Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 23rd to 28th, 2025 - UPDATE #13

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

TREATS: From AnotherCookie?:  There is a new online cookie retailer, "AnotherCookie?" The cookies are delicious.

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NEWS:

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Max has opened a development room for its "Crazy Rich Asians" series, which will be based on the 2018 smash hit film of the same name.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners at the 2025 / 56th NAACP Image Awards have been announced.  Keke Palmer was named "Entertainer of the Year."  Tyler Perry and Netflix's "The Six Triple Eight" won four awards including "Outstanding Motion Picture" and "Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture" (Kerry Washington).

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/21 to 2/23/2025 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' Captain America: Brave New World with an estimated take of 28.2 million dollars.

ANIMATION - From Variety:  Nickelodeon has given a greenlight to a new 2D (traditional) animated series, "Avatar: Seven Havens," a sequel to its beloved "Avatar: The Last Airbender."  It will be comprised of 26 episodes spread out over two seasons.

OBITS:

From Variety:  American film and television actor, Gene Hackman, has died at the age of 95, Wednesday, February 26, 2025.  Hackman and his wife, classical pianist, Betsy Arakawa (63), were found dead Wednesday afternoon, in their Sante Fe, New Mexico home.  Hackman, a legendary figure in Hollywood, was a five-time Oscar nominee, winning "Best Actor" for his role in "The French Connection" (1971) and "Best Supporting Actor" for his role in Clint Eastwood's Western film, "Unforgiven" (1992).  His most famous roles were in such films as "Bonnie & Clyde" (1967), "I Never Sang for My Father" (1970), "The Conversation" (1974), "Superman" (1978), "Mississippi Burning" (1988), "Crimson Tide" (1995), and "Enemy of the State" (1988), to name a few.

From Variety:  A police search warrant lists the death of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and one of their three dogs, as "suspicious" in a police search warrant.

From Variety:  Oscar-winners Francis Ford Coppola and Clint Eastwood lead the Hollywood tributes to Gene Hackman.

From Variety:  "Variety" looks at the career of Gene Hackman in photos.

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From Deadline:  American actress and former child star, Michelle Trachtenberg, has died at the age of 39, Wednesday, February 26, 2025.  She made her first big splash in the Nickelodeon television series, "The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1994-96).  She would go on to create an adoring fan base via such TV series as "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Gossip Girl."  Her notable film work included work in the cult favorite, "EuroTrip" (2004) and the horror remake, "Black Christmas" (2006).  Trachtenberg earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for hosting the Discovery Kids series, "Truth of Scare" (2001-03).

From Variety:  Mexican-American film and television writer and producer, Roberto Orci, has died at the age of 51, Tuesday, February 25, 2025.  He is best known for such TV series as "Fringe" (Fox) and the 2010-20 "Hawaii Five-O" reboot for CBS.  His film work includes the "Star Trek" reboot films that began with the 2009 film, "Star Trek."  Orci shared an Emmy Award for the animated series, "Transformers: Prime" (2010-13).

From Variety:  American singer, pianist, and recording artist, Roberta Flack, has died at the age of 88, Monday, February 24, 2025.  A four time Grammy Award winner, Flack was the first recording artist to win the Grammy for "Record of the Year" in consecutive years:  "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" (1973) and "Killing Me Softly with His Song" (1974).  She also received the "Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award" in 2020.  Flack's other hits included "Feel Like Makin' Love" (1974), and some popular duets, "Where is the Love" (with Donny Hathaway, 1972), "The Closer I Get to You" (with Donny Hathaway, 1978), "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" (with Peabo Bryson, 1983), and "Set the Night to Music" (with Maxi Priest, 1991), to name a few.

From Deadline:  American film director, producer, and screenwriter, George Armitage, has died at the age of 82, Saturday, February 15, 2025.  Armitage is best known for directing such films as "Miami Blues" (1990), "Grosse Pointe Blank" (1997), and "The Big Bounce" (2004).

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MOVIE AWARDS:

From Deadline:  The Screen Actors Guild has announced the winners at the 2025 / 31st SAG Awards.  "Conclave" won the top prize, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture."

From Variety:  The winners the 2025 / 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) have been announced.  "Conclave" won "Best Film" and "Outstanding British Film."

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2025 / 36th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced.  "Anora" wins the awards' top prize, "The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures."

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2025 / 77th Annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced. Sean Baker and his team won the top prize, "Theatrical Feature Film," for his film "Anora."

From THR:  The winners for the 2025 / 82nd Annual Golden Globes have been announced.  "Emilia Perez" won "Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy" and "Best Motion Picture - Non-English Language."  "The Brutalist" won "Best Motion Picture - Drama."  "Wicked" won in the new category, "Cinematic and Box Office Achievement."  "Flow" won "Best Motion Picture - Animated."

From AMPAS:  The nominations for the 2025 / 97th Academy Awards have been announced the winners will be announced Sunday, March 2, 2025.

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2025 / 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.  "Anora won "Feature," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2025 / 25th Vancouver Film Critics Circle (VFCC) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won "Best Picture" and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 7th Annual Latino Entertainment Journalists Association (LEJA) Film Awards have been announced.  "Sing Sing" won "Best Picture" and "Best Actor" (Colman Domingo).

From AwardsWatch:  GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics has announced the winners of its Dorian Film Awards.  "The Substance" has won five awards including "Film of the Year," "Film Performance of the Year" (Demi Moore), and "Film Director of the Year" (Coralie Fargeat).

From THR:  The nominations for the 2025 / 36th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sat. Feb. 8th.

From BBC:  The nominations for the 2025 / 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs) have been announced.  "Conclave" leads with 12 nominations.  The winners will be Sunday, Feb. 16th, 2025.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2025 / 77th Annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced.  In the awards' marquee category, "Theatrical Feature Film," the nominees are Jacques Audiard ("Emilia Perez"), Sean Baker ("Anora"), Edward Berger ("Conclave"), Brady Corbet ("The Brutalist"), and James Mangold ("A Complete Unknown").  The winners will be announced February 8th.

From EW:  The Screen Actors Guild has cancelled the 2025 / 31st SAG Awards nominations announcement live-stream because of the current wildfires sweeing through the Los Angeles area.  The nominations will be announced Thursday morning, January 9th via press release and on SAG Awards website.  The SAG Award ceremony will be hired Feb. 23rd.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 2025 / 56th Annual NAACP Image Awards have been announced.  Netflix's "The Piano Lesson" leads with 14 nominations.  The winners will be announced February 21st and 22nd.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2025 / 22nd Annual International Cinephile Society (ICS) Awards have been announced.  "All We Imagine as Light" has won "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Payal Kapadia), and "Best Ensemble."

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2025 / 30th Annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced.  "Anora" wins "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2025 / 45th London Critics Circle Film Awards were announced. "The Brutalist" was named "Film of the Year."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" was named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The International Press Academy has announced the winners at the 2025 / 29th Satellite Awards in Motion Pictures and Television.  "The Brutalist" won "Motion Picture, Drama" and "Anora" won "Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Denver Film Critics Society (DFCS) Awards have been announced.  "Dune: Part Two" has been named "Best Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Pittsburgh Film Critics Association (PFCA) Awards have been announced. This is the association inaugural awards announcement.  "The Substance" was named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Chicago Independent Critics (CIC) Awards have been announced.  "The Substance" has won seven awards, including "Best Indepent Film," "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat), and "Best Actress" (Demi Moore).  "Dune: Part Two" won "Best Studio Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) Awards have been announced.  "Emilia Perez" wins "Best Movie About Women."  Coralie Fargeat's "The Substance" wins "Best Movie By a Woman" (directing)

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the annual Portland Critics Association (PCA) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" won in 10 of the 13 categories in which it was nominated, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Brady Corbet), and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 North Dakota Film Society (NDFS) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won five awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Hawaii Film Critics Society (HFCS) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" took four awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) Awards have been announced.  "The Wild Robot" won two awards - "Best Picture" and "Best Animated Feature."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the Minnesota Film Critics Association (MNFCA) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has taken five awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Brady Corbet), and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Music City Film Critics Association (MCFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Dune: Part Two" has won four awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Denis Villeneuve).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Georgia Film Critics Association (GFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) EDA Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has won "Best Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won five awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Kansas City Film Critics Circle (KCFCC) Awards have been announced.  "The Substance" has won six awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat), and "Best Actress" (Demi Moore). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GWNYFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Challengers" has won "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Luca Guadagnino).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 DiscussingFilm's Global Film Critics Awards have been announced.  "Nickel Boys" won "Best Picture."

From EW:  The nominations for the 2025 / 82nd Annual Golden Globes have been announced.  "Emilia Perez" leads with 10 nominations.  The winners will be announced January 5, 2025 on CBS and Paramount+.

From THR:  The winners at the 2025 National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) Awards have been announced. "Nickel Boys" has won the award for "Best Picture" of 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC) Awards have been announced.  "Conclave" won five awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Edward Berger), and "Best Actor" (Ralph Fiennes).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Conclave" has won three awards, including "Best Narrative Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Columbia Film Critics Association (COFCA) Awards have been announced. "The Substance" has won four awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat), and "Best Actress" (Demi Moore), 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 29th Capri, Hollywood-International Film Festival Awards have been announced. "Emilia Perez" won six awards, including "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Critics Association of Central Florda (CACF) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" has been named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 UK Film Critics Association (UKFCA) Awards have been announced. "Dune: Part Two" won "Film of the Year" and "Best Director" (Denis Villeneuve).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) Awards have been announced. "Anora" has won four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Online Association of Female Film Critics (OAFFC) Awards have been announced.  "The Substance" won six awards, including "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat). and "Best Leading Performance" (Demi Moore).  "The Substance" shared the "Best Film" honor with "Anora."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won six awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) Awards have announced.  "The Beast" has won "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Bertrand Bonello).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Nevada Film Critics Society (NFCS) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has taken six awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Brady Corbet), and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Dublin Film Critics Circle (DFCC) Awards have been announced.  "The Zone of Interest" was named "Best Film" and its director, Jonathan Glazer, won "Best Director."  Although the film was released in Dublin this year, it was eligible for the Academy Awards in 2023.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critic Association (DFWFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" has won three awards: "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 Southeastern Film Critics Associations (SFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" has been named "Best Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Iowa Film Critics Association (IFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" won three awards: "Best Film," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), and "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison).

From AwardsWatch: The winners at the 2024 New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) Awards have been announced.  "The Substance" has won "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat)

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) Awards have been announced.  "The Substance" has been named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Phoenix Film Critics Society (PFCS) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has been named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) Awards.  "The Substance" has won six awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Coralie Fargeat), and "Best Leading Performance" (Demi Moore), and "Best Supporting Performance" (Margaret Qualley).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Nickel Boys" has won "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (RaMell Ross)

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Awards have been announced. "Dune: Part Two" has won three awards, including "Film" and "Best Director" (Denis Villeneuve).

From AwardsWatch:  The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has announced the nominations in the category of "Outstanding Producer of Documentary Motion Pictures." The winners at the 2025 / 39th Annual Producers Guild Awards will be announced Saturday, February 8, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced. "Anora" has been named "Best Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) Awards have been announced. "The Brutalist" has taken five awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Brady Corbet), and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody). 

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Las Vegas Film Critics Society (LVFCS) Awards have been announced.  "Dune: Part Two" has won six awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Denis Villeneuve).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) Awards have been announced.  "Nickel Boys" has won "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (RaMell Ross). "Sing Sing" has won "Best Actor" (Colman Domingo) and "Best Supporting Actor" (Clarence Maclin).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Phoenix Critics Circle (PCC) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has been named "Best Picture."  The films four total wins including for "Best Director" (Brady Corbet) and "Best Actor" (Adrien Brody).

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Chicago Film Critics (CFC) Awards have been announced.  "The Brutalist" has won "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) Awards have been announced.  "Sing Sing" won "Best Picture," won of three awards it received.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 Michigan Movie Critics Guild (MMCG) Awards have been announced.  "Anora" was named "Best Picture," one of its four wins.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 2024 Atlanta Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  "Anora" was named "Best Film," one of four awards it won.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Washington Area Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  "Wicked" has won the award for "Best Feature."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners of the 49th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  "Anora" was named "Best Picture."  Marianne Jean-Baptiste (for "Hard Truths") became the first Black woman to win a lead performance honor in the groups history.

From AwardsWatch:  The winners for the 2024 / 27th British Independent Film Awards have been announced.  The Irish film, "Kneecap," wins "Best British Independent Film."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2024 Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) have been announced.  "Anora" wins "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Sean Baker), "Best Actress" (Mikey Madison), and "Best Original Screenplay."

From AFI:  The American Film Institute has named its top ten films and television series.  Among the films honored are "Dune: Part Two," "Nickel Boys," and "Wicked."

From THR:  The winners at the 2024 / 37th European Film Awards have been announced.  "Emilia Perez" wins the award for "European Film."  It also won the directing (Jacques Audiard), writing (Audiard), and actress (Karla Sofia Gascon) honors.

From NBR:  The National Board of Review has named its 2024 film honorees.  "Wicked" wins "Best Film" and "Best Director" (for John M. Chu).

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2025 / 40th Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.  Cannes 2024 Palme d'Or winner, "Anora," and "I Saw the TV Glow" each lead with six nominations apiece.  The winners will be announced Saturday, February 22, 2025.

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2024 / 90th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  Director Brady Corbet's three-hour epic, "The Brutalist," has won "Best Film" and its star, Adrian Brody, has won "Best Actor."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2024 / 34th Gotham Awards have been announced.  Writer-director Aaron Schimberg's "A Different Man" has won the "Best Feature" award.

From Deadline:  The 2024 / 34th Gotham Awards kick off the 2024-25 movie awards season by announcing its nominations for achievement in film.  Director Sean Baker's "Anora," which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, leads with four nominations.  The winners will be announced Monday, December 2, 2024.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 27th British Independent Film Awards have been announced.  The Irish film, "Kneecap," leads with 14 nominations. The winners will be announced Sunday, December 8, 2024.

BEST PICTURE WINNER COUNT:

From AwardsWatch:  This link will take you, dear readers, to "AwardWatch's" article, "Who Won What? - The 2024/2025 Film Award Precursor Guide."

"All We Imagine as Light": 1 win (International Cinephile Society)

"Anora": 20 wins (Atlanta Film Critics Circle; Austin Film Critics Association; Boston Society of Film Critics; CACF; Critics Choice Awards; DFWFCA; DGA; Georgia Film Critics Association; IFCA; LAFCA; Michigan Movie Critics Guild; North Dakota Film Society; OAFFC; NTFCA; Philadelphia Film Critics Circle; Satellite Awards; SFBAFCC; SFCA; Spirit Awards; VFCC)

"The Beast": 1 win (Florida Film Critics Circle)

"The Brutalist": 13 wins (AWFJ; BOFCA; Chicago Film Critics; Golden Globes-Drama; HFCS; London Critics Circle; MNFCA; Nevada Film Critics Society; NYFCC; Phoenix Critics Circle; Phoenix Film Critics Circle; Portland Critics Association; Satellite Awards)

"Challengers": 1 win (GWNYFCA)

"Conclave":  4 wins (BAFTAs; North Carolina Film Critics Association; Oklahoma Film Critics Circle; SAG Awards)

"A Different Man": 1 win (Gotham Awards)

"Dune: Part Two" - 6 wins (Chicago Independent Critics; LVFCS; Music City Film Critics Associations; St.LFCA; UKFCA)

"Emilia Perez":  4 wins (Capri, Denver Film Critics Society; Hollywood-International Film Festival Awards; European Film Awards; Golden Globes-Comedy or Musical; WFCC)

"Kneecap": 1 win (British Independent Film Awards)

"Nickel Boys": 4 wins (AAFCA; DiscussingFilm; National Society of Film Critics; TFCA)

"Sing Sing": 2 wins (LEJA Film Awards; San Diego Film Critics Society)

"The Six Triple Eight" - 1 win (NAACP Image Awards)

"The Substance": 10 wins (Chicago Independent Critics; COFCA; Dorian Awards; Indiana Film Journalists Association; KCFCC; NYFCO; OAFFC; Pittsburgh Film Critics Association; Seattle Film Critics Society; WFCC)

"Wicked": 2 wins (National Board of Review; WAFCA)

"The Wild Robot":  1 win (Utah Film Critics Association)

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 16th to 22th, 2024 - UPDATE #15

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Kevin Costner announces that he is not returning for the final season of "Yellowstone."

SPORTS - From TheNewYorkTimes:  It's okay, fellow Lakers fans. We do have 18 titles, too.

AMAZON - From THR:  Josh Gad will star in and produce with Mel Brooks a sequel to Brooks' "Star Wars" satire film, "Space Balls" (1987). Amazon MGM Studios is behind the project.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Will Smith has joined Sony Pictures and Escape Artists on the sci-fi film, "Resistor."  It is based on Daniel Suarez's novel, "Influx."

MOVIES - From Variety:  Lionsgate has landed the North American rights to Francis Ford Coppola's divisive new film, "Megalopolis."  Lionsgate currently plans a Sept. 27th, 2024 release date.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 6/14 to 6/16/2024 weekend box office is Disney/Pixar's "Inside Out 2" with an estimated take of 155 million dollars.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  As the final episodes of "Yellowstone," film without him, star Kevin Costner says he would return to the series "under the right circumstances.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Jason Patric has joined the cast of the "Terrifier 3," the sequel to the 2022 hit cult film, "Terrifier 2."  Film on the third entry wrapped in NYC last week.

TONY AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners at the 2024 / 77th Annual Tony Awards were announced last night (Sun., Jun 16th). "The Outsiders" wins for "Best Musical."

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Eddie Murphy provides some updates on the fourth "Beverly Hills Cop" film, "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F." Much of it has to do with working with Taylour Paige, who plays Axel Foley's daughter. The film is due July 3rd on Netflix.

MOVIES - From TheNewYorkTimes:  There is a chilling reason American audiences might not get to see "The Apprentice," the new movie about Donald Trump (played by Sebastian Stan) and his mentor, the late Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong).

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Canadian film and television actor, Donald Sutherland, has died at the age of 88, Thursday, June 20, 2024.  His seven-decade film career contains too many great films to name, but among them are M*A*S*H (1970), "Klute" (1971), "Don't Look Now" (1973), "Invasion of the Body Snatcher" (1978), "Ordinary People" (1980), and "The Hunger Game" franchise.  He won a Primetime Emmy for his work in the HBO TV movie, "Citizen X" (1995). Some consider Sutherland to be the best actor never to be nominated for an Oscar, but he did receive an "Academy Honor Award" in 2017.  Among Sutherland's five children is actor, Kiefer Sutherland.

From Deadline:  Keifer Sutherland remembers his father, actor Donald Sutherland, who has died at the age of 88.

From Deadline:  Remembering Donald Sutherland, a career in photos

From Deadline:  Hollywood reacts to the death of Emmy-winning actor, Donald Sutherland. Among the comments are President Joe Biden, and Oscar-winners, Ron Howard and Michael Douglas.

From Deadline:  Donald Sutherland's last major role was as "Judge Isaac Parker" (a.k.a. "the Hanging Judge") on the Paramount+ miniseries, "Lawmen: Bass Reeves."  Series executive producer and star, David Oyelowo, talks about working with Sutherland.

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From ESPN:  Professional baseball legend and Major League Baseball centerfielder, Willie Mays, has died at the age of 93, Tuesday, June 18, 2024.  Known as "the Say Hey Kid," Mays is considered by some to be the greatest all-around baseball of all time.  Mays is best known for his time with the New York/San Francisco Giants, with whom he won the 1954 World Series.  He was the National League Rookie of the Year (1951) and was a two-time National League Most Valuable Player.  Mays finished his career with the New York Meets in 1972 and 1973.  Mays also played one season in the Negro Leagues.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 12th to 18th, 2024 - UPDATE #15

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From ScreenRant:  Will Smith confirms that production is ongoing for "I Am Legend 2," and that he has had a "productive" meeting with Michael B. Jordan, his co-star.

MOVIES - From THR:  Universal has made a number of changes to and announcements concerning its 2025 horror movie slate.  That includes the following:  "Five Nights at Freddy’s 2" has received an official release date in theaters. Dec. 5, 2025. "M3GAN 2.0" moves from May 16, 2025 to June 27, 2025.  "The Black Phone 2" moves from June 27, 2025 to Oct. 17, 2025.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Mortal Kombat 2" is set for an October 24, 2025 release date.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Junior broadcast network, "The CW," is looking to expand its reach into live sports. While that can't compete for the NFL or NBA rights, they are considering partnerships with entities like ESPN.

BUSINESS - From CBSNews:  McDonald's is considering a $5 meal deal.

From CBSNews:  Americans are choking on surging fast food prices.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Director George Miller said that there was "no excuse" for the feud between Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, the stars of his 2015 hit film, "Mad Max: Fury Road."

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Steve Buscemi is the latest celebrity to be attacked on the streets of New York City.  An unknown man walked up and struck the 66-year-old actor while he was walking in a neighborhood on Manhattan's East side. Buscemi's publicist said the actor is doing ok.

CANNES - From Deadline:  Francis Ford Coppola's much-talked about film, "Megalopolis," has buyers that will distribute the film in key European markets.  Constantin Film has bought the film for distribution in Germany and all German-speaking territories, including Switzerland and Austria.  Eagle Pictures bought it for Ital.  Tripictures has the film for Spain.  Entertainment Film Distributors Limited purchased the film for the U.K.  As announced last week, Le Pacte will distribute the film in France.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 5/10 to 5/12/2024 Mother's Day weekend box office is 20th Century's "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" with an estimated take of 56.5 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Warner Bros. is set to release a new "Lord of the Rings" movie.  Entitled "The Hunt for Gollum", the film will focus on the tragic character, "Gollum," to be played again, by Andy Serkis.  "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit" trilogy director, Peter Jackson, and his partners, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, will produce the film and will be involved every step of the way.  Andy Serkis will direct the feature which is scheduled for 2026.

From Deadline:  Peter Jackson, Andy Serkins, and Philippa Boyens talk about their return to "Middle-Earth" for more "Lord of the Rings" films.  They also talk about how the Cannes 2001 saved the original films.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American film and television actor, Dabney Coleman, has died at the age of 92, Thursday, May 16, 2024.  Best known as a character actor, Coleman's best known work was in such films as "9 to 5" (1980), "On Golden Pond" (1981), "Tootsie" (1982), and "WarGames" (1983), to name a few.  He was also the lead in several short-lived TV series:  "Buffalo Bill" (NBC, 1983-84), "The Slap Maxwell Stoy" (ABC, 1987-88), "Drexell's Class" (Fox, 1991-92), and "Madman of the People" (NBC, 1994-95).  Coleman was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards and won once, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special," for his performance in the ABC made-for-TV movie, "Sworn to Silence" (1987).

From Deadline:  American alto saxophone player, jazz musician, and composer, David Sanborn, has died at the age of 78, Sunday, May 12, 2024.  According to "Discogs," Sanborn had over 800 recorded music credits, including 33 albums releases.  Sanborn also won six Grammy Awards.  He also composed the score for several films, including "Lethal Weapon 2," "Lethal Weapon 3," and "Lethal Weapon 4."

From Variety:  American film producer and director, Roger Corman, has died at the age of 98, Thursday, May 9, 2024.  According to his IMDb stats, Corman directed 55 films and produced 385 between 1954 and 2008.  With his brother, Gene Corman, Roger founded New World Pictures, a small film production and distribution company.  Corman mentored and gave starts to a number of directors who would go on to fame, including Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, John Sayles, and James Cameron, to name a few.  Future acting legend who got a start with Corman, including Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson, and Dennis Hopper, to name a few.  In 2009, Corman received an honorary Academy Award.  Among Corman's most famous films are "The Big Doll House" (1971), "The Little Shop of Horrors" (1960), and "The Masque of the Red Death" (1964), to name a few.

From Deadline:  Hollywood remembers Roger Corman, including quotes from Gale Anne Hurd, William Shatner, Ron Howard, John Carpenter, and Joe Russo.

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GAZA:

5/7/2024 - From NewYorkTimes:  The actions of police officers and counterprotesters at campus demonstrations came under further scrutiny on Tuesday, with the University of California system saying it would investigate the law enforcement response to a violent attack on pro-Palestinian protesters at its Los Angeles campus, while the White House condemned the taunting of a Black student captured in a video at the University of Mississippi.

5/4/2024 - From TheGuardian:  On the police crackdown on campus Gaza ceasefire protests: "the police are sending a message" says Dartmouth labor historian.

5/3/24 - From NBCNews:  In an interview with Kristin Welker on NBC's "Meet the Press," Cindy McCain, the executive director of the World Food Programme, said she believes there is a "full-blown famine" in northern Gaza.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 7th to 13th, 2024 - UPDATE #26

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

DISNEY - From Deadline:  ESPN has greelit a "30 for 30" documentary about the late ESPN anchor, Stuart Scott (1965-2015).  According to "Deadline," Scott "shattered preconceived notions of how on-air figures were expected to look, talk, act, and think–and in the process, helped bring hip-hop and Black culture into the sports media mainstream."  Currently in production, the film is being directed by Andre Gaines.

CINEMACON - From THR:  Paramount revealed footage from "Gladiator 2," the sequel to the 2000 "Best Picture" Oscar winner, "Gladiator," at CinemaCon 2024.  Reports suggest that the footage from the film, which is directed by Ridley Scott, director of the first film, left the audience very entertained.

From Deadline:  Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle will set his next film inside a prison, according to unconfirmed reports.  The film will be part of his overall deal with Paramount.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Remember when CBS' "S.W.A.T." was cancelled and its sixth season was to be its last before it got a reprieve for a seventh season.  Well, CBS has renewed it for an eighth season.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Prince Harry and Megan, the Duchess of Sussex are launching two non-fiction series at Netflix.  This is part of the overall deal they signed with the streamer via their Archewell Productions in 2020.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  The Cinema for Gaza auction has received several new celebrity donations from the entertainment world, with its fundraising efforts now surpassing $200,000.  Among the new lots are a “Joker” poster signed by Joaquin Phoenix.  He also donated a poster for “You Were Never Really Here” that he signed alongside director Lynne Ramsay.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actor Malcolm Jamal Warner will guest-star on four upcoming episodes of ABC's "9-1-1."  Warner, who is best known for his role on NBC's former sitcom, "The Cosby Show," was a series regular on Fox's drama, "The Resident."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Danny Boyle is set to direct the first film in the new "28 Years Later," the follow-up to his film, 28 Days Later, and its sequel, 28 Weeks Later, perhaps, later this year.  Sony Pictures is already lining up a director for the second film and is talks with The Marvels and Candyman (2021) director, Nia DaCosta, to direct it.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS has renewed "NCIS" and "The Neighborhood" for the 2024-25 broadcast season.  For "NCIS," that will be its 22nd season.  For the sitcom, "The Neighborhood," that will be it seventh season.

From Deadline:  CBS has renewed its "FBI" franchise trio for the 2024-25 broadcast television season.  "FBI: Most Wanted" will get a sixth season, and "FBI: International," will get a fourth.  The flagship, "FBI," gets three-season renewal which will over Seasons 7 through 9.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  Actor Kit Harrington, who played "Jon Snow" in HBO's "Game of Thrones," says that the Jon Snow spinoff series is no longer in development.  Harrington says the team of showrunners/writers that he brought onto the project couldn't find the right story to tell.

MOVIES - From Variety:  John Waters is trying to get financing for his first film in 20 years, "Liarmouth."  Meanwhile, "Fruitcake," a sequel to "Hairspray" (1998), might happen.

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  A list the 30 highest-grossing films of all time.  "Avatar" (2009) is #1 and "Skyfall" is #30.

MOVIES - From THR:  The big Hollywood studios are apparently wary of Francis Ford Coppola's self-financed epic film, "Megalopolis."  The word is that the film is too experimental and "not good," which makes the studios wary of spending 40 million prints and advertising and all marketing for domestic distribution and another 80 to 100 million for an international release.

CANNES - From Deadline:  Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis" will premiere in competition at Cannes 2024 on May 17th.

ANIMATION - From IndieWire:  David Lynch says that Netflix has passed on financing his proposed animated feature film, "Snootworld."  Although Lynch will not commit to directing the film, which he co-wrote with The Nightmare Before Christmas scribe, Caroline Thompson, he would produce the film. He is currently looking for new financiers.

MOVIES - From THR:  The recent success of the hit film, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, practically ensures that Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros' "MonsterVerse" has a bright future.

CANNES - From Variety:  The first installment of Kevin Costner's Western epic, "Horizon, an American Saga," will makes its premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.  It will be shown out of competition May 19th.  The film will be released in two installments, with the first debuting June 28th and the second arriving August 16th.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  20th Century Studios has closed a deal to finance and release "Deliver Me from Nowhere."  This will be a narrative film written and directed by Scott Cooper and starring Emmy-winner, Jeremy Allen White ("The Bear"), as Bruce Springsteen in a pivotal moment in his life.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Former Marvel Studios star, Jonathan Majors, has avoided jail time.  Over three months after being convicted of "reckless assault and harassment," Jonathan Majors was sentenced by Judge Michael Gaffey in an NYC courtroom to participate a domestic violence treatment program. The one-year “in person batterers” intervention program will be in Los Angeles, where Majors is based.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 4/5 to 4/7/2024 weekend box office is Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment's "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" with an estimated take of 31.7 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux reviews "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  58 years after making his debut feature ("What's Up, Tiger Lily"), Woody Allen is sitting “on the fence” about whether his latest movie, "Coup de Chance," his 50th feature, will be his last cinematic outing.  "The romance of filmmaking is gone," Allen says.

STAGE - From Deadline:  The Jamie Lloyd Company has announced that its upcoming West End production of Romeo & Juliet, headlined by Sony/Marvel "Spider-Man" star, Tom Holland, will head to Broadway after its 12-week London run.  Juliet will be played by Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who is making her West End debut.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  In a deal worth $500,000 against $1.5 million, Legendary Entertainment has optioned Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen‘s nonfiction book, "Nuclear War: A Scenario."  Legendary plans to use the film adaptation potential reteam with director Denis Villeneuve, who has directed the "Dune" films for Legendary and Warner Bros.  The expectation is that Villeneuve would work on this film after he finishes his third "Dune" film, "Dune: Messiah," which would be the final part of the "Dune" trilogy.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American screenwriter and director and documentary filmmaker, Eleanor Coppola, has died at the age of 87, Friday, April 12, 2024.  Coppola is best known for her 1991 documentary film, "Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse," for which she won two Emmy Awards.  Eleanor was married to legendary film director Francis Ford Coppola from 1963 to her passing.  They had three children: the late Gian-Carlo Coppola (1963-86), and filmmakers Sofia Coppola and Roman Coppola.

From ESPN:  Former NFL player, actor, and broadcaster, O.J. Simpson, has died at the age of 76, Wednesday, April 10, 2024.  Simpson was the 1968 Heisman Trophy winner at USC, and he was a member of the 1967 USC "National Championship" team that finished No. 1 in the AP and Coaches Polls.  He was the No. 1 pick in the 1969 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. When he retired in 1969, he was 2nd on the NFL's all-time rushing list.  After football, Simpson had an active two-and-a-half decade acting career, appearing in such films as "The Towering Inferno" (1974), "Capricorn One" (1978), and the "Naked Gun" film trilogy.  His television appearances included the ABC miniseries, "Roots" (1977), "Goldie and the Boxer" (1979), and "In the Heat of the Night" (1979).  After his playing career, Simpson was a "color commentator," including on ABC 's "NFL Monday Night Football" (1983-85).  However, Simpson will best be remembered for being arrested, charged, and later acquitted for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her... friend, Ron Goldman, on June 12, 1994.

Review: "American Graffiti" is Still Crusin' to Rock 'n' Roll 50 Years On

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 45 of 2023 (No. 1934) by Leroy Douresseaux

American Graffiti (1973)

Running time:  110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)

MPAA – PG

DIRECTOR:  George Lucas

WRITERS:  George Lucas and Gloria Katz & Willard Huyck

PRODUCERS:  Francis Ford Coppola and Gary Kurtz

CINEMATOGRAPHERS:  Jan D'Alquen (D.o.P.) and Ron Eveslage (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Verna Fields and Marcia Lucas

Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/HISTORICAL/MUSIC

Starring:  Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Wolfman Jack, Bo Hopkins, Manuel Padilla Jr., Beau Gentry, and Harrison Ford

American Graffiti is a 1973 coming-of-age, music-driven, comedy and drama film directed by George Lucas.  Lucas, who co-wrote the screenplay with the husband and wife team of Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based the story on his experiences in the cruising, and street-racing, and rock 'n' roll cultures of his youth.  American Graffiti focuses on a group of teenagers and their adventures over the course of one summer night in 1962.

American Graffiti opens in the Summer 1962.  The location is California's central valley, apparently in and around the city of Modesto.  There, through a series of vignettes, we watch as a group of teenagers enjoy the last evening of their summer vacation.

For recent high school graduates and friends, Curtis “Curt” Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss) and Steve Bolander (Ronny Howard), this is their last night in town before they board a plane the next day and go “back east” for college.  Steve doesn't believe that he can achieve the goals his wants by staying home, even if leaving means parting from his girlfriend, Curt's sister, Laurie (Cindy Williams).  However, Curt, who has recently received scholarship money from a local business group, isn't sure that he wants to leave.  Besides, tonight, he wants to chase the mystery woman who has caught his eye, a blonde driving a white Ford Thunderbird.

Curt and Steve's two friends are also having a big night.  The first is John Milner (Paul Le Mat), the central valley drag-racing king.  He has just learned that someone wants to challenge him for his crown, a confident ladies' man named Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford).  Meanwhile, the second character is the unpopular, but well-meaning Terry “The Toad” Fields (Charlie Martin Smith), who has just come into possession of Steve's car.  He is supposed to protect it until Steve returns from “back east” for Christmas.  Tonight, however, Terry hopes the car will help him land a date.  Meanwhile, in the background, the popular disc jockey, Wolfman Jack (himself), plays an array of rock 'n' roll hits.

As “DVD Netflix” prepares to shutdown, I've been racing to catch up on certain films that I have never seen or have not seen in a long time.  I recently decided to sample some films in which 2023 is the fiftieth anniversary of their original theatrical releases.  That includes such films as Walt Disney's Robin Hood, (hopefully)Woody Allen's Sleeper, and the Bruce Lee classic, Enter the Dragon.

As a kid, I was aware of American Graffiti long before I ever saw it.  I was and still am a huge fan of American Graffiti director, George Lucas's most famous film, Star Wars (1977).  So, as a kid, I read every article I could find about Star Wars, and they often mentioned his two earlier feature-length films, THX-1138 (1971) and American Graffiti.  [I also vaguely remember the release of the sequel, More American Graffiti.]

I also knew that a few film and television stars that I liked had starred or appeared in American Graffiti, specifically Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, and Harrison Ford.  Besides that fact that American Graffiti was a George Lucas movie, Ford was the other reason I most wanted to see the film.

I finally first saw American Graffiti on television, and though my memory is hazy on the facts, I'm sure I saw it at least a few years after the release of the sequel.  I remember liking it, enough that I planned on watching it again.  Decades later, this recent viewing is the first time that I've seen the film since that first viewing.

I still like it a lot.  I'm still a fan of Ford, Howard, and Dreyfuss, and along the way, I became a fan of some of its other young stars, including Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, and the recently-deceased Bo Hopkins (1938-2022).  The truth is that I'm crazy about the Hollywood icon, Harrison Ford, and, as for as I'm concerned, any movie with Ron Howard and Charles Martin Smith as actors is cinematic porn.  [Both Howard and Smith are also film directors.]

Watching the film this time, I was initially annoyed by Lucas' method of telling this story in a series of vignettes that constantly moved from one character to the next.  The film essentially has four plots that revolve around one of four characters, Curt, Steve, John, or Terry.  It took me nearly half the film to realize that the vignettes allow Lucas to depict and to reveal each one of these four young men's goals, conflicts, and fears.  This depiction of their inner selves makes them more interesting to me.  Not only did I root for them, but I also wanted to know more about them.  I wanted to know what was going to happen to them, both in the immediate and far future.

American Graffiti apparently helped launch a wave of nostalgia for and interest in the culture and times of the 1950s and early 1960s or at least an idealized, trouble free, white-washed version of it.  The film apparently renewed the ABC network's interest in what would become one of its most popular sitcoms, “Happy Days” (1974-84).  That long-running and popular television series also presented an idealized, trouble free, white-washed version of the 1950s and early 1960s.

Thus, as much as I enjoyed this viewing of American Graffiti, and as much as I'm interested in its characters, I done with it.  I'm not done with its lovely soundtrack – played in the background so that both the characters and audiences can hear these early classics of rock 'n' roll.  These musical recordings make this special night in the summer of 1962 really special.  Still, American Graffiti is an ode to George Lucas' memories.  It is a cinematic dream he fashioned from the varied experiences of his privileged youth.  I don't really relate to it the way I do other films that are also far from my experiences – such as The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) or Licorice Pizza (2021).

I wouldn't call American Graffiti a great film, so much as I'd call it a unique and important American film.  Why is it important?  Well, American Graffiti is a prime example of the fantasies that the Hollywood dream factory can make of real moments in time.  It's George Lucas' story – his story – presented as a fairy tale about one unforgettable night that will never be repeated.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, September 28, 2023

You can buy the American Graffiti film and soundtrack at AMAZON.

NOTES:

1974 Academy Awards, USA:  5 nominations: “Best Picture” (Francis Ford Coppola and Gary Kurtz), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Candy Clark), “Best Director” (George Lucas), “Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced” (George Lucas Gloria Katz, and Willard Huyck), and “Best Film Editing” (Verna Fields and Marcia Lucas)

1975 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Supporting Actress” (Cindy Williams)

1974 Golden Globes, USA:  2 wins:  “Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” or “Most Promising Newcomer – Male” (Paul Le Mat); 2 nominations: “Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” (Richard Dreyfuss) and “Best Director - Motion Picture” (George Lucas)

1995 National Film Preservation Board, USA:  “National Film Registry”

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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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 January 8th to 14th, 2023 - Update #20

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  "Snowpiercer," TNT's last remaining original scripted drama, is also leaving the cable network.  Season 4 of "Snowpiercer" has been completed and was to be the series' finale.  It will be shopped around to other networks.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Variety" has a revealing Q&A with the great horror and science fiction filmmaker, John Carpenter ("Halloween," "They Live," "The Fog").

MOVIES - From ScreenGeek:  Just when you thought it was safe to go outside again ... and visit movie theater comes word that Mel Gibson will begin filming the sequel to his 2004 mega-hit, "The Passion of the Christ," sometime this coming spring.  The title is apparently "The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection."

GOLDEN GLOBES - From Deadline:  For those who care (and I don't care as much as I once did), the winners of the 2023 / 80th Golden Globes Awards were announced last night (Tues., Jan. 10th).  "The Fabelmans" won for "Best Motion Picture-Drama" and "The Banshees of Inisherin" won for "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."

From Deadline:  Eddie Murphy was the recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 80th Annual Golden Globes on Tuesday night (Jan. 10th). Murphy ended his speech with the “blueprint” for up-and-coming actors to achieve success in the industry.  “I want to let you know that there is a definitive blueprint that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity and peace of mind,” he said. “There’s a blueprint and I followed it my whole career. It’s very simple.” Murphy continued, “Just do these three things: Pay your taxes, mind your business and keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out your f*cking mouth.”

NETFLIX - From THR:  Netflix debuts a trailer for "You People," the new film from Kenya Barris, the creator of ABC's former sitcom hit, "black-ish."  The film stars Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Duchovny, and Jonah Hill.

MOVIES - From THR:  Halfway through its production in Atlanta, Georgia, director Francis Ford Coppola's new film, "Megalopolis," is in trouble with the loss of key creative talent and the exit of its entire visual effects team.

From Deadline:  Hold up, boo!  Francis Ford Coppola says that there is no truth to the rumors of "Megalopolis" being in trouble.

TELEVISION - From Deadline: TV super-producer, Greg Berlanti, has signed a new four-year exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Television Group.  Berlanti was the architect of DC Comics' live-action TV series on The CW broadcast network.

MOVIES - From THR:   Actor Tim Blake Nelson has joined director Denis Villleneuve's "Dune: Part 2."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 1/6/2023 to 1/8/2023 weekend box office is "Avatar: The Way of Water" with an estimated take of 45 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Avatar: The Way of Water."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Director Eli Roth has not been fired as the director of Lionsgate's "Borderlands," a film based on the video game.  Instead Roth has hand reshoot duties on the film to director Tim Miller ("Deadpool") so that he can begin work on his next film, "Thanksgiving."

STREAMING - From Variety:   After premiering on Dec. 22, 2022, “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” became NBCUniversal streaming service, Peacock’s first original project to make it onto Nielsen’s Top 10 streaming rankings.  It is at #5 in an early version of the Dec. 19th to 25th, 2022 chart.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Singer-songwriter, Lisa Marie Presley, has died at the age of 54, Thursday, January 12, 2023.  She was the only child of rock 'n' roll icon, Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley.  Presley recorded three studios albums, including the gold-certified "To Whom it May Concern" (2003).

From BBC:  English rock guitarist, Jeff Beck, has died at the age of 78, Tuesday, January 10, 2023.  One of the most influential rock guitarists ever, Beck was best known for his association with the bands, "The Yardbirds" and "The Jeff Beck Group."  He was nominated for 16 Grammy Awards and won eight of them.

From Deadline:  The great American cinematographer, Owen Roizman, has died at the age of 86, Friday, January 6, 2023.  He received five "Best Cinematography" Oscar nominations, including for his work on "The French Connection" (1971) and "The Exorcist" (1973).  He received the "Academy Honorary Award" in 2017.

From Variety:  Film and television actor and voice performer, Earl Boen, has died at the age of 81, Thursday, January 5, 2023.  Boen was best known for playing criminal psychologist, Dr. Peter Silberman, in three film in the "Terminator" film series, beginning with 1984's "The Terminator."  However, Boen appeared in numerous other films, including "9 to 5" (1980) and "To Be or Not to Be" (1983).  Boen also appeared in guest roles on multiple TV series, including "Seinfeld," "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and "The West Wing," to name a few.  From 1988 to 2004, Boen was a voice actor, performing in almost 40 animated TV series in various genres.

AWARDS:

From Deadline:  The nominees for the 2023 / 34th Producers Guild of America Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories.  The winners will be announced Sat. Feb. 25th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 29th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Sun., Feb. 26th, 2023.

From Deadline:  The National Society of Film Critics has named "Tar" its "Best Picture" of 2023 and its star, Cate Blanchette, as "Best Actress."

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."