NEGROMANCER 2.0

Monday, February 20, 2023

Comics Review: "LORD OF THE JUNGLE Volume 3 #3" Meets the Parents

LORD OF THE JUNGLE VOLUME 3 #3

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

STORY: Dan Jurgens

ART: Benito Gallego

COLORS: Francesco Segala with Agnes Pozza

LETTERS: Carlos M. Mangual

EDITOR: Matt Idelson

COVER: Philip Tan

32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (January 2023)

Rated Teen+

“Bargain with the Devil”

Tarzan is one of the most famous fictional characters in the world. Tarzan was an orphan and the archetypal “feral child,” and in this instance, he was raised in the African jungle by great apes. Tarzan was born a noble, John Clayton, Lord Greystoke, but he rejected civilization and lived in the wilds of Africa as a heroic adventurer. Tarzan was created by Edgar Rice Burroughs and first appeared in the novel, Tarzan of the Apes, which began serialization in All-Story Magazines in 1912, before it was published in book form in 1914. Tarzan would go onto to be a multimedia star, appearing in films, on television, and in comic books.

The latest Tarzan comic book is Dynamite Entertainment's Lord of the Jungle Volume 3. It is written by Dan Jurgens; drawn by Benito Gallego; colored by Francesco Segala; and lettered by Carlos M. Mangual. The story involves an event that occurred in the early years of Tarzan's adventures, and he returns to Africa to right a past wrong no matter what manner of beast or obstacle stands in his way.

Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 #3 (“Bargain with the Devil”) opens in Africa, in the 1950s. Tarzan, Lord Greystoke continues his mission of retribution by breaking into a museum to steal the “Diamonds of the Triad.” What does he need in this place?

Tarzan's old friend, a local named Bouanga, tells the story of how he and Carson, a white hunter from England, first encountered Tarzan. This leads to Tarzan learning about his human parents, Alice and Lord John Clayton Greystoke. It also leads, however, to Tarzan's second encounter with the man who killed his ape mother, Kala.

THE LOWDOWN: Since July 2021, Dynamite Entertainment's marketing department has been providing me with PDF review copies of some of their titles. One of them is Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 #3, which is only the third issue of a solo Dynamite Tarzan comic book that I have read.

Dan Jurgens continues to offer a hugely enthralling thriller in Lord of the Jungle Volume 3. This story arc is an exotic adventure that feels as wild and as ruthless as Tarzan is.

Artist Benito Gallego's storytelling is gripping and thrilling and beautifully drawn. It still does not hurt that Gallego's drawing style resembles that of the late comic book legend, Joe Kubert. Kubert had a four-year stint (1972-76) as writer-artist and later as writer-only of DC Comics' Tarzan comic book series, considered by some to be among his best work. Colorist Francesco Segala's lovely colors capture the varied moods of this story's settings, both in time and locale. Letterer Carlos M. Mangual brings a sense of high drama and with his stylish, shifting fonts.

Lord of the Jungle Volume 3 #3 strongly delivers on the potential at which the first issue hinted. I rarely read Tarzan comic books, but I think that I will read this series' entire run. I highly recommend it to you, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Tarzan comic books will want to read Lord of the Jungle Volume 3.

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

https://twitter.com/DynamiteComics

https://www.dynamite.com/htmlfiles/

https://www.facebook.com/DynamiteComics/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNOH4PEsl8dyZ2Tj7XUlY7w

https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamite-entertainment

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

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

Comics Review: "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #120" Offers Thieving Genies and Zombie Rings

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? (2010) #120

DC COMICS

STORY: Derek Fridolfs; Sholly Fisch

ART: Valerio Chiola; Scott Neely

COLORS: Valerio Chiola; Jason Lewis

LETTERS: Saida Temofonte

EDITORS: Courtney Jordan; Alex Antone (reprint)

COVER: Derek Fridolfs with Valerio Chiola

32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (April 2023)

Ages 8+

“Djinn-Kies!”

Welcome, dear readers, to my continuing journey through the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series, which began publication in 2010. I continue to renew my subscription so that I can continue to review this series for you, dear readers.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #120 opens with “Djinn-Kies!,” which is written by Derek Fridolfs and drawn by Valerio Chiola. The story finds Mystery Inc.: Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma attending the “Coolsville Antiques Auction.” Velma has even brought a Van Dinkenstein family heirloom, a vase, for appraisal. However, a thieving Djinn (a magical spirit from Arabian and Islamic mythology) keeps arriving in a cloud of smoke and stealing antiques. Can the gang solve this mystery before everything valuable gets stolen?

The second story, “Give Me a Ring” is, as usual, a reprint story and is written by Sholly Fisch and drawn by Scott Neely. [This story was originally published in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #30 (cover date: April 2013).] The story finds Mystery Inc. called to New Orleans.

It seems that two of the world's great archaeologists, Lewis Clark and Stanley Livingston, have discovered the legendary “ancient ring” that belonged to the “voodoo queen,” Marie LeFaux. Hundreds of years ago, Marie used the ring to turn people into zombies. Lewis tells the gang that Stanley was turned into a zombie after he placed the ring on his finger. Can the gang solve the mystery of the new zombie and the cursed ring? Can Shaggy and Scooby survive the spicy Cajun food?

If Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #120 has a theme, it is that the two stories involve some of my favorite fantasy beings/creatures. So the theme is “for Leroy's pleasure.” The title “Djinn-Kies” is a play on Velma's favorite exclamation, “Jinkies!” Besides that, the story features a delightful mix of an antique-stealing Djinn, family heirlooms, and a secret armoire. It is also produced by Derek Fridolfs and Valerio Chiola, two of my favorite Scooby-Doo comic book creators.

As a Louisiana native, I like having “Give Me a Ring” set in a cartoon version of New Orleans. Zombies, voodoo, Dixieland jazz, and a playful nod to spicy Louisiana food: I think these would make the perfect elements for a Scooby-Doo straight-to-DVD movie. Oh, and “Give Me a Ring” is produced by Sholly Fisch and Scott Neely, Scooby-Doo favorites of mine.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #120 is simply a fun read. So grab your “Scooby Snacks” and read issue #120 and maybe watch a Scooby-Doo movie, later. And until next time, Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

[This comic book includes a seven-page preview of the DC Comics original graphic novel, “Diana and Nubia: Princess of the Amazons” by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale and Victoria Ying.]

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

https://www.dccomics.com/

https://twitter.com/DCComics

https://www.facebook.com/dccomics

https://www.youtube.com/user/DCEntertainmentTV

https://www.pinterest.com/dccomics/

https://www.periscope.tv/DCComics/1ZkKzezXwZdxv

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

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

Friday, February 17, 2023

Review: "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" Takes Us on a Fantastic Voyage

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 of 2023 (No. 1897) by Leroy Douresseaux

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Running time: 125 minutes (2 hours, 5 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for violence/action, and language

DIRECTOR: Peyton Reed

WRITER: Jeff Loveness (based on the Marvel Comics characters)

PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Bill Pope

EDITORS: Adam Gerstel and Laura Jennings

COMPOSER: Christophe Beck

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI and ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, Bill Murray, Katy M. O'Brian, William Jackson Harper, James Cutler, David Dastmalchian, Randall Park, and Corey Stoll

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a 2023 superhero and sci-fi action film directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Marvel Studios. It is the 31st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and is also the third entry in the Ant-Man film series. The film and the series are based on the Marvel Comics character, Ant-Man, who first appeared in Tales to Astonish #27 (cover date: September 1962) and was created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, and Jack Kirby. Quantumania finds Ant-Man and the Wasp on an incredible adventure in a strange universe where they face a dangerous new foe.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania finds Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) living his best life after his most recent adventures with the Avengers (as seen in Avengers: Endgame). He is a successful author and is happily living with his girlfriend, Hope van Dyne/The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly). However, there is some trouble at home. Scott's daughter, Cassie (Kathryn Newton), has become an activist and has been recently arrested during a protest.

While they are visiting Hope's parents, her father, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), the scientist who was the original Ant-Man; and her mother, Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), who was the original Wasp, Cassie reveals that she has created a device that can map the “Quantum Realm,” a subatomic dimension of the Multiverse. However, the device can also send messages to the Quantum Realm, which freaks out Janet, who was trapped there for 30 years. Before Janet can do shut it down, a portal appears and pulls Scott, Hope, Cassie, Hank, and Janet into the Quantum Realm, separating Scott and Cassie from Hope, Hank, and Janet.

Once the two groups begin to explore the Quantum Realm, they interact with strange creatures and embark on an adventure that goes beyond the limits of what they thought was possible. There is also a dark side. Janet fears they are all headed for an encounter with someone she met when she was first trapped in the Quantum Realm – a despot named “Kang” (Jonathan Majors).

Ant-Man was a D-list character as far as Marvel Comics superheroes go, especially where familiarity with the general entertainment-consuming public was concerned. Marvel Studios chose the right actor to play Ant-Man, the irresistibly likable, Paul Rudd. The addition of Hollywood legends like Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer and television star Evangeline Lilly as a new female superhero made Ant-Man A-list box office. The result was two lovable, loopy, and imaginative superhero films, Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), that seemed aimed at young viewers even more so than adult audiences.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is just as loopy, but is bigger than the previous two films. If French film director, Luc Besson (The Fifth Element), made a Star Wars film, it would probably look like Quantumania. This film's menagerie of people, beings, creatures, machines, tech, etc. are almost on the level of Avatar: The Way of Water. Quantumania is a dazzling spectacle, and it is nothing like what I expected based on the earlier films. Everyone from director Peyton Reed and writer Jeff Loveness to the craft and visual effects people did the damn thing and the results are mind-blowing.

The performances are excellent. As usual, Paul Rudd comes across as the actor most perfect to be Scott Lang and Ant-Man. Michael Douglas plays Hank Pym with a mix of spry comedy and pitch-perfect drama. However, I must make way for the women in this film. Quantumania allows Michelle Pfeiffer to let the dog in her out to play Janet van Dyne, in a way that she probably has not done since White Oleander (2002). She left me wanting more of Janet.

Evangeline Lilly is once again great as The Wasp, and in Quantumania, she makes me believe that it is time for the Wasp to have a solo outing. Also, Kathryn Newton makes it impossible to leave Cassie down on the superhero farm (so to speak). Katy O'Brian also gives a fierce turn as the Quantum Realm freedom fighter, Jentorra.

Finally, I'm not sure that I have words to quite describe Jonathan Major's brilliant turn as Kang. It is as if Majors has given flesh to James Earl Jones' Darth Vader voice. He makes Kang own Quantumania, and I think it will be a blast going forward to watch Majors play this character.

You may have heard bad things about Quantumania, from film critics and reviewers and others. But fuck 'em. Quantumania is one of Marvel Studios' best films of the past few years, and I heartily recommend it to you, dear readers. With its sense of the unexpected and of the future known, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the perfect start to what is called “Phase 5” of the MCU.

9 of 10

A+

★★★★+ out of 4 stars

Friday, February 17, 2023

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

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 12th to 18th, 2023 - Update #12

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: The upcoming "Scream VI" is on track to have a franchise record opening weekend at the domestic box. The film opens March 10th.

STREAMING - From Deadline: When Paramount+ and Showtime merge into a single service, there will be a price increase.

MOVIES - From Deadline: Director M. Night Shyamalan has signed a multi-year, first-look deal with Warner Bros. Upcoming projects include 2024's "Trap" and his daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan's "The Watchers," which is slated for June 2024.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline: The family of Bruce Willis ("Die Hard") have announced that the now retired actor has "prefrontotemporal dementia."

TELEVISION - From Deadline: LaToya Morgan and J.J. Abrams' television series, "Duster," has received an official series order from HBO Max. Rachel Hilson will star alongside previously announced lead, Josh Holloway.

OSCARS - From EW: 2023 Oscar nominees meet at the 95th Academy Awards luncheon and posed for a 2023 class photo.

TRAILERS - From Deadline: Warner Bros. Pictures debuts the first official trailer for its big summer superhero flick, "The Flash."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 2/10 to 2/12/2023 weekend box office is "Magic Mike's Last Dance" with an estimated take of 8.2 million dollars.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline: California county sheriff updates on missing British actor Julian Sands, who has been missing for a month in the Mount Baldy region of the San Gabriel region. "... the outcome may not be what we would like," the sheriff says. Sands is known for such films as "Room with a View," "Warlock," and "Leaving Las Vegas," to name a few.

MOVIES - From Variety: Vin Diesel says that he'd like Oscar-nominated actor, Robert Downey, Jr., to appear in a "Fast & Furious" film.

OBITS:

From Deadline: Former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and television sports commentator, Tim McCarver, has died at the age of 81, Thursday, February 16, 2023. McCarver was a catcher and played in the MLB from 1959 to 1980. He was two World Series as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals (1964, 1967) and appeared in a third (1968), which the Cardinals lost. Although he played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980, he was apparently not on the playoff roster of their World Series winning team that year. His career as a local and national television sports broadcaster ran from 1980 to 2020, including work for ABC, CBS, and Fox. For his work, he won three Emmy Awards.

From Variety: Actress and international sex symbol, Raquel Welch, has died at the age of 82, Wednesday, February 15, 2023. She first made her mark in film with the 1966 sci-fi flick, "Fantastic Voyage." Her turn in the 1966 British adventure fantasy, "One Million Years B.C.," wearing a fur bikini, made her an international sensation. Her other star turns included the 1967 films, "Fathom," and "Bedazzled." She also starred in 1973's "The Three Musketeers" and its 1974 sequel, "The Four Musketeers." Among her numerous television appearances was playing herself in the 1997 episode of "Seinfeld," entitled "The Summer of George."

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

AWARDS:

From Oscar: The nominations for the 2023 / 95th Academy Awards have been announced. The winners will be announced Sunday, March 12, 2023.

From Deadline: The winners at the 2023 / 21st annual VES Awards, handed out by the Visual Effects Society, have been announced. "Avatar: The Way of Water" topped the night with 9 wins.

From Deadline: "Top Gun: Maverick" wins "Best Picture" at the "AARP Movies for Grownups Awards" held Saturday night in Beverly Hills.

From Variety: The nominations for the 2023 Writers Guild Awards have been announced. Winners will be announced Sunday, March 5, 2023.

From Variety: The nominations for the 2023 EE BAFTA Awards have been announced. The Netflix World War I drama, "All Quiet on the Western Front," leads with 14 nominations. The winners will be announced Sunday, February 19, 2023.

From Deadline: The winners were announced at the 2023 / 28th annual Critics Choice Awards. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" was named "Best Picture."

From Deadline: The nominees for the 2023 / 34th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories. The winners will be announced Sat. Feb. 25th, 2023.

From Deadline: The nominations for the 2023 / 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced. The winners will be announced Sun., Feb. 26th, 2023.

From Deadline: The National Society of Film Critics has named "Tar" its "Best Picture" of 2023 and its star, Cate Blanchette, as "Best Actress."

From Deadline: The nominations for the 2023 / 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards have been announced. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" and "The Woman King" have tied for the lead in nominations with 14 apiece. The winners will be announced February 6, 2023.

From Deadline: The Black Film Critics Circle named "The Woman King" the "Best Film" of 2022.

From Deadline: The winners of the 2022 Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) Awards have been announced. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and "Tar" tie for "Best Picture" award.

From Deadline: The nominations for the 2023 / 80th annual Golden Globes Awards were announced today (Mon., Dec. 12th). "The Banshees of Inisherin" led the film field with eight nominations. ABC's "Abbot Elementary" lead the TV side with five nominations. The winners will be announced January 10, 2023.

From Deadline: The American Film Institute (AFI) has named its "AFI Awards Film" list of "Top 10 Films of 2022." The list includes "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "The Woman King."

From THR: The African-American Film Critics Association name "The Woman King" the "Best Film of 2022."

From Deadline: The nominations for the "2023 Critics Choice Awards" in the television categories have been announced. ABC's sitcom, "Abbot Elementary" leads the nominations. The winners will be announced Sunday, January 15, 2023 and broadcast on The CW.

From Variety: The 2022 / 88th Annual New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards have been announced. Todd Field's "Tar" wins "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Cate Blanchett). Keke Palmer wins "Best Supporting Actress" for her performance in "Nope."

From Deadline: "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the "Best Feature" award at the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards, one of two wins for the film.

From IndieWire: The nominations for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with eight nominations. The winners will be announced March 4th, 2023.

From Variety: The nominations for the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards were announced a month ago. Todd Field's "Tar" leads with five nominations. The winners will be announced Monday, November 28th.

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

TYRE NICHOLS:

From NBCNews: Tyre Nichols' death: A summary and timeline of his encounter with Memphis police officers

From YahooNews: In the 67 minutes of the Tyre Nichols video, brutality followed by nonchalance.

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

BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews: WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

From NBCNews: Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.

From NBCNews: A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.

From Reuters: Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.

From TheDailyBeast: Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

From Vox: Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.

From ESPN: A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th. Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.

From ESPN: The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN: "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

From ESPN: Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports: The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN: According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple."

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

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Review: Spielberg's "THE COLOR PURPLE" Still Wants to Be Seen (Celebrating "The Fabelmans")

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 of 2023 (No. 1896) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Color Purple (1985)

Running time: 154 minutes (2 hours, 34 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13

DIRECTOR: Steven Spielberg

WRITER: Menno Meyjes (based on the novel by Alice Walker)

PRODUCERS: Steven Spielberg; Quincy Jones, Frank Marshall, and Kathleen Kennedy

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Allen Daviau (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Michael Kahn

COMPOSER: Quincy Jones

Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring: Whoopi Golderg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, Willard E. Pugh, Akosua Busia, Desreta Jackson, Adolph Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong, Dana Ivey, Leonard Jackson, Bennet Guillory, and Laurence Fishburne

The Color Purple is a 1985 drama and period film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel, The Color Purple, by author Alice Walker. The Color Purple the movie focuses on an African-American woman who suffers abuse from the men in her life, but finds strength in the women close to her.

The Color Purple opens in 1909, in rural Hartwell County, Georgia. Celie Harris (Desreta Jackson) is a teenage African-American girl living with an abusive father who rapes her. He has already fathered two children by Celie, both of which he sold shortly after Celie gave birth. Celie's father eventually gives her to an older man named Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), who Celie calls “Mister.”

A widower with three children, Mister initially wants to marry Celie's younger sister, Nettie (Akosua Busia). Now, Mister abuses Celie, while his children also mistreat her. One day, Nettie arrives at Mister's door, thrown out after rejecting her father's advances. Nettie eventually also has to fight off a rape attempt by Mister, who promptly throws her off his property.

In the years and decades that follow, an adult Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), grown meek from years of abuse, finds strength in two other women. The first is Mister's daughter law, Sofia (Oprah Winfrey). The second is a woman Mister once wanted to marry, jook joint singer, Shug Avery (Margaret Avery). For Celie, however, there are still great secrets from her past that will eventually be revealed.

It had been nearly 37 years since I last watched The Color Purple. I cried so much during the first time I saw it that I had not been able to watch it again until now. Over the years, I planned to view it a number of times, especially during the twentieth (2005) and twenty-fifth (2010) anniversaries of its original release. It is also one of my favorite directorial efforts by Steven Spielberg. I forced myself to watch it again because of my “celebration” of the release of Spielberg's recent autobiographical film, The Fabelmans.

The film's themes of domestic violence, pedophilia, and sexism still resonate, and, for me, the themes of racism and sexism seem to have strengthen with time. The screenplay does so much to emphasize these themes that it is as if it creates a world within the larger world where abuse and degradation are the natural order. Over the years, I have encountered people, mostly black men, who say that the film makes black men look bad. I say that the film makes an honest portrayal of the abuse that black women faced in the past – from both black and white men. [Over time, I have spoken with African-American women who personally knew older African-American women whose experiences are of the exact kind of abuse faced by Celie, Nettie, Sofia and other women in the film.]

That aside, I consider The Color Purple to be one of Spielberg's most subtle efforts as a director. Some contemporaneous commentary said that the film was overly sentimental, but I find that Spielberg allows the film's narrative and characters to grow naturally from the screenplay. In collaboration with his longtime editor, the Oscar-winning Michael Kahn (nominated here), Spielberg creates the illusion that he is simply capturing the evolution of Celie's tale from its harsh beginnings to its golden-hued happy ending. The Color Purple feels organic … although I don't think anyone would have described it as such when it was first released.

One of the most impressive things about The Color Purple is that two its best performances are by actresses who have little or no acting experience – Whoopi Golderg as Celie and Oprah Winfrey as Sofia. Spielberg gets these performers to create characters that are unique in form and substance. To me, characters like Celie and Sofia seem so genuine because they were utterly new to American cinema, and truthfully, there has been nothing like them since.

Truthfully, all the film's performances are unique and winning. Margaret Avery amazingly makes her Shug Avery an oasis in the often relentless pain of this film. Danny Glover is also brilliantly cruel as the awful Mister, and Willard Pugh is sweet and charming as his son and Sofia's husband, the hapless Harpo.

At the 58th Academy Awards, The Color Purple did not win in any of the 11 categories in which it was nominated. In fact, Steven Spielberg did not even receive a “Best Director” Oscar nomination. In the decades since its release, The Color Purple remains as relevant today as it was being a historical and monumental release in 1985 and 1986. The films that bested it at the Oscars are largely forgotten compared to it. Alice Walker's novel was also adapted into a 2005 Broadway musical, and the film adaptation of that musical is scheduled for release later this year (2023), as of this writing.

As a triumph in Spielberg's filmography, some may discount The Color Purple, considering the films Spielberg has made since then (such as Schindler's List). Still, as a line in the film says (more or less), The Color Purple wants to be seen and loved … and it still is.

10 of 10

Thursday, February 16, 2023

NOTES:

1986 Academy Awards, USA: 11 nominations: “Best Picture” (Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Quincy Jones), “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Whoopi Goldberg), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Margaret Avery), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Oprah Winfrey), “Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium” (Menno Meyjes), “Best Cinematography” (Allen Daviau), “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (J. Michael Riva, Bo Welch, and Linda DeScenna), “Best Costume Design” (Aggie Guerard Rodgers), “Best Music, Original Song” (Quincy Jones-music/lyrics, Rod Temperton-music/lyrics, and Lionel Richie-lyrics for the song “Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)”), “Best Music, Original Score” (Quincy Jones, Jeremy Lubbock, Rod Temperton, Caiphus Semenya, Andraé Crouch, Chris Boardman, Jorge Calandrelli, Joel Rosenbaum, Fred Steiner, Jack Hayes, Jerry Hey, and Randy Kerber), and “Best Makeup” (Ken Chase)

1987 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Menno Meyjes)

1986 Golden Globes, USA: 1 win: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Whoopi Goldberg); 4 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Steven Spielberg), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Oprah Winfrey), and “Best Original Score – Motion Picture” (Quincy Jones)

1986 Image Awards (NAACP): 2 wins: “Outstanding Motion Picture” and “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture” (Whoopi Goldberg)

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

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

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

Comics Review: "NEMESIS RELOADED #2" - The Origins of F**K Tha Police

NEMESIS RELOADED #2 (OF 5)

IMAGE COMICS/Netflix

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Jorge Jiménez

COLORS: Giovanna Niro

LETTERS: Clem Robins

EDITOR: Sarah Unwin

COVER: Jorge Jiménez with Giovanna Niro

VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Matteo Scalera with Giovanna Niro

28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (February 2023)

Rated M / Mature

Nemesis created by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven

Nemesis Reloaded is a new five issue comic book series from writer Mark Millar. It is a soft reboot of Nemesis, a 2010-11 four-issue comic book miniseries from Millar and artist Steve McNiven.

Nemesis: Reloaded is drawn by Jorge Jiménez; colored by Giovanna Niro; and lettered by Clem Robins. In the new series, Nemesis has plans for Los Angeles and its ruling class. By the time he is done, the city won't be the same, nor will its top politicians.

Nemesis Reloaded #2 opens in Los Angeles, a city under siege. Nemesis has put a $10,000 bounty on every beat cop's head. Nemesis himself is also picking off select members of the city police force. But who is he? How did he come to be? And why has this state of affairs in L.A. come to be?

THE LOWDOWN: In my review of Nemesis Reloaded #1, I said that it reminded me of the best of the team of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson on Marvel Comics' Daredevil. The 1980s were a time of gleefully crazy, off-the-wall, and rebellious comic books: titles such as American Flagg!, Love and Rockets, Neat Stuff, Swamp Thing, to name a few. Frank Miller headlined several of them, including Daredevil, Ronin, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

For a quarter-century, Mark Millar has not been afraid to do crazy and transforming – from the rock 'n' roll The Authority and to the Avengers revolution known as The Ultimates. He got crazier with the launch of his creator-owned line, Millarworld – from the groundbreaking Kick-Ass to the cross-generational Jupiter's Legacy.

The enjoyment of Nemesis Reloaded #2 is that reading it is like reading something that is not supposed to be – a pop confection of craziness. Some may believe that comic books should be conservative in what it presents, but in the 1980s, many creators decided that it was okay for at least some of the comic books to go crazy. The spirit of that craziness is alive in well in Mark Millar and his comic books, especially Nemesis Reloaded.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Mark Millar comic books that make the reader come … back for more … will desire Nemesis Reloaded.

A+

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

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

https://twitter.com/netflix

https://twitter.com/themagicorder

http://www.millarworld.tv/

www.imagecomics.com

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

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

Comics Review: "NIGHT CLUB #3" - Fun and Games for a $1.99 Cover Price

NIGHT CLUB #3 (OF 6)

IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar

ART: Juanan Ramírez

COLORS: Fabiana Mascolo

LETTERS: Clem Robins

COVER: Juanan Ramírez with Fabiana Mascolo

EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin

VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Juanan Ramírez

28pp, Color, $1.99 U.S. (February 2023)

Rated M / Mature

Night Club created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Night Club is a six-issue miniseries written and created by Mark Millar and drawn by Juanan Ramírez. An Image Comics publication and a Netflix production, Night Club focuses on a teen boy who is bitten by a vampire and decides to make the best of his new condition. Colorist Fabiana Mascolo and letterer Clem Robins complete Night Club's creative team.

Night Club introduces 17-year-old Danny Garcia, who had ambitions to gain fame and fortune as a YouTube star with his friends, DJ Sam Huxley and Amy Chen. Then, after a terrible accident, a vampire bites him, and his life goes awry. Instead of living like a stereotypical vampire, Danny decides to live “la vida loca” of a superhero.

Night Club #3 opens with an introduction. Meet Starguard (Danny), Thundercloud (Sam), and Yellowbird (Amy). They are Night Club, Philadelphia's first and only superhero team. But playing superhero isn't as easy as comic books make it seem. Some bad guys will put up a terrific fight, and some vampires don't want the publicity...

THE LOWDOWN: Netflix/Millarworld sends me PDF review copies of their comic books. Thus, I was lucky enough to get a review copy of the first three issues of Night Club.

Writer Mark Millar reveals in Night Club #3 that with great power must come great realization. It was never going to be so simple that Danny and friends could use their vampire powers to become superheroes. In a sense, they don't know what they don't know.

Millar builds tension, now and going forward, by revealing that Danny and his friends are vulnerable, even to the chance and happenstance of humanity. Millar, who is exceptionally adept at shocking his readers, now makes it clear to them. Danny being bitten by a vampire isn't the big surprise; it is merely the first of many surprises, and it may be the most mundane of them.

Artist Juanan Ramírez continues to bring Millar's story to life in a graphical storytelling that has enough energy to light up every corner of this narrative. Ramirez's art is both stylish and gritty and simultaneously representational and abstract. Fabiana Mascolo's colors make the story look as if it came out of an old-fashioned four-color comic book, while also looking like what it is at times – bloody vampire horror.

Night Club is infectious and addictive. I am recommending Night Club #3 as I did the first two issues. Drink deeply of its fun; this comic book has flavors in layers and waves. And it only costs a $1.99.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of Mark Millar and of vampire comic books will want to be bitten by Night Club.

A+

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

https://twitter.com/ImageComics

https://twitter.com/mrmarkmillar

https://twitter.com/netflix

https://www.mrmarkmillar.com/

http://www.millarworld.tv/

www.imagecomics.com

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

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