Paramount+ Adds 1,000 Premium Movies to Its Service; Original Content and Live Sports Coming Soon

Paramount+ Announces a Mountain of Movies, Original Series and Live Sports Coming to the Service This Summer

“Infinite” Premieres Exclusively on Paramount+ June 10, Followed by the Debut of “PAW Patrol: The Movie” on August 20, Same Day as Its Theatrical Release

The Streaming Service Will Add More Than 1,000 New Movies, including “Rocketman,” “The Hustle,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol,” “Footloose,” “Skyfall,” “Like a Boss,”

“Star Trek Beyond,” “The Rhythm Section” and More

Premium Original Series Premiering and Returning This Summer Include

iCARLY, EVIL, THE GOOD FIGHT, RuPAUL’S’ DRAG RACE ALL STARS, BEHIND THE MUSIC and More

Paramount+ Will Stream Hundreds of Live Soccer Matches, Including Concacaf Men’s World Cup Qualifiers, UEFA Club Competitions, Italy’s Serie A, Campeonato Brasileirão Série A, NWSL, Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol and More

New Ad-Supported Plan Launches Today for $4.99 per Month, Packaging the Best in Entertainment, News and Sports at an Even More Compelling Price Point

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Paramount+ announced it will significantly expand its content offering this summer, starting with the exclusive premiere of the sci-fi action film “Infinite” and introduction of more than 1,000 premium movies this week. From generation-defining films and award-winning classics to thrilling action-adventure movies and family friendly hits, the world-class movie library will be complemented by a summer slate of highly anticipated originals, plus an unrivaled sports package that includes hundreds of marquee soccer matches. The new summer slate will roll out over the next several weeks, joining Paramount+’s already extensive content portfolio that is now available to subscribers at a new low-cost tier of just $4.99/month starting today.

    “The breadth and depth of premium feature films and exclusive series coming to the service further strengthens our position in the market as a premium entertainment destination and, by offering this compelling content portfolio at an all-new low cost, makes us even more accessible to a wide consumer audience”

“The breadth and depth of premium feature films and exclusive series coming to the service further strengthens our position in the market as a premium entertainment destination and, by offering this compelling content portfolio at an all-new low cost, makes us even more accessible to a wide consumer audience,” said Tom Ryan, President and Chief Executive Officer, ViacomCBS Streaming.

Peak Summer Content:
Building on the brand’s legacy as a hit movie maker, Paramount+ is dramatically scaling its feature film offering to include more than 2,500 popular titles by the end of summer 2021. The first 1,000 films will be available starting June 10, 2021. The service will also exclusively debut “Infinite,” a sci-fi action film starring Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor and directed by Antoine Fuqua, on June 10, 2021; premiere the much anticipated “PAW Patrol: The Movie” on August 20, 2021, the same day it hits theaters; and become the streaming home for “A Quiet Place Part II'' following its successful theatrical release. Beginning this week, subscribers will have access to a renowned movie collection that showcases popular titles, such as:

•     Action and adventure films, including “Terminator: Dark Fate,” “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol,” “Red Dawn,” “Skyfall,” “The Avengers,” “Gemini Man” and “The Rhythm Section”;
•     Critically acclaimed titles, including “Rocketman,” “Judy,” “Florence Foster Jenkins,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Revolutionary Road,” “71,” “The Soloist,” “The Birdcage,” “The Full Monty” and “Little Women”;
•     Kids and family favorites, including “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “The Addams Family,” “Wonder Park,” “The Adventures of Tintin” and “Charlotte's Web”;
•     Horror titles, including “Body Cam,” “Saint Maud,” “Crawl,” “Child’s Play,” “Gretel & Hansel,” “Pet Sematary,” “The Prodigy,” “The Haunting,” “Paranormal Activity 3 & 4” and “Arachnophobia”;
•     Comedies, including “Like a Boss,” “The Hustle,” “Valley Girl,” “What Men Want,” “Fighting with My Family,” “The Little Hours,” “The Dictator,” “I Love You, Man,” “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa,” “Tropic Thunder,” “No Strings Attached,” “Hello, My Name Is Doris” and “The School of Rock.”

These blockbuster films will be available to watch along with other iconic titles from fan-favorite franchises currently featured on the service, including Indiana Jones, Mission: Impossible, Star Trek, SpongeBob SquarePants and Jackass.

The collection of Paramount+ original series will continue to expand this summer with the premiere and return of original series that span scripted dramas, kids and family, reality, comedy, music and documentaries. The summer slate includes iCARLY (June 17), EVIL (June 20), RuPAUL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS (June 24), RuPAUL’S DRAG RACE UNTUCKED! (June 24), THE GOOD FIGHT (June 24), BEHIND THE MUSIC (July 29), STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS (August 12) and more. The new programming will complement recent hit shows, such as RUGRATS; WHY WOMEN KILL; YOUNGER; KAMP KORAL: SPONGEBOB’S UNDER YEARS; THE CHALLENGE: ALL STARS; 60 MINUTES+; and FROM CRADLE TO STAGE, further bolstering the service’s powerhouse portfolio.

In addition, Paramount+ is home to CBS Sports’ English-language soccer coverage in the U.S., from hundreds of live matches across the globe to pregame and postgame studio analysis and interviews. Paramount+’s packed summer of soccer is well underway, featuring Concacaf Men’s World Cup Qualifiers in June, the start of qualifiers for UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League, the start of Italy’s Serie A season in August, and Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol, Campeonato Brasileirão Série A, and NWSL regular season competition throughout the summer.

Paramount+ packages entertainment from leading ViacomCBS brands and live sports with around-the-clock news coverage and impactful journalism for an unmatched subscriber experience. The best-in-class news offering from Paramount+ includes renowned CBS News programs, popular series such as 60 Minutes+, live streams of local affiliates in over 200 markets across the U.S., and the 24-hour streaming news service CBSN.

New Low-Cost Plan:
Paramount+ has two pricing tiers available to U.S. subscribers that package the best of live and on-demand programming.

Starting today, Paramount+ will provide the Essential Plan, an all-new, ad-supported tier at $4.99 per month. The new plan combines marquee sports, including NFL games and more than 1,600 soccer matches each year, with on-demand entertainment options spanning the full suite of current and upcoming shows and movies, as well as breaking news through CBSN (but will no longer include local live CBS station programming). The previously offered limited commercial plan will no longer be available for new users, but existing users will maintain access.

Paramount+ also offers a Premium Plan at $9.99 per month that features commercial-free, on-demand entertainment with 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision and mobile downloads; an extended roster of must-watch sports; and live streams of local affiliates in over 200 markets across the U.S.

All Paramount+ subscribers will continue to have access to a seamless user interface, enhanced curation and discovery, cross-platform dynamic play functionality, personalized homepages, content categories, and central hubs for ViacomCBS’ brands. Additionally, each subscription option includes parental controls and up to six individual profiles. Later this month, Paramount+ will also roll out a new watchlist feature called My List that will allow subscribers to save shows and movies to watch at a later date.

Broad Distribution:
Paramount+ is available online at ParamountPlus.com; on mobile devices via the Paramount+ app for iOS and Android; and on Android TV, Amazon Prime Video Channels, Apple TV, Apple TV channels, Chromecast, Facebook Portal, Fire TV, LG Smart TVs, PlayStation 4, Roku Players, Samsung Smart TVs, Vizio Smartcast TVs and Xbox One. For more details on Paramount+, please visit ParamountPlus.com.


About Paramount+:
Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service from ViacomCBS, combines live sports, breaking news and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream ViacomCBS Streaming’s other live channels: CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage.

For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.

About ViacomCBS:
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount+, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution and advertising solutions for partners on five continents.

For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacomcbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.

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Comics Review: SURFACING #5 Takes Us to Ancient Evenings

SURFACING #5
APPROBATION COMICS

STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: Ricardo Mendez
COLORS: Alivón Ortiz
LETTERS: Krugos
EDITOR: Denise Thompson
MISC. ART: Gleidson Ribeiro
COVER: Gleidson Ribeiro, Maxx Marshall, and Victor Maya
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (2019)

Rated: “M” for Mature

“The Stone and the Shell” Part 1 of 2

Surfacing is a comic book franchise created by B. Alex Thompson and published by Approbation Comics.  The four-issue miniseries, Surfacing: Depth Perceptions, focuses on a series of encounters, sometimes violent, between humans and mermaid-like creatures.  The eponymous Surfacing is an anthology series in which each issue offers a story in which a mermaid finds herself trapped in the world of humans.  Besides Thompson, artist Ricardo Mendez; colorist Alivon Ortiz; and letterer Krugos, currently comprise Surfacing's creative team.

Surfacing #5 opens two million years ago, on a Savannah, likely somewhere in eastern Africa.  There, a tribe of Homo erectus/ergaster resides.  Kon is a member of the tribe.  He is exceptionally good at making tools and at fishing, but in a tribe of fierce hunters, Kon's talents are seen as weaknesses.  Kon's brother, Nog, is a great hunter.

After Nog coerces him into going on a hunt, Kon is injured.  Kon goes to a nearby beach, where he submerges the bottom half of his body in the cool waters.  This leads to an encounter with a beautiful young woman.  She calls herself “Int,” and she is of the “water folk.”  Meeting Int will change Kon's life, but what will it do to his relationship his own people?

THE LOWDOWN:  As much as I enjoyed the miniseries, Surfacing: Depth Perceptions, I find myself really enjoying Surfacing, which showcases some of writer B. Alex Thompson's most imaginative writing.  Surfacing #5 offers a big shift from the usual Surfacing tales.

Thompson fanciful imagining of the eastern Africa (likely modern day Kenya) during the Early Pleistocene offers a different kind of character, while emphasizing familiar family conflict and romantic discovery.  Thompson makes every page of this story intriguing; it is as if there is always at least one thing on each page that makes me curious and want to know more.

Artist Ricardo Mendez has proved to be a perfect collaborator for Thompson in this writer-artist team.  Mendez creates a beautiful prehistoric pastoral world that is as interesting as the main story.  Speaking of which, Mendez deftly tells this first chapter of “The Stone and the Shell” via his figure drawings of the characters, which give the story a sense of naturalism.  Alivon Ortiz's muted colors allow the emotions of the characters to stand out in the story.  Krugos' lettering and sound effects are also muted, but is “pitch-perfect” for this chapter's emphasis on a budding romance.

I highly recommend Surfacing #5 and the series as a whole.  Surfacing is like nothing else you will find in mainstream, alternative, or indie comics.  It is something new and different like Neil Gaiman's The Sandman was when it debuted.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of fantasy comic books published by DC Comics' late imprint, Vertigo, will want to read Surfacing.

A+

[This issue includes a three-page bonus section that reprints pages of Gleidson Ribeiro's pencil art for an earlier version of this series and this story.]

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


https://twitter.com/ApproBAT
www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 6th to 12th, 2021 - Update #22

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Variety:   The new documentary film, "The Kids," examines Larry Clark's 1995 film, "Kids," and the lives of the young actors it shattered.

MUSIC - From Deadline:   Gregory James, the rapper known as "Shock G" and MC Humpty Hump" of the rap group, "Digital Underground," died this past April.  The initial case summary released by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s office in Florida said Shock G died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, ethanol and methamphetamine.

BLM - From Truthout:   Darnella Frazier, the Minnesota teen whose cellphone video recording of Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck last May was key piece of prosecution evidence in the trial the ended with the former Minneapolis police officer’s murder conviction, received an honorary Pulitzer Prize on Friday, June 11th.

NETFLIX - From EW:   "John Wick" actor, Lance Reddick, will play "Albert Wesker" in Netflix's planned "Resident Evil" TV series.  Wesker is actually a character from the "Resident Evil" game franchise.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  The Lord of the Rings is getting the anime (Japanese animation) treatment with the animated film, "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim," from New Line Pictures and Warner Animation.  The film will be directed by Japanese anime director, Kenji Kamiyama, and Japanese anime company, Sola Entertainment, will provide the animation.

STREAMING - From Deadline: Mario Cantone, Willie Garson, David Eigenberg and Evan Handler, who regulars on HBO's "Sex and the City," are returning for HBO Max's revival, "And Just Like That..."

EMMYS - From Variety:   TNT (7 wins) and ESPN (6 wins) lead the 2021 / 42nd Annual Sports Emmys.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Searchlight Pictures has released the first trailer for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye."  It stars Oscar-nominee Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye Bakker, wife of infamous televangelist, Jim Bakker (played by Oscar-nominee Andrew Garfield), and is based on a grue story.  You can watch the trailer in the article.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:   Tyler Perry his bring his signature character, Madea, out of retirement for a new Netflix film, "A Madea Homecoming," which will be released in 2022.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Horror movie super-producer Jason Blum and director Bryan Fuller are behind a new film version of Stephen King's 1983 novel, "Christine."  John Carpenter directed the first film adaptation, which was also released in 1983.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Following her breakout role in the Netflix smash hit "Outer Banks," Madelyn Cline has joined the cast of the "Knives Out" sequel.

NETFLIX - From Polygon:   Netflix has provided a first look at its live-action version of the anime classic, "Cowboy Bebop," which includes a look at John Cho's hairdo to play "Spike."

LGBTQ - From TheHill:  Burger King has entered the chicken sandwich wars and has challenged anti-gay chicken fast food franchise, Chick-fil-A, with its own support of LGBTQ+.

MOVIES - From BloodyDisgusting:   At one point, director Neill Blomkamp was going direct "Alien 5," which would have been a direct sequel to writer-director James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986), the second film in the series.  But the film was killed off, but more concept art from the project has emerged.

MOVIES - From BloodyDisgusting:   Writer-director Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses) has announced that he has landed his dream gig.  He will write and direct a film update of the late CBS sitcom, "The Munsters" (1964-66), for Universal Pictures.  The film may also end up being an exclusive release for NBCUniversal's "Peacock" streaming service.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Recent Oscar-nominee Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan are attached to star in “She Said,” about "The New York Times" sexual harassment investigation against Harvey Weinstein that kicked off the #MeToo movement.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   In addition to adding new programming to the streaming service, "Paramount+", ViacomCBS is created a low-cost tier to Paramount+ that will be ad-supported.

CELEBRITIES - From BET:  Duchess Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced that their second child, a baby girl, was born on Friday, June 4, 2021. They’ve decided to name her Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, after both her grandmother, the late Princess Diana, and her great-grandmother, the Queen of England.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 6/4 to 6/6/2021 weekend box office is "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" with an estimated take of 24 million dollars. 

 

From Deadline:  Faith-based (Mormon) film, "Witnesses," makes a strong debut at the specialty box office, but "Bo Gia" still leads.

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

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Executive producer Ryan Murphy has revealed the four actors who will appear in Hulu's "American Horror Stories," the spinoff of his hit FX series, "American Horror Story."

OBITS:

From YahooSports:  Former NFL coach, Jim Fassel, has died at the age of 71, Monday, June 7, 2021.  Fassel was the head coach of the National Football League's "New York Giants" (NFC) from 1997 to 2003.  He led the Giants to Super Bowl XXXV (Jan. 28, 2001), where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens (AFC) 34 to 7.  However, a decade earlier, Fassel was an assistant coach when the Giants won Super Bowl XXV under head coach Bill Parcells.  Fassel was also named "NFL Coach of the Year" in 1997.

From THR:  African-American film, stage and television actor, Clarence Williams III, has died at the age of 81, Friday, June 4, 2021.  His breakout role was in the television series, "The Mod Squad" (1968-73), playing hippie cop, "Lincoln 'Linc' Hayes."  Williams also became a memorable character actor, appearing in films such as "Purple Rain," "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka," "Tales from the Hood," and "Half Baked," to name a few.  Other memorable TV roles included a recurring role on Season Two of the original "Twin Peaks" (1990-91), an episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," and a supporting role in 10 of the Hallmark Channel's "Mystery Woman" movies.  In 1965, he earned a Tony Award nomination for "Best Featured Actor" in the play, "Slow Dance on the Killing Ground."

NatGeo to Air "Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer" Fri., June 18th

National Geographic Documentary Films Partners With Acclaimed Director Dawn Porter in Search of Justice and Peace 100 Years After the Tulsa Massacre in New Feature Documentary RISE AGAIN: TULSA AND THE RED SUMMER

Award-Winning Journalist DeNeen Brown Chronicles the Investigation of a Mass Grave in Oklahoma, Reporting on the Early 20th Century's Reign of Racial Terror and Legacy of Violence in the Two-Hour Special To Premiere On National Geographic Friday, June 18, at 9 p.m. ET/PT and Available To Stream on Hulu the Next Day, Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2021

Get a first look at YouTube.

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic Documentary Films is partnering with acclaimed filmmaker Dawn Porter ("The Way I See It," "Good Trouble: John Lewis") and Trailblazer Studios on a feature documentary that sheds new light on a century-old period of intense racial conflict. RISE AGAIN: TULSA AND THE RED SUMMER comes one hundred years from the two-day Tulsa Massacre in 1921 that led to the murder of hundreds of Black people and leaving thousands homeless and displaced. The film will premiere on National Geographic on Friday, June 18, 2021, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. It will also be available to stream on Hulu the next day, Saturday, June 19, 2021, commemorating Juneteenth, when the last enslaved Black people in Texas received news of their emancipation, and will air globally in 172 countries and 43 languages.

Award-winning Washington Post journalist and Oklahoma native DeNeen Brown is at the heart of the film, reporting on the search for a mass grave in her native state. Digging into the events that led to one of the worst episodes of racial violence in America's history, Brown reveals insights into racial-conflict incidents that erupted in the early 20th century. Between 1917 and 1923, when Jim Crow laws were at their height and the Klu Klux Klan was resurging across the nation, scores of Black homes and businesses were razed, and hundreds of Black people were lynched and massacred with impunity.

Brown's reporting highlights the revived call for justice for victims and survivors. Following a 2018 investigative report, Brown explores the current new anti-racism movement in the context of the Tulsa Massacre and the Red Summer. With access to family members of those killed, city officials, archeologists and historians, the film reveals the decades-long effort by descendants and community members to find the victims' bodies and unearth truths that have been suppressed for nearly a century. RISE AGAIN: TULSA AND THE RED SUMMER also untangles the role the media played in covering events at the time in order to reveal the full extent of the nation's buried past.

"I'm interested in following the evidence where it leads while giving a voice to those directly affected by the tragic events in Tulsa and throughout the Red Summer. This is the time to tell this story, which is not only about Black victims but also about Black resistance. There is so much our society is currently reckoning with, but seeking the truth about the damage wrought by unchecked mob violence against the Black community is a starting point. Sadly, the racism motivating the Red Summer has not been eradicated. It is clear, we must acknowledge these wrongs if healing is to begin," said Dawn Porter.

DeNeen L. Brown added, "In Tulsa, there is an increased urgency to properly honor Black people who were murdered during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Black activists in Tulsa have been working for years to bring national attention to this horrific chapter in U.S. history, in which as many as 300 Black people were killed by white mobs, and the prosperous Black community of Greenwood was destroyed. This year, as the city recognizes the 100th anniversary of the massacre, Tulsa finds itself at a point of inflection to learn from its horrific history and bring justice to survivors and descendants who have been denied true justice for too long."

Also being covered in a future issue of National Geographic Magazine, the excavation of a possible mass grave in Tulsa will continue early 20th century calls from Black newspapers, which reported on the Red Summer era seeking justice for the dead. The excavation is just one part of the effort to reckon with the past.

National Geographic Documentary Films' RISE AGAIN: TULSA AND THE RED SUMMER comes on the heels of its highly successful docuseries CITY SO REAL, continuing to shed light on social justice and racial equality in America. The banner's most recent films, REBUILDING PARADISE, from director Ron Howard, debuted at Sundance 2020, and THE CAVE, from director Feras Fayyad, was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature in 2020. National Geographic Documentary Films previously released the Academy Award-, BAFTA- and seven-time Emmy® Award-winning film FREE SOLO; the Sundance Audience Award winner SCIENCE FAIR; Emmy winners LA 92 and JANE, both of which were included in the top 15 documentaries considered for an Academy Award in 2017; and duPont Award winner HELL ON EARTH: THE FALL OF SYRIA AND THE RISE OF ISIS.

RISE AGAIN: TULSA AND THE RED SUMMER is produced by Dawn Porter's Trilogy Films and Trailblazer Studios in association with National Geographic Studios. Porter serves as producer and director, with DeNeen Brown as contributing reporter and Lauren Capps as story producer. For Trailblazer Studios, Jeff Lanter and Ashleigh Di Tonto are executive producers. For National Geographic, Christine Weber is executive producer, and Courteney Monroe is president, Content.


About National Geographic Documentary Films:
National Geographic Documentary Films is committed to bringing the world premium, feature documentaries that cover timely, provocative and globally relevant stories from the very best documentary filmmakers in the world. National Geographic Documentary Films is a division of National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between Disney and the National Geographic Society. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 132 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information, visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About Trilogy Films:
Trilogy Films specializes in creating award-winning, feature-length documentaries that elevate important issues and spark necessary conversations. Led by filmmaker Dawn Porter, Trilogy has produced content for some of the globe's largest content brands and distributors, while earning several of the industry's highest honors, including a Peabody Award for the 2016 documentary Trapped and Independent Spirit Award nomination for her 2013 film Gideon's Army. Recent projects include John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures), about the late Congressman John Lewis and The Way I See It (Focus Features), about photojournalist Pete Souza, who served as Chief Official White House photographer for President Barack Obama and as an Official White House photographer for Ronald Reagan. Trilogy Films is currently producing an Apple TV multi-part documentary series with Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry that focuses on mental illness and wellbeing.

About Trailblazer Studios:
Trailblazer Studios is an Emmy-winning entertainment, production, post and sound facility. Based in Raleigh, N.C., Trailblazer's nearly 20,000 sq. ft. facility boasts a soundstage, production offices, edit suites, picture finishing, sound mixing and other related services. Most recently, the company announced a first-of-its-kind television endeavor with Reuters to adapt its highly acclaimed, award-winning investigative series The Body Trade. Trailblazer, which delivered nearly 100 hours of original programming in 2020, is currently producing several announced blue-chip, natural-history and premium-documentary series for several networks, including National Geographic, OWN, Discovery and PBS. The company also assists clients with delivering content to HBO, Netflix, Amazon and numerous film festivals, including Sundance, Full Frame and Tribeca.

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Review: The Fabulous Lightfoot Brothers Carry "Onward"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 39 of 2021 (No. 1777) by Leroy Douresseaux

Onward (2020)
Running time:  102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA –  PG for action/peril and some mild thematic elements
DIRECTOR:  Dan Scanlon
WRITERS:  Dan Scanlon, Keith Bunin, and Jason Headley
PRODUCER:  Kori Rae
CINEMATOGRAPHERS:  Sharon Calahan (D.o.P.) and Adam Habib (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Catherine Apple
COMPOSERS: Jeff Danna and Mycheal Danna
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring:  (voices) Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, Kyle Bornheimer, Lena Waithe, Ali Wong, Tracey Ullman, Wilmer Valderrama, George Psarras, and John Ratzenberger

Onward is a 2020 computer-animated, comedy-drama, and fantasy film from director Dan Scanlon and is produced by Pixar Animation Studios.  Onward focuses on two elf brothers who embark on a quest to bring their late father back to life for one day.

Onward is set in an urban fantasy world that is inhabited by mythic creatures such as elves, centaurs, and pixies, to name a few.  Once upon a time, magic was common place, but over several millennia, technological advances made magic obsolete and largely discarded.  The story opens on the sixteenth birthday of an elf boy named Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland), who is shy and struggles with self-confidence.  He has an older brother, Barley (Chris Pratt), an enthusiastic role-playing gamer and fanatic about both the history of the world and about magic.  The boys live with their mother, Laurel Lightfoot (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a widow.

Laurel's late husband and the boys' father, Wilden Lightfoot (Kyle Bornheimer), died shortly before Ian was born.  For Ian's sixteenth birthday, Laurel gives both her boys a gift from Wilden.  The gift is a magical wizard staff, a rare Phoenix gem, and a letter describing a magical spell.  It is a “visitation spell” that can resurrect Wilden for a single day, and while Ian succeeds in casting the spell, he is unable to finish it.  As a result, Ian has summoned the lower half of Wilden's body.  Ian and Barley take their father (such as he is) and embark on a quest to complete the spell.  However, the brothers' quest is more dangerous than they know.  It will take Laurel; her boy friend, Colt Bronco the centaur (Mel Rodriguez); and a legendary figure, The Manticore (Octavia Spencer) to make sure that the brothers' quest to meet their deceased father does not end with them being deceased.

I don't want this review to spoil Onward if you have not yet seen it, dear readers.  I can say that one of the film's main themes is that people are often looking hard for something they already have.  Another theme is that sometimes we blame people for the mistakes we think they are making when it is really our lack of trust in them that leads to trouble.  And of course, the themes of relationships between brothers and of brotherly love dominate this film.

Ian and Barley carry this film, and Onward's off-beat, quest fantasy, role-playing game design and mood/mode keep the film from being just another tale of brotherly love.  In fact, the first forty minutes of the film are quite problematic, but once the film gets to the heart of the matter – Ian and Barley's quest and each brother's reason for the quest – Onward comes alive.  While Onward is not a Pixar classic, it does make strong use of the Pixar's formula of comedy, adventure, heartwarming relationship drama, and an emphasis on getting to the heart of the story.

I would never waste your time telling your that a Pixar film has magnificent animation, great colors, eye-popping environments, and striking graphics and visuals, in general.  I will say, as usual, that the voice performances are good.  I really like that Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Laurel and Octavia Spencer as “The Manticore” actually have important roles in both the drama and the action-adventure, and these two fine actress shine in their supporting roles.  Is it fate or magic that Tom Holland as Ian and Chris Pratt as Barley have … magical screen chemistry?

If not for the first half of the film, I would call Onward a Pixar classic.  As it is, it is still the kind of exceptional film that we expect of Pixar and, except for some missteps, they deliver.  And yes, I did find the world of Onward to be a bit odd, even weird, although Jeff Danna and Mycheal Danna's musical score is pitch perfect for this world.  Still, one of the highest compliments I can give a film is that by the end of it, I still wanted to watch more.  The way that the relationship between Ian and Barley plays out is something worth watching.  So I am recommending Onward.

8 of 10
A

Thursday, June 10, 2021


NOTES:
2021 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae)

2021 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture - Animated”

2021 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae)


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Mormon Film "Witnesses" Debuts as Top Faith Film at the Box Office

Faith-Based ‘WITNESSES’ Debuts With Commanding Weekend Box Office Nationwide

- #1 Faith Film and Hits Top 10 Overall -

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WITNESSES opened this past weekend as the #1 Faith Film in America and in the top 10 films overall at the box office. CNN Radio called it a “commanding debut” and News Block called its opening “impressive.” Heralded as the epic family film of the summer, the film opened with a powerful performance at the box office nationwide.

    “While many people know some of their story, WITNESSES shares a remarkable story of faith in the face of tremendous opposition”

WITNESSES depicts the powerful true story of the Three Witnesses to the Book of Mormon — David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris. For nearly 200 years, their statement of what occurred, and its veracity, has been published with every copy of the Book of Mormon. And while many people know the story contained in their statement, not many know the full story of how they became witnesses.

“We are absolutely thrilled with WITNESSES’ box office performance,” stated Brandon Purdie, president, and founder of Purdie Distribution. “We are thrilled to join Warner Bros., Disney, Paramount, and Lions Gate among America’s Top 10 films this weekend with WITNESSES.” Purdie Distribution is managing the nationwide theatrical release of the groundbreaking film.

To their dying days, these witnesses defended their testimonies even when faced with threatening mobs, ridicule, and betrayal by friends and family even after leaving the church they were intimately involved in creating. Filmed on location in the US and Canada and featuring a world-class cast of American and Canadian actors, WITNESSES is a dramatic recreation of how Harris, Cowdery and Whitmer became witnesses to the gold plates from which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon.

“While many people know some of their story, WITNESSES shares a remarkable story of faith in the face of tremendous opposition,” stated Russell Richins, the film’s producer.

For more information, visit witnessesfilm.com.


ABOUT THE FILM:
For nearly 200 years, skeptics and critics have attempted to explain away what David Whitmer, Oliver Cowdery and Martin Harris claimed—that they had seen angels and hefted golden metal plates containing ancient inscriptions. Now, for the first time, their amazing, untold true story comes to the big screen in the family film event of the year – WITNESSES. Featuring a world-class cast, WITNESSES has been hailed as the most significant and ambitious film dealing with the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the translation of the Book of Mormon ever made. Directed by Mark Goodman, the film explores how Harris, Cowdery and Whitmer became known as the Three Witnesses and how, to their dying days, they defended their testimonies even when faced with threatening mobs, ridicule, and betrayal by friends and family.

PURDIE DISTRIBUTION:
Purdie Distribution is a full-service theatrical distribution company known for releasing independent films nationwide. Established in 2011, Purdie Distribution led the theatrical campaigns for SAINTS AND SOLDIERS: AIRBORNE CREED and THE VOID, THE SARATOV APPROACH, FREETOWN, MEET THE MORMONS, ONCE I WAS A BEEHIVE, THE STRAY, OUT OF LIBERTY, HEART OF AFRICA, THE FORGOTTEN CAROLS, LAMB OF GOD: THE CONCERT FILM, along with T.C. Christensen’s THE FIGHTING PREACHER and LOVE, KENNEDY. Purdie Distribution is generally focused on films that inspire audiences and elevate the human experience. Before launching on his own, founder and owner Brandon Purdie helped establish the faith-based theatrical film movement with his work on the release of SAINTS AND SOLDIERS, THE WORK AND THE GLORY trilogy, and FOREVER STRONG.

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Comics Review: TRUTH & JUSTICE #4 Digs Deep into Jason Todd/Red Hood

TRUTH & JUSTICE #4 (OF 6)
DC COMICS

STORY: Jeff Trammell
ART: Rob Guillory
COLORS: Jean-Francois Beaulieu
LETTERS: Becca Carey
EDITOR: Andrew Marino
COVER: Rob Guillory with Jean-Francois Beaulieu
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Sanford Greene
40pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (June 2021)

Rated: Age 13+

Robin created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson; Jason Todd created by Gerry Conway and Don Newton

“Haunted by the Past”

Published by DC Comics, Truth & Justice is a six-issue comic book miniseries.  DC has said that “the ideals of truth and justice—concepts synonymous with DC’s superheroes from the Golden Age of Comics to the present day—are the foundation” of Truth & Justice, a anthology comic book series.  Each issue of the series features a different creative team, and is “...a platform for new, emerging storytellers to reveal their takes on popular DC characters,” according to DC.

The fourth issue of Truth & Justice focuses on Jason Todd.  Jason Peter Todd was introduced to comic book readers in Batman #357 (cover dated: March 1983).  Created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Don Newton, Todd became the second character to assume the role of Batman's sidekick, Robin.  Todd was killed off, but was eventually resurrected and became the antihero/superhero, Red Hood, in Batman #635 (cover dated: February 2005).  The creative team for Truth & Justice's fourth issue is writer Jeff Trammell; artist Rob Guillory, colorist Jean-Francois Beaulieu; and letterer Becca Carey.

Truth & Justice #4 (“Haunted by the Past”) opens with Jason Todd recounting his past when he was a petty thief, beginning with the moment Batman first discovered him.  Todd recalls one of the best parts of his past, fellow thief, Max Dawkins, who looked out for young Jason.  Max eventually stopped being a thief and left the streets.  Max had plans to help his community – until he was killed in an alley.

Now, Jason, as Red Hood, is on the warpath for Max's killer.  In his pursuit, however, Jason finds himself facing down his own past and wondering about his place within Batman's “Bat-Family.”  After a violent confrontation with an old Batman villain, Jason must outrun his demons … before they drag him back to the grave.

THE LOWDOWN:  I have to be honest with you, dear readers.  Truth & Justice #4 is the only issue of the Truth & Justice series that I bought, and it is the only one I intend to read.  And I only became interested in it because I am a big fan of Rob Guillory, a local comic book artist and creator, best known for his work on the Image Comics titles, Chew, and Farmhand, which he created.

Writer Jeff Trammell offers what is basically a standalone story, although this issue's shock ending promises to show up in future Red Hood comics and likely some Batman titles.  “Haunted by the Past” is basically the kind of story readers would find in a comic book “Annual.”  This story gives readers a basic look at the conflicts and internal struggles with which Red Hood must face as he makes his way as a costumed vigilante, anti-hero, and quasi-superhero.  Trammell really hits on the things that define Jason Todd/Red Hood – his origin, his death, and his resurrection, and he reveals that being Red Hood is not the end of the character's evolution.

Artist Rob Guillory's art and graphical storytelling really gets at the edginess in Red Hood and conveys his uncertain place within the world of Batman and his allies.  Guillory makes Jason Todd's angst and his conflicts with his allies feel like a real thing.  Jean-Francois Beaulieu's colors over Guillory's pencils heighten and embellish the darkness in Guillory's strong illustrations and storytelling.  It would be good to see more of this art team in other DC Comics titles.

Letterer Becca Carey emphasizes the aggressive nature of Trammell's dialogue in this story, and she creates a fast-pace that makes readers believe that everything that Jason Todd faces in “Haunted by the Past” is real.  I won't recommend Truth & Justice as a series, but I will recommend Truth & Justice #4 as a strong one-off story that any readers familiar with the Red Hood can read.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Jason Todd/Red Hood of “Bat-Family” titles will want to read Truth & Justice #4.

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


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The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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