Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 21st to 28th, 2021 - Update #21

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The winner of the 2/26 to 2/28/2021 weekend box office is the animated "Tom & Jerry" with an estimated take of 13.7 million dollars, the second highest pandemic opening weekend.

GOLDEN GLOBES - From Deadline:  "Deadline" is live-blogging the Golden Globes, which will allow readers to keep up with the announcement of winners.

From Deadline:   Ellen Pompeo penned an open letter the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and “White Hollywood” a day before the 2021 Golden Globes.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which puts on the Golden Globes, does not have a single voting member who is black.  The Directors Guild of America has joined the chorus of voices castigating the HFPA for this.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  "Justice League" actor Ray Fisher and Warner Bros. still having a public feud.

COVID-19 - From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-nominated actress, Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine), has revealed that her father, Michael, recently died of complications of COVID-19.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Lee Daniels, talks about creating his own lane in Hollywood and why he still independently finances his films.

COMICS TO FILM - From Deadline:   Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and producer J.J. Abrams prep "Superman" reboot for Warner Bros.  There is no word on whether Henry Cavill, who has been playing Superman since "The Man of Steel" will be back.

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The WNBA finally rids itself of its worst owner, former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, with a new ownership group.  One of the owners is a player, Renee Montgomery, whom Loeffler once disparaged.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Winston Duke ("Black Panther") is in talks to play African-American historical figure, Marcus Garvey," in Amazon's "Marked Man."

MOVIES - From IndieWire:   No longer involved in the Marvel's "Blade" franchise, Wesley Snipes is developing his own "Blade-killer" movie.  It is a supernatural action movie with elements of shapeshifters and time travel.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Steve Soderbergh will direct Zoe Kravitz in New Line's "KIMI" for HBO Max.

STREAMING - From THR:   ViacomCBS makes its pitch for the streaming service, "Paramount+" which is a rebranding of CBS All Access. There will be sports, reboots, sequels, and spinoffs.

COMICS TO FILM - From VanityFair:  The true history of "Justice League: The Snyder Cut."

SCANDAL - From THR:   Revered and controversial French actor, Gerard Depardieu, was charged by French authorities with rape this past December.  The news just broke recently, and the charge relates to an accusation of the rape of a young actress back in December 2018.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   BET has renewed "Tyler Perry's The Oval" for a third season after its Season 2 premiere.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Netflix has won the auction for a story pitch for a film called, "The Bluff," which would be a vehicle for Zoe Saldana.

COVID-19 - From WebMD:  500,000 Americans now dead from COVID-19

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 2/19 to 2/21/21 weekend box office is "The Croods: A New Age" with an estimated take of 1.7 million dollars.

SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment:  Actress Gina Carano says that she is not going down without a fight after "devastating" firing from Disney-Lucasfilm, where she was an actress on the Disney+ series, "The Mandalorian."

BLM - From TheRoot:  African-American St. Louis Officer Luther Hall has secured a $5 million settlement agreement in his lawsuit against the city, related to his alleged assault by white members of the St. Louis Police Department while he was working undercover as a demonstrator during protests against police violence.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Fired-from-Lucasfilm actress, Gina Carano, says that she has some shocking stuff to say about Lucasfilm.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 10th to 16th, 2021 - Update #34

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STIMULUS - From YahooMoney:   Here's who gets a payment under Biden's $1,400 stimulus check proposal

From Truthout:  As part of his COVID stimulus package, President Biden wants a $15 minimum wage.

COVID-19 - From YahooNews:   Coronavirus death toll tops 2 million worldwide

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Even more stars, including Robert De Niro and Chris Rock, join David O. Russell's new untitled film for New Regency.

TELEVISION - From TVInsider:   Jared Padalecki, formerly of the long running, "Supernatural," will star in The CW's "Walker," a reboot of the long-running CBS series, "Walker, Texas Ranger."  Padalecki was initially developing the series for his Supernatural co-star, Jensen Ackles, before taking the lead himself.  He says that Jensen may still be involved in the series.

TELEVISION - From TCM:  To commemorate the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday 2021, TCM has scheduled a day of reality-based films to document and celebrate the Black Experience.

MOVIES - From EW:    Here is a first look at the R-rated reboot of the "Mortal Kombat" franchise.

AWARDS - From Variety:  Chloe Zhao's "Nomadland" tops the 2020 Gotham Awards.  At the virtual ceremony, Taylor Simone Ledward Boseman tearfully accepted the tribute to her late husband, Chadwick Boseman, that was delivered by actor Andre Holland.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Zoe Saldana and Oscar-winner Rami Malek join director David O. Russell's untitled New Regency film.  Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington are already on board.

POLITICS - From YahooNews:   The U.S. House of Representative impeaches President Donald... again.  This time it is on one charge, "incitement to insurrection."  He becomes the first U.S. president to be impeached twice.

From LATimes:  232 to 197 - 232 is the largest numbers of votes ever tallied to impeach a U.S. president.

From RSNWashPost:  Don't forget when President Donald called the Georgia Secretary of State and berated him to change the vote...

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   OWN and Tyler Perry's drama, "The Haves and the Have Nots," will end after its current eighth season.  It is the last series created under Tyler Perry's deal with OWN.

BOND - From Deadline:   The upcoming James Bond film, "No Time to Die," is moving again - from Easter weekend 2021 to some time in the fall not yet specified.

BIDEN! - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Tom Hanks will host the primetime "Celebrating America" special that will culminate the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on January 20, 2021.

COVID-19 - From PageSix:   Action movie icon, Bruce Willis, asked to leave a Rite-Aid pharmacy in Los Angeles after he refused to wear a mask.  He left without making a purchase.

STREAMING - From THR:   Netflix says its 2021 slate will feature "a new movie every week."

CULTURE - From BET:  "Brough Brothers Distillery" in Louisville, Ky. made history in 2020 as the first Black-owned whiskey distillery in the state. On New Year’s Eve, the three brothers, Victor, Christian, and Bryson Yarbrough produced their first 5-gallon barrels, according to Whisky Advocate."

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  The University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team beat the Ohio State University Buckeyes 52-24 to win the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship.  It is Alabama's third title in the College Football Playoff era, and its sixth national title in 12 years.  By Alabama's count, this is their 18th national college football championship.  The Crimson Tide finish the 2020 season with a 13-0 record.

From YahooSports:  Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach has won his seventh national championship with Alabama's 52-24 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes.  He has won six with the Tide: 2009, 2011, 2012 2015, 2017, 2020.  His first national title was in 2003 as head coach of the Louisiana State University Tigers.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 1/8 to 1/10/2021 weekend box office is "Wonder Woman 1984" with an estimated take of 3 million dollars.

STREAMING PREVIEW - From BleedingCool:  Apple TV has released the first teasertrailer for "Cherry," a new film from brothers Joe and Anthony Russo ("Avengers: Endgame") and starring Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland.

ASSAULT ON THE CAPITOL:

From Buzzfeed:   BuzzFeed News spoke to two Black officers who described a harrowing day in which they were forced to endure racist abuse — including repeatedly being called the n-word — as they tried to do their job of protecting the Capitol building...

From NBCNews:   Some Democrats in Congress are worried their colleagues might kill them

From Truthout:   At least 28 law enforcement officers from 12 states have been identified as attendees of the so-called “Save America” rally in support of Donald Trump that sparked the storming of the U.S. Capitol building on January 6

From RSNWashPost:   President Donald watched TV while the U.S. Capitol Building was under siege.

From YahooSports:   A so-called "Olympic hero" was part of the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6th.  Swimmer Klete Keller won silver and bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney Games; gold and bronze at the 2004 Athens Games; and gold at the 2008 Beijing Games.  Now, he has won Nazi gold for appearing at the white supremacist games.

From RSNNewYorker:  What Should We Call the Sixth of January 2021?

From Truthout:  The Right Is Planning More Armed Coup Attempts, According to the FBI

From NBC2:  Police found a pickup truck full of bombs and guns near Capitol, feds say

From YahooNews:  Arnold Schwarzenegger invokes Nazi Germany in powerful video denouncing Capitol Hill riot

From Fox5DC:  A second police officer who responded to the Wednesday, Jan. 6th Trump-incited riot at the U.S Capitol building.  Some media outlets are reporting the death of Howard Liebengood, 51-years-old, as an "off-duty" death.  The local Fox affiliate, "Fox 5" TV station, is among those reporting Liebengood's death as a suicide connected to the riot.

OBITS:

From YahooSports:   Former NFL player, Tim Lester, has died at the age of 52, Tuesday, January 12, 2021 from complications of COVID-19.  Lester was a running back/fullback and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1992.  He played from 1992 to 1999 for the Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Dallas Cowboys.  Lester was best known for his four-year tenure with the Steelers (1995-98), where he blocked for legendary Steeler, Jerome Bettis, for three of those seasons.

From YahooLATimes:  British film director, Michael Apted, has died at the age of 79, Thursday, January 7, 2021.  One of the most prolific English directors of his generation, Apted may be best known for the groundbreaking "Up" documentary series — which chronicled the lives of 14 British men and women starting at age 7 in seven-year increments, from 1964's "Seven Up!" to 2019's "63 Up."  He also directed such films as "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1980), "Bring on the Night" (1985), "Gorillas in the Mist" (1988), and the James Bond movie, "The World is Not Enough" (1999), to name a few.

From LATimes:  Retired Major League Baseball pitcher and manager, Tommy Lasorda, has died at the age of 93, Thursday, January 7, 2021.  Lasorda, of course, is best known as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1976 to 1996.  He managed the team to eight division titles, four National League pennants, and two World Series championships (1981 and 1988).

Review: Her Performance in "Nina" Means Zoe Saldana Has No Reason to Cry

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 16 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Nina (2016)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  United Kingdom
Running minutes:  90 minutes (1 hour, 30 minutes)

WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Cynthia Mort
PRODUCERS:  Ben Latham-Jones, Stuart Parr, and Barnaby Thompson
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mihai Malaimare Jr.
EDITORS:  Mark Helfrich, Susan Littenberg, and Josh Rifkin
COMPOSER:  Ruy Folguera

DRAMA/BIOPIC/MUSIC

Starring:  Zoe Saldana, David Oyelowo, Ronald Guttman, Mike Epps, Keith David, Ella Joyce, Stevens Gaston, Jessica Oyelowo, Kevin Mambo, and Yasmine Golchan

Nina is a 2016 biographical dramatic film written and directed by Cynthia Mort.  The film offers a fictional account of Nina Simone, the Black woman who was an American singer-songwriter, jazz musician, classical pianist, and Civil Rights activist and whose career began in the late 1950s.  Nina takes place over a decade late in her life and examines her relationship with the young man who is suddenly thrust into the position of being her manager.

Nina opens in 1988 and finds beloved singer Nina Simone (Zoe Saldana) alcoholic, mentally unstable, and financially shaky.  After an incident involving a gun, Nina is committed to a Los Angeles psychiatric hospital.  There, she befriends a young nurse, Clifton Henderson (David Oyelowo), who is also a fan of hers.  When she leaves the hospital, Nina hires Clifton as her personal assistant, and he accompanies her back to her home in Bouc-Bel-Air, France.

Once there, Clifton discovers that Nina is not only difficult and confrontational, but that she also refuses to take her medication and prefers drinking alcoholic beverages over eating.  Clifton attempts to salvage Nina's career, but her decades of ill will and a bad reputation among music business players and heavy hitters may derail Clifton's plans for a Nina Simone comeback.

Simply put, Nina is a poorly written movie.  Ostensibly, it is one of those stories about a great, famous, or important person who salvages the wreckage of her life to rekindle an famous public career.  What we get is mostly Nina Simone being stubborn and self-destructive with Clifton Henderson standing by her side, looking sad, angry, or exasperated.

I think Zoe Saldana gives a great performance as this film's Nina Simone.  I say “this film's Nina Simone” because there was a lot of controversy about her casting – especially concerning Saldana's skin tone and physical appearance compared to the real-life Nina Simone's physical characteristics.  Saldana seems to bury her true self in the make-up in order to become a dark-skinned Black woman and emerges as a character who is a fighter fiercely protecting what she believes she has left of herself.  Whatever one might say of this film, I think that there is no doubt that Saldana proves that she is an actress capable of playing the “great roles.”

The problem is that this role is not great, mainly because the writing and directing can only deliver what is barely an average film.  Writer-director Cynthia Mort even finds a way to waste the highly-skilled actor, David Oyelowo.  The passion, artistry, and professionalism he brings to his performances are absent here mainly because Clifton literally just waits around for Nina to throw an over-the-top tantrum.  The screenplay gives Saldana enough material to really be showy with Nina, but that same script gives Oyelowo very little he can use to show off.

I am not a Nina Simone expert, but I know enough about her to know that she is hugely respected and much beloved among music fans, historians, and critics.  In no way does this film come close to doing this kind of woman justice.  Watching this film, I have to wonder what the filmmakers of Nina were thinking.  Luckily, the passion that Saldana obviously brings to this project results in a performance that makes Nina worth watching.

5 of 10
C+

Sunday, November 13, 2016


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Avengers: Infinity War" is the Marvel Movie Maximized

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 6 (of 2018) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Running time:  149 minutes (2 hours, 29 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, language and some crude references
DIRECTORS:  Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
WRITERS:  Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely (based upon the comic book created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby)
PRODUCER: Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Trent Opaloch
EDITORS:  Jeffrey Ford and Matthew Schmidt
COMPOSER:  Alan Silvestri

SUPERHERO/ACTION/DRAMA/FANTASY/SCI-FI

Starring:  Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan, Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Idris Elba, Danai Gurira, Dave Bautista, Benecio del Toro, Stan Lee, Bradley Cooper (voice), Vin Diesel (voice), Kerry Condon (voice), and Letitia Wright ( with Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders)

Avengers: Infinity War is a 2018 superhero movie directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and produced by Marvel Studios. The film is based on the Avengers comic book created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.  This is also the 19th film in Marvel Studios' “Marvel Cinematic Universe.”  Avengers: Infinity War finds “Earth's Mightest Heroes” and their allies attempting to defeat the powerful Thanos before he puts an end to the universe.

Avengers: Infinity War opens after the destruction of Asgard, the home of the Avenger, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), who is also the King of Asgard.  Thor is powerless to stop the destroyer of his home, Thanos (Josh Brolin), an intergalactic despot from the planet, Titan

Thanos is on a quest to collect all of six Infinity Stones and attach them to a gauntlet (glove) on his left hand.  When he has all six of the stones, he can use their combined power to impose his will on all of reality, and Thanos plans on “re-balancing” the universe by killing half the beings in the universe.  Thanos now has the “Space Stone” and the “Power Stone.”

Thanos sends his forces to Earth to find the “Time Stone,” which is in the possession of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and the “Mind Stone,” which is connected to the Avenger known as “The Vision” (Paul Bettany).  Thanos travels through space to collect the other two stones, the “Reality Stone,” which is in the possession of The Collector (Benecio del Toro) and the “Soul Stone,” the whereabouts of which is known by someone close to Thanos.

In space, Thor finds allies in The Guardians of the Galaxy: Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Drax (Dave Bautista), Teen Groot (voice of Vin Diesel), and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) to battle Thanos.  They are joined by Gamora's sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan), and a small band of heroes from Earth:  Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Doctor Strange, but are they enough to stop Thanos who becomes more powerful with each stone he is able to obtain?

On Earth, Captain America (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) fight the forces of Thanos to protect The Vision's “Mind Stone.”  It is a battle that will take them deep into Africa to the mysterious country of Wakanda.  There, that nation's king, Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and his countrymen will join the Avengers in a battle that will bring a mad Titan to Earth.

I love Avengers: Infinity War, and there is so much to love.  I find myself describing it as “Awesome!”  That is a word I do not use very often; in fact, I don't like it.  However, I saw Avengers: Infinity War, and it made me wanna holler, and I hollered “Awesome!”

I think the element that makes this film so good is that directors, the Russo Bros., and the screenwriters, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, make Thanos a well-rounded character, one of pathos and depth that makes him more than a cartoonish intergalactic despot and world-beater slash world-destroyer.  I think the directors and writers succeed in making Thanos matter because they give him more than motivation; they give him something to lose.  Josh Brolin, an underrated actor, performs Thanos via motion-capture because Thanos is a computer-generated character, but Brolin turns Thanos into a fully realized character makes the computer-rendering used to create him easy to ignore.

Another surprise is Spider-Man and the rising star playing him, Tom Holland.  To me, the best version of Spider-Man is the high school version of him and the boy who wears the Spider-Man mask, Peter Parker.  Holland conveys such freshness and youth; even when he is performing Spider-Man as a voice actor, when the character is computer-generated, the newness comes through.  Like Brolin does with Thanos, Holland makes Spider-Man a fully-realized character, but in this case, Holland creates a lovable, endearing character that might be the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For me, Avengers: Infinity War is the best Marvel Studios movie after Black Panther.  This movie is brand maximization, of course, the height of what Marvel Studios offers movie audiences, and that is just fine.  The Infinity War filmmakers worked hard, as have previous Marvel filmmakers, to deliver hugely entertaining films.  Besides, Infinity War is its own thing, without having to serve the stories of previous Marvel Studios films.  For movie audience who have come to expect the very best out of Marvel, I can simply say that Avengers: Infinity War is the very best of Marvel Studios.

9 of 10
A+

Sunday, April 29, 2018


The text is copyright © 2018 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2" Reaches New Heights

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 14 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Running time:  136 minutes (2 hours, 16 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language, and brief suggestive content
DIRECTOR:  James Gunn
WRITERS:  James Gunn (based on the comic book created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning)
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Henry Braham (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Fred Raskin and Craig Wood
COMPOSER:  Tyler Bates

SCI-FI/FANTASY and ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Kurt Russell, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Laura Haddock, Sean Gunn, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sylvester Stallone, Stan Lee, Michelle Yeoh, Ving Rhames, and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is a 2017 science fiction-action film and adventure comedy.  It is written and directed by James Gunn and is produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is based on the Marvel Comics title, Guardians of the Galaxy (2008), which was created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, and is a sequel to the 2014 film, Guardians of the Galaxy.  This second film finds the Guardians of the Galaxy trying to unravel the mystery of the origins of one of their own while evading an unhappy client intent on killing them.

In 2014, Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Drax (Dave Bautista), Baby Groot (voice of Vin Diesel) are renowned throughout the galaxy as the Guardians of the Galaxy.  They have been hired by Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki), the leader of the Sovereign race, to stop a monster from stealing valuable batteries from the Sovereign world.  That mission is successful, but also goes slightly awry, making the Guardians targets for destruction.

While on the run, the Guardians meet a mysterious man, who calls himself Ego (Kurt Russell), and his assistant, Mantis (Pom Klementieff).  Ego claims that he is Peter Quill's father, and he takes Peter, Gamora, and Drax with him to his home world.  Rocket and Baby Groot find themselves stuck with Gamora's vengeful sister, Nebula (Karen Gillan).  Things get worse when Peter's surrogate father and Ravager leader, Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker), shows up to claim a bounty on the Guardians.  Meanwhile, on Ego's planet, Gamora begins to suspect that there is something ominous about Peter's alleged biological father.

The original Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the surprise hits of 2014, if not the surprise hit of the year.  Although I was interested in a sequel to the film, I could not imagine what a Guardians of the Galaxy 2 would like.  What we gets is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, a fun sci-fi action movie and a surprisingly thoughtful character melodrama.

In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the acting is really good; the special effects are impressive; the CGI-created environments, backdrops, sets (interiors and exteriors), spaceways, worlds, etc. are so dazzling in scope, color, and imagination.  The songs on the soundtrack are just the inspired choices they were for the first film.  The make-up and costumes are worthy of receiving Oscar nominations next year.

But Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 turns on the inventive and reflective storytelling of writer-director James Gunn.  I thought that Gunn might be a potentially top-notch filmmaker when I saw his film Slither (2006), one of the few horror movies that is genuinely scary while also being droll and witty.  And I have to admit that I also liked Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), for which Gunn was the credited screenwriter, so that was also a point in his favor.

With Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Gunn delivers his best screenplay.  He takes what could have been a silly, frivolous, and mildly entertaining sequel to a surprising outer space, action-adventure film (the original Guardians of the Galaxy), and instead, delivers a shockingly moving rumination on what a family is, what it can be, and what forms it may take.  Vol. 2 says that family members fight and yell at each other because they care so damn much about one another – even if each individual in the family is loathed to admit how much he cares about another family member and how much she cares about the family as a group.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is just as wild and entertaining and out-there as the first movie.  It is a science fiction/space fantasy pop confection with the delightful fizz of the first film.  However, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is not just a follow-up to a hit film, nor is it just the next installment in a franchise.  It is an evolution or at least it is evidence that this franchise can grow, and James Gunn is the guy with the notion that he could really, really improve on the original with a film that engages the characters – both the leads and the supporting players – in character drama and character development.  I honestly wonder if Gunn can top himself in a third Guardians movie.

9 of 10
A+

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


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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Star Trek Beyond "Uhura" Character Poster

"Star Trek Beyond" Will be Released in IMAX Theatres July 2016

"STAR TREK BEYOND" FROM PARAMOUNT PICTURES, SKYDANCE AND BAD ROBOT WILL BE RELEASED IN IMAX® THEATRES GLOBALLY BEGINNING JULY 22, 2016

HOLLYWOOD, CA – Paramount Pictures, Skydance, Bad Robot, and IMAX Corporation today announced that "STAR TREK BEYOND," the third film in the blockbuster franchise, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX® format and released in IMAX® theaters worldwide beginning July 22, 2016.

"STAR TREK BEYOND" is directed by Justin Lin and reunites Jon Cho, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban and Anton Yelchin. Idris Elba, Sofia Boutella, Lydia Wilson and Joe Taslim are joining the cast. Based upon "Star Trek" created by Gene Roddenberry, the film’s writers are Roberto Orci & John D. Payne & Patrick Mckay; and Douglas Jung & Simon Pegg. The film is produced by J.J. Abrams and Roberto Orci, and Justin Lin through his Perfect Storm Entertainment. The executive producers are Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Lindsey Weber.

"IMAX provides a one-of-a-kind movie going experience to audiences all over the world," said Lin. "I am excited to bring the newest journey into the 'STAR TREK' universe to its screens."

"'STAR TREK' is an iconic franchise and IMAX is delighted to once again be a part of its world and to partner for the third time with Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Bad Robot on 'STAR TREK BEYOND,’" said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. "This space epic is exactly the type of event film that our exhibitor partners and fans around the world eagerly anticipate, particularly as it is so ideally suited to the IMAX format."

The "STAR TREK" franchise has earned more than $850 million since the release of J.J. Abram’s "STAR TREK" in 2009.

The IMAX® release of "STAR TREK BEYOND" will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX's customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.


About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

About Skydance Media
Skydance is a diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create elevated, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company brings to life stories of immersive worlds across platforms, including feature film, television, gaming and digital. Among Skydance Media’s commercially and critically successful feature films are Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Terminator Genisys, World War Z, Jack Reacher, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Star Trek Into Darkness and True Grit. Its 2015 feature films, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Terminator Genisys, together grossed over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Skydance’s future feature film slate includes Star Trek Beyond, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and Geostorm. The Company’s current television series are the Emmy-nominated Grace and Frankie on Netflix and the Emmy-winning Manhattan on WGN America.

About Bad Robot
Bad Robot was formed by filmmaker J.J. Abrams in 2001. The company has produced television series such as ALIAS, LOST, FRINGE, PERSON OF INTEREST, feature films such as CLOVERFIELD, STAR TREK, SUPER 8, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS,  MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION, the upcoming STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, STAR TREK: BEYOND, and interactive content including the mobile app ACTION MOVIE FX. Bad Robot’s first foray into publishing, S., a novel conceived by Abrams and written by Doug Dorst, was a New York Times Best Seller. Bad Robot is based in Los Angeles and can be followed at twitter.com/bad_robot.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation (NYSE: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 theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX's network is 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 offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of September 30, 2015, there were 1,008 IMAX theatres (887 commercial multiplexes, 19 commercial destinations and 102 institutions) in 66 countries. On Oct. 8, 2015, shares of IMAX China, a subsidiary of IMAX Corp., began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code "HK.1970."

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of September 13th to 19th, 2015 - Update #16

Support Leroy on Patreon.

NEWS:

From YahooTV:  Kevin Spacey kills it with his Jimmy Stewart impression.

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From Vulture:  Stephen King's "The Mist," which was made into a tragi-comic film in 2007 may return as a television series.

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From DigitalSpy:  Kathryn Bigelow, Catherine Hardwicke and Mimi Leder are on a shortlist to direct a "Tomb Raider" film series reboot.

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From TheVerge:  Citizenfour's Laura Poitras moves on to Julian Assange.

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From TheWrap:  David Oyelowo prefers to work with women directors.

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From TheWrap:  FOX will give a simultaneous worldwide release to the second season opener of "Empire" and the debut of "Scream Queens."

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From DenofGeek:  I have lost track of how many times that I have published news about Warner Bros.' long-planned adaptation of the legendary manga, Akira.  The latest is that the adaptation will be a trilogy (rather than the previously announced two-film adaptation) and that Christopher Nolan will be involved... in some capacity.

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From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/11 to 9/13/2015 weekend box office is "The Perfect Guy" with an estimated take of $26.7 million.  Of course, "The Visit" is a close second with $25.6 million.  Things may change with the release of the final tally on Monday afternoon.

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From ShadowandAct:  An excellent article about the good and the bad of supporting films specifically because they feature Black actors and/or are made by Black filmmakers.

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From Variety:  Seth Rogen talks about his acting process for "Steve Jobs."


COMICS - Films and Titles:

From THR:  The late comic book writer, Bill Finger, contributed much to the creation of Batman (including creating Robin, The Joker, and Catwoman, and naming Gotham).  Apparently, he will receive some kind of credit for his work on the upcoming season of "Gotham" and on the "Batman Vs. Superman" movie.

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From WeGotThisCovered:  See the "Ant-Man" poster for the film's release in China.

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From DigitalSpy:  Bob Hoskins could have been Wolverine.

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From Empire:  Zoe Saldana is ready to kill giants.


REVIEWS:

From Variety:  Variety's Andrew Barker reviews "Pan."


OBITS:

From TheWrap:  Jackie Collins, the best-selling romance novelist and sister of actress Joan Collins, died today, Sat., September 19, 2015, at the age of 77.

"Star Trek Beyond" Cast Announce a Chance to Win a Walk-on Role

STAR TREK BEYOND CAST UNITES TO BRING AUDIENCES THE ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE: A CHANCE TO APPEAR IN THE UPCOMING FILM
Cast Members Announce “STAR TREK: TO BOLDLY GO” Campaign Benefitting the Cast’s Choice of Nine Global Causes

Beginning Today, Fans Can Visit Omaze.com/StarTrek to Enter for a Chance to Win!

View Cast Launch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-COeaGn5x0

HOLLYWOOD, CA – In an unprecedented event, the cast of the Star Trek film franchise has created a unique philanthropic initiative in partnership with Omaze. The Star Trek: To Boldly Go campaign will support the cast’s personal selection of nine global causes, which will each receive equal portions of the funds raised when fans enter for a chance to win a walk-on role in director Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond, the third film in the blockbuster franchise, released on July 8, 2016. The campaign runs from 12:01 a.m. PST on July 14th until 11:59 p.m. PST September 1st.

To coincide with the campaign’s launch, cast members John Cho, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin and Idris Elba recorded a special video message on the iconic Starship Enterprise bridge set. The video, released today, kicked off production and features the cast inviting fans to make franchise history as the first fans to ever win a walk-on role in a Star Trek movie. For each $10 contribution made through the Omaze fundraising platform, eligible participants will be automatically entered for a chance to win this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Check out the launch video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-COeaGn5x0

The Star Trek: To Boldly Go Grand Prize winner and a guest will:

• Fly to Vancouver and stay in a 4-star hotel
• Go behind the scenes of Star Trek Beyond, hang with the cast, and experience the filming of the movie
• Be transformed by hair, makeup and costume teams into a Star Trek character and filmed for a scene in Star Trek Beyond

In addition to the Grand Prize Winner, six additional winners will be randomly selected throughout the campaign to form the honorary “Star Trek: To Boldly Go” crew. Star Trek: To Boldly Go is the first Omaze campaign to have winners every week.

The Star Trek: To Boldly Go Crew will:

• Visit the closed set and meet the cast of Star Trek Beyond
• Be among the first to see scenes from the latest film
• Travel to Vancouver

“Omaze is excited to bring this truly once-in-a-lifetime experience to Star Trek fans around the world,” said Ryan Cummins, Co-Founder and Co-CEO. “We are proud to give fans the chance to live out their dream experience while simultaneously helping nine great causes. By allowing anyone to enter for just $10, we are seeing the power our community has in making an impact around the world.”

By donating directly to Omaze.com/StarTrek, fans will be supporting these nine global causes:

1. Brave Beginnings, an organization dedicated to ensuring that ventilators and life-saving neonatal equipment are always available to newborns in critical need. Nominated by Zoë Saldana.
2. Camp Sunshine, a place where children with life-threatening illnesses and their families can regroup, reenergize, and restore hope for the future. Nominated by Anton Yelchin.
3. Direct Relief International, one of the premiere disaster relief organizations that operates world­wide. Nominated by Zachary Quinto.
4. Heaven Homes, an organization helping establish children's homes and centers, while providing secure, safe and loving environments where children can be nurtured to realize their full potential. Nominated by Idris Elba.
5. KidsCan, an organization that provides food, clothing and healthcare to disadvantaged youth in New Zealand. Nominated by Karl Urban.
6. Koreatown Youth & Community Center, an organization serving the evolving needs of the Korean American population in the greater Los Angeles area as well as the multiethnic Koreatown community. Nominated by John Cho.
7. Make-A-Wish, whose remarkable work is making wishes come true every day for children suffering from life­threatening illnesses. Nominated by Chris Pine.
8. Time is Precious, an organization helping to create a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere for children, which in return helps assist with their treatment and recovery. Nominated by Simon Pegg.
9. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an organization that is leading the way in advancing cures for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Nominated by Susan Nimoy in honor of Leonard Nimoy.

In addition, fans who donate set amounts larger than $10 can receive special limited edition Star Trek rewards including t-shirts, posters, a cast-autographed red shirt, an advanced private screening of Star Trek Beyond, and a replica Captain’s chair.

Visit Omaze.com/StarTrek to learn more about this new initiative. “Live long and prosper.”


ABOUT OMAZE
Founded by writer/filmmakers and friends from college, Matt Pohlson and Ryan Cummins, Omaze is an online social good platform that gives anyone the chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences that also support social missions. Omaze offers its community of donors transformative experiences, remarkable causes and compelling content. For more information, please visit www.omaze.com.

ABOUT PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.

Star Trek: To Boldly Go Restrictions and Limitations
No purchase necessary to enter or win.  Void where prohibited.  Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age or the age of majority in your domicile, to enter and a resident of Argentina, Austria, Canada, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, USA, or the UK, and not a resident of Belgium, Italy, Malta, Singapore, or Thailand.  Residents of Australia, Brazil, China and the Republic of Korea are not prohibited from participating, but local rules and laws may restrict or prohibit the award of certain prizes or impose additional restrictions on participation.

Rewards are separate from sweepstakes prizes.  Rewards are limited in quantity. Odds of winning depend on number of entries. For free entry: (i) send post card to Sponsor at P.O. Box 866, 9942 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA, USA 90232 by applicable mail date; or (ii) visitwww.Omaze.com/StarTrek.  Entrants may receive additional entries via Facebook.  Maximum number of entries: 1,000,000 per Entrant.  Travel and accommodations are at Sponsor’s discretion and subject to availability and change.  Winner and Guest may be required to pass a background screening or security check, to receive the prize and/or reward. Visa conditions may apply. All taxes are Winner’s responsibility. Not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook®.  Residents of certain territories may be required to successfully complete a trivia question to qualify.  For full entry requirements, details, limitations and restrictions see Official rules at www.Omaze.com/StarTrek. Sole Sponsor: Omaze, Inc., P.O. Box 866, 9942 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA, USA 90232.

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Review: Imaginative "Guardians of the Galaxy" is Charming and Fun

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Running time:  121 minutes (2 hours, 1 minute)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for some language
DIRECTOR:  James Gunn
WRITERS:  James Gunn and Nicole Perlman (based on the comic book created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning)
PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Ben Davis
EDITORS:  Fred Raskin, Hughes Winborne, and Craig Wood
COMPOSER:  Tyler Bates
Academy Award nominee

SCI-FI/FANTASY and ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Peter Serafinowicz, Benicio Del Toro, Laura Haddock, Sean Gunn, Wyatt Oleff, Gregg Henry, Christopher Fairbank, Stan Lee, and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel with Josh Brolin

Guardians of the Galaxy is a 2014 science fiction action film and adventure comedy from director James Gunn and is produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is based on the comic book, Guardians of the Galaxy (2008), which was created by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.  The film focuses on a human and a ragtag band of aliens who take on a warlord bent on galactic destruction.

Guardians of the Galaxy opens in 1988 where a young boy named Peter waits in a hospital where his mother is dying.  Shortly after she passes, the boy is abducted by the Ravagers, a group of space pirates.  26 years later, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is Star-Lord, and he is also a wanted man.  He arrives on the planet Morag, where he steals a mysterious orb that he is supposed to give to the leader of the Ravagers, Yondu Udonta (Michael Rooker).

However, the orb holds incredible power, and a fanatical alien named Ronan (Lee Pace) wants to use the orb's power to destroy the planet Xandar.  Ronan sends an assassin to get the orb from Quill.  On the run, Quill unites a ragtag band of oddballs:  the assassin, Gamora (Zoe Saldana); the genetically-engineered raccoon, Rocket (Bradley Cooper); the tree-like humanoid, Groot (voice of Vin Diesel); and the revenge-seeking Drax (Dave Bautista).  They may be the only ones who can save the galaxy and maybe even the universe.

Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the surprise hits of the year, if not the surprise hit of the year.  It was the highest grossing film at the North American box office during the calendar year of 2014.  Some people joked that if Marvel Studios could make a hit of Guardians of the Galaxy, it could make a hit of anything.  That may be true.

Guardians of the Galaxy's production values rival and even exceed (in some cases) most recent science and space fantasy films, including the Star Wars prequels.  The artists behind this film's production design and art direction build an entire new galaxy filled with amazing worlds and places from the ground up, with eye-popping and dazzling results.  The costumes are as creative as what is worn in the kind of costume dramas that usually earn Oscar nods for their costume design.  The make-up, both effects and hair-styling, is probably the best ever seen in a film based on a comic book.

Visually, Guardians of the Galaxy is a most unusual and imaginative film, but it is also familiar.  It is thoroughly infused with the spirit of Star Wars (1977).  Like the original Star Wars film, Guardians of the Galaxy is a lavish sci-fi movie spectacle with elements of Western and pirate adventure films.  It is fun to watch, and by the end of it, I was eager for a sequel.

Maybe co-writer and director James Gunn has created Star Wars for a new generation.  He has a fine cast of actors; a cool universe populated with awesome beings, places, and things.  Gunn also has what seems like an imagination full of ideas that want to get out and sparkle on the big screen.  Gunn can do really good things with this film as the start of a new franchise.  In the meantime, we can enjoy this first film.  Like Men in Black and Independence Day, Guardians of the Galaxy is a sci-fi blast that thrills every viewer who can enjoy the wonder of a great space adventure.

7 of 10
A-

Wednesday, March 4, 2015


NOTES:
2015 Academy Awards, USA:  2 nominations: “Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling” (Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White) and “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Stephane Ceretti, Nicolas Aithadi, Jonathan Fawkner, and Paul Corbould)

2015 BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations:  “Best Make Up/Hair” (Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou and David White) and “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner, and Nicolas Aithadi)

2015 Black Reel Awards:  2 nominations: “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Zoe Saldana) and “Outstanding Voice Performance” (Vin Diesel for playing "Groot")


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana Among Presenters at 87th Oscar

Josh Hutcherson, Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana And Octavia Spencer To Present At 87th Oscars®

Josh Hutcherson, Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana and Octavia Spencer will be presenters at this year’s Oscars, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. The Oscars, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, will air on Sunday, February 22, 2015 live on ABC.

Hutcherson has appeared in such films as “Journey to the Center of the Earth” (2008), “The Kids Are All Right” (2010) and all three “Hunger Games” films to date. He will star later this year in the series finale, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2.”

Johansson, whose film credits include “Lost in Translation” (2003), “Match Point” (2005), “Her” (2013) and “Lucy” (2014) will reprise her recurring role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the upcoming film “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”

Saldana has appeared in such features as “Avatar” (2009), “Star Trek Into Darkness” (2013) and “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014). She will next appear in “Infinitely Polar Bear” due out later this year.

Spencer won an Oscar® for her supporting role in the 2011 film “The Help.” Her other film credits include “Fruitvale Station” (2013), “Snowpiercer” (2014) and “Black or White” (2014). She will appear in the upcoming “Divergent” sequel “Insurgent.”

The 87th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 22, 2015, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscars, produced by Zadan and Meron, also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Zoe Saladana Talks "Franchises," Nina Simone and Guardians of the Galaxy

Walt Disney Home Entertainment provided the following question-and-answer interview with actor Zoe Saldana as a promotion for its Blu-ray and DVD release of Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy.  "Q" is the anonymous questioner and "A" is Ms. Saldana:

AN INTERVIEW WITH ZOE SALDANA (GAMORA) FOR THE IN HOME RELEASE OF GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Q: So did all cast members get their make-up done together?

A: No, we didn’t; we had separate bungalows. It was only when we were all on set, all grey or green or blue and we couldn’t touch anything because we would just smear paint and stuff all over everything. We’d all sit together and Dave would be eating a super-healthy meal, I’d be having some fish and chips and Chris would be asking me: ‘So how’s the texture? Do you like the fish?’ He couldn’t eat it himself because he was on a strict diet so he was always asking me what my food tasted like.

Q: How did you while away the long hours in the make-up chair?

A: Listening to music, talking… Sometimes I’d ask about Dave and was told, ‘This dude is meditating – he sits there and doesn’t move for hours’ whereas sometimes they couldn’t even get me to sit down in the chair. My make-up artist, who I brought over from the States, would go ‘You need to sit down, get your dog and take a nap, otherwise we’ll be in trouble because I have to work on you’. My dog and I would wake up and we’d both be green!

Q: What’s worse, putting the make-up on or taking it off?

A: Putting it on, trust me. When it comes to taking it off I think it’s easier because you know you’re just 30 minutes away from being in a hot tub and then bed. You’re literally ripping it off your face. The skin is flexible and it perspires and it’s ready to have that layer removed so it’s much more cooperative. They also have all these awesome solutions. It took four and a half hours to put it on and maybe an hour and 15 minutes to take off.

Q: You’ve spoken about Dave being very shy. Is it safe to assume from your outgoing personality that you’re far from shy yourself?

A: I’m not shy at all. My mum has asked me to be a little more shy! She’s sometimes like ‘Can you just shut up?’

Q: Since you both have athletic backgrounds, did you and Dave do a lot of your own stunts?

A: We’re every stunt coordinator’s nightmare and every director’s dream. Directors wish their actors could do more of the physical stuff, more of the stunts, just so they don’t have to cut from a wide master shot into a tight close-up. With us, James was able to use many of our medium, master and close-up shots particularly with me, Dave and Chris. The stunt people don’t really like it because we come in and we learn everything within two tries. They get kind of p****d off because they don’t get to work as much. On the other hand, the stunt people who are playing your doubles are super-excited because they get to act [when they’re doubling for an actor]. They don’t have to spend the whole time just falling and getting hurt.

Q: I can’t think of any other actor who has three franchises going at the same time…

A: Wasn’t there someone who had two, like Sylvester Stallone? For many years Sly had First Blood and Rocky, right? [Laughs] And now it’s me? Believe me, this was never planned. In between these big films, I do films like Nina, Out of the Furnace and Blood Ties and Infinitely Polar Bear is coming out next year. It’s just that the big movies happen to get seen more than the small-budget ones I do, but I’m happy with it. I like playing roles where women have more significance – they just happen to be set in space and they just so happen to be made by filmmakers like James Gunn, James Cameron and J.J. Abrams. That’s not a bad list of filmmakers to work with so I say, ‘You know what, I’ll be green here, I’ll be blue there, I don’t care!’

Q: Speaking of Nina, how was it playing Nina Simone in the biopic?

A: It was a very tumultuous affair and I loved making it. We did it with so much love and I think her story is definitely worth telling.

Q: What have you learned from doing so many green screen movies?

A: It’s helped me appreciate the technicalities of filmmaking. It’s also taught me that the best thing is to always remain open and that there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Ask every single question that you can and try to work with filmmakers who will never lose patience with their actors. It’s important for a director to provide as much information, especially when we’re working with things that we have to conceive out of thin air. You can’t just expect an actor to understand: ‘Oh, there’s a dinosaur coming at you”. OK, so I’m going to automatically know how big it is and what it sounds like? I need details. How close does he get to me? How tall is he? What will the impact be of his cry when he’s screaming at me or when he’s blowing smoke or air in my face? James Cameron will bring you speakers that are twice your height and he’ll search the internet to find any sound that resembles as closely as possible the sound he’s looking for. He’ll play it to you seconds before he starts the scene and that is so helpful. I learned to always ask a lot of questions. It’s super-important.

Q: And how was Guardians director James Gunn to work with?

A: He was very generous with all the information we needed to have. He’d show us the animatics, he’d play the music, he’d explain the moment to us and how he envisioned it if we were not capturing the emotional beat as he wanted. He was very much invested even though he was taking care of ten thousand million things at the same time. You don’t want to feel afraid to ask a director something and if you do then that’s not a director you should work with after that.

Q: Do you think James learned anything from you?

A: [Laughs] How to be cool! No, I’m joking. I hope he did learn something. I really feel the wise directors are the ones who learn from their actors in terms of: ‘How can I be a better director? How can I be a better captain? I feel James is not an egotistical person. He’s very passionate and he’s also a little stubborn but in all the right places. He’s like good cholesterol. That’s James Gunn. We had moments where people thought it was tense because I was asking questions or trying to do something one way because I believed in it and James wanted me to do it another way, but we never argued; it was never a hostile environment. Sometimes Chris would go through the same thing -- it was just a passionate moment between all these artists who really care. James never abused his power by saying, ‘Just do it like I said’. He was like, ‘Please trust me, do it this way and we’ll see’. If we did it his way and it didn’t work he’d say really quietly ‘Alright, do it your way’.

Q: Was there a defining moment when you decided you wanted to be an actor?

A: I was a ballet dancer for so long, but when I realized I had reached my limit and that I couldn’t go any further I knew I wanted to pursue acting. That’s one thing you don’t use as a dancer – your voice. [Laughs] And the one thing I use most in my life is my voice so it’s wonderful to get to express myself artistically through the biggest instrument I use. I auditioned for the Scarecrow in The Wiz and my mum went with me because she wouldn’t let me go anywhere alone. She did not think I was good, and I remember we had that conversation of ‘Baby, if you’re going to do this, we need to figure out a plan, like taking a class’. I did and I started reading a lot. There was this book that Judi Dench wrote that said there was a moment where, before an actor can be this or be that, the actor must simply be. I thought that to have absolute presence was to absorb everything that’s thrown at you. I’ve been getting paid for it ever since and [laughs] I haven’t needed an excuse to quit or to do something else.

Q: Do you collect all the action figures based on the characters you’ve played?

A: Here’s the thing. I have nieces and nephews and when they find them in the house, they take them and they end up broken. So there’s no point in me collecting them. One day I walked in to find my niece playing with all the Star Trek figures and eating chocolate at the same time. I was like, ‘It’s OK, take them, I don’t need them, I don’t have to sell them later for $100.’

Guardians of the Galaxy is available on Blu-ray, Digital HD and  Disney Movies Anywhere December 9, 2014


- ENDS -

Dave Bautista Talks "Guardians," Zoe Saldana, and WWE Merchandising

Walt Disney Home Entertainment provided the following question-and-answer interview with actor Dave Bautista as a promotion for its Blu-ray and DVD release of Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy.  "Q" is the anonymous questioner and "A" is Bautista:

AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVE BAUTISTA (Drax the Destroyer) FOR THE BLU-RAY AND DVD RELEASE OF GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Q: What were the big physical challenges for you on Guardians Of The Galaxy?

A: I didn’t actually find it physically super-challenging, to be honest. It was so much fun, man. I don’t want to make it seem like it was a simple project because it wasn’t that by any means, but I didn’t wake up in the morning thinking ‘Goddammit, I’ve gotta go to work’. I was happy and excited. It’s hard to say it was challenging because it was such a good time.

Q: How did you deal with the long hours in the make-up chair?

A: I just zoned-out, but I’m usually a pretty quiet person. I know that’s a really boring answer but it’s true. It wasn’t as bad as people might think because it was kind of like hanging out with your friends for a few hours, just talking, and the time flies by. It was more of a chore taking the make-up off – getting gunk out of your ears and your nose.

Q: You’ve said you can relate to the character of Drax. Can you explain that a little further?

A: Your first assumption with Drax is that he’s just this one-note, stereotypical warrior who looks menacing and scary, but the way I approached him is as a father and a husband who’s really suffering from a lot of heartbreak. He channels his heartbreak into revenge. I can relate to him because I’m not the person I appear to be at first glance. It’s kind of a double-edged sword for me because I actually look this way as a result of the way I am internally. I spent my whole life being very shy and introverted and I kind of found my release and therapy in the gym. I became this big, menacing physical stature of a man but internally I’m still kind of insecure. [Laughs] Warm, fuzzy and gooey.

Q: How was working with Zoe Saldana (Gamora)?

A: I have the toughest time describing her to people because there are different sides to her personality. On one hand she’s very strong and intelligent, but at the same time she’s like a princess. If you say she’s a princess it’s gonna make her sound like a little ditzy thing and if you say she’s strong and intelligent it makes her sound very stern. I always say she’s a diva, but not in a bad way. With most people you say ‘She’s a diva’ and people think ‘Well, that means she’s a bitch’ but Zoe’s like a diva in a good way.

Q: Given your WWE background, did your fellow cast members look to you for advice on falling without hurting themselves etc?

A: Actually, it was so different from anything I’d ever done that I put myself in the student role. What they do in films is so different; it seems so much more precise and it’s working towards camera angles whereas in wrestling it’s physical improvisation and the cameras are moving to suit us, you know? We’re not working for the cameras; we’re working for a live audience, so it’s really different. There were things I wasn’t qualified to do, like a lot of the big stunts. I didn’t feel safe doing those.

Q: How was Guardians director James Gunn to work with?

A: He had such a clear vision and he made it super-simple. You always knew exactly what he wanted. I learned from Zoe to ask a lot of questions. As I say, I’m usually very quiet and I don’t say much, but I learned to start thinking of things from different angles and different peoples’ perspectives and to ask questions that made total sense to put you in the mood. James always had an answer.

Q: Was there a defining moment when you decided you wanted to try acting?

A: I’d done a few bits and pieces, some TV stuff, when I was with the WWE but still I had no interest in pursuing acting. Then I did a cameo in a movie which was not a great movie; it was called The Wrong Side Of Town and I did a cameo in it as a favor for a friend. I went to shoot it on the first day and I realized how bad I was at acting. I thought it would be easy, for some reason, but I could feel how horrible I was. I was a little bit embarrassed. But I usually find that I want to pursue things that I’m terrible at because it’s a challenge for me. It was a defining moment because I realized I sucked as an actor.

Q: Do you collect action figures of yourself?

A: I used to collect the wrestling ones but there were just so many of them so I gave up. They’d put out a new one like every week. It was ridiculous. That’s what the WWE does – they’re a merchandising machine. I was injured for a while, I was on TV and I had to wear this stupid Ace bandage. I was given a pretty light schedule and I went to do an autograph signing session. I was sitting there one day, this kid came through and he had this action figure with an Ace bandage. I said ‘That’s cool, did you make that?’ and he said ‘No, I bought it’. While I was still injured they’d put out an injury edition Bautista doll. That’s how fast they’re on it. It’s insane.


Guardians Of The Galaxy is available on Blu-ray, Digital HD and  Disney Movies Anywhere December 9, 2014

- ENDS -

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for July 20 to July 26, 2014 Update #11

NEWS:

From THR:  The Hollywood Reporter has an excellent article about how Marvel became a Hollywood juggernaut, with an emphasis on Ike Perlmutter.

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From Variety via Yahoo:  A copy of The Expendables 3 has been leaked online, and it is supposedly "DVD-quality."

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From Variety:  Joaquin Phoenix is in talks to play Stephen Strange in Marvel's "Doctor Strange" movie.

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From TheWrap  "Beetlejuice 2?"  It could really, finally happen.

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From Yahoo via TheWrap:  There is an unfinished documentary about the planned and then abandoned "Superman Lives" film, which was to star Nicolas Cage as Superman!

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From YouTube:  First "50 Shades of Grey" official trailer.

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From TheWrap via Yahoo:  Marvel adds a sixth movie mystery date, May 4, 2018.

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From Yahoo:  A great interview with Zoe Saldana from The Hollywood Reporter, in which discusses being in sci-fi franchises, race and skin color in Hollywood, and Avatar.

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From TheWrap:  Adam McKay and Will Ferrell are producing a remake of "Manimal."  This was an action-adventure television series that originally aired on NBC for a few months back in the second half of 1983.

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From EW InsideMovies:  Steven Spielberg is working on a Cold War thriller starring Tom Hanks.  Amy Ryan is joining the cast, and Alan Alda may also join.  Joel and Ethan Coen have also worked on the untitled film's script.

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From LATimes:  "Star Wars: The Clone Wars: The Lost Missions" will NOT reveal the fate of Ahsoka Tano... or so we're told.

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From Variety:  "Star Trek 3" goes into "deep space," and will be more like the original TV series, says director Roberto Orci.

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From LATimes:  JJ Abrams reveals new X-wing fighter.

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From Variety:  Christina Chong reportedly cast in Star Wars Episode VII.

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From TheWrap:  Idris Elba in talks to star in Guy Ritchie's King Arthur flick.

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From Yahoo:  Details about Philip Seymour Hoffman's money and will.
 
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From Variety:  Variety announces "Artisans," a new regular feature that will focus on the "below-the-line" community in Hollywood.  That would be everyone from cinematographers and editor to propmasters and grips.  It will be featured in the weekly magazine and on Variety.com.  I will link to these features as I find them.

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From IMDb and Yahoo: The American actor, James Garner, has died at the age of 86.  He was best known for his roles on the television series, "Maverick" and "The Rockford Files."  In 1977, he won the Emmy Award for Best Actor for "The Rockford Files." In 2004, he received the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award.  He was also nominated for a best actor Oscar for his role in Murphy's Romance.

Garner died Saturday evening, June 19, 2014 in Los Angeles.  Garner was born on April 7, 1928 in Oklahoma.  He served in the Korean War where he earned two Purple Hearts.

I first saw Garner on "The Rockford Files," which my father watched religiously.  For some reason, I had been thinking about him recently.  I send my condolences to his family and friends.  R.I.P. Mr. Garner.

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From YahooFinance:  This is a small article about how Joss Whedon junked the script for The Avengers that predated his involvement in the film and wrote his own.

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From Variety:  Dawn of the Planet of the Apes tops the July 18-20, 2014 weekend box office.


COMIC BOOK NEWS: Movies, TV, and Books:

From TheWrap:   Dates for mystery movies?  Which Marvel movies will be released on these dates:

July 28, 2017
Nov. 3, 2017
May 4, 2018 UPDATED
July 6, 2018
Nov. 2, 2018
May 3, 2019
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MISC:

From TheVillageVoice:  Baphomet and the Satanic Temple - prank or not?

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From Inquisitr:  Woman uses Trayvon Martin's name as a threat against two eight-year-old boys.

Review: "Star Trek Into Darkness" a Spectacular Trip

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 64 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Running time:  127 minutes (2 hours, 7 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence and brief sexual content
DIRECTOR:  J.J. Abrams
WRITERS:  Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof (based upon the television “Star Trek” created by Gene Roddenberry)
PRODUCERS:  J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Dan Mindel (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Maryann Brandon and Mary Jo Markey
COMPOSER:  Michael Giacchino

SCI-FI/ACTION/THRILLER with elements of drama and comedy

Starring:  Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Weller, Alice Eve, Noel Clarke, Nazneen Contractor, and Bruce Greenwood with Leonard Nimoy

Star Trek Into Darkness is a 2013 science fiction and action film from director J.J. Abrams.  This movie is the 12th film in the Star Trek film franchise, which is a continuation of “Star Trek,” the beloved 1960s television series.  Star Trek Into Darkness (also known as “STID”) is the follow up to the 2009 film, Star Trek, which was a reboot of the franchise by J.J. Abrams and writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.  STID pits the crew of the Enterprise against an unstoppable and mysterious force of terror from within their own organization.

The 2009 film was stunningly clever and wildly imaginative, and a jittery, sexy, and fresh take on a venerable science fiction classic.  STID is not necessarily fresh (or not as fresh its predecessor), but it is a crazy, sexy blast.

Star Trek Into Darkness opens in the year 2259.  Captain James T. “Jim” Kirk (Chris Pine) still commands the starship, the USS Enterprise.  Kirk’s top officers and the most trusted members of his crew are Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto), Lieutenant Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Lt. Commander Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban), Lt. Commander Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (Simon Pegg), Lt. Hikaru Sulu (John Cho), and Ensign Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin).  Together, they are in the midst of another wild adventure.

Early in the film, Capt. Kirk pulls a stunt that gets him into trouble with Starfleet.  He gets a chance at redemption after Commander John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) launches a series of terrorist attacks against the Federation (United Federation of Planets).  At the behest of Fleet Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller), commander-in-chief of Starfleet, Kirk leads the Enterprise on a mission against Harrison.  To capture this fugitive, however, the Enterprise must travel to Kronos, the home world of the Klingons, an alien race that is practically in a state of war with the Federation.

Star Trek Into Darkness is epic; it’s like three or four mini-movies put together to form one big, massive, sci-fi extravaganza.  It is a rousing adventure, a riveting action-adventure in space, and a swashbuckling, seafaring adventure set on the tumultuous oceans of the starry space-ways.

The film largely focuses on Kirk and Spock, and thematically, the story revolves around their personality traits, quirks, and flaws.  Revenge is also a theme, best personified by the “John Harrison” character, although I am conflicted about Benedict Cumberbatch’s casting and performance as Harrison.  Physically, Cumberbatch is miscast because he is too pasty-faced and looks more like a sneering kid than a monster/terrorist.  His athletic build looks pudgy even in a sleek bodysuit.  Cumberbatch vacillates between being too posh or too pissed off; it makes the character occasionally comical.  Cumberbatch is STID’s big misstep that luckily does not become a fatal flaw.

On the other hand, Simon Pegg is superb as Scotty.  He provides spot-on, dead-on humor in the film, and Pegg maximizes his impact upon each scene in which Scotty participates.  Pegg is STID’s best foot forward.

I understand that some hardcore Star Trek fans (Trekkies or Trekkers) were upset about at least not exited by STID.  I am not a hardcore fan, but I love me some Star Trek – the original television series, especially.  Star Trek Into Darkness feels like Star Trek to me.  J.J. Abrams’ two Star Trek films are the breathtaking, mind-blowing adventures that earlier Star Trek television series and films could not be – mainly for budgetary and technical reasons.

Thus, the Star Trek movies of J.J. Abrams and writer Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof, in some ways, do not look like their Star Trek predecessors.  But the spirit of Star Trek is there, even behind all that shiny computer-generated, special visual effects.  I unreservedly endorse that you, dear readers, follow Star Trek Into Darkness into a grand time at the movies.  This film is not without its flaws, but somehow, STID’s imperfections make it seem all the more beautiful to me.

9 of 10
A+

Thursday, September 19, 2013


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