Review: "RoboCop" Remake Has Lots of Ideas, but Lacks Focus

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 33 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

RoboCop (2014)
Running time:  118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of action including frenetic gun violence throughout, brief strong language, sensuality and some drug material
DIRECTOR:  José Padilha
WRITERS:  Joshua Zetumer and Edward Neumeier & Michael Miner (based upon the 1987 screenplay by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner)
PRODUCERS:  Marc Abraham and Eric Newman
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Lula Carvalho (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Peter McNulty and Daniel Rezende
COMPOSER:  Pedro Bromfman

SCI-FI/ACTION/CRIME/DRAMA

Starring:  Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley, Michael K. Williams, Jennifer Ehle, Jay Baruchel, Marrianne Jean-Baptiste, Samuel L. Jackson, Aimee Garcia, Patrick Garrow, and John Paul Ruttan

RoboCop is a 2014 science fiction film from director José Padilha.  The film is a remake of the Oscar-winning, 1987 film, Robocop.  The 2014 RoboCop follows a police detective who is transformed into a part-man/part-robot police officer by a powerful corporation that wants to place robot police officers all over America.

The film opens in year 2028.  Omnicorp, a division of the multinational conglomerate, OCP, specializes in “robot soldier” technology.  Omnicorp supplies the robots and drones that the United States military uses to pacify populations around the world.  Omnicorp wants to sell their product in the U.S. for civilian law enforcement, but is prohibited both by the federal Dreyfus Act and by public opinion.

Omnicorp CEO Raymond Sellars (Michael Keaton) concocts the idea of creating a new law enforcement product that blends the human police officer with the robot.  Sellars believes that this kind of police officer could really help Detroit, the crime-ravaged home city of Omnicorp.  Dr. Dennett Norton (Gary Oldman), a scientist under contract to Omnicorp, believes that he can take a permanently injured police officer or solider and use him as the core of a robot policeman prototype.  He wonders, however, if he will find the kind of police officer that is perfect for his experiment.

At the Detroit Police Department, Detective Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) and his partner, Sergeant Jack Lewis (Michael K. Williams), are pursuing drug lord, Antoine Vallon (Patrick Garrow).  However, Vallon has an unknown number of crooked cops on his payroll, and they keep him apprised of Murphy and Lewis’ investigations.  Vallon orders Murphy killed, but Murphy survives the attempt, just barely.  Suddenly, Murphy is the perfect subject for Dr. Norton’s bid to create a part man/part machine cop, and RoboCop is born.  But how much of Alex Murphy is left inside of RoboCop, and how much of him does Omnicorp want to control?

The 1987 Robocop featured a number of thematic elements, and it contained black humor and satire, especially early in the film.  It was also a quasi-Western with RoboCop/Alex Murphy as a kind of frontier lawman facing off against heavily-armed criminals and a corrupt government all on his own.  RoboCop 2014 also includes themes about corporate manipulation of governments, the militarization of law enforcement, and the man-machine interface, among others.  There is a gallows humor about the remake, and it also has elements of the Western film.  That is where the comparisons end, for the most part.

RoboCop 2014 has a big problem in that it lacks focus.  The screenplay for the 2014 film takes almost every subplot, setting, and character from the 1987 film and makes them so important – even the elements the original film largely passed over.  For instance, Alex Murphy’s family was largely unseen, except for in flashbacks, in the 1987 film.  In the 2014 film, however, Murphy’s wife and son are important to the point of being in the way of the story.

It is almost Shakespearean the way the screenplay for the new film wants to make every supporting character and two-bit character a major player in the plot and story.  I could not help but think that more could have been done with Samuel Jackson’s Pat Novak, a Bill O’Reilly-like host of the pro-corporate, law and order television show, “The Novak Element.”  But where would he fit in an already overstuffed story?

With so many ideas and characters, RoboCop 2014 ends up without an identity.  In the original film, the title, Robocop, really meant that the movie was about Alex Murphy/RoboCop.  In the remake, the title RoboCop is practically about the idea of the “robot cop” or RoboCop.  The film is about weighing the good and the bad of having corporately-controlled robot cops patrolling the streets of America.  RoboCop/Alex Murphy just happens to be the robot cop of the moment.  Without an identity, what is RoboCop 2014?  Is it about Alex Murphy?  Is it about Omnicorp’s plans?  Is it about military technology as law enforcement?  Is this movie about corporate product as a means to uphold law and order?  Is it about Dr. Dennett Norton’s questionably experimentation on humans?

There is so much stuff in the new RoboCop that it would work better as a television series than it works as a two-hour feature film.  It is not a bad movie; it is simply packed with too many good ideas, characters, and plotlines.  That is a shame, because RoboCop 2014 is a cautionary tale.  It is a Frankenstein scenario that is relevant to our current times.  RoboCop warns us to beware of profit-driven, multi-national corporations that want to sell us permanent war and also a police state because those are the means by which they make piles of corporate cash.

For that reason, RoboCop 2014 is worth seeing.  It is a science fiction movie with a horror movie twist.  It has the thrills of an action movie, but also the chill of a scary movie that has a ring of truth to it.

6 of 10
B

Monday, July 14, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: Original "Robocop" Still an Amazing Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Robocop (1987)
Running time:  102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR:  Paul Verhoeven
WRITERS:  Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner
PRODUCER:  Arne Schmidt
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jost Vacano (D.o.P.) with Sol Negrin
EDITOR:  Frank J. Urioste
COMPOSER:  Basil Poledouris
Academy Award winner

SCI-FI/CRIME/ACTION

Starring:  Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O’Herlihy, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith, Miguel Ferrer, Robert DoQui, Ray Wise, Felton Perry, Paul McCrane, Jesse Goins, Del Zamora, Steve Minh, Ken Page, and Laird Stuart

Some believe that “standing the test of time” is a mark that a work of fiction, entertainment, art, etc. is of the highest-quality, most important, or just plain good.  Of course, for some people, the best stories get better with age.

Robocop is a 1987 science fiction, crime, and action film from director Paul Verhoeven.  Twenty-seven years later, Robocop is still a fantastic film, and maybe even better now than it was when it was first released.  The film is set in a dystopia, a near-future version of Detroit, Michigan and focuses on a policeman who returns from the dead as a powerful cyborg cop that might be the future of law enforcement.

Robocop opens in the future and finds Detroit beset by crime and on the verge of collapse because of rampant crime and a severe financial crisis.  To keep the city alive, the mayor signs a deal with Omni Consumer Products (OCP).  The deal allows OCP to take over the Detroit Metropolitan Police Department and to also build a high-end real estate development called “Delta City,” by demolishing rundown sections of Detroit.

Meanwhile, Alex J. Murphy (Peter Weller) arrives at Police Precinct Metro West as a transfer from a precinct that is much nicer than the busy and troubled Metro West.  Not long after his arrival, Murphy and his partner, Officer Anne Lewis (Nancy Allen), confront a vicious criminal gang.  Murphy is killed in the line of duty, but OCP revives him as a cyborg – part man and mostly machine.  Murphy is now “RoboCop,” the future of law enforcement, but this future is haunted by submerged memories of his past life.

With Robocop, writers Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner wrote one of the smartest and best screenplays in the history of science fiction films.  Robocop includes themes regarding corporate greed and corruption, identity, mass media, urban decay and gentrification, among many.  The film is clever in the way it satirizes a news media that trivializes even the most serious and tragic events (murder, natural disasters, civil unrest), turning them into junk news for “entertainment consumers.”  At the time of Robocop’s release, television news was already coming under heavy criticism for being “infotainment.”  Robocop was dead-on in predicting where television news was headed, as current real-world TV news is, in many ways, like what Robocop depicts.

Watching Robocop for the first time in ages, I noticed that the film is stylistically like a Western.  Thematically, Robocop bears a resemblance to Westerns that focus on the lone lawman, fighting against a corrupt system and the vilest bad guys.  This film is also similar to Westerns that focus on a good guy returning from near-death or grave injury to deliver payback to the evil-doers that hurt him.  Basil Poledouris driving and colorful score for this film is the perfect musical accompaniment for scenes featuring RoboCop when he is man on a mission.

And Robocop is simply a damn good movie.  Compared to his other films, director Paul Verhoeven delivers a film that is clean and straightforward.  He relies on the screenplay to be clever and complicated, while his direction is sparse and matter-of-fact.  The result is a science fiction movie that looks more like a crime film and cop action movie than it does a film about the future.  In fact, Robocop seems less a prediction of the future and more like a message from the actual future.

This film has a number of good performances, but Peter Weller stands out.  He plays Murphy as being barely noticeable as a person, but Weller employs mechanical affectations to turn RoboCop into a magnetic personality.  I couldn’t take my eyes off him, and Weller left me wanting more of Robocop, the movie and, indeed, the man.

9 of 10
A+

Saturday, July 12, 2014


NOTES:
1988 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win “Special Achievement Award” (Stephen Hunter Flick and John Pospisil for sound effects editing); 2 nominations: “Best Sound” (Michael J. Kohut, Carlos Delarios, Aaron Rochin, and Robert Wald), and “Best Film Editing” (Frank J. Urioste)

1989 BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations: “Best Make Up Artist” (Carla Palmer) and “Best Special Effects” (Rob Bottin, Phil Tippett, Peter Kuran, and Rocco Gioffre)

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Naruto Movie, "Road to Ninja" Hits Theatres in August 214

VIZ MEDIA AND ELEVEN ARTS PRESENT THE THEATRICAL PREMIERE OF ROAD TO NINJA – NARUTO THE MOVIE FEATURE FILM IN OVER 45 MAJOR U.S. CITIES IN AUGUST

The World’s Most Popular Ninja Returns In His Newest Action-Packed Feature Film Adventure

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, partners with Los Angeles-based film distribution company ELEVEN ARTS to invite anime fans across the U.S. to attend a special theatrical premiere of ROAD TO NINJA – NARUTO THE MOVIE (dubbed) in a host of major cites starting on Friday, August 29TH.

The new film, which is the sixth in the massively popular NARURTO SHIPPUDEN feature film series, will premiere in more than 45 cities throughout the U.S. including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle and other major locations. Tickets will go on sale starting Friday, July 11th. Additional ticket information and a complete list of theatre locations are available at:

http://www.elevenarts.net/th_gallery/naruto-roadtoninja.

In the latest NARUTO SHIPPUDEN feature film, long ago, a mysterious masked shinobi unleashed the Nine-Tailed Fox onto the Village Hidden in the Leaves to spread chaos and destruction. But the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and his wife Kushina Uzumaki sealed the Tailed Beast into their newborn son, Naruto, to save the village, foiling the shinobi’s plan.

Years later, Naruto and his friends succeed in driving away the infamous Akatsuki, who have mysteriously returned from the dead. Upon returning to the village, the young shinobi are praised by their families for completing a dangerous mission. Reminded of how alone he is, Naruto begins to wonder what it’s like to have parents, when a strange masked figure appears before him – the same masked shinobi responsible for the death of his parents!

“ROAD TO NINJA – NARUTO THE MOVIE dives into the past and takes viewers on a fateful adventure depicting how Naruto and Sakura prevent one of their mortal enemies from stealing the Nine-tailed Fox Demon sealed inside the young ninja and fans will not want to miss this special opportunity to catch all the action in this special multi-city theatrical premiere,” says Charlene Ingram, VIZ Media Senior Marketing Manager, Animation.

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 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 also prove wiser and stronger?

Additional information on NARUTO and NARUTO SHIPPUDEN is available at www.Naruto.com.

For more information on manga titles available from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About ELEVEN ARTS:
ELEVEN ARTS is the Los Angeles based film distribution company that has brought many acclaimed Japanese films, live-action and animated features, to North American audiences. ELEVEN ARTS’s major live-action titles include Japan Academy Awards winner Memories of Tomorrow (starring Ken Watanabe) and Oscar nominated director (with The Twilight Samurai in 2004) Yoji Yamada’s samurai film Love and Honor. ELEVEN ARTS is also a respected distributor of popular animation titles such as the Evangelion franchise, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 1: Beginnings/ Part 2: Eternal/ Part 3: Rebellion, TIGER & BUNNY THE MOVIE: The Rising, and Short Peace. For additional information, go to www.elevenarts.net.

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.

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Shooting Begins on 3D Tarzan Film Due in 2016

Tarzan Swings into Action as Filming Begins on the New 3D Action Adventure

Alexander Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, and Christoph Waltz are starring in the Jerry Weintraub production under the direction of David Yates

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ new Tarzan 3D action adventure, starring Alexander Skarsgård (HBO’s “True Blood”) as the legendary character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

David Yates, who helmed the last four “Harry Potter” blockbusters, including “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 & 2,” is directing. Jerry Weintraub (“Behind the Candelabra,” the “Ocean’s” trilogy) is producing the film, together with David Barron (the “Harry Potter” films, upcoming “Cinderella”). Susan Ekins, Nikolas Korda, David Yates, Mike Richardson and Bruce Berman are serving as executive producers.

The feature also stars Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction,” the “Captain America” films), Margot Robbie (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond,” “Gladiator”), Oscar nominee John Hurt (“The Elephant Man,” the “Harry Potter” films), and two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds,” “Django Unchained”).

It has been years since the man once known as Tarzan (Skarsgård) left the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, with his beloved wife, Jane (Robbie) at his side. Now, he has been invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian, Captain Leon Rom (Waltz). But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash.

The adventure is being shot at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, as well as on location around the UK.

Collaborating with Yates behind the scenes, the creative team includes director of photography Henry Braham (“The Golden Compass”), Oscar-winning production designer Stuart Craig (“Dangerous Liaisons,” “The English Patient,” the “Harry Potter” films), editor Mark Day (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 & 2”), and Oscar-nominated costume designer Ruth Myers (“Emma,” “Unknown”).

A Jerry Weintraub production, the Tarzan action adventure is slated for release on July 1, 2016, and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

Frank Miller, Adam West Among Stars Celebrating 75 Years of Batman at San Diego Comic-Con

DC Entertainment Celebrates 75 Years of Batman with All-Star Panels at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2014 Featuring Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, Jim Lee, Geoff Johns and More

DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Present Unparalleled Line-Up of Batman Events Including ‘Gotham’ Premiere, ‘Assault on Arkham’ Premiere, Cape-Cowl-Create Art Exhibit, and a Star-Studded 1960s Batman TV Panel

Comic-Con 2014

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DC Entertainment (DCE) will descend upon Comic-Con International: San Diego 2014 (July 24 to 27, 2014) with a terrific line-up of all-star panels, can’t-miss events, and exclusive reveals, all to celebrate the milestone 75th anniversary of the world’s most popular Super Hero – DC Comics’ Batman. Celebration highlights include a pair of panels that will bring together a spectacular collection of Batman talent, a once-in-a-lifetime art exhibit, and a rare look at some of the most famous Batman film costumes in history.

The centerpiece to DCE’s plans includes two can’t-miss panel events where heralded names from Batman lore will join forces for an ultimate fan experience.

• Batman 75: Legends of The Dark Knight – In celebration of Batman’s 75-year history, join comic icons Frank Miller, Grant Morrison, DCE Co-Publisher and renowned Batman artist Jim Lee (BATMAN: HUSH), DCE Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns (BATMAN: EARTH ONE), current BATMAN creative team, writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo, along with vintage superstar BATMAN team writer Denny O’Neill and artist Neal Adams in an in-depth discussion on the legendary character’s explosive adventures in comics both past and present. Thursday 3:30-4:30pm Room 6BCF

• Batman 75th Anniversary – Delve into how Batman has been brought to life in comics, TV, movies and video games with Lee, Johns, BATMAN ’66 MEETS THE GREEN HORNET co-writer and KROQ radio personality Ralph Garman, the legendary voice of Batman Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series, Batman: Arkham Knight), producer and writer Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series), and Peter Girardi, Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs, Warner Bros Animation. Saturday 4-5:00pm Room 6BCF

The celebration also continues with a staggering collection of must-own items and exciting events from DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

    Celebrate the long-awaited home entertainment debut of Batman: The Complete Television Series with a can’t-miss panel featuring Batman on-screen legends Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar. Thursday 6-7pm Hall H

    For the supreme Batman fan experience, DC Entertainment’s interactive 4,500 square foot booth (#1915) will hold costumes donned by those who famously brought the legendary hero to life on film including Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, and Christian Bale. Plus, the booth will host signings with top talent including Jim Lee, Geoff Johns, John Romita Jr., Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo and more, along with a full slate of free giveaways, fan events and on-stage demonstrations.

    Attend the world premiere of Warner Bros. Television and FOX’s upcoming show Gotham during the star-studded “A Night of DC Entertainment” Hall H panel on Saturday evening from 8:00–11:00 p.m. Gotham tells the origin story of some of DC Comics’ greatest Super-Villains and vigilantes, following Detective Jim Gordon’s rise to power in a dangerously corrupt city that would spawn iconic characters such as The Penguin, Catwoman, The Riddler and a young Bruce Wayne. The Gotham premiere is part of the action-packed three-hour WBTV/DC Entertainment panel that will also highlight Arrow, The Flash and Constantine, with Arrow star Stephen Amell serving as master of ceremonies. Saturday 8-11pm Hall H

    Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment will celebrate the 75th anniversary of Batman at Comic-Con by unveiling life-size recreations of The Dark Knight’s iconic cowl headpiece and cape from the upcoming “Batman: Arkham Knight” videogame in the Hard Rock Hotel’s Legends Room. The Dark Knight’s iconic mantle will be re-imagined by top artists and celebrities including Zack Snyder (Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice), Mister Cartoon, Buff Monster, Zso (Sara Blake), Apex, Michael Hsiung, Will Arnett (The Lego Movie) Jeff Lemire and Ivan Reis. The “Cape/Cowl/Create” exhibition will be open to the public Friday through Sunday. Exhibit hours are 12-7pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

    Join the cast and creators of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s highly anticipated world premiere of Batman: Assault on Arkham animated film including the definitive voice of Batman, Kevin Conroy. Based on the best-selling video game series, Batman: Arkham, this action-packed film takes place between the Batman: Arkham Origins video game and Batman: Arkham Asylum video game. Friday 7-9:00pm Ballroom 20

    Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and TT Games present an inside look at LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham with an animated panel discussion featuring exclusive first look at new gameplay, content reveals and announcements by TT Games Game Director Arthur Parsons and Executive Producer Phill Ring, along with a stellar line-up of voice talent from the game. LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham will also be playable for consumer hands-on throughout the show. Sunday 1-2 pm Room 6BCF

    The Caped Crusader will tower over Gotham on the cover of Comic-Con 2014’s official Souvenir Book and on a must-own, Con exclusive t-shirt in a spectacular design penciled and inked by Lee.

    Join the writers and artists behind current Batman universe titles including BATMAN team Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, Marc Andreyko (BATWOMAN), Brian Buccellato (DETECTIVE COMICS), Pat Gleason (BATMAN AND ROBIN), Greg Pak (BATMAN/SUPERMAN), and Peter Tomasi (BATMAN AND ROBIN) for a special panel to discuss what’s in store for the World’s Greatest Detective.

    DC Collectibles will reveal a stellar new line of action figures based on the highly anticipated videogame from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Batman: Arkham Knight. Also, make sure to stop by Diamond retailers on the show floor to purchase DC Collectibles’ Harley Quinn convention exclusive statue.

    Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) joins the celebration at the DC Comics booth with fan-focused showcases, exclusives, and giveaways from key licensing partners each day of Comic-Con at 11am and 3pm. On Thursday, WBCP and partworks publisher Eaglemoss will present their line of Batmobiles throughout the ages; Friday will bring fan-favorite clothing company Black Milk to the stage with a display of its Batman and DC Comics Super Heroes-inspired line of female-focused apparel; Saturday, or Harley Quinn Day, will see WBCP and Hot Topic launch the new Hot Topic-exclusive Harleen lifestyle collection in a fashion show parade, while calling all Harley Quinn cos-players at Comic-Con to the DC Comics booth to join the fun; and Sunday, new WBCP and DC Comics partner, Schleich, will premiere its new DC Comics collectible figure line, with Batman at the forefront. Additionally, dozens of WBCP partners will be a-buzz around the Comic-Con show floor with exclusives and can’t-miss giveaways over the course of the show.

    Warner Archive Collection presents “A Batman for all Seasons” on Sunday at Noon. Join producer James Tucker, producer/director Brandon Vietti, WAC Podcast hosts Matthew Patterson and DW Ferranti and surprise guests, as they examine Batman iterations and oddities throughout history, from early films like “Public Defender” and the Batman cartoons, to new versions of the character, the off-kilter takes and new media. Sunday 12-1pm Room 7AB

    Fans will be able to pick up a wide variety of items exclusively available at this year’s Comic-Con - including variant cover editions of some of DC Comics’ most popular series. The Graphitti Designs booth (#2314) will offer variant editions of BATMAN #32, GRAYSON #1, and two versions of HARLEY QUINN INVADES COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL #1.

Can’t make the Con? DC Entertainment’s website is the go-to place for behind the scenes coverage and in-depth interviews.

Download the DC Entertainment Events App on Apple’s App Store or the Google Play Store to stay up to speed on all DC Entertainment signings and panels at San Diego Comic-Con.

About DC Entertainment:
DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating its content across Warner Bros. Entertainment and Time Warner. DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment and interactive games. Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.

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"Black Dynamite" Cast and Creator DVD Signing on Tuesday, July 15th

Meet the Cast & Creators of Black Dynamite Tuesday, July 15th, 2014 at Amoeba Music in Hollywood!

WHO:
Michael Jai White, voice of 'Black Dynamite', Creator, Producer, Writer (“Arrow”), Carl Jones, Creator, Executive Producer, Writer, Director (“The Boondocks”), Tommy Davidson, voice of 'Cream Corn’ ( "In Living Color") and Byron Minns, voice of ‘Bullhorn', Creator, Writer.

WHAT & WHY:
In anticipation of Adult Swim's Black Dynamite: Season One debuting on Blu-ray and DVD July 15th, there will be a signing event at Amoeba Music in Hollywood with filmmakers and voice talent from the top-rated Adult Swim TV series and 2009 live–action film!

WHERE:
Amoeba Music
Address: 6400 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
Phone: (323) 245-6400

WHEN:
Tuesday, July 15th
DVD Signing: 6:00pm – 7:30pm PST

Black Dynamite Season Two Premieres October 2014 on Adult Swim

Black Dynamite, the 30-minute animated series, is back for a second season on Adult Swim. Based on 2009’s critically acclaimed feature film, the Black Dynamite animated series further chronicles the exploits of the central character, Black Dynamite, and his crew. Under the direction of Executive Producer Carl Jones (The Boondocks), the series features the voice talents of Michael Jai White, Tommy Davidson, Kym Whitley and Byron Minns, all of whom starred in the feature film.

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Black Dynamite Makes Its Explosive Blu-Ray™ and DVD Debut In All-New Adult Swim Release, Black Dynamite Season One

Available July 15, Series’ Inaugural Blu-ray and DVD Release Includes 10 First Season Episodes Plus Behind-The-Scenes Featurette Original Pilot and Video Commentaries

This July, bust out your best polyester pants suit because Black Dynamite and his crew are about to explode onto the scene in all-new Blu-ray and DVD release, Black Dynamite Season One. The inaugural home entertainment release from the top-rated Adult Swim series will be available to own on July 15, 2014. Featuring all ten 30-minute episodes from the series’ first season, the Blu-ray and DVD release also contains a host of bonus content including the original pilot, a behind-the-scenes featurette and video commentaries with series creator Carl Jones (The Boondocks) and cast members. Black Dynamite Season One will be available for the suggested retail price of $39.99 on Blu-ray and $29.98 on two-disc DVD set, with a retailer pre-order date of June 10.

The series’ titular character Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) is a 1970s renaissance man with a kung-fu grip. He is a lover and a fighter who is not afraid to leap before he looks. His sidekick extraordinaire is Bullhorn, the brains and cunning that complements Black Dynamite’s hard-hittin’, bone-crushin’ style. Providing comic relief on the mean streets is Cream Corn (Tommy Davidson) and classing up the place is the gorgeous Honey Bee (Kym Whitley).

Based on 2009’s critically-acclaimed feature film, the Black Dynamite animated series further chronicles the exploits of the central character and his crew. Under the direction of Carl Jones, the series features the voice talent of Michael Jai White (For Better or Worse, The Dark Knight, Why Did I Get Married?), Tommy Davidson (In Living Color, Bamboozled), Kym Whitley (The Cleveland Show, Brian McKnight Show), and Byron Minns (Mongo Wrestling Alliance), all of whom starred in the feature film. The animated series is produced by Ars Nova, with Jon Steingart, Carl Jones, and Jillian Apfelbaum as executive producers. Brian Ash is co-executive producer. Scott Sanders, Michael Jai White and Byron Minns are producers. Monica Jones is associate producer. Lesean Thomas is creative producer/supervising director. Original music is provided by Adrian Younge. Black Dynamite is being animated by Titmouse, Inc.

The series’ first season, which aired on Adult Swim during the summer of 2012, was the top-rated show in its timeslot for both adults and men 18-34, with more than five million adults and three million men tuning in to get a piece of Black Dynamite, according to Nielsen Media Research. The second season of the series will debut this summer on Adult Swim.

Black Dynamite Season One Basics:
Street Date: July 15, 2014
Blu-ray SRP: $39.99
DVD SRP: $29.98
Blu-ray UPC Code: 883929277032
DVD UPC Code: 883929277049
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
Feature Running Time: 264 minutes

About Warner Home Video:
With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video’s film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.

About Adult Swim:
Adult Swim (AdultSwim.com), launched in 2001, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s network offering original and acquired animated and live-action series for young adults. Airing nightly from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET/PT), Adult Swim is basic cable’s #1 network among persons 18-34 and 18-49, and is seen in 99 million U.S. homes.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for July 6 to July 12, 2014 - Updated #10

NEWS:

From MotherJones:  United Nations website announces that Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame is a celebrity goodwill ambassador and the site crashes.

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From Variety:  Colin Farrell in Season 2 of hit HBO drama, "True Detective."

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From TheWrap:  66th (2014) Prime Time EMMY NOMINATIONS! have been announced.  Seth Meyers will host the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony which will be broadcast live on NBC, Sunday, August 25th, 2014.

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From CBS:  Halle Berry talks about why she did "Extant."

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From MSNMovies:  Christopher Nolan penned an editorial for the Wall Street Journal.  MSN provides highlights.

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From Yahoo:  Some people just cannot wait for December 18, 2015.

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From WebProNews:  Sigourney Weaver reveals plot details for "Ghostbusters 3."  Of course, plot details and release dates keep changing.

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From CBRSpinoff: Guillermo del Toro hints at changes in "Pacific Rim 2."

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From EW:  New Star Wars Episode VII cast additions:  Brit male Pip Andersen and American female Crystal Clarke.

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From SlashFilm:  Video of Kevin Smith talking about his visit to the London set of Star Wars Episode VII.  He cries about the visit - lucky bastard.

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From Variety:  Transformers: Age of Extinction leads surprisingly bad 4th of July weekend (July 4 tp July 6, 2014).

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From Yahoo:  Robert De Niro talks about his recent flops and his gay father, Robert De Niro, Sr. to Katie Couric.

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From WeGotThisCovered:  Is Mark Wahlberg the new Six Million Dollar Man?


COMIC BOOK MOVIES:

From WeGotThisCovered:  Did Warner Bros. Hire Kevin Smith to write a fake "Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice" script?


COMICS NEWS:

From the ComicBookBin:  Black soul - yes. Black soles - ugh!


FILM and TV TRAILERS:

From FOX:  Exodus: Gods and Kings, which is due December 2014.

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From YouTube:  Gone Girl directed by David Fincher with Ben Affleck and the fab Rosamund Pike.  Tyler Perry plays an attorney. (October 3, 2014)

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"Gotham," the Fall 2014 TV series on FOX, has a new Villains trailer.  The series is set in pre-Batman Gotham City.

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OBITS:

From TheWrap:  Paul Apted, the son of director Michael Apted, died of Friday, July 4, 2014.  Apted worked as a sound editor on such films as The Fault in Our Stars and The Wolverine.  Negromancer sends condolences to Apted's family and friends.


MISC:

From YahooSports:  LeBron James returns to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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From Yahoo:  Newspaper headline refers to President Obama with the "N-word," but it's actually for a pro-Obama editorial.

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From BehindtheSteelCurtain:  Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, Antonio Brown, works out with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.  Below is a picture the movie star and NFL star that The Rock tweeted from his Twitter account, @TheRock.

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STARZ Celebrates 11 Emmy Nominations for the 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards

STARZ Receives a Network Record of 11 Emmy® Award Nominations Including “The White Queen” for Outstanding Miniseries and Chiwetel Ejiofor for Lead Actor in a Miniseries

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--STARZ miniseries and original series were nominated for a network record of 11 Emmy® nominations this morning at the 66th Primetime Emmy® nomination announcement at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in North Hollywood, Calif. The network garnered one nomination in the Outstanding Miniseries category for its original miniseries, “The White Queen” and Chiwetel Ejiofor received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for “Dancing on the Edge.”

    “We proudly congratulate our nominees on being recognized for their exceptional achievements.”

"We thank the Television Academy for honoring five of our programs with a total of 11 nominations, which represents a new record for our network," said Starz CEO, Chris Albrecht. "We proudly congratulate our nominees on being recognized for their exceptional achievements."

Complete nominations include:

“The White Queen”

Outstanding Mini Series
Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie
Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score)

“Dancing on the Edge”
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (Chiwetel Ejiofor)

“Black Sails”
Outstanding Special and Visual Effects in a Supporting Role
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
Outstanding Sound Editing
Outstanding Main Title Design

“Da Vinci’s Demons”
Outstanding Special and Visual Effects in a Supporting Role

“Magic City”
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music

About Starz
Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) is a leading integrated global media and entertainment company with operating units that provide premium subscription video programming on domestic U.S. pay television channels (Starz Networks), global content distribution (Starz Distribution) and animated television and movie production (Starz Animation), www.starz.com.

Starz Networks is a leading provider of premium subscription video programming through the flagship STARZ® and ENCORE® pay TV networks which showcase premium original programming and movies to U.S. multichannel video distributors, including cable operators, satellite television providers, and telecommunications companies. As of March 31, 2014, STARZ and ENCORE serve a combined 56.3 million subscribers, including 21.9 million at STARZ, and 34.4 million at ENCORE, making them the largest pair of premium flagship channels in the U.S. STARZ® and ENCORE®, along with Starz Networks’ third network MOVIEPLEX®, air over 1,000 movies monthly across 17 linear networks, complemented by On Demand and authenticated online offerings through STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, and MOVIEPLEX PLAY. Starz Distribution develops, produces and acquires entertainment content, distributing it to consumers globally on DVD, digital formats and traditional television. Starz Distribution’s home video, digital media and worldwide distribution business units distribute original programming content produced by Starz, as well as entertainment content for itself and third parties. Starz Animation produces animated TV and movie content for studios, networks, distributors and audiences worldwide.

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Review: "Pompeii" an Enjoyable Historical Spectacle

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Pompeii (2014)
Running time:  105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense battle sequences, disaster-related action and brief sexual content
DIRECTOR:  Paul W.S. Anderson
WRITER:  Janet Scott Batchler and Lee Batchler, and Michael Robert Johnson
PRODUCERS:  Paul W.S. Anderson, Jeremy Bolt, Robert Kulzer, and Don Carmody
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Glen MacPherson (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Michele Conroy
COMPOSER:  Clinton Shorter

HISTORICAL/DRAMA/ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring:  Kit Harrington, Emily Browning, Carrie-Anne Moss, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kiefer Sutherland, Jessica Lucas, Jared Harris, Joe Pingue, Currie Graham, Sasha Roiz, Dalmar Abuzeid, and Dylan Schombing

Pompeii was an ancient Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania.  Pompeii and the surrounding area (including another town) were destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.

Pompeii is a 2014 historical drama and disaster film from director Paul W.S. Anderson, perhaps best known for his work on the Resident Evil film franchise.  Theatrically released in 3D, this film is a German and Canadian co-production.

Pompeii is set during the last two or three days before Vesuvius destroys the city.  The film focuses on a slave-turned-gladiator who finds himself in Pompeii and fighting to protect a nobleman’s young daughter from a corrupt Roman Senator, while nearby, Mount Vesuvius rumbles ominously.

Pompeii opens in Brittania in 62 AD.  Roman soldiers brutally wipe out a tribe of Celtic horsemen, and a young Celtic boy named Milo (Dylan Schombing) watches as his parents are murdered.  By 79 AD, the boy is a grown man known as “The Celt” (Kit Harrington), who is a Roman slave and talented gladiator.

Milo is taken to Pompeii during the “Festival of the Vinalia” in order to entertain the crowds.  He has an encounter with Cassia (Emily Browning), the daughter of Pompeii's ruler, Marcus Severus (Jared Harris) and his wife, Aurelia (Carrie-Anne Moss).  Milo and the young woman are drawn to each other.  However, Milo must focus his attention on Atticus (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), a champion gladiator who wants to use “the Celt” to gain his freedom.

Meanwhile, the arrival of Senator Quintas Attius Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland), a close ally of Roman emperor, Titus, changes everyone’s plans.  All that planning might be why Pompeii’s people and visitors are ignoring the noise and rumbles coming from Mount Vesuvius, which towers over the area.

In the history of films set in or during the Roman Empire, Pompeii won’t be memorable.  It’s no Gladiator (2000), nor is it even on the level of a recent favorite of mine, The Eagle (2011).  Pompeii is a sword and sandal film that mixes several genres, including action-adventure, romance, the disaster film, the swashbuckler, and the historical, among others.  Each of those genres offers something enjoyable to watch in Pompeii, but overall this film is not well acted, directed, or written.

It looked to me like some of the film’s actors were struggling not to laugh during scenes when they were supposed to convey anger or pain.  Kit Harrington as Milo the Celt is cute, but he is not much of an actor, at least here.  Emily Browning as Cassia is seemingly quite passionate about this film and gives it her best effort.  Why should you watch this movie?  I don't know.

I found myself enjoying Pompeii.  I have always liked Roman Empire movies, so obviously I was going to give this film a chance.  I am glad that I did, but I won’t lie and pretend that this is an especially good film.

5 of 10
C+

Tuesday, July 08, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Steven Soderbergh Has "Red Oaks" on Amazon's Pilot Season

Steven Soderbergh and David Gordon Green’s Comedy Red Oaks Coming to Amazon’s Third Pilot Season

Written by Gregory Jacobs (The Knick) and Joe Gangemi (Eliza Graves), Red Oaks stars Craig Roberts (Submarine), Paul Reiser (Mad About You), Richard Kind (Luck), Jennifer Grey (It’s Like, You Know), and Oliver Cooper (Californication)

Red Oaks is the final show to join Amazon’s highly-anticipated third pilot season which includes The Cosmopolitans, Hand of God, Hysteria, and Really

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced it has added the Steven Soderbergh (Behind the Candelabra) produced and David Gordon Green (Eastbound & Down) directed comedy Red Oaks to its third pilot season, which will debut later this year on Amazon Instant Video. Customers will once again be invited to watch and provide feedback on the shows they want to see turned into full series, which will then become available on Prime Instant Video. Written by Gregory Jacobs (The Knick) and Joe Gangemi (Eliza Graves), Red Oaks stars Craig Roberts (Submarine) as “David,” an assistant tennis pro at the Red Oaks Country Club in suburban New Jersey in 1985. Paul Reiser (Mad About You), Richard Kind (Luck), Jennifer Grey (It’s Like, You Know) and Oliver Cooper (Californication) also star in the pilot.

    “Greg Jacobs told me this idea on the set of Behind the Candelabra and I told him it was great and that he should start working on it immediately”

“To be able to collaborate with Steven, David and Greg, three of the most highly-regarded creators in Hollywood, is an absolute pleasure,” said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “Red Oaks brings together not only top-notch talent, but also a hilarious and wonderfully written script that we think our customers will enjoy seeing come to life later this year.”

“Greg Jacobs told me this idea on the set of Behind the Candelabra and I told him it was great and that he should start working on it immediately,” said Steven Soderbergh. “Then, while we were on the set of The Knick he gave me the script he wrote with Joe Gangemi and I said, ‘This is ready to go, let's find a director.’ We very quickly agreed to approach David because the humor was sharp without being mean, and we felt he would understand and appreciate that.”

Red Oaks is set in 1985, and features college student David Myers who is both reeling from his father’s heart attack and conflicted about what major to declare in the fall. Myers gets a summer job as an assistant tennis pro at the Red Oaks Country Club in suburban New Jersey and while there, he meets a colorful cast of misfit co-workers and wealthy club members including an alluring art student named “Skye” (played by guest star Alexandra Socha) and her corporate raider father “Getty” (played by Reiser). A coming-of-age comedy set in the “go-go” 80s that is equal parts hijinks and heartfelt, Red Oaks is about enjoying a last hurrah before summer comes to an end—and the future begins. Red Oaks also stars Grey as “Judy Myers,” Kind as “Sam Myers,” Cooper as “Steve,” Gage Golightly as “Karen,” and Ennis Esmer as “Nash.” Guest stars include Josh Meyers and Freddie Roman. Soderbergh, Green, Jacobs, and Gangemi are Executive Producers.

About Amazon Studios
Last year Amazon Studios launched its first two prime time series Alpha House and Betas, and recently debuted its first two children’s series, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival Award-winning Tumble Leaf from Bix Pix Entertainment, as well as Creative Galaxy from Angela Santomero, the creator of Blue’s Clues. A third kids’ series, Annedroids, from Emmy nominated Sinking Ship Entertainment will debut later this month. Amazon Studios also recently announced six additional, original series including Chris Carter’s The After; Michael Connelly’s Bosch; Jill Soloway’s Transparent; Mozart in the Jungle from Paul Weitz, Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman; Wishenpoof! from Angela Santomero; and Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street from David Anaxagoras, as well as a second season of Alpha House. Amazon Original Series are available exclusively to Prime members through Prime Instant Video.

Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series—one that’s open to great ideas from creators and audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script and Amazon Studios will read and review all submissions. Those who choose to make their projects public will also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios community.

Comprehensive cast and crew information, including bios and filmographies, is available on Amazon's IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.

About Amazon.com
Amazon opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by three principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.

Newcomers Crystal Clarke and Pip Andersen Added to "Star Wars Episode VII" Cast

(Pip Andersen on the left and Crystal Clarke on the right. Courtesy of Star Wars.com.)

Star Wars Episode VII Production Update

At the end of last year Lucasfilm and Disney invited all young aspiring actors to attend an open casting call for roles in J.J Abrams’ Star Wars Episode VII. The casting calls spanned 11 cities across the US and UK and over 37,000 hopefuls attended, with a further 30,000 submitting applications online.

Having hunted high and low for young and undiscovered talent, the filmmakers are delighted to announce that two actors from the open call call have been cast.

Crystal Clarke is an American actress studying in Glasgow, UK, who has both stage and screen acting experience and is soon to be seen in her first feature, The Moon and the Sun (to be released in 2015). British actor Pip Andersen is a skilled practitioner of parkour, a discipline that involves propelling oneself through any given environment with incredible grace and agility. Pip recently demonstrated this remarkable skill in a Spider-Man ad for Sony.

“The Star Wars universe has always been about discovering and nurturing young talent and in casting Episode VII we wanted to remain absolutely faithful to this tradition. We are delighted that so many travelled to see us at the open casting calls and that we have been able to make Crystal and Pip a part of the film,” said producer and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy.

Meanwhile, principal photography continues at Pinewood Studios in London after wrapping on location in Abu Dhabi in May.

In August, the team will take a brief two-week hiatus while adjustments to the current production schedule are made as actor Harrison Ford recovers from a leg injury. Harrison is doing well and is looking forward to returning to the set soon. Shooting remains on track to wrap in the fall with the film scheduled for release on December 18, 2015.

StarWars.com. All Star Wars, all the time.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for June 29 to July 5, 2014 Update #6

NEWS:

From WebProNews:  The super fine and gorgeous Scarlett Johansson wins "sex object" lawsuit.

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

From Hitfix: 10 stories that we might have missed...

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From Hitfix:  Sony is re-imagining 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - a sign of the slow death of imagination in Hollywood.

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

From Box Office Mojo:  Transformers: Age of Extinction to take out Tammy at the July 4th weekend box office?

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

From Deadline Hollywood: Manslaughter indictments in the death of camera assistant Sarah Jones on the set on the Gregg Allman biopic, "Midnight Rider."  Allman has since requested that the film be cancelled.

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

From Deadline Hollywood:  Woody Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth will star in a revenge Western, "By Way of Helena."

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

From The Daily Mail:  Daniel Radcliffe (formerly known as Harry Potter) and Marisa Tomei (just formerly known) snuggle while filming a new movie.

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From Ropes of Silicon:  "Rambo 5" may actually happen.

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

From Yahoo:  Too many romantic comedies derailed Katherine Heigl's career.  By the way, I do NOT like her.

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From Vulture:  Spike Lee's films are ranked from worst to best.  Worst - She Hate Me. Best - Do The Right Thing (of course).

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From ShadowAndAct:  Speaking of Do The Right Thing: Spike is still trying to bring it to Broadway, as play, not as a musical.

AND love this story: a young Barack Obama used a date to Do The Right Thing to impress Michelle. Awww! (from Moviefone).

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From Screen Rant: Former Bond star (1995 to 2002), Pierce Brosnan wants to join The Expendables.  One would think that this franchise is running out of space for aging action stars.

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

From Salon:  The decline of Shia LaBeouf.

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COMIC BOOK MOVIES:

From Screen Rant: Henry Cavill as Clark Kent - without glasses - plus other early news about "Batman Vs. Superman."

From Screen Rant:  Analysis of early info on "X-Men Apocalypse," the planned 2016 X-Men movie.

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


MOVIE TRAILERS:

From UPI:  The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby with Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy.

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OBITS:

From Reuters:  Television actor Bob Hastings died Monday, June 30, 2014 at the age of 89.  Hastings was best known for playing Lt. Elroy Carpenter, the yes-man to Captain Wallace Burton Binghamton (played by actor Joe Flynn), on the 1960s World War II era comedy, "McHale's Navy."  A World War II veteran, Hastings also provided the voice of Archie Andrews from 1945 to 1953 on NBC radio.

Negromancer sends condolences to Mr. Hastings family (including younger brother Don Hastings who is also an actor) and friends.  Hastings's Lt. Carpenter was one of my favorite classic TV characters.  R.I.P. Bob Hastings.

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From the Times:  Acclaimed director, Paul Mazursky, died, Monday, June 30, 2014, at the age of 84.  I remember him for the 1989 film, Enemies, A Love Story, which I thought was a truly fine film.  Negromancer sends condolences to Mazursky's family and friends.

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From Variety:  The actor, Meshach Taylor, died Saturday, June 28, 2014 in California.  He was 67.  Taylor was best known for his role as interior design aide, Anthony Bouvier, on the CBS series, "Designing Women."  Taylor earned an Emmy nomination for supporting actor in comedy series in 1989 for the series, which ran from 1986 to 1993.

Taylor also appeared in Mannequin films the CBS sitcom, "Dave's World," from 1993 to 1997. Negromancer sends condolences to Taylor's family and friends.  R.I.P. Anthony Bouvier.

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From Variety:  Soul music legend, Bobby Womack, died Friday, June 27, 2014, at the age of 70.  He had numerous hits, but my favorite is the 1982 single, "If You Think You're Lonely Now," from his 1981 album, The Poet.  It peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #3 on the Hot Soul Single charts.

One of Womack's hit songs was the top 20 hit, “Across 110th Street.” It was the title song from the 1972 crime thriller, Across 110th Street, starring Anthony Quinn and Yaphet Kotto.  Quentin Tarantino used the song for the opening credits of his 1997 film, Jackie Brown.  Negromancer sends its condolences to Womack's family and friends.

Nickelodeon's "Animated Shorts Program" at 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International

Nickelodeon Brings Its Animated Shorts Program to San Diego Comic-Con with Open Call for Original Projects

Network for First-Time Ever to Take Meetings from Convention Floor with Goal to Greenlight Pitch from Attendees

Comic-Con 2014

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Continuing its mission to open its doors to more creative talent than ever before, Nickelodeon for the first time will hold an open call for original animated projects at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2014 – the biggest fan event of the year. On-site from Nickelodeon’s booth on the convention center floor, the network’s animation development team will take live, in-person pitches from Thursday, July 24, to Saturday, July 26, to greenlight a project for its global Animated Shorts Program. The pitch chosen will be developed into a short with the potential to air on Nickelodeon, appear on www.nick.com or the Nick App, or even be developed into a long-form animated TV series.

    “Our Shorts Program helps us source talent and it feeds our content pipeline. It has expanded our relationships with creators who range from budding amateurs to experienced professionals, and we’re looking forward to bringing the program’s energy to the convention.”

“Comic-Con has always been a place to make connections and discover new, original ideas, so we thought we’d use it as a platform to find someone who could be the next big thing in animation,” said Russell Hicks, Nickelodeon’s President of Content Development and Production. “Our Shorts Program helps us source talent and it feeds our content pipeline. It has expanded our relationships with creators who range from budding amateurs to experienced professionals, and we’re looking forward to bringing the program’s energy to the convention.”

Nickelodeon’s Comic-Con booth this year features a windowed pitch room at its center, where the network’s animation development team will hold the open call during select times each day. The team’s meetings will be with Comic-Con attendees, as well as with distributors scouted during the convention. Participants seeking appointments must register in advance at www.nickshortspitches.com, where information, guidelines, requirements and restrictions are posted. Deadline to register is Friday, July 18.

Most recently from the network’s Animated Shorts Program, the network greenlit 13-episodes of The Loud House by first-time creator Chris Savino (Rocko’s Modern Life, The Powerpuff Girls)--a graduate of the 2013 Program. Inspired by Savino’s chaotic life growing up in a huge household, the series will follow 11-year-old Lincoln as he gives an inside look at what it takes to survive in the bedlam of a large family, especially as the only boy with 10 sisters.

The network also has announced 11 finalists from the 2014 Program, which include: “Francine” by writer/comedian Katie Crown; “Meat Pie vs. the Dark Ages” by Nickelodeon director Gabe Swarr; “Shelf Life” by Nickelodeon storyboard artist Robert Iza; “Summer Memories” by writer/director Adam Yaniv; “Ice Station Zedonk” by Nickelodeon director Tom Parkinson; “Night Crew” by independent animators Caitlin Boyle and Tara Helfer; “Planet Claire” by Nickelodeon executive producers Chris Viscardi and Will McRobb; “The Outsiders” by writer Eric Bravo; “Leander, Dre and Cyppy” by Nickelodeon storyboard artist Monica Ray; “Ugly Mutt” by PUNY Entertainment’s Shadi Petosky and Dave Hagen; and “Bad News Bunny” by California State University, Fullerton, graduate Tarryn Henderson.

Nickelodeon’s Animated Shorts Program, which is designed to identify and develop original comedy-driven content for kids, was launched in 2012 and took 600 pitches in its inaugural year. The program became global its second year. Concepts are received in all animation, styles from 2D, digital 2D, stop motion, CG and mixed media. Finalists are provided with the necessary artistic and production support teams to help them complete their fully animated original, humor-based and character-driven shorts.

About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 35th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 19 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B).

Review: "Fruitvale Station" Heartbreakingly Beautiful and Beautifully Heartbreaking

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 30 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Fruitvale Station (2013)
Running time:  85 minutes (1 hour, 25 minutes)
MPAA – R for some violence, language throughout and some drug use
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Ryan Coogler
PRODUCERS:  Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Rachel Morrison (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Claudia S. Castello and Michael P. Shawver
COMPOSER:  Ludwig Girabsson

DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, Octavia Spencer, Ariana Neal, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray, Anha O’Reilly, Kenan Coogler, and Trestin George

Fruitvale Station is a 2013 drama from writer-director Ryan Coogler.  A docu-drama and quasi-historical film, Fruitvale Station is a dramatization of the last day in the life of Oscar Louis Grant III, a real-life African-American man who was shot to death by a police officer.  Actor Forest Whitaker is one of the film’s producer (although he does not appear in the film), and Harvey Weinstein is one the film’s executive producers, although he does receive a screen credit in the film as such.

Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old San Francisco Bay Area resident, and his friends were traveling on a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train during the early hours of New Year’s Day 2009.  After a fight on the train, Grant and his friends were detained by BART Police officers at Fruitvale Station in Oakland, California.  While being restrained Grant, who was lying face down and allegedly resisting arrest, was fatally shot by BART Police officer Johannes Mehserle.  Grant was pronounced dead around 9 a.m. that morning at Highland Hospital in Oakland.

The incident at the train station is the basis of Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station.  The film follows Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) from the early morning of New Year’s Eve 2008 to his death.  The film examines his relationship with his girlfriend, Sophina (Melonie Diaz), who is the mother of his child, Tatiana (Ariana Neal).  The film also pays particular attention to Grant’s close relationship with Tatiana and his relationship with his mother, Wanda (Octavia Spencer), which had improved since Oscar’s stint in jail.  By illustrating the energy he brought to life, the film celebrates how much Oscar meant to his family and friends.

I often dread watching films based on real-life events when I know that the lead character died or was killed.  It took me three days to watch Fruitvale Station because I knew the heartbreak that was coming, and this film is indeed poignant and heartbreaking.  It eulogizes Oscar Grant, while simultaneously mourning a unique soul lost through senseless death.  By portraying Oscar’s relationships, Coogler emphasizes what a tragic loss Oscar was for his friends and family.  However, Coogler makes that sense of loss feel genuine in ways that films about real life people often do not.  Some movies about the senseless killing of person can make the viewer feel outrage.  Fruitvale Station simply cause hurt deep in the soul.

Michael B. Jordan as Oscar and Octavia Spencer as his mother, Wanda, give tremendous performances.  Spencer (who is one of the co-executive producers of this film) shows that she can build characters that seem real right down to their souls.  I can see why many thought that she would get an Oscar nod for her work here, which she ultimately did not.

Jordan is so good; it is as if he disappeared and then, reappeared as the real Oscar Grant.  After such a performance, people will obviously think that the sky is the limit for this bright and talented young actor.  Because of his performance, I don’t think I could watch Fruitvale Station again.  I cannot let Jordan, Spencer, and Coogler break my heart and make me cry again.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
2014 Black Reel Awards:  9 nominations:  “Outstanding Motion Picture” (Forest Whitaker-producer and Nina Yang Bongiovi-producer – The Weinstein Company), “Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture,” (Michael B. Jordan), “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Melonie Diaz), “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Octavia Spencer), “Outstanding Director, Motion Picture” (Ryan Coogler), “Outstanding Screenplay-Adapted or Original, Motion Picture” (Ryan Coogler), “Outstanding Ensemble” (Nina Henninger-Casting Director), “Outstanding Score” (Ludwig Göransson), and “Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female” (Melonie Diaz)

2014 Image Awards:  1 win: “Outstanding Independent Motion Picture;” 4 nominations: “Outstanding Motion Picture,” “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Michael B. Jordan), “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Octavia Spencer), and “Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture - Theatrical or Television” (Ryan Coogler)

Thursday, July 03, 2014


The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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"Blood Lad" Anime on Neon Alley and Hulu

VIZ MEDIA PREMIERES THE SUPERNATURAL ACTION COMEDY ANIME SERIES BLOOD LAD ON NEON ALLEY AND HULU

An Otaku Vampire Obsessed With The Human World Falls Hard For a Pretty Girl That Becomes A Ghost And He Vows To Help Her Regain Her Body; Series Premiere Features New English Dub Cast

VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, dials up the action and laughs for the special premiere of the anime series – BLOOD LAD – now available on Hulu and Neon Alley. The entire 10 episode paranormal action comedy series about an otaku vampire and a ghost girl features a brand new English dub cast and will available on the Hulu and Neon Alley for a limited time only!

A trailer and episodes may be viewed at: http://www.hulu.com/blood-lad.

BLOOD LAD will launch on NeonAlley.com, VIZ Media’s consolidated online destination for FREE streaming anime content in the U.S. Episodes will also be available on the free, ad-supported Hulu and Hulu Plus subscription service, where users can watch on a variety of devices including Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 (PS3®) or PlayStation®4 (PS4™) systems Roku, Chromecast, and mobile devices. A full list of Hulu and Hulu Plus-enabled devices can be found at http://www.hulu.com/plus/devices.

Adapted from Yuki Kodama's bestselling manga (graphic novel) series, BLOOD LAD introduces Staz, who is one of the toughest vampires in the demon world. But unlike his ancestors, he finds being a vampire to be a serious pain and prefers to spend his time watching anime and playing video games instead. When a Japanese girl named Fuyumi wanders into his territory, Staz cannot hide his excitement at finally meeting a living human from his favorite culture. Unfortunately, Fuyumi dies after being swallowed by a monster, leaving her bare soul behind. Staz vows to Fuyumi that he will bring her back to life by any bloody means necessary.

VIZ Media is the North American master licensor for the BLOOD LAD (rated TV-14) anime property. The company also plans to release the entire series for home media in a special Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD combo-pack, as well as a Standard Edition DVD set on September 2nd. Both editions are available now for pre-order from leading retailers. The BLOOD LAD Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD combo-pack MSRP will be $69.99 U.S. / $89/99 CAN; the Standard Edition DVD MSRP will be $44.82 U.S. / $43.23 CAN.

“A nerdy vampire’s obsession with the human world collides with a girl that becomes lost in the demon world after wandering into a portal that suddenly opens in her bedroom, and the stage is set for plenty of thrilling supernatural action and laugh out loud comedic hijinks,” says Charlene Ingram, Senior Manager, Animation Marketing. “Anime fans will not want to miss this special premiere of BLOOD LAD, which features an amazing English dub cast including Bryce Papenbrook and Xanthe Huynh in the lead characters’ roles and supported by other top voice talents including Cristina Vee, Wendy Lee, Johnny Yong Bosch and Kyle Hebert. Catch the premiere of BLOOD LAD on Neon Alley and Hulu ahead of its special home media release this September!”

Additional information on Neon Alley is available at: www.NeonAlley.com.

For more information on BLOOD LAD, or other award-winning anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

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Amazon Studios Announces New TV Pilot, "Hysteria"

Amazon Adds Dramatic Thriller Hysteria to Its Third Pilot Season

Amazon Studios collaborates with Universal Television and Alcon Television Group for an hour-long character-driven thriller from Shaun Cassidy (Invasion) starring Mena Suvari (American Beauty), James McDaniel (Orange Is The New Black), Josh Stewart (The Dark Knight Rises), Adan Canto (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Laura San Giacomo (Saving Grace) and T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy)

Hysteria joins The Cosmopolitans, Really and Hand of God for Amazon’s highly-anticipated third pilot season, which will debut later this year on Amazon Instant Video


SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced it has added the hour-long dramatic thriller Hysteria, from Amazon Studios, Universal Television and Alcon Television Group, to its third pilot season, which will debut later this year on Amazon Instant Video. Starring Mena Suvari (American Beauty) as “Dr. Logan Harlen,” James McDaniel (Orange Is The New Black) as “Carl Sapsi,” Josh Stewart (The Dark Knight Rises) as “Ray Ratajeck,” Adan Canto (X-Men: Days of Future Past) as “Matt Sanchez,” Laura San Giacomo (Saving Grace) as “Grace Pelayo” and T.R. Knight (Grey’s Anatomy) as “Carter Harlen,” Hysteria follows a doctor (Suvari) who returns to her hometown of Austin, Texas to investigate a growing epidemic that appears to be spreading through social media. The show is written by Shaun Cassidy who also serves as Executive Producer alongside Adam Schroeder, Sharon Hall, Andrew Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Bryan Zuriff, and Director Otto Bathurst. Customers will once again be invited to watch and provide feedback on the pilots they want to see turned into full series, which will then become available on Prime Instant Video.

    “We’re very excited to be collaborating with Universal Television and Alcon Television Group to bring Hysteria to life for viewers”

“We’re very excited to be collaborating with Universal Television and Alcon Television Group to bring Hysteria to life for viewers,” said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “Shaun is known for creating shows with layers of mystery, depth of character and topical themes. His script immediately hooked us and we can’t wait to hear what customers think.”

“I can think of no better platform than Amazon to tell a story that explores the price of fear and the very real threat of viral connection becoming contagion,” said Shaun Cassidy.

Directed by Bathurst, who recently won the BAFTA for his work on the critically acclaimed U.K. mini-series Peaky Blinders, Hysteria takes viewers to Austin where members of a girls’ competitive dance team are stricken with a strange, psycho-physiological illness that manifests in violent fits and spasms. Neurologist Logan Harlen (Suvari) is called back to her hometown to investigate the cause. Fighting her own demons (and the growing manipulation of a brother on death row), Logan develops an uneasy suspicion that the hysteria surrounding the girls might actually be linked to social media and her own tragic past. In addition to Suvari, McDaniel, Stewart, Canto, San Giacomo and Knight, Hysteria also stars, Ella Rae Peck and Jenessa Grant. Guest stars include Jason Douglas, Heather Kafka, Asjha Cooper, and Evie Thompson.

About Amazon Studios
Last year Amazon Studios launched its first two prime time series Alpha House and Betas, and recently debuted its first two children’s series, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival Award-winning Tumble Leaf from Bix Pix Entertainment, as well as Creative Galaxy from Angela Santomero, the creator of Blue’s Clues. A third kids’ series, Annedroids, from Emmy nominated Sinking Ship Entertainment will debut in July. Amazon Studios recently announced six additional, original series including Chris Carter’s The After; Michael Connelly’s Bosch; Jill Soloway’s Transparent; Mozart in the Jungle from Paul Weitz, Roman Coppola and Jason Schwartzman; Wishenpoof! from Angela Santomero; and Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street from David Anaxagoras, as well as a second season of Alpha House. Amazon Original Series are available exclusively to Prime members through Prime Instant Video.

Amazon Studios launched in 2010 as a new way to develop feature films and episodic series—one that’s open to great ideas from creators and audiences around the world. Anyone can upload a script and Amazon Studios will read and review all submissions. Those who choose to make their projects public will also receive feedback from the Amazon Studios community.

Comprehensive cast and crew information, including bios and filmographies, is available on Amazon's IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content.

About Amazon.com
Amazon opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by three principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire phone, Fire tablets, and Fire TV are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon.

Former Disney Animator, Lino DiSalvo, Joins Paramonut Animation

PARAMOUNT ANIMATION ANNOUNCES LINO DISALVO AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc., announced today that veteran animator Lino DiSalvo has joined Paramount Animation as its new Creative Director. The announcement came from Adam Goodman, President of the Paramount Film Group, who oversees Animation for the studio.

A 16 year veteran of Walt Disney Animation Studios, DiSalvo most recently served as Head of Animation on the Academy Award®-winning and highest-grossing animated feature of all time, “FROZEN.” DiSalvo began his career at the Walt Disney Company as a Character Animator. Prior to “FROZEN,” he served as Supervising Animator on “TANGLED” and “BOLT.” His other film credits include animating on “MEET THE ROBINSONS” and “CHICKEN LITTLE.” With his new role, DiSalvo will be assisting Goodman and the Paramount Animation team to build a world-class feature animation studio.

“From its inception, we have aspired to work with the industry’s greatest artists and storytellers, and Lino’s addition to our little animation family is thrilling given his incredible talent. CG animation is still in its earliest days and his extraordinary artistry, coupled with the endless potential of the medium, makes for an incredibly exciting time to be building our own animation business, and gives us a lot of continued inspiration for the future creatively,” said Goodman.

“I couldn't pass up this amazing opportunity to work with the absolute all-star team of artists at Paramount Animation. The possibilities for reinventing and reimagining CG feature animation are virtually endless, and I am excited to be at Paramount helping to forge that incredible, new future," said DiSalvo.

Paramount Animation is currently in production on the original film “MONSTER TRUCKS,” a hybrid of live action and CGI animation directed by Chris Wedge (“ICE AGE,” “EPIC”). The film is set for release in May 2015.

Next up for the division is “THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER,” from directors Paul Tibbitt (animation) and Mike Mitchell (live action), releasing in February of 2015.

DiSalvo, who begins immediately in his new role, is represented by UTA.

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.