comics' "Deadpool."

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From NOLA:  Tom Hardy will star as Al Capone in the biopic, "Fonzo."  The film will reportedly shoot in New Orleans and will be directed by Josh Trank, who shot his superhero film, Fantastic Four, in Louisiana.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Tessa Thompson will reunite with her "Thor: Ragnarok" co-star, Chris Hemsworth, to headline Sony's "Men in Black" reboot.  F. Gary Gray is set to direct the film which is due for release June 14, 2019.

OBIT:

From CJOnline:  Linda Brown has died at the age of 76, Monday, March 26, 2018.  As a child, Linda was at the center of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision that ended school segregation in the United States.  Linda's father, Oliver Brown, became the lead plaintiff in the Brown v. Board case after attempting to enroll Linda in 1951 in the all-white Sumner Elementary School near the family’s home in Topeka, Kansas.

Negromancer's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" Link-O-Rama - Update #98

Posted by Leroy Doureseaux - on Patreon.

From Negromancer:  My review of "The Last Jedi."

From Patreon:  My review of "The Last Jedi."

From YouTube:  "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" first official teaser trailer.

From YouTube:  "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" second official trailer.

From YouTube:  "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" -- "Awake" teaser.

From YouTube:  The Last Jedi - TV Spot #4

From YouTube:  The Last Jedi - "Tempt" TV spot

From WeGotThisCovered:  Here are two sneak previews of "The Last Jedi" trailer that will debut during the halftime show of ESPN's "Monday Night Football," Oct. 9th, 2017.

From YahooMovies:  A "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" behind-the-scenes reel, presents at D23 Expo 2017.

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From Variety:  "The Last Jedi" tops $1 billion in worldwide box office.

From Variety:  "The Last Jedi" approaches $1 billion in worldwide box office.

From ComicBook:  The Last Jedi's "Force Tree" explained.

From YahooHuffPost:  Mark Hamill is not exactly happy with the Luke Skywalker of "The Last Jedi."

From Deadline:  "The Last Jedi's" worldwide box office has now crossed $600 million.

From Movieweb:  Rian Johnson explains why he did not include Obi-Wan Kenobi in "The Last Jedi."

From THR:  Toy shipments for "The Last Jedi" are down from "The Force Awakens."

From TheWrap:  See Kelly Marie Tran's (Rose) audition with John Boyega (Finn).

From TheWrap:  In a commentary, Phil Hornshaw says that the Luke Skywalker in "The Last Jedi" does not feel like Luke Skywalker.

From Inverse:  Mark Hamill had a second secret role in "The Last Jedi,"which will be revealed in the Blu-ray release.

From BoxOfficeMojo:  "The Last Jedi" opens with the second largest weekend box office at $220 million, behind "The Force Awakens" at #1 with $247.9.

From YahooGMA:  SPOILER - Explaining that shock ending, involving Luke Skywalker.

From Variety:  "The Last Jedi" has the second largest Thursday preview night with an estimated haul of $45 million.  Of course, "The Force Awakens" has the record for the biggest Thursday preview night.

From the NYT:  The "Times" reviews "The Last Jedi."

From TheVerge:  The site offers what it claims is a spoiler free review of "The Last Jedi."

From Variety:  There are early reactions to "The Last Jedi," although full reviews are embargoes until Tuesday morning, Dec. 12th.

From YahooEntertainment:  Elaborate premiere for "The Last Jedi" celebrates Carrie Fisher.

From TheVerge:  Some begs, "Please don't let The Last Jedi be another remake of The Empire Strikes Back.

From ScreenRant:  There is a new TV spot for "The Last Jedi" which teases plenty of action.

From Yahoo:  Mark  Hamill reveals Luke Skywalker's relationship to the Dark Side.

From Yahoo:  New "Star Wars" teaser has Luke Skywalker moment fans have been waiting for.

From WeGotThisCovered:  New detailed character bios of key characters in "The Last Jedi."

From io9:  The latest poster for "The Last Jedi" puts General Organa/Princess Leia front and center.

From THR:  The new trailer for "The Last Jedi" will debut during the halftime show of Monday, Oct. 9th's telecast of "Monday Night Football" on ESPN.  The game will feature the Minnesota Vikings vs. the Chicago Bears in Chicago.

From WeGotThisCovered:  The next "Last Jedi" trailer arrives Monday, Oct. 9th.

From WeGotThisCovered:  Tickets for "The Last Jedi" go on sale next week, possibly as early as Monday, Oct. 9th.

From WeGotThisCovered:  "The Last Jedi" officially wraps production.

From THR:  Mark Hamill is begging fans not to read Star Wars #49 of the original Star Wars comics run by Marvel Comics.  It is also entitled "The Last Jedi."  Or is he just teasing...

From ThePlaylist:  Joseph Gordon-Levitt apparently has a cameo in "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMovies:  Rian Johnson explains the title, "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMoviesUK:  The name of Benecio del Toro's "Last Jedi" character is "D.J." What does that mean?

From YahooMoviesUK:  Laura Dern's "Last Jedi" character, Admiral Amilyn Holdo, may be the first openly LGBTQ character in the Star Wars universe.

From YahooNews:  SPOILERS!! - A checklist of collectible cards from Topps may have spoiled the plot breakdown of "The Last Jedi."

From YahooNews:  There will be an evil goth version of BB-8, named BB-9E, in "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMovies - A look at the cool new "Last Jedi" toys in a slideshow of 81 images.

From YahooNews:  AT-ATs will operate differently in "The Last Jedi."

From Variety:  John Boyega hints that the rumors are true that Great Britain's Prince William and Prince Harry will have secret cameos in "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMovies:  New "Last Jedi" photos with some already released in this photo suite.

From CinemaBlend:  "The Last Jedi" dominates social media.

From CinemaBlend:  Maz Kanata's role in "The Last Jedi" will be smaller than it was in "The Force Awakens."

From EntertainmentWeekly:  The magazine has exclusive photos from the set of "The Last Jedi."

From BleedingCool:  John Boyega talks about Finn going undercover in "The Last Jedi."

From YahooNews:  John Boyega says "The Last Jedi" sends Princess Leia off in an amazing way.

From ExpressUK:  Supreme Commander Snoke may be revealed to be more fearsome than Emperor Palpatine in "The Last Jedi."

From ScreenRant: A new image brings Rey, Finn, and new character, "Rose," together.

From YahooMovies:  The 2017 San Diego Comic-Con began today.  At the previews last night, a new character for "The Last Jedi" was revealed.  "C'ai Threnalli" is a pilot and is Poe Dameron's wingman.

From ScreenRant:  "Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson compares his film to other Star Wars movies.

From io9:  See Kylo Ren's deadly new ship, the "TIE Silence."

From ScreenRant:  The "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" character posters are beautiful.

From ScreenRant:  Check out the first wave of LEGO sets from "The Last Jedi."

From ScreenRant:   Fans at the Disney fan convention, D23 2017, may see some behind-the-scenes footage from "The Last Jedi."

From SlashFilm:  Adam Driver says "The Last Jedi" creates new rules for franchise.

From TheDailyExpress:  Information on a purported scene between Supreme Commander Snoke and General Hux.

From Gamespot:  See "alien sea-creature" art from "The Last Jedi."

From ScreenRant:  Leaked action figure information may suggest that there will be a showdown between Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren.

From ScreenRant:  Mark Hamill and John Boyega tease "Last Jedi" spoilers.

From ScreenRant:  "Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson takes to Twitter to answer concerns that his film may be recycling ideas and such from previous Star Wars.

From BleedingCool:  John Boyega shows off Finn's blaster for "The Last Jedi."

From FlickeringMyth:  A peek at LEGO toys for "The Last Jedi" may reveal Supreme Commander Snoke's costume.

From SideshowToys:  A selection of the striking "Last Jedi" images from Vanity Fair magazine's recent story.

From BleedingCool:  Vanity Fair articles reveal the identities of Benecio del Toro and Laura Dern's characters in "The Last Jedi."

From YahooNews:  Perhaps, "The Last Jedi" will end with a huge twist.

From Nerdist:  A "Force Ghost" to appear in "The Last Jedi?"

From ScreenRant:  First look at Kylo Ren's TIE fighter from "The Last Jedi."

From THR:  "Last Jedi" set photos reveal Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa.

From io9:  There may be details of one of two key scenes featuring General Leia Organa in "The Last Jedi."

From SideshowToys:  "Last Jedi" director, Rian Johnson, is ready for your nitpicky Star Wars questions.

From CinemaBlend:  According to director Rian Johnson, "The Last Jedi" refers to Luke Skywalker.

From YahooMovies:  Meet "Rose" the biggest newcomer in "The Last Jedi."


From ScreenRant:  Rumors about the character Benicio del Toro will play in "The Last Jedi."

From TheHuffingtonPost:  Laura Dern talks a little about being "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMovies:  Disney shareholders were treated to some secret "Last Jedi" footage.  Lucky bitches.

From YahooMovies:  John Boyega said that "The Last Jedi" will carry on the tradition of awkward dialogue in a Star Wars movie.

From ScreenRant:  J.J. Abrams thinks Mark Hamill will win an Oscar for "The Last Jedi."

From the Express:  An official new image has fans questioning if Rey really is a Skywalker.

From CBR:  The Spanish and French versions of the title, "The Last Jedi," apparently affirm a key fan theory, "Jedi" is plural.

From THR:  "Star Wars Force Friday II" is moved to September 1 when products related to "The Last Jedi" will be revealed.

From Polygon:  Still hearing "maybe" on a trailer for "The Last Jedi" at Star Wars Celebration.

From EntertainmentWeekly:  "The Last Jedi" to get a prime spot upcoming "Star Wars Celebration."

From TheHollywoodReporter:  Jimmy Vee will take over as the iconic droid, R2-D2 in the wake of the Kenny Baker, who had played the droid since the original Star Wars film in 1977.

From CinemaBlend:  Benecio del Toro will reportedly appear in "The Last Jedi."  Could he be playing an adult version of "Ezra Bridger," a teen character in the animated series, "Star Wars Rebels."

From YahooStyle:  Here is an intriguing theory about who or what is "The Last Jedi."

From Wired:  The site has a bad feeling about that "Sith-colored" logo.

From CinemaBlend:  What does Mark Hamill think of "The Last Jedi" title?

From CinemaBlend:  What does "The Last Jedi" mean.

From CinemaBlend:  Rian Johnson shares a photo from the working process of "The Last Jedi."

From YahooNews:  Fans happy and confused by the title, "The Last Jedi."

From YahooMovies:  Star Wars Episode VIII now has an official title, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi."

From Wired:  Rumors say that Episode 8 will have its own goofy aliens a la Ewoks and Gungans.

From THR:  Tom Hardy being coy (or a dick) when it comes to rumors that he might be in Episode 8.

From THR:  "Star Wars" brain trust sets a meeting to discuss the future of Princess Leia in Episodes 8 and 9 in the wake of Carrie Fisher's death.