Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 10th, 2023 - Update #27

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Warner Animation Group is now Warner Bros Pictures Animation, and that is just part of the rebranding from new President of Feature Animation, Bill Damaschke.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  NBC has cancelled the sitcom, "Young Rock," after three seasons on the network.  The series focuses on different chapters in the life of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

MUSIC - From Variety:  Grammy-winning legend, Madonna, and Grammy and Oscar-winner, Sam Smith, drop their new collabo, the single, "Vulgar."

SCANDAL - From THR:  Actor and voice performer, Jay Johnston, has been arrested by the FBI for his alleged participation in the Jan. 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol. Charged by the Department of Justice in connection to his presence at the Capitol, Johnston was arrested Wednesday in Los Angeles.  Johnson is best known for his voice role as "Jimmy Pesto Sr.," a pizzeria owner on Fox's long-running animated series, "Bob's Burgers," and for appearing on such series as "Mr. Show with Bob and Dave" (HBO) and "The Sarah Silverman Program" (Comedy Central).

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  Due to its recent rise in ratings, Cartoon Network is giving its "Adult Swim" banner an extra hour of programming each evening, starting in late August.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  For the first time, the NFL highlights and analysis TV series, "Inside the NFL, moves to The CW, beginning Sept. 5th.  The series began in 1977 on HBO (1977-2008). It moved to Showtime (2008-21), and then most recently was on Paramount+ (2021-23).

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Zack Snyder days that his epic sci-fi film, "Rebel Moon," will be two films, and each will have two versions.  There will be a version that "anyone can enjoy," and there will be a version that is explicit and for "adults only."

DISNEY - From THR:  ABC has defeated a lawsuit from Ingo Rademacher over his dismissal from the daytime soap opera, "General Hospital," for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.  Rademacher left or was fired from the series around November 2021.

SCANDAL - From THR:  Disgraced director, Bryan Singer (Fox's "X-Men" franchise), is planning a documentary film that would address the sexual misconduct accusations against him.  A 2019 expose in "The Atlantic" magazine detailed accusations against Singer by four accusers.

BREAKING - From THR:  98 percent of the members of Hollywood’s largest union, SAG-AFTRA, have given the green light to their negotiators to call a strike if deemed necessary in upcoming labor negotiations with the Hollywood studios.

APPLE - From Deadline:  Apple has announced its first major device launch in nearly a decade its VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) headset and platform, "Vision Pro."  Apparently, the starting price will be $3499.00

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/2 to 6/4/2023 weekend box office is Sony Pictures Animations' "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" with an estimated take of 120.5 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" grosses 88.1 million dollars at the international box office. Combined with its 120.5 million at the domestic box office, that is a global total of 208.6 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winning directors Francis Ford Coppola and Kevin Costner talk about risking their fortunes bankrolling passion projects.  For Coppola, it is "Megalopolis," his epic, troubled sci-fi film.  For Costner, it is "Horizon," the first of four films set in the pre- and post-Civil War expansion of the American West.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The Disney layoffs have hit Pixar with 75 jobs being made redundant at the legendary animation studio.  Among those let go are Angus McLane, the director of Pixar's "Lightyear" and Galyn Susman, the film's producer.  Susman had been with Pixar since 1995 and is apparently the person who saved "Toy Story 2."

DISNEY - From Deadline:  British actor Hugo Speer, one of the original actors from the 1997 film, "The Full Monty," was dropped from the forthcoming Disney spinoff series because (according to him) a few people saw him... naked.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The CW's "The Winchesters" is officially dead, as Warner Bros. has not been able to find another home for the series, which The CW cancelled after one season.  It is a spinoff and prequel to The CW's long-running "Supernatural."

MOVIES - From Variety:  Harrison Ford says he takes some of the blame for his clash with Brad Pitt over the script for the 1997 film thriller, "The Devil's Own."

LGBTQ+ - From Variety:  Elliot Page reveals in his upcoming book, "Pageboy," that a famous actor threatened to force sex on when he came out as gay over decade ago when he was "Ellen Page." The forced sex would prove that he wasn't gay - just afraid of men...

CELEBRITY - From PerezHilton:  Reality television star family, the Duggars, will always be with us. Hilton details how family patriarch, Jim Bob Duggar, stole his children's reality TV money. The post starts off funny and then, starts to read like an expose on a cult leader.

MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Universal Pictures is in active development on an untitled new “Fast & Furious” film starring Dwayne Johnson as "Luke Hobbs." The film won’t be a sequel to 2019's “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” or a spinoff.  Instead, it will be a direct continuation of the main “Fast Saga” story, serving as a bridge between the recently released “Fast X” and and its follow-up, “Fast X: Part II.”

From CBR:  Star Vin Diesel is reportedly upset with another "Fast & Furious" co-star over stealing attention from him.

DISNEY - From CBR:  Disney and Lucasfilm have revealed seven new "character posters" from "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."

HARRISON FORD - From Variety:  Harrison Ford told a trio of stunt workers on the set of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" the following: "Leave me the f**k alone."  Why? Read and find out.

From CBR:  Harrison Ford has now changed his stance and agrees with "Blade Runner" director, Ridley Scott. Ford believes that the film's lead character, "Rick Deckard," is a replicant.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  Here is your 2023-24 award season calendar, beginning on May 31, 2023 with the "Television Academy Honors" ceremony and ends on ends on March 10th, 2024 with the 96th Academy Awards.

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WRITERS STRIKE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 19th to 25th, 2021 - Update #13

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

CRIME - From THR:    A recent string of high-profile retail robberies and home burglaries in upscale Los Angeles neighborhoods has caused a dramatic uptick in requests from wealthy clients for the services of private security contractors.

MOVIES - From THR:  A look at the premiere of "The Matrix Resurrections" on Sat., Dec. 18th in San Francisco.

OSCAR - From Deadline:  Oscar "short lists" have arrived for the following 10 categories: Documentary Feature; International Film; Animated, Live Action, and Documentary Shorts; Makeup and Hairstyling; Music Score; Original Song; Sound; and Visual Effects.

SCANDAL - From THR:  Actor Chris Noth has been fired from the CBS television series, "The Equalizer," following sexual assault allegations against him.

BOX OFFICE - From THR:  With final numbers in, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" has a 260 million dollar opening at the domestic box (the second largest of all time) and a 600.8 million dollar global debut (the third biggest).

From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 12/17 to 12/19/2021 weekend box office is Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: No Way Home" with an estimated take of 253 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "Spider-Man: No Way Home" could slip by "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018) to have the second highest opening weekend at the domestic box office.  "Infinity War" is at 257.698 million dollars, and "No Way Home" could go as high as 260 million when final numbers are released Monday morning (Dec. 20th).

From Negromancer:  My review of "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

SCANDAL - From Variety:  The site offers "My Traumatizing Years with Bryan Singer," by Blake Stuerman. The article details Stuerman's troubled relationship with controversial film director, Bryan Singer ("X-Men").

MARVEL STUDIOS - From Deadline:  Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, says that Disney and Sony are "actively beginning to develop" where Spider-Man's story goes next after the worldwide smash hit film, "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

COVID - From Variety:  Brian May, the lead guitarist for the legendary rock band, "Queen," has tested positive for COVID-19.

OBITS:

From THR:  American and screenwriter, Joan Didion, has died at the age of 87, Thursday, December 23, 2021.  Didion won the the "National Book Award for Nonfiction" for her 2005 book, "The Year of Magical Thinking, which recounted the year after the death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne, in 2003.  Didion and Dunne wrote several sceenplays, including for such films as "The Panic in Needle Park" and the 1976 version of "A Star is Born."  In her essay, "Sentimental Journeys" (published in 1991 in The New York Review of Books), Didion wrote the first mainstream media article to suggest that the "Central Park Five" had been wrongfully convicted.

From Deadline:  Rapper, record producer, and break dancer, Kangol Kid (born Shaun Shiller Fequiere), had died at the age of 55, Saturday, December 18, 2021, following a battle with colon cancer.  Fequiere was best known for his association with the seminal 1980's hip-hop and break dance group, UTFO (Untouchable Force Organization). UTFO was best known for the 1984 song, "Roxanne, Roxanne," which was the B-side of their debut single, "Hangin' Out."  Outside of UTFO, Fequiere was a songwriter and arranger for such recording acts as "Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force," "Whistle," Kurtis Blow," and Wyclef Jean, among others.

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AWARDS:

From Deadline:  The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has named the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the "Best Picture" of 2021.

From Deadline:  The 2022 / 37th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have announced their nominations. "Zola" leads with six nominations. The winners will be announced Sun., March 6, 2022.

From THR:  The 2022 / 79th Golden Globes Awards nominations have been announced.  "Belfast" and "The Power of the Dog" lead with seven nominations each.  Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From GoldDerby:   The 2022 Critics Choice Awards nominations have been announced. "Belfast" and "West Side Story" leads with 11 nominations each. Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From Deadline:   The American Film Institute announced the "2021 AFI Awards" Top 10 list, and the list includes "Dune," "The Tragedy of Macbeth," and "West Side Story."

From THR:  Director Aleem Khan's "After Love" tops the 2021 British Independent Film Awards, winning six awards, including "Best Film of 2021."

From Variety:   The New York Film Critics Circle has named the Japanese drama, "Drive My Car," as the "Best Film of 2021."

From Deadline:  The National Board of Review hands director Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" it "Best Film" and "Best Director" awards.  Will Smith picks up the "Best Actor" award for "King Richard."

From THR:  Netflix’s "The Lost Daughter," directed by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, dominated the 2021 Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night (Nov. 29th).  The film won in four of the five categories in which it was nominated, including "Best Feature."

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"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

From Deadline:  This link will take you to Deadline's Halyna Hutchins page, which articles related to everything about her shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Variety:  One of the producers of tragic Western film, Rust, Emily Salveson, pushes tax shelters and hid income.

From THR:  "I let go of the hammer and 'Bang,' the gun goes off" says Alec Baldwin says in his first interview of the moment when a gun he was holding accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline:  Alec Baldwin will sit down with ABC's news-reading clown George Stephanopoulos for a one hour special tomorrow night to talk about what happened on the set of the movie "Rust."  It will be Baldwin’s first extensive interview about the shooting.

From Deadline:  Industry veteran, Thall Reed, the father of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the Western, "Rust," may have handed the police a tip on why the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot to death on the set.

From THR:  A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a prop shop sheds light on how alleged live ammunition ended up on the set of the Western film, "Rust," where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October.

From Deadline:  A month after cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the New Mexico set the movie Western, "Rust," by a prop gun “discharged” by Alec Baldwin, those closest to the cinematographer held a private ceremony and interred her ashes at an unknown location.

From Deadline:  Actor Daniel Baldwin defends his brother, Alec Baldwin, in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film, "Rust."  "Someone loaded that gun improperly," Daniel says.

From Deadline:  The newest lawsuit involving the tragic shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," has been filed by the film's script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, against Alec Baldwin, the producers, the production company, armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed, and others.

From Deadline:  Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer on "Rust," has filed a lawsuit against several parties related to the film, including the production, the financiers, star Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and first Assistant Director David Halls.

From THR:   In the wake of the tragic accidental shooting on the set of his film, "Rust," Alec Baldwin on Monday took to social media to urge Hollywood to employ a police officer on every film and TV set that uses guns.

From THR:   The budget for "Rust" - Alec Baldwin was set to earn $150,000 as lead actor and $100,000 as producer, while $7,913 was earmarked for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and $17,500 was set aside for the rental of weapons and $5,000 for rounds.

From Deadline:  Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the film, "Rust," said that they’re looking into whether a live bullet was placed in a box of dummy rounds with the intent of  “sabotaging the set.”

From THR:   Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film, "Rust," released a statement through her lawyers.  She says she had “no idea where the live rounds came from” that were recovered by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's during the investigation of the accidental on-set shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

From Jacobin:  An opinion piece says that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death on the set of the film, "Rust," was not a freak accident, but was about Alec Baldwin and his fellow producers' cost-cutting decisions.  Baldwin accidentally fired the gun that killed Hutchins.

From Deadline:   Two of executive producers on "Rust," Allen Cheney and Emily Salveson, disavow responsibility for the film's troubled production.

From THR:   Iconic "Ghostbusters" actor Ernie Hudson is reeling from the news of the death of Halyna Hutchins, like the rest of Hollywood. Hudson also appeared in the film, "The Crow," the film in which its star, Brandon Lee, was killed because of an on-set accidental shooting.  He also agrees with the call to ban real guns from movie sets.

From THR:  The Sheriff of Sante Fe County says that his office has recovered three guns and 500 rounds of ammunition from the set of the movie "Rust" where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.

From Deadline:  Regarding criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust," District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis, "all options are on the table - no one has been ruled out."

From THR:  Does Hollywood Need Guns? Will new regulations lead to an overreactions to a tragedy.

From Deadline:   "Rust" producers have opened an internal investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film.  They have hired outside lawyers to conduct interviews with the film's production crew.

From Deadline:  "Rust's" AD (assistant director), Dave Halls, has come under scrutiny in the wake of the on-set shooting death of the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The affidavit of Sante Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano has been made public. It can be read at "Deadline."  The affidavit was for a search warrant from the property were the Western, "Rust," was being filmed.

From THR:  The production company behind "Rust" has shut the film down until the police investigation into the fatal, on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is through.  The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office has also revealed a timeline of the shooting.

From Deadline:  The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Department confirmed Thursday night that Alec Baldwin “discharged” a prop gun on the New Mexico set of the movie, "Rust."  As a result, one crew member, director of photography Halyna Hutchins, was killed and director Joel Souza was injured and remains in a local hospital - his condition unknown.

From THR:  "Rust" director, Joel Souza, who was wounded in the accidental on-set shooting, says that he is "gutted" by the death of his cinematographer on the film, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The fatal shooting on the set of "Rust" may have been "recorded" according to detective for Santa Fe Sheriff's Department.

From Deadline:  The production company behind the film, "Rust," will launch an internal safety review after the fatal accident that killed Halyna Hutchins; possible prior gun incidents; and a camera crew walkout.

From CNN:   Crew member yelled "cold gun" as he handed Alec Baldwin prop weapon, court document shows.

From Variety:  Actor Alec Baldwin releases statement on the death of Halyna Hutchins: "There are no words to convey my shock and sadness."

From Variety:  The prop gun that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza on during an on-set accident on Thursday contained a “live single round,” according to an email sent by IATSE Local 44 to its membership.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 20th to 26th, 2019 - Update #26

Support Leroy on Patreon:

DISNEY - From SideshowToys:  10 Disney movies for 2019, including "Captain Marvel," "Dumbo," and "Avengers: Endgame."

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CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  The cause of death of comedian, Kevin Barnett, who died Tuesday, Jan. 22nd, 2019 in Mexico, is "Non Traumatic Hemorrhage, caused by pancreatitis."  The stand-up comedian was the co-creator of FOX Network's sitcom, "Rel."

From YahooEntertainment:  The cause of the death of Kim Porter, the actress and model who had three kids with Sean "Diddy" Combs, is "lobar pneumonia."  Porter died Nov. 15th, 2018, and she was 47 years old at the time.

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix and Constantin Film are developing a "Resident Evil" TV series.  That series will apparently expand the "existing mythology ."

From Deadline:  Netflix has obtained Ron Howard's film, "Hillbilly Elegy" (based on J.D. Vance's bestselling book).

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MOVIE - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. has scheduled Christopher Nolan's next film for releases July 17, 2020.  The subject matter of the unnamed film is not known.

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COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Actor Matt Smith of "Doctor Who" has reportedly joined Sony's "Morbius" film, starring Jared Leto.  Morbius is a vampire and a Spider-Man villian.

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MOVIES-SCANDAL - From Newsarama:  Despite new sexual abuse of underage boys allegations levied against him, Bryan Singer is still scheduled to direct Millennium Film's "Red Sonja" film.

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MOVIES - From Collider:  Nicolas Cage will star in an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's story, "Color Out of Space."

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SCANDAL - From Deadline:  In expose by "The Atlantic" magazines, director Bryan Singer ("Bohemian Rhapsody," "X-Men") is hit with more sexual abuse allegations involving underage boys.

From Deadline:  Director Bryan singer responds to "The Atlantic," calling it a "homophic smear piece..."

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COMICS-STREAMING - From Deadline:  Sandra Bullock is part of the team developing Mark Millar and Greg Capullo's comic book, "Reborn," for Netflix.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor Michael Gandolfini will play a young Tony Soprano in David Chase's in "The Many Saints of Newark," a prequel to Chase's "The Sopranos" TV series.  Michael's late father, James Gandolfini, played Tony Soprano in "The Sopranos."

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OSCARS - From Deadline:  The 2019 / 91st Academy Award nominations have been announced.  "Roma" and "The Favourite" lead with 10 nominations each.  "Black Panther" received 7 nominations, including a "best picture" nod.

From TheNewYorker:  "The Dismaying 2019 Oscar Nominations—and Who Should Have Made the List" by Richard Brody

From BleedingCool:  Concerning his first Oscar nomination (in the "best supporting actor" category) after 50 years of acting, Sam Elliot ("A Star is Born") says, "It's about fucking time!"

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 1/18 - 1/20/2019 weekend box office is "Glass" with an estimated take of $40.58 million.

From Variety:  "Glass" leads the international box office with an estimated take of $48.5 million.

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POLITICS - From Deadline:  U.S. Senator Kamala Harris (Democrat-California) announces that she is running for President of the United States.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:   Edgar Wright says that a first draft of a screenplay for "Baby Driver 6" exists.

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COMICS-FILM - From CNBC:   Superhero movies are in for a major shakeup in 2019

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STREAMING - From Deadline:  "The X-Files'" Gillian Anderson is joining Netflix's "The Crown" in the role of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

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OSCARS - From GoldDerby:  Paul Sheehan offers his Oscar predictions ahead of the nominations announcement Tuesday morning, Jan 22nd.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  "Green Book" tops the 2019 Producers Guild Awards, winning the Producers Guild version of a "best picture" prize.

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OSCARS - From Deadline:  "BlackKklansman" producer Jason Blue says that it is "Spike Lee's time" if Oscar voters do the right thing.

OBIT:

From THR:  Veteran film and television director, James Frawley, has died at the age of 82, Tuesday, January 22, 2019.  Over his five-decade career, Frawley directed episodes of "Perry Mason," "The Outer Limits," and "Gunsmoke," and he directed "The Muppet Movie" (1979).  Frawley is probably best known for being a key figure in the development of "The Monkees" TV series.  Frawley also directed 28 of the series' 58 episodes.

From TheWrap:  The comedy writer and stand-up comedian, Kevin Barnett, has died at the age of 32, Tuesday, January 22, 2019.  Barnett co-created the Fox sitcom, "Rel."

From Variety:  Film producer Andrew Vajna has died at the age of 74, Sunday, January 20, 2019.  In 1976, he co-founded Carolco with Mario Kassar.  Vajna produced such films as "Nixon" and "Evita," but he was known for the numerous film on which he was an executive producer.  Among the best known are the first three "Rambo" films (including 1982's "First Blood"); "Angel Heart," "Total Recall," "Tombstone," and "Judge Dredd," to name a few.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 14th to 20th, 2018 - Update #23

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SPORTS - From Deadline:  NFL owners would like Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos to purchase the Seattle Seahawks.

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AWARDS - From Variety:  2018 Gotham Awards nominations announced.  Based in New York City, the Gotham Awards honor independent films and also television.

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COMICS-STREAMING - From Variety:  Netflix has cancelled Marvel's "Luke Cage" a few months after its second season debut.

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Jamie Lee Curtis calls the 1998 reboot film, "Halloween H20: 20 Years Later," a paycheck film, but says that she still loves it.

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CELEBRITY-SPORTS - From YahooCelebrity:  Amy Schumer vows not to film in commercials for Super Bowl 53 (Feb. 3rd, 2019) in support of the "take a knee" protests among NFL players.  Schumer wonders why more white players are not taking a kneeling.

From Vulture:  Grammy-winning singer and actress Rihanna said that she turned down the Super Bowl LIII halftime show in support of Colin Kaepernick and his "National Anthem" protests of "taking a knee" during the playing of the Anthem.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Liam Hemsworth and Vince Vaughn join "Arkansas," the directorial debut of Clark Duke, the former child actor ("Hot Tub Time Machine").

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TELEVISION - From WashPost:  How Julia Louis-Dreyfus quietly became the most successful sitcom star ever

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MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Chris Hemsworth has finished filming his part in the "Men in Black" reboot/sequel.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Michael B. Jordan will star in and produce the assassin story, "The Silver Bear," for Lionsgate.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Idris Elba joins Taylor Swift in the film adaptation of the classic Broadway musical, "Cats."

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Robert Englund says he fought for Freddie Krueger to wear a fedora.

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MOVIES - From TheVerge:  An article about Gareth Evan's ("The Raid") latest film, the Netflix drama-thriller, "Apostle," and it how it extends the legacy of Robin Hardy's "The Wicker Man."

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ANIMATION - From SlashFilm:  New "Tom & Jerry," "The Flintstones," and "Scooby-Doo" films are in the works.  Some will be animated; some will be live-action/animation hybrids.

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BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 10/12 to 10/14/2018 weekend box office is "Venom" with an estimated take of $35.7 million.

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COMICS-FILM - From Thrillist:  How Venom's crazy tongue comes to life in "Venom."

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MOVIES-POLITICS - From Truthout:  Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 11/9” Shows Democrats' Complicity in Electing Trump

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CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  Bryan Singer slams an upcoming "Esquire" magazine profile of him is a rehash of false accusations about him.

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COMICS-TV - From TheWrap:  Jack Bannon will star as "Alfred Pennyworth" in "Pennyworth," a 10-episode Batman prequel TV series to premier on Epix.

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MUSIC-POLITICS - From TheRoot:  The estate of the late music legend, Prince, asks President Trump to stop playing Prince's song, "Purple Rain," at his political rallies.

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RELIGION - From YahooNews:  Pope Francis has canonzied Oscar Romero, the late archbishop of San Salvador, El Salvador.  On March 24, 1980, Archbishop Romero was murdered by a right-wing assassination while performing Mass in the chapel of the Hospital of Divine Providence.  Pope Francis also canonized Pope Paul VI (1963 to 1978).

OBITS:

From ESPN:  NFL Hall of Famer (Class of 1976), Jim Taylor, died Saturday, October 13, 2018 at the age of 83.  Taylor played for the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1966.  He was the NFL MVP in 1962, and was on the Packers 1961, 1962, and 1965 NFL Championship teams, as well as being a member of the team that won Super Bowl I.  A native of Louisiana, he played football at Louisiana State University (LSU).

From CNN:  Billionaire Paul Allen has died at the age of 65, Monday, October 15, 2018.  Allen was the co-founder of Microsoft.  He also owned two professional sports franchises, the NBA's Portland Trailblazers and the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

From YahooHuffPost:  Brothel owner and celebrity pimp, Dennis Hof, has died at the age of 72, Tuesday, October 16, 2018.  Porn movie acting legend, Ron Jeremy, reportedly found Hof's body.  At one time, Hof owned as many as four brothels, including the "Moonlite BunnyRanch" in Nevada.  He had an HBO series, "Cathouse" (2002 to 2014) and a bestselling autobiography.  Hof was running for Nevada state office.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 1st to 9th, 2017 - Update #38

Support Leroy on Patreon.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Bryan Singer's former lover talks about being "pulled into the director’s orbit of on-set visits, expensive private dinners, ready access to drugs and alcohol and sexual encounters with an ever-revolving cast of multiple participants."

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STAR TREK - From THR:  Sir Patrick Stewart said that he would return to his signature role, Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, for a Quentin Tarantino-directed "Star Trek."

----------
SCANDAL - From ThePlaylist:  Director Bryan singer talks about being fired from "Bohemian Rhapsody" and being sued over rape allegations and more.

----------
STAR TREK - From Deadline:  The Quentin Tarantino-J.J. Abrams "Star Trek" movie will be R-rated.  Mark L. Smith ("The Revenant") is in the lead to be the writer.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Ryan Reynolds will star in the live-action Pokemon movie, "Detective Pikachu."

----------
MOVIES - From TheNewYorkTimes:  The paper names its best films of 2017

----------
CELEBRITY - From TheWrap:  Top 20 highest paid actors in Hollywood are...

----------
STREAMING - From ShadowandAct:  The Jordan Peele reboot of "The Twilight Zone" for CBS's streaming service, CBS All Access, is happening.  Simon Kinberg and Marco Ramirez will also produce the series.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From ThePlaylist:  Marvel Studios mastermind Kevin Feige is ready to play with the X-Men characters... if Disney/21st Century Fox deal goes through.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Dexter Fletcher, director of "Eddie the Eagle" will replace the fired Bryan Singer as the director of the Queen biopic, "Bohemian Rhapsody."

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  James Mangold ("Logan") to direct yet another film about Patty Hearst.

----------
MOVIES - From TheWrap:  "Life, Itself," a film by "This is Us" creator, Dan Fogelman, lands at Amazon.

----------
BUISNESS - From CNBC:  Disney and Fox are closing in on a deal which would give Disney Fox's studio and television production assets, leaving Fox with its news and sports assets.  Fox's Nat Geo, Star, regional sports networks, movie studios and stakes in Sky and Hulu, among other properties may also be part of the potential $60 billion deal.  Fox would also hold onto its news and business news divisions, broadcast network and Fox sports.  Comcast is also a player interested in these Fox assets.  Sony and Verizon are also said to be interested.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From ScreenRant:  Is the "Demon Bear" the villain in Fox's X-Men spinoff flick, "The New Mutants."

----------
MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  Bryan Singer's production company,  Bad Hat Harry, is moving off the 20th Century Fox lot.  Singer's long-term, first look deal with Fox expired this past October, and Fox declined to renew it.

----------
LGBTQ - From TheDailyBeast:  Writer Ira Madison III discusses the much-talked about gay romance drama, "Call Me By Your Name," starring Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer.

----------
SCANDAL - From TheDailyBeast:  Talk show host and actor Dustin Hoffman have a heated exchange over sexual misconduct allegations against Hoffman.

----------
STAR TREK - From THR:  Quentin Tarantino and J.J. Abrams team up for a "Star Trek" movie.

-----------
MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:  Misha Green, the creator of the late WGN America series, "Underground," is developing a remake of the 1973 blaxploitation film, "Cleopatra Jones."

----------
MOVIES - From ShadowandAct:  Michael B. Jordan's film, "Just Mercy," which is being compared to "To Kill a Mockingbird," is due November 2018.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  20th Century Fox has fired Bryan Singer ("X-Men") as director of the Freddie Mercury (of the rock band Queen) biopic, "Bohemian Rhapsody," because of his on-set behavior, including not showing up for work for over a week.

From BleedingCool:  Bryan Singer claps back on Fox firing him from "Bohemian Rhapsody."  He said that he was dealing with his own health issues and that of a parent.

----------
TELEVISION - From BleedingCool:  On Christmas Day, the BBC will broadcast the first episode of its six-episode adaptation of Neil Gamain's novel, "Anansi Boys."  Gaiman introduces the characters.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:   The winner of the 12/1 to 12/3/2017 weekend box office is Pixar's "Coco" with an estimated take of $26.1 million.

From THR:  Pixar's "Coco" repeats at weekend box office champion with an estimated haul of $26.1 million.

From Variety:  James Franco's "The Disaster Artist" tops specialty box office.

----------
SCANDAL - From Variety:  Oscar-winning Geoffrey Rush resigns as president of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against him.

----------
MOVIE AWARDS - From Variety:  The Los Angeles Film Critics Association names "Call Me By Your Name" its best picture of 2017.  Guillermo del Toro and Luca Guadagnino.

----------
COMICS-STREAMING - From DenofGeek:  Here is a first look at Brenton Thwaites as "Robin," in "Titans," the TV series based on DC Comics' Teen Titans comic books.

---------
COMICS-FILM - From CinemaBlend:  Haley Atwell returns as "Agent Sharon Carter," in the the animated TV series, "Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars."

From DenofGeek:  A schedule of upcoming "X-Men" franchise films to be released over the next few years.

----------
MOVIES - From WMagazine:  A superb Daniel Day-Lewis piece in which the actor talks about leaving acting after his upcoming film, "Phantom Thread."

----------
STREAMING - From TheWrap:  The "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" horror series is moving from The CW to Netflix.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Quentin Tarantino's upcoming so-called "Charles Manson movie" gets a release date, August 9, 2019, the 50th anniversary of Manson family cult members killing of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, the day after cult members killed actress Sharon Tate and four others.

----------
MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  The "Masters of the Universe" movie is on again, this time with writer David S. Goyer as director.  You do know "Masters of the Universe," He-Man and all that?  [I find Goyer to be a mixed bag - good or ugly, and who really wants a frickin' "Masters of the Universe" movie. - Leroy]

COMICS-FILM - From TheRinger:  Marvel Studios has what everyone wants, the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

----------
CELEBRITY - From CNN:  Britain Prince Harry and his wife to be, African-American actress, Meghan Markle, undertook their first official event together, a "walkabout" in the English city of Nottingham.

----------
 MOVIE AWARDS - From TheWrap:  The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) names "Lady Bird" its "Best Picture of 2017."

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  First official teaser trailer for "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom."

OBIT:

From THR:  The actor and singer, Jim Nabors, has died at the age of 87, November 30, 2017.  Nabors was best known for playing the character "Gomer Pyle" in two hit TV series.  Nabors appeared in Pyle in 23 episodes of "The Andy Griffith Show" and later in "Gomer Pyle, USMC" (1964-69).  Nabors also recorded almost 30 albums, with about six being certified gold or platinum. [Rest in peace. - Leroy.]

Review: "X-Men: Apocalypse" is Garbage

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 13 (of 2017) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
Running time:  144 minutes (2 hours, 24 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of violence, action and destruction, brief strong language and some suggestive images
DIRECTOR:  Bryan Singer
WRITERS:  Simon Kinberg; from a story by Simon Kinberg, Bryan Singer, Michael Dougherty, and Dan Harris
PRODUCERS:  Hutch Parker, Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Bryan Singer
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Newton Thomas Sigel
EDITORS:  Michael Louis Hill and John Ottman
COMPOSER:  John Ottman

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring:  James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Oscar Isaac, Rose Byrne, Evan Peters, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Lucas Till, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Ben Hardy, Alexandra Shipp, Lana Condor, Olivia Munn, Josh Helman, and Stan Lee with Hugh Jackman

X-Men: Apocalypse is a 2016 superhero movie from director Bryan Singer.  It is 20th Century Fox’s eighth film based on Marvel Comics’ X-Men comic book franchise.  This new movie is a sequel to X-Men: Days of Future Past.  In X-Men Apocalypse, the world's first mutant, a world-destroyer, reemerges and begins a plan for human extinction that the X-Men must stop.

X-Men: Apocalypse opens in Ancient Egypt, 3600BC and introduces En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac), the ruler of that land and a supremely powerful mutant believed to be the very first of his kind.  He is betrayed by some of his worshipers and is buried alive for centuries.  Apocalypse arises in 1983 and is upset to discover what he considers “false gods” to have arisen in his absence.  He gathers “four horsemen” and Erik Lensherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender) is one of the quartet.  Apocalypse begins to unleash an extinction level plan to clean the Earth of everything and everyone, so that only the strong survive.

Meanwhile, Charles Xavier/Professor X (James McAvoy) continues to build his educational institute in Westchester County, New York.  He is also adding new students, when a former friend, Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), returns to warn him of Magneto's new activities.  When they learn the extent of Apocalypse's threat, the X-Men are forced to come together to save the world.

Some believe that Superman: The Movie, originally released in 1978, is the beginning of the modern superhero film.  Other believe that the current age of superhero movies was spearheaded by Tim Burton's 1989 film, Batman.  [Those are good choices, but I believe the current superhero movie rage was born of the surprise (even shocking) success of the 1998 film, Blade.  Its success spurred Fox into producing X-Men (2000), which was a hit and which really pushed superhero movie production into overdrive.]

I am starting to believe that the most influential film in the current onslaught of superhero movies is 2012's Marvel's The Avengers.  Why?  The Avengers' immediate and massive success at the box office was practically unprecedented.  It's opening weekend dollar gross set what was at the time a record for North American box office.  It's worldwide box office exceeded a billion dollars, and while that was not the first time a superhero movie crossed the billion-dollar mark (which 2008's The Dark Knight did first), I don't think anyone, not Disney, Marvel, box office watchers, or movie fans, expected The Avengers to be so successful in terms of box office – not before its release.

Such surprising success breeds copycats.  Superhero movies that are big, even massive, and filled with destruction followed The Avengers.  See Warner Bros. The Man of Steel (2013) and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2015).  In fact, the latter is Warner Bros. desperate attempt to make an Avengers-like movie featuring characters from DC Comics, which is, like Warner Bros., part of Time Warner.

To me, X-Men: Days of Future Past was trapped between being 2011's X-Men: First Class and Marvel's The Avengers.  X-Men: Apocalypse reeks of the desperation to be like The Avengers.  20th Century Fox owns the film rights to Marvel Comics X-Men franchise, and as Fox makes one mediocre and/or financial failure X-Men movie after another, they cannot help but look at Marvel Studios' unprecedented success with the Marvel Comics characters to which it still has film rights.  Hell, Fox isn't the only Hollywood studio that wants to be like Marvel.

But the X-Men are not the Avengers.  The Avengers are a gathering of loosely connected superheroes who come together to defend Earth – or avenge it.  The X-Men can be superheroes, but their story has largely been about a racial minority, known as “Mutants,” that bands together for protection.  Their acts of heroism are essentially a defense of the race or species.  It is as if the X-Men's heroic actions declare that they can peacefully coexist on this planet with humans, which gives them reason to want to defend it.

X-Men: Apocalypse is just a big action movie.  Familiar X-Men themes:  fear, racism, bigotry, tribalism, unity, extended families, familial and friendship bonds, etc. are just window dressing for big special effects driven and created set pieces.  X-Men: Apocalypse does not take from the wheelhouse of the best X-Men films (such as the first two films in the franchise); instead, it steals from Marvel's The Avengers and even Michael Bay's Transformers movies.

You know what, dear reader?  I've taken enough of your time.  I hate this movie.

3 of 10
D+

Friday, December 16, 2016


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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 1st to 5th, 2016 - Update #15

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Rami Malek, the Emmy-winning star of "Mr. Robot," play the late rock singer Freddie Mercury in a long-developed biopic.  Bryan Singer may direct.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  Update - "Doctor Strange" has a $9.4 million Thursday night.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Adam Driver and Rooney Mara join Leos Carax's "Annette."

----------
SPORTS - From ChicagoTribune:  Chicago Cubs win 2016 World Series.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  "Doctor Strange" set to go kaboom at the weekend box office.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Quentin Tarantino reiterates that he is retiring after his 10th film, which mean he has two left.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Samuel L. Jackson joins Travis Fimmel in the sci-fi film, "Inversion."

----------
BLM - From MintPressNews:  San Francisco 49ers quarerback, Colin Kaepernick, has started a camp to help children fight oppression.  It seems inspired by the Black Panthers.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  Disney has best ever box office year - beating its own record from 2015.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Entertainment Weekly has a cover feature on next year's like action "Beauty and the Beast" from Disney.

----------
OBIT - From Variety:  The actor, Don Marshall, has died at the age of 80, Sunday, October 30, 2016.  The African-American actor is known for his appearances in "Star Trek" (the original) and "Julia" and for a recurring role on "Land of the Giants."

----------
BOX OFFICE - From YahooMovies:  Why has the Fall 2016 movie box office been bleak?

----------
POLITICS - From YahooNews:  President Obama sings Prince's "Purple Rain" to a kid dressed as Prince at the White House Halloween party.

----------
COMICS-FILM: From Variety:  Rick Famuyiwa leaves Warner's "The Flash."

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  "The Good Fight," the spinoff of CBS' "The Good Wife," begins production.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  New "Wonder Woman" trailer.

From YouTube:  Official trailer for "A Cure for Wellness" which is due February 2017.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 1st to 4th, 2016 - Update #26

Support Leroy on Patreon.

OBIT - From RollingStone:  Boxing legend, world icon, and American legend, Muhammad Ali, has died at the age of 74, Friday, June 3, 2016.

---------------
COMICS - From WeGotThisCovered:  The title of Warner's "Justice League" movie is "Justice League."

---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  Chris Evans (Captain America) like the idea of Oscar-winner Brie Larson as Captain Marvel.  Marvel is reportedly in talks with Larson to play the role.

---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  Marvel Studios may have recovered the film rights to Namor the Sub-Mariner.

From CinemaBlend:  and actor Brian Tee has started campaigning to be Namor.

---------------
COMICS - From TheWrap:  Bryan Singer, the director of several X-Men movies, wants there to be a Mystique movie.  Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence currently plays the character.

---------------
OBITS - From YahooSports:  Donny Everett, a freshman pitcher for Vanderbilt University, has died at the age of 19, Thursday, June 2, 2016.  He apparently drowned while fishing with friends.

---------------
POLITICS - From the LATimes:  Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick on the unnecessary atomic bombing of Japan during WWII.

----------------
COMICS - From SlashFilm:  Ben Affleck's solo Batman movie will tell an original story.

---------------
MOVIES - From THR:  Bill Skarsgard will play "Pennywise the Clown" in the new 2-part film adaptation of Stephen King's "It."

---------------
COMICS - From THR:  Warner Bros. has picked Rick Famuyima to replace Seth Grahame-Smith as director of its "Flash" movie.  Famuyima earned acclaim for his film, "Dope."

---------------
MUSIC - From YahooNews:  Tests show Prince OD'd on opiods.

---------------
BLACK LIVES MATTER - From Slate:  Rich white Oklahoma man who shot and killed a Black man while playing deputy sentenced to four years in prison.

---------------
MOVIES - From THR:  Indiana man has been accused of killing three people in attacks modeled after the 2013 film, "The Purge."

---------------
MOVIES - From THR:  Stefano Sollima named the director of the "Sicario" sequel, which is entitled "Soldado."

---------------
COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  Simon Kinberg, one of the problems with the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot, talks about what went wrong with the film.

---------------
COMICS - From CBR:  Marvel cannot use the classic Avengers villain, Kang, in Marvel movies.

---------------
COMICS - From Variety:   Oscar-winner Brie Larson (Room) is the frontrunner to play "Captain Marvel" in the Marvel Studios film of the same name.

---------------
MOVIES - From DarkHorizons:  Danish director Susanne Bier has made a shortlist of directors who may helm the next James Bond film.  Bier directed "In a Better World," the winner of a "Best Foreign Language Film" Oscar.

---------------
COMICS - From CourtoftheDead:  The "Court of the Dead" merchandising line will be a comic book.

---------------
COMICS - From THR:  FX orders 8 episodes of "Legion," an X-Men television series.

---------------
COMICS - From ScreenRant:  Set photos from "Wolverine 3" reveal that the film may be adapting the popular "Old Man Logan" story from the comic book.

---------------
HARRY POTTER - From BBC:  Photos of the actors in the stage play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," have been released.  Previews of the show begin June 7, 2016.

---------------
TELEVISION - From YahooCelebrity:  The actor Michael Jace, who appeared on the television series, "The Shield," was convicted by a jury of the second degree murder of his wife.

--------------
COMICS - From Collider:  The third "Thor" film will integrate the "Planet Hulk" storyline, including the character, The Gamemaster.

COMICS - From JoBlo:  A "Guardians of the Galaxy 2" villain is revealed.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  Here is the new trailer for the film, "Monster Trucks."  Yeah, it's come to this.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for July 4th to 11th, 2015 - Update #11

Support Leroy on Patreon.

NEWS:

From Variety:  Avengers and Inside Out help push Disney over $3 billion in global box office gross.

---------------
From BoxOfficeMojo:  It looks like "Jurassic World" will still be #1 at the box office for the July 4th 2015 weekend box office.


COMIC BOOKS - Films and Books:

From THR:  Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will unite in a comic book.

---------------
From CBR:  Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson are announced as artist for "Batman: The Dark Knight III: The Master Race."

---------------
From CBR:  Wesley Snipes says that he has met with more about playing "Blade" again.

---------------
From Variety:  Marisa Tomei will reportedly be the new Aunt May in the Spider-Man reboot.

---------------
From ThePlaylist:  "X-Men: Apocalypse" is the real first X-Men film, says Bryan Singer.

---------------
From EW:  More on the upcoming new X-Men film.


TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  New trailer for "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip."


OBITS:

From TheGuardian:  The actor, Omar Sharif, died at the age of 83 in Egypt on Friday, July 10, 2015.  Sharif is known for his roles in Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago.

---------------
From THR:  Movie producer Jerry Weintraub died today, Monday, July 6, 2015, at the age of 77.  He produced the original Ocean's 11 and The Karate Kid films and the remakes and sequels.  He received an Emmy Award for producing the TV bio-film, Behind the Candelabra, one of three he won.

---------------
From Deadline:  Michael Douglas's mother, Diana Douglas, died on Saturday, July 4th, 2015.  She was Kirk Douglas' first wife.  She was 92.


---------------
From TheWrap:  The actress Amanda Peterson was recently found dead in her Colorado home.  She was best known for her role in 80's classic, Can't Buy Me Love.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites for May 1st to 9th, 2015 - Update #16

NEWS:

From TheWrap:  First look at three characters from Quentin Tarantino's "Hateful Eight."

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From RollingStone:  Lucasfilm talking about a new Indiana Jones movie.

-----------------
From TheWrap:  The winner of the 5/1 to 5/3/2015 box office is Avengers: Age of Ultron with an estimated haul of $187.7 million.  The speculation is that the sequel did not surpass the 2012 film because of the Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing match.

-----------------
From YahooTV:  Deadline says big sports weekend could slow down Age of Ultron numbers.

-----------------
From Newsweek:  Morgan Freeman on "the terrorism we suffer from the police."


STAR WARS:

From YahooMovies:  A few more details about the un-produced versions of George Lucas' ideas for Star Wars 7, 8, and 9.

----------------
From TheWrap:  Article claims that second Star Wars anthology film will focus on Boba Fett.  The first is "Rogue One," which is due in Dec. 2016.

----------------
From YahooMovies:  The Hollywood Reporter gives details about Josh Trank's departure from Star Wars Anthology film.

-----------------
From TheHollywoodReporter:  Josh Tranks will not direct the second Star Wars standalone film.


COMICS - Books and Movies:

From FlickeringMyth:  First promo art from "Captain America: Civil War."

---------------
From YahooMovies:  Photo of the cast of "Suicide Squad" in costume.

---------------
From CinemaBlend:  "Saturday Night Live" offers a fake "Black Widow" romantic-comedy trailer.

---------------
From ScreenRant:  Rumors say that it is down to Asa Butterfield and Tom Holland to be the new Peter Parker/Spider-Man.

----------------
From Variety:  Avengers: Age of Ultron has massive opening Friday.

----------------
From Instagram:  A look at the young actresses who will play Jubilee and Jean Gray in X-Men Apocalypse, via Bryan Singer's Instagram account.

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

From YahooGames:  New Fantastic Four character posters.

-----------------
From TheVillageVoice:  Amy Nicholson reviews Avengers: Age of Ultron.


TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  From 20th Century Fox, a Mother's Day-theme trailer for the upcoming Peanuts movie.


OBITS:

From TheWrap: The singer and songwriter, Ben E. King, is dead at the age 76.  King is known as the singer and co-writer of one of the most popular songs of all time, "Stand By Me," which was originally recorded in 1960 and first released in 1961.

-----------------
From TheWrap:  The actress, Suzanne Crough, has died.  She played "Tracy Partridge" on the 1970s sitcom, "The Partridge Family.  Crough was 52.

------------------
From Vulture:  The author and screenwriter, Michael Blake, has died.  Black wrote the novel, Dances with Wolves, and the screenplay adaptation of Kevin Costner's film adaptation.  Blake won an Oscarn for his screenplay.  Blake was 69.

Review: "X-Men: Days of Future Past" - Why So Serious?

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 28 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
Running time:  131 minutes (2 hours, 11 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi violence and action, some suggestive material, nudity and language
DIRECTOR:  Bryan Singer
WRITERS:  Simon Kinberg; from a story by Jane Goldman, Simon Kinberg, and Matthew Vaughn 
PRODUCERS:  Hutch Parker, Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Bryan Singer
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Newton Thomas Sigel
EDITOR/COMPOSER:  John Ottman

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION/DRAMA

Starring:  Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Peter Dinklage, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Halle Berry, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Omar Sy, Daniel Cudmore, Bingbing Fan, Adan Canto, Booboo Stewart, Evan Peters, Josh Helman, and Anna Paquin

X-Men: Days of Future Past is a 2014 superhero movie from director Bryan Singer.  It is 20th Century Fox’s seventh film based Marvel Comics’ X-Men comic book franchise.  This new movie is a sequel to 2011’s X-Men: First Class and a kind of sequel to 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand.  X-Men: Days of Future Past finds the X-Men of the future sending one of their own into past in a desperate effort to change history and to prevent the destruction of the world for both humans and mutants.

The film opens (apparently) sometime in the third decade of the 21st century.  By this time, mutant-hunting machines called Sentinels have wiped out nearly all mutants and also the humans that supported them.  The last of the X-Men are about to make a desperate bid to change their apocalyptic future.  Charles Xavier/Professor X (Patrick Stewart) concocts a plan that sends the mind of Logan/The Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back into the past and into the body of his younger self in the year 1973.

In 1973, Logan must contact the younger Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and convince him that they must stop Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from committing an assassination that will lead to the creation of the Sentinels.  However, Wolverine finds that the younger Charles is a mess.  Xavier wants no part of his future self’s plan, especially when he discovers that he must cooperate with Erik Lensherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender), his dear friend-turned-bitter enemy.

Released in 2011, X-Men: First Class was a combination prequel to the original film, X-Men (2000), and a partial reboot of the franchise.  First Class was sparkly, fun, energetic, and even a bit sexy.  X-Men: Days of Future Past is ponderous and takes both its subject matter and its plot way too seriously.  I liked the film, but I only really enjoyed certain moments and a few characters.

Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic as Mystique, making the character’s emotions, mission, and anger seem real.  Nicholas Hoult is poignant as Hank McCoy/Beast; so much of his performance is restrained.  Hoult makes the most of subtle facial expressions, and his expressive eyes convey Beast in a way that gives him weight and depth.

What this film lacks is gravitas.  Days of Future Past pretends to be important serious because it metaphorically or symbolically deals with serious and important real world issues.  However, the movie is tedious instead of being weighty in any meaningful a way.  It is as if this film has so much to cover that it almost ends up sinking under the burden of its moralizing via multiple points of view, characters, and competing timelines.

In fact, after seeing Days of Future Past, I realized that Wolverine is not particularly consequential to the plot, or at least the screenplay does not make him seem so.  For what the character does, just about any other X-Men could have made that trip into the past.  [In The X-Men comic book story, “Days of the Future Past,” upon which this movie is based, Kitty Pryde travels into the past – the year 1983.]  I read a review of this movie in which the writer said that this was a movie about Mystique and Wolverine.  In a way, this movie is indeed most about what Mystique wants, and the movie would be better off if it stayed with Mystique longer than it actually does.

Although I like it, X-Men: Days of Future Past is my least favorite X-Men movie.  I found the future Sentinels particularly scary and chilling, and Evan Peters as Quicksilver is a blast.  Of all the X-Men movies, it has the best production values and the best special effects.  It is, however, full of sound and fury, and even in the universe of X-Men movies, it does not signify much of anything.

5 of 10
B-

Saturday, May 31, 2014


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