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).

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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." 

Review: In "THE ALTO KNIGHTS," De Niro is Twice as Nice

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 26 of 2025 (No. 2032) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Alto Knights (2025)

Running time:  123 minutes (2 hours, three minutes)

MPA – R for violence and pervasive language

DIRECTOR:  Barry Levinson

WRITER:  Nicholas Pileggi

PRODUCERS:  Barry Levinson, Jason Sosnoff, Irwin Winkler, Charles Winkler, and David Winkler

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Dante Spinotti (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Douglas Crise

COMPOSER:  David Fleming

DRAMA/CRIME/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, Kathrine Narducci, Cosmo Jarvis, Michael Rispoli, Robert Uricola, Frank Piccirillo, Matt Servitto, Louis Mustillo, Joe Bacino, Anthony J. Gallo, James Ciccone, Wallace Langham, and Amadeo Fusca

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- Robert De Nero's standout performance in the dual roles as infamous mobsters Frank Costello and Vito Genovese is work of a artist who is aging very well

-- The Alto Knights does have a slow pace, but it is a beautiful that recounts a pivotal moment in the history of the American Mafia. So this is a film for mob movie fans

The Alto Knights is a 2025 American historical drama, biopic, and mafia movie from director Barry Levinson and writer Nicholas Pileggi.  The film stars Robert De Niro in a dual role as real-life 1950s mob bosses, Vito Genovese and Frank Costello.  The Alto Knights focuses on two of New York City's most notorious organized crime bosses as these once best friends' distrust of one another leads to a silent and deadly mob war.

The Alto Knights introduces Frank Costello (Robert De Niro) and Vito Genovese (Robert De Niro), two New York City mob bosses.  They were childhood best friends and partners in crime.  Eventually, Vito found himself atop the Luciano crime family, but when he was forced to leave the U.S. in 1937 for fear of criminal prosecution, Vito put Frank in his place.  When he returned a decade later, Vito was unable to reclaim his old position from Frank.

Now, the story opens in New York City, 1957.  Frank returns to the apartment complex where he lives in the penthouse suite with his wife, Bobbie Costello (Debra Messing).  Vincent Gigante (Cosmo Jarvis), a rising solider in Vito's crew, shoots Frank in the head near the elevator.  However, the bullet does not penetrate and only seriously wounds Frank, but that attempt on his life does leaves him at a crossroads.

Sensing Vito's ambition to be the “boss of bosses,” Frank decides to retire, but Vito, who is both exceedingly ambitious and extremely paranoid, does not believe Frank's intentions.  The distrust between them spills over into murderous violence.  Soon, Frank realizes that his life and the safety of his wife are hanging by a thread.  To be rid of the empire he painstakingly built, he may have to tear it all down.

If you watch such cable networks as “The History Channel” and “National Geographic,” dear readers, some of the real-life events depicted in The Alto Knights will be familiar to you.  The Alto Knights' screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi has authored two nonfiction books about the American Mafia that were adapted into film.  He wrote the screenplay adaptation of his 1995 nonfiction book, Wiseguy, which became director Martin Scorsese's 1990 film, Goodfellas.  Scorsese and Pileggi brought the latter's 1995 nonfiction book, Casino: Love and Honor in Las Vegas, to life as the 1995 film, Casino.  With his original screenplay for The Alto Knights, Pileggi takes some liberties with the relationships, both professional and personal, regarding and surrounding Frank Costello and Vito Genovese.  However, the event that ends this film is a real-life turning point in the history of the American Mafia.  Also, this film's title, The Alto Knights, takes its nae from “The Alto Knights Social Club,” a once prominent Mafia hangout in New York City's “Little Italy” neighborhood.

That aside, while some critics have derided this film as being full of tired mob movie tropes and of having a meandering pace, I think The Alto Knights is fantastic.  Pileggi essentially distills the decades-long and complicated relationship between Frank Costello and Vito Genovese into a streamlined film that delves into history, biography, and character drama.  Where some would say meandering, I would say that director Barry Levinson ruminates and dissects.

Levinson has always been a patient storyteller, perhaps a bit too much.  [I found his Oscar-winning triumph, Rain Man (1988), to be painful to watch the one time I saw it.]  Through the eyes of Frank and via his relation with Vito, Levinson recounts the time in which Americans really began to understand just how deeply the roots of the American Mafia were buried inside American politics and business.

The Alto Knights has visually impressive production values.  The art direction and set decoration is like a “best of” edition of Architectural Digest Magazine.  The costumes – from everyday work clothing to elegant evening attire – is sumptuous.  The make-up and hair department, lead by Lori Hicks and Ruth G. Carsch, does the damn thing.  The make-up and hair-styling in The Alto Knights deserves an art gallery show and probably its own “art of” coffee table book.  This crew does as much as the actors in establishing who and what the characters are.

Speaking of acting, there are some good performances in the film, including a wry turn by Debra Messing as Bobbie Costello.  However, the star here is Robert De Niro, and it should not be a surprise that De Niro convincingly fashions two distance personalities in Frank Costello and Vito Genovese.  Subtly and quietly, De Niro reveals why these two men would ultimately clash; everything about each was the opposite of the other.

I seriously love The Alto Knights.  It is one of the year's best dramas, thus far.  I plan on watching The Alto Knights again, and I heartily recommend it to fans of historical films about the mafia.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

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

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Review: "MICKEY 17" is Wacky, Withering and Awesome

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 24 of 2025 (No. 2030) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mickey 17 (2025)

Running time:  137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)

MPA – R for violent content, language throughout, sexual content and drug material

DIRECTOR:  Bong Joon Ho

WRITER: Bong Joon Ho (based on the novel by Edward Ashton)

PRODUCERS:  Bong Joon Ho, Dooho Choi, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Darius Khondji (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Jinmo Yang

COMPOSER:  Jung Jae-il

SCI-FI/DRAMA/COMEDY

Starring:  Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, Toni Collette, Steven Yeun, Daniel Henshall, Anamaria Vartolomei, Ellen Robertson, Michael Monroe, Patsy Ferran, Cameron Britton, Ian Hanmore, Jude Mack, and Stephen Park

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

-- Mickey 17 is an imaginative science fiction film and futuristic drama that is also a savage social critique of modern times. It is one of the best films of 2025

-- The film has the aesthetics of the European science fiction films of French director, Luc Besson, and of the work of the late French comic book author, Jean “Moebius” Giraud, but it movies like an American political comedy

-- The film has some standout performances from Naomie Ackie, Mark Ruffalo, and Toni Collette, but in a dual role, Robert Pattinson, in some ways, turns Mickey 17 into his own star vehicle

Mickey 17 is a 2025 satirical science fiction drama film from director Bong Joon Ho.  The film is a U.

S. and South Korean production.  It is based on the 2022 novel, Mickey7, written by author Edward Ashton.  Mickey 17 follows a man who joins a space colony as a “disposable worker,” which means that he is reprinted every time he dies or is killed.

Mickey 17 opens in the year 2054 AD.  Down on his luck young businessman, Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson), and his partner, Timo (Steven Yeun), borrow money from Darius Blank (Ian Hanmore), a murderous loan shark.  Unable to pay back the loan and needing to get away, Mickey and Timo join a spaceship crew headed to Plant Niflheim as space colonists.  Mickey gets the worse of the deal when he signs on an “Expendable.”  It is a job filled with extremely dangerous tasks that often lead to death.

Every time Mickey dies or is killed, his body is thrown into a fiery pit.  Various biological meat matter is run through a “cycler,” and Mickey is essentially cloned in a process called “Bodyprinting.”  Mickey's memories, having been digitized, are inserted into the newly reprinted Mickey.  During the voyage, Mickey falls in love with Nasha Barridge (Naomie Ackie), an all-in-one elite security agent on the ship.  Each time, one Mickey is killed, Nasha loyally loves the next Mickey.

After arriving on Niflheim, more experimentation leads to more dead Mickey's until there is “Mickey 17.”  During some reconnaissance, there is an accident, and Mickey 17 is believed to be dead.  However, he is miraculously rescued in the most unexpected way.  Now, returning to the ship, Mickey must face off with Kenneth Marshall (Mark Ruffalo), the head of the expedition, who has sinister designs on Niflheim, and his boorish wife, Ilfa (Toni Collette).  He must also solve the mystery of the planet's inhabitants, which the humans call “creepers.”  Oh, and Mickey 17 has to deal with a surprising yet familiar newcomer.

I thought director Bong Joon Ho's 2013 South Korean film, Snowpiercer, was one of the best films released in the U.S. in 2014.  I have yet to see his Oscar-winning film, Parasite (2019), but I was determined to see Mickey 17.  Like Snowpiercer, Mickey 17 is a black comedy, but make no mistake.  Mikey 17 is also a withering social critique of our modern world.  From a society of have-nothings and have-everythings to a technocracy that uses people as disposable commodities, Mickey 17 skewers the current plutocracy and oligarchies.  Mickey 17 holds a mirror to our modern world in which people are dehumanized on the alter of the material and technological pursuits of the powerful.  

Mickey 17 reminds me of the European science fiction films of French director, Luc Besson (1997's The Fifth Element), and of the art of the late French comic book artist, Jean “Moebius” Giraud.  Still, its breezy character drama and witty comedy feel like American entertainment, especially the way it skewers the film's villain, the thoroughly American Kenneth Marshall.  As Marshall, Mark Ruffalo delivers a scathing send-up of whom else – our lumbering, drug-addled, egomaniac President of the United States, Donald J. Trump.  I don't know if Bong Joon Ho wanted Ruffalo to play the character that way, but Ruffalo portrayal of a power-mad, racist, religious fake is both breathtaking and also a testament to his skills as an actor.

I don't want to skimp on praising the film's other stars.  Naomie Ackie is a ball of energy as Nasha, and she grabs her time in the spotlight.  Toni Collette is an acting treasure, and she delivers another great character performance – of course.

Still, let's be honest.  Robert Pattinson – handsome Robert Pattinson – is a very talented actor, and he is a true movie star.  The more I watched this film, the more I realized that Mickey 17 is essentially a Robert Pattinson star vehicle.  There is nothing wrong with that, but Pattinson also delivers a performance that defines the film's themes of identity, independence, and empathy, as well as bring the story along as it delves into the nature of self and consciousness.

I can see why Mickey 17 did not perform well with theatrical audiences and with some critics.  The film requires the viewer to wait almost an hour as it establishes its characters and settings before delivering the hook in the plot that reels the viewer into the heart of this daring and sometimes absurd film.  Its mix of social sci-fi, black comedy, and satire is another example of Bong Joon Ho showing how he deftly blends genres and sub-genres into incomparable cinematic art.  Mickey 17 is one of 2025's best films, and it rewards audience patience without an outstanding entertainment experience.

9 of 10

A+

★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, June 3, 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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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 20th to 30th, 2025 - UPDATE #17

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:

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Lionsgate’s "50 Cent Action," the FAST (which means "free ad-supported streaming television") channel curated by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, has become the #1 action channel on both The Roku Channel and LG Channels.  "50 Cent Action" first debuted with an exclusive launch on Roku, where it quickly became the most-watched action channel on The Roku Channel in the first quarter of the year. Its recent rollout on LG Channels has already achieved the same milestone—cementing the channel’s appeal and momentum across the FAST space.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Back to the Future" screenwriter Bob Gale says that there will never be another prequel, sequel, spinoff, or TV adaptation of the beloved 1985 film. Apparently, Steven Spielberg would have to sign off on it, and he reportedly won't.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures has set Joseph Kosinski to direct its latest attempt at a film based on the 1980s police drama, "Miami Vice."  The last time was the 2006 film starring Colin Farrel and Jamie Foxx.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/25 to 4/27/2025 weekend box office is Warner Bros. Pictures' Sinners with an estimated take of 45 million dollars.

From Variety:  Legendary bluesman, Buddy Guy, speaks on his buzzy movie role in Warner Bros. Pictures' and director Ryan Coogler's hit film, "Sinners." Guys says "it's a dream come true; to be honest… I did it to help the blues."

SPORTS/NBA/BLM - From NBA:  The National Basketball Association celebrates the 75th anniversary of its first three Black players:  Chuck Cooper, Earl Lloyd, and Nathaniel Clifton.  Cooper, out of Duquesne, was drafted in the second round of the 1950 NBA Draft (April 25th) by the Boston Celtics, becoming the first Black player drafted in the league

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Apple will begin filming a sequel to Tom Hank's World War II action film, "Greyhound" (2020), in early 2026.

SCANDAL - From THR:  What's life behind bars like for former studio boss and mogul, Harvey Weinstein? He's still running things?

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Michael Bay will united with actress Sydney Sweeney on a film adaptation of Sega's arcade videogame, "OutRun."  The film is from Universal, and so far, Sweeney is only on board to produce.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/18 to 1/20/2025 Easter weekend box office is Warner Bros. Pictures' Sinners with an estimated take of 45.6 million dollars.

From Variety:  "Variety" decided to throw ice water on the box office success of Ryan Coogler's film, Sinners, which was the #1 film at the North American box office this past Easter weekend. [I say to "Variety": "Shoo, fly, shoo!"]

From Deadline:  The final weekend box office numbers show a 48 million dollar debut for Ryan Coogler's blues-infused Southern vampire potboiler, "Sinners."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges says that both he and co-star Julianne Moore are up for a sequel to the Coen Bros.'s 1998 cult classic, "The Big Lebowski."

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OBITS:

From YahooSports:  Former NBA player, Stan Love, has died at the age of 76, Sunday, April 27, 2025.  After playing collegiately for the University of Oregon Ducks from 1968 to 1971, Love was drafted in 1971 NBA Draft (1st round, 9th pick) by the Baltimore Bullets.  Love would go on to have a four year career, also playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.  Love is the father of NBA champion Kevin Love.  He is also the younger brother of Mike Love, who cofounded the legendary rock band, "The Beach Boys," with their cousins: Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson.

From Deadline:  American actor, Will Hutchins, has died at the age of 94, Monday, April 21, 2025.  Hutchins may be best known as the star of the ABC Western television series, "Sugarfoot" (1957-61).  "Sugarfoot" is believed to be the first Western comedy TV series, having debuted five days before another ABC Western comedy, "Maverick" (1957-62). Hutchins would later guest-star in an episode of "Maverick."  Hutchins other major roles included Monte Hellman's film, "The Shooting" (1965) and the Elvis Presley films, "Spinout" (1966) and "Clambake" (1967).

From CNN:  Pope Francis, the 266th pop of the Catholic Church, has died at the age of 88, Monday, April 21, 2025.  Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 17, 1936.  Pope Francis was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from March 13, 2013 until his death.  He was the first pope from the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit Order).  He was the first pope from the Americas and from the Southern Hemisphere.  He was the first born or raised outside Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope, Gregory III.  When he was chosen as the Pope by a "papal conclave," he chose the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

From YahooNews:  Pope Francis died of a cerebral stroke that lead to coma and then heart failure, according to the Vatican.

From Reuters:  Pope Francis: his pontificate in numbers; his career by the years.

Review: Ryan Coogler's "SINNERS" is Crazy, Sexy, Cool, and Incredible

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 18 of 2025 (No. 2024) by Leroy Douresseaux

Sinners (2025)

Running time:  137 minutes (2 hours, 17 minutes)

MPA – R for strong bloody violence, sexual content and language

WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Ryan Coogler

PRODUCERS:  Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, and Sev Ohanian

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Autumn Durald Arkapaw (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Michael P. Shawver

COMPOSER:  Ludwig Goransson

HORROR/HISTORICAL/THRILLER

Starring:  Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Canton, Wunmi Mosaku, Jack O'Connell, Tenaj Jackson, David Maldonado, Li Jun Li, Yao, Helena Hu, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Bert Dreimanis, Loka Kirke, Saul Williams, Andre Ward-Hammond, Mark L. Patrick, and Delroy Lindo and Buddy Guy

SUMMARY OF REVIEW:

Sinners is crazy and incredible, and there is no other supernatural horror film like it.

Part period film, part Southern Gothic, and part African-American historical, the film's story packs a lot of explosive energy into a short period of time

Writer-director Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan collaborate Sinners into a film that could set Mississippi burning all over again

Sinners is a 2025 American supernatural horror, vampire, and period film from writer-director Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, who plays twins.  In Sinners, twin brothers return to their Mississippi home to start a new business only to encounter the old enemy of racism and a surprise new enemy in a charismatic monster.

Sinners opens in Clarksdale, Mississippi, on the morning of October 16, 1932.  Sammie Moore (Miles Canton) staggers into his father's church, the broken neck of a guitar clutched in his right hand.  As his father demands that he drop the guitar, give up music, and repent, Sammy recalls the previous 24 hours.

Early in the previous day, Sammie's cousins Elijah “Smoke” Moore (Michael B. Jordan) and Elias “Stack” Moore (Michael B. Jordan), identical twins and World War I veterans, return to Mississippi after spending several years in Chicago.  Arriving with a lot of cash and a shocking amount of expensive Irish beer and Italian wine, the brothers announce their intention to start their own juke joint.  In the morning, they buy an old sawmill from a racist landowner, Hogwood (David Maldonado), and start the process of preparing to open their juke joint that very night.

They recruit Sammie, a talented blues guitarist; Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo), a local legend on the piano and the harmonica; and Pearline (Jayme Lawson), a sultry songstress, to provide the club's music.  They also hire Smoke's estranged wife, Annie (Winmu Mosaku), a hoodoo woman and root worker, and Delta Chinese shopkeepers Grace (Li Jun Li) and Bo Chow (Yao), to cater opening night.

Smoke and Stack start selling the idea of a juke joint to the local black community, with the food and the music as the main draw.  What Smoke and Stack don't know is that their very talented cousin Sammie's singing and guitar playing will attract the attention of both the human world and the spirit world – including a great evil ready to welcome every person inside the juke joint into its family.

Just before I saw Sinners, I realized that Ryan Coogler is one of the few directors of which I have seen and reviewed all of his feature films: Fruitvale Station (2013), Creed (2015), Black Panther (2018), and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).  I am still trying to process what I saw during a Sinners' Thursday night preview showing, but right now, I still cannot find anything that would make me say this film is not perfect.  Coogler's talent is greater than I ever imagined, and I imagined a lot of greatness for him.  Still, I was unprepared for this hurricane called Sinners that he has created.

Sinners is like a folk tale, and it is steeped in Southern African-American folk, religious, and superstitious tradition.  Sinners is also deeply immersed in Mississippi Blackness.  There is a scene in the film in which the past and future join the present to celebrate transcendent African-American art, Black excellence, and a spirit world connected to all humanity.  Ryan Coogler's also screenplay recognizes the links between African-Americans and Native American and Indigenous, to Chinese-American, and to some reluctant poor White people.

Sinners is truly an American work of fiction and cinema, authentic in a way that the Hollywood film industry generally avoids marginalized, oppressed, and impoverished communities.  Sinners is salt-of-the-Earth and no-ways-tired American cinema.  Also, it sets the record straight on what the Great Migration of Black folks found when they went to Northern cities like Chicago.

Sinners also has a remarkable number of exceptional performances.  I know that some people still have doubts about Michael B. Jordan as an exceptional actor, but as the twins, Smoke and Stack, he proves that his doubters are only hapless haters.  Jordan makes the twins distinctive from one another in subtle shifts and sleight-of-hand moves.  In a way, Jack O'Connell, in a supporting role as the lead villain, Remmick, matches Jordan's intensity by smoothly altering the way his character reveals his wickedness.  O'Connell makes Remmick, a charismatic prince of lies and deceit, deserving of his own film, a prequel to Sinners.

Back in the aughts, Paramount Pictures put out a casting call for the female lead in the Coen Bros.'s 2010 Western film, True Grit.  The casting call stated that young females vying for the role “must be able to portray Caucasian.”  Hailee Steinfeld won the role in True Grit, and in Sinners, she proves that she can portray mulatto as Mary.  I am not sure that a White actress has been as convincing as Steinfeld is as a Black and White biracial person in Sinners since Susan Kohner received a “Best Supporting Actress” nomination as “Sarah Jane” in Imitation of Life (1959).

So... I'm still reeling.  I'll build a fortress around my heart to protect my belief that Sinners is perfect or as near to perfect as a supernatural horror film can get.  As of today (Friday, April 18, 2025), it is my pick for best film of the year.

10 of 10

Saturday, April 19, 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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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 6th to 12th, 2025 - UPDATE #10

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.

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

NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. is developing a remake of the 1992 romantic drama thriller, "The Bodyguard," which originally starred Kevin Costner and the late Whitney Houston.

ACADEMY AWARDS - From WorldofReel:  The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has a announced a new Academy Awards category.  The Oscar for "Best Achievement in Stunt Design" will be first handed out in 2027 at the 100th Academy Awards ceremony.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Actor Eric Dane has revealed that he has been diagnosed with "amyotrophic lateral sclerosis" (ALS), also known as "Lou Gehrig's disease."  He says that this diagnosis will not stop him from returning to work next week on Season 3 of HBO's "Euphoria."  ALS is a fatal, progressive degenerative disease that breaks down the nerves in the body, weakening muscles and causing eventual paralysis, impacting patients’ ability to breathe, speak and move. There is no known cure.

TELEVISION - From THR:  Patrick Schwarzenegger talks about being the star of the big cable TV hit, HBO'S "The White Lotus" and possible working with his father, Hollywood icon and legend, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

MOVIES/CELEBRITY - From Deadline:   Ryan Coogler discuses his new supernatural horror movie, "Sinners," the film's star, Michael B. Jordan, and moving back on "Black Panther 3" in order to make Sinners.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Legendary Entertainment is eying Robert Pattison for a role in "Dune 3."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/4 to 4/6/2025 weekend box office is Warner Bros.'s "A Minecraft Movie" with an estimated take of 157 million dollars.

AMAZON - From Variety:  Academy Award winner Viola Davis talks about why she choose to star in the Amazon Prime Video action movie, "G20," which begins streaming April 20th.

From Variety:  Viola Davis doesn’t think "suspension of disbelief" is required for audiences to accept that the President of the United States in her Amazon Prime Video action-thriller, "G20," is a Black woman.

OBITS:

From Variety:  American actor and former child star, Jay North, has died at the age of 73, Sunday, April 6, 2025.  North was best known for his starring role in "Dennis Mitchell" in the former ABC sitcom, "Dennis the Menace" (1959-63), which was based on the newspaper comic strip created by Hank Ketchum. Before that starring role, North made appearances on such TV series as "The Eddie Fisher Show," "The Milton Berle Show," and "Wanted: Dead or Alive." Typecast as "Dennis Mitchell," North's appeared in a number of other TV series and a few films before leaving acting in the 1980s.

From Deadline:  American musician, Clem Burke, has died at the age of 70, Sunday, April 6, 2025.  Burke was best known as the drummer for the American rock band, "Blondie."  He joined the band less than a year after its founding and appeared on all its studio albums along with founders, Chris Stein and Debbie Harry.  During the 1980s and 1990s when Blondie was disbanded, Burke played drums for "the Romantics," Pete Townsend, "Eurythmics," Iggy Pop, and Joan Jett, to name a few.  On a few occasions, he played drums for "the Ramones" under the name "Elvis Ramone."  Burke was inducted into the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" in 2006 as a member of Blondie, and he was nominated for three Grammy Awards as a member of the group.

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Review: "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" is a Good Thing

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 of 2025 (No. 2021) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024) – anime

Running time: 134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for strong violence

DIRECTOR: Kenji Kamiyama

WRITERS: Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews and Phoebe Gittins & Arty Papageorgiou; from a story by Jeffrey Addis & Will Matthews and Philippa Boyens (based on characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien)

PRODUCERS: Philippa Boyens, Joseph Chou and Jason DeMarco

EDITOR: Tsuyoshi Sadamatsu

COMPOSER: Stephen Gallagher

ANIMATION:  Sola Entertainment

ANIME/FANTASY/WAR

Starring:  (voices) Gaia Wise, Brian Cox, Luca Pasqualino, Lorraine Ashbourne, Shaun Dooley, Benjamin Wainwright, Yazdan Qafouri, Laurence Ubong Williams, Michael Wildman, Janine Duvitski, Bilal Hasna, and Miranda Otto

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a 2024 anime fantasy film from director Kenji Kamiyama.  The film is based on characters created by J. R. R. Tolkien and is thus connected to his two most famous works of high fantasy, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954-55).  The film is a production of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Animation, Domain Entertainment, and Sola Entertainment, which provides the animation.  The War of the Rohirrim tells the story of a king's daughter who fights to defend her father's kingdom from a traitor to their people and his rebel army.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is narrated by Eowyn (Miranda Otto).  She tells a tale set in the human kingdom of Rohan around 200 years before the Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, finds the “One Ring” (as depicted in the 2012 film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey).  At that time, Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) is the King of Rohan.  He has two sons, Haleth (Benjamin Wainwright) and Hame (Yazdan Oafouri), and one daughter, Hera (Gaia Wise).

Freca (Shaun Dooley), a “Dunlending” lord, arrives at Edoras, the seat of Helm's court, for a “witan” (council).  Freca wants his son, Wulf (Luca Pasqualino), to marry Hera, which he claims will unite his family with Helm's, but what Freca really wants is to use the marriage to usurp Rohan's throne.  Although she and Wulf are friends from childhood, Hera spurns Wulf's offer of marriage.  That leads to a deadly confrontation between Helm and Freca.

Four years later, Wulf leads an army of hill-tribe rebels against Rohan.  Helm is forced to lead his people to the ancient stronghold of “Hornburg,” and there, waits for allies to come to the aid of Rohan.  With the former shieldmaiden, Olwyn (Lorraine Ashbourne), and the bard, Lief (Bilal Hasna), at her side, Hera struggles to hold her people together.  Her only hope is her cousin, Lord Frealaf Hildeson (Laurence Ubong Williams), who is himself hold up in the fortress at Dunharrow.  Can Hera and her people make a daring last stand in Hornburg, and will help come in time to save them?

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is well connected to the two Tolkien film trilogies, The Lord of the Rings (2001-03) and to The Hobbit (2012-14).  The War of the Rohirrim is narrated by Eowyn, who appears in two films in The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) trilogy, The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003).  Miranda Otto, who played Eowyn in those films, also performs the voice for the character here.   The War of the Rohirrim also has multiple other references to these two film trilogies, but how good is this animated film on its own?

The War of the Rohirrim reminds me of the Japanese anime film series that began with Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1 – The Egg of the King (2012).  Although I like The War of the Rohirrim, I don't like it as much as I liked the Berserk films that I saw.  I find this LOTR film lacks magic and the supernatural; in fact, it is well past the halfway point in the story before this films drops some dark magic and sorcery.  The film is too much like a war movie, but considering the high stakes involved in this war, the film also lacks the spectacle of the live-action LOTR movies, which were essential war movies – fantasy war movies – but still war movies.

Although some reviewers and critics did not like the quality of The War of the Rohirrim's animation, I do admire it, and I also like the animation's vivid colors and the character designs.  The characters and narrative drama are good, not great.  While the story strikes familiar notes in terms of plot and setting, I found myself very emotionally involved in a lot of this movie's narrative; it tugged at my heart in spite of its imperfections.

The War of the Rohirrim seems more like Earth “Middle Ages” than Tolkien's “Middle-earth,” but I consider myself lucky to have an anime Tolkien film.  It has been almost four and half decades since audiences had animated feature films based on the work of the English writer J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973).  It is not great, but it is great that we have The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, April 11, 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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"The Alto Knights" Soundtrack Now Available

The Alto Knights (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Available Now

THE ALTO KNIGHTS Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Music by David Fleming

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music is excited to announce the release of "The Alto Knights (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" with music by award-winning composer David Fleming (“The Last of Us Season 1,” “Mr & Mrs. Smith”). The Soundtrack is available now on all platforms.

David Fleming notes, “Barry Levinson's The Alto Knights is a true story of the end of a brotherhood and the fall of the American mafia. When Barry and I first spoke about the music, we knew it needed to have a simmering, kinetic energy to mirror the undercurrent of quiet machinations that push Frank and Vito toward sabotage and betrayal. The score uses pulsing saxophones and synthesizers juxtaposed over classic sounds of a bygone era to underpin this tectonic shift in the history of organized crime.”

The Alto Knights (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Tracklisting -

1. Vito

2. Apple Picking

3. American Made

4. Heat

5. Shards

6. Circus

7. Closed Casket

8. Central Park

9. Roses

10. Straight Razor

11. Cuba

12. Plead The Fifth

13. Corners

14. Party Crashers

15. Dominoes

16. The Alto Knights

ABOUT THE ALTO KNIGHTS:

From Warner Bros. Pictures, The Alto Knights stars Academy Award winner Robert De Niro in a dual role, directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Barry Levinson.

The film follows two of New York’s most notorious organized crime bosses, Frank Costello (De Niro) and Vito Genovese (De Niro), as they vie for control of the city’s streets. Once the best of friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals place them on a deadly collision course that will reshape the Mafia (and America) forever.

“The Alto Knights” was written by Oscar nominee Nicholas Pileggi (“Goodfellas”) and produced by Oscar winner Irwin Winkler (“Rocky,” “Goodfellas”), Levinson, Jason Sosnoff, Charles Winkler and David Winkler, with Mike Drake executive producing.

De Niro stars alongside Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”), Cosmo Jarvis (“Shōgun”), Kathrine Narducci (“The Irishman”), Michael Rispoli (“Billions”), Michael Adler (“Peppermint”), Ed Amatrudo (“Till,” “Nashville”), Joe Bacino (“Kick-Ass”), Anthony J. Gallo (“The Irishman”), Wallace Langham (“Ford v Ferrari”), Louis Mustillo (“Cooper’s Bar,” “Mike & Molly”), Frank Piccirillo, Matt Servitto (“Billions”) and Robert Uricola (Raging Bull).

Joining Levinson (“Rainman,” “The Natural,” “Wag the Dog,” “Good Morning Vietnam”) behind the camera are Oscar-nominated director of photography Dante Spinotti (“The Insider,” “L.A. Confidential”), production designer Neil Spisak (the “Spider-Man” films, “Dopesick”), Oscar-nominated editor Douglas Crise (“Babel,” “Dopesick”), Oscar-nominated costume designer Jeffrey Kurland (“Bullets Over Broadway,” “Tenet”), award-winning casting director Ellen Chenoweth (“Past Lives”) and composer David Fleming (“Hillbilly Elegy,” “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”).

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents an Irwin Winkler Production, a Barry Levinson Film, “The Alto Knights.” The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures worldwide and released in theaters nationwide on March 21, 2025, and internationally beginning 19 March 2025.

ABOUT DAVID FLEMING:

David Fleming is an American composer who has written music for film and television including most recently, Amazon's “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and Ron Howard's “Jim Henson: Idea Man,” both of which resulted in Primetime Emmy nominations for David, and a win for his Jim Henson score. Starting his career moonlighting in New York ad houses, David relocated to Los Angeles after winning BMI's Pete Carpenter Fellowship and soon began contributing music to major films. 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. Through his soundtrack work, David has also collaborated with popular recording artists such as Elton John, Lady Gaga, Pharrell Williams and Beyoncé, with whom he worked on the Grammy-nominated song “Spirit,” for her album “The Lion King: The Gift.” In addition to his work on the forthcoming season of “The Last of Us,” 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: "DAFFY DUCK'S QUACKBUSTERS" Mixes Old and New Quite Well

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 250 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters (1988) – animated

Running time:  78 minutes (1 hour, 18 minutes)

MPAA – PG

DIRECTORS:  Greg Ford and Terry Lennon with Friz Freleng; Chuck Jones; Robert McKimson; and Maurice Noble

WRITERS:  Greg Ford and Terry Lennon (story) with John W. Dunn; Michael Maltese; and Tedd Pierce

PRODUCER:  Steven S. Greene

EDITORS:  Treg Brown; Jim Champin

ANIMATION/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring:  (voice) Mel Blanc, Julie Bennett, Roy Firestone, June Foray, Ben Frommer, B.J. Ward, and Mel Tormé

Daffy Duck's Quackbusters is a 1988 animated compilation film directed by Greg Ford and Terry Lennon.  The film is comprised of classic Warner Bros. Cartoons animated shorts with animated bridging sequences and other new material.  It was released to theaters in September 1988 and was released on VHS in July 1989, which is how I saw it.

This film was the final theatrical production in which the primary “Looney Tunes” voice actor, Mel Blanc, provided the voices of the various Looney Tunes characters before his death in July 1989.  Daffy Duck's Quackbusters focuses on Daffy Duck who opens a detective agency for the supernatural with the help of his Looney Tunes buddies in a bid to deal with meddlesome ghosts.

Daffy Duck's Quackbusters is preceded by Night of the Living Duck, a 1988 Daffy Duck animated theatrical short.  It works as a kind of appetizer for what comes next.  Then, comes Daffy Dilly, a 1948 Chuck Jones cartoon in which Daffy Duck (Mel Blanc) tries to earn a rich reward by making ailing millionaire J.B. Cubish (Mel Blanc), who hasn’t laughed in ages, laugh one more time.  This short is the jump-off point for Quackbusters' story, as it ends and new animation footage and the film’s main plot and narrative begin.

The plot concerns Daffy who has inherited the bulk of J.B. Cubish’s fortune, but Cubish’s will stipulates that Daffy must use the money to further business and enterprise and also for goodwill.  Daffy brushes off the stipulation, but he soon discovers that Cubish’s spirit/ghost/poltergeist can reach beyond death and take his millions with him to the next world.  Every time Daffy lies, cheats, or acts like a jerk to someone, cue the lightening and magic and Daffy’s inherited millions start to disappear as wads of cash fade away.

Enraged, Daffy forms a ghost-busting agency, “Ghouls ‘R’ Us,” a group of “paranormalists” who fight meddlesome ghosts (like Cubish), as well as monsters, aliens, and other weird creatures.  The agency is really a front for Daffy, behind which he can hide and pretend to do good.  He convinces Bugs Bunny (Mel Blanc) and Porky Pig (Mel Blanc), as well as Porky's pet, Sylvester the Cat (Mel Blanc), to join the agency.  Daffy sends them out ghost and monster hunting, but in the end, as with all his machinations, Daffy is destined to fail.

I have been anticipating the new animated film, The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (2024), which just went into wide theatrical release in the United States.  With that in mind, I decided to re-edit my review of Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters.  This film falls into the tradition of such Warner Bros. Looney Tunes films as Daffy Duck’s Fantastic Island (1983) and The Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie (1981).  Quackbusters is a kind of “clip show” movie in which the filmmakers combine new, original animated film footage with footage from classic “Looney Tunes” and “Merrie Melodies” cartoons – also called a “compilation film.”

Writer-directors Greg Ford and Terry Lennon and their fellow filmmakers seamlessly weave classic cartoons with new animation.  In fact, one has to look carefully to see where the Ford/Lennon-directed animation ends and old cartoons by famed Looney Tune/Merrie Melodies directors begin and then move back to Ford and Lennon’s work.  In fact, only 40 percent of this film is classic animation from the 40s and 50s.  These include The Abominable Snow Rabbit (1961) with Bugs and Daffy; Hyde & Go Tweet (1960) with Sylvester and Tweety; The Prize Pest (1951) with Porky and Daffy; Punch Trunk (1953); Scaredy Cat (1948); and its 1954 remake, Claws for Alarm (1954), both with Porky and Sylvester; and Transylvania 6-5000 (1963) with Bugs.

The other 60 percent is made of brand new animation and two of Ford and Lennon’s late 80’s animated shorts.  That includes The Duxorcist, which, when it appeared in 1987, was the first Warner Bros. animated theatrical short in 20 years, and also the aforementioned Night of the Living Duck.  The new animation and narrative is so well done and incorporated with the older material that Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters is the best of the clip show movies.  In fact, the new animation, while not nearly as good as the “Golden Age” Warner material, only looks a little off in a few minor instances.

Daffy Duck’s Quackbusters is not great, but is certainly good.  It is fun, kid’s stuff that is as surprisingly entertaining as it is well put together and designed.  I think Looney Tunes fans, in moments of nostalgia, will like this, so it is too bad that Warner has not tried this again (as of this writing).

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Re-edited:  Thursday, March 13, 2025

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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Review: "AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM" is Water-Logged Entertainment

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 of 2025 (No. 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

Running time:  124 minutes (2 hours, 4 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for sci-fi violence and some language

DIRECTOR:  James Wan

WRITERS:  David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick; from a story by James Wan and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick & Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa'a Sibbett (based on the character created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger and appearing in DC Comics)

PRODUCERS:  James Wan, Rob Cowan, and Peter Safran

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Don Burgess

EDITOR:  Kirk M. Morri

COMPOSER:  Rupert Gregson-Williams

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/SCI-FI and ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring:  Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Amber Heard, Dolph Lundgren, Temuera Morrison, Randall Park, Jani Zhao, Indya Moore, and Nicole Kidman with the voices of Martin Short, John Rhys-Davies, and Pilou Asbaek

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is a 2023 superhero, action-adventure and science fiction-fantasy film from director James Wan.  It is a direct sequel to the 2018 film, Aquaman, and it is also the 15th and final installment of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).  The film is based on the DC Comics character, Aquaman, that was created by artist Paul Norris and editor Mort Weisinger and first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 (cover dated: November 1941).  In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Black Manta forges a deal with a mysterious evil from Atlantis' past, forcing Aquaman to forge an alliance with his imprisoned brother in order to save Atlantis.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens four years after Aquaman/Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) became King of Atlantis and married Mera (Amber Heard).  They are now parents to a son, Arthur Jr.  Aquaman splits his life between land and sea, strengthening his bond with his father, Thomas Curry (Temuera Morrison), and getting wise advice about being a father from him.  However, splitting time between his life on land and his life as the ruler of Atlantis has led to clashes with the High Council of the Seven Kingdoms.

Meanwhile, David Kane/Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen) continues to seek revenge against Aquaman for the death of his father (as seen in Aquaman).  With the help of marine biologist, Stephen Shin (Randall Park), Kane finds a mysterious artifact, “the Black Trident.”  As soon Kane touches the trident, it possesses him and connects his mind to the mysterious Kordax, the undead king of the lost undersea kingdom of Necrus.  Soon, Kane, at Kordax's command, is poisoning the surface world with an element known as “Orichalcum.”

Aquaman's mother, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), the former queen of Atlantis, implores him to seek the help of his imprisoned brother, Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson), the deposed King of Atlantis in order to stop Kane.  But can Aquaman trust Orm, who tried to kill him and whom he removed from the throne of Atlantis?

While watching the original film, Aquaman, I could not help but notice that many of its story points and plot elements were glaringly similar to those found in Marvel Studios' Black Panther, which debuted earlier in the same year, 2018, that Aquaman hit theaters.  I also find Black Panther elements in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but none as pronounced as in the first film.  I also believe that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is strongly influenced by the Star Wars “prequel” films, especially Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

That said, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is like the first film – a grand, old-fashioned, action-adventure fantasy film.  The sequel is quite entertaining, but not as solidly entertaining as the first film.

The plot, narrative, and character drama in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom seem forced when they are not being over-the-top, and are lacking in genuine emotion and feeling when they not being forced and over-the-top.  Director James Wan and his co-writers emphasize sound and fury.  It is as if they believe that the more CGI, action scenes, explosions, subplots, and weird-looking things they throw on the screen the less likely that the audience will realize how ungainly this film is.  Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom isn't cinematic art; it's merely corporate entertainment product, and unlike the first time, Warner Bros. Pictures didn't as lucky with the sequel.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom treads water just not to be mediocre.  I will admit that its production values and special visual effects all look quite good.  Visually, the film is sumptuous even if the drama is rickety.  And as I write this, I am just remembering that I like the film score, although I am sure that I have heard parts of it in another film.

Also, I admire that Jason Momoa throws himself into this film, doing his best to make it seem like the most fun he and the audience could ever have in a superhero movie.  Unfortunately, it was the Aquaman movie before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom that was really fun.

B-

5 of 10

★★½ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, January 28, 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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First Official Teaser for DC Studios' "SUPERMAN" Film Has Arrives

From Warner Bros. Discovery:

“Superman,” DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar 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.

Superman, directed by James Gunn, opens July 11, 2025. Warner Bros. has released the first teaser trailer for the film, which you can see below this text:

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First Teaser Poster for James Gunn's "SUPERMAN" Has Been Released

From Warner Bros. Discovery:

“Superman,” DC Studios’ first feature film to hit the big screen, is set to soar 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.

Superman, directed by James Gunn, opens July 11, 2025. Warner Bros. has released the first teaser poster for the film, which you can see below this text:

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First Episode of Max/DC Studios' "CREATURE COMMANDOS" is Streaming Free

The seven-episode Max Original adult animated series "Creature Commandos," written and executive produced by James Gunn, debuted Thursday, December 5, 2024 on Max followed by one episode weekly until January 16, 2025.

 

Logline: Creature Commandos tracks a secret team of incarcerated monsters recruited for missions deemed too dangerous for humans. When all else fails… they’re your last, worst option.

 

Cast: Steve Agee as Economos, Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana, Anya Chalotra as Circe, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, Frank Grillo as Rick Flag Sr., Sean Gunn as GI Robot & Weasel, David Harbour as Frankenstein, Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus, Indira Varma as The Bride, and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller.

 

Credits: Creature Commandos is written and executive produced by James Gunn. Based on DC characters and produced by DC Studios and Warner Bros. Animation; additional executive producers include Peter Safran, Dean Lorey, and Sam Register; Rick Morales serves as a supervising producer.

Max has made the first episode of "Creature Commandos" available to stream free on YouTube:

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Review: "DUNE: PART TWO: Rocks the Heavens

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 48 of 2024 (No. 1992) by Leroy Douresseaux

Dune: Part Two (2024)

Running time:  166 minutes (2 hours, 46 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material and brief strong language

DIRECTOR:  Denis Villeneuve

WRITERS:  Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts (based on the novel by Frank Herbert)

PRODUCERS:  Denis Villeneuve, Cale Boyter, Mary Parent, Patrick McCormick, and Tanya Lapointe

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Greg Fraser (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Joe Walker

COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer

SCI-FI/DRAMA and ACTION/WAR/THRILLER

Starring:  Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgard, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Lea Seydoux, Charlotte Rampling, Babs Olusanmokun, and Alison Halstead

Dune: Part Two is a 2024 epic science fiction and drama film directed by Denis Villeneuve.  It is the second part of the two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel, Dune, written by author Frank Herbert.  The first part is entitled Dune (or Dune: Part One) and was released in 2021.  Dune: Part Two focuses on a vengeful young nobleman who unites the desert people of the planet Arrakis behind his war against the noble house that betrayed and murdered his father.

Dune: Part Two opens in the wake of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) and House Harkonnen's destruction of Duke Leto Atreides and the House Atreides.  Now, the Baron's nephew, Lord Rabban (Dave Bautista), has control over the desert planet, Arrakis, and over the production of the most valuable substance in the universe, which is known as “Spice.”  A highly-addictive drug, Spice extends human vitality and life and is absolutely necessary for space travel.  Spice is only found on Arrakis.

Meanwhile, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the son of Leto, and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), who is pregnant, have joined the “Sietch Tabr,” a band of Fremen, the natives of Arrakis.  While some of the Fremen consider Paul and Jessica to be spies, the Sietch Tabr leader, Stilgar (Javier Bardem), believes that they are the prophesied mother and son from the “Outer World” who will bring prosperity to Arrakis.

Jessica belongs to the Bene Gesserit, a powerful sisterhood who wield advance mental and physical abilities.  The Bene Gesserit have a prophecy concerning a “superbeing,” called the  “Kwisatz Haderach,” and Paul may be this superbeing because of the machinations of his mother.  Stilgar believes that Paul is the prophesied Fremen messiah, the “Lisan al-Gaig.”  This belief spread once Paul takes the name Paul Muad'dib Usul.

However, Chani (Zendaya), a young and rebellious Fremen warrior (“Fedaykin”), believes that the messianic prophecies are nothing more than a fabrication meant to manipulate the Fremen.  However, as “the Battle for Arrakis” begins, Chani finds herself having strong feelings for Paul and follows him into battle against the Harkonnen, for better or worse. 

Dune and Dune: Part Two combine to form the third screen adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel.  The others were writer-director David Lynch's 1984 film, Dune, and writer-director John Harrison's 2000 television miniseries, also entitled “Dune.”  Also, there is a French/U.S. documentary film, entitled Jodorowskys Dune, that chronicles director Alejandro Jodorowsky's doomed attempt to adapt the novel into film in the 1970s.

Because HBO is preparing to release its Dune television series, “Dune: Prophecy,” I decided to finally see Dune: Part Two.  A horrible illness forced me to miss the film's theatrical release earlier this year.  Having finally seen it, I wish I had watched it in a movie theater, although IMAX is not an option for me.  Dune: Part Two should be seen on a screen in a movie theater.  It is one of the most epic science fiction films that I have ever experienced.  The production values, cinematography, film editing, production design, art direction and sets, hair and make-up, and costumes are separately some of the best seen in science fiction cinema thus far in the twenty-first century.  Director Denis Villeneuve is more than well-served by these collaborators.

He is also well-served by his co-writers, as the screenplay captures the religious and spiritual dogma and messianic madness that drives much of Dune's narrative.  As impressive as this film is from a storytelling point of view, the Fremen's faith is freaking scary and dominates the film.  That's why I think Hans Zimmer's film score sounds like it belongs in a horror movie.  Quite a bit of Zimmer's musical score is like the spiritual cousin of composer Henry Manfredini's “ch ch ch ah ah ah” sound effect for the 1980 film, Friday the 13th.

There are a number of great performances here.  Austin Butler, who surprised in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis (2022), does killer work in Dune: Part Two as Baron Harkonnen's psychotic nephew, na-Baron Fedy-Rautha.  Dune's make-up artists serve him well as Butler fashions a character that is as impish and devilish as he is relentlessly homicidal.

But the stars are really Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.  As Paul, Chalamet depicts both the manipulation and machinations of a rise to power and also the evolution and revelation of a religious cult leader.  As Chani, Zendaya is the spiritual heart of this film.  She is the center of calm and reason in the super-storm of madness that envelopes Arrakis.  It is not hard to see why both actors are some of the most popular young stars in world cinema.  For all Denis Villeneuve cinematic skills and tricks, a movie this grand needs that traditional tower of power, the movie star.  Dune: Part Two has two shooting stars.

10 of 10

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

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

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Review: M. Night Shyamalan's "TRAP" Delights in Being Devilish

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 46 of 2024 (No. 1990) by Leroy Douresseaux

Trap (2024)

Running time:  105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for some violent content and brief strong language

WRITER/DIRECTOR:  M. Night Shyamalan

PRODUCERS:  Marc Bienstock, Ashwin Rajan, and M. Night Shyamalan

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Noemi Preiswerk

COMPOSER:  Herdis Stefansdottir

THRILLER/HORROR

Starring:  Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Alison Pill, Hayley Mills, Jonathan Langdon, Mark Bacolcol, Marnie McPhail, Scott Mescudi, Russell “Russ” Vitale, Lochlan Miller, Steve Boyle, David D'Lancy Wilson, and M. Night Shyamalan

Trap is a 2024 psychological thriller and horror film from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan.  The film focuses on a father who takes his teen daughter to a special pop concert and then realizes that he and his child have entered a dark and sinister trap.

Trap opens in Philadelphia.  There, we meet firefighter Cooper Abbott (Josh Hartnett) .  He is taking his teenage daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), to a special afternoon concert performance by pop star Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan).  Once inside the concert venue, Cooper notices an unusually high police presence on all levels of the building.  Doing his own investigating, Cooper soon discovers that he and his daughter are at the center of a dark and sinister event.  Who is “the Butcher” and why does law enforcement insist that he is one of the 3000 men attending the concert?

Despite the disaster that was M. Night Shyamalan's 2023 thriller, Knock at the Cabin, I immediately wanted to see Trap as soon as I heard about it sometime last year.  I was sure the friend I dragged along with me to see Knock at the Cabin back in early February 2023 would also join me for Trap.  Unfortunately, Trap did play at either of the two local theaters, so I just watched it on the “Max” streaming service.

By now, many people know all about Trap's twists and turns, and it is a very twisty, very strange, very weird, and very crazy movie.  Still, I'm not doing the spoiler thing, but you, dear readers, would need detailed spoilers to keep up with all of this film's twists and contortions.  It's as if writer-director M. Night Shyamalan drew straws to decide the fate of Trap's various subplots and plot twists.  The result is a thriller zesty with the unexpected.

Speak of Mr. M:  he makes his usual appearance as an actor in his own films, but his daughter, Saleka Night Shyamalan, an actual pop singer and recording artist, has a big role in Trap as the pop star, “Lady Raven.”  Saleka's second studio album, Lady Raven, acts as the soundtrack album for Trap.  Nepotism aside, Saleka's songs add a haunting layer to Herdis Stefansdottir's film score for Trap, and, believe me, Saleka is quite game when it comes to acting.

The film's primary wackiness comes from Josh Hartnett's performance as Cooper Abbott.  Hartnett mixes paranoia with subtly when he is not being hilariously over the top and disturbingly calm.  I can't say that other actors would not have been better at playing Cooper than Hartnett, but at least, Hartnett has his own method of bat-shit craziness.

Trap is disarmingly entertaining.  I actually always thought that it would be a good and enjoyable film, but I'm shocked that I like it as much as I do.  I can't believe that I consider its many nonsensical story elements to be quite endearing and even alluring, at times.  The scenes that take place at the concert are excellent, but the film doesn't lose its cockamamie mojo when it moves the action to other venues.  I am giving Trap a high rating because I can't think of a reason not to do so.  I'd be lying if I said that I didn't think that it is a hugely entertaining and attractively offbeat thriller film.  I'm trapped in a closet... with Trap.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Sunday, November 3, 2024

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

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