Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 25th to 31st, 2022 - Update #8

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

ACADEMY AWARDS - From Variety:  Colman and Raul Domingo could become the first married same-sex couple to be nominated for an Academy Award if their animated short film, "New Moon," earns an Oscar nomination on January 24, 2023.

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Convicted/not convicted and disgraced comedian-actor, Bill Cosby, is apparently considering going on a comedy tour in 2023.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 12/23 to 12/25/2022 weekend box office is "Avatar: The Way of Water" with an estimated gross of 56 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "Avatar: The Way of Water" moves past the $300 million dollar mark at the domestic box office.

MUSIC - From Deadline:  Walter Afanasieff, who co-wrote Mariah Carey's Christmas hit, "All I Want for Christmas is You," with Carey gives an asshole's version of the song's orgin.

OBITS:

From ABCNews:  Broadcast journalist and television personality, Barbara Walters, has died at the age of 93, Friday, December 30, 2022.  Walters became the first female anchor of a network evening news program when she became the co-anchor (with Harry Reasoner) of the ABC Evening News in 1973.  Walters also created the long-running daytime talk show, "The View" in 1997.  A three-time winner at the Daytime Emmy Awards, Walters retired in 2015.

From Deadline:  Brazilian footballer/soccer player, Pelé, has died at the age of 82, Thursday, December 29, 2022.  He is considered the greatest soccer player of all time and was one of the 20th century's most popular sports figures.  During his career, Brazil won the World Cup in 1958, 1962, and 1970.

From TheSunUK:  Italian director and screenwriter, Ruggero Deodato, has died at the age of 83, Thursday, December 29, 2022.  Deodato was best known for the notorious horror film, "Cannibal Holocaust" (1980), which is seen as a precursor to such "found footage" films as "The Last Broadcast" (1998) and "The Blair Witch Project" (1999).  His other famous or infamous films include ""Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man" and "The Last Cannibal World."

AWARDS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 19th to 25th, 2022 - Update #21

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

ROE V. WADE - From NPR:  The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has overturned "Roe v. Wade."  It's gone, boo.

From GoogleDocs:  "Roe v. Wade": What you can do.

From RSNNewYorker:  We're not going back to the time before Roe. We're going somewhere worse.

From RSNVanityFair:  Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Stephen Breyer's wrote a withering dissent to the court's conservative majority. Their conclusion: this opinion is "the curtailment of women's rights, and of their status as free and equal citizens."

From Truthout:  Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass) led a group of 20 Black Congresswomen who urged President Biden to to take urgent action to protect abortion rights.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award-winning actor, Billy Porter, and Food Network star, Guy Fieri, are joining the road trip comedy, "80 for Brady," which is being produced by NFL star and Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady.

MUSIC/POLITICS - From YahooEntertainment:   Grammy-winning recording artist and rock music legend, John Mellencamp, slams politicians for not doing more to prevent gun violence.

MOVIES - From FilmBook:  Steven Spielberg‘s semi-autobiographical drama, The Fabelmans, is scheduled to open Nov. 23rd, 2022.  However, the star-studded film is now scheduled to open in New York and Los Angeles on November 11th, to help build buzz on the film, which is vying for Oscar consideration.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  At CineEurope in Barcelona, Spain, Universal Pictures shows off its upcoming film slate, including a glimpse of "Fast & Furious X."  James Bond producer, Barbara Broccoli, also introduced a behind scenes look at the, "Till," the MGM drama about lynching victim, Emmett Till, and his mother.

From Deadline:  At CineEuope, Warner Bros previewed its films and offered a behind the scenes look at "Meg 2: The Trench" and touted its DC Comics films, like "Black Adam" and "The Flash." 

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Oscar-winning screenwriter and producer, Paul Haggis ("Crash"), has been arrested in Italy on sexual assault charges.  Haggis is currently being sued over a rape allegation and has been accaused by three other women of sexual misconduct.

From Deadline:  A Santa Monica jury in a civil trial has decided that Bill Cosby sexually abused Judith Huth in the 1970s when she was a minor and awarded her $500,000 in damages.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Actor-producer-director, Bradley Cooper's success at nabbing Oscar "noms" is apparently a source of irritation for some people.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/17 to 6/19/2022 weekend box office is "Jurassic World: Dominion" with an estimated take of 58.6 million dollars.

From WeGotThisCovered:  "Top Gun: Maverick" sets a box office record only surpassed by "Avatar."

NETFLIX - From THR:  The sequel to "Knives Out" (2019) has a title.  It is "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" and it is due for release this holiday season.

From Deadline:  Netflix is suspending production on its series, "The Chosen One," after two actors were killed and six injured in an auto accident involving the cast and crew on June 16th in Mexico.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Guy Ritchie will director a live-action version of Disney's 1997 animated hit, "Hercules."  The film will be produced by AGBO, the production company of brothers, Joe & Anthony Russo of "Avengers: Endgame."  Ritchie directed the billion-dollar live-action version of "Aladdin."

OBITS:

From ESPN:  Former NFL player, Anthony "Tony" Siragusa, has died at the age of 55, Wednesday, June 22, 2022.  Nicknamed "The Goose," Siragusa was a "defensive tackle."  In 1990, Siragusa was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Indianapolis Colt.  He came to fame with the Baltimore Ravens where he was a member of the team that won Super Bowl XXXV on January 28, 2001.  After he retired, Siragusa was an NFL sideline analyst for Fox Sports from 2003 to 2015.  Siragusa also appeared on four episodes of HBO's "The Sopranos."

From NPR:  Television political commentator, Mark Shields, died at the age of 85, Saturday, June 18, 2022.  Shields his best known for providing political analysis and commentary for "PBS NewsHour" from 1988 to 2020.

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UVALDE, TEXAS MASS SHOOTING:

From YahooAP:  An 18-year-old gunman slaughtered 19 children and two teachers on Tues., May 24th, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas.  All 21 victims were in the same 4th grade classroom at Robb Elementary.

From TheDailyBeast:  Texas's top law enforcement official, Department of Public Safety Director Steve McGraw, has said that the school shooter in Uvalde, Texas could have been taken down in three minutes.

From TheDailyBeast:  Police officers responding to last month’s mass shooting at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school never even tried to open the door to the classroom where young children were trapped with the gunman, according to a new report. 

From Jacobin:  "The Uvalde Massacre has exposed the lies that once justified police militarization" by Branko Marcetic

From Truthout:  We don’t need more evidence that police can’t be trusted.

From Truthout:   44 percent of GOP voters view mass shootings as part of living in “Free Society”

From ABCNews:  Arnulfo Reyes, a teacher who survived the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, calls the local police "cowards" because of slow response to an active shooter at his school, Robb Elementary.  All of 11 students in his class were killed.

From DallasNews:  Joe Garcia, the husband of Irma Garcia, one of the two teachers killed at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, has died of a heart attack two days after the murder of his wife.  They had been married for 24 years and had been high school sweethearts.

From Axios:  Texas gubernatorial candidate, Beto O'Rourke, interrupted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's gaslighting press conference on the Uvalde elementary school mass shooting.

From USAToday:  Beto O'Rourke's outburst at Gov. Greg Abbott's Uvalde news conference shows the spine Democrats need.

From BostonGlobe:  Steve Kerr, head coach of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, asks "When are we going to do something?"

From NBCNews:  A Robb Elementary teacher describes "the longest 35 minutes of my life" and the terror she now feels.

From NBCNews:  The Uvalde school district had an extensive safety plan, but 19 children were killed at Robb Elementary anyway.  Even security plans that appear to be up to the latest research-based standards may have gaps and fall short of preventing the worst-case scenario, experts said.

From MSN:  Angeli Rose Gomez, the mother who was handcuffed outside Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, was able to get inside the school and rescue her two children.

From YahooNews:   Daniel Defense, the maker of the rifles used by the Uvalde massacre killer, has used "incendiary ads" in the past, including one in which a toddler holds one of its rifles.

From TheIntercept:  The police aren't obligated to protect anyone NOT in their custody, as the Supreme Court has ruled twice.

From RollingStone:  Right wing lies about the Second Amendment and why they tell them are killing America's childrne.

From Vice:  The law enforcement personnel in Texas that arrived at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas on Tues., May 24th did the opposite of what their own training documentary videos show.

From Vox:  Uvalde police keep changing their story.

From TheDailyBeast:  The families in Uvalde, Texas who lost loved one in the Robb Elementary massacre say that the cops there are "Nothing more than cowards" and that they need to pay for doing nothing while a gunman rampaged through the school last Tues, May 24th.

From TheNewYorker:  Thoughts and prayers, Uvalde, Texas. This is the America that Republicans and the right wing have being thinking about and praying for all these decades.

From ABC:  Sources say that Uvalde police and school district no longer cooperating with Texas probe of shooting of the May 24th massacre of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.

From GuardianUK:  Canada plans to freeze all handgun ownership.

From RSNWashPost:  Is it time to show the true horror of mass shooting - in pictures?

From MSN:  Angeli Gomez, the Uvalde mother who rescued her two children from the Robb Elementary shooting massacre, says that a police officer threatened to arrest her if she did not stop telling her story.

From RSNTheAtlantic:  The Uvalde police chose dishonor. Where was there courage?

From RSNWashPost:  Brenda Bell:  I hid from the Texas Tower sniper (Charles Joseph Whitman) in 1966. His successors have found us all.

From RSNTheIntercept:  "AR-15s Were Made to Explode Human Bodies. In Uvalde, the Bodies Belonged to Children" by Murtaza Hussain

From RSNNPR:  The tragic history of police responding too late to active shooters.

From VICE:  There is likely bodycam footage of the school shooting in Uvalde, TX, but the public may never see it.

BLM-BUFFALO:

From ABCNews:  A 18-year-old white MAN shot 13 people, killing 10 at a Buffalo, New York Tops Friendly Markets supermarket on Saturday, May 14, 2021.

From RSNAP:  The white male suspect in the Buffalo Tops Supermarket shooting, Payton Gendron, was charged with federal hate crimes on Wed., June 15th and could face the death penalty if convicted.

From Truthout:  The racist attack in Buffalo at the Tops Friendly supermarket was crafted to terrorize us.  We can fight back, and here’s how we fight back.

From WGRZ:  Who are the victims of the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets grocery store shooting. This comes from local station WGRZ Channel 2 and includes video and some victim photos.

From BuffaloNews:  One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Katherine "Kat" Massey.  She was a leader in her community and civil rights activist and advocate for education.

From NewYorkPost:  One of the 10 Black murder victims of the Buffalo massacre was Andre Mackniel. He was at TOPS Supermaket to pick up a birthday cake for his son.

From Truthout:  The racist attack in Buffalo, NY at the Tops supermarket was crafted to terrorize us, so here is how we fight back.

From CNN:  What is known about the 18-year-old MAN, Payton Gendron.

From NPR:  198 mass shooting this year ... so far.

From Truthout:  White supremacist massacre of 10 people in Buffalo, NY shows that the “Alt-Right” ideology leads to murder.

From RollingStone:  Buffalo rampage killing is "Straight Up Racially Motivated Hate Crime."

From InformedComment:  Rene Binet, the originator the "great replacement" was a French Nazi, and he saw all American as "Negroes," an "impure mestizo 'race'."

From WashPost:  Only 22 people saw the live-stream of a white terrorist kill Black shoppers at the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets supermarket, but millions have seen it since...

From GuardianUK:  Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shooter may have been motivated by "eco-fascism," a focus on overpopulation and environmental degradation.

From RSN:  "What Lessons Have We Learned From the Buffalo Shooting?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

From Truthout:  “Innocent” White People Are Also Complicit in the Anti-Black Murders in Buffalo by George Yancy.

From Truthout:  "Black Lives Matter" cofounder discovered that Alicia Garza has learned that her name is mentioned in the Buffalo Tops supermarket killer's manifesto.

From GuardianUK:   Cornell West says, "Trump isn't out there with a gun, but he's enabled this war against Black people.

From Slate:  From the Tulsa Race Massacre to the Buffalo Tops Friendly Markets shootings: the legacy of anti-Black violence.

From Truthout:  After mass shootings, Republicans shield white supremacists from scrutiny

From MSN:  Angeli Gomez, the Uvalde mom who rescued her children from the school shooting at Robb Elementary, says that local police have threatened to have her arrested if she does not stop telling her story.

UKRAINE:

From TheDailyBeast:  Russian soldiers allegedly raped and killed a 1-year-old Ukrainian boy and have reportedly raped or sexually abused children as young as 9 months old.

HATE WATCH:

From NPR:  31 members of the white nationalist Patriot Front arrested near a "Pride Month" event in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  They are believed to have been planning to riot held at a local before moving on to rioting downtown.  They were not the only haters trying to sour the "Pride in the Park" event, which included families with children.

From SpokesmanReview:  The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office released the names and photos of all 31 "Patriot Front" members who are suspects in a planned riot at the "Pride Month" event in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 1st to 10th, 2021 - Update #18

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

SPORTS - From CNN:   Zaila Avant-garde, a 14-year-old from New Orleans, Louisiana, won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, becoming the first African American contestant to win in 93 editions of the competition.  Zaila is also a basketball prodigy who owns some Guinness world records.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena and Samuel L. Jackson will star in director Matthew Vaughn's spy film, "Argylle."

TELEVISION - From YahooEntertainment:   Veteran television music composer, Jonathan Wolff, talks about composing the music for the iconic late NBC TV series, "Seinfeld," and about the soundtrack album of music from the series.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 7/2 to 7/4/21 weekend box office is "F9" with an estimated take of 24 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Variety:   HBO Max's "Pretty Little Liars" reboot has its first two cast members, Chandler Kinney and Maia Reficco.  The original series ran from 2010 to 2017 on ABC Family/Freeform.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   "Lovecraft Country," one of HBO's most celebrated and inventive recent TV series will not return for a second season.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The second "Downton Abbey" film to open in theaters in March 18, 2022, moved from its planned December 22, 2021 opening date.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Superstar television showrunner, Noah Hawley, talks about his FX series based on the "Alien" film series.  Hawley says that it is not about signature "Alien" character, Ellen Ripley, and that it will start shooting next spring.

ACADEMY AWARDS - From Deadline:  The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the organization which hands out the Oscars, have invited 395 new members.

ANIMATION/LGBTQ - From Insider:   Animation's queer women, trans, and nonbinary creatives are pushing gender boundaries in kid's cartoons their counterparts couldn't — or wouldn't dare

BILL COSBY - From Deadline:   Television icon Bill Cosby has been released from prison after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his 2018 sexual assault conviction, finding fault with the way prosecutors pursued a case against him after earlier declining to file charges.

From Deadline:  Hollywood reacts to Bill Cosby being released from prison.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actor John Lithgow is joining Michael C. Hall in Showtime's revival of its hit drama, "Dexter."  Lithgow's character in the original run was bumped off...

OBITS:

From THR:   The actor, William Smith, has died at the age of 88, Monday, July 5, 2021.  Smith was a legendary Hollywood tough guy and action star.  He was a lead character in NBC's short-lived Western TV series, "Laredo" (1965-67), and he was a main cast member on the final season of CBS cop drama, "Hawaii Five-O" (1979-80).  Other memorable roles includes playing Conan's father in "Conan the Barbarian" (1982), playing Clint Eastwood's nemesis in "Any Which Way You Can" (1980), and the 1976 ABC miniseries, "Rich Man, Poor Man."

From Variety:   Actor and filmmaker, Robert Downey, Sr., had died at the age of 85, Wednesday, July 7, 2021.  Downey, Sr. is best known for the writing and directing the 1969 underground film, "Putney Swope."  He is also known as the father of Oscar-nominated actor, Robert Downey, Jr.

From Essence:  The actress Suzzanne Douglas, has died at the age of 64, Tuesday, July 6, 2021.  She was best known for the role of "Jerri Peterson" on The WB sitcom, "The Parent 'Hood."  She won acclaim for her supporting role in the 1989 dance-drama film, "Tap."  She also appeared in a number of acclaimed African-American films of the 1990s, including "The Inkwell" (1994), "Jason's Lyric" (1994), and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" (1998).  She most recently appeared in Ava DuVerany's Netflix miniseries, "When They See Us."

From Deadline:   Beloved director and producer of films and television, Richard Donner, has died at the age of 91, Monday, July 5, 2021.  Donner's long career included directing "The Omen" (1976), "Superman: The Movie" (1978), "The Goonies" (1985), and "Lethal Weapon" (1987), and its three sequels, to name a few.  Donner also started work on what would be "Superman II" (1980) before he was replaced on the film.  His version of the film would eventually arrive in 2006.  Before he directed films, Donner directed episodes of such television series as "Wanted: Dead or Alive," "Wagon Train," "The Rifleman," "The Twilight Zone," "Perry Mason," and "Gilligan's Island," to name a few.  Donner's widow is film producer, Lauren Shuler Donner.

From APNews:  Latvian professional ice hockey player, Matiss Kivlenieks, has died at the age of 24, Sunday, July 4, 2021.  Matiss apparently died of chest trauma from "an errant fireworks mortar blast."  Matiss was currently the goalie for the "Columbia Blue Jackets" of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 23rd to 30th, 2018 - Update #20

Support Leroy on Patreon:

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/28 to 9/30/2018 weekend box office is "Night School," with an estimated take of $28 million.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Gal Gadot joins Fox's remake of "Death on the Nile," based on Agatha Christie's novel.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Apparently, there will be a second "Deadpool" movie this year.  "Deadpool 2" was released this past May.  The new film will open December 21st according to a still developing story.

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CELEBRITY - From TheWrap:  Comedian Wanda Sykes was booed during a stand-up comedy show for making anti-President Trump jokes.

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SPORTS-CRIME - From ESPN:  Louisiana State University (LSU) college basketball player, Wayde Sims, was killed in a shooting outside a restaurant near Southern University of Baton Rouge.  A junior from Baton Rouge, Sims was shot about 12:25 a.m. CST and died at a local hospital.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  MTV announced that rapper Li'l Yachty will star in "How High 2," a TV sequel to the 2001 theatrical feature, "How High," which stars Method Man and Redman. [I am a fan of the original. - Editor]

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CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Bill Cosby was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in state prison for the sexual assault of Andrea Constand.  Judge Steven T. O'Neill also ruled Cosby a "sexually violent predator" and fined him $25,000.

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MOVIES - From Variety: Mel Gibson will co-write and direct a remake of Sam Peckinpah's classic 1969 Western, "The Wild Bunch."

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COMICS-FILM - From YahooPeople:  See Joaquin Phoenix in action as "The Joker," in a new set photo.

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STREAMING - From Newsarama:  Here is the first photo of the "Star Trek" slash Captain Picard revival.

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STREAMING - From Variety:  Zoe Kravitz will star in a TV series, "High Fidelity," which will be inspired by Nick Hornby's 1995 novel, "High Fidelity" and the 2000 Touchstone film adapted from the novel (and starring John Cusack).

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TELEVISION - From Collider:  The great Robert Englund will play "Freddy Krueger" ("A Nightmare on Elm Street"), the character for which he is most (in)famous, for an episode of the ABC sitcom, "The Goldbergs."  Englund will reprise Krueger for the series' Halloween episode.

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TELEVSION - From TVLine:  Halle Berry and Lena Waithe has executive producers of BET's adaptation of Eddie Murphy's 1992 film, "Boomerang."  The TV series will be a continuation rather than a reboot.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/21 to 9/23/2018 weekend box office is "The House with a Clock in Its Walls" with an estimated haul of $26.85 million.

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Todd Phillips reveals a photo image of Zazie Beetz's from his film, "Joker," starring Joaquin Phoenix.

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MEDICINE-BLM - From MotherJones:  Black Patients Miss Out On Promising Cancer Drugs. Black people and Native Americans are underrepresented in clinical trials of new drugs, even when the treatment targets a type of cancer that disproportionately affects them.

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HISTORY - From YahooFinance:  100 years ago the United States fought its deadliest battle ever, "the Meuse-Argonne offensive of 1918."  The U.S. victory there helped bring an end to World War I, but the cost was 26,000 Americans killed and tens of thousands wounded.

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STREAMING - From Variety:  Jordan Peele ("Get Out") will host and narrate the CBS' revival of "The Twilight Zone" for its streaming service CBS All Access.

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CULTURE-BLM - From Vox:  Living while black; campaigning while Black.

TRAILER:

From CNET:  First trailer for "X-Men: Dark Phoenix," which is due February 14, 2018.

OBITS:

From RollingStone:  Vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter, Marty Balin, has died at the age of 73, Thursday, September 27, 2018.  In 1965, Balin founded the psychedelic rock band, Jefferson Airplane, with guitarist, the late Paul Kantner (2016), in San Francisco.

From StarWars:  The film producer, Gary Kurtz, has died at the age of 78, September 23, 2018.  Kurtz is best known for his association with George Lucas, producing Lucas' directorial efforts, "American Graffiti" (1973) and "Star Wars" (1977).  Kurtz produced "The Empire Strikes Back," but parted ways with Lucas.  Kurtz earned "Best Picture" Oscar nominations for producing "American Graffiti" and "Star Wars."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 1st to 5th, 2018 - Update #8

Support Leroy on Patreon:

From BleedingCool:  Sylvester Stallone wants to take on the "Mexican cartel" in "Rambo 5."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Broke-ass Relativity Media has found a buyer, an investor group.

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MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  J.J. Abrams will team with director Julius Avery ("Overlord") for a superhero movie.

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OSCARS - From Variety:  The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has voted to expel Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski from its membership ranks.  Cosby was recently convicted of three counts of "aggravated indecent assault" and Polanski has been on the run from a "statutory rape" conviction for 40 years.

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STREAMING - From Variety:  Amazon orders a Meek Mill documentary from Jay-Z's Roc Nation.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Brad Pitt's Plan B and A24 reunite for "The Last Black Man in San Francisco."  Plan B and A24 teamed up on the Oscar-winning "Moonlight."

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MUSIC - From TheNewYorker:  Two new books examine the lives of Donna Summer (the "Queen of Disco") and Grace Jones, the reigning queens of Disco.

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COMICS-FILM -From Collider:  Michael B. Jordan will reunite with "Black Panther" co-writer, Joe Robert Cole, for a film adaptation of the comic book, "Failsafe."

From BleedingCool:  5 New Posters for Teen Titans Go! to the Movies Plus a New Trailer.

OBIT:

From NPR:  The Reverend James H. Cone died at the age of 79, Saturday, April 28, 2018.  Cone was the founder of "Black Liberation Theology."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 22nd to 30th, 2018 - Update #22

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  John Woo and Universal Pictures are looking to remake Woo's 1989 Hong Kong crime classic, "The Killer."  Lupita Nyong'o is targets as the film's star.

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BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Avengers: Infinity War" has an even bigger opening weekend than first thought.  As of Monday tallies, it is slightly over $258 instead of Sunday's estimate of $250 million.

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EMMYS - From Variety:  The 2018 Daytime Emmys - Winners list.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/27 to 4/29/2018 is "Avengers: Infinity War" with an estimated $250 million.  That is a record for an opening weekend at the domestic box office; the previous record holder was "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" which had an opening box office weekend of $247.9.

From Deadline:  "Avenger: Infinity War's" international box office debut, $630 million, is also a record.

From Deadline:  With a $179 million in international box office, "Avengers: Infinity War" is looking at a record global bow.

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MOVIES - From THR: Oscar-winning filmmaker, Bernardo Bertolucci criticizes Ridley Scott for removing Kevin Spacey from "All the Money in the World" and replacing his with Christopher Plummer.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Actor John David Washington talks about the best advice he got from  his father, famed Oscar-winning actor, Denzel Washington.

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SCANDAL - From NBCNews:  Famed comedian, actor, and author Bill Cosby has been found guilty of three counts of "indecent sexual assault."  Cosby could face 10 years in prison on each count.

From YahooEntertainment:  You can say that this bit in a Hannibal Buress standup started the downfall of Bill Cosby.

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ANIMATION - From TheWrap:  Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, and Zach Galifianakis to Star in Laika’s New Animated Feature for Annapurna.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Topher Grace is playing David Duke in Spike Lee's "BlackKkKlansman," which will apparently be "in contention" at this year's Cannes Film Festival.

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ANIMATION - From IndieWire:  Revered Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli, will have a theme park based on its films, which included "Princess Monoke" and the Oscar-winning, "Spirited Away."  Concept art for the park, which will open in 2020, has been revealed.

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COMICS-FILM - From JoBlo:  Antoine Fuqua talks about directing a film starring two Marvel characters, "Morbius, the Living Vampire" and "Blade."

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MUSIC - From SeattleTimes:  Rapper Meek Mill freed after several months in prison over a parole violation of decade-old gun and drug charges.

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MOVIES - From THR:  Quentin Tarantino and Leonard DiCapri tease their "Manson murders" movie, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," which is due August 2019.  Tarantino compared it to his Oscar-winning film, "Pulp Fiction."

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ANIMATION-STREAMING - From BleedingCool:  DreamWorks Animation Television and Netflix are working on an animated version of the "Fast & Furious" franchise.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/20 to 4/22/2018 weekend box office is "A Quiet Place" with an estimated take of $22 million.

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STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:  Casting begins for Ava DuVernay's "Central Park Five" project for Netflix.

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MOVIES - From IndieWire:  James Cameron hopes for "Avengers fatigue," as there are other sci-fi stories to tell.  [Is there "Terminator" fatigue, this editor asks?]

OBITS:

From THR:  The British film director, Michael Anderson, died at the age of 98, Wednesday, April 25, 2018.  Anderson received a best director Oscar nomination for directing the 1956 version of "Around the World in 80 Days."  He is also known for working in the sci-fi genre, particularly for "Logan's Run" (1976).  Anderson worked with some of the most famous British leading men, including Michael Redgrave and Alec Guinness.

From TheWrap:  Jazz musician Bob Dorough has died at the age of 94, Monday, April 23, 2018.  Dorough was instrumental in the 1970s educational cartoon series, "Schoolhouse Rock!" (ABC).  He wrote and performed iconic Schoolhouse Rock songs, "My Hero, Zero" and "Three is a Magic Number."

From Variety:  The film producer, Philip D'Antoni, died at the age of 89, Sunday, April 15, 2018.  In 1972, D'Antoni won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for producing 1971 best picture Academy Award winner, "The French Connection."  D'Antoni also produced the Steve McQueen classic, "Bullitt," the first film he produced.

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.

----------
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.

----------
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.

----------
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."

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

----------
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.

----------
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.

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

-----------
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.

----------
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.

----------
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.

Review: Remembering "4 Little Girls"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 76 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

4 Little Girls (1997)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Spike Lee
PRODUCERS: Spike Lee and Sam Pollard
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ellen Kuras
EDITOR: Sam Pollard
COMPOSER: Terence Blanchard
Academy Award nominee

DOCUMENTARY/HISTORY

Starring: Maxine McNair, Chris McNair, Alpha Robertson, Janie Gaines, Dianne Braddock, Shirley Wesley King, Bill Baxley, James Bevel, Bill Cosby, Walter Cronkite, Ossie Davis, Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King, Fred Shuttlesworth, Reggie White, and Andrew Young

4 Little Girls is Spike Lee’s 1997 documentary film about the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, this African-American church was a hub of the city’s Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 60s.

On the Sunday morning of September 15, 1963, four members of a Ku Klux Klan group planted a box of dynamite with a time delay under the steps of the church near the basement. Killed in the ensuing explosion were 14-year-old Addie Mae Collins, 11-year-old Denise McNair, 14-year-old Carole Robertson, and 14-year-old Cynthia Wesley – the titular 4 little girls of the film.

4 Little Girls recounts the days leading to the bombing, the state of the Civil Rights movement in Birmingham at the time, and the aftermath, specifically the girls’ funerals. Lee interviewed the people who knew the girls, including surviving parents, siblings, neighbors, relatives, and friends, among others. For the film, Lee also interviewed a number of Civil Rights luminaries, social activists, and other famous figures, including Andrew Young, Bill Cosby, Ossie Davis, and Coretta Scott King. The film is filled with archival footage, most of it coming from televised news, which presents other key participants, including Dr. Martin Luther King and the bombing plot’s ringleader, Robert “Dynamite Bob” Chambliss.

The film begins with Joan Baez singing “Birmingham Sunday” a song that chronicled the events and aftermath of the bombing. The song, written by Richard and Mimi Farina (Joan Baez’s sister), is a haunting theme throughout 4 Little Girls.

In the first hour of the film, Spike Lee does a superb job in presenting the state of affairs in Birmingham and connecting it to the overall Civil Rights movement. Lee deftly builds to the bombing like a slow train gradually building speed to the terrible event. He does this by getting the girls’ families and friends to remember details (including one woman’s prophetic dream) that are startling in their intimacy.

The scenes that recount the actual bombing are as riveting as anything found in the best movie thrillers. Using interviews and archival footage, Lee presents the shock, grief, and anger in a way that still resonates and even seems to jump off the screen and into your gut. It may be too much for some. The recollections of the girls’ family and friends and also the funeral are tear generators, although the post-mortem photos of the girls may be a bit much for some (cause they were for me).

After the scenes depicting the funerals, Lee’s film falters. The movie’s focus on the grief is morbid and obsessive. Of course, there is nothing wrong with depictions of grieving family. However, the bombing, which was clearly a racially motivated terrorist attack, was meant to halt the integration that was already occurring in Birmingham (due to negotiations between African-American leaders and moderate whites). Lee’s film only mentions that in passing. Lee also fails to present the ways in which the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing affected the move for equality in America. The deaths of those four girls gave energy to a Civil Rights movement that, at the time, apparently needed reinvigoration.

I don’t fault the film for taking such a deeply personal look at how the girls’ deaths affected those around them. Their deaths had a larger meaning; they were essentially a sacrifice, one that directly led to improving the lives of all oppressed people, not just African-Americans, in the United States. 4 Little Girls is an excellent film and a wonderful document of the lives of four innocents. It is one of Lee’s best and most powerful works, but he missed something back when he made this film – the larger context of how the bombing changed us and our country.

Seeing the sacrifice as at least equal to the focus on the victims may be a cold equation, but it was and is a reality in the fight for equality.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
1998 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Documentary, Features” (Spike Lee and Samuel D. Pollard)

1999 Image Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding News, Talk or Information Special”

Tuesday, September 14, 2010