Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 21st to 30th, 2021 #15

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Star Channing Tatum and director Steven Soderbergh are returning for "Magic Mike's Last Dance," the third film in their "Magic Mike" series.  When the film is ready, it will stream exclusively on HBO Max.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/26 to 11/28/2021 weekend box office is Disney's "Encanto" with an estimated take of 27 million dollars.

From Variety:  The Thanksgiving holiday weekend (11/24 to 11/28/2020=1) box office begins with a Disney's "Encanto" victory as the animated film grossed 7.5 million dollars Wed., Nov. 24th.

From Deadline:  Director Denis Villeneuve's "Dune: Part One" finally crosses the 100 million dollar mark at the domestic box office.

ANIMATION - From DeadlineHayao Miyzazki, the legendary Japanese director of animated films, is coming out of retirement again to direct an animated feature film adaptation of the "How Do You Live," a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino.

DISNEY - From DeadlinePeter Jackson talks about his four-year obsession that resulted on his "Beatles" documentary, "The Beatles: Get Back," which airs on Disney+ from Nov. 25th to Nov. 27th.

COVID-19 - From Deadline:  A new COVID-19 variant, "B.1.1.529," has been found in Africa.  Potentially more transmissible, it has been called "a big jump in evolution."

SCANDAL - From Variety:   An arbitrator has ordered Kevin Spacey and his companies to pay nearly $31 million to MRC, the production company behind Netflix's “House of Cards,” after finding that Spacey breached his contract by violating the company’s sexual harassment policy.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   One of the producers behind the movie Western, "Rust," is co-financing "Sam & Kate," a new film starring Oscar winners Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spasek.  Actor Alec Baldwin accidentally killed cinematography Halyna Hutchinson on the set of "Rust" after pointing a gun in her direction.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/19 to 11/21/2021 weekend box office is "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" with an estimated take of 44 million dollars.

From Negromancer:  My review of "Ghostbusters: Afterlife."

From Deadline:  The most recent James Bond movie, "No Time to Die," moves past the most recent "Fast & Furious" movie, "F9," to take the lead in worldwide box office.

OBITS:

From ESPN:  American professional golfer, Lee Elder, has died at the age of 87, Sunday, November 28, 2021.  In 1975, he became the first Black golfer to play The Masters Tournament.  He won four tournaments on the PGA Tour, including the 1974 Monsanto Open, which is what got him invited to the 1974 Masters.

From Variety:  American composer and lyricist and Broadway legend, Stephen Sondheim, has died at the age of 91, Friday, November 26, 2021.  He is praised for having reinvented the American musical and for incorporating complex and dissonant themes and structures from 20th century classical music into his works.  Sondheim is known for being the composer and lyricist for such musicals as "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (1979) and "Sunday in the Park with George" (1984).  He wrote the lyrics for "West Side Story" (1957) and "Gypsy" (1959).  Sondheim's accolades include nine Tony Awards, an Oscar, eight Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, a Laurence Olivier Award, and a 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

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"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Comics Review: "KING OF SPIES #1" Defies its Genre

KING OF SPIES #1 (OF 4)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Matteo Scalera
COLORS: Giovanna Niro
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Matteo Scalera
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Matteo Scalera; Ozgur Yildirim; Mark Chiarello
36pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (December 2021)

Rated M / Mature

King of Spies created by Mark Millar at Netflix


King of Spies is a new four-issue miniseries created and written by Mark Millar.  It focuses on the world's greatest secret agent who wants to settle scores with the system he propped up before he dies of cancer.  Published by Image Comics, King of Spies is drawn by Matteo Scalera; colored by Giovanna Niro; and lettered by Clem Robins.

King of Spies #1 opens in January 1990, in Panama City, two weeks after the United States' invasion of the Republic of Panama (codenamed “Operation Just Cause”).  British secret agent, Roland King, saves the day and stops Panama's dictator, General Manuel Noriega, from escaping.

Three decades later, King is 65-years-old and has just been diagnosed with Glioblastoma, the most aggressive from of brain cancer.  Facing an unusual, mid-life turned end-of-life crisis, King decides to go to war with the very system that he propped up for 40 years.

The kings and presidents, the crooks, and the greedy pigs who treat everything like their personal troughs: King is coming for you.  Roland King is the world's greatest secret agent, and although he has six months to live, he won't die quietly in a hospital bed.

THE LOWDOWN:  King of Spies is the fifth original comic book property that Mark Millar has created for Netflix since the media giant bought his comic book company, “Millarworld,” in 2017.  King of Spies is not Millar's first foray into the secret agent genre; that would be the Kingsman series that began in 2012 with the miniseries, The Secret Service.

Kings of Spies #1 starts off with artist Matteo Scalera unleashing several pages of kinetic action that carries the readers along on an insane adventure.   Giovanna Niro's flaming colors seem to be setting this world on fire, while letterer Clem Robins dots these pages with sound effects and sharp bursts of dialogue.  It certainly is crazy fun.

When the story moves to the present, Millar slows things down and builds Roland's dilemma.  Early in this first issue, Roland King seems to embody three characters:  classic spy/secret agent, James Bond; Marvel Comics' super secret agent, Black Widow; and cinema's recent unstoppable hit man, John Wick.  Later, it becomes clear that Millar seems to want to upend part of secret agent genre.  King did a lot of “dirty work” for what, in old age, he sees as an unfair system that he must take down as much as he can with the time he has left.

I really don't know what Millar plans to do in the remaining three issues of King of Spies or how far he intends to go.  As always, however, the potential in what Millar could give us makes going beyond the first issue of any of his comic books quite necessary … at least for me.  So, dear readers, lets keep reading King of Spies.

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

A

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


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


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

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Comics Review: "THE MAGIC ORDER 2 #2" Could Bring About a Climax

THE MAGIC ORDER 2 #2 (OF 6)
IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Stuart Immonen
COLORS: Sunny Gho
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Stuart Immonen
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Stuart Immonen; Gene Ha
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2021)

Rated M / Mature

The Magic Order created by Mark Millar at Netflix


The Magic Order was a six-issue comic book miniseries written by Mark Millar and drawn by Olivier Coipel.  Published in 2018-19, The Magic Order focused on the sorcerers, magicians, and wizards that protect humanity from darkness and from monsters of impossible sizes.

A second six-issue miniseries, The Magic Order 2, has arrived.  It is written by Mark Millar; drawn by Stuart Immonen; colored by Sunny Gho; and lettered by Clem Robins.  The new series focuses on a magical turf war between The Magic Order and a group of Eastern European warlocks whose ancestors the Order once banished.

As The Magic Order 2 #2 opens, the wizard Francis King returns from an addiction center … just in time, as the Order needs all the members it can summon.  The Moonstones, Cordelia and Regan, and their cousin, Kevin Mitchell, have discovered that a piece of the Stone of Thoth has been taken.  A talisman from ancient Egypt that summon anything from space, time, and beyond, the Stone of Thoth has been guarded by Kevin's chapter of the Order.  It was divided into four pieces and hidden, and now, an unknown enemy is searching out the pieces.

Five hundred years after The Magic Order made all the monsters disappear, they are mysteriously reappearing.  And the dark forces that are magic's underbelly are emerging.

THE LOWDOWN:  I've been saying this for a few years.  The Magic Order is my favorite Mark Millar written, creator-owned comic book.  When it debuted three years ago, the series gave us a thrilling introduction to a new world and new universe of magic, magical beings, and magical conspiracies.  The Magic Order is really like a blend of Harry Potter with a Martin Scorsese mob film.

To read and enjoy and understand The Magic Order 2, one does not have to have read the original series.  Mark Millar throws readers right into a riveting and alluring conspiracy, and his script for The Magic Order 2 #2 recalls the riveting thrills of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and the alluring conspiracy of Watchmen.  One of the things that made these comic books so great was that reading them was like experiencing something that had never been seen in the mainstream American comic books that had come before them.

Becoming a Netflix executive did not stop Mark Millar from being one of the very best comic book writers in the English language.  He has given The Magic Order 2 #2 to us as a warning, just in case we thought that he might have slipped.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of The Magic Order will want to read The Magic Order 2.

A+

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


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


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

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Monday, November 29, 2021

BOOM! Studios Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 1, 2021

BOOM! STUDIOS

OCT210667 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #32 CVR A FRANY $3.99
OCT210668 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #32 CVR B GEORGIEV $3.99
SEP210787 DARK BLOOD #5 (OF 6) CVR A DE LANDRO $3.99
SEP210788 DARK BLOOD #5 (OF 6) CVR B BA $3.99
SEP210765 DUNE HOUSE ATREIDES #12 (OF 12) CVR A CAGLE (MR) $4.99
SEP210766 DUNE HOUSE ATREIDES #12 (OF 12) CVR B TURRILL (MR) $4.99
AUG210927 FIREFLY #34 CVR A BENGAL $3.99
AUG210928 FIREFLY #34 CVR B CARPENTER $3.99
SEP210746 MAGIC MASTER OF METAL #1 CVR A YOON $8.99
SEP210747 MAGIC MASTER OF METAL #1 CVR B MERCADO CONNECTING VAR $8.99
SEP210748 MAGIC MASTER OF METAL #1 CVR C FOIL VAR GORHAM $9.99
OCT210695 MIGHTY MORPHIN #14 CVR A LEE $3.99
SEP210792 ONCE & FUTURE #22 CVR A MORA $3.99

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Dark Horse Comics Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 1, 2021

DARK HORSE COMICS

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AUG210343 EC ARCHIVES CRIME ILLUSTRATED HC (MR) $49.99
OCT210217 HELLBOY BONES OF GIANTS #2 (OF 4) $3.99
JUL210394 OVERWATCH ANTHOLOGY EXPANDED ED HC $24.99
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OCT210215 SIR EDWARD GREY ACHERON ONE-SHOT CVR B STENBECK $3.99
APR210490 WITCHER 3 WILD HUNT GERALT PUZZLE $19.99
MAY210325 WITCHER 3 WILD HUNT PINT GLASS SET GERALT & EREDIN $19.99

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Dynamite Entertainment Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 1, 2021

DYNAMITE

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SEP218351 JENNIFER BLOOD #3 CVR M FOC BONUS FEDERICI (MR) $3.99
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IDW Publishing Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 1, 2021

IDW PUBLISHING

AUG210550 SNAKE EYES DEADGAME DECLASSIFIED $6.99
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