Netflix's "The Lost Daughter" and Hulu's "Dopesick" Top 2022 Scripter Awards

“The Lost Daughter,” “Dopesick” Win USC Libraries Scripter Awards

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The writers behind the feature film “The Lost Daughter” and series “Dopesick” won the 34th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards at an online ceremony on the evening of Feb. 26, 2022.

“Adaptation from a book to film or book to series is a dialogue, a murmuring, and adaptation is a translation from one language into another”

The Scripter Awards honor each year’s most accomplished adaptations of the written word for the screen and, uniquely, recognize the screenwriters and the authors of the source material.

This year, screenwriter Maggie Gyllenhaal and author Elena Ferrante won in the feature film category for Netflix’s “The Lost Daughter,” based on Ferrante’s 2006 book (published in English in 2008). Gyllenhaal, who directed, wrote, and produced “The Lost Daughter,” acknowledged the deep connection between screenwriters and the original authors in her acceptance speech.

“I think only writers know how intimately a screenwriter is connected to the work they’re adapting,” Gyllenhaal said. Describing her relationship with Ferrante’s work, “She and I have made something new together. It’s like a love affair of the mind.”

In the episodic series category, writer/director Danny Strong and author Beth Macy won for Hulu’s “Dopesick,” based on Macy’s nonfiction book “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America.”

“A third of all American families have been touched by addiction,” Macy said. “My biggest thanks to all the families who helped us tell this story, and there are thousands of them.”

Strong acknowledged the impact of the book in shining “a light on this crisis and the people who were most affected by it on the ground in a way that really captured the nation in such a powerful, beautiful way.”

The Scripter Awards are usually presented at a black-tie gala in USC’s Doheny Memorial Library. However, both this year and last year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony was streamed online. USC Libraries Dean Catherine Quinlan referenced the extraordinary year in her opening remarks.

“I truly hoped that we’d be celebrating the 34th year of Scripter where we celebrated its first—in the beautiful Doheny Memorial Library,” Quinlan said. “While it didn’t quite work out that way, I’m delighted to be with all of you online. We are so fortunate to be able to connect this way, to come together as a community in support of writers, storytelling, and our excellent Trojan libraries.”

A selection committee comprising 52 writers, producers, journalists, and other distinguished members—including several past winners—determined this year’s awards.

Howard Rodman, a professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and a former president of the Writers Guild of America West, chairs the committee. In his remarks, Rodman noted that the art of adaptation requires the screenwriter to strike a delicate balance.

“Adaptation from a book to film or book to series is a dialogue, a murmuring, and adaptation is a translation from one language into another,” Rodman said. “It’s no accident that in so many languages, the words for ‘translator’ and ‘traitor’ are so similar. And the person who adapts a work of fact or fiction always has to balance, with poise and finesse, an opposing set of obligations.”

Earlier in the evening, Rodman presented Barry Jenkins with the Literary Achievement Award. Jenkins, a nominee this year for “The Underground Railroad,” previously won the 2017 Scripter for “Moonlight” and was a finalist in 2019 for “If Beale Street Could Talk.”

In accepting the award, Jenkins thanked the authors whose works he’s adapted and described the importance of cinema in reaching audiences with their language. “We’re living in a time right now when people are watching more than they are reading,” Jenkins said. “I think in a way, translating these works from the medium of literature or playwriting into the screenplay format and ultimately into feature films and television is very crucial, very vital to continuing the spread of this language these authors have put into their works.”

The 2022 Scripter Award was presented by the USC Libraries Board of Councilors, with sponsorship support from Apple Original Films, Amazon, Disney+, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, and Warner Bros.

For more information about Scripter, visit scripter.usc.edu.

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

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

Finalists for 34th USC Libraries Scripter Award Named

SC Libraries Name Finalists for 34th-Annual Scripter Awards

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The USC Libraries named the finalists for the 34th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which honors the year’s most accomplished film and episodic series adaptations, as well as the works on which they are based.

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

•     Screenwriters Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, and Denis Villeneuve, for “Dune” based on the novel by Frank Herbert
•     Maggie Gyllenhaal for “The Lost Daughter” based on the novel by Elena Ferrante
•     Rebecca Hall for “Passing” based on the novel by Nella Larsen
•     Screenwriter Jane Campion and author Thomas Savage for “The Power of the Dog”
•     Screenwriter Joel Coen and playwright William Shakespeare for “The Tragedy of Macbeth”

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

•     Danny Strong, for the episode “The People vs. Purdue Pharma,” from “Dopesick,” based on the nonfiction book “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America,” by Beth Macy
•     Molly Smith Metzler for the episode “Dollar Store,” from “Maid,” based on the memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land
•     Patrick Somerville for the episode “Wheel of Fire,” from “Station Eleven,” based on the novel by Emily St. John Mandel
•     Barry Jenkins for the episode “Indiana Winter” from “The Underground Railroad,” based on the novel by Colson Whitehead
•     Jac Schaeffer for the episode “Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience,” from “WandaVision” based on Marvel Comics characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Barry Jenkins, a nominee for “The Underground Railroad,” will receive the USC Libraries Literary Achievement Award for his contributions to cinematic storytelling, including his work adapting the 2017 Scripter winner “Moonlight” and the 2019 finalist “If Beale Street Could Talk.”

The 2022 Scripter selection committee selected the finalists from a field of 69 film and 42 television adaptations. Howard Rodman, USC professor and past president of the Writers Guild of America, West, chairs the 2022 committee.

Serving on the selection committee, among many others, are film critics Leonard Maltin, Anne Thompson and Kenneth Turan; authors Janet Fitch and Walter Mosley; screenwriters Mark Fergus and Erin Cressida Wilson; producers Mike Medavoy and Gail Mutrux; and USC deans Elizabeth Daley of the School of Cinematic Arts and Catherine Quinlan of the USC Libraries.

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

    “Dune”—Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures and Ace
    “The Lost Daughter”—Netflix and Europa Editions
    “Passing”— Netflix and Serpent’s Tail
    “The Power of the Dog”— Netflix and Back Bay Books
    “The Tragedy of Macbeth”—Apple Original Films/A24 and Penguin

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

    “Dopesick”—Hulu and Back Bay Books
    “Maid”—Netflix and Hachette Books
    “Station Eleven”—HBO Max and Vintage Books
    “The Underground Railroad”—Amazon and Anchor Books
    “WandaVision”—Disney+ and Marvel Comics

The USC Libraries will announce the winning authors and screenwriters at a black-tie ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library at the University of Southern California. After being held in a virtual format last year amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic, the Scripter Awards are currently planning to return to an in-person event subject to up-to-date COVID-19 safety protocols.

Since 1988, Scripter has honored the authors of printed works alongside the screenwriters who adapt their stories. In 2016, the USC Libraries inaugurated a new Scripter award, for episodic series adaptation. 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.

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

Review: "NEVER RARELY SOMETIMES ALWAYS" is Timely, Could Be Timeless

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 52 of 2021 (No. 1790) by Leroy Douresseaux

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020)
Running time: 91 minutes (1 hour, 31 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for disturbing/mature thematic content, language, some sexual references and teen drinking
WRITER-DIRECTOR:  Eliza Hittman
PRODUCERS:  Adele Romanski and Sara Murphy
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Hélène Louvart
EDITOR:  Scott Cummings
COMPOSER:  Julia Holter

DRAMA

Starring:  Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, and Théodore Pellerin

[The Texas six-week abortion ban, SB8, went into effect today, as I write this (Wed., September 1, 2021), and that makes Eliza Hittman's acclaimed film, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” timely 20 months after its debut at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.]

Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a 2020 British-American drama from writer-director Eliza Hittman.  The film focuses on a rural Pennsylvania teenager who, seeking an abortion, embarks on a fraught journey to New York City in order to get one.  Oscar-winning filmmaker, Barry Jenkins (Moonlight), is one of the film's executive producers.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always introduces 17-year-old Autumn Callahan (Sidney Flanigan), who lives with her family in rural Ellensboro, Pennsylvania.  Autumn suspects that she is pregnant and goes to the Ellensboro Women's Clinic.  There, she takes a test that confirms that she is pregnant – 10 weeks pregnant according to a woman who works at the clinic.

After learning that she is unable to get an abortion in Pennsylvania without parental consent, Autumn confides in her cousin, Skylar (Talia Ryder), that she is pregnant.  Autumn and Skylar buy two bus tickets and travel to New York City where Autumn can have an abortion with parental consent.   The journey, however, is fraught with complications, including the fact that the girls have little cash and have no place to stay in the city.  And getting an abortion is not as easy, nor will it be as quick, as Autumn thought.

Roe v. Wade (1973) is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision.  The Court ruled that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant woman's liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction, and, in the process, struck down many U.S. federal and state abortion laws.  However, beginning with Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989), the Supreme Court essentially began allowing states to impose restrictions and regulations on a woman's right to have an abortion.  In the ensuing four decades, some of the restrictions placed by states can rightly be called “excessive,” to one extent or another.

That is the context in which Never Rarely Sometimes Always exists.  Autumn and Skylar embark on a fraught journey from small town Pennsylvania to New York City, knowing no one, not having a place to stay, and lacking adequate money so that Autumn can have an abortion.  And Autumn must face having this serious medical procedure as a minor, unsure of what support that she would get from her mother and (apparent) stepfather.

What hangs over this powerful drama is that Autumn is exposing herself and Skylar to danger because the state in which she lives, Pennsylvania, can place multiple restrictions on what is supposed to be a Constitutionally guaranteed right.  In theory, Autumn should have relatively easy access to safe medical care in her home state, yet what she does have in her home town is access to medical care, in which the facility's agenda takes priority over her health and well being and her choices.

In Never Rarely Sometimes Always, writer-director Eliza Hittman is advocating for abortion rights and access, yet she does all her preaching in a film that essentially has two parts.  The first is the story of a teenage girl facing a crisis, and the second part is a kind of dark New York adventure in which the young heroes must, by hook or crook, stay safe in order to enjoy a triumph – even if they cannot really celebrate such a triumph – Autumn getting her abortion.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always takes its title from the multiple choice answers that Autumn can give to a series of questions about her sex life asked by an abortion counselor.  It is in that moment, when Autumn struggles to answer, that Hittman depicts the reality that there is complexity behind a woman or girl's decision to seek an abortion.  It isn't simply about having an “abortion-on-demand.”

Suddenly, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is not so much an argument between anti-choice and pro-choice, nor is it simply about the states and their varying degrees of access to a safe and legal abortion.  Never Rarely Sometimes Always is, at that moment, a story about a teenage girl who faces alone the trouble she did not create by herself.

9 of 10
A+

Wednesday, September 1, 2021


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

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

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

#28DaysofBlack Review: "IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK"

[One of the emerging film talents of the last decade is writer-director Barry Jenkins.  His incredible adaptation of James Baldwin's 1974 novel, If Beale Street Could Talk, proves that Moonlight, which won the “Best Picture” Oscar, was and is not a fluke.]

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 6 of 2021 (No. 1744) by Leroy Douresseaux

If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

Running time:  119 minutes (1 hour, 59 minutes)

MPAA – R for language and some sexual content

DIRECTOR:  Barry Jenkins

WRITER:  Barry Jenkins (based on the novel by James Baldwin)

PRODUCERS:  Dede Gardner, Barry Jenkins, Jeremy Kleiner, Sara Murphy, and Adele Romanski

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  James Laxton

EDITORS:  Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders

COMPOSER:  Nicholas Britell

Academy Award winner

DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring:  KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Teyonah Parris, Colman Domingo, Ethan Barrett, Melanni Mines, Ebony Obsidian, Dominique Thorne, Michael Beach, Aunjanue Ellis, Diego Luna, Emily Rios, Ed Skrein, Finn Wittrock, Brian Tyree Henry, Dave Franco, and Kaden Byrd

If Beale Street Could Talk is a 2018 American drama and romance film written and directed by Barry Jenkins.  The film is based on James Baldwin's 1974 novel, If Beale Street Could Talk.  The film follows the efforts of a young woman and her family as they try to prove the innocence of her lover after he is charged with a serious crime.

If Beale Street Could Talk introduces “Tish” Rivers (KiKi Layne) and Alonzo “Fonny” Hunt (Stephan James).  They have been friends their entire lives, and begin a romantic relationship when Tish is 19 and Fonny is 22.  They struggle to find a place to live because it is the early 1970s, and most New York City landlords refuse to rent apartments to black people.  Fonny, a young artist and sculptor, is later arrested and accused of raping a woman in an unlikely scenario.

It is afterwards that Tish announces to her parents, Sharon (Regina King) and Joseph Rivers (Colman Domingo), and to her sister, Ernestine (Teyonah Parris), that she is pregnant.  Not everyone in Fonny's family, however, is happy about the impending birth of a grandchild.  As the months drag on, Tish, Sharon, and the rest of the family realize that they will have to give an all-out effort in order to help Fonny's lawyer, Hayward (Finn Wittrock), free Fonny from a criminal justice system that will do anything to keep him behind bars.

I love the beautiful cinematography in If Beale Street Could Talk.  I think it does so much to sell the exquisite love story at the heart of this film, and If Beale Street Could Talk is a romantic movie.  It imagines love in the ruins of a society shackled by white racism and white supremacy.  In that way, director Barry Jenkins' film can literally talk to his audience about racism and oppression of black people while telling a poetic and expressionistic story of two young black people in love.

If Beale Street Could Talk is shaped by a number of excellent performances, with Regina King's Sharon Rivers as the port-in-the-storm for the tossed and turned ships in her immediate family and circle.  King is the sun queen, and in her warmth, KiKi Layne and Stephan James can grow and build their characters and their characters' love story into something that is so strong that it overcomes everything working against it.

In his Oscar-winning Moonlight, Jenkins told the story of gay boy growing into a man by taking the ordinary coming-of-age story and making it something extraordinary for the ages.  In If Beale Street Could Talk, Jenkins' racial drama is told as a timeless love story.  Perhaps, making a film set in the 1970s be timeless is most important, as the racism and oppression of then are not only symptoms of that time, but rather are also the breaths that this nation takes.

In the end, I am amazed by Barry Jenkins.  His film is about love and shows us love and is love.  Love, love, love:  I am overwhelmed.  If Beale Street Could Talk holds to the truths that Dr. Martin Luther King spoke on love (love's transforming powers).  Normally, I would feel anger after seeing a film like this, but in the end, Jenkins' fascinating aesthetic of love and Black Consciousness wins out.  This is why I am still trying to figure out which is the best film of 2018 – BlacKkKlansman or If Beale Street Could Talk?

10 out of 10

Tuesday, February 2, 2021


2019 Academy Awards, USA”  1 win for “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: (Regina King); 2 nominations: “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures-Original Score” (Nicholas Britell) and “Best Adapted Screenplay” (Barry Jenkins)

2019 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win for “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Regina King); 2 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama” and “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Barry Jenkins)

BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations: “Best Screenplay-Adapted” (Barry Jenkins) and “Original Music” (Nicholas Britell)

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

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

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

Review: "The Last Black Man in San Francisco" is a Stunning Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 19 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019)

Running time:  121 minutes (2 hours, 1 minute)

MPAA – R for language, brief nudity and drug use

DIRECTOR:  Joe Talbot.

WRITER:  Joe Talbot and Rob Richert; from a story by Joe Talbot and Jimmy Fails

PRODUCERS:  Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Khaliah Neal, Christina Oh, and Joe Talbot

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Adam Newport-Berra

EDITOR:  David Marks

COMPOSER:  Emile Mosseri

DRAMA

Starring:  Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Tichina Arnold, Mike Epps, Finn Wittrock, Danny Glover, Willie Hen, Jamal Trulove, Antoine “Mile” Redus, Jordan Gomes, Maxamilliene Ewalt, Michael O'Brien, and Daewon Song

The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a 2019 American drama film and is the debut film of director Joe Talbot.  Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) contributed to the film's Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, and two-time Oscar-winner Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) is one of the film's executive producers.  The Last Black Man in San Francisco centers on a young Black man's efforts to reclaim his childhood home, which is now an expensive Victorian house in a gentrified neighborhood.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco introduces Jimmie Fails IV (Jimmie Fails).  He is a young man living in Bayview-Hunters Point, San Francisco, and he spends his time wandering around town with his best friend Montgomery “Mont” Allen (Jonathan Majors).  Jimmie lives with Mont and Mont's grandfather, “Grandpa Allen” (Danny Glover), in the old man's house.

One day, Jimmie takes Mont to San Francisco's Fillmore District, which is where Jimmie grew up.  He shows Mont a Victorian house that Jimmie claims his grandfather, James Fails II, built in 1946.  An older white couple are the house's current occupants, and Jimmie laments that the couple does not take care of the house.  Jimmie surreptitiously attempts to maintain the house by doing minor repairs and upgrade work (like painting).  When the couple can no longer keep the house, it is put up for sale by Manifest Realtors.

Jimmie and Mont visit Clayton Newsom (Finn Wittrock), the real estate agent charged with selling the house, and learn that because of an “estate situation” the house could remain unsold for years.  Jimmie decides to move into the house, becoming a squatter on an empty property that he sees as his birthright.  But is everything that Jimmie knows about the house, the whole and true story?

I would have a hard time explaining The Last Black Man in San Francisco in detail.  On one hand, the film certainly has themes related to gentrification, but on that other hand, the film speaks to the dangers of holding onto things too long.  The story's ultimate point seems to be that people should be more than just one thing to everyone and that each of us must break free of the boxes in which we have put ourselves or in which others have put us.  The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a hugely thoughtful and layered film, surprisingly so from a first time director like Joe Talbot.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco also has outstanding production values.  I usually think of great cinematography as coming from epic films about the past – war movies and historical and costume dramas.  The photography of Adam Newport-Berra is some of the best cinematography that I have ever seen in a film with a contemporary setting.  Combined with the sets and locals, the cinematography makes The Last Black Man in San Francisco one of the most beautiful films in recent years.  The soundtrack, a mix of songs about San Francisco and Emile Mosseri's lovely score, actually enhances the beauty of this film.

Jimmie Fails, playing a character named after him, and Jonathan Majors as Montgomery are breakout stars in this film, and it is a pity that Majors did not get Academy Award notice for his idiosyncratic character and layered performance.  Lack of mainstream award wins, however, does not change the fact that The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a unique and terrifically grand film.  It is a love letter to the city of San Francisco that shows its love not by depicting the entire city and its hot tech sector.  It loves San Francisco by depicting the heart of the city – the forgotten people and places that gave the city its flavor and atmosphere... which made it a target for gentrification.

A+
9 of 10

Sunday, August 16, 2020


NOTES:
2020 Black Reel Awards:  1 win: “Outstanding Independent Feature” (Joe Talbot, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh, and Khaliah Neal); 7 nominations: “Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture” (Jimmie Fails), “Outstanding Supporting Actor, Motion Picture” (Jonathan Majors), “Outstanding Score” (Emile Mosseri), “Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male” (Jimmie Fails), “Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male” (Jonathan Majors), “Outstanding Cinematography” (Adam Newport-Berra), and “Outstanding Ensemble: (Julia Kim)


The text is copyright © 2020 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 21st to 30th, 2020 - Update #41

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

ACADEMY AWARDS - From YahooUSA:  Academy exceeds inclusion goal after #OscarsSoWhite: New voters are 45% female, 36% diverse.

CELEBRITY-BLM - From YahooEntertainment:  John Wayne was not a racist says the late actor's son, Ethan Wayne.

MOVIES - From Collider:  The site has several images from David Ayers' upcoming thriller, "The Tax Collector," starring Shia LaBeouf and Bobby Soto.

BLM-CRIME-HISTORY - From Alabama.com:  16th Street Baptist Church bomber Thomas Blanton dies in prison.  The bombing, which occurred in 1963, is known for the "Four Little Girls."

MOVIES - From YahooMoviesUK:  "John Wick" director, Chad Stahelski, says that a reboot of the 1980s action-fantasy movie cult classic, "Highlander," is "in heavy development mode."

CELEBRITY-POLITICS - From TheDailyBeast:   How Mary Trump (President Donald's niece) Found Herself in the Hot Mess of a William Faulkner Novel

MUSIC-STREAMING - From Variety:  The streaming service, Disney+, will releases Beyonce's new visual album, "Black is King," July 31st.  The LP is inspired by "The Lion King," and its released date is just after the one-year anniversary of the 2019 release of Disney's live-action version of "The Lion King."

LGBTQ - From YahooLifestyle:  Gay ER doctor who survived COVID-19 says he can't donate plasma because he’s sexually active

POLITICS - From RSN:  "Saint Donald and the Dragon" - Donald Trump and the China!

SPORTS - From YahooSports:  Bubba Wallace on Confederate flag ban protests: 'We won’t see cops pepper-spraying them and shooting them with rubber bullets'

MOVIES - From THR:  Actor Margot Robbie and writer Christina Hodson, who teamed up on "Birds of Prey," are reunited on a new "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie.  It is separate from the other reboot being developed "Pirates" scribe, Ted Elliot," and "Chernobyl" writer Craig Mazin.

MOVIES - From THR:  The release date of Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" has been delayed again, from July 31st to August 12th, 2020.

MOVIES - From THR:  Inside "Hollywood's nastiest producer feud," the story of Roy Lee vs. John Middleton.

POLITICS - From TheGuardian:  How the US military has failed to address white supremacy in its ranks.  This is in the wake of an alleged plot by a young solider to coordinate with a neo-Nazi group to attack and kill members of his own army unit.

BLM-ANIMATION - From TVGuide:  Jenny Slate will no longer voice Missy on Netflix's "Big Mouth": 'Black Characters on an Animated Show Should be Played by Black People'

From BuzzFeed:  Voice actor Mike Henry has retired from providing the voice of "Family Guy" African-American character, "Cleveland Brown."  He is the latest white voice performer to announce that he is exiting the voice role of a Black character, following Jenny Slate leaving Big Mouth and Kristen Bell shifting to a different role on Central Park.
--------------------------------

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar winners Leonardo DiCaprio ("The Revenant") and Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight") have united to make a film adaptation of the documentary, "Virunga," about rangers who risk their lives to protect an African national park and its endangered gorillas.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  27 years after it first hit movie theaters, "Jurassic Park" was the #1 movie at the Father's Day weekend box office.  Steven Spielberg, who directed "Jurassic Park," had a big weekend as his 1975 classic, "Jaws" was a close second.

TRAILERS - From Deadline:  Disney+ releases the first trailer for the live-action version of the Broadway smash, "Hamilton."  The film arrives on Disney+ July 3rd, 2020.

CULTURE-BLM - From THR:  African-American Hollywood attorney, Nina Shaw, writes a guest column on being "the Only Black Person in the Room" for 30-plus years.

CELEBRITY - From YahooDailyBeast:  Actress Bryce Dallas Howard talks about having Oscar-winning producer-director, Ron Howard, as her father.  The interview is done in conjunction with Bryce's new documentary film, "Dads," which debuted on Apple TV+.

MUSIC - From YahooEntertainment:  An acoustic guitar belonging to the late Kurt Cobain of the band, Nirvana, sold for a record 6-plus million dollars at auction.  That is the highest auction price ever paid for a guitar.  The 1959 Martin D-19E is the guitar Cobain played for the entirety of his "MTV Unplugged" performance.

CELEBRITY-COVID-19 - From ABCNews:  Comedian D.L. Hughley passed out while performing on stage in Nashville TN.  Afterwards, he tested positive for COVID-19 at a local hospital.

MOVIES - From YahooGMA:  Jamie Foxx shows off his body transformation for his starring role in a biopic of champion boxer, Mike Tyson.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Pioneering television comedy writer and director, Carl Reiner has died at the age of 98, Monday, June 29, 2020.  Reiner is best known as the creator and writer-director and actor on "The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66).  Five of the 9 Primetime Emmy Awards Reiner won were for his work on the show.  He first came to big TV fame and acclaim working on Sid Ceasar's TV series, "Your Show of Shows" (NBC, 1950-54) and "Ceasar's Hour" (NBC, 1954-57).  Reiner was also famous for being the son of television and film writer, director, and actor, Rob Reiner.

From Variety:  Animator and director, Kelly Asbury, has died at the age of 60, Friday, June 26, 2020.  Asbury co-directed "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" (2002) and directed "Shrek 2" (2004).  He began his career with Walt Disney Feature Animation and, he worked on such films as "The Black Cauldron" (1985) and "Toy Story" (1995).

From Deadline:  Noted film director, Joel Schumacher, has died at the age of 80, Monday, June 22, 2020.  Schumacher was known for a number of films, including "St. Elmo's Fire" (1985), "The Lost Boys" (1987), "Flatliners" (1990), "The Client" (1994), and "A Time to Kill" (1996).  He caused ire among comic book fans with his two contributions to the Batman film franchise, "Batman Forever" (1995) and "Batman and Robin" (1997).

From Deadline:  American businessman and film financier, Steve Bing, has died at the age of 55, Monday, June 22, 2020.  In the film business, Bing invested in two animated films by director Robert Zemeckis, "The Polar Express" (2004) and "Beowulf."  He founded Shangri-La Entertainment, which had interests in property, construction, entertainment, and music.

BLACK LIVES MATTER NEWS:

From RSN:  The four corners of police violence

From TheIntercept:  Black Lives Matter Wants to End Police Brutality. History Suggests It Will Go Much Further.

From YahooNews:  "The Confederacy of California": life in the valley where Robert Fuller was found hanged

From CNN:  Colorado police officers involved in the death of Elijah McClain reassigned for safety reasons.

From Truthout: " Three North Carolina Police Fired for Racist Rants, Threats to Kill Black People" - and what they said is crazy and scary

From Truthout: Bryant Gumbel Gives Powerful Commentary on the 'Black Tax,' the 'Added Burden' of Being Black

From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-nominated songwriter and Grammy Award-winning recording artist, Ray Parker, Jr., may be best known for writing the theme to the film, "Ghostbusters," but when he was a teenager, Parker was beaten by Detroit police officers.

From RSNewYorker:  Jelani Cobb: An American Spring of Reckoning.

From NBCNews:  Baton Rouge, LA activist, Gary Chambers, makes an impassioned speech about changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School in Baton Rouge.

From YahooNews:  Racial violence and a pandemic: How the Red Summer of 1919 relates to 2020

From DemocracyNow:   Fear Grows of Modern-Day Lynchings as Five People of Color Are Found Hanged


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

From Truthout:  Trump Moves to End Federal Support for Testing Sites Amid Record COVID Spikes

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.

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 8th, 2019 - Update #23

Support Leroy on Patreon:

COMICS - From Newsarama:  Apparently (X-Men:) "Dark Phoenix" was being rewritten daily during its production.

----------
MOVIES - From MovieWeb:  Sigourney Weaver says that she will appear in Jason Reitman's upcoming "Ghostbusters 3" film.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  "X-Men: Dark Phoenix" apparently does not have a post-credits scene.  When the credits role, the movie is over.

----------
MOVIES - From Collider:  Producer Jason Blum and actress Jamie Lee Curtis tease a sequel to last year's hit, "Halloween" (2018).

----------
TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  NBC is developing a TV series based on Dan Brown's novel, "The Last Symbol."  Entitled "Langdon," the series will focus on Robert Langdon, the character best known as the lead in Brown's worldwide bestselling novel, "The Da Vinci Code."

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Brigette Lundy-Paine and Samara Weaving will play the onscreen children of Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, respectively.

----------
TERMINATOR - From CBR:  James Cameron said that he would return to the "Terminator" franchise (for "Terminator: Dark Fate") on one condition.  Arnold Schwarzenegger had to also return.

----------
BLM/STREAMING - From YahooNews:  Regarding the Central Park Five and Netflix's "When They See Us," former prosecutor Linda Fairstein is discovering that God don't sleep.

----------
SPORTS - From NFL:  NFL announces new social grants recipients.

----------
TELEVISION - From YahooEntertainment:  Mindy Kaling says she was a diversity hire at "The Office."

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Woody Allen will begin shooting his 51st film this summer in Spain.  Amazson shelved Allen's last film, "A Rainy Day in New York," and ended its deal with im.

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  There was word that writers for Fox's TV series, "Empire," were working on ideas to bring disgraced actor, Jussie Smollett, back to the series.  However, series co-creator Lee Daniels says Smollett will not return.

----------
SCIENCE - From ScienceMag:  What cats do with their time.

----------
STREAMING -  From Deadline: Joe and Anthony Russo ("Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame") will executive produce an animated series based on the tabletop trading card game, "Magic: The Gathering" for Netflix.

From ShadowsandAct:  Octavia Spencer credits NBA superstar LeBron James with making sure she got paid right for her Netflix limited series about Madam C.J. Walker.

----------
OSCARS - From Deadline:  Actor Wes Studi and directors David Lynch and Lina Wertmuller will receive Honorary Oscars and actress Geena Davis (The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award).  They are the winners of the 11th Annual Governors Awards as voted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Board of Governors.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:   Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight") is in talks to direct a biopic about Alvin Ailey, one of the most important and influential choreographers of the 20th century.

---------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 5/31 to 6/2/2019 weekend box office is "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" with an estimated take of 49 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "Godzilla: King of Monsters" trending lower than expected, here and abroad.

----------
ANIMATION - From THR:  Japan's Studio Ghibli ("Princess Mononoke," "My Neighbor Totoro") announces plans to open in theme park in 2022.

----------
TECH - From TechRader:  5G and film: how will the tech change how we consume movies?

---------
MOVIES - From WMagazine:  Summer Movies: An Official Guide to the Non-Blockbusters, From Plus One to Ready or Not

OBITS:

From Deadline:  New Orleans singer, songwriter, and pianist, Dr. John, has died at the age of 71, Thursday, June 6, 2019.  A six-time Grammy Award winner, Dr. John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.  His best known single was the 1973 hit, "Right Place, Wrong Time."

From NOLA:  Celebrated chef and civil rights activist, Leah Chase, has died at the age of 96, Saturday, June 1, 2019.  Known as the queen or matriarch of New Orleans Creole cuisine, Chase career spanned seven decades, she fed everyone from ordinary people to the famous, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and James Baldwin.

From RollingStone:  Former Harlem drug kingpin, Frank Lucas, has died at the age of 88, Thursday, May 30, 2019.  Lucas was immortalized in Ridley Scott's 2007 crime film, "American Gangster," with Denzel Washington playing Lucas.  Lucas claimed he imported heroin from Southeast Asia in the coffins of U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam in the 1970s, a gambit known as the "Golden Triangle."

USC Libraries Reveals 31st Annual Scripter Award Nominations

USC Libraries Name Finalists for 31st-Annual Scripter Awards

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The USC Libraries have named the finalists for the 31st-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which honors the year’s best film and television adaptations, as well as the works on which they are based.

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

•     Screenwriters Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole for “Black Panther,” based on the character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
•     Screenwriters Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty and author Lee Israel for “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
•     Screenwriters Armando Iannucci, Ian Martin, and David Schneider for “The Death of Stalin,” based on the graphic novel by Fabien Nury and Thierry Robin
•     Screenwriter Barry Jenkins and author James Baldwin for “If Beale Street Could Talk”
•     Screenwriters Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini for “Leave No Trace” based on the novel “My Abandonment” by Peter Rock

Due to a tie in the nominating round, the writers of six television shows and their printed source material will vie for the Scripter Award this year. The finalist writers for television are, in alphabetical order by series title:

•     Tom Rob Smith, for the episode “The Man Who Would Be Vogue” from “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,” and author Maureen Orth for the nonfiction book “Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History”
•     Bruce Miller and Kira Snyder, for the episode “Holly” from “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and author Margaret Atwood
•     Dan Futterman and Ali Selim, for the episode “9/11” from “The Looming Tower,” and author Lawrence Wright
•     David Nicholls for the episode “Bad News,” from “Patrick Melrose,” based on the series of novels by Edward St. Aubyn
•     Marti Noxon for the episode “Vanish,” from “Sharp Objects,” and author Gillian Flynn
•     Russell T Davies, for “A Very English Scandal,” and author John Preston

Chaired by USC professor and past president of the Writers Guild of America, West, Howard Rodman, the 2019 Scripter selection committee selected the finalists from a field of 90 film and 55 television adaptations.

Serving on the selection committee, among many others, are film critics Leonard Maltin, Anne Thompson and Kenneth Turan; authors Lisa Belkin, Nalo Hopkinson and Michael Ondaatje; screenwriters Mark Fergus, Larry Karaszewski and Erin Cressida Wilson; producers Brad Simspon and Jennifer Todd; and USC deans Elizabeth Daley of the School of Cinematic Arts and Catherine Quinlan of the USC Libraries.

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

    “Black Panther”—Disney and Marvel Comics
    “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”—Fox Searchlight and Simon & Schuster
    “The Death of Stalin”—IFC Films and Titan Comics
    “If Beale Street Could Talk”—Annapurna Pictures and Vintage International
    “Leave No Trace”—Bleecker Street and Mariner Books

The networks and streaming platforms broadcasting the finalist television series and current publishers of the original printed works are:

    “American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace”—FX and Bantam Books
    “The Handmaid’s Tale”—Hulu and Anchor
    “The Looming Tower”—Hulu and Penguin Random House
    “Patrick Melrose”—Showtime and Picador
    “Sharp Objects”—HBO and Broadway Books
    “A Very English Scandal”—Amazon Studios and Other Press

The USC Libraries will announce the winning authors and screenwriters at a black-tie ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2019 in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library on the University Park campus of the University of Southern California. Since 1988, Scripter has honored the authors of printed works alongside the screenwriters who adapt their stories. In 2016, the USC Libraries inaugurated a new Scripter award, for television adaptation. Television and film finalists compete in separate categories.

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.

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

Review: "Moonlight" Shines as Groundbreaking American Cinema

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

Moonlight (2016)
Running time:  151 minutes
MPAA – R for some sexuality, drug use, brief violence, and language throughout
DIRECTOR:  Barry Jenkins
WRITERS:  Barry Jenkins; from a story by Tarell Alvin McCraney
PRODUCERS:  Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Adele Romanski
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  James Laxton
EDITORS:  Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders
COMPOSER: Nicholas Britell
Academy Award winner including “Best Picture”

DRAMA/LGBTQ

Starring:  Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes, Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, Jaden Piner, Jharrel Jerome, Andre Holland, and Janelle Monae

Moonlight is a 2016 coming-of-age drama from director Barry Jenkins.  This won the “Best Picture of the Year” Oscar at the 89th Academy Awards (February 2017).  It was the first film with an all-Black/African-American cast and also the first LGBT film to win the best picture Oscar.  Moonlight looks at the difficulties of identity and sexuality faced by the main character, an African-American male, by examining three stages of his life:  childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.

His name is Chiron (Alex Hibbert), but some call him by the nicknames, “Little” and “Black.”  In Liberty City, Miami, Juan (Mahershala Ali), a drug dealer originally form Cuba, finds Little in an abandoned crack house, hiding from a pack of bullies.  Juan and his girlfriend, Teresa (Janelle Monae), befriend Little, and Juan becomes a mentor, of sorts.  However, Little finds himself dealing with the word, “faggot,” and with the fact that his mother, Paula (Naomie Harris), is a customer of Juan's.

Later, teen Chiron (Ashton Sanders) is a high school student.  His mother's addiction is worse, and a bully named Terrel is constantly harassing him.  Chiron befriends another teenager, Kevin (Jharrel Jerome), who likes to call Chiron by the nickname “Black,” but their friendship will be complicated by high school politics.

Later, adult Chiron (Trevante Rhodes) deals drugs in Atlanta.  He tries to reconcile with his mother.  Also, after receiving a phone call from him, Chiron travels to Miami to reunite with an adult Kevin (André Holland) to explore what could have been.

In the moonlight, black Black boys look blue (or purple, as some people say).  I think what immediately makes Moonlight stand out is what a beautiful Black boy Alex Hibbert, who plays young Chiron, is.  His subtle and fiercely quiet performance gives life-blood to the early chapters of Moonlight.  Just his demeanor humanizes all young Black boys, putting them in a positive light, similar to the way other films make young White boys cute and precocious.  In this film, gay is a journey to discovery, and while that journey is difficult, it does not yield tragedy (as in Brokeback Mountain).  So Hibbert is the first leg of the relay race that carries Moonlight to Oscar gold.

When Mahershala Ali won the best supporting actor Oscar for his performance as Juan, he became the first Muslim to win an Oscar.  Although the role is small, Juan is a giant, and Ali establishes him with richness and grace.  In a way, Ali is the pillar that supports this film, and he turns Juan into the rocket that launches the story of the stages in the life of Chiron.

Naomie Harris is electric as Paula, in a role that some African-American actresses are reluctant to play.  A Black female crack addict as a fictional character is just as likely to be a melodramatic trope as it is likely to be multi-layered character.  The crack-head can be a treacherous role, but Harris picks her spots; in each scene in which Paula appears, Harris gives her another layer.  Thus, she creates a character that can engage us, rather than a caricature that annoys the audience.

In fact, all of the performances here are good and the actors have excellent characters, via the story and screenplay, with which to work.  Tarell Alvin McCraney's story is rich source material, and Barry Jenkins turns it into a screenplay for the ages, simply because it is like nothing else before it.  Moonlight is achingly and beautifully human.  Here, the Black person – straight, gay, addict, bully, etc. –  is a life, a precious life – a life that matters.  The focus is not on tragedy but on love, connectivity, and reconciliation.  This makes Moonlight the best American LGBT or gay-theme film to date.

10 of 10

Tuesday, August 15, 2017


NOTES:
2017 Academy Awards, USA:  3 wins: “Best Motion Picture of the Year” (Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Adele Romanski – Dede Gardner became the first woman to win Best Picture twice.), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Mahershala Ali), and “Best Adapted Screenplay” (Barry Jenkins-screenplay and Tarell Alvin McCraney-story); 5 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Naomie Harris), “Best Achievement in Directing” (Barry Jenkins), “Best Achievement in Cinematography” (James Laxton), “Best Achievement in Film Editing” (Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders – Joi McMillon became the first African American female to be nominated for Best Film Editing.), and “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score)” (Nicholas Britell)

2017 Golden Globes, USA 2017:  1 win: “Best Motion Picture – Drama;” 5 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Mahershala Ali), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Naomie Harris), “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Barry Jenkins), “Best Screenplay - Motion Picture” (Barry Jenkins), and “Best Original Score - Motion Picture: (Nicholas Britell)

2017 BAFTA Awards:  4 nominations: “Best Film” (Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Adele Romanski), “Best Supporting Actor” (Mahershala Ali), “Best Supporting Actress” (Naomie Harris), and “Best Screenplay (Original)” (Barry Jenkins)


The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 27th to 31st, 2017 - Update #25

Support Leroy on Patreon.

POLITICS - From Feministing:  Liberals joins conservatives in lying about whistleblower Chelsea Manning.

----------
OSCAR - From YahooCelebrity:  Alicia Vikander has not seen her Oscar since she won the award in Feb. 2016 for "The Danish Girl" (Best Supporting Actress).

----------
ANIMATION - From YahooTV:  Alf Clausen has been composing the music for "The Simpson" for 27 years, beginning with Season 2.  [The opening theme was written by Danny Elfman.]  Clausen will not return when Season 29 opens this fall because he has been fired.

----------
MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  Oscar-winner Jane Campion ("The Piano") says clever people used to make films; now they make TV.

----------
MOVIE - From THR:  Warner Bros. is planning an all-female version of the all-boys novel, "Lord of the Flies."

----------
COMICS-FILM - From ThePlaylist:  Joss Whedon, who is directing the extensive reshoots for Warner Bros./DC Comics' "Justice League" movie, will also get a writing credit for the film.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has hired a writer, Gerard Johnstone, to polish its script for the proposed "Justice League Dark" film.

----------
POLITICS - From Deadline:  A federal judge has dismissed Sarah Palin's defamation lawsuit against "The New York Times."

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Stephan James, an actor in the TV drama, "Shots Fired," is in negotiations to appear in director Barry Jenkins' ("Moonlight") next film, "If Beale Street Could Talk."

----------
CULTURE - From TheNewYorker: Why the Bundys and Their Heavily Armed Supporters Keep Getting Away with It. [Really; you don't know... Ed.]

----------
POLITICS - From RSN:  So you really think President Trump is not a racist?

----------
LGBTQ - From TheGuardian:  Gay love shines in the animated short film, "In a Heartbeat."

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  A Harris study finds that some audiences tire of profanity in films, especially "Goddam," "fuck," and "Jesus Christ."

----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap:  A Lynyrd Skynyrd biopic has been put on hold because of a "blood oath."  [Sweet home, Alabama, y'all! - Ed.]

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Former NBA star, Baron Davis, has launched a movie production company, "No Label Productions," and is developing projects with Issa Rae (HBO's "Insecure") and Amy Pascal, for Sony Pictures chief.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  This review offers details on the upcoming prequel to "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," entitled "Leatherface."

----------
MOVIES - From THR: Recently announced addition to the Hellboy film reboot, Ed Skrein, has exited the film.  Skrein, who is white, was to play a character that is Asian in the Hellboy comic book franchise, which led to a growing "whitewashing" controversy.

----------
TELEVISION - From DVDNetflix:  Former "Roseanne" writer, David Raether, talks about his journey from TV writer to being homeless.

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  A first look at "Game of Thrones'" Kit Harrington in the BBC One historical drama, "Gunpowder."

----------
TELEVISION - From GoldDerby:  A recap of the final episode of "Game of Thrones" Season 7.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 8/25 to 8/27/2017 weekend box office is "Hitman's Bodyguard" with an estimated take $10.

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  2017 MTV Music Video Awards - winners list; Kendrick Lamar leads.

----------
CELEBRITY - From BET:  Professional house negress wallpaper Stacey Dash got a a dash of Twitter backlash after criticizing a real black woman, Congressman Maxine Waters.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From WomenandHollywood: Geneva Robertson-Dworet, who wrote the "Tomb Raider" reboot, is now writing Marvel's "Captain Marvel."

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Patty Jenkins responds to director James Cameron's critical comments about her "Wonder Woman" film.

OBIT:

From Variety:  Legendary horror film director, Tobe Hooper, has died at the age of 74, Saturday, August 27, 2017.  His best known films are "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," which is still a masterpiece over four decades after its release, and "Poltergeist," which holds up remarkable well.  My favorite work of of Hooper's, however, remains his TV miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's "Salem's Lot," for CBS.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 9th to 15th, 2017 - Update #31

Support Leroy on Patreon.

PIXAR - From YahooMovies:  At the D23 Expo, Pixar surprises with details on "The Incredibles 2," including that the story focuses on "Elasti-Girl."

----------
OBIT - From Variety:  Veteran film producer Evzen Kolar has died at the age of 67, Tuesday, July 11, 2017.  He produced a number of film including Sean Connery's rogue James Bond film, "Never Say Never Again," and "Street Smart," the film for which Morgan Freeman earned his first Oscar nomination.

----------
MOVIES-TV - From ShadowandAct:  Tyler Perry has signed an exclusive film.TV/short form video deal with Viacom that runs through 2024.  The film portion of the deal begins immediately, while the TV/short form video begins in 2019 after Perry deal with OWN ends.

----------
MUSIC - From THR:  Beyonce reveals first image of her recently born twin children (a boy and a girl).

----------
TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  A stuntman on AMC's "The Walking Dead" television series has died after an on-set accident.

----------
MUPPETS - From TheWrap:  Steve Whitmire, the puppeteer who has given voice to Kermit the Frog since Kermit creator Jim Henson's death in 1990 has been fired by Disney.

----------
TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Here are your 2016-17 Emmy nominations.  NBC's "Saturday Night Live" and HBO's "Westworld" lead with 22 nominations each.

From YahooTV:  Emmy nominations are out today.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Director Matt Reeves has scrapped the script Ben Affleck and Geoff Johns wrote for "The Batman," and is starting again on a completely new take.

----------
CELEBRITY:  From YahooStyle:  See Meryl Streep's "Obamas" bag.

----------
LGBTQ - From YahooCelebrity:  Yes, Neil, James Woods is "utterly ignorant and classless."

----------
MOVIES - From THR:   Blake Lively is set to star in a spy thriller, "The Rhythm Section," from the James Bond producers, Eon Productions.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  David Ayer has left Universal's reboot of the film "Scarface" as director.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Quentin Tarantino's next project is reportedly a movie about the infamous Charles Manson/Manson Family murders.

From IndieWire:  Tarantino wants Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lawrence for his Manson Family murders film.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Clint Eastwood has cast three soldiers to play themselves in his film, "The 15:17 to Paris," based on their real-life story.

----------
MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Charlize Theron says that the script for the "Mad Max: Fury Road" prequel, "Furiosa," is ready to go.

----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Twisty the Clown, a character from American Horror Story: Freak Show will return for "American Horror Story" Season 7.

----------
OBIT - From THR:  The actor Ji-Tu Cumbuka died at the age of 77, Tuesday, July 4th, 2017.  He was known for his appearances in the epic TV miniseries, "Roots."  He also appeared in such films as "Harlem Nights," "Mandingo," and "Brewster's Millions."  You may not know his name, but when you see the picture of him posted with the article, you will recognize him this fine actor.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From ShadowandAct:  Disney's cable network, Freeform, is already preparing Marvel Comics' "Cloak and Dagger" for television.  Now, they are also prepping Marvel's "New Warriors."  Jeremy Tardyand Kate Comer have been cast in the show.

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  George R.R. Martin, whose novels became the Emmy-winning HBO series, "Game of Thrones," is the executive producer of a new HBO series based on the novel, "Who Fears Death," by Nnedi Okorafor.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Barry Jenkins first film since "Best Picture" Oscar winner, "Moonlight," will be "If Beale Street Could Talk" from Annapurna Pictures.

----------
TELEVISION - From THR:  HBO unveils a trailer for Season 9 of Larry David's beloved sitcom, "Curb Your Enthusiasm."  Season 8 ended in 2011.

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  Bill Skarsgard is playing "Pennywise" in the upcoming film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, "It."  He is also going to be a series regular in Hulu's Stephen King series, "Castle Rock."

----------
MOVIES - From EntertainmentWeekly:  The "Jurassic World" sequel, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom," has recently finished filming, and EW talks about what it knows about the film.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 7/7 to 7/9/2017 weekend box office is "Spider-Man: Homecoming" with an estimated take of $117 million.

From TheWrap:  Four reasons why "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is another Marvel Cinematic Universe hit.

From YahooMovies:  "Spider-Man: Homecoming" as a $117 million opening weekend.

From Deadline:  "A Ghost Story" scares strong at specialty box office.

----------
BOND - From ScreenRant:  Daniel Craig has reportedly agreed to a deal to return to play James Bond for a fifth time in what would be the 25th EON Bond movie.

----------
OBIT - From YahooNews:  The actor Nelsan Ellis has died at the age of 39, Saturday, July 8, 2017.  Ellis was best known for the role of Lafayette Reynolds on the HBO series, "True Blood."

TRAILERS:

From EW:  The first teaser for Disney and Ava DuVernay's "A Wrinkle in Time."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 19th to 31st, 2017 - Update #42

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Creepy trailer for "It" (based on the Stephen King novel) breaks viewing records.  The movie drops September 8, 2017.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Liam Neeson is looking to play classic literary private detective, "Philip Marlowe," created by Raymond Chandler.

----------
STAR TREK - From Variety:  Rainn Wilson will play "Harry Mudd" in the new series, "Star Trek: Discovery."  Mudd is a character from the original "Star Trek."

----------
DISNEY - From Variety:  Beyonce is director Jon Favreau's top choice to voice Nala in his live-action remake of "The Lion King."

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Joss Whedon is nearing a deal to write, direct, and produce a "Batgirl" movie.

----------
MANGA-FILM - From IndieWire:  Jordan Peele, fresh off his smash hit, "Get Out," is being courted by Warner Bros. to direct is live-action version of the legendary manga and anime, "Akira."  Warners has considered so many directors for this long, long-in-development project that Peele is not event he first African-American director to be considered.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From SlashFilm:  Aaron Sorkin has said that he is going to take meetings with both Marvel Studios and Warner Bros/DC Comics films about possibly making a film based on a Marvel or DC Comics property.

---------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic:  Three months after his death, George Michael was laid to rest in a private funeral.

----------
ANIMATION - From THR:  The name of the "Wreck-it Ralph" sequel is "Breaks the Internet: Wreck-it Ralph 2."  The film is due March 9, 2018.

----------
OBITS - From Variety:  Darlene Cates, who played the mother in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," died at the age of 69, Sunday, March 26, 2017.

---------
MOVIES - From TheWrap:  The sequel to "Terminator: Genisys" has been removed from Paramount Pictures' release schedule... to no one's surprise.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  "Nasty Women," a female-driven remake of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," has a director.

---------
GEORGE LUCAS - From YahooNews:  The George Lucas Family Foundation gives $10 million to the University of Southern California (Lucas' alma mater) to help the School of Cinematic Arts expand its student diversity.

----------
TELEVISION - From TVLine:  Amazon Studios has greenlit a TV series from Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight") about the "Underground Railroad."

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Fox is developing a movie musical, "Atlantis," based on the life of Grammy-winning recording artist, Pharell Williams.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  First look at the new Lara Croft/Tomb Raider.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast" wins the 3/24 to 3/26/2017 weekend box office with an estimated take of $88.3 million dollars.

----------
BLM - From TheRoot:  Cops still killing Black people in the age of President Pussy-Grabber.

----------
LGBTQ - From ProPublica:  Trump appoints anti-transgender bigot to be in charge of protecting the civil rights of all patients.

----------
MUSIC - From THR:  Snoop Dogg to induct the late Tupac Shukar into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the April 7th, 2017 ceremony in Brooklyn.

----------
OBIT - From THR:  Film producer, Richard A. Roth, has died at the age of 76, Friday, March 17, 2017.  Roth is probably best known for producing the beloved 1971 film, "Summer of '42" (one of my all-time favorite movies). [There is another producer named Richard Roth, who produced "Julia" and "Blue Velvet," among others.]

----------
OBIT - From THR:  Jean Rouverol, one of the Hollywood screenwriters blacklisted in the 1950s, has died at the age of 100, Friday, March 24, 2017.  She was also a novelist, television writer and actress.  For years, she lived with Cliff Carpenter, another performer who had been blacklisted.

----------
POLITICS - From TheHill:  Michael Moore says that now is not the time to gloat over Trump and the GOP's failed attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  The late Carrie Fisher and her mother, the late Debbie Reynolds, were honored at a public memorial.

From RollingStone:  The Fisher/Reynolds public memorial is available for viewing

----------
LABOR - From Variety:  Negotiations between the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Alliance of Motion Pictures & Television Producers are going badly.

----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Amber Heard has said that she was told that coming out as "bisexual" would hurt her film and TV career.

----------
OBIT - From Variety:  Among comic book fans, he earned the description "legendary."  Painter, illustrator, and comic book artist, Bernie "Berni" Wrightson, died at the age of 68, Sunday, March 19, 2017.  He was one of the co-creators of the character, "Swamp Thing."

----------
CELEBRITY - YahooNews:  Oscar-winning actress and screenwriter, Emma Thompson, says that she once turned down an offer from Donald Trump to stay in Trump Towers.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Jay-Z and Weinstein Company are planning a movie and documentary about Trayvon Martin.

----------
OSCARS - From YahooMovies:  Ryan Gosling tells why he giggled over the Oscar snub when the film in which he starred, "La La Land," was revealed not to be the best picture Oscar winner because "Moonlight" was the true winner.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Amy Schumer has dropped out of the "Barbie" movie.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Oscar-nominated actor Michael Shannon is apparently in the lead to play the character "Cable" in "Deadpool."

----------
MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Ivan Reitman still wants to do more "Ghostbusters" movies.  The below expected box office numbers of Paul Feig's all-female "Ghostbusters" from last year means that it won't have a sequel.

---------
OBIT - From TheWrap:  Chuck Barris, the host of "The Gong Show," has died at the age of 87, Tuesday, March 21, 2017.

---------
BLM - From TheRoot:  Everything we think we know about the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO may be wrong; even his killer admits that.

----------
BREAKING NEWS - From YahooNews:  Man shot outside of the United Kingdom's Parliament building complex.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From YahooTV:  Roy Thomas, who co-created the Marvel Comics character, Iron Fist," does not want to hear about whitewashing.  Marvel/Netflix has just released an "Iron Fist" TV series.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Emma Stone's Billie Jean King's biopic, "Battle of the Sexes," is due late September 2017 for the awards season.  Steve Carell will play King's "nemesis," Bobby Riggs.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 3/17 to 3/19/2017 weekend box office is Disney's live-action remake of "Beauty and the Beast" with a gross of over $174 million, a record for a March opening weekend.

----------
OBIT - From NYTimes:  Rock 'n' Roll icon, founder, godfather, and one of the music's most influential artists, Chuck Berry, died Saturday, March 18, 2017 at the age of 90.

From RollingStone:   Why Chuck Berry Is Even Greater Than You Think.

----------
OBIT - From NYDailyNews:  Legendary New York Daily News columnist Jimmy Breslin died Sunday, March 19, 2017 at the age of 88.

TRAILERS:

From FoxMovies:  A trailer for Fox/Blue Sky's animated "Ferdinand."