Saturday, February 12, 2022

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 6th to 12th, 2022 - Update #22

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Bill Lawrence, the showrunner behind the hit TV series, "Ted Lasso," has just signed a 100 million dollar deal with Warner Bros. TV Group. Here, is the story behind the deal.

TELEVISION - From DeadlineFox Network has made a "script-to-series" commitment for "End of Watch," a TV series based on David Ayers' 2012 film, "End of Watch."

AMAZON - From VanityFair:  Here are several photographic images from Amazon's series, "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power."

TRAILER - From ETCanada:  The first official trailer for "Jurassic World: Dominion" is here.

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Comedian and TV host turned media mogul, Byron Allen, wants to buy the NFL's Denver Broncos, which are currently up for sale.

BUSINESS - From Variety:  An array of movie, gaming, merchandising, and live event rights to "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" are up for sale because the Saul Zaentz Co. had decided to sell them.

MUSIC - From VarietySnopp Dogg has acquired his old record label, "Death Row Records."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The cause of actor-comedian Bob Saget's death has been revealed to be due to head trauma.  Saget was found unresponsive in an Orlando, Florida hotel on Jan. 9th, early this year.

NETFLIX - From THR:  Director Zack Snyder is re-teaming with his "Justice League" star, Ray Fisher, for the two-part Netflix film, "Rebel Moon," which will be shot back-to-back.

MOVIES - From VarietyUniversal Pictures has provided a first look at Oscar-winner Jordan Peele's upcoming film, "Nope."  The full trailer release will apparently happen during on "Super Bowl Sunday."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Actress and TV personality Sherri Shepherd, a former co-host on ABC's "The View," is reportedly near a deal to become the permanent host of "The Wendy Williams Show."

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

OSCARS - From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 94th Academy Awards have been announced.  "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 nominations.  The winners will be revealed March 27th.

From Deadline:    With his "Best Actor" nomination for "The Tragedy of Macbeth," Denzel Washington is the most nominated Black actor is Oscar history.  He has been nominated in two acting categories a total of 10 times with two wins total.

From Variety:   With her "Best Director" Oscar nomination for "The Power of the Dog," Jane Campion becomes the first woman nominated twice in that category. She was previously nominated in that category for "The Piano" (1993).

From Variety:  With his three nominations today, Kenneth Branagh of "Belfast" becomes the first person to have been nominated in seven individual categories over his career.

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

COMIC BOOKS - From HorrorNewsNetwork:  Zombie Love Studios founder and comic book writer Rodney Barnes is teaming up with rapper/actor Snoop Dogg to produce a new horror anthology comic book, "Tales from the Crip," that is said to be “in the tradition of the classic EC Comics of old.”

CELEBRITY - From RollingStoneJennifer Lopez is "Rolling Stone's" March 2022 cover star, and she talks about how she broke all the rules to get to the top.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/4 to 2/6/2022 weekend box office is "Jackass Forever" with an estimated take of 23.5 million dollar opening.

PARAMOUNT+ - From Deadline:   Six fan favorite cast members:  Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler, and Paget Brewster, have agreed to come back to the Paramount+ revival of "Criminal Minds," subject to closing their deals and availability.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Famed television mega-producers, David E. Kelley ("The Practice") and J.J. Abrams ("Lost") are teaming up for a limited series adaptation of author Scott Turow's 1987 novel, "Presumed Innocent." The popular novel was previously adapted into a 1990 film starring Harrison Ford.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Pioneering visual effects artist and inventor, Douglas Trumbull, has died at the age of 79, Tuesday, February 7, 2022.  Trumbull was one of the mastermind behind some of the audacious science fiction films of all time, including "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), and "Blade Runner" (1982).  He also directed two landmark visual effects films, "Silent Running" (1972) and "Brainstorm" (1983).  He was nominated for three Oscars for his work on "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979), and "Blade Runner."  He did win a "Scientific and Engineering Award" and the "Gordon E. Sawyer Award" Academy Awards.

From Deadline:  Pioneering visual effects and mass media artist, Robert Blalack, has died at the age of Wednesday, February 2, 2022.  He was one of the founders of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).  He won a "Best Visual Effects" Oscar for his work on "Star Wars" (1977) and a Primetime Emmy for his work on ABC's television film, "The Day After" (1983).  Blalack also created and produced special effects for such films as "Altered States" (1980) and "Robocop" (1987).

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

AWARDS:

From Deadline:  The 2022 BAFTA Film Awards nominations have been announced.  "Dune" leads with 11 nominations.  The winners will be announced March 13th.

From Deadline:   The 2022 / 33rd annual Producers Guild of America Awards nominations have been announced.  The winners will be announced Saturday, March 19th.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2022 / 74th annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced March 12th.

From COFCA:  The Columbus Film Critics Association name "The Power of the Dog" the "Best Film" of 2021.

From Deadline:  Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," was named the "Best Picture" of 2021 at the 13th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards.  The Western tied with "King Richard" for most wins with four.  Will Smith was named "Best Actor" for "King Richard."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2022 / 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.

From Variety:  The snubs and surprises in the nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

From Variety:   At the 2022 / 79th Golden Globes, "The Power of the Dog" wins "Best Motion Picture-Drama" and "West Side Story" wins "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."

From VarietyThe National Society of Film Critics names the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the best film of 2021.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 22nd Annual Black Reel Awards were announced a few weeks ago. Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," has a record 20 nominations.  The winners will be announced February 27, 2022.

From AwardsWatch:  The Columbus Film Critics Association announced the nominations for their annual film awards.  Director Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 noms.  The winners will be announced Thurs., Jan. 6th, 2022.

From Deadline:  The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has named the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the "Best Picture" of 2021.

From Deadline:  The 2022 / 37th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have announced their nominations. "Zola" leads with six nominations. The winners will be announced Sun., March 6, 2022.

From THR:  The 2022 / 79th Golden Globes Awards nominations have been announced.  "Belfast" and "The Power of the Dog" lead with seven nominations each.  Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From GoldDerby:   The 2022 Critics Choice Awards nominations have been announced. "Belfast" and "West Side Story" leads with 11 nominations each. Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From Deadline:   The American Film Institute announced the "2021 AFI Awards" Top 10 list, and the list includes "Dune," "The Tragedy of Macbeth," and "West Side Story."

From THR:  Director Aleem Khan's "After Love" tops the 2021 British Independent Film Awards, winning six awards, including "Best Film of 2021."

From Variety:   The New York Film Critics Circle has named the Japanese drama, "Drive My Car," as the "Best Film of 2021."

From Deadline:  The National Board of Review hands director Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" it "Best Film" and "Best Director" awards.  Will Smith picks up the "Best Actor" award for "King Richard."

From THR:  Netflix’s "The Lost Daughter," directed by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, dominated the 2021 Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night (Nov. 29th).  The film won in four of the five categories in which it was nominated, including "Best Feature."

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

"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

From Deadline:  This link will take you to Deadline's Halyna Hutchins page, which articles related to everything about her shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From THR:   A Republican New Mexico legislator, State Sen. Cliff Pirtle of Roswell, on Monday introduced a bill that would require all film set personnel who handle firearms to complete a safety course offered by the New Mexico Game and Fish Department.  This is in the wake a cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, being fatally shot on the set of the Western, "Rust," last year by Alec Baldwin with a weapon he says he thought was not loaded with live ammunition.

From DeadlineAlec Baldwin and the other producers of the doomed Western film, "Rust," want a California judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed against them by the script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell.

From Deadline:   Alec Baldwin has finally turned over his cell phone to police for their probe into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Baldwin's Western film, "Rust," last October in New Mexico.

From Variety:  One of the producers of tragic Western film, Rust, Emily Salveson, pushes tax shelters and hid income.

From THR:  "I let go of the hammer and 'Bang,' the gun goes off" says Alec Baldwin says in his first interview of the moment when a gun he was holding accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From DeadlineAlec Baldwin will sit down with ABC's news-reading clown George Stephanopoulos for a one hour special tomorrow night to talk about what happened on the set of the movie "Rust."  It will be Baldwin’s first extensive interview about the shooting.

From Deadline:  Industry veteran, Thall Reed, the father of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the Western, "Rust," may have handed the police a tip on why the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot to death on the set.

From THR:  A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a prop shop sheds light on how alleged live ammunition ended up on the set of the Western film, "Rust," where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October.

From Deadline:  A month after cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the New Mexico set the movie Western, "Rust," by a prop gun “discharged” by Alec Baldwin, those closest to the cinematographer held a private ceremony and interred her ashes at an unknown location.

From Deadline:  Actor Daniel Baldwin defends his brother, Alec Baldwin, in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film, "Rust."  "Someone loaded that gun improperly," Daniel says.

From Deadline:  The newest lawsuit involving the tragic shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," has been filed by the film's script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, against Alec Baldwin, the producers, the production company, armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed, and others.

From DeadlineSerge Svetnoy, the gaffer on "Rust," has filed a lawsuit against several parties related to the film, including the production, the financiers, star Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and first Assistant Director David Halls.

From THR:   In the wake of the tragic accidental shooting on the set of his film, "Rust," Alec Baldwin on Monday took to social media to urge Hollywood to employ a police officer on every film and TV set that uses guns.

From THR:   The budget for "Rust" - Alec Baldwin was set to earn $150,000 as lead actor and $100,000 as producer, while $7,913 was earmarked for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and $17,500 was set aside for the rental of weapons and $5,000 for rounds.

From Deadline:  Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the film, "Rust," said that they’re looking into whether a live bullet was placed in a box of dummy rounds with the intent of  “sabotaging the set.”

From THR:   Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film, "Rust," released a statement through her lawyers.  She says she had “no idea where the live rounds came from” that were recovered by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's during the investigation of the accidental on-set shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

From Jacobin:  An opinion piece says that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death on the set of the film, "Rust," was not a freak accident, but was about Alec Baldwin and his fellow producers' cost-cutting decisions.  Baldwin accidentally fired the gun that killed Hutchins.

From Deadline:   Two of executive producers on "Rust," Allen Cheney and Emily Salveson, disavow responsibility for the film's troubled production.

From THR:   Iconic "Ghostbusters" actor Ernie Hudson is reeling from the news of the death of Halyna Hutchins, like the rest of Hollywood. Hudson also appeared in the film, "The Crow," the film in which its star, Brandon Lee, was killed because of an on-set accidental shooting.  He also agrees with the call to ban real guns from movie sets.

From THR:  The Sheriff of Sante Fe County says that his office has recovered three guns and 500 rounds of ammunition from the set of the movie "Rust" where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.

From Deadline:  Regarding criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust," District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis, "all options are on the table - no one has been ruled out."

From THR:  Does Hollywood Need Guns? Will new regulations lead to an overreactions to a tragedy.

From Deadline:   "Rust" producers have opened an internal investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film.  They have hired outside lawyers to conduct interviews with the film's production crew.

From Deadline:  "Rust's" AD (assistant director), Dave Halls, has come under scrutiny in the wake of the on-set shooting death of the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The affidavit of Sante Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano has been made public. It can be read at "Deadline."  The affidavit was for a search warrant from the property were the Western, "Rust," was being filmed.

From THR:  The production company behind "Rust" has shut the film down until the police investigation into the fatal, on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is through.  The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office has also revealed a timeline of the shooting.

From Deadline:  The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun on the New Mexico set of the movie, "Rust."  As a result, one crew member, director of photography Halyna Hutchins, was killed and director Joel Souza was injured and remains in a local hospital - his condition unknown.

From THR:  "Rust" director, Joel Souza, who was wounded in the accidental on-set shooting, says that he is "gutted" by the death of his cinematographer on the film, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" may have been "recorded" according to detective for Santa Fe Sheriff's Department.

From Deadline:  The production company behind the film, "Rust," will launch an internal safety review after the fatal accident that killed Halyna Hutchins; possible prior gun incidents; and a camera crew walkout.

From CNN:   Crew member yelled "cold gun" as he handed Alec Baldwin prop weapon, court document shows.

From Variety:  Actor Alec Baldwin releases statement on the death of Halyna Hutchins: "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness."

From Variety:  The prop gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on during an on-set accident on Thursday contained a “live single round,” according to an email sent by IATSE Local 44 to its membership.


Thursday, February 10, 2022

Review: "Murder on the Orient Express" 2017 is More Dark Than Cozy

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 6 of 2022 (No. 1818) by Leroy Douresseaux

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Running time:  114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violence and thematic elements
DIRECTOR: Kenneth Branagh
WRITER: Michael Green (based on the novel by Agathie Christie)
PRODUCERS:  Kenneth Branagh, Mark Gordon, Judy Hofflund, Simon Kinberg, Michael Schaefer, and Ridley Scott
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Haris Zambarloukos
EDITOR:  Mick Audsley
COMPOSER:  Patrick Doyle

MYSTERY

Starring:  Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Olivia Colman, Daisy Ridley, Leslie Odom, Jr., Tom Bateman, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Sergei Polunin, Lucy Boynton, Marwan Kenzari, and Johnny Depp

Murder on the Orient Express is a 2017 mystery film directed by Kenneth Branagh.  It is based on the 1934 novel, Murder on the Orient Express, written by Agatha Christie (1890-1976).  Murder on the Orient Express the movie focuses on a celebrated detective who is recruited to solve a murder that occurs on a train in which he is traveling.

Murder on the Orient Express opens in 1934 and finds renowned Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh), in the midst of solving a case in Jerusalem.  When Poirot is ready to return to London, his friend, Bouc (Tom Bateman), the nephew of the director of the luxury Orient Express train service, arranges a berth for him aboard the train.

Poirot boards the train with Bouc and thirteen other passengers.  There is the talkative American widow, Caroline Hubbard (Lauren Bacall).  The English governess, Mary Debenham (Daisy Ridley), and physician, Dr. John Arbuthnot (Leslie Odom, Jr.), seem to be previously acquainted.  Spanish missionary, Pilar Estravado (Penelope Cruz), is prayerful.  American businessman, Edward Ratchett (Johnny Depp), is on a business trip with with his secretary/translator, Hector McQueen (Josh Gad), and his English manservant, Edward Masterman (Derek Jacobi).

There is a Cuban-American car salesman, Biniamino Marquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo).  Elderly Russian Princess Natalia Dragomiroff (Judi Dench) travels with her maid, Hildegarde Schmidt (Olivia Colman).  Hungarian Count Rudolf Andrenyi (Sergei Polunin) and his wife, Elena (Lucy Boynton), are always together.  Austrian university professor, Gerhard Hardman (Willem Dafoe), has theories about different “races” and nationalities.  The train's French conductor, Pierre Michel (Marwan Kenzari), attends to the passengers' numerous needs.

That first night, an avalanche derails the train.  The next morning, Poirot discovers that Edward Ratchett has been murdered and stabbed 12 times.  Poirot and Bouc begin investigating the passengers in order to discover Ratchett's killer, but this case will be quite trying for the esteemed Monsieur Poirot.  He does not lie, and this case may force him to do just that.

The first film adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel, Murder on the Orient Express (1974), was one of only two films adapted from her work that she liked.  [The other was the 1957 film, Witness for the Prosecution, which was based on Christie's 1953 play, The Witness for the Prosecution.]  In the first film, the late actor Albert Finney gives a tremendous performance as Hercule Poirot, one that earned him an Oscar nomination.  The 1974 film is a classic murder mystery film made classier and more artful by its stellar cast of stars from Hollywood films and international cinema.

Murder on the Orient Express 2017 is stylish and modern with plenty of production values created by computers.  Its cast is a mix of established stars, Oscar-winning actors, and up-and-coming talent.  The 2017 film is so stylish that it often comes across as too cold and too determined to be an Oscar-worthy period piece and costume drama.  Kenneth Branagh, as the film's director and as its leading star (playing Hercule Poirot), sometimes seems lost in the technical details of directing his showy, award-winning cast and in creating an eccentric, OCD, smarter-than-everyone-else detective.

However, Murder on the Orient Express 2017 really shows its power in the last thirty minutes of the film.  The 1974 film offered a tidy happy ending.  The 2017 offers a thoroughly messy happy ending that is more befitting of these troubled, modern times.  Branagh and writer Michael Green turn the last act's revelation of whodunit into an edgy, dark exercise.  Truth be told, dammit!  But it will be done so with all the rawness of grief and the bitterness and hatred of revenge.  No one gets out of this resolution unscathed, and the healing will likely leave painful scabs.

I like Murder on the Orient Express 2017.  I like that the ethnicity and national origins of the cast are more diverse than what is in the 1974 film and in the original novel.  I like that it plainly leaves us with the message that murder is murder – no matter how good the intentions are – and that pain will temporarily make killers of those who are not really killers at heart.  I wonder what Agathie Christie would think of this take on Murder on the Orient Express.

I like Murder on the Orient Express 2017 mainly because it decides not to be cozy about the murder mystery.  I hope the follow up to this film, the just released Death on the Nile, is also this aggressive.

7 out of 10
A-

Thursday, February 10, 2022


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).


Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Review: Albert Finney and a Star-Studded Cast Power 1974 "Murder on the Orient Express"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 of 2022 (No. 1817) by Leroy Douresseaux

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Running time:  128 minutes (2 hours, 8 minutes)
MPAA – PG
DIRECTOR: Sidney Lumet
WRITER: Paul Dehn
PRODUCERS:  John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Geoffrey Unsworth
EDITOR:  Anne V. Coates
COMPOSER:  Richard Rodney Bennett
Academy Award winner

MYSTERY

Starring:  Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Martin Balsam, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Cassel, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Anthony Perkins, Vanessa Redgrave, Rachel Roberts, Richard Widmark, Michael York, Colin Blakely, George Coulouris, and Denis Quilley

Murder on the Orient Express is a 1974 British mystery film directed by Sidney Lumet.  It is based on the 1934 novel, Murder on the Orient Express, written by Agatha Christie (1890-1976).  Murder on the Orient Express focuses on a revered detective who tries to solve a murder on a snow bound train, while dealing with a multitude of suspects.

Murder on the Orient Express finds acclaimed detective, Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney), ready to board the transcontinental luxury train, “the Orient Express,” in December 1935.  Having solved a case for a British Army garrison in Jordan, he is due to travel to London on the Orient Express from Istanbul.  There, he encounters his old friend, Signor Bianchi (Martin Balsam), a director of the company which owns the line.

There are other notable passengers traveling in the same coach as Poirot and Bianchi.  There is the assertive and talkative American widow, Harriet Belinda Hubbard (Lauren Bacall).  The quiet English governess, Mary Debenham (Vanessa Redgrave), and Colonel John Arbuthnott (Sean Connery) of the British Indian Army have apparently struck up a relationship.  Swedish missionary, Greta Ohlsson (Ingrid Bergman), is on a trip to raise charity funds so that she can continue to take care of “little brown babies.”  American businessman Samuel Ratchett (Richard Widmark), is on a business trip with with his secretary/translator, Hector McQueen (Anthony Perkins), and his English valet, Edward Beddoes (John Gielgud).

There is an Italian-American car salesman, Antonio Foscarelli (Denis Quilley).  Elderly Russian Princess Natalia Dragomiroff (Wendy Hiller) travels with her stout German maid, Hildegarde Schmidt (Rachel Roberts).  Hungarian Count Rudolf Andrenyi (Michael York) and his wife, Elena (Jacqueline Bisset), are always together.  American theatrical agent, Cyrus Hardman (Colin Blakely), is always in the background.  The train's French conductor, Pierre Michel (Jean-Pierre Cassel), attends to the passengers' numerous needs.

On the second morning of the journey, Samuel Ratchett is found dead.  Signor Bianchi asks the esteemed Monsieur Poirot if he can discover the identity of the murder before the train arrives in Brod, where the Yugoslavian police will take over the investigation.  With the assistance of Bianchi and the Greek physician, Dr. Constantine (George Coulouris), Poirot discovers that the victim was stabbed 12 times.  Now, he must investigate 13 suspects.  Who has committed this murder?  Who is lying?  Where is the truth?  And what is the real story behind the mysterious American who is the victim?  Poirot must discover the answers before the murderer strikes again aboard a train that becomes snowbound.

Agatha Christie died about 14 months after the release of Murder on the Orient Express.  Apparently, this film and Witness for the Prosecution were the only movie adaptations of her books that she liked.  She was also apparently pleased with Albert Finney's performance as Hercule Poirot.

The primary treat of Murder on the Orient Express is its star-studded cast, led by Albert Finney, who earned a “Best Actor” Oscar nomination for his performance.  Ingrid Bergman won the “Best Supporting Actress” Oscar for her role as Greta Ohlsson, a performance that is so immersed in technical detail that it seems more fitting for some high-minded, serious dramatic film.  In general, the women here give strong performances in character roles.  Wendy Hiller is a delight as Princess Natalia Dragomiroff, and Lauren Bacall chews up the scenery as the assertive and talkative Mrs. Hubbard.

The cast of this film is comprised of the some of the biggest movie stars of the middle twentieth century.  Some were not known for playing character roles, but in Murder on the Orient Express, they flexed their character acting chops.  The result of these star performances is a hugely entertaining whodunit with a shocking murder and plenty of terrific intrigue.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and although I was initially put off by Albert Finney as Poirot, I soon found myself unable to stop watching him.  Yes, 1974 Murder on the Orient Express shows its age, but fans of whodunits, of Agatha Christie, of murder mystery films will want to see this film.

7 out of 10
A-

Wednesday, February 9, 2022


NOTES:
1975 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win:  “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Ingrid Bergman); 5 nominations: “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Albert Finney), “Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted From Other Material” (Paul Dehn), “Best Cinematography” (Geoffrey Unsworth), “Best Costume Design” (Tony Walton), and “Best Music, Original Dramatic Score” (Richard Rodney Bennett)

1975 BAFTA Awards:  3 wins:  “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Richard Rodney Bennett), “Best Supporting Actor” (John Gielgud), and “Best Supporting Actress” (Ingrid Bergman); 7 nominations:  “Best Actor” (Albert Finney), “Best Art Direction” (Tony Walton), “Best Cinematography” (Geoffrey Unsworth – also for “Zardoz”), “Best Costume Design” (Tony Walton), “Best Direction” (Sidney Lumet – also for “Serpico”), “Best Film,” and “Best Film Editing” (Anne V. Coates)



The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).


Comics Review: "KING OF SPIES #3" is Just Fantastic ... and It Kills a Pope!!!

KING OF SPIES #3 (OF 4)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Matteo Scalera
COLORS: Giovanna Niro
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Matteo Scalera
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Matteo Scalera; Ozgur Yildirim
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2022)

Rated M / Mature

King of Spies created by Mark Millar at Netflix


King of Spies is a four-issue miniseries created and written by Mark Millar.  It focuses on the world's greatest secret agent who has six months to live and won't die quietly in a hospital bed.  Published by Image Comics, King of Spies is drawn by Matteo Scalera; colored by Giovanna Niro; and lettered by Clem Robins.

British secret agent, Roland King, is 65-years-old and has just been diagnosed with Glioblastoma, the most aggressive from of brain cancer.  Facing an unusual, mid-life turned end-of-life crisis, King decides to go to war with the very system that he propped up for 40 years.  Kings, presidents, crooks, and the greedy pigs who treat everything like their personal troughs: King is coming for you.

King of Spies #2 opens in Vatican City.  Guess who is on Roland's shit list tonight.  Guess why he's on that list.  Several killings later, Roland is in Paris where he gets a surprise.  His estranged son, Atticus King, has answered the “Code Black” to kill Roland and is leading a team of mercenaries out to put Roland down once and for all.  That includes the team of Itzy, who does not have her arms, and Idris, who does not have his bottom half, because of Roland.

Roland's killing spree has taken him to the one opponent he can never beat.  With his health declining and his body starting to fail him, does Roland still has one more trick up his sleeve?

THE LOWDOWN:  King of Spies is the fifth original comic book property that Mark Millar has created for Netflix since the media giant bought his comic book company, “Millarworld,” in 2017.  King of Spies is Millar's second comic book set in the world of secret agents, following the Kingsman series that began in 2012 with the miniseries, The Secret Service.

Thanks to artist Matteo Scalera's supremely skillful graphical storytelling and brilliantly designed compositions and pages, King of Spies may be the best action movie of 2022, so far.  King of Spies #3 certainly moves better than most of the dead-on-arrival movies of the last two years that pretended to be action movies.

Giovanna Niro's colors and Clem Robins letters are sinfully good.  Niro's colors would have to be to match Scalera's sold-his-soul-to-draw-like-that art.  Robins must certainly have a stout heart to letter the outright blasphemy that is the first six pages of King of Spies #3.  Well, somebody had to depict such a scene in comic books, so it had to be the mad genius Mark Millar.

I'd say that King of Spies #3 is a wild ride, but it feels like it's riding me … hopefully all the way to the glory of King of Spies #4.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of secret agents will want to read King of Spies.

A+

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


https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar
https://twitter.com/netflix
https://twitter.com/themagicorder
http://www.millarworld.tv/
www.imagecomics.com


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).


Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Comics Review: "DRACULINA #1" - Two ... or Three for the Price of One

DRACULINA, VOLUME 1 #1
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Christopher Priest
ART: Michael Sta. Maria
COLORS: Ivan Nunes
LETTERS: Willie Schubert
EDITOR: Matt Idelson
COVER: Collette Turner
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Rose Besch; Guillem March; Rafael Kayanan; Ken Haeser; Judy Jong; Jimmy Broxton; Michael Sta. Maria; Collette Turner; Panda (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2022)

Rated Teen+

Mirrors: 90 Hours in San Francisco Book One


Draculina is a Vamperilla comic book character.  She first appeared in Vampirella #2 (cover date: November 1969) and was likely created by Vampirella's creator, Forest J. Ackerman.  Draculina was depicted as Vampirella's younger or twin sister.

Draculina gets her own comic book series, Draculina Volume 1, a spin off of the comic book series, Sacred Six.  It is written by Sacred Six writer, Christopher Priest; drawn by Michael Sta. Maria; colored by Ivan Nunes; and lettered by Willie Schubert.  The series focuses on Draculina, a woman who finds that she is of two natures, and one wants revenge on everyone who ever did her wrong, including that pesky other identity.

Draculina Volume 1 #1 opens in Union Square, San Francisco – today.  We meet Katie, a girl in a hotel, lying in bed with the corpse of a sexy white male.  And now, there is a detective with a lot to say to Katie – when she isn't asking questions.

Last week, Draculina hunted down a fragment of the “Daemon Periapt,” an ancient talisman, and drank one of the people that had it.  The following morning, she is River Eastaughffe a.k.a. “River East,” the high-profile socialite daughter of the missing and presumed dead Lilith Ogden Eastaughffe.

Why does River want to kill Katie?  Why does River want to kill so much in general?

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Draculina Volume 1 #1, which is the first time I've read any story involving this character.

I am a fan of Christopher Priest's comic book work, so I expected to like Draculina #1.  I do.  The two lead characters (technically, three leads) are nicely drawn out, and I have a hard time picking out which one I should support.  The supporting characters, which include a talking possessed rat and a dilettante Earth vampire, are also intriguing.  Draculina is trippy, and I think the fun of the story will be in trying to keep track of the different versions of Draculina.

The art by Michael Sta. Maria is beautiful and is also good storytelling.  Sta. Maria gives the story a sexy, dangerous vibe – like the movie, Basic Instinct, if it were adapted into a comic book and included supernatural characters.  Ivan Nunez's bright coloring makes the art even prettier, while Willie Schubert's lettering makes the art pop.  All in all, this is a good package.

Draculina Volume 1 #1 is just the kind of first issue that a series needs.  It certainly makes me want to come back for more.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Vampirella characters and of writer Christopher Priest will want to try Draculina Volume 1.

A

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

https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).


Comics Review: "JENNIFER BLOOD Volume 2 #5" - Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang - The End

JENNIFER BLOOD VOLUME 2 #5
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Fred Van Lente
ART: Vincenzo Federici
COLORS: Dearbhla Kelly
LETTERS: Jeff Eckleberry
EDITOR: Nate Cosby
COVER: Lucio Parrillo
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS:  Joseph Michael Linsner; Lesley Leirix Li; Juggeun Yoon; Ken Haeser; Vincenzo Federici; Jimmy Broxton; Lucio Parrillo; Rachel Hollon (cosplay)
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2022)

Rated Teen+

Jennifer Blood created by Garth Ennis and Adriano Batista.

“Bloodlines” Chapter Five: “There Goes the Neighborhood”


Jennifer Blood is a a comic book character created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Adriano Batista.  A suburban wife and mother by day, Jennifer Blood is a ruthless vigilante by night.  Born “Jessica Blute,” she took her mother's first name, Jennifer, and created the alter ego, “Jennifer Blood, and sought revenge against her father's family for the death of her parents.  The first Jennifer Blood comic book series ran for 36 issues from 2011 to 2014.

Jennifer Blood returns from the dead in a new comic book series, Jennifer Blood Volume 2.  It is written by Fred Van Lente; drawn by Vincenzo Federici; colored by Dearbhla Kelly and lettered by Simon Bowland and Jeff Eckleberry.  In the new series, someone is acting like Jennifer Blood, who is supposedly dead.  And this “copycat” loves to kill criminals just like the original did.  Her killing ground is Bountiful, Utah – a town run by and for criminals.  Bountiful (population 4302 ) is where the U.S. Department of Justice sends the most infamous East Coast mobsters into the federal “Witness Protection Program” (WPP).

Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #5 (“There Goes the Neighborhood”) opens in Bountiful in the wake of the slaughter of FBI agents in Salt Lake City.  They were the agents that were responsible for overseeing Bountiful.  There killer?  Jennifer Blood!  Or maybe not.

Alphonso “Don” Giallo – the former overboss of Newark, NJ who is now the boss of Bountiful – believes that the true killer is Giulietta Romeo, the top assassin for the Neopolitan Camorra.  Giallo brought her to Bountiful to hunt Jennifer Blood, and he made her Sheriff Giulietta.  Now, thanks to some video evidence, the don thinks his hired assassin is the killer she was hired to take out.

On the other hand, Giulietta believes that she has solved the mystery of Jennifer Blood's identity.  The real question is can she live long enough to prove her theory?

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #5.  This is the fifth Jennifer Blood comic book I have read, although I had previously heard of the series.

Unfortunately, Jennifer Blood Volume 2 #5 is the final issue of this current series.  I say “unfortunately” because the series got better with each issue.  After reading the first issue, I wasn't sure if I would like Jennifer Blood Volume 2 over its entirety.  However, writer Fred Van Lente always offered something new and made each issue seem better than the previous.  He made reading about Jennifer Blood killing a lot of people every issue fun to read, and in Giulietta Romeo, he had a great secondary lead and foil

The art and storytelling by Vincenzo Federici perfectly fit Van Lente's depraved comic tone and madcap violence, and the colors by Dearbhla Kelly were the perfect accompaniment with its spurts of blood.  And throughout, Simon Bowland and Jeff Eckleberry's lettering was the soundtrack of sacrifice to mob violence and bloody revenge.

If you haven't read it yet, and you like comic books like The Punisher, then, Jennifer Blood Volume 2 is for you, dear readers.  In the meantime, I will hope that we get a third volume of this fun craziness.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Jennifer Blood will want to read Jennifer Blood Volume 2.

A

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).


Comics Review: "EVIL ERNIE Volume 3 #3" - Even Ernie Gets Some Evil

EVIL ERNIE VOLUME 3 #3
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Scott Lobdell
ART: Ariel Medel
COLORS: Candice Han
LETTERS: Dave Sharpe
EDITOR: Joseph Rybandt
COVER: Arthur Suydam
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Arthur Suydam; Philip Tan; Ken Haeser; Andrew Mangum; Stuart Sayger;
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2022)

Rated Teen+

Evil Ernie created by Brian Pulido and Steven Hughes

Evil Ernie is a super-villain fictional character created by writer Brian Pulido and the late artist Steven Hughes.  He first appeared in Eternity Comics' Evil Ernie #1 (cover dated: December 1991).  Evil Ernie was Ernest Fairchild, a boy who became an undead psychotic killer.

Evil Ernie is now the property of Dynamite Entertainment.  The character gets a new comic book series in Evil Ernie Volume 3.  It is written by Scott Lobdell; drawn by Ariel Medel; colored by Candice Han; and lettered by Dave Sharpe.  The new series focuses on Ernest Gleckman, a good kid who, after being mortally wounded, must “pay down his new lease on life” by serving as a part time fixer for a death cult.  Of course, he must also serve Evil Ernie.

As Evil Ernie Volume 3 #3 opens, Smiley the Psychotic Button is regaling Ernest with the history of Evil Ernie and “Mistress Mayhem.”  How does the past affect young Mr. Gleckman?  Well, it isn't being too snarky to say that the past is going medieval on his ass.

Meanwhile, a sinister new player enters the maelstrom of Potsdam, New York.  Plus, Ernest's friend, Candice, tries to help him, but is she just putting herself in (im)mortal danger?

THE LOWDOWN:  In July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department began providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles.  One of them is Evil Ernie Volume 3 #3, which is the third Evil Ernie comic book that I have ever read.

As I said in my review of the previous issue, writer Scott Lobdell is offering a really fun read with this series.  It's not some great work of art, but I enjoy it quite a bit.  I like the idea that even Evil Ernie is in danger.  Artist Ariel Medel is always pumping up the crazy; the storytelling is good, but the gore gives the narrative a demented edge.

I'm still curious to see where Scott Lobdell takes this, and enjoy the interplay of Ernest and Ernie's personalities.  I think readers who try this comic book will likely stay around for bit

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Evil Ernie will want to read Evil Ernie Volume 3.

B+

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


https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics
https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the ad below AND buy something(s).