TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews: Ben Kingsley

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Friday, December 30, 2022

Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama 2022 - Update #94

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

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TRAILERS AND TEASERS:

From THR: New "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" trailer with more Namor and a closer look at a new Black Panther.

From Marvel: New trailer (5/24/2022) and poster for "Thor: Love & Thunder."

From MovieWeb: Here is the first teaser trailer for "Thor: Love & Thunder" (4/18/2022).

From YouTube: The first official trailer for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" (2/13/2022)

From YouTube: First official trailer for Disney+/Marvel's "Moon Knight."

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MARVEL NEWS:

WAKANDA FOREVER - From NBCNews: "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" actor Tenoch Huerta has been named as one of nine "breakthrough entertainers" of 2022 by the Associated Press. Huerta plays the character "Namor."

From GeeksofColor: Actors Tenoch Huerta and Mabel Cadena talk "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," representation and their hopes for a Namor movie in an interview with "Geeks of Color." Huerta plays "Namor" in the film, while Cadena plays "Namora."

BLADE - From THR: Yenn Demange, who directed the pilot for HBO's "Lovecraft Country," will reportedly direct Marvel Studios' "Blade" film. Emmy-nominated writer, Michael Starrbury ("When They See Us"), is reportedly the film's screenwriter.

WAKANDA FOREVER - From Variety: "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" leads the domestic box office with an $180 million opening and a $300 million global opening.

From EW: Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o says that it was a dream come true to speak Spanish in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

From IndieWire: Director Ryan Coogler says that Warner Bros.' "Aquaman" paved the way for Namor in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

From Variety: Director Ryan Coogler talks about his future with Marvel and with the world of "Black Panther." Marvel boss Kevin Feige also talks about Coogler's future.

From Deadline: "Wakanda Forever" ticket pre-sales are 20 percent behind "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

IRONHEART - From CBR: "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" will lead directly into the Disney+ series, "Ironheart," which act as a sequel to Wakanda Forever, according to writer-producer Nate Moore.

WAKANDA FOREVER - From Inverse: Director Ryan Coogler talks about what was in the script for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" before the death of star Chadwick Boseman. For one thing, Coogler says it was "Endgame-centric."

WONDER MAN - From Variety: Emmy-winner Yahya Adbul-Mateen II (HBO's "Watchmen") is reportedly going to play the lead, "Simon Williams/Wonder Man" in Marvel Studios' Disney+ series, "Wonder Man."

VISION QUEST - From Deadline: The site is reporting that Marvel Studios is developing another "WandaVision" spinoff for Disney+. "Vision Quest" would focus on the Vision's quest to regain his memory and humanity and will star Paul Bettany.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From THR: The teaser trailer for "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" features a surprise appearance by Kevin Bacon. The special, which arrives on Disney+ November 25th, will close out "Phase 4" of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

HARRISON FORD - From Deadline: It is apparently official that Harrison Ford will replace the late William Hurt in the Marvel Cinematic Universe role of "General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross." He is scheduled to debut in the role in the 2024 film, "Captain America: The New World Order."

BLADE - From THR: Marvel Studios has delayed the release of its "Blade" film from Nov. 2023 to Sept. 2024 in order to find a director and to develop the screenplay.

WAKANDA FOREVER - From Deadline: "Black Panther" and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"" director Ryan Coogler says he almost quit "Wakanda Forever" and filmmaking after the death of "Black Panther" star, Chadwick Boseman.

AVENGERS - From Deadline: "Loki" and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer, Michael Waldron, will writer "Avengers: Secret Wars."

ARMOR WARS - From Variety: Marvel Studios' planned Disney+ series, "Armor Wars," is being redeveloped as a movie. Don Cheadle will remain as the film's leading, playing the character James "Rhodey" Rhodes a.k.a. "War Machine."

BLADE - From Variety: Bassam Tariq has quit as director of Marvel's planned 2023 "Blade" film. He will remain as an "executive producer."

WAKANDA FOREVER - From THR: "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" will have a running time of two hours and 41 minutes, 26 minutes longer than the original film. That will make it the second longest Marvel Studios film, behind "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), which was three hours and 1 minute long.

BLACK PANTHER - From Empire: Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige explains why they did not recast the role of T'Challa/Black Panther in the wake of star Chadwick Boseman's death. "It just felt like it was much too son to recast."

FANTASTIC FOUR - From Deadline: Sources tell "Deadline" that Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer are writing Marvel Studios' "Fantastic Four" film, which is scheduled for release late in 2024.

AVENGERS - From Deadline: Jeff Loveness, who recently wrote "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," will reportedly write "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty," which is due May 2, 2025.

THUNDERBOLTS - From Variety: At D23, Marvel Studios reveals cast members of its July 2024 film, "Thunderbolts," which include Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, to name a few.

CHADWICK BOSEMAN - From THR: At Saturday's "Creative Arts Emmy," the late actor Chadwick Boseman posthumously won an Emmy Award. The late "Black Panther" star won in the "outstanding character voice-over performance" for his role as "Star-Lord T’Challa" in the “What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?” episode of the Disney+ Marvel Studios animated series, "What If...?" This is Boseman's first Emmy nomination and win.

WONDER MAN - From Deadline: Oscar-winner Ben Kingsley played a character called "The Mandarin" in "Iron Man 3" (2013), but he turned out to be an actor named "Trevor Slattery," who appeared in "Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." Slattery is slated to return in the Marvel Studios Disney+ series, "Wonder Man."

FANTASTIC FOUR - From THR: The site is reporting that according to sources, Matt Shakman, the veteran TV director who directed "WandaVision" is in early talks to direct Marvel Studios' "Fantastic Four" film, which is due in late 2024.

MARK RUFFALO - From Variety: Mark Ruffalo Defends Marvel Output: ‘You Get the Same Version’ of ‘Star Wars’ Every Time, But Not the MCU

AVENGERS - From THR: The site is reporting that Marvel Studios' "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty" will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who also directed "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

SDCC - From IGN: This article has "everything announced at the Marvel Studios San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Panel."

SDCC - From Marvel: At Comic-Con, "Marvel Studios Animation Panel" reveals four upcoming Disnty+ animated series, "What If...?" (Season 2), "Marvel Zombies," "X-Men 97," and the surprise, "Spider-Man: Freshman Year." Plus, there was some info on the "I Am Groot" shorts.

From Polygon: What to expect from Marvel Studios' Saturday, July 23rd Comic-Con panel.

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BLACK PANTHER - From Deadline: Actor Daniel Kaluuya won't reprise his "Black Panther" role as "W'Kabi" in the sequel, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

PRIMETIME EMMYS - From Variety: Marvel Studios series: "Hawkeye," "Loki," "Moon Knight," and "What If..." pick up multiple Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Eligible shows aired between June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022.

THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER - From THR: "Thor: Love and Thunder" director Taika Waititi says that there won't be a "director's cut" of the film because he says that scenes are cut because "they suck."

MS MARVEL - From THR: "Ms. Marvel" director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy talks about the big twist in the next-to-last episode and about the part the real-world "partition of India" played in recent episodes.

CAPTAIN AMERICA 4 - From THR: Nigerian-American filmmaker, Julius Onah, will direct "Captain America 4," which will star Anthony Mackie as Captain America.

ECHO - From THR: Two actors from Netflix/Marvel's "Daredevil" will appear in the Disney+ Marvel Studios series, "Echo." Charlie Cox ("Matt Murdoch/Daredevil") and Vincent D'Onofrio ("Wilson Fisk/Kingpin") will join the series that is due in 2023.

FUTURE - From THR: Actor Taron Egerton has met with Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, and Taron wants to be the new Wolverine.

THOR LOVE AND THUNDER - From Variety: Early reviews and reactions are in for "Thor: Love & Thunder," which is due July 8th.

KEVIN FEIGE - From GamesRadar: In an interview with "Total Film" magazine, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige says that the fate of "Phase 4" will be revealed in the "coming months."

WONDER MAN - From THR: Destin Daniel Cretton, the director of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," and Andrew Guest, a writer-producer of sitcoms "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and "Community," are developing a TV series based on the Marvel Comics' character, "Wonder Man."

IRONHEART - From Deadline: The Disney+ Marvel Studios series, "Ironheart," has begun filming and Manny Montana ("Good Girls") has joined the cast a series regular opposite the series star, Dominique Thorne.

THUNDERBOLTS - From Deadline: Marvel Studios has chosen Jake Schreier as the director for its top secret "Thunderbolts" movie project.

GotG VOL 3 - From Deadline: Daniela Melchior, who was a breakout star in director James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad" will have a small role in Gunn's "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3."

DAREDEVIL - From Variety: The site is reporting that Marvel Studios is moving forward with a Disney+ "Daredevil" series by hiring Matt Corman and Chris Ord to write and executive produce.

ECHO - From Marvel: Production has begun on the 2023 Disney+ Marvel Studios series, "Echo."

DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS:

From ComicBook: Michael Waldron, the writer of "Doctor Strange 2," talks about the future of Stephen Strange.

From Variety: An article about why "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" should have been rated "R" by the MPA (formerly MPAA) instead of the "PG-13" rating it does have. [I'm not interested in this conversation, but you might be, dear readers.]

From THR: "Doctor Strange 2" has a $185 million domestic opening weekend and a $450 global opening at the box office.

From Variety: Every shocking cameo in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

From Variety: "Doctor Strange" star Elizabeth Olsen says that fellow Marvel star, Scarlett Johansson ("Black Widow"), taught her how to be a superhero.

From THR: Actors Benedict Wong ('Wong") and Xochitl Gomez ("America Chavez") discuss their onscreen partnership and off screen friendship in "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness."

From Marvel: Marvel.com interviews "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" actress, Xochitl Gomez ("America Chavez").

From ComicBook: Marvel Studios executive, Victoria Alonso, speaks out about LGBTQ+ character, "America Chavez," from "Doctor Strange" in the wake of the film being banned in some backwards nations.

From WeGotThisCovered: Actress Xochitl Gomez reveals her shock at being cast as "America Chavez" in the upcoming "Doctor Strange" sequel.

From THR: Marvel Studios' upcoming blockbuster, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," has been banned in Saudi Arabia. Speculation is that it is because of the inclusion of an LGBTQ+ character, "America Chavez."

From WeGotThisCovered: Director Sam Raimi, best known for his "Spider-Man" trilogy and for his "Evil Dead" trilogy, says that "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" has "flavors of horror."

FUTURE - From Variety: Marvel Studios' "The Marvels" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" have switched release dates. The "Ant-Man" sequel will now move up to Feb. 17, 2023 and "The Marvels" will move back to July 28, 2023.

KEVIN FEIGE - From IGN: Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige says that Marvel's leadership will have its first retreat in three years in order to plan out the next 10 years of Marvel films.

THOR LOVE & THUNDER - From TheDirect: Chris Hemsworth kicks off the promotion for "Thor: Love & Thunder" ahead of a trailer release.

DOCTOR STRANGE - From Deadline: Marvel Studios has released four new images from "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."

NOVA - From Deadline: The site exclusively reports that Marvel Studios is developing a project involving the character, Nova, with "Moon Knight" writer, Sabir Pirzada.

SECRET INVASION - From ThePlaylist: "Secret Invasion" star Samuel L. Jackson has apparently confirmed that Don Cheadle as "War Machine" and Martin Freeman as "Everett Ross" will appear in the series.

OBIT - From Deadline: Oscar-winning actor William Hurt has died at the age of 71. Hurt played Marvel Cinematic Universe character, Thaddeus Ross, in five films, beginning with "The Incredible Hulk" (2008) and most recently in "Black Widow" (2021). Hurt won a "Best Actor" Oscar for his performance in "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1985).

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL - From THR: Oscar-winning film composer Michael Giacchino is directing Marvel Studios' untitled Halloween special for Disney+.

DEADPOOL 3 - From Deadline: Shawn Levy is reportedly in negotiations to direct "Deadpool 3," which reunite him with his "Free Guy" star, Ryan Reynolds.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From ComicBook: Marvel Studios has revealed the "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" covers for "Empire Magazine."

BLACK PANTHER - From Deadline: "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" director Ryan Coogler was handcuffed and briefly detained by Atlanta police at a bank on January 7, 2022 after a bank employee mistook his written request for a $12,000 cash withdrawal as a robbery attempt.

THE FUTURE - From GQUK: British "GQ" takes a look at upcoming Marvel Studios film and TV projects.

BLACK PANTHER - From BlackEnterprise: The 53rd NAACP Image Awards honored Ruth E. Carter with the Vanguard Award for Costume Design. This is the first time that the Image Awards have honored a costume designer. Carter is was Oscar-nominated for her work on "Malcolm X" (1992) and "Amistad" (1997). Carter on an "Best Costume Design" Oscar in 2019 for "Black Panther" (2018), the first African-American to win the award.

BLADE - From Deadline: The site is reporting that actor Aaron Pierre, who played rapper "Mid-Sized Sedan" in last year's "Old," will co-star in Marvel Studios' "Blade" film with star, Mahershala Ali.

LOKI - From Deadline: The site is reporting that Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead will direct a six-episode second season of the Disney+/Marvel Studios hit streaming series, "Loki."

SPIDER-MAN - From Deadline: "Spider-Man: No Way Home" passes "Avatar" at the all-time domestic box office.

MOON KNIGHT - From EmpireOnline: When it comes to the depiction of brutality in the Disney+/Marvel Studios series, "Moon Knight," Marvel president Kevin Feige says that they did not pull back.

IRONHEART - From Deadline: Sources say that actor Anthony Ramos ("In the Heights") is set for a key role in the Disney+/Marvel Studios series, "Ironheart," which will star Dominique Thorne as "Riri Williams/Ironheart." His character will reportedly appear in other Marvel productions.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From THR: In an interview about his upcoming film, "Uncharted," and about "Spider-Man: No Way Home," Tom Holland also talks about the scene in "No Way Home" that made him, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire cry.

From THR: Charlie Cox, who played Matt Murdoch/Daredevil on Netflix/Marvel's "Daredevil," spills the secrets about his return in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and about a dinner with Andrew Garfield.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Deadline: Writer-director James Gunn says that "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3" will be the last time the current Guardians team is seen. The film is due May 5, 2023.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From Variety: Sam Raimi, director of "Doctor Strange in the Madness of the Multiverse," says that "Marvel's been a great team to work with" and "I've been super-supported by the whole Marvel operations..."

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From Deadline: This link will take you to complete and revised final script for "Spider-Man: No Way Home" in PDF form. The title page reads "Serenity Now."

From Deadline: Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield unite again to talk about playing Spider-Man and why "No Way Home" was such an emotional experience.

From Variety: Jon Watts, director of "Spider-Man: No Way Home," talks more secrets about the film in an article that pushed for the film to get Oscar nominations.

MOON KNIGHT - EW: Gaspard Ulliel, the French actor who was set to star as "Anton Mogart / Midnight Man" in the Disney+ series, "Moon Knight," has died at the age of 37 after "suffering serious brain trauma" following a ski accident.

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From THR: "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is ready to resume film because actress Letitia Wright ("Shuri") has recovered from the injury she suffered on set last August (2021).

From WeGotThisCovered: Actor Winston Duke has reportedly negotiated a "hefty" pay raise because his "Black Panther" character, "M'Baku," has a much expanded role in the sequel film, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

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MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU):

Review: Iron Man (2008)

Review: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Review: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Review: Thor (2011)

Review: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Review: Marvel's The Avengers (2012)

Review: Iron Man 3 (2013)

Review: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Review: Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Review: Ant-Man (2015)

Review: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Review: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Review: Black Panther (2018)

Review: Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Review: Captain Marvel (2019)

Review: Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Review: Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Review: Black Widow (2021)

Review: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Review: Eternals (2021)

Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Review: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Review: Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Review: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

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Click here for the 2021 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2020 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2019 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2018 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

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Friday, September 3, 2021

Review: "SHANG-CHI and the Legend of the Ten Rings" Rings My Bell

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 54 of 2021 (No. 1792) by Leroy Douresseaux

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Running time: 132 minutes (2 hours, 12 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and language
DIRECTOR: Destin Daniel Cretton
WRITERS: Dave Callaham, Destin Daniel Cretton, and Andrew Lanham; from a story by Dave Callaham and Destin Daniel Cretton (based on the Marvel Comics)
PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz
CINEMATOGRAPHER: William Pope (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Elisabet Ronaldsdottir, Nat Sanders, and Harry Yoon
COMPOSER: Joel P. Best

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/MARTIAL ARTS

Starring: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Meng'er Zhang, Fala Chen, Michelle Yeoh, Wah Yuen, Florian Munteanu, Jayden Zhang, Elodie Fong, Arnold Sun, Harmonie He, Ronny Chieng, Benedict Wong, Tim Roth, and Ben Kingsley

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a 2021 superhero film directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and produced by Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the 25th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series. The film is based on the Marvel Comics character, Shang-Chi, Master of Kung-Fu, that was created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin and first appeared in the comic book, Special Marvel Edition #15 (cover dated: December 1973). Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings focuses on a young martial artist who is forced to confront his past and his father's deadly criminal legacy.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (or simply Shang-Chi) opens one thousand years ago and focuses on Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), a warlord who found the “Ten Rings,” mystical weapons that grant their user immortality and great power. Wenwu establishes a secret society of warriors called the “Ten Rings,” and begins to conquer the world. In 1996, while searching for a legendary village, “Ta Lo,” Wenwu meets the village's guardian, Jiang Li (Fala Chen). The two battle, but eventually fall in love and have two children, a boy named Xu Shang-Chi and girl named Xu Xialing.

Decades later, Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) has adopted the name “Shaun” and is living in San Francisco. Along with his long time best friend, Katy (Awkwafina), he works as a valet at a fancy hotel. One day, while taking the city bus, Shang-Chi and Katy are attacked by a Ten Rings squad led by the assassin, “Razor Fist” (Florian Munteanu), who wants to steal a pendant given to Shang-Chi by his mother. Fearing that the Ten Rings are going to steal a second identical pendant given to his sister, Xialing (Meng'er Zhang), Shang-Chi decides to track her down. Waiting for him, however, is a conspiracy that will inadvertently free a great evil known as the “Dweller-in-Darkness.” To stop that, Shang-Chi will finally have to confront his past and grasp his destiny.

If I am honest, I will admit that I love martial arts fighting scenes in television and especially in movies. I prefer fighting as performed by Asian or Asian-American actors. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings gives me both, and the fight scenes are spectacular, so much so that they movie could never give me enough to satisfy me. The general choreography of the action scenes is quite good, as seen in the bus-battle sequence, and it is clear that Shang-Chi's fighting style and techniques are influenced by the martial arts films of legendary Chinese actor/stuntman, Jackie Chan.

With flashy visual effects, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings also explores Asian culture, offering nice peeks into both family dynamics and Chinese culture and myths. In a way, Shang-Chi is a movie that blends a story of family with an an exploration of a fantasy world that is similar to the one in Disney's recent animated film, Raya and the Last Dragon. This immersion in a different world and culture allows Shang-Chi to set itself far apart, the way Black Panther stood out from other Marvel Studios films.

Shang-Chi also offers the combination of the prodigal son and the gifted-kid motif that both Raya and other Marvel films (like Iron Man and Black Panther) offer. In that role, Simu Liu is versatile as Shang-Chi, an incredibly talented fighter who is also a happy-go-luck every man. I found Liu's Shang-Chi likable from the first moment I saw him on film. Tony Leung is an intense, dramatic heavy as Shang-Chi's shady father, Xu Wenwu; it's a gritty, edgy performance that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings needs in order to keep the story from flying away in its flights of fancy.

I do think that Marvel tries a little too hard to convince us that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. We got that with the appearance of Wong (Benedict Wong), a character that appeared in Doctor Strange (2016), but an end credits scene is ready to pound it into our heads, as if we never had a clue. The film, especially its flashbacks and in its quiet moments, sometimes falls flat. That keeps it from being the kind of next-level Marvel film, that Black Panther and the better Avengers and Captain America films are.

Still, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is an exceptional film, both in its story and in what it represents. Shang-Chi is Marvel Studios' first film with an Asian director and a predominantly Asian cast, and it shows those distinctions with pride, while being wonderful and entertaining.

8 of 10
A

Friday, September 3, 2021

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

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Friday, November 24, 2017

Review: "The Jungle Book" Goes Live with Spectacular Effects

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Jungle Book (2016)
Running time: 107 minutes
MPAA – PG for some sequences of scary action and peril
DIRECTOR: Jon Favreau
WRITER: Justin Marks (based on the books by Runyard Kipling)
PRODUCERS: Jon Favreau and Brigham Taylor
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Bill Pope (D.o.P)
EDITORS: Mark Livolsi with Adam Gerstel
COMPOSER: John Debney
Academy Award winner

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/DRAMA/FAMILY

Starring: Neel Sethi and the voices of Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Walken, Garry Shandling, Brighton Rose, Sam Raimi, Jon Favreau and Dee Bradley Baker

The Jungle Book is a 2016 fantasy adventure film directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. The film is a live-action remake of Disney's classic animated film, The Jungle Book (1967), and both films are based on stories from The Jungle Book (1894), the collection of stories by Rudyard Kipling. The Jungle Book 2016 focuses on a boy raised by wolves who makes a journey of self-discovery after a fearsome tiger threatens his life.

The Jungle Book focuses on Mowgli (Neel Sethi), a human who is raised by the wolf Raksha (Lupita Nyong'o) and her pack, led by her mate, Akela (Giancarlo Esposito). Mowgli is called a “man-cub” and lives in harmony with the animals in a jungle in India. However, Shere Khan (Idris Elba), a tiger with a scar on its face, catches Mowgli's scent; Khan hates man because it was a man that scarred his face. Now, Khan has decided to kill Mowgli.

The black panther, Bagheera (Ben Kingsley), who rescued Mowgli when he was a baby and brought him to the wolves, decides that he must take the man-cub out of the jungle and get him to a nearby man village. Shere Khan, however, is not content with Mowgli leaving the jungle; he wants to kill him. Mowgli must prove to everyone, including Bagheera and his new friend, Baloo the sloth bear (Bill Murray), that the jungle is where he belongs.

The Jungle Book 2016 is not a great movie, but it is a pretty good movie. The voice acting is good, but only Christopher Walken as King Louie the Gigantopithecus (an extinct genus of ape), and Idris Elba as Shere Khan bring real power, heat and menace to their voice acting. As Mowgli, one of the few real or non-computer generated characters, Neel Sethi gives a performance that has both strong and weak moments, but overall is good.

The most impressive things about The Jungle Book 2016 are the visual effects. The animal characters are some of the most realistic computer-generated animals that I have ever seen in a movie. The sheer number and variety of animals make this the greatest cinematic achievement in terms of using computer software to create animals. If there is better, I have not seen it yet, but I want to see that movie or movies.

The Jungle Book 2016 will not make you forget the 1967 film, which I do not consider to be among the best of Disney's animated films. Still, it is a truly nice family movie that even some adults can find entertaining, and, of course, the visual effects achievements here make The Jungle Book a must-see for film fans.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, October 22, 2017

NOTES:
2017 Academy Awards, USA: 1 win “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, and Dan Lemmon)

2017 BAFTA Awards 2017: 1 win: “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones, and Adam Valdez)

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

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Thursday, August 24, 2017

2017 Austin Film Festival Announces First Films and Television Line-Up

Austin Film Festival Reveals First Slate of Films and TV for 24th Annual Line-up, Including Season Finale of "The Deuce" and Marquee Titles "Permanent," "Please Stand By," and "An Ordinary Man"

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin Film Festival (AFF), the premier film festival recognizing writers’ and filmmakers’ contributions to film, television, and new media, announced today the first wave of films included in their 2017 film slate.

October 26 - November 2 - AFF will premiere the season finale of HBO’s new drama "The Deuce." Other titles include Permanent, Please Stand By, 24 Hours to Live and romantic comedy Amanda and Jack Go Glamping.

The complete list of programming will be announced in late September.

AFF FIRST WAVE:
*indicates in attendance

24 Hours to Live
Writers: Zach Dean, Jim McClain, Ron Mita
Director: Brian Smrz
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Liam Cunningham

Amanda & Jack Go Glamping
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Brandon Dickerson*
Starring: David Arquette*, Amy Acker, Adan Canto, June Squibb

Confessions of a Serial Killer – 1985 Retrospective
Writer/Director: Mark Blair*
Starring: Robert Burns, Dennis Hill

The Deuce-Season Finale
World Premiere
Creators: David Simon*, George Pelecanos*
Starring: James Franco, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Zoe Kazan

Flock of Four
World Premiere
Writer/Director: Gregory Caruso*
Starring: Braeden Lemasters, Shane Harper, Reg E. Cathey

Mr. Fish: Cartooning from the Deep End
World Premiere
Director: Pablo Bryant*

An Ordinary Man
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Brad Silberling
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Hera Hilmar, Peter Serafinowicz

The Outdoorsman
US Premiere
Writer: Ryan Gilmour*
Director: David Haskell*
Starring: Brent Morin*, Sasheer Zamata*, Spencer Grammer

Permanent
Writer/Director: Colette Burson
Starring: Kira McClean, Rainn Wilson, Patricia Arquette

Please Stand By
Writer: Michael Golamco
Director: Ben Lewin
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Toni Collette

Touched
North American Premiere
Writer/Director: Karl R. Hearne
Starring: Hugh Thompson, Lola Flanery

ABOUT AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL:
Austin Film Festival (AFF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, craft and business of writers and filmmakers and recognizing their contributions to film, television and new media. This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts. All attendees and events are based on permitting schedules and are subject to change and/or cancellation without notice. For media credentials, complete the application. Badges and passes are available for purchase online at www.austinfilmfestival.com or by phone at 1-800-310-FEST.

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Saturday, June 24, 2017

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 18th to 24th, 2017 - Update #23

Support Leroy on Patreon.

TELEVISION - From Grist: As John Oliver predicted, a coal tycoon is suing him.

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies: SPOILER - A familiar face from "Transformers" movies past makes a cameo in "Transformers: The Last Knight."

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BLM - From TIME: Jay Z on How the bail system exploits black and brown people.

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SPORTS - From YahooSports: The inside story of how Lonzo Ball became a Los Angeles Lakers.

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OBIT - From TheWrap: As a baby, Henry J. Deutschendorf II along with his twin brother, William, played the role of "Baby Oscar" in "Ghostbusters II" (1989). Last week, Henry took his own life.

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CELEBRITY - From YahooMovies: In his new memoir, actor Curtis Armstrong ("Booger" from "Revenge of the Nerds") talks about his wild summer with Tom Cruise in 1982 while filming 1983's "Risky Business."

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CELEBRITY - From YahooNews: 2 holdouts on the jury prevented guilty verdicts for Bill Cosby.

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STAR WARS - From Variety: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were fired from "young Han Solo" film because they clashed with Lucasfilm boss, Kathleen Kennedy, among others.

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COMICS-FILM - From Variety: One of the most famous American comic books of all time, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's "Watchmen," became one of the worst films ever based on a comic book. Now, HBO wants to turn it into a TV series.

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OBIT - From YahooMusic: Albert Johnson a.k.a. "Prodigy" of the beloved rap/Hip-Hop duo, Mobb Deep, has died at the age of 42, Tuesday, June 20, 2017.

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MOVIES - From Variety: Three-time Oscar winning actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, has announced through his spokeswoman that he is retiring from acting. He has one film left to be released, a film by Paul Thomas Anderson, due for December 2017.

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BLM - From StLouisPostDispatch: The family of Mike Brown, the unarmed Black teen killed by a policeman in Ferguson, Missouri, are close to a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit their attorney filed against the city and elements within the police department.

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MUSIC - From BET: Jay-Z may be changing his name again.

TELEVISION - From Variety: The team behind the Emmy-winning BBC series, "Sherlock" (starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman) are developing a new take on "Dracula."

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity: Leaked emails reveal Johnny Depp's dire financial situation.

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MOVIES - From Collider: Synopsis and cast of "Godzilla 2" revealed, as filming begins in Atlanta.

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STAR WARS - From Popsugar: Carrie Fisher, known to fans as "Leia Organa," had multiple drugs in her system when she died last December at the age of 60.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the Father's Day weekend (6/16 to 6/18/2017) box office is Pixar's "Cars 3" with an estimated take of $53.5 million.

From YahooMovies: "Cars 3" knocks "Wonder Woman" out of first place at the weekend box office, and Tupac Shakur biopic has a strong start.

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COMICS-FILM - From ShadowandAct: Reginald Hudlin has announced that he will direct and film adaptation of the Valiant Entertainment comic book, "Shadowman."

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity: Leonardo DiCaprio surrendered a Picasso painting, a Basquiat collage, a Diane Arbus photograph, and the Oscar Marlon Brando won for his performance in “On the Waterfront," to the U.S. Justice Department as part of a Malaysian money laundering probe.

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MOVIES - From Deadline: Ben Kingsley will play Nazi Adolf Eichmann and Oscar Isaac will play the man who eventually captured him, Peter Malkin, in the MGM film "Operation Finale," from director Chris Weitz.

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OBIT - From THR: Actor Stephen Furst died at the age of 63, Friday, June 16, 2017. His breakout film role was in the film, "Animal House" (1978), and he starred on the NBC medical drama, "St. Elsewhere" (1982-1988).

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CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity: Apparently, Beyonce and Jay-Z have welcomed twins babies into the world.

Monday, February 2, 2015

"How to Train Your Dragon 2" Wins "Best Animated Feature" at 42nd Annie Awards

Saturday, December 6, 2014

2015 Annie Awards Nominations Announced - Complete List

ASIFA-Hollywood, the Los Angeles, California branch of the International Animated Film Society, presents the Annie Awards. The Annie honors achievements in animation as a whole, including current animated productions, as well as career and lifetime achievements. These awards were created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray.

On Monday, December 1, 2014, ASIFA-Hollywood announced nominations for the 42nd Annual Annie Awards, recognizing the year 2014's best in the field of animation. The Annie Awards cover 36 categories and include Best Animated Feature, Best Animated Special Production, Commercials, Short Subjects, and Outstanding Individual Achievements. The winners will be announced at a black tie ceremony on Saturday, January 31, 2015 at UCLA’s Royce Hall. A pre-reception and press line begins at 5:00 pm with the awards ceremony following at 7:00 pm. A post-show celebration begins immediately following the ceremony, and all events will be held at Royce Hall.

The “Juried Awards” honoring career achievement and exceptional contributions to animation, will also be presented. Three “Winsor McCay” recipients have been selected by the ASIFA-Hollywood Board of Directors, and they are Didier Brunner, Don Lusk and Lee Mendelson for their career contributions to the art of animation. The “June Foray Award” goes to Charles Solomon for his significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation. The “Ub Iwerks Award” goes to DreamWorks Animation’s Apollo Software for technical advancement that has made a significant impact on the art or industry of animation. The “Special Achievement Award” will be given to The Walt Disney Family Museum recognizing the unique and significant impact on the art and industry of animation.

2015/42nd Annie Awards nominations:

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature
    Big Hero 6 -  Walt Disney Animation Studios
    Cheatin' - Plymptoons Studio
    How to Train Your Dragon 2 - DreamWorks Animation
    Song of the Sea - GKIDS/Cartoon Saloon
    The Book of Life - Reel FX
    The Boxtrolls - Focus Features/Laika
    The LEGO Movie -Warner Bros. Pictures
    The Tale of The Princess Kaguya - GKIDS/Studio Ghibli

Best Animated Special Production
    Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey - Voyager Pictures LLC
    Dawn of the Dragon Racers - DreamWorks Animation
    How Murray Saved Christmas - Universal Television
    Polariffic - Bent Image Lab
    Toy Story That Time Forgot - Pixar Animation Studios

Best Animated Short Subject
    Coda - 62 George Street
    Duet - Glen Keane Productions
    Feast - Walt Disney Animation Studios
    Inside Homer - The Simpsons Couch Gag (Episode #549) - Acme Filmworks
    Me and My Moulton - National Film Board of Canada
    Silent - Creative Artists Agency
    The Dam Keeper  - Tonko House LLC
    The Raven - Moonbot Studios

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Commercial
    Citizen M: "Swan Song" - Stoopid Buddy Stoodios
    Flight of the Stories - Aardman Animations
    LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham  - Plastic Wax

Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children
    Doc McStuffins  - Disney Channel / Disney XD
    Peter Rabbit -  Nickelodeon Animation Studio
    Tumble Leaf - Amazon Studios
    Wallykazam! -  Nickelodeon Animation Studio
    Zack & Quack - Zodiak Kids

Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production For Children’s Audience
    Adventure Time  - Cartoon Network
    Gravity Falls -  Disney Television Animation
    Legend of Korra - Nickelodeon Animation Studio
    Over The Garden Wall  - Cartoon Network
    Wander Over Yonder  - Disney Television Animation

Best General Audience Animated TV/Broadcast Production
    Archer  - FX Networks
    Back To Backspace - Cartoon Network Studios
    Bob's Burgers  - Bento Box Entertainment
    Rick and Morty  - Starburns Industries, Inc.
    Mike Tyson Mysteries  - Warner Bros. Animation
    Regular Show  - Cartoon Network Studios
    The Simpsons  - The Simpsons

Best Animated Video Game
    Forza Horizon 2 - Microsoft - Turn 10 Studios
    Valiant Hearts: The Great War - Ubisoft
    Child of Light - Ubisoft

Best Student Film
    After School - Junyi Xiao
    Dead Over Heels - Jose Matheu
    El Coyote  - Javier Barboza
    Frog's Legs -  Katie Tamboer
    My Big Brother  - Jason Rayner
    Tiny Nomad  - Toniko Pantoja

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in an Animated Production
    Michael Kaschalk, Peter DeMund, David Hutchins, Henrik Falt, John Kosnik - Big Hero 6 - Walt Disney Animation Studios
    James Jackson, Lucas Janin, Tobin Jones, Baptiste Van Opstal, Jason Mayer - How to Train Your Dragon 2 - DreamWorks Animation
    Fangwei Lee, Krzysztof Rost, Jihyun Yoon, Robert Chen - Mr. Peabody & Sherman - DreamWorks Animation
    Mitul Patel, Nicolas Delbecq, Santosh Khedkar, Yash Argawal - Penguins of Madagascar - DreamWorks Animation
    Augusto Schillaci, Erich Turner, Bill Konersman, Chris Rasch, Joseph Burnette - The Book of Life - Reel FX
    Rick Sevy, Peter Vickery, Kent Estep, Peter Stuart, Ralph Procida - The Boxtrolls  - Focus Features/Laika
    Jayandera Danappal, Matt Ebb, Christian Epunan Hernandez, Danielle Brooks, Raphael Gadot - The LEGO Movie - Warner Bros. Pictures

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in a Live Action Production
    Steve Avoujageli, Atsushi Ikarashi, Pawel Grochola, Paul Waggoner, Viktor Lundqvist - Edge of Tomorrow - Sony Pictures Imageworks
    Raul Essig, Karin Cooper, Rick Hankins, Owen Calouro - Noah -  Industrial Light & Magic
    Charles-Felix Chabert, Daniel La Chapelle, Spencer Lueders, Klaus Seitschek, Chris Messineo - The Amazing Spider-Man 2  - Sony Pictures Imageworks
    Areito Echevarria, Andreas Soderstrom, Ronnie Menahem, Christoph Sprenger, Kevin Romond - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug -  Weta Digital
    Michael Balog, Jim Van Allen, Rick Hankins, John Hansen - Transformers: Age of Extinction -  Industrial Light & Magic
    Jeremy Hampton, Daniel Stern, Edmond Smith III, Hiroshi Tsubokawa, Daniel Jenkins - X-Men: Days of Future Past -  Digital Domain

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production
    Don Crum - Toy Story That Time Forgot -  Pixar Animation Studios
    Carlo Vogele - Toy Story That Time Forgot  - Pixar Animation Studios
    Ken Kim - Toy Story That Time Forgot - Pixar Animation Studios
    Michael Granberry - Tumble Leaf - Amazon Studios
    Teresa Drilling - Tumble Leaf - Amazon Studios
    Justin Nichols - Wander Over Yonder - Disney Television Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Feature Production
    Fabio Lignini - How to Train Your Dragon 2  - DreamWorks Animation
    Steven "Shaggy" Hornby - How to Train Your Dragon 2 - DreamWorks Animation
    Thomas Grummt - How to Train Your Dragon 2 - DreamWorks Animation
    Ravi Kamble - Penguins of Madagascar  - DreamWorks Animation
    Travis Knight - The Boxtrolls - Focus Features/Laika
    Malcolm Lamont - The Boxtrolls - Focus Features/Laika
    Jason Stalman - The Boxtrolls - Focus Features/Laika

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production
    Daniel Barrett, Paul Story, Eteuati Tema, Alessandro Bonora, Dejan Momcilovic - Dawn of the Planet of the Apes  - Weta Digital
    Kevin Spruce, Dale Newton, Sidney Kombo, Chris Mullins, Brad Silby - Guardians of the Galaxy - Framestore
    Eric Reynolds, David Clayton, Andreja Vuckovic, Guillaume Francois, Gios Johnston - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Weta Digital

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Video Game
    Mike Mennillo - Assassin's Creed Unity - Ubisoft
    Don't Starve: Console Edition - Klei Entertainment Inc.
    Alex Drouin - Child Of Light - Ubisoft

Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
    Andy Suriano - Disney Mickey Mouse - Disney Television Animation
    Benjamin Balistreri - Wander Over Yonder  - Disney Television Animation
    Zac Gorman - Welcome to the Wayne - Nickelodeon Animation Studio

Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated Feature Production
    Shiyoon Kim, Jin Kim - Big Hero 6 - Walt Disney Animation Studios
    Timothy Lamb, Joe Moshier - Mr. Peabody & Sherman -  DreamWorks Animation
    Craig Kellman, Joe Moshier, Stevie Lewis, Todd Kurosawa - Penguins of Madagascar  - DreamWorks Animation
    Sang Jun Lee, Jason Sadler, José Manuel Fernandez Oli - Rio 2  - Blue Sky Studios
    Tomm Moore, Marie Thorhauge, Sandra Anderson, Rosa Ballester Cabo - Song of the Sea  - GKIDS/Cartoon Saloon
    Paul Sullivan, Sandra Equihua, Jorge R. Gutierrez - The Book of Life - Reel FX
    Mike Smith - The Boxtrolls  - Focus Features/Laika

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
    Yuasa Masaaki, Eunyoung Choi - Adventure Time  - Cartoon Network
    Bryan Fordney - Archer  - FX Networks
    Jennifer Coyle & Bernard Derriman - Bob's Burgers  - Bento Box Entertainment
    Aaron Springer - Disney Mickey Mouse  - Disney Television Animation
    Rob Renzetti - Gravity Falls  - Disney Television Animation
    Robert Alvarez, Ken Bruce, Larry Leichliter - Over The Garden Wall -  Cartoon Network
    Matthew Nastuk - The Simpsons  - The Simpsons
    David Thomas - Wander Over Yonder -  Disney Television Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Feature Production
    Don Hall & Chris Williams - Big Hero 6  - Walt Disney Animation Studios
    Bill Plympton - Cheatin'  - Plymptoons Studio
    Dean DeBlois - How to Train Your Dragon 2  - DreamWorks Animation
    Tomm Moore - Song of the Sea  - GKIDS/Cartoon Saloon
    Jorge R. Gutierrez - The Book of Life  - Reel FX
    Anthony Stacchi & Graham Annable - The Boxtrolls  - Focus Features/Laika
    Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, Directors; Chris McKay, Co-Director - The LEGO Movie - Warner Bros. Pictures
    Isao Takahata - The Tale of The Princess Kaguya  - GKIDS/Studio Ghibli

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
    Christopher Willis - Disney Mickey Mouse - Disney Television Animation
    Peter Lurye, George Gabriel, Chris Gifford - Dora and Friends: Into the City! - Nickelodeon Animation Studio
    Jay Vincent, Michael Kramer, Jeppe Riddervold, Erin Chapman - Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu  - Jam
    Lolita Ritmanis, Kristopher Carter & Michael McCuistion - Marvel's Avengers Assemble  - Dynamic Music Partners
    Nathan Barr & Lisbeth Scott - Tumble Leaf  - Amazon Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Feature Production
    Nicole Renaud, Composer - Cheatin'  - Plymptoons Studio
    John Powell, Jónsi - How to Train Your Dragon 2  - DreamWorks Animation
    Danny Elfman - Mr. Peabody & Sherman - DreamWorks Animation
    Bruno Coulais & Kila - Song of the Sea - GKIDS/Cartoon Saloon
    Joe Hisaishi - The Tale of The Princess Kaguya - GKIDS/Studio Ghibli

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
    Kara Vallow, Brent Woods, Lucas Gray & Andrew Brandou - Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey  - Voyager Pictures LLC
    Joseph Holt - Disney Mickey Mouse - Disney Television Animation
    Narina Sokolova - Mickey Shorts - Disney
    Kevin Dart, Chris Turnham, Jasmin Lai & Elle Michalka - The Powerpuff Girls - Cartoon Network
    Antonio Canobbio, Khang Le, Mark Taihei, Howard Chen & Brandon Cuellar - Turbo FAST -  DreamWorks Animation
    Alex Kirwan, Chris Tsirigotis, Alexander Duckworth, Janice Kubo & Francis Giglio - Wander Over Yonder - Disney Television Animation
    Erez Gavish - Zack & Quack - Zodiak Kids

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated Feature Production
    David James, Ruben Perez, Priscilla Wong, Timothy Lamb & Alexandre Puvilland - Mr. Peabody & Sherman - DreamWorks Animation
    Adrien Merigeau - Song of the Sea -  GKIDS/Cartoon Saloon
    Simon Varela & Paul Sullivan - The Book of Life  - Reel FX
    Paul Lasaine, Tom McClure & August Hall - The Boxtrolls  - Focus Features/Laika
    Grant Freckelton - The LEGO Movie  - Warner Bros. Pictures

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
    Heiko Drengenberg - Disney Mickey Mouse - Disney Television Animation
    Luke Weber, Alonso Ramirez Ramos, Neil Graf & Steve Heneveld - Gravity Falls  - Disney Television Animation
    Joaquim Dos Santos - Legend of Korra -Nickelodeon Animation Studio
    Nathaniel Villanueva & Douglas Lovelace - Star Wars Rebels  - Disney Channel / Disney XD
    Brad Ableson, Matthew Faughnan & Stephen Reis - The Simpsons  - Film Roman
    Louise Smythe - Toy Story That Time Forgot  - Pixar Animation Studios
    Mark Ackland - Wander Over Yonder - Disney Television Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production
    Marc E. Smith - Big Hero 6  - Walt Disney Animation Studios
    Truong "Tron" Son Mai - How to Train Your Dragon 2  - DreamWorks Animation
    Piero Peluso - Planes: Fire & Rescue  - Disneytoon Studios
    John Hurst - Rio 2  - Blue Sky Studios
    Rodrigo Castro - Rio 2 - Blue Sky Studios
    Julian Nariño - The Boxtrolls  - Focus Features
    Emanuela Cozzi - The Boxtrolls  - Focus Features/Laika

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
    Bill Farmer as the voices of Goofy and Grandma - Disney Mickey Mouse  - Disney Television Animation
    Carlos Alazaraqui as the voice of Crocker - Fairly Oddparents - Nickelodeon Animation Studio
    Seth Green as the voice of Robot Chicken Nerd - Robot Chicken  - Stoopid Buddy Stoodios

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production
    Cyndi Lauper as the voice of Nurse Cyndi - Henry & Me - Reveal Animation Studios
    Andy Garcia as the voice of Eduardo - Rio 2  - Blue Sky Studios
    Sir Ben Kingsley as the voice of Archibald Snatcher - The Boxtrolls  - Focus Features/Laika
    Dee Bradley Baker as the voice of Fish - The Boxtrolls  - Focus Features/Laika

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
    Darrick Bachman - Disney Mickey Mouse  - Disney Television Animation
    Dave Tennant, David P. Smith, Chris Mitchell & Will Mata - The Powerpuff Girls  - Cartoon Network
    Rob LaZebnik - The Simpsons  - 20th Century Fox
    Tim Long - The Simpsons - 20th Century Fox
    Steve Purcell - Toy Story That Time Forgot -  Pixar Animation Studios

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated Feature Production
    Robert L. Baird, Daniel Gerson & Jordan Roberts - Big Hero 6  - Walt Disney Animation Studios
    Dean DeBlois - How to Train Your Dragon 2  - DreamWorks Animation
    Will Collins - Song of the Sea  - GKIDS/Cartoon Saloon
    Irena Brignull & Adam Pava - The Boxtrolls  - Focus Features/Laika
    Phil Lord & Christopher Miller - The Lego Movie  - Warner Bros. Pictures

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production
    Illya Owens - Disney Mickey Mouse  - Disney Television Animation
    Ernesto Matamoros - Dragons: Defenders of Berk  - DreamWorks Animation Television
    Mike Elias - Family Guy  - Super 78
    David Suther, Bradley Furnish & David Condolora - Toy Story That Time Forgot  - Pixar Animation Studios
    Todd Raleigh & Doug Vito - Turbo FAST  - DreamWorks Animation

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated Feature Production
    Tim Mertens - Big Hero 6  - Walt Disney Animation Studios
    John K. Carr - How to Train Your Dragon 2 - DreamWorks Animation
    Dan Molina, Mark Keefer & Karen Hathaway - Planes: Fire & Rescue -  Disneytoon Studios
    Darragh Byrne - Song of the Sea  - GKIDS/Cartoon Saloon
    David Burrows, Todd Hansen, Doug Nicholas, Jonathan Tappin & Courtney O'Brien-Brown - The LEGO Movie  - Warner Bros. Pictures

www.annieawards.org

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Monday, September 1, 2014

Robert Zemeckis' "The Walk" Due October 2015

TRISTAR ANNOUNCES TITLE AND WRAP OF PRODUCTION FOR "THE WALK"

3D / IMAX 3D CAPER FILM DIRECTED BY ROBERT ZEMECKIS STARRING JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT BASED ON PHILIPPE PETIT’S BOOK "TO REACH THE CLOUDS"

This is the 40th Anniversary of Petit’s August 7, 1974 Walk Between the Twin Towers

MONTRÉAL, Canada, Principal photography has wrapped on the inaugural film from Tom Rothman’s TriStar Productions, now officially titled The Walk. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film is a true story based on Philippe Petit’s book "To Reach the Clouds," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the young dreamer who dared the impossible: an illegal wire walk between the World Trade Center towers. Zemeckis wrote the screenplay with Christopher Browne. Producers are Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, and Jack Rapke. The film will be released on October 2, 2015.

August 7 was the 40th anniversary of the astounding event, now being brought back to vivid life in the third act climax of the film.

Twelve people have walked on the moon, but only one man has ever, or will ever, walk in the immense void between the World Trade Center towers. Guided by his real-life mentor, Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley), and aided by an unlikely band of international recruits, Petit and his gang overcome long odds, betrayals, dissension and countless close calls to conceive and execute their mad plan. Robert Zemeckis, the director of such marvels as Forrest Gump, Cast Away, Back to the Future, Polar Express, and Flight, again uses cutting edge technology in the service of an emotional, character-driven story. With innovative photorealistic techniques and IMAX 3D wizardry, The Walk is true big-screen cinema, a chance for moviegoers to viscerally experience the feeling of reaching the clouds. The film is a love letter to Paris and New York City in the 1970s, but most of all, to the Towers of the World Trade Center.

Also starring in the film are James Badge Dale, Ben Schwartz, Charlotte Le Bon, Clément Sibony and César Domboy.

The production’s creative team includes director of photography Dariusz Wolski, production designer Naomi Shohan, editor Jeremiah O’Driscoll, and costume designer Suttirat Larlarb. The composer is Alan Silvestri.

Moviegoers can follow the film on the official movie site at www.thewalkmovie.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheWalkMovie or on Twitter @TheWalkMovie.

Photos from the film were made available at www.sonypicturespublicity.com on Thursday, August 7th at 9AM Pacific time.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.

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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Review: Asa Butterfield the Best Player in "Ender's Game"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

Ender’s Game (2013)
Running time: 114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some violence, sci-fi action and thematic material
DIRECTOR: Gavin Hood
WRITER: Gavin Hood (based on the novel by Orson Scott Card)
PRODUCERS: Orson Scott Card, Robert Chartoff, Lynn Hendee, Alex Kurtzman, Linda McDonough, Roberto Orci, Gigi Pritzker, and Ed Ulbrich
CINEMATOGRAHER: Donald A. McAlpine
EDITORS: Lee Smith and Zach Staenberg
COMPOSER: Steve Jablonsky

SCI-FI/DRAMA

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Aramis Knight, Suraj Partha, Moises Arias, Khylin Rhambo, Jimmy “Jax” Pinchak, Nonso Anozie, and Conor Carroll

Ender’s Game is a 2013 science fiction and drama film from director Gavin Hood. It is based on the 1985 award-winning novel, Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. Ender’s Game the film focuses on a boy who is recruited to lead the new fight against an alien race that nearly annihilated the human race in a previous invasion.

Ender’s Game opens in the year 2086. An alien species called the Formics (or “Buggers”) have invaded Earth and only a legendary commander, Mazer Rackham, manages to stop the invasion, by great sacrifice. The story jumps ahead 50 years. Young cadet, Andrew “Ender” Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), has attracted the attention of Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and Major Gwen Anderson (Viola Davis) from International Fleet, the organization that leads the fight against the Formics.

Graff and Anderson offer Ender a spot in Battle School, the place where he would be trained to lead the battle against the Formics. Graff has the highest hopes for the boy. However, the very things that makes him attractive: his intelligence, ruthlessness, and empathy, may also cause him to fail.

Although I have been planning to do so for a long time, I have yet to read Ender’s Game the novel. I think I even once had a two-volume edition of the novel and its sequel (Speaker for the Dead) that I bought from the Science Fiction Book Club. From what I’ve read, much about the novel is left out of Gavin Hood’s film adaptation.

That may explain why Ender’s Game the film seems shallow and superficial. It is an entertaining movie. It even raises some issues that have real-world relevance: child soldiers, war-mongering military institutions, lying governments, etc. When it comes to military training and science fiction, the narrative simply offers the familiar. It is as if the filmmakers did not want to offer the audience anything new for fear of making them avoid Ender’s Game. As I watched this movie, I often thought, “There’s something missing here that I want to see.”

Another problem is that the film never really delves into the characters beyond Ender Wiggin. The female characters fare the worst. Ender’s female academy mate, Petra Arkanian (Hailee Steinfeld), and Ender’s sister, Valentine (Abigail Breslin), are wasted. Because of her immense talent and skill, Viola Davis makes every moment that she is on screen as Major Anderson powerful. The latter half of the movie sorely misses what Davis brings to the film. By the way, Harrison Ford is not good here, or, to be put it nicely, is perhaps miscast as Graff.

Asa Butterfield is the champion here, creating Ender’s Game’s most powerful moments by making the rest of the cast rise to the level of his game. I found that he glued my attention to this story. There are several scenes in which he gives this movie an emotional charge when it really needs it. There is depth and layers to his performance as Ender Wiggin. Butterfield is the reason to see Ender’s Game. He makes me want to see a sequel to this movie and to also follow his career.

6 of 10
B

Thursday, March 06, 2014

The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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Saturday, November 16, 2013

Review: "Suspect Zero" is Not All it Can Be (Happy B'day, Henry Lennix)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 171 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

Suspect Zero (2004)
Running time: 100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes)
MPAA – R for violent content, language, and some nudity
DIRECTOR: E. Elias Merhige
WRITERS: Zak Penn and Billy Ray; from a story by Zak Penn
PRODUCERS: Paula Wagner, Gaye Hirsch, and E. Elias Merhige
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael Chapman, ASC (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: John Gilroy and Robert K. Lambert, A.C.E.
COMPOSER: Clint Mansell

CRIME/MYSTERY/THRILLER with elements of horror and sci-fi

Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Ben Kingsley, Carrie-Anne Moss, Harry Lennix, Kevin Chamberlain, Julian Reyes, Keith Campbell, William Mapother, and Buddy Joe Hooker

The subject of this movie review is Suspect Zero, a 2004 crime thriller starring Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley. The film focuses on two characters, a mysterious serial killer who is hunting other serial killers and an FBI agent who suspects there may be more to this unusual vigilante than anyone can imagine.

A traveling salesman is found dead in his car just across the Arizona/New Mexico state line, and the killer performed some kind of ritual on the victim’s body. The FBI and police wonder if there are others. A second murder victim, a sixth-grade teacher from Boulder, Colorado, is found bound and gagged in the trunk of the car. His killer also marked his body, so the police wonder if the two murders are connected.

FBI Agent Thomas Mackelway (Aaron Eckhart) isn’t sure, but he knows that the third murder is a personal message from the killer to him. The victim is Raymond Starkey (Keith Campbell), a rapist/murder who escaped justice after Mackelway illegally goes to Mexico and does his Dirty-Harry-doesn’t-have-to-follow-the-rules routine that gets his case thrown out and lets Mackelway slip from the crack of Lady Justice’s butt cheeks.

Before long Agent Mackelway believes that the murderer is a man named Benjamin O’Ryan (Sir Ben Kingsley), and O’Ryan is either taunting him or helping him. Mackelway’s past comes back to haunt him in the form of his ex-partner FBI Agent Fran Kulok (Carrie-Anne Moss). He’ll need her to support him as the pressure mounts, and mysterious images…or could they be messages start to blossom in his mind as he tries to solve the riddle of Ryan and the next killer Ryan is hunting, the ultimate serial killer, Suspect Zero.

If, as the saying goes, the devil is in the details, it’s those devilish details that keep the mystery thriller, Suspect Zero, from becoming a great mystery thriller, but as the film is, it’s a damn good mystery thriller when all is said and done. The film’s lone problem is its biggest, the slightly-more-than-paper-thin characters. The character we get the most information about is Eckhart’s Mackelway, enough to find his plight and mission intriguing. The script doesn’t give us enough to really enjoy and embrace him, and he’s the good guy, an enjoyable, embraceable kind of guy. However, concerning Mackelway’s colleagues and the rest of the cast, we get next to nothing, just enough about them to move the plot. There’s so little chemistry between Eckhart’s Mackelway and Ms. Moss’ Fran Kulok that if the filmmakers had replaced Kulok with a gay lover we still wouldn’t notice the character.

While the plot is the film’s strongpoint, the script isn’t. It’s more or less a vehicle to move along genre conventions and to move the movie from one mystery, one murder, or one scary moment to the next. It seems as if writer Zak Penn’s original script that he finished in 1997 was really a novel. Screenwriter Billy Ray’s revisions tried to bring the novel back down to being a movie that runs just under two hours at the cost of characterization. Luckily, both writers have made a career of composing actions and thrills for film so the missteps still make for a riveting movie.

When all is said and done and we look past the warts and all, Suspect Zero is not bad or great, but pretty good. If you don’t mind the intense concentration this film’s oblique concepts and storytelling requires of you, and you accept that this is one of those times when you just can’t sit back and not think, then Suspect Zero will rock your recliner even if it doesn’t rock your world.

6 of 10
B

Updated: Saturday, November 16, 2013

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