BET Networks Celebrates Black Music Month with the Launch of “The Message,” a Four Part Hip Hop Documentary Exploring the Evolution of Hip Hop Culture and Music over the Past 40 Years
Features Hip Hop Heavyweights Including Russell Simmons, Ice Cube, Birdman, Pharrell, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, MC Lyte, Master P and More
Premieres June 4 at 10PM ET
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks launches “THE MESSAGE,” a provocative documentary showcasing the influence of Hip Hop and how its sheer power has changed the sociopolitical landscape of America as well as the world. The four part narrative explores the factors behind its longevity and covers more than 40 years of this uniquely urban voice born in the streets of the South Bronx. “THE MESSAGE” examines the digital boom that transformed the sound, face and business of Hip Hop over the last 15 years and explores the expansion of the genre throughout the U.S, and the impact each region had on its collective voice. “THE MESSAGE” premieres on BET Networks on Wednesday, June 4 at 10:00 pm ET, followed by new episodes every Wednesday throughout the month of June.
“Hip Hop is a seed planted and nourished amongst the “broken glass everywhere”
“Hip Hop is a seed planted and nourished amongst the “broken glass everywhere” of mid-seventies New York. It has grown to be a worldwide phenomenon and the dominant culture of at least one generation. This exciting series examines the origin and the path of the music and message taking care to objectively analyze its factions and movements,” said Stephen Hill, President of Music Programing and Specials, BET Networks.
“THE MESSAGE” features intimate first person testimonies from Hip Hop’s most influential contributors including Russell Simmons, Ice Cube, Birdman, Pharrell, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, MC Lyte, Master P, LL Cool J, Big Boi, Bun B, 2 Chainz, Eve, Angie Martinez, Funkmaster Flex, Luther Campbell, Clive Davis, Mona Scott-Young, Questlove, A$AP Rocky, E-40, David Banner, Fab Five Freddy, Nelson George, Big Tigger, Sway and many more including Chris Lighty’s final on-air interview.
“THE MESSAGE” will be broken down into four, one hour episodes:
Episode 1 – The Birth and Proliferation of Hip Hop – The premiere episode traces the roots of Hip Hop from its birth in New York and spread to California with limited support from the mainstream media. Watch your favorite rappers reminisce on the first time they heard Hip Hop and be transported to the block parties, DJ Kool Herc’s sound system and the infectious rhymes of the Universal Zulu Nation and Grandmaster Flash. Premieres June 4 at 10:00 pm
Episode 2 – Trials and Tribulations – Will Hip Hop be able to grow up in a world that is no longer just about peace, love, unity and having fun? Hip Hop faces its first roadblocks with violent realities and extreme opposition from those who disagree with its messaging. Meanwhile, a new voice begins to form. Premieres June 11 at 10:00 pm
Episode 3 – Women, Cash, Clothes - Hip Hop explores a new reality of lasciviousness, wealth and entrepreneurship characterized by fast cars, big jewelry, the birth of the video vixen and the start of popular clothing lines including Rocawear, Sean Jean and Wu Wear. Premieres June 18 at 10:00 pm
Episode 4 – The Digital Revolution – The Internet creates new opportunities for Hip Hop to change the face of America. From the rise of the first major Internet superstar rapper Soulja Boy to the infamous 360 deals, this episode explores the future of Hip Hop. Premieres June 25 at 10:00 pm
Narrated by Joe Budden, “THE MESSAGE” is produced by Sam Walker II, Director of Music Specials and Productions, BET Networks, Keith Clinkscales and The Shadow League Media. For more information, visit www.bet.com/themessage and join the conversation on social media with #TheMessage.
About BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ:VIA, VIAB), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
Follow us on @BET_PR
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Thursday, May 15, 2014
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
VIZ Media Premieres "Blood Lad" at 2014 Anime Central Convention
VIZ MEDIA RETURNS TO ANIME CENTRAL WITH SPECIAL PANEL DISCUSSIONS, ANIME PREMIERES, AND A HOST OF FUN BOOTH GIVEAWAYS
VIZ Media marks its return to Anime Central (ACen), the Midwest’s largest anime convention, as it announces a weekend full of unique booth giveaways, informative panel discussions, exclusive anime screenings, and other fun activities. Fans can look forward to some very special and big announcements from the company during the show.
The 2014 Anime Central convention takes place May 16th to 18th in Rosemont, IL, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and the adjacent Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, located less than 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. VIZ Media will be located in Booth #126. Complete details on Anime Central are available at: http://www.acen.org.
Stop by the VIZ Media booth throughout the convention for a host of special giveaways including RANMA ½ postcards, full-color collectable posters for NARUTO, ONE PIECE, RANMA ½ and more, along with free manga samplers featuring a range of popular characters and bestselling titles from the North America’s leading publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime.
VIZ Media also invites Anime Central attendees to discover its Neon Alley 24/7 anime channel. Fill out a short survey form in the booth expressing your manga and anime preferences and get a free durable Neon Alley drawstring backpack (while supplies last)!
Neon Alley is available anytime, anywhere on the web for FREE and across major digital platforms, including PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Roku, Chromecast, and most mobile devices through the subscription-based Hulu Plus Video-On-Demand service. Neon Alley offers the hottest in subbed and dubbed digital series, simulcast world premieres, exclusive on-demand access, and a massive legacy catalog of new as well as classic favorites (in HD when available).
VIZ Media’s Anime Central Panels Include:
Friday May 16th
5:00 – 6:00PM VIZ Media Industry Panel (Panel Room 1) – Special Announcements at Panel!
Join the VIZ Media staff for an insightful presentation and Q & A session about the latest in manga and anime! We will be talking about the latest news, upcoming releases and other noteworthy announcements from the publishing and animation teams. Fans will definitely want to stick around until the end for some special announcements and an exclusive giveaway item (while supplies last)!
Saturday May 17th
5:00 – 6:00PM VIZ Media Featuring Neon Alley Animation Panel (Panel Room 1)
A fun and unique panel about all things anime! Join VIZ Media and the Neon Alley team as they discuss all the new and exciting news and new titles including what's coming up on DVD, Blu-ray and the newly expanded anime streaming service, Neon Alley.
Love of all things anime is one of the foundations of Anime Central and VIZ Media is pleased offer fans and attendees a wide range of special premieres and screenings throughout the duration of the convention. Catch the must-see World Dub Premiere of BLOOD LAD, Episodes 1 & 2, on Saturday, May 17th beginning at 8:00pm in the Lambert Room at the Hyatt. Fresh from the recording studio, fans won’t want to miss this premiere of the top-rated English cast for this dark comedy series about a vampire that falls for a high school girl who becomes a ghost.
Also don’t miss special convention screenings of other acclaimed VIZ Media anime titles including COPPELION, BERSERK THE GOLDEN AGE ARC III THE ADVENT, NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, ACCEL WORLD, K, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN and RANMA ½ in High Definition. Specific screening times and dates will be listed in the official convention program guide.
Additional information on Neon Alley is available at: www.NeonAlley.com.
For more information on anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit: www.VIZ.com.
Zack Snyder Presents Batman/Superman's Batmobile
Batman and the Batmobile or Batcar.
Zack Snyder, director of the untitled Superman/Batman film, posted a series of preliminary developmental images related to the pre-production of the film. These are personal images and are not official from Warner Bros.
Zack Snyder Presents Batman/Superman's Ben Affleck-Batman
Zack Snyder, director of the untitled Superman/Batman film, posted a series of preliminary developmental images related to the pre-production of the film. These are personal images and are not official from Warner Bros.
Zack Snyder Presents Ben Affleck as "Batman"
Zack Snyder, director of the untitled Superman/Batman film, posted a series of preliminary developmental images related to the pre-production of the film. These are personal images and are not official from Warner Bros.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Imagine Dragons Composes Original Song for "Transformers: Age of Extinction"
MICHAEL BAY’S “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” TO FEATURE AN ORIGINAL SONG BY THE GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING BAND IMAGINE DRAGONS
THE BAND CONTRIBUTED CREATIVELY IN THE SCORING PROCESS WITH THE FILM’S COMPOSER STEVE JABLONSKY
WILL PERFORM LIVE AT THE FILM’S WORLD PREMIERE IN HONG KONG ON JUNE 19th
HOLLYWOOD, CA (May 13, 2014) – Director Michael Bay, film composer Steve Jablonsky and Paramount Pictures are collaborating with the Grammy Award-winning band IMAGINE DRAGONS to feature the band’s original music in the upcoming film “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION,” one of the most anticipated movies of the summer.
Following an early footage screening of the film, IMAGINE DRAGONS wrote the original song “BATTLE CRY,” which Bay used in critical points in the film. Additionally, the band contributed original music during the scoring process by recording cues with Jablonsky, the film’s composer, and Hans Zimmer, who assisted in the process. The collaboration resulted in added depth to the sound of the film.
“We’re incredibly lucky that Dan, Wayne, Ben and Daniel were available to work with us,” says director Bay. “I remember being drawn to the emotion of ’Demons’ and ’Radioactive’ the first time I heard those songs, and I knew I wanted that same energy and heart for this movie. They’ve created a really epic, otherworldly sound for ’Battle Cry.’”
“The TRANSFORMER franchise has set the bar for cinematic innovation over the years,” says Alex Da Kid, label head at KIDinaKORNER records. “We are excited to collaborate with Michael Bay and Paramount Pictures and view this as an incredible global platform.”
IMAGINE DRAGONS will perform its new single live at the film’s worldwide premiere in Hong Kong, one of the locations in the film, on June 19th. Fans can tweet using #TransformersPremiere for a chance to win a trip for two (2) to Hong Kong to be among the first to see “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” and IMAGINE DRAGONS at the world premiere. Open to U.S. residents ages 18+. Enter by May 30, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. PDT. No purchase necessary. For official rules and promotional details, visithttp://www.transformersmovie.com/TwitterSweeps/OfficialRules.pdf
Grammy Award-winning rock band IMAGINE DRAGONS is one of 2013’s breakout artists, having played to sold-out audiences in North America, South America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Their debut full length album, Night Visions, (KIDinaKORNER/ Interscope Records) arrived on the Billboard Top 200 at #2 with the best first-week sales for a full-length debut by a new rock band in over six years.
Certified multi-platinum selling over 4 million copies worldwide, the album was propelled by the success of the multi-platinum single, “It’s Time,” with follow-up singles “Radioactive” selling over 10 million globally and “Demons,” which has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Rolling Stone proclaimed Imagine Dragons “the biggest breakout of the year” and Entertainment Weekly called 2013 the “Year of the Dragons.”
IMAGINE DRAGONS are Dan Reynolds (vocals), Wayne Sermon (guitar), Ben McKee (bass), and Daniel Platzman (drums).
“TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” is the fourth film in director Michael Bay’s global blockbuster franchise. Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Li Bingbing , Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles, T. J. Miller, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor and Titus Welliver star. The film begins after an epic battle that left a great city torn, but with the world saved. As humanity picks up the pieces, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history… while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its crosshairs. With help from a new cast of humans, Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet. In an incredible adventure, they are swept up in a war of good and evil, ultimately leading to a climactic battle across the world.
Produced By Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce.
Based on Hasbro’s Transformers™ Action Figures. Written By Ehren Kruger. Directed By Michael Bay.
“TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” opens in theaters on June 27, 2014.
THE BAND CONTRIBUTED CREATIVELY IN THE SCORING PROCESS WITH THE FILM’S COMPOSER STEVE JABLONSKY
WILL PERFORM LIVE AT THE FILM’S WORLD PREMIERE IN HONG KONG ON JUNE 19th
HOLLYWOOD, CA (May 13, 2014) – Director Michael Bay, film composer Steve Jablonsky and Paramount Pictures are collaborating with the Grammy Award-winning band IMAGINE DRAGONS to feature the band’s original music in the upcoming film “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION,” one of the most anticipated movies of the summer.
Following an early footage screening of the film, IMAGINE DRAGONS wrote the original song “BATTLE CRY,” which Bay used in critical points in the film. Additionally, the band contributed original music during the scoring process by recording cues with Jablonsky, the film’s composer, and Hans Zimmer, who assisted in the process. The collaboration resulted in added depth to the sound of the film.
“We’re incredibly lucky that Dan, Wayne, Ben and Daniel were available to work with us,” says director Bay. “I remember being drawn to the emotion of ’Demons’ and ’Radioactive’ the first time I heard those songs, and I knew I wanted that same energy and heart for this movie. They’ve created a really epic, otherworldly sound for ’Battle Cry.’”
“The TRANSFORMER franchise has set the bar for cinematic innovation over the years,” says Alex Da Kid, label head at KIDinaKORNER records. “We are excited to collaborate with Michael Bay and Paramount Pictures and view this as an incredible global platform.”
IMAGINE DRAGONS will perform its new single live at the film’s worldwide premiere in Hong Kong, one of the locations in the film, on June 19th. Fans can tweet using #TransformersPremiere for a chance to win a trip for two (2) to Hong Kong to be among the first to see “TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” and IMAGINE DRAGONS at the world premiere. Open to U.S. residents ages 18+. Enter by May 30, 2014 at 12:00 p.m. PDT. No purchase necessary. For official rules and promotional details, visithttp://www.transformersmovie.com/TwitterSweeps/OfficialRules.pdf
Grammy Award-winning rock band IMAGINE DRAGONS is one of 2013’s breakout artists, having played to sold-out audiences in North America, South America, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Their debut full length album, Night Visions, (KIDinaKORNER/ Interscope Records) arrived on the Billboard Top 200 at #2 with the best first-week sales for a full-length debut by a new rock band in over six years.
Certified multi-platinum selling over 4 million copies worldwide, the album was propelled by the success of the multi-platinum single, “It’s Time,” with follow-up singles “Radioactive” selling over 10 million globally and “Demons,” which has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Rolling Stone proclaimed Imagine Dragons “the biggest breakout of the year” and Entertainment Weekly called 2013 the “Year of the Dragons.”
IMAGINE DRAGONS are Dan Reynolds (vocals), Wayne Sermon (guitar), Ben McKee (bass), and Daniel Platzman (drums).
“TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” is the fourth film in director Michael Bay’s global blockbuster franchise. Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Li Bingbing , Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles, T. J. Miller, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor and Titus Welliver star. The film begins after an epic battle that left a great city torn, but with the world saved. As humanity picks up the pieces, a shadowy group reveals itself in an attempt to control the direction of history… while an ancient, powerful new menace sets Earth in its crosshairs. With help from a new cast of humans, Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) and the Autobots rise to meet their most fearsome challenge yet. In an incredible adventure, they are swept up in a war of good and evil, ultimately leading to a climactic battle across the world.
Produced By Don Murphy & Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce.
Based on Hasbro’s Transformers™ Action Figures. Written By Ehren Kruger. Directed By Michael Bay.
“TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION” opens in theaters on June 27, 2014.
Review: "Jumanji" Holds Onto its Charms (Happy B'day, Joe Johnston)
Jumanji (1995)
Running time: 104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)
MPAA – PG for menacing fantasy action and some mild language
DIRECTOR: Joe Johnston
WRITERS: Jonathan Hensleigh, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain; from a screenstory by Chris Van Allsburg, Greg Taylor, and Jim Strain (based upon the book by Chris Van Allsburg)
PRODUCERS: Scott Kroopf and William Teitler
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Thomas Ackerman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Robert Dalva
COMPOSER: James Horner
FANTASY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY with elements of action and comedy
Starring: Robin Williams, Jonathan Hyde, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, Bonnie Hunt, Bebe Neuwirth, David Alan Grier, Patricia Clarkson, Adam Hann-Byrd, and Laura Bundy
The subject of this movie review is Jumanji, a 1995 fantasy adventure and family film directed by Joe Johnston. The film is based on the Caldecott Medal-winning children’s picture book, Jumanji, which was first published in 1981 and was written and drawn by author Chris Van Allsburg. This was the first of three films based on Van Allsburg’s books (as of this updated review). Jumanji the movie focus on two children who must help a strange man finish playing a magical board game.
In 1969, Alan Parrish (Adam Hann-Byrd) and his friend Sarah Whittle (Laura Bundy) find an old board game, a jungle adventure called Jumanji, in Alan’s attic. After rolling the dice, Alan somehow unleashes some kind of magical force and is sucked into the board game. In 1995, two other children, Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter Shepherd (Bradley Pierce) find the cursed board game and play it, unwittingly releasing the man-child, Alan (Robin Williams).
However, the game Alan began 26 years ago must be finished. Also, from the bowels of Jumanji’s magical board, comes a stampeding horde of jungle creatures and a fearsome huntsman, Hunter Van Pelt (Jonathan Hyde), who has stalked Alan for decades. Now, Alan joins the adult Sarah (Bonnie Hunt) in a magical adventure to save the town and end the game.
Even back in 1995, the computer generated images (CGI) for the film Jumanji seemed too obviously fake. Many of the film’s scenes required animals of various sizes (giraffes, elephants, rambunctious monkeys) to run through, run over, and destroy the streets, homes, and buildings of a small township. Getting that many live animals to cooperate would have been a logistical nightmare and likely impossible, so CGI animals were used. The artificial animals all have a bluish tint on their bodies, heightening the sense of unreality. The glitch was perfect; that the animals look so artificial could be taken to imply that the animals are part of a fantastical and magical nightmare.
Otherwise, the film is a fairly well directed and well-acted comic fantasy/adventure. Robin Williams is, of course, his usual manic self, but this time it’s the franticness of an almost-action hero, rather than that of some attention-seeking clown. It’s a fun family picture full of inspired zaniness, with very good performances from the entirety of the supporting cast, especially from the young cast. I’ve seen it several times. It’s silly, and the script bounces from one scene to another, but I recommend it as an excellent adventure film for the young and young at heart.
6 of 10
B
Updated: Tuesday, May 13, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
"Transformers: Age of Extinction" Offers Imagine Dragons Contest
Transformers: Age of Extinction to feature an original song "Battle Cry" from Imagine Dragons
Fans can tweet using #TransformersPremiere for a chance to win a trip for two to the world premiere in Hong Kong to see the film and band perform live on June 19th
Watch the announcement video here: http://youtu.be/6hNxd3RtYrc
In theaters 6.27.14
For official contest rules: http://www.transformersmovie.com/TwitterSweeps/OfficialRules.pdf
Official Website: http://www.transformersmovie.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformersmovie
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/transformers - #TransformersPremiere
Fans can tweet using #TransformersPremiere for a chance to win a trip for two to the world premiere in Hong Kong to see the film and band perform live on June 19th
Watch the announcement video here: http://youtu.be/6hNxd3RtYrc
In theaters 6.27.14
For official contest rules: http://www.transformersmovie.com/TwitterSweeps/OfficialRules.pdf
Official Website: http://www.transformersmovie.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/transformersmovie
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/transformers - #TransformersPremiere
Monday, May 12, 2014
Review: "The Legend of Hercules" is Tolerable
The Legend of Hercules (2014)
Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 sequences of intense combat action and violence, and for some sensuality
DIRECTOR: Renny Harlin
WRITERS: Sean Hood and Daniel Giat
PRODUCERS: Boaz Davidson, Renny Harlin, Danny Lerner, and Les Weldon
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Sam McCurdy
EDITOR: Vincent Tabaillon
COMPOSER: Tuomas Kantelinen
FANTASY/ACTION
Starring: Kellan Lutz, Gaia Weiss, Scott Adkins, Roxanne McKee, Liam Garrigan, Liam McIntyre, Rade Serbedzija, and Johnathon Schaech
The Legend of Hercules is a 2014 action-fantasy film from director Renny Harlin. This movie is based on mythical Greek hero, Hercules. It offers a new origin story of Hercules and finds him learning to embrace his destiny, as he fights a brutal king. Although they do not receive credit on screen, director Renny Harlin and Giulio Steve apparently co-wrote the screenplay for The Legend of Hercules, along with credited writers, Sean Hood and Daniel Giat.
The Legend of Hercules opens in 1220 B.C. in the nation of Argos in Southern Greece. King Amphitryon of Tiryns (Scott Adkins) leads his army in a bid to conquer Argos and to defeat its king, Galenus. Queen Alcmene of Tiryns (Roxanne McKee), disgusted by her husband’s warmongering, begs the gods for guidance. The goddess Hera sends a message that Alcmene will give birth to the son of the god, Zeus, and that this son will be the savior of her people.
Alcmene gives birth to a child that Amphitryon names Alcides, but that the Queen names Hercules. Hercules (Kellan Lutz) grows into a strong young man, and he falls in love with Hebe (Gaia Weiss), daughter of the King of Crete. That love turns Hercules into an exile. Now, the half-human and half-god young hero must use his formidable power to fight his way back to Tiryns in order to save Hebe and his kingdom.
Hmm… What to say? I did enjoy some of The Legend of Hercules, but the best word to describe it is “mediocre.” It is one of those sword-and-sandal movies (like the 2004 film, Troy) that would work better as a sword-and-sorcery film (the Conan movies). Like 2004’s Troy, The Legend of Hercules drains the myth of its magic (although not quite as much or as badly as Troy did), and the movie clearly suffers for it.
The acting is bad. Kellan Lutz, best known for his role in the Twilight film franchise, is pretty bad here. He looks like someone took one of those overly muscular G.I. Joe dolls and gave it action figure steroids. I swear you can see the stretch marks on Lutz’s bulging muscles, as if his workouts have tortured his skin. The poor acting exception is Liam McIntyre; as Hercules’ cohort, Captain Sotiris, McIntyre gives a performance that is good enough to make it stand out from the rest of cast, which seems to sleepwalk or shuffle through this film. [Well, Scott Adkins eagerly throws himself into overacting as King Amphitryon.]
So if you want to watch action-fantasy with sword-fighting, battles, and Greek heroes, The Legend of Hercules will do. At least, it is not puffed up with pomposity, superiority, and pride like Warner Bros. 300 film franchise.
4 of 10
C
Friday, May 09, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Negromancer Asks You to Help the ComicBookBin
...and not just because Negromancer is a sister publication and because I write for the Bin. But ain't to proud to ask for DONATIONS.
Negromancer Says: Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day, Mama. Happy Mother's Day to mothers, grannies, aunties, surrogates, sisters, those who mother, and the women in our lives.
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Negromancer News Bites and Bits: Saturday, May 10, 2014 - UPDATE #1
Ray Subers at Box Office Mojo wrote an interesting piece about the release-date stand off between Walt Disney Picture-Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures regarding the untitled Superman/Batman movie and "Captain America 3." The showdown is May 6, 2016.
New CSI - CSI-Cyber - from EW.com.
Roberto Orci as director of Star Trek (reboot) 3? Well, I actually like... love the reboot movies. From Collider.
More Wolverine - even more than expected - from Collider.
New CSI - CSI-Cyber - from EW.com.
Roberto Orci as director of Star Trek (reboot) 3? Well, I actually like... love the reboot movies. From Collider.
More Wolverine - even more than expected - from Collider.
Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt Race Around the World for "Edge of Tomorrow"
"Edge of Tomorrow" -- Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt Chase Tomorrow Right to the Edge: Three Premieres / Three Countries / One Day
Stars race against time to meet fans in London, Paris and New York on an unprecedented Red Carpet Repeat tour
BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On May 28, the stars of “Edge of Tomorrow” will take part in a groundbreaking worldwide event when, for the first time ever, three fan premieres will be held in three different countries in just one day, “resetting” the red carpet as Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt race the clock to make each event before time runs out.
In “Edge of Tomorrow,” Cruise’s character relives the events of one day over and over in an epic battle to save the world. The story begins as he arrives in London, making that city the perfect place to kick off this global event.
All times are local:
- 7:00 a.m. inaugural premiere kicks off on the carpet in London, with a 9:00 a.m. screening.
The film takes both characters to France, where they face off against an insurmountable army of alien invaders.
- 2:00 p.m. red carpet in Paris, screening at 4:00 p.m.
The final premiere will take the stars back to the U.S.
- 10:00 p.m. red carpet in New York City, with the final screening—on the edge of tomorrow—at 11:59 p.m.
Between cities, Cruise, Blunt and the film’s director, Doug Liman, will interact with fans via social media as they jet from country to country. A contingent of select press will travel to each premiere, covering the events as they unfold.
There will be live stream components for each of the three events. Those fans on the ground can network via social media using #EOTLive.
Oscar® nominee Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ sci-fi thriller “Edge of Tomorrow,” under the direction of Doug Liman.
The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.
Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again.
But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.
The international cast also includes Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Noah Taylor, Kick Gurry, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Jonas Armstrong, Franz Drameh, Masayoshi Haneda and Tony Way.
Liman directed “Edge of Tomorrow” from a screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth, based on the novel entitled All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Erwin Stoff produced, along with Tom Lassally, Jeffrey Silver, Gregory Jacobs and Jason Hoffs. The executive producers are Doug Liman, David Bartis, Joby Harold, Hidemi Fukuhara and Bruce Berman, with Tim Lewis and Kim Winther serving as co-producers.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a 3 Arts Production, in association with Viz Productions, a Doug Liman Film, “Edge of Tomorrow.” Opening domestically on June 6, 2014, the film will be distributed in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow.
This movie has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and brief suggestive material.
edgeoftomorrowmovie.com
Friday, May 9, 2014
Statement from the Family of Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.
Missed this from last week: Zimbalist was best known for the 1960s-70s TV series, The F.B.I. He also provided the voice of Alfred Pennyworth in Batman: The Animated Series and characters in Spider-Man and Iron Man animated series - LD
Statement from Stephanie Zimbalist and Efrem Zimbalist III:
May 02, 2014 08:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time
SOLVANG, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--We are heartbroken to announce the passing into peace of our beloved father, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., today at his Solvang, Calif. ranch. He was 95 years old. A devout Christian, he actively enjoyed his life to the last day, showering love on his extended family, playing golf, and visiting with close friends. We will miss him dearly.
----
Statement from Stephanie Zimbalist and Efrem Zimbalist III:
May 02, 2014 08:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time
SOLVANG, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--We are heartbroken to announce the passing into peace of our beloved father, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., today at his Solvang, Calif. ranch. He was 95 years old. A devout Christian, he actively enjoyed his life to the last day, showering love on his extended family, playing golf, and visiting with close friends. We will miss him dearly.
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"Transformers: Age of Extinction" Has a Movie App
Get the official Transformers: Age of Extinction movie app, available now on iOS and Android! Choose your side, complete missions and get ready for the June 27th film release.
Watch the Official Transformers: Age of Extinction Movie App Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBPQOOoKrPA
To download the app please visit:
iTunes: http://hasb.ro/TF4APAIT514
Google Play: http://hasb.ro/TF4APAS514
Watch the Official Transformers: Age of Extinction Movie App Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBPQOOoKrPA
To download the app please visit:
iTunes: http://hasb.ro/TF4APAIT514
Google Play: http://hasb.ro/TF4APAS514
Remembering Uncle Willie Semien
Missing you on what would have been your birthday. Maybe we will get the answers that the Fire Marshal is apparently not interested in providing.
If it's arson, that would make it a homicide, right?
If it's arson, that would make it a homicide, right?
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Exclusive "Naruto Shippuden" Figure Headed to San Diego Comic-Con International
Exceptionally Detailed 1/6 Nauto Uzumaki In 4th Hokage Coat Destined To Become A Highly Sought After Collector’s Item Will Be Available From VIZ Media Booth 2813
VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, teams with Japanese high-end figure manufacturer and official NARUTO SHIPPUDEN product licensee, Gecco, to unveil a very special 1/6 scale masterpiece statue of the world’s most popular ninja, clad in 4th HOKAGE coat version, to be offered exclusively at the VIZ Media booth (#2813) during the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International.
Set to take place at the San Diego Convention Center, July 23rd-27th, Comic-Con International is the nation’s biggest annual comic book, science fiction and pop culture event.
In this limited edition version, Naruto Uzumaki is rendered in high quality full-color PVC, standing approximately 27cm tall and wearing the 4th Hokage’s famous coat. Crafted by skilled Gecco sculptor/painter Shin Tanabe with painting by Katsushige Akeyama, the intensity of Naruto’s expression has been carefully designed to show his fierce resolve to face enemies in order to protect his friends and save the world. The statue features a highly detailed costume capturing every wrinkle and texture, a true indicator of the exceptional craftsmanship of this masterpiece. The Gecco Naruto Uzumaki, 4th HOKAGE coat version, will carry an MSRP of 150.00 and will be available during 2014 Comic-Con at the VIZ Media booth #2813 (while supplies last).
“This exceptionally detailed statue of Naruto wearing his father’s red flamed coat can become the special centerpiece to a collector’s display, and we are proud to partner with one of the most exclusive Japanese figure manufacturers, Gecco, to present it as a 2014 Comic-Con exclusive product,” says Daisuke Aoki, VIZ Media Vice President, Animation Licensing. “This limited production figure will be one of the most sought after items during Comic-Con and is sure become a highly desirable item among pop culture collectors, comics, anime and manga fans. We look forward to welcoming Gecco to the VIZ Media booth during the show to secure one of the hottest new NARUTO SHIPPUDEN collectables.”
“I wanted to see the greatest Naruto figure with my own eyes, and am excited to partner with VIZ Media to make this a reality!” says Kineo Murakami, founder, Gecco. “The only person who can bring Naruto to vivid life is sculptor Shin Tanabe, and I’m sure anyone who sees this limited edition NARUTO SHIPPUDEN figure will marvel at this masterpiece!”
Created by Masashi Kishimoto, NARUTO was first introduced in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country’s most popular ninja manga properties. The manga series (rated ‘T’ for Teens, in print and digital editions) and animated counterpart (NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN rated ‘TV-14’) are some of VIZ Media’s most successful titles and have captivated millions of fans across North America, Europe and South America.
In the NARUTO manga and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but with the looming danger posed by the mysterious Akatsuki organization, Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO SHIPPUDEN begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks – except him. Sakura’s a medic ninja, Gaara’s advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi…well he remains the same. But pride isn’t necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki’s goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he’s older, but will he prove wiser and stronger?
For additional details about the exclusive NARUTO SHIPPUDEN figure, please visit http://www.gecco.co.jp/naruto.html.
More information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at www.Naruto.com.
Additional information on titles available from VIZ Media is available at www.VIZ.com.
About Gecco
Gecco was established in July 2011 as a figure manufacturer in Higashi Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Founded by Kineo Murakami, the company’s goal is to create figures Murakami would personally want in his collection. This mandate of creating desirable figures has garnered the support of many figure collectors and enthusiasts around the world. Some of the best-known figures created by Gecco are from the Silent Hill video game series, and each figure created is highly detailed, crafted with exceptional mastery, using the best materials.
About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.
Review: Emma Thompson Saves "Saving Mr. Banks"
Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
Running time: 125 minutes (2 hours, 5 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for thematic elements including some unsettling images
DIRECTOR: John Lee Hancock
WRITERS: Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith
PRODUCERS: Ian Collie, Alison Owen, and Philip Steuer
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Schwartzman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Mark Livolsi
COMPOSER: Thomas Newman
Academy Award nominee
DRAMA/HISTORICAL with elements of a biopic and comedy
Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Bigham, Melanie Paxson, Ronan Vibert, Rachel Griffiths, and Kathy Baker
Saving Mr. Banks is a 2013 drama from director John Lee Hancock and is an American, British, and Australian co-production. The film is a fictional account of author P.L. Travers’ trip to America, as she considers selling the film rights to her Mary Poppins books to Walt Disney.
Walt Disney is really a supporting character in Saving Mr. Banks, as the movie focuses on Travers as she reflects on her childhood and on her relationship with her troubled father. The parts of the film that focus on Travers’ childhood are melancholy. The parts of the film that take place in the film’s present (1961) are lively and colorful, and I wish all of the movie were set at Walt Disney Studios.
The film opens in the year 1961 in London, where it finds author, Pamela “P.L.” Travers (Emma Thompson), experiencing financial troubles. Travers does have a way out of her money woes. She can sell the film rights to her Mary Poppins books to Walt Disney (Tom Hanks), who has been pursuing Travers for the rights to the books for 20 years. Travers travels to Los Angeles, where she is whisked to the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.
In America, Travers meets a kind limo driver, Ralph (Paul Giamatti). She meets Mr. Disney. She meets the creative team assigned to adapt Mary Poppins to the screen: screenwriter, Don DaGradi (Bradley Whitford); and musical composing brothers, Richard and Robert Sherman (Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak, respectively). For two weeks, Travers plans on working with the team to get Mary right – at she sees it.
However, everything about her Mary Poppins book may be too personal for her to accept anyone else’s vision of Mary Poppins, especially Walt Disney’s version of Mary Poppins. As she works on the film, Travers’ mind goes back to her life in Australia as a girl (Annie Rose Buckley) and she recollects her relationship with her troubled father (Colin Farrell).
I have to admit that I like Saving Mr. Banks because of its fanciful and real-life complication-free look at Walt Disney, his employees, and life at Walt Disney Studios.
I will grant that Emma Thompson gives a fantastic performance, one that is worthy of the Oscar nomination Thompson did not receive. I will also grant that the story of Travers’ past is heartbreaking and fairly well-executed by director John Lee Hancock and his collaborators. I will finally admit that I don’t think Hanks deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance as Walt Disney, especially not as a lead actor. His Disney is clearly a supporting character in this story… and this is not close to being one of Hanks’ better or memorable performances.
Mostly, I think Saving Mr. Banks is a soapy television movie with big name actors trying to be a prestige motion picture. I think the film sometimes portrays P.L. Travers as a contrary old kook and also glosses over her legitimate concerns about how her characters will be translated to film. After all, she clearly knew that more people would see a Mary Poppins movie than would ever read her Mary Poppins books. Because of that, many people would know Mary Poppins only through the film, so she had right to be concerned that the screen Mary Poppins be as close as possible to her Mary Poppins.
After all that granting, I am back to what I like about this movie. Saving Mr. Banks presents a… well… Disney-fied version of some of the events surrounding the production of the 1964 Mary Poppins film. That is okay by me, but I realize that there is much more to the real story than is in Saving Mr. Banks.
6 of 10
B
Monday, May 05, 2014
NOTES:
2014 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score” (Thomas Newman)
2010 Golden Globe: 1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Emma Thompson)
2014 BAFTA Awards: 5 nominations: “Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film” (John Lee Hancock, Alison Owen, Ian Collie, Philip Steuer, Kelly Marcel, and Sue Smith), “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Thomas Newman), “Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer” (Kelly Marcel), “Best Leading Actress” (Emma Thompson), and “Best Costume Design” (Daniel Orlandi)
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
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Review: "MARY POPPINS" is Still "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"
Mary Poppins (1964)
Running time: 139 minutes (2 hours, 19 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Robert Stevenson
WRITERS: Bill Walsh and Don Da Gradi (based on: The "Mary Poppins" books by P.L. Travers)
PRODUCERS: Walt Disney and Bill Walsh
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Edward Colman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Cotton Warburton
COMPOSERS/SONGS: Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
SCORE: Irwin Kostal
Academy Award winner
FANTASY/MUSICAL/FAMILY
Starring: Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynis Johns, Karen Dotrice, Matthew Garber, Hermione Baddeley, Reta Shaw, Elsa Lanchester, Arthur Treacher, Reginald Owen, Don Barclay, and Ed Wynn
Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical fantasy film from Walt Disney Productions. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and produced by Walt Disney, although he did not receive a credit in the actual film as the producer, while producer Bill Walsh is only credited as co-producer. In 1965, both Disney and Walsh received nominations for best producer for their work on Mary Poppins.
The primary source for Mary Poppins the movie is the 1934 novel, Mary Poppins, which was written by author P.L. Travers. Eight Mary Poppins books written by Travers were published from 1934 to 1988. The movie mixes adventures and episodes taken from each of the novels that existed at the time the film began production with new material created specifically for the movie.
Mary Poppins the film follows a nanny with magic powers who comes to work for the Banks family. She takes care of two children whose father is an emotionally distant and cold banker and whose mother is a usually-absent suffragette. The nanny gets some help working her magic on the family from a singing and dancing chimney-sweep. I consider Mary Poppins to be an exceptional Hollywood fantasy film. I would consider it a truly great film, except that I think the movie is too long and that it practically has no plot.
Mary Poppins opens in the year 1910. In the city of London, England, there is trouble at No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane. George W. Banks (David Tomlinson) and his wife, Winifred (Glynis Johns), are having trouble retaining a nanny to care for their two children, Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber). Enter Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews); blown in on the east wind, she is the practically perfect nanny who will revolutionize the prim and proper Banks family with a bit of magic and a spoonful of sugar. Of course, she will get some help from a Cockney jack-of-all-trades and chimney sweep, the dancing and singing Bert (Dick Van Dyke).
Mary Poppins has the magical quality that infused the Walt Disney animated films that preceded it. One reason is because Mary Poppins combines live-action and animation. This includes an extended sequence in which Mary Poppins, Bert, and Jane and Michael frolic in a world that is entirely animated except for them. I think some of the live-action backgrounds and environments and some of the live-action sequences were produced in such a way that they would look like they belong in an animated feature film.
The acting is good, but not great, except for the wonderful Dick Van Dyke, who is outstanding in this film. Julie Andrews plays the title character, but in many ways, Mary Poppins the movie is as much Bert’s film as it is Mary Poppins’. Van Dyke’s wild, but precise and imaginative dancing sometimes cast a spell that made me watch every moment of his routines. Van Dyke’s Bert is one of the best supporting characters in American film history, simply for the fact that he supports the film to the point of often carrying the story – especially when it really needs someone to carry it.
Of course, the songs are classic. The songwriting duo of brothers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman are American treasures. Even with silly titles, the Shermans’ songs are excellent and unforgettable. Irwin Kostal adapts and orchestrates the Sherman Bros.’ songs into a musical score, and he should always get credit for how he translates those songs into music that is important to the storytelling’s mood, action, and drama.
However, I do think that the length of this film is a problem. The film’s runtime is too long at two hours and 19 minutes. Some of the song and dancing sequences stretch to the point of turning that which is captivating into something annoying. Most glaring, the resolution of the Banks’ problems does not make sense. It just comes out of nowhere, probably because at some point, everyone realized that even this movie had to end.
Still, Mary Poppins has that instant classic, Disney quality of which we all know and practically all of us love. Perhaps, that is because Mary Poppins seems intent on plucking the audience’s emotions and playing up the good things about family. However, the film does that with songs rather than through substantive plot and narrative.
Some of Mary Poppins is extraordinarily good. Some of it made me tear-up, even the last act which I just criticized. Mary Poppins is an American classic. I don’t think we will ever stop loving it, and we will watch it again… and again. It is “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” indeed.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
1965 Academy Awards, USA: 5 wins: “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Julie Andrews), “Best Film Editing” (Cotton Warburton), “Best Effects, Special Visual Effects” (Peter Ellenshaw, Hamilton Luske, and Eustace Lycett), “Best Music, Original Song” (Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman for the song “Chim Chim Cher-ee”), and “Best Music, Substantially Original Score” (Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman); 8 nominations: “Best Picture” (Walt Disney and Bill Walsh), “Best Director” (Robert Stevenson), “Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium” (Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi), “Best Cinematography, Color” (Edward Colman), “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color” (Carroll Clark, William H. Tuntke, Emile Kuri, and Hal Gausman), “Best Costume Design, Color” (Tony Walton), “Best Sound” (Robert O. Cook - Walt Disney SSD), and “Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment” (Irwin Kostal)
1965 Golden Globes, USA: 1 win: “Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy” (Julie Andrews); 3 nomination: “Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy), “Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy” (Dick Van Dyke), and “Best Original Score” (Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman)
1965 BAFTA Awards 1965: 1 win “Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles’ (Julie Andrews-USA)
2013 National Film Preservation Board, USA: National Film Registry
Tuesday, May 06, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
--------------------------
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
"Godzilla" Soundtrack Arrives May 13th 2014
GODZILLA: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK Due May 13th from WaterTower Music
Featuring Original Music by Golden Globe and Grammy Award® Winner Alexandre Desplat
Soundtrack Premiere on Spotify
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music today announced the release of the soundtrack to Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ epic action adventure “Godzilla”, which hits theatres May 16. The 20-track “Godzilla” soundtrack features new music from Golden Globe and Grammy Award® winner, and six time Academy Award® nominee Alexandre Desplat, and will be released both digitally and on CD on May 13. The Godzilla soundtrack premieres today on Spotify, and is currently available for preorder now at iTunes and Amazon.
“a great sense of continuity between what you’re seeing and hearing.”
The Parisian-born composer worked closely with director Gareth Edwards (“Monsters”) as the score was taking shape to establish what he describes as “a great sense of continuity between what you’re seeing and hearing.” Desplat elaborates, “When I played back music for him in my studio, I could see him watching the images and listening at the same time…Gareth is very sensitive to music and that was fantastic for me.”
“Alexandre is a bit of a hero of mine musically, and the score he created for this film is just stunning,” says Edwards. “I’m really excited. I can’t quite believe not only that Alexandre composed the Godzilla soundtrack, he’s done my soundtrack. It’s the most amazing gift I think I’ll ever get.”
With the great force of Godzilla propelling the action, Desplat also relished the opportunity to make a big sonic impact with the music as he recorded the final score with the Hollywood Studio Orchestra. “I’ve never done a monster movie before, so coming to this with more than a hundred musicians—double brass, double horns—allowed me to open the frame of my imagination to another territory, and that’s very exciting,” Desplat describes.
The Godzilla track list is as follows:
1. Godzilla!
2. Inside The Mines
3. The Power Plant
4. To Q Zone
5. Back to Janjira
6. Muto Hatch
7. In The Jungle
8. The Wave
9. Airport Attack
10. Missing Spore
11. Vegas Aftermath
12. Ford Rescued
13. Following Godzilla
14. Golden Gate Chaos
15. Let Them Fight
16. Entering The Nest
17. Two Against One
18. Last Shot
19. Godzilla’s Victory
20. Back To The Ocean
The world’s most revered monster is reborn as Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures unleash the epic action adventure “Godzilla.” From visionary new director Gareth Edwards (“Monsters”) comes a powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature, when the awe-inspiring Godzilla rises to restore balance as humanity stands defenseless.
The film stars an international ensemble cast led by Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Kick-Ass”), Oscar® nominee Ken Watanabe (“The Last Samurai,” “Inception”), Elizabeth Olsen (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”), Oscar® winner Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient,” “Cosmopolis”), and Oscar® nominee Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”), with Oscar® nominee David Strathairn (“Good Night, and Good Luck,” “The Bourne Legacy”) and Emmy® and Golden Globe Award winner Bryan Cranston (“Argo,” TV’s “Breaking Bad”).
Edwards directed “Godzilla” from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, story by David Callaham, based on the character “Godzilla” owned and created by TOHO CO., LTD. Thomas Tull produced the film, along with Jon Jashni, Mary Parent and Brian Rogers. Patricia Whitcher and Alex Garcia served as executive producers, alongside Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira. Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures present a Legendary Pictures production, a Gareth Edwards film, “Godzilla.” The film will be presented in 3D, 2D and IMAX® in select theatres and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, except in Japan, where it is distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. Legendary Pictures is a division of Legendary Entertainment. www.Godzillamovie.com
WaterTower Music, the in house music label for Warner Bros., has been releasing recorded music since 2001. Distributed through InGrooves Fontana, WTM has released over 150 titles, including the film soundtracks to “Gravity,” “Man of Steel,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “Game of Thrones,” and “The Great Gatsby Jazz Recordings” among others.
Featuring Original Music by Golden Globe and Grammy Award® Winner Alexandre Desplat
Soundtrack Premiere on Spotify
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music today announced the release of the soundtrack to Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ epic action adventure “Godzilla”, which hits theatres May 16. The 20-track “Godzilla” soundtrack features new music from Golden Globe and Grammy Award® winner, and six time Academy Award® nominee Alexandre Desplat, and will be released both digitally and on CD on May 13. The Godzilla soundtrack premieres today on Spotify, and is currently available for preorder now at iTunes and Amazon.
“a great sense of continuity between what you’re seeing and hearing.”
The Parisian-born composer worked closely with director Gareth Edwards (“Monsters”) as the score was taking shape to establish what he describes as “a great sense of continuity between what you’re seeing and hearing.” Desplat elaborates, “When I played back music for him in my studio, I could see him watching the images and listening at the same time…Gareth is very sensitive to music and that was fantastic for me.”
“Alexandre is a bit of a hero of mine musically, and the score he created for this film is just stunning,” says Edwards. “I’m really excited. I can’t quite believe not only that Alexandre composed the Godzilla soundtrack, he’s done my soundtrack. It’s the most amazing gift I think I’ll ever get.”
With the great force of Godzilla propelling the action, Desplat also relished the opportunity to make a big sonic impact with the music as he recorded the final score with the Hollywood Studio Orchestra. “I’ve never done a monster movie before, so coming to this with more than a hundred musicians—double brass, double horns—allowed me to open the frame of my imagination to another territory, and that’s very exciting,” Desplat describes.
The Godzilla track list is as follows:
1. Godzilla!
2. Inside The Mines
3. The Power Plant
4. To Q Zone
5. Back to Janjira
6. Muto Hatch
7. In The Jungle
8. The Wave
9. Airport Attack
10. Missing Spore
11. Vegas Aftermath
12. Ford Rescued
13. Following Godzilla
14. Golden Gate Chaos
15. Let Them Fight
16. Entering The Nest
17. Two Against One
18. Last Shot
19. Godzilla’s Victory
20. Back To The Ocean
The world’s most revered monster is reborn as Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures unleash the epic action adventure “Godzilla.” From visionary new director Gareth Edwards (“Monsters”) comes a powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature, when the awe-inspiring Godzilla rises to restore balance as humanity stands defenseless.
The film stars an international ensemble cast led by Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Kick-Ass”), Oscar® nominee Ken Watanabe (“The Last Samurai,” “Inception”), Elizabeth Olsen (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”), Oscar® winner Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient,” “Cosmopolis”), and Oscar® nominee Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”), with Oscar® nominee David Strathairn (“Good Night, and Good Luck,” “The Bourne Legacy”) and Emmy® and Golden Globe Award winner Bryan Cranston (“Argo,” TV’s “Breaking Bad”).
Edwards directed “Godzilla” from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, story by David Callaham, based on the character “Godzilla” owned and created by TOHO CO., LTD. Thomas Tull produced the film, along with Jon Jashni, Mary Parent and Brian Rogers. Patricia Whitcher and Alex Garcia served as executive producers, alongside Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira. Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures present a Legendary Pictures production, a Gareth Edwards film, “Godzilla.” The film will be presented in 3D, 2D and IMAX® in select theatres and is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, except in Japan, where it is distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. Legendary Pictures is a division of Legendary Entertainment. www.Godzillamovie.com
WaterTower Music, the in house music label for Warner Bros., has been releasing recorded music since 2001. Distributed through InGrooves Fontana, WTM has released over 150 titles, including the film soundtracks to “Gravity,” “Man of Steel,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “Game of Thrones,” and “The Great Gatsby Jazz Recordings” among others.
Happy Birthday, Mama!
Have a great day! Happy Birthday and many, many, many more.
Although you say you don't mind, I still won't go there with the age thing.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Teaser Poster for Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" Revealed
MANKIND WAS BORN ON EARTH. IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO DIE HERE.
From Christopher Nolan
INTERSTELLAR
November 2014
To watch the teaser trailer: http://youtu.be/nyc6RJEEe0U
Official Website:http://www.InterstellarMovie.com/
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/Interstellar
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InterstellarMovie
Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/InterstellarMovie
Grumble Indiegogo Campaign: Can Booty Be a Perk?
One month on and a month to go in my Grumble 2 Indiegogo campaign:
Monday, May 5, 2014
Happy Birthday, Sarah
I can't remember how old you are, but Happy Birthday and many, many, many more.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Terminator Reboot Gets Its Doctor... Who?
MATT SMITH SET TO STAR IN PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND SKYDANCE PRODUCTIONS’ “TERMINATOR” REBOOT
Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions announced today that “Doctor Who” star Matt Smith will join the cast of the upcoming “TERMINATOR” reboot.
Smith will play a new character with a strong connection to John Connor, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons, Dayo Okeniyi and Byung Hun Lee.
Alan Taylor is directing the film from a screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier. David Ellison and Dana Goldberg of Skydance Productions are producing. Skydance’s Paul Schwake, Annapurna Pictures’ Megan Ellison, Kalogridis and Lussier are executive producing.
Smith is best known for playing The Doctor on the popular “Doctor Who” television series during the 2011-2103 seasons. His other television credits include “Christopher and His Kind,” “Moses Jones,” and “The Street.” He can be seen next on the big screen in “LOST RIVER,” directed by Ryan Gosling, alongside Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan and Eva Mendes.
He is represented by United Talent Agency and Michael Duff at Troika.
The “TERMINATOR” franchise launched in 1984 with Schwarzenegger as the title character and spanned three subsequent films, which have earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Paramount will distribute the film worldwide on July 1, 2015.
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 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 Productions
Skydance Productions creates and produces elevated event-level commercial entertainment. Skydance’s recent releases include JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT, from director Kenneth Branagh and starring Chris Pine, WORLD WAR Z, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster; J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, and G.I. JOE: RETALIATION, starring Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum and Dwayne Johnson. Skydance projects currently in development include the reboot of the TERMINATOR franchise, to be released on July 1, 2015, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5 with Christopher McQuarrie directing and a disaster film on a global scale titled GEOSTORM written by Dean Devlin and Paul Guyot with Devlin also directing. Skydance’s previous projects include the award-winning Coen Brothers film TRUE GRIT, starring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon; MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL, starring Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner and Christopher McQuarrie’s JACK REACHER, starring Tom Cruise. Skydance’s new television division recently started production on its first series, Manhattan, to WGN America. From writer Sam Shaw and director Tommy Schlamme, this 13-episode drama is set against the backdrop of the clandestine mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico and follows the brilliant but flawed scientists and their families as they attempt to co-exist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives.
Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions announced today that “Doctor Who” star Matt Smith will join the cast of the upcoming “TERMINATOR” reboot.
Smith will play a new character with a strong connection to John Connor, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons, Dayo Okeniyi and Byung Hun Lee.
Alan Taylor is directing the film from a screenplay by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier. David Ellison and Dana Goldberg of Skydance Productions are producing. Skydance’s Paul Schwake, Annapurna Pictures’ Megan Ellison, Kalogridis and Lussier are executive producing.
Smith is best known for playing The Doctor on the popular “Doctor Who” television series during the 2011-2103 seasons. His other television credits include “Christopher and His Kind,” “Moses Jones,” and “The Street.” He can be seen next on the big screen in “LOST RIVER,” directed by Ryan Gosling, alongside Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan and Eva Mendes.
He is represented by United Talent Agency and Michael Duff at Troika.
The “TERMINATOR” franchise launched in 1984 with Schwarzenegger as the title character and spanned three subsequent films, which have earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
Paramount will distribute the film worldwide on July 1, 2015.
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 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 Productions
Skydance Productions creates and produces elevated event-level commercial entertainment. Skydance’s recent releases include JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT, from director Kenneth Branagh and starring Chris Pine, WORLD WAR Z, starring Brad Pitt and directed by Marc Forster; J.J. Abrams' STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, and G.I. JOE: RETALIATION, starring Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum and Dwayne Johnson. Skydance projects currently in development include the reboot of the TERMINATOR franchise, to be released on July 1, 2015, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5 with Christopher McQuarrie directing and a disaster film on a global scale titled GEOSTORM written by Dean Devlin and Paul Guyot with Devlin also directing. Skydance’s previous projects include the award-winning Coen Brothers film TRUE GRIT, starring Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon; MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – GHOST PROTOCOL, starring Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner and Christopher McQuarrie’s JACK REACHER, starring Tom Cruise. Skydance’s new television division recently started production on its first series, Manhattan, to WGN America. From writer Sam Shaw and director Tommy Schlamme, this 13-episode drama is set against the backdrop of the clandestine mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico and follows the brilliant but flawed scientists and their families as they attempt to co-exist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives.
Review: "The Kingdom" is a Thrill Ride (Happy B'day, Richard Jenkins)
The Kingdom (2007)
Running time: 110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)
MPAA – R for intense sequences of graphic brutal violence and for language
DIRECTOR: Peter Berg
WRITER: Matthew Michael Carnahan
PRODUCERS: Peter Berg, Michael Mann, and Scott Stuber
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mauro Fiore (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Colby Parker, Jr. and Kevin Stitt
COMPOSER: Danny Elfman
ACTION/THRILLER/CRIME/DRAMA
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Ashraf Barhom, Ali Suliman, Jeremy Piven, Richard Jenkins, Kyle Chandler, Frances Fisher, Danny Huston, Kelly AuCoin, Anna Deavere Smith, and Minka Kelly
The subject of this movie review is The Kingdom, a 2007 action thriller and crime drama directed by Peter Berg. The film follows a team of agents from the United States, investigating the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East.
When terrorists attack and kill over 100 people at the Al Rahmah Western Housing Compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, FBI Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) leads a small squad to investigate the bombing and find the culprits. Once Fleury and the other U.S. agents – Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), and Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman) – arrive, they learn that in Saudi Arabia, many consider them the true enemy.
Culture and the local bureaucracy hamper their investigation, but a local policeman, Col. Faris Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), becomes sympathetic to Fleury’s predicament. Soon, Fleury realizes that he and his team are the targets of the mysterious terrorist leader, Abu Hamza, but neither the threat of death or disgrace back home will stop Fleury’s mission.
With The Kingdom, director Peter Berg (The Rundown, Friday Night Lights) and writer Matthew Michael Carnahan (Lions for Lambs) dive headlong into the snake pit that movies about the “war on terrorism” and set in Middle East can be. What Berg and Carnahan come up with is an imperfect, but entertaining and engaging action flick that doesn’t shy away from the fact that there are few if any easy answers when fighting the murderous criminals who are terrorists.
Berg doesn’t shy away from making a hardcore action movie. There are intense car chases, with the requisite automobile flips and explosions, and there are sequences of manic gun battles that arrive in the kind of big slabs that keep an action movie junkie euphoric. The screenplay even insists on being a police procedural, making The Kingdom something like Black Hawk Down meets Michael Mann’s Heat (Mann also co-produced The Kingdom), and TV’s “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.”
Honestly, the movie drags when it focuses on the investigation, detective work, and forensics. On the other hand, The Kingdom soars when it lays on the gun battles and car violence. When the movie tries to be an FBI investigation flick, the narrative and indeed the performances get bogged down in detective work and the complications that can arise when different cultures meet. The film does raise several issues – asking questions that complicate what many only want to see as black and white. Are the FBI agents seeking justice or are they out for revenge? Does the subsequent violence only make matters worse? Does anyone gain anything or does everyone lose? These are the kind of questions that get a movie like this in trouble in the current political/social climate. An action movie requires that everything be in black and white, but the film’s setting and the issues it tackles just won’t be divided in two like that.
Ultimately, The Kingdom is a riveting action thriller that delivers. It affirms that Jamie Foxx can carry an action flick (but is there room for more than one or two action “stars of color?”), that Jason Bateman is funny, and that Jeremy Piven is a great character actor. However, the audience might have to take on some sticky issues to enjoy the thrill ride that is The Kingdom.
7 of 10
B+
Friday, January 18, 2008
Updated: Sunday, May 04, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
New Tom Cruise Movie Makes Comic Book Appearance at Free Comic Book Day 2014
Visit And Support Local Comics Retailers On May 3rd To Receive 2 FREE Samplers Featuring HELLO KITTY®, BRAVEST WARRIORS, ALL YOU NEED IS KILL, And TERRA FORMARS!
VIZ Media is proud to be a supporter and sponsor of 2014 Free Comic Book Day, and participates this year with a pair of special FREE manga and full-color original graphic novel samplers from the all-ages Perfect Square imprint, as well as out-of-this world previews from its first Haikasoru original graphic novel and VIZ Signature.
Scheduled for Saturday, May 3th at thousands of locations nationwide, Free Comic Book Day is an annual promotional campaign in the North American comic book industry to help bring new readers of all ages and interests into independent comic book stores. Free Comic Book Day began in 2002 and is coordinated by the industry's single largest distributor, Diamond Comic Distributors. Readers should visit freecomicbookday.com to find a local participating retailer in their area.
VIZ Media participates this year as a Gold Level Sponsor and will offer two FREE exclusive releases (available while supplies last).
HELLO KITTY AND FRIENDS, FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2014 EDITION
Readers of all ages can join in the fun with Hello Kitty and her friends in all-new full-color adventures! This time they're letting their imaginations run wild in two stories from the upcoming HELLO KITTY: JUST IMAGINE..., scheduled for August 2014 (MSRP: $7.99 U.S. / $9.99 CAN). Plus don't miss a special sneak peek of Perfect Square's upcoming tribute book, HELLO KITTY, HELLO 40: A Celebration in 40 Stories, celebrating Hello Kitty's 40th anniversary and iconic cultural impact. Scheduled for Fall release (MSRP: $29.99 U.S. / $34.99 CAN).
Also debuting in the Perfect Square 2014 Free Comic Book Day sampler are special bonus pages from BRAVEST WARRIORS: THE SEARCH FOR CATBUG (July, MSRP $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN), featuring the adventures of the irrepressible Catbug, the darling, fan favorite character from Cartoon Hangover’s Bravest Warriors!
A special Perfect Square trailer for Free Comic Book Day may be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE-4DlsiWMc&authuser=0.
The VIZ Media 2014 Free Comic Book Day VIZ Signature manga sampler is aimed at older teen and adult readers and will offer excerpts from the new ALL YOU NEED IS KILL official graphic novel adaptation and the forthcoming manga series, TERRA FORMARS.
ALL YOU NEED IS KILL, AND TERRA FORMARS SNEAK PREVIEW!
Live…Die…Repeat… The mantra continues in exciting new graphic novel form and sci-fi and action fans are invited to preview an entire chapter from the new ALL YOU NEED IS KILL official graphic novel adaptation (May 6th debut, MSRP: $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN). The gripping release from the Haikasoru imprint offers a single-volume retelling of the acclaimed ALL YOU NEED IS KILL novel (which has been adapted into the new Tom Cruise movie, Edge of Tomorrow), and is written by Haikasoru editor and noted sci-fi author, Nick Mamatas featuring full-color artwork by popular comic book artist Lee Ferguson (Green Arrow, Miranda Mercury). When the alien Mimics invade, Keiji Kiriya is one of many recruits shoved into battle armor Jackets and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to be reborn to fight and die again and again. He receives a message from a mysterious ally – is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death? The full ALL YOU NEED IS KILL graphic novel carries an MSRP of $14.99 U.S. / $17.99 CAN.
Manga fans can also catch an early peek of TERRA FORMARS, the tense sci-fi horror series created by Yu Sasuga and illustrated by Kenichi Tachibana that has become a bestseller in Japan (MSRP: $12.99 U.S. / $14.99 CAN). In TERRA FORMARS, the colonization of Mars is an epoch-making event, but an unintended side effect of the terra-forming process unleashes a monstrous horror that no one could ever have imagined... Look for its serialized debut this July in print and digital formats from the VIZ Signature imprint and VIZManga.com.
For information on other all-ages titles available from the Perfect Square imprint, please visit: www.perfectsquare.com.
For more information on VIZ Signature and other manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit: www.viz.com.
Free Comic Book Day 2014 is Today
Over 4.6 million comics to be given away free to comic shop customers
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On May 3rd, over two thousand comic book shops across North America and around the world will share the magic of comic books with their communities when they give out over 4.6 million comic books—free of charge—during Free Comic Book Day, which marks its thirteenth anniversary this year. Comic Book Specialty Retailers expect record breaking attendance and have been preparing their shops for this event for months.
“Free Comic Book Day is a perfect occasion for fans to discover new types of comic books”
There’s literally a free comic book available for everyone’s taste, including Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, DC’s The New 52: Futures End, Archie, SpongeBob, Transformers vs GI Joe, Hello Kitty, The Simpsons and more to choose from!
Comic book publishing heavyweights Dark Horse Comics, DC Entertainment, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, and Marvel Comics are among the many sponsors who created 60 special titles for Free Comic Book Day 2014. The free books are designed to appeal to a broad range of tastes, including:
Action-Packed Super-Hero Stories
DC’s The New 52: Futures End
DC’s Teen Titans
Stories Featuring Classic Characters
Archie
Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck
Buck Rogers
The Smurfs
The Tick
Sci-Fi Adventures
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
Marvel’s Rocket Raccoon
Project Black Sky
Stories for Kids
Avata: The Last Airbender
Hello Kitty
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
SpongeBob SquarePants
“Free Comic Book Day is a perfect occasion for fans to discover new types of comic books,” said FCBD spokesperson Jason Blanchard, “especially if they’re new to the wide variety of titles that are being published today. On May 3rd, we encourage new and current readers to use Free Comic Book Day as an opportunity to learn about the great comic books and pop-culture merchandise to be found at their local comic book shop. Hopefully, they’ll walk away with free comics they can't wait to read, and then keep coming back to their local shop for more!”
Along with free comics, many comic book shops will feature events during the day including creator signings, appearances of favorite super-heroes or cosplayers and great deals on exclusives and sale items.
Customers can check out the full list of all 60 titles on the Free Comic Book Day website, http://www.freecomicbookday.com/comics, and use the FCBD Store Locator to find a participating comic book shop in their area http://www.freecomicbookday.com/storelocator.
Legendary comic creator Stan Lee promotes Free Comic Book Day in a special video message to comic fans, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbdCVF7I3rc.
Reading Activist, actor, producer, director and host of Reading Rainbow LeVar Burton encourages people to participate in Free Comic Book Day in a special video message. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi8HNxiIsEk
ABOUT FREE COMIC BOOK DAY— Celebrating its thirteenth year, Free Comic Book Day is an annual event where participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops. The event is held the first Saturday in May and is the perfect opportunity to introduce friends and family to the many worlds of wonder available at local comic book shops. From super-heroes to slice of life to action/adventure and beyond, Free Comic Book Day has a comic book for everyone!
© 2014 Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. and Free Comic Book Day, Inc. All rights reserved.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Star Wars 7 Cast Revealed
PHOTO CREDITS: April 29th, Pinewood Studios, UK - Writer/Director/Producer J.J Abrams (top center right) at the cast read-through of Star Wars Episode VII at Pinewood Studios with (clockwise from right) Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew, Producer Bryan Burk, Lucasfilm President and Producer Kathleen Kennedy, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Writer Lawrence Kasdan. Copyright and Photo Credit: David James.
Of course, dear readers, you are already aware that Lucasfilm has announced (Tuesday, April 29, 2014) the main cast for the next Star Wars film, the as-yet-untitled Episode VII. Click on link below to see a bigger version of the above photo.
The press release:
Star Wars: Episode VII Cast Announced
April 29, 2014
The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.
Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.
Director J.J. Abrams says, "We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud."
Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.
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May the Fourth Negromancer Be with You
Here comes May 2014. Welcome to Negromancer 2.0. This is the rebirth of Negromancer, the former movie review website as a new movie review and movie news site.
All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.
Also, Leroy's Indiegogo campaign for Grumble #2 continues:
All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.
Also, Leroy's Indiegogo campaign for Grumble #2 continues:
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Oscar-nominated Actor Bob Hoskins Dies at 71
The actor Bob Hoskins has died of pneumonia at the age of 71. Hoskins died in a hospital on Tuesday, April 29, 2014, and his agent made the announcement of his passing today (Wednesday, April 30, 2014).
Born Robert William Hoskins, Jr. on October 26, 1942, Bob Hoskins began his acting career on stage in 1969. He began appear in film and on television in 1972. Go to Screen Daily and Wikipedia for more about Hoskins passing and his career, respectively.
Hoskins is one of my favorite actors. I first heard of him when he earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1986 film, Mona Lisa. However, it was his role in 1988's Oscar-winning Who Framed Roger Rabbit that made me a fan of his. I also admired his work in Heart Condition (1990) and Hook (1991), to name a few. I send my condolences to Hoskins' family and friends. Rest in Peace, Mr. Hoskins.
Born Robert William Hoskins, Jr. on October 26, 1942, Bob Hoskins began his acting career on stage in 1969. He began appear in film and on television in 1972. Go to Screen Daily and Wikipedia for more about Hoskins passing and his career, respectively.
Hoskins is one of my favorite actors. I first heard of him when he earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the 1986 film, Mona Lisa. However, it was his role in 1988's Oscar-winning Who Framed Roger Rabbit that made me a fan of his. I also admired his work in Heart Condition (1990) and Hook (1991), to name a few. I send my condolences to Hoskins' family and friends. Rest in Peace, Mr. Hoskins.
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