Saturday, December 12, 2020

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 6th to 12th, 2020 - Update #24

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

OBIT-COVID-19 - From YahooEntertainment:   Country music's first Black icon, Charley Pride, has died of COVID-19.

MOVIES - From CNN:   It is official, actor Harrison Ford will return for a fifth film in the "Indiana Jones" series, which began in 1981 with the Oscar-winning "Raiders of the Lost Ark."  The film is due July 2022.

PIXAR - From Deadline: Pixar is working on an origin movie for "Buzz Lightyear," the space hero from "Toy Story."  "Captain America's" Chris Evans will voice the lead role.  The film is due in July 2022.

DISNEY+ - From Deadline:   Whoopi Goldberg is returning for a third "Sister Act" film.  Goldberg will reprise her role of Deloris Wilson for "Sister Act 3" and will produce the film along with Tyler Perry for Disney+.

DISNEY+ - From Variety:   Disney+ announces 10 new "Star Wars"-related series and 10 new series from Marvel Studios.

BLM - From WebMD:   In an article for "WebMD," college and pro basketball legend and champion, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talks about the health of African-Americans and the risks to that posted by the healthcare system.

STREAMING - From BleedingCool:   Amazon is developing a TV series based on the 1997 teen horror flick, "I Know What You Did Last Summer."  Craig Macneill will direct the series pilot.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   Kevin Hart and Wesley Snipes will play brothers in "True Story," a Netflix limited series drama.  It written and executive produced by Eric Newman of "Narcos: Mexico."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  HBO has been working on a reboot of its vampire melodrama, "True Blood."  Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (creator of "Riverdale") and Jami O'Brien (creator of AMC'S "NOS4A2") will write the pilot with O'Brien acting as the executive producer with Alan Ball, creator of the original series.

MOVIES - From IndieWire:  The best undistributed films of 2020

OSCARS - From Deadline:   Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher, and Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh have been announced as the producers for the 93rd Academy Awards, which will be held Sunday, April 25th, 2021.

WARNER MEDIA - From THR:  Oscar-nominated director, Christopher Nolan, rips into WarnerMedia's announced plan to release its 2021 film slate on its streaming service, HBO Max, which Nolan calls "the worst streaming service."

STAR TREK - From Deadline:  Actors who have starred in the "Star Trek" franchise, from the original series to the recent "Star Trek: Discovery," will hold a virtual fund raiser for U.S. Senate candidates from Georgia, Democrats Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, on Sat. Dec. 12th, 2020.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Constantin Film has issued an apology for its film, "Monster Hunter," an adaptation of the popular video game.  The film contains dialogue that was considered offensive in China, where the film has been a hit.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 12/4 to 12/6/2020 weekend box office is DreamWorks Animation's "The Croods: A New Age" with an estimated take of 4.4 million dollars.

MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-winning screenwriter Alan Ball wonders about the legacy of the Oscar-winning film he wrote, "American Beauty" (1999), because of the scandals related to the film's star, Kevin Spacey.  Spacey won a "Best Actor" Oscar for his performance, but the last few years have seen Spacey beset by accusations of predatory behavior and sexual assault.

TELEVISION - From ShadowandAct:  Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Regina King is producing "Slay," an African-American themed supernatural drama that is in development at The CW.

TELEVISION - From LATimes:  Inside the TV networks' battle for Christmas movie supremacy 

OBITS:

From TMZ:  Character actor and occasional professional wrestler, Tom "Tiny" Lister, Jr. was found dead in his apartment, Thursday, December 10, 2020.  Lister is best known for playing the character, "Deebo," in "Friday" (1995) and its sequel, "Next Friday" (2000).  He appeared in numerous other films, including "The Fifth Element" (1997) and "The Dark Knight" (2008), to name a few.

From Deadline:  The film and television actress, Natalie Desselle, has died at the age of 83, Monday, December 7, 2020 of colon cancer.  Her best known film roles were in "B.A.P.S." (1997) and "Madea's Big Happy Family" (2010).  Desselle made her television debut on a 1996 episode of ABC's former family sitcom, "Family Matters."  Desselle was a main cast member on UPN's TV series, "Eve" (2003-06).

From BET:  Halle Berry issues a statement about the passing of Natalie Desselle, who co-starred with her in "B.A.P.S."
 
From BET:  Halley Berry posts new emotional tribute to former co-star, Natalie Desselle, who died Monday morning, Dec. 7th. 

From YahooEntertainment:  Halle Berry and other celebs react to the death of Natalie Desselle.
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From Deadline:   Film and television character actor and stage actor, Warren Berlinger, has died at the age of 83, Wednesday, December 2, 2020.  He was known for playing next to bigger stars, including a role in the Elvis Presley film, "Spinout" (1966).  Later in his career, he made numerous guest appearances on such TV series as "Happy Days," "Murder, She Wrote," and "Friends," to name a few.  He began his stage career as a nine-year-old in the 1946 Broadway production of "Annie Get Your Gun," and he went on to perform on stage in "Blue Denim" and "Happy Time," to name a few.

From Deadline:   The actor television actor, David Landers, has died at the age of 73, Friday, December 4, 2020.  Landers is best known for playing the role of "Squiggy" on the former ABC sitcom, "Laverne & Shirley" (1976-83).  He was also a noted voice actor who performed in multiple animated film and TV series.


COVID-19:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remember when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From TheAtlanticThe Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

9/19 - From WashPost:  U.S. coronavirus death toll reaches 200,000

9/23 - From CNBC:  Mark Cuban, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and star of ABC's "Shark Tank," suggests that every household in American get a $1000 check every two weeks for the next two months.

11/7 - From YahooNews:  "It's a slaughter," doctors say of new coronavirus wave.

11/13 - YahooNews:  "We blew it": U.S. reaches 'explosive' COVID-19 spread as virus is nearly impossible to control, experts say.

11/29 From LATimes:  California sets record with most COVID-19 hospitalizations since pandemic began

12/6 - From YahooNBC:  President Donald has announced that his lawyer, former mayor of New York City, Rudy Giulani, has tested positive for COVID-19.

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From TheGuardian:  Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five," says in an interview, "Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park."

From NPR:  Prosecutors' plea deal required drug suspect to name Breonna Taylor a "co-defendant."

From ChicagoSunTimes:  Rev. Jesse Jackson: America has millions of people in poverty because Americans choose not to demand the policies that would lift them out of poverty.

From APNews:  No one will be held accountable for the killing of Louisville African-American resident, Breonna Taylor.

From Channel4:  Revealed: Trump campaign strategy to deter millions of Black Americans from voting in 2016

From GuardianUK:  California is going to consider paying reparations to the descendants of African slaves after adopting a landmark law to study and to develop proposals around the issue.

From TheRoot:   What to Do When Your Country Turns Into a Dumpster Fire

From Vox:  It's True: 1 in 1,000 Black Americans Have Died in the Covid-19 Pandemic

From CBS:  Breonna Taylor's boyfriend certain cops didn't identify themselves

From DonaldTrump:  Well, because it has been in the news a lot lately (via Ice Cube and Li'l Wayne), here is "The Platinum Plan."  It is impressive, but no Republican Congress would go along with even 10 percent of this plan which is basically a long list of promises to the Black Americans - individually and as a group.

From Truthout:   Yes, 55 Percent of White Women Voted for Trump. No, I’m Not Surprised.



Thursday, December 10, 2020

Sony Pictures and AT&T Reach a $1.175 Billion Deal on Crunchyroll

AT&T to Sell Crunchyroll to Sony’s Funimation Global Group

CULVER CITY, Calif. & DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and AT&T Inc.* (NYSE:T) announced that AT&T agreed to sell its Crunchyroll anime business to Funimation Global Group, LLC. Funimation is a joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc.’s subsidiary, Aniplex Inc.

Crunchyroll is a premier anime direct-to-consumer service within AT&T’s WarnerMedia segment with more than 3 million SVOD subscribers and growing. It serves 90 million registered users across more than 200 countries and territories offering AVOD, mobile games, manga, events merchandise and distribution. The combination of Crunchyroll and Funimation provides the opportunity to broaden distribution for their content partners and expand fan-centric offerings for consumers.

“The Crunchyroll team has done an extraordinary job of not only growing the Crunchyroll brand but also building a passionate community of anime fans. Crunchyroll’s success is a direct result of the company’s culture and commitment to their fans,” said Tony Goncalves, Chief Revenue Officer, WarnerMedia. “By combining with Funimation, they will continue to nurture a global community and bring more anime to more people. I’m incredibly proud of the Crunchyroll team and what they have been able to accomplish in the digital media space in such a short period of time. They’ve created an end-to-end global ecosystem for this incredible art form.”

“We are proud to bring Crunchyroll into the Sony family,” said Tony Vinciquerra, Chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment. “Through Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, we have a deep understanding of this global artform and are well-positioned to deliver outstanding content to audiences around the world. Together with Crunchyroll, we will create the best possible experience for fans and greater opportunity for creators, producers and publishers in Japan and elsewhere. Funimation has been doing this for over 25 years and we look forward to continuing to leverage the power of creativity and technology to succeed in this rapidly growing segment of entertainment.”

The purchase price for the transaction is $1.175 billion subject to customary working capital and other adjustments, and the proceeds will be paid in cash at closing. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

*About AT&T:
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a diversified, global leader in telecommunications, media and entertainment, and technology. WarnerMedia is a leading media and entertainment company that creates and distributes premium and popular content to global audiences through its consumer brands, including: HBO, HBO Max, Warner Bros., TNT, TBS, truTV, CNN, DC Entertainment, New Line, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Turner Classic Movies. Xandr, now part of WarnerMedia, provides marketers with innovative and relevant advertising solutions for consumers around premium video content and digital advertising through its platform. AT&T Communications provides more than 100 million U.S. consumers with entertainment and communications experiences across TV, mobile and broadband. Plus, it serves high-speed, highly secure connectivity and smart solutions to nearly 3 million business customers. AT&T Latin America provides pay-TV services across 10 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean and wireless services to consumers and businesses in Mexico.

AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information is available at about.att.com. © 2020 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. FirstNet and the FirstNet logo are registered trademarks and service marks of the First Responder Network Authority. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

About Crunchyroll:
Crunchyroll connects anime and manga fans across 200+ countries and territories with 360-degree experiences. Fans have access to the one of the largest collections of licensed anime through Crunchyroll, Anime Digital Network (in partnership with Citel, a subsidiary of Média-Participations), and Anime on Demand video streaming services, translated in multiple languages for viewers worldwide. Crunchyroll's services also extend to licensing of theatrical, TV, home video, consumer product, and video game rights.

Fans engage further with events (including owned events Crunchyroll Expo, Anime Awards, Crunchyroll Movie Nights, KAZÉ Movie Nights), consumer products through eCommerce and retail partners (Crunchyroll, KAZÉ, AV Visionen), Crunchyroll Games, KAZÉ Games, and manga (KAZÉ Manga, Crunchyroll Manga app, Crunchyroll Manga Store).

Crunchyroll was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Paris, Lausanne, Chisinau, and Berlin (AV Visionen). VRV (U.S.) and Eye See Movies (Germany) are also Crunchyroll brands.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment:
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, 3000 Pictures, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html.

About Funimation:
Funimation distributes the best anime to a passionate, global community of fans. For over 25 years, Funimation has been delivering anime to fans and is pioneering an omnichannel approach to engaging and entertaining millions where they want it most—streaming, home entertainment, theatrical, e-commerce, merchandising, live events, and more.

Funimation’s streaming services offer a growing catalog of over 700 anime series and 13,000+ hours of content available on 15 platforms and in 49 countries. Funimation’s in-house team designs must-have, exclusive collectibles distributed through major retailers and an e-commerce site; Funimation’s theatrical division has distributed and marketed 6 of the top 20 anime films in the U.S. As pioneers of the SimulDub™, Funimation is the gold standard for foreign language dubbing of Japanese anime with the highest quality standards and fidelity to the original artists. With a fan-centric approach, Funimation has built a social community of tens of millions of followers and earned the trust of Japan’s most iconic creators.

Funimation has nine offices in six countries and hundreds of employees worldwide. As an independently operated joint venture between U.S.-based Sony Pictures Entertainment and Japan’s Aniplex Inc., a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., Funimation benefits from deep entertainment expertise across cultures, territories, and languages.

To learn more about Funimation, visit funimation.com and follow Funimation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements:
Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

This news release may contain certain non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations between the non-GAAP financial measures and the GAAP financial measures are available on the company’s website at https://investors.att.com.

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Wednesday, December 9, 2020

Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher, and Steven Soderbergh Announced as Producers of 2020 Oscars Ceremony

JESSE COLLINS, STACEY SHER AND STEVEN SODERBERGH TO PRODUCE THE 93RD OSCARS®

Emmy®-nominated producer Jesse Collins, Oscar®-nominated producer Stacey Sher and Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Soderbergh will produce the 93rd Oscars®, Academy President David Rubin announced today.  It will be their first involvement with the Oscars, which airs live on ABC and broadcast outlets worldwide on Sunday, April 25, 2021.

“The upcoming Oscars is the perfect occasion for innovation and for re-envisioning the possibilities for the awards show.  This is a dream team who will respond directly to these times,” said Academy President David Rubin and Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “The Academy is excited to work with them to deliver an event that reflects the worldwide love of movies and how they connect us and entertain us when we need them the most.”

“We're thrilled and terrified in equal measure. Because of the extraordinary situation we're all in, there’s an opportunity to focus on the movies and the people who make them in a new way, and we hope to create a show that really FEELS like the movies we all love,” said Collins, Sher and Soderbergh.

“Jesse, Stacey and Steven are the ideal storytellers to harness the uniqueness of this moment and celebrate the artists who are dedicated to telling stories that stand the test of time,” said Craig Erwich, president of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment. “By enlisting this incredibly talented team of television and film producers, I’m confident we will deliver a prestigious event that will be remembered for years to come.”

Collins has produced numerous awards shows and events including the Grammy Awards®, BET Awards, UNCF An Evening of Stars®, Black Girls Rock! and Soul Train® Awards, and such television series and specials as “John Lewis: Celebrating a Hero,” “Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices,” “Change Together: From the March on Washington to Today,” “Sunday Best,” “American Soul,” “Rhythm + Flow” and “The New Edition Story.”  He earned an Emmy nomination for the 61st Grammy Awards in 2019.  Collins also has been tapped to co-executive produce the upcoming Grammy Awards and executive produce the Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show, both in early 2021.  He is the founder and CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, a full-service television and film entertainment production company.

Sher earned Best Picture Oscar nominations for “Django Unchained” (2012) and “Erin Brockovich” (2000).  She has produced or executive produced more than two dozen major motion pictures, including such notable films as “Pulp Fiction,” “The Hateful Eight,” “Contagion,” “Garden State,” “Man on the Moon,” “Out of Sight,” “Gattaca,” “Get Shorty” and “Reality Bites.”  Her television credits include such series as “Mrs. America,” which earned 10 Emmy nominations, “Reno 911!,” “Into the Badlands” and “Sweet/Vicious.”  She also served as an executive producer on the Oscar-winning documentary short subject “Period. End of Sentence.” (2018).  Sher is currently a producer on the Aretha Franklin biographical film “Respect,” starring Jennifer Hudson, set for release in August of 2021.

Soderbergh won a Directing Oscar for “Traffic” in 2000 and earned a nomination for directing “Erin Brockovich” that same year.  He also earned a writing nomination for “sex, lies, and videotape” (1989), his feature film directorial debut.  A prolific writer, director, producer, cinematographer and editor, he has directed more than 30 films in a three-decade career, including “Magic Mike,” “Contagion,” the “Ocean’s” trilogy, “Out of Sight” and, most recently, “Let Them All Talk,” premiering this month.  He also has produced or executive produced a wide range of projects for both film and television, including “Bill & Ted Face the Music,” “The Report,” “Ocean’s Eight,” “Citizenfour,” “Michael Clayton,” “Good Night, and Good Luck.” and two seasons of his own series, “The Knick.”

The 93rd Oscars will be held on Sunday, April 25, 2021, and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

# # #

ABOUT THE ACADEMY:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 10,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

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Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Movie Review: "Bloodshot" Surprises

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

Bloodshot (2020)

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Running time:  109 minutes (1 hour, 49 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, some suggestive material and language
DIRECTOR:  David S.F. Wilson
WRITERS: Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer; from a story by Jeff Wadlow (based on the Valiant Comics character)
PRODUCERS:  Vin Diesel, Toby Jaffe, Neal H. Moritz, and Dinesh Shamdasani
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jacques Jouffret (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Jim May
COMPOSER:  Steve Jablonsky

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/SCI-FI/ACTION

Starring:  Vin Diesel, Guy Pearce, Eiza González, Sam Heughan, Lamorne Morris, Alex Hernandez, Toby Kebbell, Talulah Riley, Siddharth Dhananjay, and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson

Bloodshot is a 2020 superhero and science fiction film directed by David S.F. Wilson.  The film features the Valiant Comics' character, Bloodshot, that was created by Kevin VanHook, Don Perlin, and Bob Layton.  Blooshot focuses on a slain Marine brought back to life as a super-powered weapon.

Bloodshot introduces U.S. Marine Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel).  After leading a successful rescue operation in Mombasa, Ray and his wife, Gina (Talulah Riley), travel to a beachside town on Italy's Amalfi Coast for a holiday.  However, a notorious terrorist, Martin Axe (Toby Kebbell), kidnaps Ray and Gina and demands that Ray reveal the source of the information the Marines used for the Mombasa hostage operation.  Then, things turn ugly.

Ray awakens in a lab at the headquarters of RST (Rising Spirit Tech), a company that specializes in developing cybernetic enhancements for disabled United States' military personnel.  The company's CEO, Dr. Emil Harting (Guy Pearce), tells Ray that he is the first successful candidate that they have resurrected using a special “nanite technology.”  As he embarks on his first kill-mission, Ray does not realize that very little of what he believes is true.

While watching Bloodshot, I realized that Vin Diesel has starred in a lot of science fiction and fantasy films.  They are an odd lot of high concepts and box office misfires – for the most part.  Bloodshot is one of those films that had its release truncated by the closure of most movie theaters in North America by the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.  I am not sure if Bloodshot would have been much of a box office hit if it had had a full release...

...But it is a surprisingly enjoyable movie.  The truth is that this is something I would enjoy watching on DVD (which is how I saw the film via DVD Netflix), but, because it is based on a comic book, there is a good chance that I would have made a trip to the movie theater to see it.  Now, that I have seen it, I want to recommend it to fans of movies based on comic books and also to Vin Diesel fans.  Bloodshot is not a “Fast & Furious” film, but its action is... fast and furious... coincidentally.

Bloodshot's revenge-fantasy-within-a-revenge-tale plot delivers a lot of good action sequences.  This narrative's themes, built around the ideas of freedom, choice, control, and reality actually resonate.  While watching this movie, I often found myself asking questions like, “How free am I really?” and “How much freedom of choice is actually of my choosing?”  Bloodshot is like a story by the late author, Philip K. Dick, in which the lead character faces the truth that the reality in which he thinks he lives... is not real... or at least, it is not in his control.

Bloodshot is not a mindless action movie, and it is certainly a stronger take on the story of a military-type discovering that his body or part of it has been stolen than the 2019 Will Smith vehicle, Gemini Man.  However, Bloodshot would be a much stronger film if Vin Diesel were a better actor.  Diesel's acting range mostly runs from smooth guy to menacing guy to enraged guy.  This film's script certainly gives him plenty of scenes when Diesel has to be angry or at least to seethe.  Whenever Diesel's Ray Garrison has to be thoughtful, the film quickly moves on.

As for the supporting characters, the film's writing also doesn't offer anything more than familiar character types.  Still, actor Lamorne Morris manages to make his character, the coding rebel-genius, Wilfred Wigans, excellent comic relief.  Both actor and character are worth seeing again.

So I can honestly say that director David S.F. Wilson delivers a film that is more (at least, a little more) than it seems on the surface.  Bloodshot does not have any of those awful dry moments that make me want to fall asleep when watching an alleged action movie (which happens a lot... the aforementioned Gemini Man).  It is pretty much a fast-moving, highly-entertaining thrill machine.  Bloodshot has an excellent last act featuring a eye-spinning epic battle in and around an elevator shaft, and remember: the writing is smart enough to take its themes and ideas seriously.  In fact, Bloodshot is good enough to warrant a sequel – even if the box office... reality might keep that from happening.

6 of 10
B

Monday, September 28, 2020


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Monday, December 7, 2020

BOOM! Studios Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 9, 2020

BOOM! STUDIOS

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Dark Horse Comics Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 9, 2020

DARK HORSE COMICS

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JUN200348    CYBERPUNK 2077 JOHNNY SILVERHAND 10 IN FIG    $49.99
JUN200349    CYBERPUNK 2077 V-MALE 10 IN FIG    $49.99
OCT200277    NEIL GAIMAN NORSE MYTHOLOGY #3 CVR A RUSSELL    $3.99
OCT200278    NEIL GAIMAN NORSE MYTHOLOGY #3 CVR B MACK    $3.99
JUN200312    NIER AUTOMATA WORLD GUIDE HC VOL 02    $39.99
JUN200318    PLANTS VS ZOMBIES MULTIBALLISTIC HC    $10.99
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JUN200287    RICK & MORTY CHARACTER GUIDE HC    $39.99
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OCT200264    TRUE LIVES FABULOUS KILLJOYS NATIONAL ANTHEM #3 CVR B CLOONA    $3.99
OCT200265    TRUE LIVES FABULOUS KILLJOYS NATIONAL ANTHEM #3 CVR C MACLEA    $3.99
JUL200312    WITCHER 3 SCHOOL OF WOLF ENAMEL PIN    $9.99
JUL200315    WITCHER 3 SCHOOL OF WOLF KEYCHAIN    $9.99
JUL200314    WITCHER 3 TRISS MEDALLION ENAMEL PIN    $9.99
JUL200317    WITCHER 3 TRISS MEDALLION KEYCHAIN    $9.99
JUL200313    WITCHER 3 YENNEFER MEDALLION ENAMEL PIN    $9.99
JUL200316    WITCHER 3 YENNEFER MEDALLION KEYCHAIN    $9.99


Dynamite Entertainment Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 9, 2020

DYNAMITE

AUG200843    BETTIE PAGE #4 BLACK BAG PHOTO CVR (MR)    $10.00
OCT200768    RED SONJA PRICE OF BLOOD #1 CVR A SUYDAM    $3.99
OCT200769    RED SONJA PRICE OF BLOOD #1 CVR B GOLDEN    $3.99
OCT200770    RED SONJA PRICE OF BLOOD #1 CVR C LINSNER    $3.99
OCT200771    RED SONJA PRICE OF BLOOD #1 CVR D GEOVANI    $3.99
OCT200772    RED SONJA PRICE OF BLOOD #1 CVR E RAY COSPLAY    $3.99
OCT200754    VAMPIRELLA DARK POWERS #1 BLANK AUTHENTIX CVR    $3.99
OCT200728    VAMPIRELLA DARK POWERS #1 CVR A LEE    $3.99
OCT200729    VAMPIRELLA DARK POWERS #1 CVR B MOMOKO    $3.99
OCT200730    VAMPIRELLA DARK POWERS #1 CVR C LINSNER    $3.99
OCT200731    VAMPIRELLA DARK POWERS #1 CVR D YOON    $3.99
OCT200732    VAMPIRELLA DARK POWERS #1 CVR E RAMIREZ COSPLAY    $3.99