Comics Review: "SUPERNATURAL #1" Wants to Burn Your Ass

SUPERNATURAL #01

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Greg Pak

ART: Eder Messias

COLORS: Thyago Brandao

LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry

EDITOR: Nate Cosby

COVER: Clayton Crain

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: David Cousens; Eder Messias;

Amanda Conner; Joseph Michael Linsner; Francesco Mattina; Lucio Parrillo

32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (October 2025)

Rated “Teen”

“Supernatural” created by Eric Kripke

Supernatural was an American television series created by Eric Kripke.  It debuted on The WB broadcast network on September 13, 2005 and subsequently became part of successor network, The CW.  The series ended November 19, 2020, after a total of 15 seasons and 327 episodes.  “Supernatural” starred Jared Padalecki as “Sam Winchester” and Jensen Ackles as “Dean Winchester,” two brothers who hunt demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural beings.

DC Comics and its Wildstorm imprint published four Supernatural comic book miniseries over a period from 2007 to 2011.  Now, Dynamite Entertainment has the license and has launched a new series, Supernatural.  It is written by Greg Pak; drawn by Eder Messias; colored by Thyago Brandao; and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry.  According to Dynamite, this new comic book is set between Supernatural Seasons 1 and 2, and finds Dean and Sam Winchester forced to take on a new threat before they can continue their hunt for the demon that killed their mother, Mary Winchester.

Supernatural #01 opens with the fiery death of Ritchie Wilson, an employee and mixologist for Windler Breweries.  Sam and Dean, prowling the highways and byways of small town America in search of demonic wronging, arrive in Windler, Wisconsin to investigate 

As the brothers hunt to uncover the entity responsible for a series of mysterious fires in the decaying rust belt town, they encounter Windler Breweries employee, Effie, and she may know more than she lets on.  Meanwhile, where is the mysterious CEO Steff Windler and what does he have to do with this burning and deadly mystery.

THE LOWDOWN:  Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  Supernatural #01 is one of the latest, and it is the first “Supernatural” comic book that I have read.

I did not read any of the DC/Wildstorm's Supernatural comic books, and I only watched the first few seasons of “Supernatural.”  When I tried to rejoin it, I just couldn't reconnect.  Eventually, I'll try streaming it... all 15 seasons...

Meanwhile, all of us can enjoy Dynamite's new comic book series.  Writer Greg Pak offers a sensational opening tale that recalls the fresh dark fantasy vibe and novel horror scenarios of “Supernatural Season One.”  Pak makes this first issue feel both familiar and like a new direction with the way he guides this story through its paces.

Artist Eder Messias' work here brings a comic book illustrator's sensibilities to the aesthetic of “Supernatural.”  Readers won't feel like they are reading a tie-in comic book because Messias' storytelling will feel like it belongs in the world of “Supernatural,” a genuine chapter within the continuity of the series.

Thyago Brandao's colors capture the creeping and dreadful shadows of the back roads and haunted Americana of “Supernatural.”  As always, letterer Jeff Eckleberry captures the spirit of the story, this time creating a haunting imaginary audio for this first issue.

I didn't know what to expect of this first issue, dear readers.  Now, I expect that I'll have to return for more.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of the television series, “Supernatural” may want to try the new Supernatural comic book series.

A

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

There is a Kindle edition of "SUPERNATURAL #01," which is available at Amazon.

https://x.com/DynamiteComics

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https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w

https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment

The text is copyright © 2025 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 16th to 22nd, 2025 - UPDATE #8

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

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

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NEWS:

MOVIES - From Variety:  Over the course of about two hours, Michael B. Jordan relived his 25 years as an actor while accepting the 39th American Cinematheque Award, presented to him by his longtime collaborator, Ryan Coogler, on Thursday night (Nov. 20th).  “Nobody warns you how crazy this is to see your whole career flash before your eyes,” Jordan said, wiping tears away.  It had been an emotional day for Jordan, who spent the morning (Nov. 20th) saluting his friend, the late Chadwick Boseman. The “Black Panther” star, who died in 2020, received a posthumous star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Jordan's own "Walk of Fame" star was unveiled in 2023.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Director and Oscar-winning screenwriter, Taika Waititi, has signed a first-look deal with 20th TV, FX, and Hulu.

AMAZON - From Variety:  Amazon is officially moving forward with a new “Stargate” TV series.  The new project hails from Martin Gero, who began his career in the original “Stargate” TV franchise.  Now, Gero will act as writer, executive producer, and showrunner.  The series will be produced by Amazon MGM Studios and air on Prime Video.  Among the new series' executive producers are Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, who co-wrote the original film which Emmerich directed. Brad Wright and Joe Mallozzi, longtime creative leaders within the “Stargate” universe, will serve as consulting producers.

MOVIES - From MSN:  According to reports, Saudi Arabia's Sovereign Wealth Fund may be pursuing a bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery.

From MSN:  How Warner Bros. Pictures lost the rights to the "The Matrix" and "Ocean's 11" sequels to Alcon Entertainment.

OSCARS - From Variety:   The Academy held its 16th Annual Governors Awards ceremony on Sunday, November 16, 2025. The recipients had been announced on June 17, 2025.  Receiving the "Academy Honorary Award" (recipient  receives an Oscar statuette) were Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise, and Wynn Thomas.

Debbie Allen:  Actress, dancer, and choreographer (among many things), Allen has also won five Emmy Awards and two Tony Awards.  A film director and producer, Allen has provided choreography for numerous films and television programs.

Tom Cruise:  Cruise, an actor and film producer, has previously been nominated three times for an acting Oscar and once as a film producer ("Top Gun: Maverick).  Cruise gave an emotional speech, saying, "Making films is who I am."

Wynn Thomas:  An American film production designer (scenographer), Thomas began his career on Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It" (1986) and collaborated with Lee on other films such as "Do The Right Thing" (1989), "Malcolm X" (1992), and "Inside Man" (2006).  Thomas has also worked on such films as "The Five Heartbeats" (1991), "Cinderella Man" (2005), and "Hidden Figures" (2016).  Thomas has to date not received a nomination for a competitive Academy Award, although he is a two-time winner of "Art Directors Guild Awards."

Dolly Parton also received the "Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award," but was unable to attend the ceremony.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/14 to 11/16/2025 weekend box office is Lionsgate's "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" with an estimated take of 21.3 million dollars.

TELEVISION/POLITICS - From EW:  There is a new front in the President Trump's demands that NBC/Universal fire/cancel Seth Meyers, host of NBC's "Late Night" talk show.

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MOVIE AWARDS 2025-26:

From Deadline:  Last week (Oct. 14th), the European Film Academy shortlisted the 67 films were available to receive nominations for the 38th European Film Awards, taking place on January 17, 2026.  The shortlist included 44 feature films, 15 documentary films, and eight animated feature films.  Among the list of feature films were "Bugonia" and "Sound of Falling."  The nominations are scheduled to be announced today (Oct. 18th).

From THR:  The nominations for the 2025 / 35th Annual Gotham Films Awards have been announced.  Director Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another" tops the list of nominees with a record six nominations, including "Best Feature" and "Best Director" for Anderson.  The winners will be announced December 1, 2025.

Review: "WEAPONS" is a Brilliant, Crazy-Ass Movie

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 39 of 2025 (No. 2045) by Leroy Douresseaux

Weapons (2025)

Running time:  128 minutes (2 hour, 8 minutes)

Rating: MPA – R for strong bloody violence and grisly images, language throughout, some sexual content and drug use

WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Zach Cregger

PRODUCERS:  Zach Cregger, Roy Lee, J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules, and Miri Yoon

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Larkin Seiple (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Joe Murphy

COMPOSERS:  Zach Cregger and Hays Holladay & Ray Holladay

HORROR/THRILLER/MYSTERY

Starring:  Julia Garner, Cary Christopher, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong, Austin Abrams, Amy Madigan, Whitmer Thomas, Callie Schuttera, June Diane Raphael, Toby Huss, Justin Long, and Scarlett Sher (narrator)

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

Weapons is one of the best horror movies I have ever seen. Thrilling and chilling, it actually gets scarier and crazier the deeper we get into the story

It features a number of strong performances, led by Julia Garner, Cary Christopher, Josh Brolin, and Amy Madigan, which an unusual film story needs

Weapons has an exhilarating, cathartic ending for the ages. I get that some people did not like the ending, but I can't stop thinking about it or most of the rest of this film.

Weapons is a 2025 American horror thriller and mystery film from writer-director Zach Cregger.  The film focuses on a community mystery in which every child except one from the same elementary school class disappears on the same night at the same time.

Weapons is set in fictional McCarren County, which is the location of a terrible mystery centered at Maybrook Elementary School.  Seventeen of the 18 children in the fifth grade class of Justine Gandy (Julia Garner) all disappeared one Wednesday morning at 2:17 am.  All 17 children ran from their homes into the darkness of the early morning.

One month later, not one of the children has been found.  The community and the parents – led Archer Graff (Josh Brolin), one of the parents of the missing children – are blaming Justine for the disappearances.  Justine believes that Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher), the child from her class who did not disappear, may know something.  The key to unraveling the mystery of the disappearances is something people don't discover.  It's something they stumble onto... if they don't end up dead first.

Like writer-director Zach Cregger's second feature film and breakthrough movie, Barbarian (2022), Weapons is presented as a nonlinear narrative.  What Cregger's screenplays for Barbarian and Weapons do well is to give each major character his or her own chapter within the films.  Both films are like anthologies or short story collections that eventually reunite the surviving characters for a hellified final act, and Weapons' final act is a helluva thing.  For me, Weapons may the most cathartic ending since Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019).

As much as I want to praise Cregger, I also have to throw it up to his film editor, Joe Murphy, for his contributions to the wicked flow of this film's narrative.  This review would be remiss if I did not shout out Cregger's cinematographer, Larkin Seiple, for this film's haunting atmosphere and for the way Seiple makes the night in Weapons seem like another character in the film.

Julia Garner, Cary Christopher, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Austin Abrams, and Amy Madigan give stellar performances.  Julia Garner brings steadiness to the craziness and weirdness of Weapons, continuing her stellar 2025 after performances in Wolf Man (2025) and in The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025).

By now, many people know the secrets and lies of Weapons, but still, I am loathe to spoil things.  I think Weapons is one of the greatest horror films that I have ever seen, and it has given me Weapons-themed nightmares.  It is a crazy-ass work of film-storytelling brilliance.  I could not believe what I was seeing in this film's last act, but Weapons has me laughing and cheering, even as it is chilling me.

10 of 10

Saturday, November 8, 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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Ryan Coogler's "SINNERS" Returns to IMAX Theatres October 30th

Ryan Coogler’s Visually Groundbreaking Hit Sinners Returns to IMAX® 70MM and IMAX® Theatres

Limited Return Engagement Begins Thursday, October 30, 2025, Giving Audiences the Chance to View Coogler’s Most Personal Film Yet – a Multi-Layered Wholly Original Vision, Shot with Both IMAX and Ultra Panavision Film Cameras, a Historic First

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moviegoers will soon be able to see Michael B. Jordan in his tour-de-force dual role in Ryan Coogler’s singular film, Sinners, in IMAX 70MM and in IMAX. The critically- and audience-lauded film—a genre-bending story that weaves together culture, music, family and the supernatural—also stars Hailee Steinfeld, newcomer Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Li Jun Li, and Delroy Lindo.

Timed to Halloween weekend, Sinners returns in IMAX in top markets across North America for one week beginning October 30, 2025, as well as in Canada, U.K., France, Austria, Spain and other international territories.

This limited engagement offers audiences the chance to experience one of the most original and emotionally resonant films to ever reach the big screen in the way Coogler originally envisioned: presented in premium format on IMAX 70MM and IMAX screens. The re-release reunites audiences with a story that spoke volumes when it first premiered—both for its ambitious visual storytelling and for the passion and artistry of its stellar cast and crew.

The IMAX 70MM locations where audiences can see Sinners are: AMC Lincoln Square in New York City, NY; Universal AMC Citywalk in Los Angeles, CA; Irvine Spectrum and IMAX in Irvine, CA; AMC Metreon in San Francisco, CA; Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis, IN; Harkins Arizona Mills in Tempe, AZ; Autonation IMAX in Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Cinemark Dallas IMAX in Dallas, TX; Cineplex Cinemas Vaughn in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and BFI IMAX in London, UK.

Tickets are on sale now https://www.imax.com/sinners.

About Sinners:

From Ryan Coogler — director of Black Panther and Creed — and starring Michael B. Jordan comes Sinners.

After chasing success in the North, twin brothers Smoke and Stack (Jordan) return to their hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi to open a juke joint. As music and dance meld in celebration of artistry, culture and history, an evil descends, threatening to devour the heart and soul of the community.

“You keep dancing with the devil, one day he’s gonna follow you home.”

Written and directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Coogler, Sinners stars Jordan in a dual role, joined by Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, and Delroy Lindo.

Coogler designed the film with IMAX in mind, lensing on both their proprietary IMAX 15/65mm cameras and on Ultra Panavision 70 cameras (65mm film with anamorphic lenses, creating a super-wide 2.76:1 aspect ratio).

The film is produced by Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian and Ryan Coogler. The executive producers are Ludwig Göransson, Will Greenfield and Rebecca Cho.

Coogler’s behind-the-camera artisans include his Black Panther franchise collaborators: director of photography Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Oscar-winning production designer Hannah Beachler, editor Michael P. Shawver, Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson, and Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents A Proximity Media Production: Sinners. The film is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

About IMAX CORPORATION:

IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture, and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you’ve never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX systems to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, making IMAX’s network among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles, with additional offices in London, Dublin, Tokyo, and Shanghai. As of June 30, 2025, there were 1,821 IMAX systems (1,750 commercial multiplexes, 11 commercial destinations, 60 institutional) operating in 89 countries and territories. Shares of IMAX China Holding, Inc., a subsidiary of IMAX Corporation, trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code “1970”.

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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 these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 7th to 13th, 2025 - UPDATE #5

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:

SCANDAL - From Variety:  After more than 3,900 industry figures - including Oscar winners Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix - signed a pledge not to work with Israeli film institutions, Paramount released a statement condemning the widespread boycott.  Basically, Paramount says that silencing artists does not promote peace.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav says the company's split into Warner Bros. (with a new name) and "Discovery Global" will be completed by April 2026.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  It seems that Warner Bros. has joined Disney in hating on Sling TV for offering its day, week, and weekend programming passes.

MOVIES - From WorldofReel:  Ten years after its bombed at the box office, 2015's "The Last Witch Hunter" is reportedly getting a sequel.  Lionsgate is moving forward with "The Last Witch Hunter 2."  Friends Vin Diesel and Oscar-winner Michael Caine are returning for their respective roles from the first film.  In fact, Caine, at 92, is coming out of retirement for this one.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 9/5 to 9/7/2025 weekend box office is Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Conjuring: Last Rites" with an estimated take of 83 million dollars.

DISNEY - From Variety:  Disney and BBC Studios will release the "Bluey" movie on August 6, 2027.

SUPERMAN Crosses the $600 Million Mark at the Global Box Office

James Gunn’s Superman Soars Past $600 Million Worldwide

SUPERMAN is available for order on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K at Amazon.

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Powered by widespread critical praise and enthusiastic word-of-mouth, James Gunn’s Superman continues to soar at the worldwide box office, flying past the $600 million mark on Friday, August 22, 2025. The announcement was made today by Jeff Goldstein, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Global Distribution.

The vanguard feature launching Gunn and producer Peter Safran’s unified DC Universe, Superman continues to prove a powerful draw at theaters around the world, earning an impressive $344 million and counting in North America, $88 million coming from IMAX® and other large format venues; and $256 million in 78 territories overseas, with consistently strong showings in the UK [$37M], Mexico [$23M], Brazil [$16M], Australia [$16M] and France [$15M], among other markets.

In making the announcement, Goldstein stated, “These incredible results demonstrate that James’s vision for this iconic character is resonating in a big way with audiences here and across the globe. It is a rare and exciting thing for a film to perform at this level so far into its run, but the consistently strong word-of-mouth and minimal drops we’re seeing from week to week tell us that not only are people returning to experience Superman again and again in theaters, they’re bringing their friends and family along for the ride. It’s a tremendous achievement for James, Peter, the brilliant cast and crew, and everyone involved in the film, and we congratulate all of them on this fantastic milestone.”

Gunn and Safran added, “We continue to be overwhelmed and inspired by the energy and enthusiasm of our magnificent global audience – and that spans not only longtime DC fans but newcomers of every age worldwide who are discovering these seminal characters and their amazing universe for the first time. These results are a tribute to their passion for not only Superman but movies and theatrical movie-going, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have all of them with us as we embark on this incredible journey.”

From DC Studios, Superman soared into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original superhero in the newly imagined DC Universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind.

The film is directed by Gunn from his own screenplay, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and produced by DC Studios Co-Chiefs Peter Safran and Gunn. Superman stars stars David Corenswet in the dual role of Superman/Clark Kent, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor. The film also stars Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Sara Sampaio, María Gabriela de Faría, Wendell Pierce, Alan Tudyk, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell.

Superman is executive produced by Nikolas Korda, Chantal Nong Vo and Lars Winther. Behind the camera, Gunn is joined by his trusted team of creative collaborators, including director of photography Henry Braham, production designer Beth Mickle, costume designer Judianna Makovsky and composer John Murphy, along with composer David Fleming and editors William Hoy and Craig Alpert.

DC Studios Presents a Troll Court Entertainment/The Safran Company Production, A James Gunn Film, Superman, in theaters and IMAX® now, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Review: "FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES" is a Deathly Frightener

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 37 of 2025 (No. 2043) by Leroy Douresseaux

Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)

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

Rating: MPA – R for strong violent/grisly accidents, and language

DIRECTORS:  Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein

WRITERS:  Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor; from a story by Jon Watts and Guy Busick & Lori Evans Taylor (based on characters created by Jeffrey Reddick)

PRODUCERS:  Craig Perry, Toby Emmerich, Dianne McGunigle, Sheila Hanahan Taylor, and Jon Watts

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Christian Sebaldt

EDITOR:  Sabrina Pitre

COMPOSER:  Tim Wynn

HORROR/THRILLER/MYSTERY

Starring:  Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Teo Briones, Rya Kihlstedt, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Alex Zahara, April Amber Telek, Tinpo Lee, Gabriel Rose, Brec Bassinger, Max Lloyd-Jones, and Tony Todd

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- “Final Destination Bloodlines” is the best “Final Destination” film in over 20 years. It has a great opening, a 19-minute prologue, and the rest of film takes on a race against time as Death stalks a bloodline.

-- The film gets two solid scream queen performances from Kaitlyn Santa Juana and Brec Bassinger, good enough to make us feel sad about their ultimate fates...

Final Destination Bloodlines is a 2025 supernatural horror film from directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B Stein.  It is the sixth entry in the Final Destination film series.  Bloodlines follows a young woman whose recurring nightmares are warnings of the horrific fate that awaits her family.

Final Destination Bloodline introduces college student Stefani Reyes (Kaitlyn Santa Juana).  Recently, she has been plagued by recurring nightmares about a disaster from some time in the past.  It involves her maternal grandmother, Iris Campbell (Brec Bassinger), and her then-boyfriend and later husband, Paul (Max Lloyd-Jones).  Almost six decades ago, Iris and Paul attended the grand opening of the Sky View Tower (which is similar to the real-life “Space Needle” in Seattle Washington).

Stefani's nightmares usually end in tragedy with Iris, Paul, and the others at the opening dying horrible deaths.  However, Iris and Paul did attend the grand opening of the Sky View Tower and lived.  Now, Stefani wants to find Iris, her grandmother, whom she has never met, but her father, Marty Reyes (Tinpo Lee), is resistant to the idea.  He barely even wants to speak about Stefani and her brother, Charlie's (Teo Briones), estranged mother, Darlene Campbell (Rya Kihlstedt), who is both Iris' daughter and Marty's wife; Darlene abandoned the family long ago.  Dysfunctional family aside, Stefani knows that she must find the now elderly Iris (Gabrielle Rose) if she is going to discover the cause of her nightmares.  Stefani will have to hurry, as Death is already stalking her family.

Final Destination Bloodlines is set about a decade and a half after the events depicted in the series' fourth film, The Final Destination (2009).  The fifth film, Final Destination 5 (2011), actually takes place around the same time as the events depicted in the original film, Final Destination (2000).

I did not realize how long it had been between the fifth film and the arrival of Final Destination Bloodlines.  The Final Destination franchise is one of the few horror film franchises that have been consistently good, with only 2006's Final Destination 3 being a slight misstep.  The first 19 minutes of Final Destination Bloodlines had me mesmerized, and I can call this prologue (of sorts) heart-pounding because it certainly had my aging ticker pounding in my chest.

The rest of the film does not have the same edge-of-your-seat thrills, but its focus on death stalking one particular family and bloodline makes the entire film seem crazy, surreal, and creepy.  The entire film is braced by two pitch perfect horror film performances.  Brec Bassinger as young Iris Campbell in the first 19 minutes and Kaitlyn Santa Juana as the heroine in the film's present day turn in tight and riveting “scream queen” performances.

As a side note, Final Destination Bloodlines is dedicated to the late actor, Tony Todd (1954-2024).  Although best known for playing the lead role the 1992 horror film, Candyman, and its two sequels, Todd is also known for playing the recurring role of “William Bludworth” in the Final Destination franchise.  Todd died of stomach cancer in 2024, but he was able to film all his scenes for Bloodlines before his passing.  He appears gaunt in this film, likely due to the ravages of his cancer, but I was happy to see him.  Todd got a good send off for his character.  Also, as movie fans, we have been gifted one of the series' best entries in Final Destination Bloodlines.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Sunday, August 24, 2025

There is a six-film Blu-ray and DVD collection of the six "FINAL DESTINATION" films available at Amazon.

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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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 these, BOOKS PAGE, GRAPHIC NOVELS, or MANGA PAGE and BUY something(s).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 10th to 16th, 2025 - UPDATE #6

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:

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Core "Scary Movie" actresses, Regina Hall and Anna Faris, are coming back as "Brenda" and "Cindy," respectively, for the Wayans Brothers’ restart of the early millennium comedy franchise.  The new Scary Movie, a Miramax production, is a big reunion, bringing the Wayans brothers back together for the first time in 18 years to write an all-new original script for the series, co-writing the script with Rick Alvarez.  "Scary Movie" is prepping for an October shoot in time for a June 12, 2026 global theatrical release via Paramount. Miramax has a first-look deal with Paramount. 

MOVIES - From THR:  NBCUniversal announced today that it has acquired all rights, excluding publishing, to Robert Ludlum’s popular "Jason Bourne" and "Treadstone" book series, in perpetuity.  As The deal fortifies the future of the "Bourne" franchise across NBCUniversal, paving the way for new installments from the universe of Ludlum’s beloved character and the spy world he inhabits.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  The writing-producing team of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who created Netflix's "Wednesday" series, are working on a new animated film based on "The Addams Family," for Amazon MGM Studios. It will be a reboot and will not be connected to Wednesday.

BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficePro:  The winner of 8/8 to 8/10/2025 weekend box office is Warner Bros Pictures' "Weapons" with an estimated take of 42.5 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Pedro Pascal is circling a starring role in Tony Gilroy's next film, "Behemoth!," from Searchlight Pictures.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The American actor, Danielle Spencer, has died at the age of 60, Monday, August 11, 2025.  Spencer was best known for playing the role of "Deadra 'Dee' Thomas," the sarcastic sister of the lead character, "Roger 'Raj' Thomas" in the former ABC sitcom, "What's Happening!!" (1976-79).  Spencer appeared as Dee in a recurring role in the syndicated sequel series, "What's Happening Now!!" (1985-88).  After her acting career, Spencer became a veterinarian.

From Deadline:  American actor and photographer, Dan Ziskie, has died at the age of 80, Monday, July 21, 2025.  A journeyman actor, Ziskie appeared in 18 episodes of the former HBO series, "Treme" (2011-13), and he had a recurring role on Netflix's "House of Cards" as the Vice-President of the United States.  Some will remember Ziskie as the character, "Frank Niggar" on the former Comedy Central sketch comedy series, "Chappelle's Show."  In 2017, Ziskie released a book of photographs taken in the New York City area entitled, "Cloud Chamber."

Review: James Gunn's "SUPERMAN" Starts a New Era

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 of 2025 (No. 2037) by Leroy Douresseaux

Superman (2025)

Running time:  129 minutes (2 hours, 9 minutes)

Rating: MPA – PG for violence, action and language

DIRECTOR:  James Gunn

WRITER:  James Gunn (based characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster)

PRODUCERS:  James Gunn and Peter Safran

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

EDITORS:  Craig Alpert and William Hoy

COMPOSERS:  David Fleming and John Murphy

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring:  David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Isabela Merced, Skyler Gisondo, Maria Gabriela de Faria, Sara Sampaio, Wendell Pierce, Beck Bennett, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Neva Howell, Bradley Cooper, Angela Sarafyan, and Sean Gunn

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- I am not crazy about the plot and narrative of the James Gunn's new Superman film, but I really like its cast and its interpretation of the characters, especially David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman.

-- I heartily recommend that fans of Superman movies get in on the ground floor of this new beginning

Superman is a 2025 American superhero, fantasy, and action film from writer-director James Gunn.  It is the first film in the new DC Comics cinematic universe known as the “DC Universe.”  The character, Superman, first appeared in the comic book, Action Comics #1 (on-sale date of April 18, 1938), and was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, who also created other characters and situations related to Superman.  In Superman, the embodiment of truth, justice, and the human way must reconcile his desire to help humanity with a shocking revelation about his alien heritage.

Superman opens threes years after the metahuman, Superman (David Corenswet), revealed himself to the people of Metropolis.  His alter-ego, Clark Kent (David Corenswet), works as a reporter for “The Daily Planet,” where he has a relationship with fellow reporter, Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan).  Lois knows that Clark is Superman.  She knows that he is Kal-El, a baby sent from the planet, Krypton, by rocket ship to Earth.  Lois also knows that Clark was raised in Smallville, Kansas by his adoptive parents, Jonathan and Martha Kent (Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell), a fact he has kept secrets from others.

Superman recently stopped the country of Boravia, an ally of the United States, from invading its neighboring country, Jarhanpur.  As the film begins, Superman has just received a beat-down from Boravia's own metahuman, the Hammer of Boravia.  Things are not as they seem, however, as brilliant billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) has launched a secret plot to destroy Superman, whom he sees not as a superhero, but as an existential alien threat to mankind.  With the help of his lackeys, Ultraman and The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria), Luthor believes that he has the science and technology – the brain power – to beat Superman.

But Superman is not the only metahuman who is a superhero.  He occasionally gets help from the “Justice Gang”:  Michael Holt/Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), and Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced).  And Clark Kent will need all the friends he can get; a complete version of the broken message his Kryptonian parents, Jor-El (Bradley Cooper) and Lara Lor-Van (Angela Sarafyan), sent with him has come to light.  Now, some of the people of the world are starting to feel differently about Superman just when they need him the most.

Superman is a good film, but not a great film.  Overall, I like it, but I found myself rather cool to it as I watched it in a local theater last night.  I must admit that I felt the same way about the previous two attempts to reboot the Superman film franchise, director Bryan Singer's Superman Returns (2006) and director Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (2013).  Like Superman (2025), the plot and narratives of these earlier films are over-stuffed with subplots, settings, and characters that make the overall plot and narrative struggle to come together.  The over-stuffings are like roadblocks that force the central plot and narrative to veer off their most obvious and productive path.  I don't think the new Superman is as awkward in these areas as the aforementioned Superman reboots, but I do believe that the new film spends its first half bouncing around ideas, subplots, themes, relationships and conflicts.  To me, it is obvious that Superman 2025 borrows the big action set pieces of Man of Steel and also follows Superman Return's veneration of director Richard Donner and star Christopher Reeve's respective work on the Superman film franchise (1978-87).

There are things about the new Superman film that I really like.  I think the actors and the way they play the characters, for the most part, are nearly perfect.  The best thing about David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman is that he is the first actor that I have accepted as a true heir to the late Christopher Reeve (1952-2004), who is the gold standard when it comes to a cinematic Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman.  In a way, Superman 2025 offers its audience a vision of Superman as the quintessential nice guy the way Christopher Reeve and Superman: The Movie (1978) did.

Also, Rachel Brosnahan is a true heir to my favorite cinematic Lois Lane, the late Margot Kidder (1948-2018), Christopher Reeve's co-star.  I also got a kick out of Edi Gathegi as Mister Terrific.  I liked him in his early roles in such films as Twilight (2008) and X-Men: First Class (2011), and I'd like to see him play Mister Terrific as a lead in either film or television.  I like Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, but the character is played way too over-the-top, but I think Hoult as Luther will be a huge benefit to future DC Universe films.

I obviously don't like James Gunn's Superman as much as I enjoyed his work on Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, which ended with the fantastic Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).  Still, the new Superman is both a fresh start and a start in the right direction.

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, July 11, 2025

SUPERMAN is available for order on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K at Amazon.

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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WaterTower Music Announces the Release of the Soundtrack from James Gunn's "SUPERMAN"

SUPERMAN (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Available Now

MUSIC BY JOHN MURPHY AND DAVID FLEMING 

ORIGINAL SUPERMAN THEME BY JOHN WILLIAMS

AVAILABLE NOW DIGITALLY

2XLP VINYL PRE-ORDER – 7/11

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music has released the highly anticipated Superman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), featuring music from composers John Murphy and David Fleming as featured in Superman from director/writer/producer James Gunn and DC Studios, which opens in US theaters July 11, 2025. Mondoshop.com will be starting pre-order of the 2x LP vinyl on July 11th with 2 different color options: - Blue/ Red / White Spinner and - Solid Red / Blue

To meet the scale of Superman, James Gunn turned to longtime collaborator John Murphy, who introduced sweeping new themes for Lois and Clark and Lex Luthor, while reimagining John Williams' iconic Superman melody with a striking electric guitar arrangement. Emmy-winning composer David Fleming later joined the project, contributing bold new orchestral arrangements of the Williams theme alongside fresh, character-driven motifs for the Justice Gang, the Daily Planet, and Krypto. Together, their dynamic score ensures Superman soars for a new generation.

Murphy shares, "From the start, James and I knew we wanted to honor Superman’s legacy while creating something bold and new. There’s such purity in the character, and I wanted that reflected in the music - noble, orchestral, timeless, while still finding moments to experiment and push the boundaries."

Fleming adds, "There’s a deep emotional core to this Superman, and musically it was about tapping into that humanity. Reimagining the iconic theme while building new ones. From The Daily Planet to the Justice Gang, it was a chance to explore his world in a way that felt classic and completely fresh."

Superman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Tracklisting:

1. Home - David Fleming

2. Last Son - David Fleming

3. Hammer of Boravia - David Fleming

4. LuthorCorp - John Murphy

5. The Daily Planet - David Fleming

6. Lois & Clark - John Murphy

7. Eyes Up Here - David Fleming

8. Justice Gang vs. Kaiju - David Fleming

9. Intruders - David Fleming

10. The Message - David Fleming & John Murphy

11. Secret Harem - David Fleming & John Murphy

12. The Real Punk Rock - John Murphy

13. Pocket Universe - David Fleming

14. 5 Years Time - Noah And The Whale

15. Something Like a Sun - David Fleming & John Murphy

16. Jailbreak - David Fleming

17. The River Pi - David Fleming

18. Take the T-Craft - David Fleming & John Murphy

19. Your Choices, Your Actions - David Fleming

20. Raising the Flag - John Murphy

21. The Rift - David Fleming

22. Bases Loaded - David Fleming

23. Speeding Bullet - David Fleming

24. Remote Control - David Fleming & John Murphy

25. Upgrade - David Fleming & John Murphy

26. Driven by Envy - David Fleming & John Murphy

27. Look Up - David Fleming

28. Being Human - David Fleming

29. Luthor the Traitor - John Murphy

30. Metropolis - David Fleming & John Murphy

31. Walking on Air - John Murphy

32. Punkrocker (feat. Iggy Pop) - Teddybears

33. The Mighty Crabjoys Theme - The Mighty Crabjoys

Soundtrack is also available via Amazon Music.

ABOUT SUPERMAN:

Superman, DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen, soars into theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures. In his signature style, James Gunn takes on the original Super Hero in the newly imagined DC universe with a singular blend of epic action, humor and heart, delivering a Superman who’s driven by compassion and an inherent belief in the goodness of humankind. DC Studios heads Peter Safran and Gunn are producing the film, which Gunn directs from his own screenplay, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

When Superman is drawn into conflicts both abroad and at home, his actions to protect humankind are questioned, and his vulnerability allows tech billionaire and master deceiver Lex Luthor to leverage the opportunity to get Superman out of the way for good. Will the Daily Planet’s intrepid reporter Lois Lane, together with the aid of Metropolis’s other metahumans and Superman’s own four-legged companion, Krypto, be able to help Superman before Luthor can completely destroy him?

DC Studios Presents a Troll Court Entertainment/The Safran Company Production, A James Gunn Film, Superman will be in theaters and IMAX® nationwide on July 11, 2025, and internationally beginning July 9, 2025, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

ABOUT JOHN MURPHY:

Liverpool born John Murphy began scoring movies at the age of 25. In 2001, following the success of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, he moved to Los Angeles.

Since then he has worked with some of the industry's most respected and luminary filmmakers, including James Gunn, Michael Mann, Danny Boyle, and Guy Ritchie, producing film scores as prominent and diverse as 28 Days Later, Sunshine, Kick-Ass, The Suicide Squad, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

His movie trailers include Captain America, X-Men, Ready Player One, and Avatar, and his music has been featured in advertising campaigns for Nike, Microsoft, Google, and Apple.

After Kick-Ass Murphy set up the record label Taped Noise and began work on several non-movie projects. His latest film, Superman, released on July 11, is his fourth collaboration with James Gunn.

ABOUT DAVID FLEMING:

David Fleming is an Emmy-winning American composer who has written music for film and television including most recently, Season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us, collaborating once again with Gustavo Santaolalla, and James Gunn’s upcoming DC film Superman.

David's score for Ron Howard’s Jim Henson: Idea Man earned him a Primetime Emmy Award as well as the ASCAP Composer’s Choice Award for Documentary Score of the Year, with his work on Amazon’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith bringing him a second Emmy nomination. David composed the score for the BBC's acclaimed Blue Planet II alongside Hans Zimmer, which marked the start of a collaborative relationship with the Academy Award-winning composer, encompassing scores for both Dune films and Top Gun: Maverick. David's sweeping orchestral fantasy score for Netflix's Damsel marked his first solo feature, while his dark electronic work alongside Gustavo Santaolla on HBO's The Last of Us won ASCAP's Composer's Choice Award for Television Score of the Year.

In addition, David recently composed the score for A24's Eternity and the neo-western Americana, both of which are slated for 2025 releases.

ABOUT WATERTOWER MUSIC:

WaterTower Music, the in-house label for the Warner Bros Discovery companies, releases recorded music as rich and diverse as the companies themselves. It has been the soundtrack home to many of the world’s most iconic films, television shows and games since 2001.

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Review: "SUPERMAN III" is Good, Bad and Ugly

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 30 of 2025 (No. 2036) by Leroy Douresseaux

Superman III (1983)

Running time:  125 minutes (2 hours, 5 minutes)

MPAA – PG

DIRECTOR:  Richard Lester

WRITERS:  David Newman and Leslie Newman (based characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and on characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics)

PRODUCER:  Pierre Spengler

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Robert Paynter (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  John Victor Smith

COMPOSER:  Ken Thorne

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/COMEDY

Starring:  Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure, Annette O'Toole, Robert Vaughn, Annie Ross, Pamela Stephenson, Gavan O'Herlihy, Paul Kaethler, and Margot Kidder

Superman III is a 1983 American superhero film and comic-fantasy from director Richard Lester.  The film is the third in the “Superman” film series, which began with 1978's Superman (also known as Superman: The Movie).  The character, Superman, first appeared in the comic book, Action Comics #1 (on-sale date of April 18, 1938) and was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, who also created other characters and situations related to Superman.  In Superman III, Superman becomes the target of a greedy entrepreneur and a computer genius when they realize that he will obstruct their plans for wealth and world domination.

Superman III opens at an unemployment office in Metropolis.  August “Gus” Gorman (Richard Pryor) has discovered that his employment checks have run out, but by chance he discovers information about a school where he can learn to be a computer programmer.  Soon, Gus is working for the conglomerate, Webscoe Industries, where he uses his amazing computer skills to secretly embezzle over $85,000 from the company payroll.

However, Gus' activities do draw the attention of Webscoe's boss, Ross Webster (Robert Vaughn), and his sister and partner, Vera Webster (Annie Ross).  Ross is obsessed with the idea of using technology in order to gain financial domination over the world.  With the help of Annie and his tawdry mistress, Lorelei Ambrosia (Pamela Stephenson), Ross blackmails Gus into using his fantastic computer skills to begin a series of evil tech schemes.

Meanwhile, over at “The Daily Planet,” Metropolis' top newspaper, Clark Kent/Superman (Christopher Reeve) is preparing to return to his hometown of Smallville for his high school reunion, the Class of 1965.  He wants to use the reunion as the subject of a feature article, so he takes Daily Planet photographer, Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure), with him.  At the reunion, Clark reconnects with his childhood friend, Lana Lang (Annette O'Toole), much to the chagrin of Clark's former high school bully, Brad Wilson (Gavan O'Herlihy).

While Clark enjoys his time with Lana and also bonds with her young son, Ricky (Paul Kaethler), Ross and Gus have launched their diabolical plans.  Even the Daily Planet's star reporter, Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), ends up being a victim of their moves.  When Ross discovers that Superman be an obstruction to his schemes, he forces Gus to find a way to destroy Superman, and those methods of destruction may come very close defeating the Man of Steel.

Superman III was not nearly the box office success that its predecessors, Superman: The Movie and Superman II (1980) were.  Some fans and critics blamed the film's shortcomings on having Richard Pryor as a cast member.  Some people may remember that Paramount Pictures was considering adding Eddie Murphy as a star of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.  Many of the science fiction and comic book fans that I knew at the time insisted that because Richard Pryor “ruined” Superman III, a science fiction film could not have a “Black comedian” in it or it would be similarly ruined.  They predicted doom and gloom for the fourth Star Trek feature film, but Murphy eventually passed on it to star in The Golden Child (1986).  These early fans that I met were racist and stupid, and, at the time, I thought their opinions about “Blacks” in genre films were racist and stupid.  I am glad that my association with them was short-lived.

Anyway, Pryor, one of the most influential American stand-up comedians of all-time, was known for his raunchy, adult-oriented act during the 1970s.  Into the 1980s, however, he became a more cuddly figure, appearing in a number of mainstream and even family-friendly films.  Although I was surprised that Pryor was cast in Superman III, I thought he was one of the few good things about the film when I first saw it in a theater back in 1983.  I still think that.

Superman III is mediocre because the screenplay by David Newman and Leslie Newman, or at least what made it to screen, is awkward and sometimes illogical.  Superman III's director, Richard Lester, was a very capable director during his active career; I am still a fan of his 1973 film, The Three Musketeers.  Lester is controversial a figure in the annals of Superman cinema because of the production of Superman II, which I don't feel like getting into right this moment.  Speaking strictly of Superman III, Lester and the Newmans did get one thing right.

When Superman III focuses on the jovial and genial nature of the film's characters, it is quite lovable.  Clark, Lois, Lana, Ricky, Gus, Jimmy, the Daily Planet editor Perry White (Jackie Cooper), and even the film's ostensible villains:  Brad, Ross, Vera, and Lorelei all come across as endearing.  I enjoyed getting to know them as eccentric characters and character types.  When the focus moves to Superman III's conflict/plot, the film turns simply ridiculous.

Almost a day after watching the entirety of Superman III for the first time in 32 years, I'm still thinking about it.  And yes, I like Richard Pryor in this film as much as I like Christopher Reeve, the star of four Superman films from 1978 to 1987, returning to play his signature role.  I don't mind the comic nature of Superman III, especially as some modern superhero movies are too damn dark.  However, it has too many ideas, and too many of them are handled in the most nonsensical manner.  Still, I can't help but kind of like Superman III because it is full of nice people.

5 of 10

B-

★★½ out of 4 stars

There is a Blu-ray collection of five Superman films, including SUPERMAN III, and it is available at Amazon.

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 June 22nd to 30th, 2025 - UPDATE #14

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 6/27 to 6/29/2025 weekend box office is Warner Bros. Pictures and Apple Original Film's "F1" with an estimated 55.6 million dollars.

From Variety:  Now that Apple Original Films has a certified theatrical hit in "F1" starring Brad Pitt, will it develop more films for theatrical release.  The film was released by Apple and Warner Bros. Pictures.

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JAMES BOND - From Variety:  Amazon MGM Studios has revealed that Oscar-nominated director, Denis Villeneuve ("Dune") will direct the next "James Bond" film.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Daisy Edgar-Jones will star in and Georgia Oakley will direct a screen adaptation of Jane Austen's 1811 novel, "Sense and Sensibility."

STREAMING - From Variety:  Paramount has renewed its hit, "Mobland," for a second season.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/20 to 2/22/2025 weekend box office is Universal Studios/DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon" with an estimated total of 37 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Russell Crowe ("Gladiator") is joining Henry Cavill in the reboot of director Russell Mulchay's 1985 fantasy film, "Highlander."  Crowe will play a variation on "Juan Sanchez-Villalobos Ramirez," the mentor character that the late Sean Connery played in the original film.  The film will be directed by Chad Stahelski of "John Wick."

SPORTS/NBA - From ESPN:  The Oklahoma City Thunder have won the 2024-25 NBA World Championship.  They defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91, winner the series 4 games to 3.  This is the Thunder's first NBA championship in their 17 year history. The franchise was formerly the "Seattle Super Sonics," which won the NBA titles in 1979.

MOVIES/AI - From Variety:  At the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival, the China Film Foundation and partners launched two major AI-driven initiatives under the Kung Fu Film Heritage Project.  One is a large-scale effort to restore 100 classic martial arts films using artificial intelligence.  The other is the unveiling of a brand-new animated feature, “A Better Tomorrow: Cyber Border,” billed as the world’s first fully AI-produced animated feature film.  These projects will involve the work and apparently the likenesses of martial arts cinema legends:  Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and Jet Li.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American newspaper and television journalist, political commentary, Bill Moyers, has died at the age of 91, Thursday, June 26, 2025.  Moyers is best known for his work in public broadcasting, and he was one of the key players in creating the public broadcasting system, being influential in what would become the "Public Broadcasting Act of 1967."  In 1971, he began working for PBS and launch his first television, "The Week with Bill Moyers" (1971-73) and later, there was "Bill Moyers Journal" (1972-81). From 1982 to 2006, he produced and hosted 70 different documentary, interview, and limited series for PBS.  Moyers won five Primetime Emmy Awards and was nominated for a sixth.  He won seven "News & Documentary Emmy Awards" and was nominated for 13 more.  In 2006, he received the News & Documentary Emmy Awards' "Lifetime Achievement Award." Moyers also won a "Business and Financial Reporting Award" and was nominated for two others.

From Truthout:  Henry A. Giroux of "Truthout" memorializes his friend, the recently passed American journalist and political commentator, Bill Moyers.  No, Bill was not a stenographer.

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From Deadline:  Argentine-American composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist, Lalo Schifrin, has died at the age of 93, Thursday, June 26, 2025.  Schifrin is best remembered for his large body of film and television scores.  One of his most recognized and enduring TV themes is the one for the former espionage TV series, "Mission: Impossible," which earned him one of his five Grammy Awards.  He was nominated for an Academy Awards six times, including for his film scores for such movies as "Cool Hand Luke" (1967) and "The Amityville Horror" (1979) and includes a "Best Original Song" nomination for "People Along" from the 1980 film, "The Competition." Schifrin received an Honorary Academy Award in 2018. He was nominated the Primetime Emmy Award four times, three for his work on "Mission: Impossible."

From Deadline:  American film and television actor, Rick Hurst, has died at the age of 79, Thursday, June 26, 2025.  Hurst is best known for playing "Deputy Cletus Hogg," cousin of "Boss Hogg" from 1980 to 1983 on the former CBS action-comedy series, "The Dukes of Hazzard" and in two made-for-TV reunion movies, "The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!" (1997) and "The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood" (2000).  He also was a series regular on two short-lived TV series, "On the Rocks" (ABC, 1975-76) and "Amanda's (ABC, 1983). His film appearances include the original "The Karate Kid" trilogy and "Steel Magnolias" (1989).

From Deadline:  American singer, television actor, and former teen idol, Bobby Sherman, has died at the age of 81, Tuesday, June 24, 2025.  One of Sherman's early TV roles was as a house singer and cast member on former ABC musical variety series, "Shindig" (1964-66).  He also made an early acting appearance on the former ABC crime drama series, "Honey West."  He eventually scored a major role on the ABC comedy Western series, "Here Comes the Brides" (1968-70).  Sherman made numerous TV guest appearances, including on such series as "The Monkees," "Mod Squad," and "Emergency," which lead to a career change for Sherman.  As a recording artist, Sherman released 107 songs, 23 singles, and 10 albums from 1962 to 1976.  His biggest hit was the million-selling "Little Woman" (1969), which was certified gold by the RIAA.  He toured the United States and the around the world and his concerts sold out to mostly screaming young female fans.  Sherman left showbusiness in the 1970s to work as a paramedic and eventually as a deputy sheriff.

From Deadline:  British musician, singer-songwriter, and recording artist, Mick Ralphs, has died at the age of 81.  He family announced his passing without providing a cause or date of his passing.  Ralphs cofounded the rock bands, "Mott the Hopple" and "Bad Company."  His notable songwriting credits include 1969's "Rock and Roll Queen" (Mott the Hoople), "Ready for Love" (Mott the Hoople), "Can't Get Enough" (Bad Company), and "Feel Like Makin' Love" (with Paul Rodgers for Bad Company), to name a few.  As a member of Bad Company, Ralphs received a "Best New Artist" Grammy Award nomination at the 17th Annual Grammy Awards (1975).

Review: I Have Loved Stanley Kubrick's "FULL METAL JACKET" a Long Time

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 36 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Running time:  116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)

MPAA – R

PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:  Stanley Kubrick

WRITERS: Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, and Gustav Hasford (based upon Gustav Hasford’s novel)

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Douglas Milsome

EDITOR:  Martin Hunter

COMPOSER:  Abigail Mead

Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/WAR

Starring:  Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Arliss Howard, Kevin Major Howard, Ed O’Ross, and Peter Edmund

Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick.  Kubrick co-wrote the film's screenplay with Michael Herr, a writer and war correspondent, and Gustav Hasford, a United States Marine Corps veteran who served as a war correspondent during the Vietnam War. The film is based on Hasford's 1979 autobiographical novel, The Short-Timers.  Full Metal Jacket focuses on a pragmatic U.S. Marine who observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow Marines, from their brutal boot camp training at Parris Island to the bloody street fighting in Hue, Vietnam.

Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket is, to date, the best movie about the Vietnam Conflict shown from the point of view of an average Joe caught in the meat grinder of that war, and the film also makes the shortlist of the best movies about war.  This is the 38th anniversary of the film's original theatrical release (specifically June 26, 1987)

Full Metal Jacket begins at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina with a platoon of fresh Marine Corps recruits – with the focus on three individuals.  There is the tough Marine Corps drill instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman (Lee Ermey, an actual former U.S. Marine Corp Drill Instructor).  Then, there are two recruits.  First is J.T. Davis (Matthew Modine), whom Sgt. Hartman names "Private Joker."  Next is Leonard Lawrence (Vincent D’Onofrio), whom Sgt. Hartman names "Private Gomer Pyle."  The pragmatic Joker declares, much to Sgt. Hartman’s disdain that he joined the Marines to learn to be a killer, but training shockingly introduces Joker to the mortal danger of both training to kill and killing.

After Joker’s brutal basic training, the film goes into its second half.  Joker is in Vietnam serving as a journalist, specifically a combat correspondent.  He works behind the scenes until the “Tet Offensive” thrusts him into real combat because the military wants actual news coverage of the fighting.  Joker arrives in Hue, Vietnam (in the first quarter of 1968), during what would become known as the “Battle of Hue,” a major battle during the Tet Offensive.  The city is scene of much bloody street fighting.  There, Joker is reunited with an old friend and fellow recruit from Parris Island, "Private Cowboy" (Arliss Howard).  Joker joins Cowboy’s platoon where he must ultimately decide if he really is a killer and if the war has dehumanized him.

Full Metal Jacket is a film that is certainly worthy of long contemplation, but I’ll focus on a few things.  Many people best remember this film for its first half, which takes place on Parris Island.  Lee Ermey’s performance as the bestial drill instructor is like the film – relentless and straightforward.  However, the beginning sells the idea that Marine recruits are basically machine made into Marines, as if the Corp were some kind of factory that produced material for war industry.  The Corp makes humans with individual personalities into cookie cutter killing machines.  Kubrick’s vision of this is so matter of fact and somewhat banal that the result is a work of cinematic high art that speaks of humanity, rather than being a piece of war movie entertainment.  This beginning is so riveting and visceral that the second half of the film is a bit of a letdown.

When Full Metal Jacket moves to Vietnam, Kubrick keeps the film blunt and unadorned.  Here, Kubrick emphasizes something that we may have missed at Parris Island; Matthew Modine’s Joker is a bit indecisive for a man who wanted to learn to be a “killer.”  While Joker was more or less a supporting character at Parris Island, his are the eyes through which we see Vietnam.  It’s a matter of fact world where things are as they are, without adornment and symbolism.  The chaos, confusion, death, and destruction – things that Joker (and the audience) would take as abnormal – are the norm; in fact, it’s all quite ordinary.  Kubrick creates a world where people are numb to upheaval and are just doing what they must to survive.

While in training, Joker tells us via voice-over that the Marines don’t want robots, but they want individuals, which doesn’t quiet seem true.  Kubrick shows Joker’s need to be an individual, and how he struggles with fitting in with the Corp.  Of course, there are no pat solutions.  Joker’s world is so straightforward and obvious, but even the “right moves” are fraught with peril, deadly consequences, ill fates, and bad fits.

Kubrick is well served by cinematographer Douglas Milsome and editor Martin Hunter in creating Full Metal Jackets cold (not cool) mood.  However, the film does sometimes seem a little too mannered, and some moments strike as obviously staged.  Kubrick’s daughter, Vivian Kubrick (using the name, "Abigail Mead"), delivers an austere score.  Part of it includes a stark sound partially created by her hitting kitchen implements and household, and it adds the finishing touch to the movie’s aura of an unfeeling existence.  For all its aloofness, Full Metal Jacket is not just an epic war story; it is also an ultimately and painfully human story.

9 of 10

A+

★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Saturday, February 18, 2006

EDITED:  Monday, June 16, 2025

NOTES:

1988 Academy Awards:  1 nomination:  “Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, and Gustav Hasford)

1988 BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations: “Best Sound” (Nigel Galt, Edward Tise, and Andy Nelson) and “Best Special Effects” (John Evans)

1988 Golden Globes:  1 nomination for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (R. Lee Ermey)

The text is copyright © 2025 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 June 8th to 14th, 2025 - 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).

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

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NEWS:

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Stars of the original "Spaceballs" film, Rick Moranis and Bill Pullman, will return as their respective roles, "Dark Helmet" (Moranis) and "Lone Starr" (Pullman), for Amazon MGM Studios' planned sequel "Spaceballs 2."  Pullman's son, rising star Lewis Pullman, and also Keke Palmer will join the cast, according to Deadline.

DISNEY - From Variety:  At the Annecy Animation Festival, Pixar offers the first preview of "Gatto," the new animated film from "Luca" director, Enrico Casarosa, that is due in 2027.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Netflix has released a trailer for Tyler Perry's upcoming "Madea" film, "Madea's Destination Wedding."  Debuting July 11th, it is Perry's 13th "Madea" film and his 30th feature film overall.

STAR TREK - From THR:  Ahead of the debut of Season 3, Paramount+ has announced that "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" will end with a shortened six-episode Season 5, which won't arrive until 2027 or 2028.

AMAZON - From Variety: So Amazon MGM Studios is developing a sequel to Mel Brooks' 1987 "Star Wars" parody, "Spaceballs."  The sequel will be led by actor Josh Gad and is slated for a 2027 release.  Mel Brooks will return as the "Yoda" parody, "Yogurt."

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Chaos reigns at the New York sexual assault retrial of former movie studio mogul, Harvey Weinstein.  Yesterday (June 11th), Weinstein was found guilty of criminal sexual act in the first degree against Miriam Haley, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years.  However, he was found not guilty of the same charge against Kaja Sokola. The jury did not deliver a verdict on a similar charge involving Jessica Mann.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  Gloria Reuben has joined the growing cast of "Boston Blue," the spinoff of the long-running CBS police drama, "Blue Bloods" (2010-24).  Donnie Wahlberg will reprise his "Blue Bloods" role as "Detective Danny Reagan" in the series which to debut Fall 2025.

BUSINESS - From Variety:  Warner Bros Discovery is splitting into 2 companies.  One company, Streaming & Studios, will control WB Television, WB Pictures, WB Games, DC Studios, HBO, HBO Max + their film & TV libraries.  The second company, Global Networks, will control cable networks: CNN, TNT Sports, Discovery, Discovery+ & other TV networks.  David Zaslav, current President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, will serve as President and CEO of Streaming & Studios. Gunnar Wiedenfels, current CFO of Warner Bros. Discovery, will serve as President and CEO of Global Networks. Both will continue in their present roles at WBD until the separation sometime in mid-2026.

From THR:  When Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is split into two companies in the coming year, the second company, "Global Networks" will be saddled with 37 BILLION DOLLARS of WBD debt.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Super television creator, producer, writer, Taylor Sheridan ("Yellowstone"), has entered the bidding war for the rights to the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" franchise.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/6 to 6/8/2025 weekend box office is Disney's "Lilo & Stitch" with an estimated take of 32.5 million dollars.

TELEVISION/STREAMING - From Variety:  The documentary series, "Couples Therapy," has been renewed for a fifth season on the "Showtime" cable network and for the "Paramount+" streaming service.

OBITS:

From RollingStone:  American recording artist, singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, Brian Wilson, has died at the age of 82, Wednesday, June 11, 2025.  He is best known as founding member of the influential rock band, "The Beach Boys."  Considered a genius, Wilson became known for his novel songwriting, song arrangements, productions values, and recording techniques.  "The Beach Boys" had a string of hits, including "Surf City" (1963), "California Girls," and "Good Vibrations" (1966), to name a very few.  Wilson received four Grammy nominations for his work with The Beach Boys, all of them having to do with "Good Vibrations" at the 9th Annual Grammy Awards in 1967.  He received five other Grammy nominations and won two of those.

From TheNewYorkTimes:  American recording artist, songwriter, singer, musician, and record producer, Sly Stone, has died at the age of 82, Monday, June 9, 2025.  Born Sylvester Stewart, Stone was best known as the leader of the band, "Sly and the Family Stone" (active: 1966-83), which was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, R&B, rock, and psychedelic music.  They were the first band to have a racially-integrated, mixed-gender lineup.  The band scored multiple hits, including the #1 singles, "Everyday People," "Thank You (Fallettinme Be Mice Elf Again)"/"Everybody is a Star," and "Family Affair."  In addition to the 10 albums Stone recorded with Sly and the Family Stone, he also released two solo albums.

From BBC:  The English novelist and journalist, Frederick Forsyth, has died at the age of 86, Monday, June 9, 2025.  At least six of Forsyth's film were adapted for film or television, including "The Odessa File" (1972 novel, 1974 film).  Forsyth's 1971 novel, "The Day of the Jackal," has been adapted several times.  The best known are the 1973 film by director Fred Zinnemann and screenwriter Kenneth Ross and the current Sky/Peacock TV series, "The Day of the Jackal."