Nominations for the 36th Annual Scripter Awards Have Been Announced

USC Libraries Name Finalists for 36th-Annual Scripter Awards

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The USC Libraries named the finalists for the 36th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which honors the writers of the year’s most accomplished film and episodic series adaptations, as well as the writers of the works on which they are based.

The finalist writers for film adaptation are, in alphabetical order by film title:

• Cord Jefferson for “American Fiction” based on the novel “Erasure” by Percival Everett

• Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese for “Killers of the Flower Moon” based on the nonfiction book “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” by David Grann

• Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer” based on the nonfiction book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

• Ava DuVernay for “Origin” based on the nonfiction book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson

• Screenwriter Tony McNamara and novelist Alasdair Gray for “Poor Things”

The finalist writers for episodic series are, in alphabetical order by series title:

• Peter Morgan, for the episode “Sleep, Dearie Sleep,” from “The Crown,” based on his stage play "The Audience"

• Scott Neustadter for the episode “Fire,” from “Daisy Jones and the Six,” based on the novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid

• Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for the episode “Long, Long Time” from “The Last of Us,” based on the video game by Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog

• Will Smith for the episode “Negotiating with Tigers,” from “Slow Horses,” based on the novel “Real Tigers” by Mick Herron

• Max Borenstein, Rodney Barnes and Jim Hecht for the episode “The New World,” from “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” based on the nonfiction work “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s” by Jeff Pearlman

The 2024 Scripter selection committee selected the finalists from a field of 80 film and 56 episodic series adaptations. Howard Rodman, USC professor and Vice President/Secretary of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, chairs the 2024 committee.

The studios distributing the finalist films and current publishers of the printed works are:

“American Fiction”—Amazon MGM Studios and Graywolf Press

“Killers of the Flower Moon”—Apple Original Films and Vintage Books

“Oppenheimer”—Universal Pictures and Vintage Books

“Origin”—Neon and Random House

“Poor Things”—Searchlight Pictures and Bloomsbury

The networks and streaming platforms broadcasting the finalist episodic series and current publishers of the works are:

“The Crown”—Netflix and Dramatists Play Service Inc.

“Daisy Jones and the Six”—Amazon Prime Video and Random House

“The Last of Us”—HBO | Max and Sony Computer Entertainment

“Slow Horses”—Apple TV+ and Soho Crime

“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”—HBO | Max and Avery

The USC Libraries will announce the winning authors and screenwriters at a black-tie ceremony on Saturday, Mar. 2, 2024, in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library at the University of Southern California.

Since 1988, Scripter has honored the authors of original works alongside the screenwriters who adapt their stories. For more information about Scripter—including ticket availability, additional sponsorship opportunities, and an up-to-date list of sponsors—please email scripter@usc.edu or visit scripter.usc.edu.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 9th, 2023 - Update #18

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

SCANDAL - From CNN:  47-year-old actor Danny Masterson ("That '70s Show") was sentenced on Thursday, September 7th to 30 years to life in prison after he was convicted on two counts of rape earlier this year in a Los Angeles courtroom, according to Deputy D.A. Reinhold Mueller of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office.

From THR:  Actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis have apologized for writing "character letters" for their former "That '70s Show" castmate, Danny Masterson, who was recently sentenced to prison after being convicted on two counts of rape.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Television continues to suspend the "overall deals" it made with some of its top creators. The latest round includes Greg Berlanti, Bill Lawrence, and Mindy Kaling.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The Disney-Charter Communications carriage fees battle seems like the death knell for cable TV and the pay-TV bundle.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  At the Venice Film Festival, Deadline site conducted an interview with Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Ava DuVernay, who talks about her new film "Origin" and the state of her career.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  "NCIS: Sydney," the first international spinoff for a CBS Studios global drama franchise, will debut exclusively on Paramount+ Australia on Nov. 10th, followed by its U.S. premiere on CBS on Nov. 13th, with weekly rollout of new episodes on both.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 9/1 to 9/3/2023 weekend box office is Sony Pictures' "The Equalizer 3" with an estimated take of 34.5 million dollars.

From Variety:  "The Equalizer 3" leads the Labor Day weekend box office frame.

From Deadline:  The site examines the career trajectory of Oscar-winner Denzel Washington in "Denzel Washington: Deadline's How They Reached the Top."

MOVIES - From Variety:  The site talks to 87-year-old director, Woody Allen, about his new film, "Coup de Chance," and the sexual abuse allegations made by his daughter, Dylan Farrow.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Hulu has cancelled "How I Met Your Father" after two-seasons.  The series was spinoff of the long-running CBS sitcom, "How I Met Your Mother" (2005-2014).

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  ESPN and 18 other Disney networks as well as ABC stations have gone dark across Spectrum, the No. 2 cable TV service in the U.S.  Charter Communications, which runs Spectrum, and Disney had been locked in a distribution dispute for at least for a few weeks.

From Deadline:  Charter Communications executives say Disney rejected their proposed “New Model” distribution deal for Charter's Spectrum cable service.  And Charter says it's ready to move on...

From Deadline:  Disney hits back at Charter Communications over Spectrum cable service, saying that it offered "the most favorable terms."

MUSIC/MOVIES - From Deadline:  First day pre-sales on Taylor Swift's concert film, "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" surpass 37 million dollars.  The film looks to have an opening weekend of more than 70 million dollars. It opens Oct. 13th.

From Variety:  October, Friday the 13th will be the release date for Taylor Swift's concert film, "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour."

From THR:  "The Exorcist" sequel/reboot thingie, entitled "The Exorcist: Believer," has moved up its release date to Oct. 6th.  It's original release date was Oct. 13th, which is now the parking spot of the concert film, "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour."

WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  The WGA (Writers Guild of America) told its members Friday (Sept. 8th) that despite the united front the streamers and studios (via the AMPTP) have shown in public during the guild’s 130-day strike, several of the legacy companies privately have expressed “both the desire and willingness to negotiate an agreement that adequately addresses writers’ issues.”

From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav says the industry must focus and fight to resolve the writers and actors strikes.

From Deadline:  The writers of MTV’s "Ridiculousness" are coming closer to being unionized. The show’s writing team, which was behind over 230 episodes last year, has been going through the process to unionize over the last few months, hoping to join the WGA.

From THR:  As talks with the Writers Guild of America stall, the studio trade association, AMPTP, has retained D.C.-based firm, The Levinson Group, to pursue a fresh messaging strategy.

From Deadline:  Regarding the Hollywood writers strike, the AMPTP (representing the studios) released the details of a proposed labor agreement that it made to the WGA (the Writers Guild) on August 11th.

From Deadline:  A pair of former production assistants-turned-assistant directors have created a nonprofit in hopes of providing financial aid to PAs (production assistants) who’ve been put out of work due to the strike.

From Deadline:  Writers Guild (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) will resume strike talks today, Fri., Aug. 11th.

From Deadline:  Meeting for the first time in more than three months, the Writers Guild and the AMPTP on Friday failed to reach an agreement to resume contract negotiations. The Writers Strike will go on indefinitely.

From Deadline:  Hollywood’s superstars are answering the call from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, donating $1 million or more each to help their fellow performers during the ongoing actors and writers strikes.  Among the big donors are Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

From Deadline:  If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.

From Variety:  International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.

From Variety:  Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."

From Deadline:  Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.

From THR:  Production works at Warner Bros. Animation (66) and at Cartoon Network (22) have gone public with their attempt to unionize via The Animation Guild.

From Variety:  Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.

From Variety:  Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”

From Deadline:  If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT  a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.

From Variety:  The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles.  Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline:  The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

From Deadline:  Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.

From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.

From Deadline:  WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.

From THR:  TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.

From Deadline:  Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.

From THR:  Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.

From Deadline:  The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.

From Deadline:  Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.  The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke.  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.

From Deadline:   President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.

From Deadline:  Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.

From Deadline:  Retaliation!  Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike.  Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.

From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.

From Deadline:  Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.

From Deadline:  The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.

From Deadline:  What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?

From Deadline:  The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.

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#28DaysofBlack Review: "A WRINKLE IN TIME" is Wonderfully Weird

 

[I imagine that The Walt Disney Company had to make “A Wrinkle in Time” an accounting write-off.  The film under-performed at the box office, which is a shame.  It is one of the most original science fiction and fantasy films of the 21st century.  I also honestly believe that this film is such a unique vision because it was directed by an African-American woman, Ava DuVernay.]

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 18 of 2021 (No. 1756) by Leroy Douresseaux

A Wrinkle in Time (2018)
Running time:  109 minutes (1 hour, 49 minutes)
MPAA – PG for thematic elements and some peril
DIRECTOR:  Ava DuVernay
WRITERS:  Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell (based on the novel by Madeleine L'Engle)
PRODUCERS:  Catherine Hand and Jim Whitaker
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Tobias Schliessler (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Spencer Averick
COMPOSER:  Ramin Djawadi

SCI-FI/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY/DRAMA

Starring:  Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Levi Miller, Deric McCabe, Chris Pine, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Zach Galifianakis, Michael Pena, Andre Holland, Rowan Blanchard, and David Oyelowo

A Wrinkle in Time is a 2018 science fiction and fantasy-adventure film directed by Ava DuVernay.  The film is based on Madeleine L'Engle's 1962, A Wrinkle in Time, the first book in her “Time Quintet” series.  A Wrinkle in Time the movie follows a young girl, her brother, and a school friend as they set off on a quest across the universe to find the girl's missing father.

A Wrinkle in Time introduces 13-year-old Meg Murry (Storm Reid).  She continues to struggle to adjust at school four years after the disappearance of her father, Alex Murry (Chris Pine), a renowned astrophysicist.  Meg and her gifted younger brother, Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), have also been in trouble with their school's Principal Jenkins (Andre Holland).  Even their mother, Dr. Kate Murry (Gugu Mbatah-Raw), struggles in the wake of the disappearance of her husband.  However, Meg has made a new friend, her classmate, Calvin O'Keefe (Levi Miller).

Then, the Murrys and Calvin start to get unusual visitors.  They call themselves “the Misses.”  They are Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), a trio of astral beings who claim that the “tesseract,” a method of space travel that Alex Murry was studying, is real.  These astral travelers reveal that they have come to help find Alex, who has transported himself across the universe.  They need Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin's help, and they need them to be “warriors.”  However, Meg doubts her own abilities and really doesn't like herself all that much, and that will make her vulnerable to the powerful enemy that awaits them, “The IT.”

The cinematography by Tobias A. Schliessler, the costume design by Paco Delgado, and the production design by Naomi Shohan come together to create one of the most visually beautiful science fiction films that I have seen in a decade.  The film editing by Spencer Averick and the gorgeous score by Ramin Djawadi make that beauty move and feel vibrant, creating a film like no other.

Beyond the high production values, director Ava DuVernay has fashioned a big-hearted film that is one of the most ambitious science fiction and fantasy films in recent memory.  I have never read Madeleine L'Engle's now legendary novel, so I assume that screenwriters Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell (and any other writers that contributed to the final product) condensed the character drama in order to focus on Meg Murry.  However, DuVernay and the writers, through Meg, tell a story in which love and imagination and determination and fortitude can send humans on a voyage that traverses not only our galaxy, but also the universe.

Young actress Storm Reid as Meg Murry is poignant and engaging as the young hero who must learn to both love and accept herself and to believe in herself.  Her teen (or 'tween) struggles seem honest and genuine.  In a movie full of offbeat performances of odd characters, Reid makes Meg seem solid and the driving force of this narrative.

Young Deric McCabe seems supernaturally self-assured as Charles Lawrence Murry, making the young brother an important counterpart to Meg.  Levi Miller is a pleasant addition as Calvin O'Keefe whose main role is to believe in Meg even when she doesn't believe in herself, but the story also gives Calvin his own poignant journey.

I get why adults, especially film critics, had mixed feelings about the film.  I think young viewers will get it, and this film adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time is important because Ava DuVernay, once again, reinvents what a black female can be on screen in a Hollywood film.  A Wrinkle in Time may be a fantasy film dressed in the many multi-colored robes of science fiction, but this film introduces new kinds of warriors in service of the universe.  And one of those new colors is a young black girl, and that makes A Wrinkle in Time an exceptional film for this time.

9 of 10
A+

Monday, February 22, 2021


2019  Black Reel Awards”  3 nominations: “Outstanding Cinematography” (Tobias A. Schliessler), “Outstanding Costume Design” (Paco Delgado), and “Outstanding Production Design” (Naomi Shohan)


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 October 18th to 24th, 2020 - Update #23

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

Support Leroy on Patreon and please visit I Reads You:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

JAMES BOND - From Variety:  Apparently, Netflix and Apple were among the streaming services that considered the possibility of acquiring the next Bond film, "No Time to Die," which has seen its release delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

STREAMING - From YahooHuffPost:  Even if you don't have Amazon, you can still see that notorious scene starring President Trump's lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, from "Borat Subsequent Moviefilm."

TELEVISION - From THR:  "Seinfeld" creator Larry David reveals his favorite episode of the iconic NBC series, and it's (of course) "The Contest," the 11th episode of the series' fourth season.

TELEVISION - From THR:   What is the Walt Disney Co. going to do with ESPN?

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Roxanne, Roxanne" star Chante Adams has landed the female lead opposite Michael B. Jordan in Sony’s "Journal For Jordan," directed by Denzel Washington.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   NBC has given a put pilot commitment to drama Sovereign, from Emmy winner Ava DuVernay and Bird Runningwater.

DISNEY+ - From ShadowandAct:   Chosen Jacobs ("It") and Lexi Underwood ("Little Fires Everywhere") will star in the Disney+ pop/hip-hop musical, "Sneakerella."

CELEBRITY - From Variety:   In his new memoir, "Greenlights," Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey reveals that he was sexually abused during his teenage years.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Simon Kinberg will write and produce Universal's "Battlestar Galactica" movie (hopefully with better results than Kinberg's "X-Men" work for Fox).

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Tim Burton is looking to develop of a live-action TV series based on "The Addams Family" property.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman talk about their decision to shut down short-form streaming service, "Quibi." 

From Deadline:  And this is what they are talking about - Quibi shuts down.

POLITICS - From Deadline:  In his first ever "political video," iconic American filmmaker and comedian Mel Brooks ("Blazing Saddles") endorses the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris ticket for President/Vice-President of the United States.

DISNEY+ - From EW:  Actor Warwick Davis and director Ron Howard are for a Disney+ sequel series to their beloved 1998 fantasy film, "Willow."

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  Oscar-winning actor, Jeff Bridges, has announced that he has been diagnosed with Lymphoma, but that his prognosis is good.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:   The winner of the 10/16 to 10/18/2020 weekend box office is "Honest Thief" with an estimated take of 3.7 million dollars.

From Deadline:   The international box office is being dominated by a Japanese anime film, "Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train," which is setting records for an animated film.

From Deadline:  Movie theater owners are happy to be reopening their business in New York state.

POLITICS-AVENGERS - From Deadline:  Directors Joe and Anthony Russo are gathering from some of the actors from their "Avengers" movies for a fundraiser for Joe Biden. 

FILM FESTIVALS - From Deadline:  The Danish comedy, "Another Round," which stars Mads Mikkelsen, won "Best Film" at the 2020 BFI London Film Festival.

MOVIES - From Vulture:   Which "Welcome to the Blumhouse" Horror Movies Should You Watch? -  guide.

OBITS:

From THR: Television writer and producer, Dana Baratta, has died at the age of 59, Sunday, October 18, 2020.  Baratta was a writer and producer on several television series, including "Dawson's Creek" (The WB), "Private Practice" (ABC), and Marvel/Netflix's "Jessica Jones."

From Deadline:   Broadway and television actress, Doreen Montalvo, has died at the age of 56, Saturday, October 17, 2020.  Montalvo was appearing in the Broadway musical, "Mrs. Doubtfire," before it was shutdown due to COVID-19.  Her television appearances included episodes of "Law & Order" and "The Good Wife."  She is still set to appear in two films, director John M. Chu's "In the Heights" and Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story."

From ESPN:  Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Fred Dean, has died at the age of 68, Wednesday, October 14, 2020 of complications of COVID-19.  Dean played defensive end for the San Diego Chargers (who drafted him in 1975) and the San Francisco 49ers.  Dean was a two-time Super Bowl champion with the 49ers and entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

COVID-19:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remember when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From TheAtlantic:  The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/30 - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") reveals that he had a bout with COVID-19.

7/31 - From YahooEntertainment:  Writer and actress, Lena Dunham, creator of HBO's "Girls, reveals that she contracted COVID-19 and the symptoms she experiences and still experience.

7/30 - From YahooGMA:  In their bid to crackdown on illegal gatherings amid COVID-19, New York authorities break up an alleged sex party.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/2 - From TheDailyBeast:  In Mississippi, COVID-19 has coroners terrified.

8/6 - From YahooNews:  Testing everyone constantly could stop the spread of COVID-19... according to this article.

8/8 - From YahooNYT:  The coronavirus is new, but your immune system might recognize it.

8/8 - From YahooNBC:  They thought COVID-19 was a hoax, and they almost died from it or are watching family and loved ones suffer with it or die from it.

8/9 - From YahooNews:  The rest of the world is incredulous at the pitiful U.S. response to COVID-19.

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

9/19 - From WashPost:  U.S. coronavirus death toll reaches 200,000

9/23 - From CNBC:  Mark Cuban, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and star of ABC's "Shark Tank," suggests that every household in American get a $1000 check every two weeks for the next two months.

9/28 - From Deadline:  John Hopkins University's coronavirus tracker reports that over 1 million people have died of COVID-19 worldwide.

10/2 - From YahooNews:  President Donald and the First Lady have tested positive for COVID-19.

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From TheGuardian:  Yusef Salaam, one of the "Central Park Five," says in an interview, "Trump would have had me hanging from a tree in Central Park."

From NPR:  Prosecutors' plea deal required drug suspect to name Breonna Taylor a "co-defendant."

From ChicagoSunTimes:  Rev. Jesse Jackson: America has millions of people in poverty because Americans choose not to demand the policies that would lift them out of poverty.

From APNews:  No one will be held accountable for the killing of Louisville African-American resident, Breonna Taylor.

From Channel4:  Revealed: Trump campaign strategy to deter millions of Black Americans from voting in 2016

From GuardianUK:  California is going to consider paying reparations to the descendants of African slaves after adopting a landmark law to study and to develop proposals around the issue.

From TheRoot:   What to Do When Your Country Turns Into a Dumpster Fire

From Vox:  It's True: 1 in 1,000 Black Americans Have Died in the Covid-19 Pandemic

From CBS:  Breonna Taylor's boyfriend certain cops didn't identify themselves

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 7th to 13th, 2020 - Update #27

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has moved the release of Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" from July 10th to July 31st.

TELEVISION - From YahooEntertainment:  The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner has said that TV writer Jas Waters ("This is Us"), who was found dead Tues., June 9th died by suicide.

POLITICS - From YahooSports:  Basketball superstar and legend and NBA champion, LeBron James, has joined other Black athletes and celebrities to form a voting rights group, "More Than a Vote."  The group will be organized as a "501(c)(4) nonprofit."

BLM - From ProPublica:  The Police Have Been Spying on Black Reporters and Activists for Years. I Know Because I’m One of Them. by Wendi C. Thomas

BLM - From YahooNews:  In May 2019, when the late Derrick Scott told Oklahoma City police officers that he could not breath, one of them, Jarred Tipton, said, "I don't care."  Scott was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

CELEBRITY-NFL - From YahooEntertainment:  "How can I do better as a white man," asks Matthew McConaughey.

BLM - From YahooNews:  Basketball legend and NBA and NCAA champion, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not surprised by the NFL's apology to Black NFL players, nor is he surprised by President Donald's reaction to it.

OLD-TIMEY RACISM - From Deadline:  HBOMax is removed the classic film, "Gone with the Wind," from its streaming library.  The film will return to with a "discussion of its historical context."

From YahooEntertainment:  By the way, the Walt Disney Company is not making it controversial live-action/animation film, "Song of the South," available on Disney+.

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MOVIES - From LATimes:  Once upon a time, the FBI destroyed the career and life of a young actress (Jean Seberg) because of her association with the Black Panther Party.

BLM - From YahooEntertainment:  Actress Niecy Nash (TNT's "Claws") says that her 28-year-old son, Dominic, had a scary run in with cops after he rolled past a "Stop" sign.

TRAILER - From THR:  "Bill & Ted Face the Music" drops its first trailer.  The film is due August 21st.

BLM - From WashPost:  Newly released video shows N.J. trooper, Sgt. Randall Wetzel, fatally shooting unarmed black man, Maurice Gordon, during traffic stop tussle

PRINCE - From YahooEntertainment:  The estate of the late recording artist, Prince, shares a note from him concerning intolerance.

CULTURE - From NYMag:  Frank Rich: America’s Eternal Battle With Itself - there is no rock bottom.

TELEVISION - From YahooEntertainment:  Marta Kaufman, who created NBC's beloved sitcom, "Friends" (with David Crane), apologizes for the series' lack of diversity.

BLACK ACTOR - From Deadline:  British actor Noel Clarke ("Bulletproof," "Star Trek Into Darkness") reveals that a "high-profile agent" recently mistook him for another Black actor.

---------------------
GRADUATION 2020 - From Variety:  Michelle Obama’s Graduation Speech Encourages Activism Beyond Hashtags and Posts.

From Variety:  Barack Obama Urges Graduates to Fight Conspiracy Theories, Use "Fact-Based Debate."
---------------------

COVID-19 From Deadline:  California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Guidelines For Restarting Film & TV Production On June 12, If Local Conditions Permit

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Arsenio Hall Looks Back On Hosting A Talk Show During 1992 L.A. Riots, Details Run-Ins With Police & Donald Trump

POLITICS - From THR:  Vice-President Joe Biden formerly clinches the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, Friday, June 5th.

OSCARS-RACE - From People:  Director Ava DuVernay and actor David Oyelowo said that their film, "Selma" was snubbed at the 87th Academy Award because cast and crew wore "I can't breathe" T-shirts at the film's 2014 premiere.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The television series writer and journalist, Jas Waters, has died at the age of 39, Tuesday, June 9, 2020. Waters worked on the second season of NBC's "This is Us" and recently on Showtime's "Kidding."  As a journalist, Waters worked for "Vibe" magazines.

From THR:  R&B and pop singer, Bonnie Pointer, has died at the age of 69, Monday, June 8, 2020.  She was a founding member of the vocal group, "The Pointer Sisters."  She was with the group from its founding in 1969 to 1977 when she departed for a solo career.  With her sisters, Bonnie won a Grammy for the song, "Fairytale," but she only managed a few moderate hits in her solo career.

From CNN:  The contemporary artist, Christo, has died at the age of 84, Sunday, May 31, 2020.  Christo Vladimirov Javacheff and his late wife, Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon (2009), were known for their monumental environmental artworks which often involved massive installations made of fabrics.

GEORGE FLOYD AND PROTESTS:

From RSN:  George Floyd buried today, June 9th, 2020.

From YahooEntertainment:  Spike Lee has released a new short film that connects the dots from his iconic film, "Do The Right Thing" to the police killings of Eric Garner and George Floyd.

From NBCNews:  (5/26) - A Minneapolis black man, George Floyd, dies after pleading with a police officer that he could not breathe.

From BET: - George Floyd died of asphyxiation says autopsy.

From LATimes:  Op-Ed: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says: Don’t understand the protests? What you’re seeing is people pushed to the edge.

From Medium:  President Barack Obama tells young people "How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change."

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From NPR:  A sad milestone: over 100,000 American have died due to COVID-19.

From TheAtlantic:  The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

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Review: "Middle of Nowhere" Signaled an Important Arrival

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Middle of Nowhere (2012)
Running time:  142 minutes (2 hours, 22 minutes)
MPAA – R for some language
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Ava DuVernay
PRODUCERS:  Howard Barish, Ava DuVernay, and Paul Garnes
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Bradford Young
EDITOR:  Spencer Averick
COMPOSER:  Kathryn Bostic
Black Reel Award winner

DRAMA

Starring:  Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Toussaint, Edwina Findley, Nehemiah Sutton, Sharon Lawrence, Maya Gilbert, and Troy Curvey III

Middle of Nowhere is a 2012 drama from writer-director Ava DuVernay.  The film centers on a medical student who supports her husband while he is in prison, but who also finds herself facing unforeseen pressures that threaten their relationship.

Roberta “Ruby” M. Murray (Emayatzy Corinealdi) is a young medical student,  Her husband, Derek J. Murray (Omari Hardwick), was sentenced to several years in prison.  Ruby dropped out of medical school in order to focus on her husband while he is incarcerated.  He can be released on parole after about five years, and as that time approaches, Ruby focuses all her energy on working as a nurse and on monitoring Derek's legal situation.  After unexpected complications involving Derek arise, Ruby finds herself curious about Brian (David Oyelowo), a bus driver who is interested in her.

Middle of Nowhere is a calm and measured drama.  People rarely yell at one another; instead, they occasionally speak strongly and firmly.  It depicts people with family members in prison without the theatrics, melodrama, and Christian themes that one would get in, say, Madea Goes to Jail.  This is not a slight against Tyler Perry, as the aforementioned Madea film is one of my favorites.

I think writer-director Ava DuVernay tells her audience that there are no easy answers, absolutely none, and every decision and direction that seems straightforward is not really.  Neither a prayer nor a good cry will resolve complex difficulties.  I like that Middle of Nowhere suggests that some people are unhappy and/or ashamed of the lives they lead.  They think that there is another way they should be living – even when they are not sure exactly what that better way should be.  Where do you go when you don't know where to go?  What do you do when you don't know what to do?

I think that so many people expect so much from DuVernay as a filmmaker because her two feature films, Middle of Nowhere and 2014's Selma, are radically different from just about all other current films.  Her film narratives do not offer idealism, and she forces her characters to deal with existential realities and the truth, even if those are just about impossible to discern.

Middle of Nowhere is not perfect.  DuVernay is vague or at least distant about the history and complications between Ruby and her mother, Ruth (Lorraine Toussaint), to say nothing of what is going on with Ruby's sister, Rosie (Edwina Findley).  It is as if there is an entire side or chunk of this story left out of the film narrative.

Middle of Nowhere is important because it signals the arrival of a different filmmaking voice and of a new cinematic vision.  The truth is that mainstream American film and Hollywood need that more than most people, inside and out of film, realize.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, April 16, 2016


NOTES:
2013 Black Reel Awards:  2 wins:  “Best Director” (Ava DuVernay) and “Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted” (Ava DuVernay); 7 nominations: “Best Film” (Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes, and Howard Barish); “Best Actress” (Emayatzy Corinealdi), “Best Supporting Actor” (David Oyelowo); “Best Supporting Actress” (Lorraine Toussaint), “Best Breakthrough Performance” (Emayatzy Corinealdi), “Best Original Score” (Kathryn Bostic), and “Best Ensemble” (Aisha Coley-Casting Director)

2013 Image Awards:  2 nominations: “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” (Emayatzy Corinealdi) and “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” (David Oyelowo)

The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.


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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 6th, 2020 - Update #26

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From NPR:  A sad milestone: over 100,000 American have died due to COVID-19.

From TheAtlantic:  The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From YahooEntertainment:  In the ongoing saga of Broadway star Nick Cordero's battle against coronavirus/COVID-19, his wife, Amanda Kloots, has been told to say goodbye to him.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

SPORTS - From YahooNews:  PGA pro (Justin Riegel, 38) dies in on-course accident; here's how you can help his family

MOVIES - From DigitalSpy:  Director Ridley Scott teases a new film in his "Alien" franchise.

RACE-SPORTS - From People:  Retired NFL tight end Martellus Bennett says that the NFL is racist and is build on the back of black athletes.

BLM-CELEBRITY - From IndieWire:  Jordan Peele, Edgar Wright, and Guillermo del Toro are among the directors supporting actor John Boyega ("Star Wars") in the wake of his June 3rd "Black Lives Matter" speech in London.  He'll have work as an actor.

BLM-MOVIES - From IndieWire: 10 films to watch in support of Black Liberation

CELEBRITY - From YahooDS:  The autopsy of "Twilight" actor, Gregory Tyree Boyce, has been made public.  Boyce and his girlfriend, Natalie Adepoju, were found dead in their apartment back around May 18th.  Their deaths were ruled accidental.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Filmmaker Jamal Trulove, breakout star of "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," talks about George Floyd, his new docu-series, and spending six years in prison after the police framed him for murder.

MOVIES - From GamesRadar:  Ryan Gosling is set to play the lead in a remake/reboot of the "Universal Monsters" classic, "The Wolfman."

TELEVISION - From YahooNews:   Leonardo DiCaprio’s Big Middle Finger to the Confederacy - with the History Channel series, "Grant."

BLACK AMERICA AND COVID-19 - Crisis or... :

GEORGE FLOYD:

From YahooEntertainment:  Spike Lee has released a new short film that connects the dots from his iconic film, "Do The Right Thing" to the police killings of Eric Garner and George Floyd.

From NBCNews:  (5/26) - A Minneapolis black man, George Floyd, dies after pleading with a police officer that he could not breathe.

From BET: - George Floyd died of asphyxiation says autopsy.

From Medium:  President Barack Obama tells young people "How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change."

From YahooNews:  (6/4) - The officer who stood by as George Floyd died is Asian American. We need to talk about that.

From YahooInsider:  (6/3) - Teens on TikTok are exposing a generational rift between (white) parents and their kids over how they treat Black Lives Matter protests

From YahooNews: (6/3) - A group of three young African-American protestors, calling itself "Concerned Citizens," are attempting to link the George Floyd protests to a list of demands.

From YahooNews:   Obama praises George Floyd protests and sees hope for police reform, racial progress

From YahooLife:  "Star Wars" star John Boyega joins a "Black Lives Matter" demonstration in Hyde Park, London.

From YahooEntertainment:  Grammy-winner Billie Eilish goes after "white privilege" with a vengeance in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd.

From USAToday:  Journalists blinded, injured, arrested covering George Floyd protests nationwide

From YahooAustralia:  Photojournalist Linda Tirado permanently blinded after being shot by a police rubber bullet during George Floyd protests.

From BET:  Filmmaker Ava DuVernay gives a check to President Donald's daughter, Ivanka, for the "First Daughter's" Bible-verse tweet in regards to the George Floyd protests.

From YahooNews:  ‘We’re sick of it’: Anger over police killings shatters US

From YahooNews:  A Tennessee police chief had a message for fellow law enforcement: turn in your badge if 'you don't have an issue' with George Floyd's death

From NPR:  A decade of watching Black people die.

From YahooEntertainment:  African-American actor, Kendrick Sampson ("Insecure"), was hit by rubber bullets and batons by Los Angeles Police Department officers while attending a peaceful protest in L.A.

From YahooLifestyle:  Should the police officer who killed George Floyd be forgiven so quickly, if at all.  Welcome to "toxic black forgiveness."

From CNN:  Demonstrators in Europe rally to support #GeorgeFloyd protestors in the United States.

From YahooSports:   It is a big frickin' deal when a white NFL quarterback speaks out about the murder of George Floyd and the African-American community, even if that QB is an incoming rookie - in this case, Joe Burrows of the Cincinnati Bengals.

From YahooUSAToday:  "Qualified immunity" allows police officers to act like laws don't apply to them... because they don't.

From YahooABC:  The wife of Minneapolis police office, Derek Michael Chauvin, who killed George Floyd, says she is filing for divorce.

From NBCNews:  The phrase, "When the looting starts, the shooting starts," that Trump has twice used on Twitter has its origins in one of the darkest periods of American history.

From YahooSports:  Prominent sports figures react to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and remind people of why former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested by taking a knee before his games.

From CBSNews:  Because COVID-19 isn't killing Black people fast enough to satisfy some... Video shows Minneapolis cop with knee on neck of motionless, moaning man who later died.

From CNN:  The four police officers involved in the death of George Floyd have been fired.  That includes Officer Derek Chauvin who kneeled on Floyd's neck.

From TheDailyBeast:  Ira Toles, a black man, recounts how Minneapolis police office, Derek Chauvin, who killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck, tried to kill him in 2008.  He still bears the scars of Chauvin's violence.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 1st to 9th, 2020- Update #26

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

BLACK AMERICA AND COVID-19 - Crisis or... :

From YahooNews:  A tale of two parks: Enjoying the sun in wealthy Manhattan, social distancing under police scrutiny in the Bronx

From YahooGMA: (4/28) - Rana Zoe Mungin, a 30-year-old teacher from Brooklyn, died on Monday, April 27th for COVID-19.  She had twice been denied a test for the coronavirus after showing symptoms.  Her family and friends blame racial disparity in the health care system.

From RSNWashPost:  How COVID-19 is a perfect storm for Black Americans.

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS - Hollywood and Beyond:

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From YahooNews:  The U.S. Secret Service has 11 positive cases of COVID-19.

From CNN:  One of President Donald's personal valet has test positive for COVID-19.

From YahooNews:  Academy Award-winning actress and humanitarian, Angelina Jolie, has written a letter to top officials in the U.S. Congress asking them to increase SNAP benefits (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) in the next coronavirus legislation.  She said many children are going hungry due to job loss and not being in school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From YahooNews:  Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Laurie Garrett, who has been predicting the global spread of contagious pathogens for decades sees dark times ahead of us because of COVID-19 and no medical miracle arriving anytime soon.

From YahooNews:  As states push ahead with reopening, CDC warns coronavirus cases and deaths are set to soar

From Deadline: (4/30) - Broadway actor, Nick Cordero, has taken a turn for the worse in his battle against COVID-19, including having tremendous lung damage.

From YahooFinance:  Sixteen prominent health officials have proposed giving American $50 a day to self-isolate until testing and treatment for COVID-19 is under control.

From YahooNews:  Anti-vaccination activists (or anti-vaxxers) have joined and in some cases have led the protests against COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

CULTURE - From PulitzerPrizes:  The 2020 Pulitzer Prize Winners have been announced.

DISNEY+ - From Deadline:  Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is working on a TV series reboot of his Disney hit film series, "National Treasure."

STREAMING - From BleedingCool:  Director Spike Lee's next film, "Da 5 Bloods," will debut on Netflix June 12th.

POLITICS - From HuffPost:  Veteran Democratic strategist and political consultant, James Carville, warns President Donald about his "grifter campaign.

MOVIES - From RottenTomatoes:  Neve Campbell, who played the central character "Sidney Prescott" in the first four "Scream" films, may return for "Scream 5."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS has renewed 18 more of its TV series, bringing the total of renewed series to 23.  The network has cancelled four including Patricia Heaton's "Carol's Second Act."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Filmmaker Ava DuVernay has named former Netflix executive, Sarah Bremner, as president of her ARRAY Filmworks.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  NASA, Tom Cruise, and crazy rich guy Elon Musk are working on a project that would be the first movie (an action-adventure) shot in outer space.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  The streaming service, "Peacock" (Universal), has chosen a showrunner for its reboot (the second) of "Battlestar Galactica."  It's Michael Lesslie, who was the lead writer and showrunner of AMC's "The Little Drummer Girl."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  MGM has won an auction for a production commitment to director Ron Howard's film, "Thirteen Lives," 2018 Thai cave rescue true story.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Because you asked for it... I guess... Paramount Pictures and Hasbro are rebooting the "G.I. Joe" film franchise.  This new film would be a follow-up to "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins," which is still due October 23rd.

CELEBRITY - From YahooE:  Legendary actor Harrison Ford is once again the subject of an FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) investigation over his actions as pilot of a airplane.  He has been investigated several times, the most infamous being after he crashed a World War II era plane in 2015 that left Ford with a head wound.

ANIMATION - From THR:  Fox claims this is the real reason they fired TV music composer, Alf Clausen, from his job composing music for its long-running animated series, "The Simpson."

OBITS:

From RollingStone:  One of the founding fathers of rock and roll music, Little Richard, has died at the age of 87, Saturday, May 9, 2020.  He combined blues and gospel music to create a thrilling new sound, and his flamboyant and gender-bending persona helped to create the sound and spirit of a new art form, rock and roll or rock 'n' roll music.  His best known recordings included "Tutti Frutti" (1955), "Long Tall Song" (1956), and "Good Golly, Miss Molly" (1958).  In 1986, Little Richard was among the first inductees of the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

From RollingStone:  Music executive and record label founder, Andre Harrell, has died at the age of 59, Friday, May 8, 2020.  In 1986, he founded the highly influential music label, "Uptown Record," which was the home of artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Heavy D & The Boyz, and Jodeci, to name a few.  Although they would eventually fall out, Harrell was also instrumental in the development of the career of Sean "Diddy" Combs.

From ESPN - Legendary NFL coach, Don Shula, has died at the age of 90, Monday, May 4, 2020.  Shula was the coach of the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1969, where he lead them to the 1968 NFL Championship (now called NFC Champion), before losing to the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.  He is best known for his stint as head coach of the Miami Dolphins (1970 to 1995), where he lead them to victories in Super Bowls VII and VIII and appearances in Super Bowls XVII and XIX.  The 1972 Dolphins finished the regular season 14-0 and won all their postseason games, including the Super Bowl, finishing 17-0, the only NFL team to finish the season with a perfect season.

From THR:  The actor Sam Lloyd has died at the age of 56, Friday, May 1, 2020.  Lloyd was best known for playing the role of "Ted Buckland" on the NBC-ABC sitcom, "Scrubs" (2001o2010), for 95 episodes.  Lloyd was also the nephew of actor Christopher Lloyd.

From Deadline:  The film and television director and writer, John Lafia, has died at the age of 63, Wednesday, April 29, 2020, reportedly by suicide.  Lafia was best known for co-writing the classic horror film, "Child's Play " (1988) and for directing its sequel "Child's Play" (1990).  He also wrote and directed the popular NBC disaster miniseries, "10.5" (2004) and "10.5: Apocalypse" (2006).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 22nd to 31st, 2020 - Update #32

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 and Hollywood and Beyond:

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooSports:  The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has been moved to 2021 due to COVID-19 and will take place form July 23, 2021 to August 8, 2021

From Variety:  Grammy Award-winner and country music recording artist, Joe Diffe, has died of COVID-19-related complications.  Diffe was known for his string of 1990s country song hits, including "Pickup Man" and "John Deere Green."  Diffe was 61.

From CBSNews:  CBS has announced that former CBS executive and journalist, Maria Mercader, has died of COVID-related complications.

From YahooSports:  Former NFL wide receiver (Denver Broncos) and collegiate football and track and field star (LSU), Orlando McDaniel, has died of COVID-19.

From NYDailyNews:  The Fox Business News network has parted ways with Trish Regan, host of "Trish Regan Primetime."  Regan was one reportedly one of Fox's most aggressive coronavirus conspiracy theorists.

From YahooNews:  The prime minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, has tested positive for COVID-19.

From TheDailyBeast:  Iconic rapper, Scarface, of the iconic rap group, "Geto Boys," says that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

From YahooEntertainment:  Veteran character actor, Mark Blum (the TV series "You"), has died at the age of 69 from complications of COVID-19.

From YahooEntertainment:  Josh Wallwork, a 45-year-old crew member on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," has died from COVID-19-related complications.

From YahooNews:   Britain's Prince Charles has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.

From YahooSports:  Pro basketball player, Karl-Anthony Towns (the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves) has revealed that his mother has been placed in a medically induced coma because of "lung problems" due to COVID-19.

From Deadline:  Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally has died of complications due to COVID-19.

From Variety:  David Bryan, the keyboardist for and founding member of the Grammy-winning rock band, "Bon Jovi," has tested positive for COVID-19.  Bryan is also a Tony Award-winning composer for his work on the musical, "Memphis" (2003).

From BleacherReport:  Thursday morning (March 19th), NFL coach, Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints, told ESPN that he had tested positive for COVID-19.  He gave NBC Sports' Peter King an update on his condition.

From NiagaraGazette:  Oscar-winning film producer and newly minted convict, Harvey Weinstein, is one of two prisoners at Wende Correctional Facility in Western New York state who has tested positive COVID-19.

From THR:  Spanish opera singer Placido Domingo has said that he has tested positive for COVID-16.

From YahooNews:  Senator Rand Paul, Republican from Kentucky, becomes the first known U.S. senator to test positive for COVID-19.

MOVIE NEWS:

From Deadline:  MGM is all over the film rights to the science fiction novel, "The Hail Mary," from author Andy Weir ("The Martian").  Ryan Gosling is set to star in and produce the film.

From Variety:  Sony will give its recent smash hit, "Bad Boys for Life," an early digital release, March 31st, with a Blu-ray/DVD release of April 21st.

From Variety:  Woody Allen's memoir, "Apropos of Nothing," was released today (Monday, March 23rd) by a new publisher, Arcade Publishing, with little fanfare.  The books previous publisher, Hachette Book Group, after some of its employees staged a walkout.

TELEVISION NEWS:

From Deadline:   The U.S. Supreme Court sides with Comcast over Byron Allen in Allen's lawsuit against the cable gaint.  In a unanimous decision, the court send the case back to a lower court where Allen must prove "but for."  According to the courts ruling, “a plaintiff must initially plead and ultimately prove that, but for race, it would not have suffered the loss of a legally protected right.”

STREAMING NEWS:

From Variety:  Netflix and director Ava DuVernay have won a dismissal of a defamation lawsuit brought against them over their "Central Park Five" TV series, "When They See Us."

From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-nominated actor Jonah Hill says that no one has seen his best performance ever, in a film entitled "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot."

OBITS:

From NBCNews:  Civil Rights icon and leader, Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, has died at the age of 98, Friday, March 27, 2020.  Lowery founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. Martin Luther King.  A dean of the Civil Rights movement, Rev. Lowery delivered the benediction at the President Barack Obama's inaugaration in 2009, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama later that same year.

From SoapOperaDigest:  The soap opera actor, John Callahan, has died at the age of 66, Saturday, March 28, 2020.  He appeared in several daytime soaps, but is best known for the role of "Edmund Grey" on "All My Children" (ABC) from 1992 to 2005

From THR:  Harlem Globetrotters legend, Fred "Curly" Neal, has died at the age of 77, Thursday, March 26, 2020.  Neal, known as a wizard of dribbling the basketball, was a member of the Globetrotters during their "golden age" in the 1970s and 1980s.  With the Globetrotters, Neal appeared on several TV series.  Curly was animated character in two Globetrotter Saturday morning cartoon series, as well as appearing on three episodes of animated "The New Scooby-Doo Movies."

From Variety:  Writer-director, Stuart Gordon, has died at the age of 72, Tuesday, March 24, 2020.  Gordon's best known films were "Re-Animator" (1985) and "From Beyond" (1985), which were both adapted from stories by the great horror writer, H.P. Lovecraft.  Gordon was one of the creators of Disney's "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" franchise, and he was also a writer and director of live theatre.

From THR:  Playwright Terrence McNally has died at the age of 81, March 24, 2020.  McNally won four Tony Awards and also a Tony Lifetime Achievement Award.  He is known for writing plays such as "Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune" (1982), "Love! Valour! Compassion!" (1994), and "Master Class" (1995).  His work in musical theatre includes "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1992) and "Ragtime" (1996).

From Variety:  The singer and musician, Eric Weissberg, has died at the age of 80, Sunday, March 22, 2020.  Weissberg was best known as a banjo player, and his most commercially successful recording was his banjo solo in "Dueling Banjos," which was used as the theme of the infamous 1972 film, "Deliverance."

From CNN:  Pop and country music singer and actor, Kenny Rogers, has died at the age of 81, Friday, March 20, 2020.  He was one of the best-selling recording artists and his career spanned several genres.  Hew was a three-time Grammy Award winner and had numerous hits, including his signature song, "The Gambler" (1978).  The song inspired a series of hit films starring Rogers, beginning with 1980s' "Kenny Rogers as The Gambler."

From RollingStone:  Rob Sheffield lists what he thinks are the late Kenny Rogers' best moments, with video links included.