Monday, November 13, 2017

VIZ Media Announces November 2017 Digital Manga Updates

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES DIGITAL MANGA UPDATES FOR NOVEMBER 2017

Catch The Digital Launch Of The New Shojo Series SP BABY Along With The Latest Additions To BLACK CLOVER, JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE, MY HERO ACADEMIA And More

VIZ Media announces digital manga updates for November 2017, which includes the debut of a new shojo series along with the latest additions to popular continuing titles and other exciting promotions.

Series launches for the month include SP BABY, a new Shojo Beat romantic comedy from the creator of HAPPY MARRIAGE?!, Maki Enjoji, and a special digital-first release of the newest volume for NARUTO: CHIBI SASUKE'S SHARINGAN LEGEND (Vol. 2), a hilarious spin-off of the world’s most popular ninja manga series, NARUTO. Both will be available on November 28th. Additional notable new digital titles debuting today include the latest volumes for popular action series such as BLACK CLOVER (Vol. 9), JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 3 – STARDUST CRUSADERS (Vol. 5), MY HERO ACADEMIA (Vol. 10).

November Digital Manga Promotion

· Shojo Beat Digital Manga Sale

Catch up on several fan-favorite manga titles from VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat imprint. The promotion kicks off with KISS OF THE ROSE PRINCESS and HONEY SO SWEET. All volumes of these acclaimed series will be on sale for only $4.99 each. Available from November 7th to 13th across all digital platforms.

Check viz.com each week throughout the rest of November for additional manga titles featured in this month’s digital sales!

WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP Updates

Readers are invited to dive into all-new chapters of a variety of popular continuing series in SHONEN JUMP’s free section. Check out Free Chapters of popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP series at: www.viz.com/shonenjump/chapters/all.

Free chapters are available now for the following series:

· DRAGON BALL SUPER
· JUNI TAISEN: ZODIAC WAR
· MY HERO ACADEMIA: VIGILANTES
· BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS
· HAIKYU!!
· élDLIVE
· And More!

Digital manga updates for November also include new volumes for nine continuing VIZ Media series. Notable releases include Volume 13 of Ōoku: THE INNER CHAMBERS. New additions to SHONEN JUMP include BLEACH (Vol. 71), HAIKYU!! (Vol. 17), NISEKOI: FALSE LOVE (Vol. 24), ONE PIECE (Vol. 84), SERAPH OF THE END (Vol. 13) and TORIKO (Vol. 40). New shojo releases include ANONYMOUS NOISE (Vol. 5) and IDOL DREAMS (Vol. 4).

The free VIZ Manga App continues to be the top application for reading digital manga and features a massive library of the most popular series in the world. Through the innovative VIZ Manga digital platform registered users are able to use one account to view their purchased manga across more devices than ever. New series and volumes are added every Tuesday. Fans can also find these titles and more for the NOOK, Kindle Fire, and Kobo eReaders, as well as in the comiXology, iBooks and Google Play stores.

Most manga volumes are available for purchase and download in the U.S. and Canada within the VIZ Manga application starting from only $4.99 (U.S. / CAN) each. Readers can also explore free Chapter 1 previews of most series.

For more information, please visit viz.com.

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Sunday, November 12, 2017

92 Nations Compete for "Foreign Language Film" Oscar Noms at 90th Academy Awards

92 COUNTRIES IN COMPETITION FOR 2017 FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM OSCAR

A record 92 countries have submitted films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category for the 90th Academy Awards®.  Haiti, Honduras, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Senegal and Syria are first-time entrants.

The 2017 submissions are:

Afghanistan, “A Letter to the President,” Roya Sadat, director;
Albania, “Daybreak,” Gentian Koçi, director;
Algeria, “Road to Istanbul,” Rachid Bouchareb, director;
Argentina, “Zama,” Lucrecia Martel, director;
Armenia, “Yeva,” Anahit Abad, director;
Australia, “The Space Between,” Ruth Borgobello, director;
Austria, “Happy End,” Michael Haneke, director;
Azerbaijan, “Pomegranate Orchard,” Ilgar Najaf, director;
Bangladesh, “The Cage,” Akram Khan, director;
Belgium, “Racer and the Jailbird,” Michaël R. Roskam, director;
Bolivia, “Dark Skull,” Kiro Russo, director;
Bosnia and Herzegovina, “Men Don’t Cry,” Alen Drljević, director;
Brazil, “Bingo - The King of the Mornings,” Daniel Rezende, director;
Bulgaria, “Glory,” Petar Valchanov, Kristina Grozeva, directors;
Cambodia, “First They Killed My Father,” Angelina Jolie, director;
Canada, “Hochelaga, Land of Souls,” François Girard, director;
Chile, “A Fantastic Woman,” Sebastián Lelio, director;
China, “Wolf Warrior 2,” Wu Jing, director;
Colombia, “Guilty Men,” Iván D. Gaona, director;
Costa Rica, “The Sound of Things,” Ariel Escalante, director;
Croatia, “Quit Staring at My Plate,” Hana Jušić, director;
Czech Republic, “Ice Mother,” Bohdan Sláma, director;
Denmark, “You Disappear,” Peter Schønau Fog, director;
Dominican Republic, “Woodpeckers,” Jose Maria Cabral, director;
Ecuador, “Alba,” Ana Cristina Barragán, director;
Egypt, “Sheikh Jackson,” Amr Salama, director;
Estonia, “November,” Rainer Sarnet, director;
Finland, “Tom of Finland,” Dome Karukoski, director;
France, “BPM (Beats Per Minute),” Robin Campillo, director;
Georgia, “Scary Mother,” Ana Urushadze, director;
Germany, “In the Fade,” Fatih Akin, director;
Greece, “Amerika Square,” Yannis Sakaridis, director;
Haiti, “Ayiti Mon Amour,” Guetty Felin, director;
Honduras, “Morazán,” Hispano Durón, director;
Hong Kong, “Mad World,” Wong Chun, director;
Hungary, “On Body and Soul,” Ildikó Enyedi, director;
Iceland, “Under the Tree,” Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson, director;
India, “Newton,” Amit V Masurkar, director;
Indonesia, “Turah,” Wicaksono Wisnu Legowo, director;
Iran, “Breath,” Narges Abyar, director;
Iraq, “Reseba - The Dark Wind,” Hussein Hassan, director;

Ireland, “Song of Granite,” Pat Collins, director;
Israel, “Foxtrot,” Samuel Maoz, director;
Italy, “A Ciambra,” Jonas Carpignano, director;
Japan, “Her Love Boils Bathwater,” Ryota Nakano, director;
Kazakhstan, “The Road to Mother,” Akhan Satayev, director;
Kenya, “Kati Kati,” Mbithi Masya, director;
Kosovo, “Unwanted,” Edon Rizvanolli, director;
Kyrgyzstan, “Centaur,” Aktan Arym Kubat, director;
Lao People’s Democratic Republic, “Dearest Sister,” Mattie Do, director;
Latvia, “The Chronicles of Melanie,” Viestur Kairish, director;
Lebanon, “The Insult,” Ziad Doueiri, director;
Lithuania, “Frost,” Sharunas Bartas, director;
Luxembourg, “Barrage,” Laura Schroeder, director;
Mexico, “Tempestad,” Tatiana Huezo, director;
Mongolia, “The Children of Genghis,” Zolbayar Dorj, director;
Morocco, “Razzia,” Nabil Ayouch, director;
Mozambique, “The Train of Salt and Sugar,” Licinio Azevedo, director;
Nepal, “White Sun,” Deepak Rauniyar, director;
Netherlands, “Layla M.,” Mijke de Jong, director;
New Zealand, “One Thousand Ropes,” Tusi Tamasese, director;
Norway, “Thelma,” Joachim Trier, director;
Pakistan, “Saawan,” Farhan Alam, director;
Palestine, “Wajib,” Annemarie Jacir, director;
Panama, “Beyond Brotherhood,” Arianne Benedetti, director;
Paraguay, “Los Buscadores,” Juan Carlos Maneglia, Tana Schembori, directors;
Peru, “Rosa Chumbe,” Jonatan Relayze, director;
Philippines, “Birdshot,” Mikhail Red, director;
Poland, “Spoor,” Agnieszka Holland, Kasia Adamik, directors;
Portugal, “Saint George,” Marco Martins, director;
Romania, “Fixeur,” Adrian Sitaru, director;
Russia, “Loveless,” Andrey Zvyagintsev, director;
Senegal, “Félicité,” Alain Gomis, director;
Serbia, “Requiem for Mrs. J.,” Bojan Vuletic, director;
Singapore, “Pop Aye,” Kirsten Tan, director;
Slovakia, “The Line,” Peter Bebjak, director;
Slovenia, “The Miner,” Hanna A. W. Slak, director;
South Africa, “The Wound,” John Trengove, director;
South Korea, “A Taxi Driver,” Jang Hoon, director;
Spain, “Summer 1993,” Carla Simón, director;
Sweden, “The Square,” Ruben Östlund, director;
Switzerland, “The Divine Order,” Petra Volpe, director;

Syria, “Little Gandhi,” Sam Kadi, director;
Taiwan, “Small Talk,” Hui-Chen Huang, director;
Thailand, “By the Time It Gets Dark,” Anocha Suwichakornpong, director;
Tunisia, “The Last of Us,” Ala Eddine Slim, director;
Turkey, “Ayla: The Daughter of War,” Can Ulkay, director;
Ukraine, “Black Level,” Valentyn Vasyanovych, director;
United Kingdom, “My Pure Land,” Sarmad Masud, director;
Uruguay, “Another Story of the World,” Guillermo Casanova, director;
Venezuela, “El Inca,” Ignacio Castillo Cottin, director;
Vietnam, “Father and Son,” Luong Dinh Dung, director.

Nominations for the 90th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.

The 90th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

2017 Student Academy Award Winners Announced

ACADEMY REVEALS 2017 STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD® WINNERS

ALL WINNING FILMS NOW ELIGIBLE FOR OSCARS®

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted 17 students as winners of the 44th Student Academy Awards® competition.  This year, the Student Academy Awards competition received a total of 1,587 entries from 267 domestic and 89 international colleges and universities – which were voted by a record number of Academy members.  The 2017 winners join the ranks of such past Student Academy Award winners as Patricia Cardoso, Pete Docter, Cary Fukunaga, John Lasseter, Spike Lee, Trey Parker and Robert Zemeckis.

The winners are (listed alphabetically by film title):

Alternative
“Opera of Cruelty,” Max R. A. Fedore, New York University

Animation
“Cradle,” Devon Manney, University of Southern California
“E-delivery,” Young Gul Cho, School of Visual Arts
“In a Heartbeat,” Beth David and Esteban Bravo, Ringling College of Art and Design

Documentary
“Hale,” Brad Bailey, University of California, Berkeley
“On Pointe,” Priscilla Thompson and Joy Jihyun Jeong, Columbia University
“One Way Home,” Qingzi Fan, New York University

Narrative
“Mammoth,” Ariel Heller, University of Southern California
“My Nephew Emmett,” Kevin Wilson, Jr., New York University
“Who’s Who in Mycology,” Marie Dvorakova, New York University

Narrative (International Film Schools)
“Facing Mecca,” Jan-Eric Mack, Zurich University of the Arts (Switzerland)
“Watu Wote/All of Us,” Katja Benrath, Hamburg Media School (Germany)
“When Grey is a Colour,” Marit Weerheijm, Netherlands Film Academy (Netherlands)

Animation (International Film Schools)
“Life Smartphone,” Chenglin Xie, China Central Academy of Fine Arts (China)

Documentary (International Film Schools)
“Galamsey,” Johannes Preuss, Filmakademie Baden-Wurttemberg (Germany)

First-time honors go to China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.

All Student Academy Award-winning films are eligible to compete for 2017 Oscars® in the Animated Short Film or Live Action Short Film category and 2018 Oscars in the Documentary Short Subject category.  Past winners have gone on to receive 57 Oscar nominations and have won or shared 11 awards.  This year one 2016 Student Academy Award winner received an Oscar nomination in the Documentary Short Subject category: Daphne Matziaraki, a Gold Medal winner in the Documentary category for “4.1 Miles.”

Students arrived in Los Angeles for a week of industry activities that culminated in the awards ceremony on Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 7:30 p.m., at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.  The medal placements – gold, silver and bronze – in the seven award categories were announced at the ceremony.

New this year, the competition was expanded to allow two options for students at international film schools to submit their films. In addition to CILECT-member schools submitting one student film per international film school category, international students may now enter films that qualify through film festivals recognized by the Student Academy Awards Executive Committee.

The 44th Student Academy Awards ceremony on October 12 was free and open to the public, but advance tickets were required.  The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

The Student Academy Awards were established in 1972 to provide a platform for emerging global talent by creating opportunities within the industry to showcase their work.

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Saturday, November 11, 2017

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 5th to 11th, 2017 - Update #38

Support Leroy on Patreon.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   Marvel's "Thor: Ragnarok" set to rule the box office for a second straight weekend.

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SCANDAL - From Variety:   Louis C.K. performed a voice in the hit film, "The Secret Life of Pets," but he has been dropped from the sequel follow accusations of and his admission to sexual misconduct.

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POLITICS - From Newsweek:  Danica Roem becomes Virginia's first transgender state lawmaker, and she beat the sponsor of an anti-transgender bathroom bill to win.

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SCANDAL - From THR:  Hollywood lawyers up - Hollywood attorneys say that they are getting calls from the accused and accusers in light of the scandals involving Hollywood men being accused of sexual misconduct.

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MUSIC From XXL:  Eminem releases a new single, "Walk on Water," and Beyonce sings the hook.

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SCANDAL - From TheNYTimes:  Louis CK admits to the sexual abuse allegations against him.

From THR:  FX cuts ties with Louis CK.  He was producing four shows with the cable net and was the star of its Emmy-winning series, "Louie."

From THR:  Indie film distributor, The Orchard, has dropped its distribution of Louis C.K.'s directorial debut, "I Love You, Daddy."

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WAR - From teleSUR:  Since 9/11, the United States has spent $4.3 TRILLION on wars in Asia and the Middle East.

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POLITICS - From RSN:  The voters of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania may have made a big move in ending mass incarceration with their recent choice for district attorney.

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STAR TREK - From TheWrap:  CBS All Access has announced that "Star Trek: Discovery" Chapter 2 begins January 7, 2018.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther, Creed) will make his directorial debut with a film adaptation of the novel, "The Stars Beneath Our Feet."

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STREAMING - From TheWrap:  Apple is investing a billion dollars in producing original content. It has given Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston's untitled TV drama a two-season straight-to-order series.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Damn, Ridley Scott is the man!  He has replaced in Kevin Spacey in his film, "All the Money in the World."  Get this: the movie was finished filming and was scheduled for release in time for Christmas.  Now, Scott will re-shoot Spacey's scenes with his original choice for his the role of J. Paul Getty, Christopher Plummer.

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SCANDAL - From TheWrap:  Amazon now investigating a sexual harassment claim against Emmy-winning actor, Jeffrey Tambor.

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POLITICS - From Politico:  Apparently, Time-Warner will have to dump CNN or all the Turner Broadcasting properties in order to get President Trump's Department of Justice to approve Time-Warner's merger with AT&T.

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STREAMING - From TheWrap:  Grammy-winning hip-hop artist and rapper, Drake, LeBron James' business partners, Maverick Carter and Jamal Henderson, are helping to revive the British drug-dealer TV drama, "Top Boy," for Netflix.  The original stars and creative team will return.

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COMICS-FILM - From DeadlineTV:  Amazon has given a green light to the superhero drama based on the comic book, "The Boys."  Seth Rogen and his partner, Evan Goldberg, are involved.

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BLM - From YahooNews:   "That's how people like you get shot," a white male teacher in former slave state Georgia told a black male student.

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COMICS-FILM - From QuartzMedia:  Marvel takes Hollywood.

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TELEVISION - From BleeedingCool:  Woody McClain played Bobby Brown in BET's miniseries, "The New Edition Story."  McClain will reprise the role in BET's two-part miniseries, "The Bobby Brown Story."

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HEALTH - From TheHill:  Open enrollment for ObamaCare surges to record level in the early days of the sign-up, despite the roadblocks that President Clownface... I mean... President Trump placed in front of healthcare.

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POLITICS - From TheGuardian:  Read "The Guardian's" series, "The Paradise Papers."

From TheGuardian:  Senator Bernie sanders warns of an "international oligarchy" after the release of "the Paradise Papers."

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CULTURE - From BuzzFlash:  "Jeff Bezos wants the keys to your house" by Jim Hightower

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MEDIA - From Deadline:  In the possible Fox-Disney deal (which could be worth $20 billion), content is the weapon of choice.

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SCANDAL - From Variety:  In the wake of the sexual allegations scandal involving Kevin Spacey, Sony Pictures is pulling Spacey's upcoming film, "All the Money in the World," out of the AFI Fest.  Directed by Ridley Scott, the film is about the kidnapping of John Paul Getty III.

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Asher Angel, one of the stars of Disney Channel's "Andi Mack," will play Billy Batson, opposite Shazam, who will be played by Zachary Levi.

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COMICS-FILM - From ScreenRant:  Marvel Cinematic Universe rumors - confirmed and otherwise.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 11/3 to 11/6/2017 weekend box office is "Thor: Ragnarok" with an estimated take of $121 million.

From Variety:  "Thor: Ragnarok" puts an emphatic end to the month-long box office slump.

From CNNMoney:  "Thor: Ragnarok" is Marvel Studios' 17th film to open at #1 in weekend box office.

From YahooEntertainment:  "Thor: Ragnarok" director Taika Waititi and two of the film's star, Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie) surprised movie goers at a Los Angeles showing of the film.

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POLITICS - From NBCNews:  During the 2016 Republican National Convention, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn led the crowd to chants of "Lock her up! Lock her up!"  Now, he may be facing criminal charges from the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential elections.

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BLM - From Truthout:  St. Louis is still rising up against police violence, although the national new media mostly ignores it.

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COMICS-FILM - From Mashable:  After the first 50 reviews, "Thor: Ragnarok" stands as the best-reviewed superhero movie of all time, but it is still early in the process.

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SCANDAL - From Indiewire:  The New York City Police Department is reportedly gathering evidence to arrest Harvey Weinstein on a rape charge, and the department believes it has a "credible rape allegation."

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INTERNATIONAL - From YahooFinance:  Dozens of Saudi princes have been arrested in sweeping corruption probe.

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CULTURE - From TheRoot:  "The Culture of Male Silence: Men Treat Sexual Assault Like America Treats White Supremacy" by Michael Harriot

OBITS:

From THR:  The actor John Hillerman has died at the age of 84, Thursday, November 9, 2017.  He was best known for playing the snooty caretaker, Jonathan Quayle Higgins III, on "Magnum P.I," for which he won an Emmy Awards in 1987.  Fans of Mel Brooks will also remember Hillerman as "Howard Johnson" in "Blazing Saddles."

From THR:  A "Bond girl" has died.  German actress Karin Dor has died at the age of 79, Monday, November 6, 2017.  Dor played Helga Brandt (SPECTRE Agent No. 11) in the 1967 James Bond film, "You Only Live Twice."

From YahooSports:  Former Major League Baseball pitcher, Roy Halladay, has died at the age of 40, Tuesday, November 7, 2017.  Halladay was killed after his plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday afternoon.  He was a two-time National League Cy Young Award winner.  His pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history on May 29th, 2010.  He also pitched only the second postseason (playoff) no-hitter in MLB history on Oct. 6th, 2010.


Friday, November 10, 2017

Still Talking "Rogue One" at Negromancer - Update #25

Posted by Leroy Doureseaux - on Patreon.

From CinemaBlend:  Tony Gilroy, who directed the extensive reshoots on "Rogue One" is blunt about what he did.

From ScreenRant:  A Rogue One sequel comic book... kinda.

From Patreon:  The ghosts of "Rogue One" are at play in Marvel's "Star Wars #38."

From Patreon:  A review of "Rogue One: Star Wars - Cassian & K-2SO Special #1" comic book.

From GoldDerby:  "Rogue One" wins "Best Science Fiction Film" and "Best Film Director" (for Gareth Edwards) at 2017 Saturn Awards.

From DiamondPreviews:  The third issue of Marvel Comics' comic book adaptation has been released.

From Deadline:  Mad Mikkelson talks about several things in this interview, including his role in "Rogue One."

From io9:  Marvel Comics has announced a "Rogue One" prequel comic books, "Rogue One: Cassian and K-2SO," which recounts the first meeting of the two characters.

From io9:  There are two new "Rogue One" prequel novels that expand Star Wars canon: "Rebel Rising" by Beth Revis and "Guardian of the Whills" by Greg Rucka.

From Movieweb:  "Rogue One" first saw life as a pitch for a live-action TV series.

From Newsarama:  Marvel Comics will publish a six-issue comic book adaptation of "Rogue One" beginning with the first issue in April.

From TheHDRoom:  Lucasfilm and Disney make it official - Blu-Ray 3D, Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital dates confirmed.

From ScreenRant:  "Rogue One" Blu-ray release date, April 4, 2017.

From YahooNews:  Lucasfilm releases a video revealing how "Rogue One's" effects came together.

From CBR:  An upcoming novel, "Inferno Squad," will act as a sequel to "Rogue One."

From YahooNews:  "Rogue One" leads Britain's "Empire Awards" with 9 nominations.

From SlashFilm:  Where was Rogue Antilles?

From TheHollywoodReporter:  "Rogue One received 2 Oscar nominations for the 89th Academy Awards.

From TheWrap:  "Rogue One" has crossed the $1 billion mark in worldwide box office.

From YahooNews:  "Rogue One" is now the highest grossing film at the domestic box office for the year 2016.

From YahooMovies:   Defending themselves against criticism, Lucasfilm says that Peter Cushing's estate approved the digital recreation of Cushing's character Grand Moff Tarkin and that Carrie Fisher liked the digital Princess Leia.

From YahooMovies:  Darth Vader's appearance in "Rogue One" almost did not happen, but was tweaked.

From Deadline:  "Rogue One" reachers $914 million in global box office.  It nets $31 million in its debut in China.

From Variety:  "Rogue One" is among the nominees for the 2017 Art Directors Guild Awards.

From NYDailyNews:  Here is a book review of the novelization of "Rogue One," written by Alexander Freed, who has previously written a Star Wars novel.

From IGN:  "Rogue One" novel adds new scenes to story.

From Deadline:  "Rogue One" at $775 million in worldwide box office.

From Deadline:  "Rogue One" is now the second highest grossing film at the domestic box office of 2016, behind "Finding Dory."

From Variety:  Perhaps, a third straight weekend at #1 for "Rogue One."

From Variety:  As of Tuesday, December 27, 2016, the worldwide box office for "Rogue One" is at $615 million.

From Patreon:  My review of "Rogue One."

From Deadline:  "Rogue One" soars past $200 million.

From TheVerge:  "Rogue One" had a different ending.

From ABC7:  Gareth Edwards hopes for lasting cultural impact of "Rogue One."

From Polygon:  Don't be afraid to talk about "Rogue One" and politics.

From Variety:  "Rogue One" has $155 million opening weekend.

From CBR:  Rebellions are built on hope.  Why "Rogue One" matters now.

From YahooMovies:  The inspiration for the "Star Wars" logo.

From Variety:  $71 million in box office (North America) for "Rogue One" on Friday, Dec. 16th.

From Variety:  "Rogue One" debuts with a massive $29 million Thursday night preview, the largest box office for a Thursday preview this year.

From YouTube:  Third and final (supposedly) official "Rogue One" trailer.

From YahooMovies:  Spoilers in third Rogue One trailer.

From Gamespot:  International "Rogue One" trailer with new Darth Vader footage.

From YouTube:  New official trailer - released for the Olympics.

From YouTube:  "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" - Celebration Reel.

From ThePlaylist:   New "Rogue One" poster.

From ScreenRant:  "Rogue One" gets an official synopsis.

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Thursday, November 9, 2017

Bluefin Announces a Variety of Unique Action Figures for 2017 Christmas/Holiday Gifting


BLUEFIN HIGHLIGHTS A WIDE VARIETY OF UNIQUE COLLECTIBLES FOR HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING

Delight That Special Fan With A Variety Of Action Figures, Statues And One-Of-A-Kind Collectibles From Leading Manufacturers Such As Bandai Shogukan, BLITZWAY, Iron Studios, Storm Collectibles, SEN-TI-NEL and Studio Ghibli

Anaheim, CA – Bluefin, the leading North American distributor of toys, collectibles, and hobby merchandise from Japan, Asia and more, highlights a colorful variety of unique products that will make excellent gift selections for collectors and fans this holiday season.

Browse a variety of one-of-a-kind products from leading Bluefin brands such as BLITZWAY, Iron Studios, Storm Collectibles, SEN-TI-NEL, Studio Ghibli and Bandai Shogukan. These products are available now from authorized Bluefin retailers nationwide and also from select leading online outlets.

BLITZWAY Ghostbusters 1/6 Scale Figures · MSRP $225.00 each
"Who ya gonna call?” BLITZWAY is proud to present the legendary original Ghostbusters team in a series officially licensed 1/6 scale figures. Each figure offers a highly detailed head sculpt, screen accurate costumes, a fully articulated body, and various realistic accessories. These figures are the perfect realization of Bill Murray as Peter Venkman, Dan Aykroyd as Raymond Stantz, Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore, and Harold Ramis as Egon Spengler. Don't miss the opportunity to add these legendary characters to your collection!

BLITZWAY Ghostbusters 1/6 Scale Figures Special Combo Pack · MSRP $896.00
A special Ghostbusters Pack is also available containing all 4 figures - Peter Venkman, Raymond Stantz, Egon Spengler and Winston Zeddemore - along with a special 1/6 scale Slimer figure with stand, a police barricade, and a "No Ghost" sign light.

Iron Studios Batman: Arkham Knight · Height: Approx. 9 inches · MSRP: $150.00
Limited Edition hand-painted Polystone statue is based on original 3D references from the action-adventure video game developed by Rocksteady Studios, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and based on the 1989 Tim Burton movie.

Iron Studios Scarecrow Arkham Knight · Height: Approx. 9 inches · MSRP: $130.00
Limited Edition hand-painted Polystone statue is based on original 3D references from the action-adventure video game developed by Rocksteady Studios.

Storm Collectibles Mortal Kombat “Reptile” · Height: Approx. 7 inches · MSRP $55.00
Storm Collectibles presents its latest Mortal Kombat release - Reptile. Reptile comes from a realm once known as Zaterra which was mysteriously destroyed ages ago. He is the last of the Reptor race. Shao Kahn has enlisted Reptile into his forces and makes use of his stealth and skills as a spy for his army. Reptile's famous special attack are Acid Spit and the Force Ball.

Fully articulated figure stands approximately 7 inches tall and includes a variety of accessories – interchangeable hands, masks and head sculpts as well as acid liquid and force ball effects.

Storm Collectibles Street Fighter “Chun Li” · Height: Approx. 6 inches · MSRP $65.00
Storm Collectibles presents its next Street Fighter V action figure, Chun-Li, the strongest and most iconic female video game character of all time and also the first female fighter of the Street Fighter Series.

Figure stands approximately 6 inches tall and features more than 30 points of articulation as well as a wide selection of accessories and interchangeable parts including hands and head sculpts along with Kikoken, Hyakuretsukyaku and 2 Renkiko V-trigger effects.

Storm Collectibles 1/6 Scale Muhammad Ali · MSRP $230.00
Storm Collectibles is honored to present the first officially licensed 1/6 scale Muhammad Ali collectible figure. The rendering features a lifelike likeness of Ali, an exclusive Ali body-figure design, and is fully articulated, and features Everlast branded boxing gear. Figure comes with 2 head sculpts, a robe and stand with punching bag.

SEN-TI-NEL Nyanboard Figure Collection 3 · MSRP: $70.00 for a Box of 10 Figures
A new species of Danboard has been discovered - "The Nyanboard!” New friends join the beloved "Nyanboard" series in time for the holidays! These cute figures fit in the palm of your hand and feature movable heads, arms and legs. Collect all 10 renditions - Tora, Kotora, Kuro, Shiro, Mike, Pochi, Hachi, Fuji, Serval and Panda.

Bandai Shogukan Gift Items (Various) · MSRP Prices Under $10.00 each
Perfect as stocking stuffers for that special fan, compact Bandai Shogukan items include figures and other products for popular anime properties such as Dragon Ball, Megaman, Mobile Suit Gundam, Sailor Moon and Splatoon!

Studio Ghibli Gift Items (Various) · MSRP Prices Range Between $15.00 to $70.00
A variety of highly detailed home décor and collectible items are available from the Studio Ghibli collection. Notable items available for the holidays include: a music box, coin banks, clocks, perpetual calendars, mirrors, a Totoro-shaped lunch bag, and towel gift set.

Studio Ghibli Small Gift Items (Various) · MSRP Prices Under $16.00
A variety of smaller-sized officially licensed gift items featuring famous Studio Ghibli properties and characters include charms, chopsticks, lace bracelets, small towels, compact puzzles and playing card decks featuring scenes from beloved Studio Ghibli films.


About Bluefin:
Based in Anaheim, CA, Bluefin built its reputation as a leading distributor of Japanese toys, collectibles, novelty and hobby products. In recent years, Bluefin has grown to include a range of high quality collectible lines from the United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan and established itself as the official North American consumer products and retail development partner for Studio Ghibli. Selling to thousands of specialty, chain and independent stores, Bluefin is an official North American distributor for Bandai Hobby, Bandai Shokugan, and Capcom, and is also an official provider of Bandai Tamashii Nations products. Bluefin the exclusive and official distributor for Blitzway Studios, Flame Toys, Mr. Hobby, SEN-TI-NEL, Storm Collectibles, and X-Plus. Bluefin also represents TruForce Collectibles products worldwide. Additional information is available at: www.bluefincorp.com.

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Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Review: "Underworld: Blood Wars" is Fresh Blood for the Franchise

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Underworld: Blood Wars (2017)
Running time:  91 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody violence, and some sexuality
DIRECTOR:  Anna Foerster
WRITERS:  Cory Goodman and Kyle Ward; from a story by Cory Goodman (based upon characters created by Kevin Grevioux and Danny McBride and Len Wiseman)
PRODUCERS:  David Kern, Len Wiseman, Gary Lucchesi, Tom Rosenberg, and Richard Wright
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Karl Walter Lindenlaub
EDITOR:  Peter Amundson
COMPOSER:  Michael Wandmacher

FANTASY/ACTION with elements of sci-fi and horror

Starring:  Kate Beckinsale, Theo James, Tobias Menzies, Lara Pulver, Charles Dance, James Faulkner, Peter Andersson, Clementine Nicholson, Bradley James, Daisy Head, Oliver Stark, and Sveta Driga

Underworld: Blood Wars is a 2016 action horror film from director Anna Foerster.  It is the fifth installment in the Underworld film franchise, which began with the 2003 film, Underworld.  Released in the United States in 2017,  Blood Wars is a direct sequel to the fourth installment, Underworld: Awakening (2012).  In the new film, a legendary and reviled vampire Death Dealer tries to end the seemingly eternal war between the Lycans (werewolves) and the vampires.

As Underworld: Blood Wars begins, the remaining vampire covens are on the verge of being wiped out by the Lycans.  Selene (Kate Beckinsale), the legendary vampire Death Dealer, is trying to end the 1500-year-old war between the species.  The Lycans are led by Marius (Tobias Menzies), who is seeking Selene.  He plans to force Selene to reveal the whereabouts of her daughter, Eve, whose blood Marius believes holds the key to building an army of vampire-werewolf hybrids.

David (Theo James), the younger vampire who befriended Selene (in Underworld: Awakening), and his father, Thomas (Charles Dance), approach the Eastern Coven, the last major vampire coven still standing, to convince its leaders that they need Selene if they are going to defeat Marius.

Semira (Lara Pulver), a council member of the Eastern Coven, seeks to leverage more power for herself in the coven, and she wants Selene to be granted clemency so that she can train the Eastern Coven's neophyte Death Dealers.  However, Selene and David soon find themselves on the run to a mysterious coven where David will discover his true legacy and where Selene will find transformation.

Underworld: Blood Wars is the best Underworld film since the second film, Underworld: Evolution (2006).  It is a shame that it has taken a decade for the franchise to get anywhere near Evolution in terms of quality.  Blood Wars mostly ignores Underworld: Awakening's plot, but does carry over three of the characters from the latter film:  Theo, David, and Eve (mostly talked about rather than seen, except for appearances via flashbacks and a cameo).

Of course, this is an action horror movie, so there is much vampire-werewolf conflict and some vampire-on-vampire violence.  In fact, the two fights here are relatively large scale battles between Lycans and vampires that are similar to the ones found in the third film, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, a prequel story that recounts the beginnings of the Lycan-vampire blood feud.

The writers of Underworld: Blood Wars also use this film to push the series beyond just being an action-horror franchise.  The series has always treated the origins of the Lycans and vampires as being scientific and medical – viruses and mutations, and the present day war between the two species has been fought with increasingly advanced technological weapons of war, making the series somewhat science fiction.  Now, fantasy elements emerge:  spirits, ghostly realms, dreams, and mysticism.  That is a good thing because I thought Underworld had clearly stagnated with Awakening, so bringing in supernatural fantasy in Blood Wars adds a new dimension to the franchise.

Beyond that, there is no point in me discussing the acting or the character development, as the characters are just pieces to be moved around as this franchise's decision makers give it a new orientation.  Because we get a good movie out of it, the best in a while, I see no reason to complain about acting and character.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, September 3, 2017


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