Thursday, April 30, 2015
Negromancer News Bits and Bites for April 26th to 30th, 2015 - Update #8
NEWS:
From Variety: Andrew Lesnie, the Oscar-winning cinematographer of the Lord of the Ring and The Hobbit films, died of a heart attack on Monday, April 27, 2015. He was 59.
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From YahooMovies: Avengers: Age of Ultron makes its international debut with a box office haul of $201.2 million. Disney had projected $160 to $175 million.
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From Variety: The winner of the April 24th to 26, 2015 weekend box office is Furious 7 with an estimated box office take of $18.3 million. Blake Lively's fantasy romance, Age of Adaline, was thought to have a shot at being #1, especially after it won Friday night. The film finished with an estimated take of $13.4.
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From RollingStone: Broken Lizard created a hilarious Indiegogo campaign to fund "Super Troopers 2," which was successful. But you can still donate or get one of the comedy troupe to donate sperm and father a child for you.
COMIC BOOKS:
From FlickeringMyth: A new look at Ben Affleck as Batman.
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From YahooGames: The Hollywood Reporter is about to have fun with Warner Bros. DC Comics movies.
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From YahooCelebrity: Bruce Wayne will no longer be Batman... in the comic books, at least... and for the time being. There has been "other" Batman at least twice before.
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From TheWrap: First look at new "Nightcrawler" (Kodi Smit-Mcphee) from X-Men Apocalypse.
STAR WARS:
From ScreenRant: Daisy Ridley says a few things about "The Force Awakens," plus new characters of her character, Rey.
MISC:
From YahooSports: Check out Russell Wilson and Coach Bill Belichick checking out Chrissy Teigen.
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From GuaridanUK: More interesting stuff from Sony hacked emails.
Webcomics Update: Grumble #2, Page 2
Grumble Chapter Two, Page 2 is here: http://www.comicbookbin.com/grumbletwopage002.html
NOTE: Last year, I printed some promotional copies of Grumble: Chapter One through a POD printer. I will sign and number a copy of this "rare" comic book for $5 post paid, which you can purchase here or http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/p/i-reads-shopping.html
NOTE: Last year, I printed some promotional copies of Grumble: Chapter One through a POD printer. I will sign and number a copy of this "rare" comic book for $5 post paid, which you can purchase here or http://ireadsyou.blogspot.com/p/i-reads-shopping.html
Negromancer's Fave Poli-Reads - April 2015 Edition - Update #16
From RSN: Bernie Sanders is running for the Democratic nomination in 2016.
From TheIntercept: There is a protest over a PEN Award to Charlie Hebdo.
From AlJazeera: Killers on Blackwater payroll get long prison sentences... their boss needs to follow them to jail.
From RSN: Free range parenting vs. busy body servants of the police state.
From TheHill: Watch President Obama trash talk Washington Wizards forward, Paul Pierce.
From Salon: White Christian America in sinking numbers.
From YahooPolitics: Hilary is in.
From TheIntercept: American media talks about the "Iran nuclear deal," but never interviews any Iranians, while allowing pro-Israel voices to screech their side.
From NBC: Your professor might be on food stamps.
From FirstLook: Glenn Greenwald on how political smears in the United States remain the same.
From GuardianUK: Honestly, there is no chance of Mike Huckabee being President. Besides, for all his bigotry, I'm pretty sure that he is gay.
From RobertReich: The rise of the non-working rich.
From RSN: Obama makes historical breakthrough on Iran. Now, white guys in the Senate get to show how much they envy the achievements of Black men.
From TIME: Indiana tries Sharia law fro LGBTQ. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar talks about the state of Indiana being on the wrong side of history.
From ThinkProgress: Maggots and rats on privatized prison food. Michigan in need of a violent revolution.
From BuzzFlash: Roundup is safe, but Monsanto lobbyist won't drink it.
From RSN: Barbra Streisand - Obama Has Turned the Economy Around.
From Esquire: Charles Pierce takes down clown David Brooks on "religious freedom."
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
VIZ Media Announces "Free Comic Book Day 2015" Support
VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR 2015 FREE COMIC BOOK DAY WITH EXCITING SHONEN JUMP AND PERFECT SQUARE SAMPLERS
Support Local Comics Retailers On May 2nd And Receive
Two FREE Samplers Featuring POKÉMON, JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE And YU-GI-OH
VIZ Media announces its participation in the 2015 Free Comic Book Day with a special FREE Shonen Jump manga (graphic novel) sampler featuring action-packed previews of JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 1 - PHANTOM BLOOD and YU-GI-OH! The company’s all-ages Perfect Square imprint also participates with a FREE POKÉMON ADVENTURES X•Y manga sampler highlighting the latest series from the venerable hit entertainment brand.
Scheduled for Saturday, May 2nd, 2015 at thousands of retail locations nationwide, Free Comic Book Day is an annual promotional campaign developed by the North American comic book industry to bring new readers of all ages and interests into independent comic book stores. Free Comic Book Day began in 2002 and is coordinated by the industry's single largest distributor, Diamond Comic Distributors. Readers can visit freecomicbookday.com to find a local participating retailer in their area.
VIZ Media participates this year as a Gold Level Sponsor and offers two FREE exclusive releases (available while supplies last).
VIZ MEDIA SHONEN JUMP FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2015 SAMPLER
Check out the kinetic action of two smash hit titles from VIZ Media’s Shonen Jump imprint – JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE and YU-GI-OH!
Dive into the paranormal action saga, JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE (rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens), by creator Hirohiko Araki. The legendary manga series is now available in English for the first time, in a deluxe hardcover edition featuring color pages and newly-drawn cover art! JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE is a groundbreaking title, famous for its outlandish characters, wild humor and frenetic battles. A multigenerational tale of the heroic Joestar family and their never-ending battle against evil! Don’t miss the print debut of JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 1 - PHANTOM BLOOD, Volume 2 on May 5th; MSRP: $19.99 U.S. / $22.99 CAN.
Manga creator Kazuki Takahashi’s famed series, YU-GI-OH! (rated ‘T’ for Teens) depicts the fantastic adventures of tenth-grader Yugi, a boy who always had his head in some game – until he solved the Millennium Puzzle, an Egyptian artifact containing the spirit of a master gambler from the age of the pharaohs! Possessed by the puzzle, Yugi becomes Yu-Gi-Oh, the King of Games, and challenges evildoers to the Shadow Games...weird games with high stakes and high risks! Catch the print debut of the latest YU-GI-OH! 3-in-1 omnibus edition, Volume 2, on May 5th, 2015; MSRP: $14.99 U.S. / $16.99 CAN.
PERFECT SQUARE FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2015 SAMPLER
Sample the action, exotic locales and imaginative characters of the latest POKÉMON ADVENTURES manga series – POKÉMON ADVENTURES X•Y – based on the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y video games and the newest story arc for the popular entertainment property to join Perfect Square’s expansive catalog of POKÉMON manga and anime titles.
In POKÉMON ADVENTURES X•Y (rated ‘A’ for All Ages) some of your favorite Pokémon game characters jump out of the screen and into the pages of this action-packed comic! The new series is written by Hidenori Kusaka with artwork by Satoshi Yamamoto. Legendary Pokémon Xerneas and Yveltal’s battle against each other is destroying Vaniville Town. Can X and Y save the town and its residents?! Also catch a special bonus mini-feature of the original Pokémon ADVENTURES series as well as Pokémon ADVENTURES BLACK & WHITE!
For information on other all-ages titles available from the Perfect Square imprint, please visit: www.perfectsquare.com.
For more information on Shonen Jump and other manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit: www.viz.com.
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Netflix Has New Episodes of "The Adventures of Puss in Boots"
The Adventures of Puss in Boots returns to Netflix from DreamWorks Animation
On Friday, May 8, 2015, DreamWorks Animation’s wildly popular The Adventures of Puss in Boots returns to Netflix with five all-new hilarious episodes. Viewers will join Puss In Boots, Dulcinea and the denizens of the enchanted village of San Lorenzo for fantastic, comedic adventures. In the new episodes, they journey to find the Fountain of Youth to save Puss's old mentor, El Guante Blanco; discover a powerful, talking sword in a stone (voiced by John Rhys-Davies of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Lord of the Rings); and come face-to-face with a giant, marauding Golem who has an unexpectedly soft heart.
Also, Puss was the first CG-animated character ever to host a full category on Jeopardy this week! Thanks to the magic of animation, Puss "recorded" clues for an entire category called "Not as Great as Puss In Boots." You can check out the clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsmywB3qJu0
The Adventures of Puss in Boots is just one of DreamWorks Animation’s popular original animated series on Netflix, providing quality entertainment for kids and families. DWA TV's ever-growing slate of animated Netflix original series also includes "Turbo FAST," “VeggieTales in the House” and “All Hail King Julien,” which recently received three Daytime Emmy awards, including Best Children’s Animated Program! An all-new Netflix original series from DreamWorks Animation, "Dragons: Race to the Edge," premieres June 26, 2015 followed late this summer by the original prehistoric adventure "Dinotrux."
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On Friday, May 8, 2015, DreamWorks Animation’s wildly popular The Adventures of Puss in Boots returns to Netflix with five all-new hilarious episodes. Viewers will join Puss In Boots, Dulcinea and the denizens of the enchanted village of San Lorenzo for fantastic, comedic adventures. In the new episodes, they journey to find the Fountain of Youth to save Puss's old mentor, El Guante Blanco; discover a powerful, talking sword in a stone (voiced by John Rhys-Davies of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Lord of the Rings); and come face-to-face with a giant, marauding Golem who has an unexpectedly soft heart.
Also, Puss was the first CG-animated character ever to host a full category on Jeopardy this week! Thanks to the magic of animation, Puss "recorded" clues for an entire category called "Not as Great as Puss In Boots." You can check out the clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsmywB3qJu0
The Adventures of Puss in Boots is just one of DreamWorks Animation’s popular original animated series on Netflix, providing quality entertainment for kids and families. DWA TV's ever-growing slate of animated Netflix original series also includes "Turbo FAST," “VeggieTales in the House” and “All Hail King Julien,” which recently received three Daytime Emmy awards, including Best Children’s Animated Program! An all-new Netflix original series from DreamWorks Animation, "Dragons: Race to the Edge," premieres June 26, 2015 followed late this summer by the original prehistoric adventure "Dinotrux."
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Review: "Dracula Untold" is a Pretty Thing
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 19 (of 2015) by
Leroy Douresseaux
Dracula Untold (2014)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of warfare, vampire attacks, disturbing images, and some sensuality
DIRECTOR: Gary Shore
WRITERS: Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless (based on characters created by Bram Stoker)
PRODUCER: Michael De Luca
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Schwartzman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Richard Pearson
COMPOSER: Ramin Djawadi
ACTION/FANTASY
Starring: Luke Evans, Sarah Gordon, Dominic Cooper, Art Parkinson, Charles Dance, Dairmaid Murtagh, Paul Kaye, William Houston, Noah Huntley, Ferdinand Kingsley, Joseph Long, Thor Kristjansson, Ronan Vibert, and Zach McGowan
Dracula Untold is a 2014 action-fantasy and vampire film from director Gary Shore. This film's screenplay, written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, takes the title character for Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula (1897), and real-life historical figure, Vlad the Imapler, and combines them. The two writers re-imagine both the fictional story of Count Dracula and the true story of Vlad. Dracula Untold focuses on a young prince who must become a monster to save his people from a massive army. Thomas Tull of Legendary Pictures is one of this film's executive producers.
Dracula Untold is narrated by a man who proceeds to tell the story of Vlad the Impaler, the prince of Wallachia and Transylvania. When Vlad was a boy, he was a royal hostage of Sultan Mehmed II (Dominic Cooper), the ruler of the Ottoman Empire. Vlad was trained to be a soldier in the Sultan's elite Janissary Corps, and he became their most feared warrior. He earned the nickname “Vlad the Impaler,” because of the methods by which he slaughtering thousands.
In 1442, the adult Vlad (Luke Evans) now rules his people. He is a husband to his wife, Mirena (Sarah Gordon), and a father to his young son, Ingeras (Art Parkinson). Vlad rules his kingdom in peace, but it seems that the Turks of the Ottoman Empire now want more from him than gold and jewels as tribute. They want boys who can become soldiers, as Vlad once was, and the Sultan even demands that Vlad turn Ingeras over to him.
Vlad does not want use his son or any other boy as tribute to Mehmed II, but he is powerless against the Sultan's army which is tens of thousands strong. However, deep in the mysterious Broken Tooth Mountain hides a creature (Charles Dance) that can give Vlad the power he needs to defeat the Ottoman Empire. Is Vlad willing to pay the ultimate price for the power that will turn him into the legendary vampire, Dracula?
Over many decades of watching movies, I have gradually come to understand and admire aspects of film-making that I had once not understood. I love high production values, which is why I am a fan of costume dramas and periods films. I love beautiful cinematography and gorgeous production design and art direction. I have come to appreciate costume design, especially in the last decade. Another aspect at which I am paying more attention is the work of movie make-up and hair artists.
In Dracula Untold, the costume designers and especially the make-up artists stand out. I can't remember a film in which I have seen so many good looking people, not just the well-dressed royals but also the regular folks, soldiers, and peasants. Honestly, I wouldn't mind wearing the well-designed “rags” worn by the poor folks in this movie. Thanks to make-up and hair, many characters in this movie are too pretty to die, especially the super-gorgeous Mehmed II played by Dominic Cooper and one of Mehmed's assassins, the lethally beautiful “Bright Eyes,” portrayed by Thor Kristjansson.
I won't lie; I thoroughly enjoyed Dracula Untold, but it is not a particularly good movie. Thanks to costume, make-up and hair, and Luke Evans as such a handsome Dracula this movie manages to be a little more than it should be. However, Evans is not a particularly memorable Dracula. In fact, there is not much imagination in the re-imagining of this Dracula. I am giving Dracula Untold a high rating because of the costumes and make-up and hair, which are still dazzling me days after I saw the movie. The beauty in the production values of Dracula Untold makes it stand-out, even if it is neither a stand-out Dracula film nor a particularly imaginative vampire film.
7 of 10
B+
Saturday, April 25, 2015
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of warfare, vampire attacks, disturbing images, and some sensuality
DIRECTOR: Gary Shore
WRITERS: Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless (based on characters created by Bram Stoker)
PRODUCER: Michael De Luca
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Schwartzman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Richard Pearson
COMPOSER: Ramin Djawadi
ACTION/FANTASY
Starring: Luke Evans, Sarah Gordon, Dominic Cooper, Art Parkinson, Charles Dance, Dairmaid Murtagh, Paul Kaye, William Houston, Noah Huntley, Ferdinand Kingsley, Joseph Long, Thor Kristjansson, Ronan Vibert, and Zach McGowan
Dracula Untold is a 2014 action-fantasy and vampire film from director Gary Shore. This film's screenplay, written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, takes the title character for Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula (1897), and real-life historical figure, Vlad the Imapler, and combines them. The two writers re-imagine both the fictional story of Count Dracula and the true story of Vlad. Dracula Untold focuses on a young prince who must become a monster to save his people from a massive army. Thomas Tull of Legendary Pictures is one of this film's executive producers.
Dracula Untold is narrated by a man who proceeds to tell the story of Vlad the Impaler, the prince of Wallachia and Transylvania. When Vlad was a boy, he was a royal hostage of Sultan Mehmed II (Dominic Cooper), the ruler of the Ottoman Empire. Vlad was trained to be a soldier in the Sultan's elite Janissary Corps, and he became their most feared warrior. He earned the nickname “Vlad the Impaler,” because of the methods by which he slaughtering thousands.
In 1442, the adult Vlad (Luke Evans) now rules his people. He is a husband to his wife, Mirena (Sarah Gordon), and a father to his young son, Ingeras (Art Parkinson). Vlad rules his kingdom in peace, but it seems that the Turks of the Ottoman Empire now want more from him than gold and jewels as tribute. They want boys who can become soldiers, as Vlad once was, and the Sultan even demands that Vlad turn Ingeras over to him.
Vlad does not want use his son or any other boy as tribute to Mehmed II, but he is powerless against the Sultan's army which is tens of thousands strong. However, deep in the mysterious Broken Tooth Mountain hides a creature (Charles Dance) that can give Vlad the power he needs to defeat the Ottoman Empire. Is Vlad willing to pay the ultimate price for the power that will turn him into the legendary vampire, Dracula?
Over many decades of watching movies, I have gradually come to understand and admire aspects of film-making that I had once not understood. I love high production values, which is why I am a fan of costume dramas and periods films. I love beautiful cinematography and gorgeous production design and art direction. I have come to appreciate costume design, especially in the last decade. Another aspect at which I am paying more attention is the work of movie make-up and hair artists.
In Dracula Untold, the costume designers and especially the make-up artists stand out. I can't remember a film in which I have seen so many good looking people, not just the well-dressed royals but also the regular folks, soldiers, and peasants. Honestly, I wouldn't mind wearing the well-designed “rags” worn by the poor folks in this movie. Thanks to make-up and hair, many characters in this movie are too pretty to die, especially the super-gorgeous Mehmed II played by Dominic Cooper and one of Mehmed's assassins, the lethally beautiful “Bright Eyes,” portrayed by Thor Kristjansson.
I won't lie; I thoroughly enjoyed Dracula Untold, but it is not a particularly good movie. Thanks to costume, make-up and hair, and Luke Evans as such a handsome Dracula this movie manages to be a little more than it should be. However, Evans is not a particularly memorable Dracula. In fact, there is not much imagination in the re-imagining of this Dracula. I am giving Dracula Untold a high rating because of the costumes and make-up and hair, which are still dazzling me days after I saw the movie. The beauty in the production values of Dracula Untold makes it stand-out, even if it is neither a stand-out Dracula film nor a particularly imaginative vampire film.
7 of 10
B+
Saturday, April 25, 2015
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Review: "I, Frankenstein" Has a Cool B-Movie Vibe
I, Frankenstein (2014)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense fantasy action and violence throughout
DIRECTOR: Stuart Beattie
WRITERS: Stuart Beattie; from a screen story by Kevin Grevioux and Stuart Beattie (based on the Darkstorm Studios graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux and the characters created by Mary Shelley)
PRODUCER: Sidney Kimmel, Gary Lucchesi, Andrew Mason, Tom Rosenberg, Richard Wright, and Johnny Klimek
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ross Emery
EDITOR: Marcus D'Arcy
COMPOSER: Reinhold Heil
FANTASY/HORROR/ACTION
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Yvonne Strahovski, Mirando Otto, Jai Courtney, Socratis Otto, Caitlin Stasey, Mahesh Jadu, Nicholas Bell, Deniz Akdeniz, Kevin Grevioux, Bruce Spense, Steve Mouzakis, and Aden Young
I, Frankenstein is a 2014 action-fantasy and horror film from director, Stuart Beattie. This film is based on the comic book, I, Frankenstein: Genesis (2013), which was written by Kevin Grevioux, who serves this movie as an executive producer, writer, and actor. I, Frankenstein also borrows a few characters and some story from Mary Shelley's legendary novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, which was first published in 1818. I, Frankenstein the movie focuses on Victor Frankenstein's creature as it finds itself caught in the middle of a centuries-old conflict.
I, Frankenstein opens in 1795. A voice summarizes the story of Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Aden Young), the man who created a monster. This was a soulless creature that Frankenstein made by patching together body parts from corpses. However, he rejected his creation, which began a war between creator and creation that ended with the creation burying the creator.
Even as he buries his creator, Frankenstein, “the monster” (Aaron Eckhart) cannot know peace, because demons attack him in the graveyard. Two gargoyles rescue the monster and take him to Leonore (Miranda Otto), High Queen of the Gargoyle Order. She gives the monster a name, “Adam,” and tells him that the Gargoyle Order has been fighting a centuries-old war against demons on Earth in order to protect humanity. Leonore invites Adam to join their cause, but he declines.
The demons and their leader, Prince Naberius (Bill Nighy), also want Adam on their side. Naberius wants the secrets behind Frankenstein's creation of Adam, and he has employed a beautiful young scientist, Terra Wade (Yvonne Strahovski), to discover how to replicate the process that created Adam. However, Adam also wants to unravel the secrets to his creation, so he too needs Terra. But will working with Terra threaten to decide the outcome of a war between immortals?
I, Frankenstein currently has a low score with movie review aggregate sites, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic. However, I like it. I, Frankenstein is a dark, urban fantasy similar to Underworld, which was also originally created by Kevin Grevioux. For its genre, it has a novel and easy to understand premise, which might seem silly to people who don't like this kind of story or its genre.
The acting isn't particularly great, ranging from overacting (as in the case of Miranda Otto as Lenore) to stiff (as in the case of Yvonne Strahovski as Terra). Some performances are way too fierce (as is the case with Jai Courtney as Gideon, leader of the Gargoyle army). Bill Nighy always seems game to play a dark fantasy baddie, and his Naberius is malevolent and cheesy in pleasurably equal measures.
Aaron Eckhart seems lost as Adam/Frankenstein's monster. It is as if he does not quite know what to do with the character. Is he bent on revenge? Is he curious about himself? Does he just want to be left alone? If it is all of the above, Eckhart doesn't quite get the mix right.
Still, I like I, Frankenstein, and found it hugely enjoyable. I want a sequel.
6 of 10
B
Saturday, April 18, 2015
The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
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