Review: First "GLADIATOR" Film is Still Rockin' the Colosseum

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 50 of 2024 (No. 1994) by Leroy Douresseaux

Gladiator (2000)

Running time:  155 minutes (2 hours, 35 minutes)

MPAA – R for intense, graphic combat

DIRECTOR:  Ridley Scott

WRITERS:  David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson (from a story by David Franzoni)

PRODUCERS:  David Franzoni, Branko Lustig, and Douglas Wick

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  John Mathieson

EDITOR:  Pietro Scalia

COMPOSERS:  Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard

Academy Award winner

DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, David Schofield, John Shrapnel, Tomas Arana, Ralf Moeller, Spencer Treat Clark, David Hemmings, and Tommy Flanagan

Gladiator is a 2000 historical epic film directed by Ridley Scott.  At the 73rd Academy Awards (March 2001), the film won the Oscar for Best Picture of the Year 2000.  Gladiator focuses on a Roman general who is reduced to slavery, becomes a gladiator, and takes on a corrupt Roman emperor in order to exact vengeance upon him. 

Gladiator opens in the year 180 AD in the region known as Germania.  Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) prepares to end his 17-year campaign against the barbarian tribes in their final stronghold in the region.  The Roman general, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), a Spaniard, intends to return home after he leads the Roman army to victory against the barbarians.  After the battle, Emperor Aurelius tells Maximus that he does not wish to make his own son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the next emperor because he is unfit to rule.  Instead, the emperor wants Maximus, who is like a son to him, to succeed him and act as the regent who will restore the Roman Republic.

After secretly murdering his father, Aurelius, Commodus proclaims himself the new emperor.  After Maximus spurns his request for loyalty, Commodus has Maximus arrested and orders him executed.  Commodus also has the Spaniard's family murdered.  After foiling the attempt to execute him, Maximus, badly wounded, is unable to save his family.  Maximus is later found and sold into slavery and becomes the property of Proximo (Oliver Reed), a man who trains slaves to become gladiators whom he forces into fighting in gladiatorial events.

Meanwhile, in Rome, Commodus decides to stage 150 days of games, including gladiatorial events held at “The Colosseum.”  Seeking newfound wealth, Proximo enters his gladiators, which now include Maximus and Juba (Djimon Hounsou), an African Maximus has befriended.  Fate has brought Maximus to Commodus.  Now, the general who became a slave is now a gladiator who just might save Rome when he exacts his vengeance upon the new emperor for murdering his family.

In anticipation of the upcoming, Gladiator II, I decided to watch the original film in its entirety for the first time since I first saw it in a movie theater with some friends back in May of 2000.  Since then, I have re-watched parts of Gladiator of during cable broadcasts more time than I can remember, but I felt that it was time to watch the entire thing again and commit a review.

Gladiator is a great film because it recalls what Hollywood has always done well, historical epics that are more epic than they are history.  The screenplay is a collection of familiar tropes (sword and sandals); stock characters (the crazy usurper; the put-upon woman; the wronged hero); and beloved settings (the Roman empire).  The script is really nothing to write home about.  The cast and crew and the director and his creative cohorts are the people who turn Gladiator into one of those truly great films that gave the twentieth century a grand Hollywood send-off.

Gladiator is probably director Ridley Scott's slickest and most polished Hollywood film.  The film's narrative heart beats strong because Scott gets the best out of his film editor, film music composers, production designer and set decorator, and cinematographer.  Everyone pulls together to make this film a visually sumptuous masterpiece, the kind that pounds audiences until they stop resisting and give into the bliss of a grand cinematic epic made in a true Hollywood style.

However, I think the actors are the true heart of Gladiator, delivering performances that make even the least famous of them seem like movie stars.  Richard Harris is philosophical and earnest as the doomed Emperor Marcus Aurelius, while Joaquin Phoenix turns what could have been a clownish role into an unpredictable, but alluring reptilian super man-beast, the usurper Emperor Commodus.  Oliver Reed, in his final role, made Proximo real and really lovable.  And it's sad that Djimon Hounsou as Maximus' steady, philosophic friend, Juba, got almost no love from the various movie award-giving organizations.

The king – or emperor, if you will – of Gladiator is Russell Crowe.  Maximus Decimus Meridius is one of Crowe's finest roles, even if it isn't one of his most subtle, graceful, and profound performances.  Crowe carries this movie, and Gladiator defeats its own warts because Crowe is its true and one and only Gladiator.  Crowe is the center and the beating heart of Gladiator, and the passage of a quarter-century has not changed that.  Gladiator remains a great work of Hollywood cinema because it has what the great works of Hollywood must have – a movie star that radiates enough light to blind us to the blemishes of film with ambitions to be great.  

9 of 10

A+

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

NOTES:

2001 Academy Awards, USA:  5 wins: “Best Picture” (Douglas Wick, David Franzoni, and Branko Lustig), “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Russell Crowe), and “Best Costume Design” (Janty Yates), “Best Sound” (Scott Millan, Bob Beemer, Ken Weston, and John Nelson), and “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (John Nelson, Neil Corbould, Tim Burke, and Rob Harvey); 7 nominations: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Joaquin Phoenix), “Best Director” (Ridley Scott), “Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” (David Franzoni-screenplay and story, John Logan-screenplay, and William Nicholson-screenplay), “Best Cinematography” (John Mathieson), “Best Film Editing” (Pietro Scalia), “Best Music, Original Score” (Hans Zimmer), and “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (Arthur Max-art director and Crispian Sallis-set decorator)

2001 BAFTA Awards:  4 wins:  “Best Film” (Douglas Wick, David Franzoni, and Branko Lustig), “Best Cinematography” (John Mathieson), “Best Production Design” (Arthur Max), “Best Editing” (Pietro Scalia); 10 nominations:  “David Lean Award for Direction” (Ridley Scott), “Best Screenplay-Original” (David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Russell Crowe), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Joaquin Phoenix), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Oliver Reed-posthumously), “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard), “Best Costume Design” (Janty Yates), “Best Sound” (Ken Weston, Scott Millan, Bob Beemer, and Per Hallberg), “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (John Nelson, Tim Burke, Rob Harvey, and Neil Corbould), and “Best Make Up/Hair” (Paul Engelen and Graham Johnston)

2001 Golden Globes, USA:  2 wins: “Best Motion Picture-Drama” and “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard); 3 nominations: “Best Director-Motion Picture” (Ridley Scott), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Russell Crowe), and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Joaquin Phoenix)

The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site or blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 11th to 17th, 2024 - UPDATED #10

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:

TELEVISION - From THR:  Noah Hawley, creator of FX's "Fargo" talks about the recent Season 5.  He also gives some info on "Alien: Earth," the FX's TV series based on the "Alien" film franchise.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:  U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett, a federal judge in New York, has granted Fubo‘s request for Venu Sports, a planned sports bundle of Disney, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery channels, be blocked on antitrust grounds. It's a temporary injunction.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  Netflix has renewed Guy Ritche's series, "The Gentlemen," for a second season.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  There is currently an ownership dispute over the 1985 cult horror-comedy, The Return of the Living Dead.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:  Paramount Television Studios is closing amid cutbacks and layoffs at Paramount Global, which was recently "merged" Skydance.

AMAZON - From Variety:  Tyler Perry‘s latest film “Divorce in the Black” not only drew strong viewership, but according to Amazon, the soapy drama has also driven more sign-ups to Prime Video in the U.S. than any Amazon MGM Studios-produced movie to-date.

TELEVISION - From Variety:  The site recaps the highlights from the closing ceremonies of the Paris Olympics.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 8/9 to 8/11-2024 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel's "Deadpool & Wolverine" with an estimated take of 54.17 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Todd Haynes' gay romance movie starring Joaquin Phoenix is completely dead after Phoenix reportedly stormed off the set two weeks ago.

From THR:  Joaquin Phoenix's abrupt exit for director Todd Haynes' 1930s set gay romance may lead to legal action. However, it has already infuriated Hollywood's film producers.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Actor and television game show host, Peter Marshall, has died at the age of 98, Thursday, August 15, 2024.  Marshall was best known for hosting the TV game show, "The Hollywood Squares," from 1966- to 1981.  Six of his seven Daytime Emmy Awards nominations were for his work on the series, and he won four times.  He was also nominated twice for the Primetime Emmy Award for the series.  Marshall was also a World War II veteran.

From Deadline:  The film and television actress, Gena Rowlands, has died at the age of 94, Wednesday, August 14, 2024.  Rowlands is known for her collaborations with her late husband, actor/director John Cassavetes.  Two of the films they made together, "Woman Under the Influence" (1974) and "Gloria" earned Rowlands "Best Actress" Oscar nominations.  She would later come to the attention of younger audiences when she starred in her son, Nick Cassavetes' film, "The Notebook."  She won three Primetime Emmy Awards for her work in television movies. She received an Honorary Academy Award in 2015.

Review: Phoenix is the Man in Woody Allen's "IRRATIONAL MAN"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 51 of 2023 (No. 1940) by Leroy Douresseaux

Irrational Man (2015)

Running time:  95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)

MPAA –  R for some language and sexual content

WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Woody Allen

PRODUCERS:  Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, and Edward Walson

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Darius Khondji

EDITOR:  Alisa Lepselter

COMEDY/DRAMA/MYSTERY/ROMANCE

Starring:  Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey, Joe Stapleton, Nancy Carroll, Betsy Aidem, Ethan Phillips, Jamie Blackley, Nancy Giles, and Tom Kemp

Irrational Man is a 2015 comedy-drama, romance, and mystery film written and directed by Woody Allen.  The film focuses on a college professor who finds the will to live after committing the act of murder and the young student who falls deeply in love with him.

Philosophy professor Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) arrives in Newport, Rhode Island with some acclaim.  He joins the faculty of (fictional) Braylin College where he will teach “ethical strategies.”  Abe is depressed, is experiencing an existential crisis, and sees no meaning in his life.  He drinks excessively and considers suicide.

Despite his tormented state, Abe catches the attention of two women.  The first is chemistry professor, Rita Richards (Parker Posey), and the second is Jill Pollard (Emma Stone), one of his students.  Each is crazy about him in her own way.  Abe's relationship with the two really goes nowhere … at first.

Abe hatches the idea of murdering Judge Thomas Augustus Spangler (Tom Kemp), an unethical family court judge who is plotting to take the custody of her children away from a woman.  Plotting and committing murder has given Abe's life a sense of purpose that he has not felt in ages.  For various reasons, however, both Rita and Jill suspect Abe of Judge Spangler's murder.

Coup de chance, the film Woody Allen says will likely be his final directorial effort, was released in France in September (2023).  Because of the controversies surrounding Allen the last few decades, especially the last five years, the film may not get a U.S. theatrical release.  In anticipation of seeing Coup de chance, I have decided to watch the recent Woody Allen films that I missed, beginning with the most recent that I had not seen, Irrational Man.

Some of Woody Allen's films have previously focused on a lead character who is involved in murder or commits murder.  Examples include Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) and Match Point (2005).  Having murder as subplot gives Allen's films an edge they don't normally have.  Irrational Man seems to drift with no purpose until Abe Lucas actually commits murder, and suddenly this film seems like a totally different movie from what it was during its first half.  Frankly, Irrational Man seems to be asleep for at least half its runtime.

I find myself entirely sympathetic with Phoenix's Abe Lucas.  Of course, I would feel differently if this were a real murder victim that was friends or family to me.  As it is, I find myself really liking the post-crime Abe Lucas, and I found his later, darker turn to be a bit alluring.

Phoenix gives life to a character that Allen does not develop very well.  As the narrative moves towards its conclusion, Phoenix makes Abe feel richer, and the character might have improved even more with a longer runtime, more because of what Phoenix would do rather than what Allen would not.  Emma Stone is whiny and unlikable as Jill Pollard, but Parker Posey makes the best of horny Rita Richards.  I wish Rita had more screen time.

Irrational Man is strictly for Woody Allen fans, although Phoenix is the one who saves this film and uplifts it.  So Joaquin Phoenix fans may find something in Irrational Man to like, also.

6 of 10

B

★★★ out of 4 stars

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

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

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 1st to 5th, 2023 - Update #11

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:  Because of the strike, CBS has added the Paramount Network's "Yellowstone," Paramount+'s "SEAL Team," and the original UK version of "Ghosts" to its Fall 2023 schedule.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:  Hasbro has confirmed the sale of film and television studio, Entertainment One (eONe), to a new owner, Lionsgate.

POLITICS - From YahooNew: Column: "Black people presiding over the downfall of Donald Trump is poetic justice" by Erika D. Smith

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The next installment of the "Scream" film franchise is in development.  Christopher Landon, director of "Happy Death Day," is scheduled to direct "Scream 7."

DISNEY - From ComicBook:  After the releases of the Blu-ray and DVD release of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" in Australia, Disney will no longer make Blu-ray and DVD releases available in that country.

SPORTS - From Deadline:  Super Bowl LVIII will be broadcast on CBS Sunday, February 11, 2024.  However, there will be an alternate telecast on Nickelodeon, oriented towards kids audiences.

MOVIES - From Variety:  After his star, Joaquin Phoenix, said "I don't know what to do," director Ridley Scott sat with Phoenix for 10 days, talking about their film, "Napoleon," scene by scene.

OBITS:

From Variety:  The film and television actor, Mark Margolis, has died at the age of 83, Thursday, August 3, 2023.  He was best known for the role of the menacing "Hector Salamanca," on the former AMC series, "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul."  He received a 2012 Primetime Emmy nomination for the role. Margolis reportedly appeared in over 50 Off-Broadway plays.

From Variety:  Actor Angus Cloud has died at the age of 25, Monday, July 31, 2023.  Cloud is best known for his breakthrough role in the HBO series, "Euphoria" (2019-22).  He was not a professional actor when he was scouted by Euphoria's casting director.

From Variety:  "Variety" writer, Selome Hailu, talks about the day last summer that she spent with "Euphoria" actor, Angus Cloud, who died Mon., July 31st, 2023,

WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  Meeting for the first time in more than three months, the Writers Guild and the AMPTP on Friday failed to reach an agreement to resume contract negotiations. The Writers Strike will go on indefinitely.

From Deadline:  Hollywood’s superstars are answering the call from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, donating $1 million or more each to help their fellow performers during the ongoing actors and writers strikes.  Among the big donors are Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Oprah Winfrey, and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.

From Deadline:  If you are interested, here is a list of the film and TV productions SAG-AFTRA has granted waivers to continue filming.

From Variety:  International superstar, Dwayne Johnson, makes a seven-figure contribution to the "SAG-AFTRA Foundation Relief Fund." Foundation president, actor Courtney B. Vance, says the amount will remain confidential.

From Variety:  Why haven't A-list stars joined the SAG-AFTRA picket line?, asks "Variety."

From Deadline:  Author George R.R. Martin, whose works were the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones," says the strikes will be long and bitter.

From THR:  Production works at Warner Bros. Animation (66) and at Cartoon Network (22) have gone public with their attempt to unionize via The Animation Guild.

From Variety:  Halted film productions due to the writers and actors strikes are costing each Hollywood studio at least 600,000 dollars per week.

From Variety:  Said at a strike meeting: “Without a transformative change in SAG-AFTRA’s current contract with the AMPTP, the acting profession will no longer be an option for future generations of performers, and actors already working in the industry will need to pursue other careers in order to survive.”

From Deadline:  If you are a "social media influencer" who is NOT  a member of SAG-AFTRA, you can be barred from future membership for promoting a film or television series during the actors' strike.

From Variety:  The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles.  Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline:  The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

From Deadline:  Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.

From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.

From Deadline:  WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.

From THR:  TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.

From Deadline:  Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.

From THR:  Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.

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.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 9th to 15th, 2023 - Update #13

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

COMIC-CON - From Variety:  The "Dune: Part Two," "Jury Duty," and "Abbott Elementary" panels at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 have been cancelled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

NETFLIX - From TheNewYorker:  This shocking article discusses how little money many of the cast members of Netflix's "Orange is the New Black" made during and after the series. Consider this an explanation of the Hollywood writers strike and the impending actors strike.

EMMYS - From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 75th Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced.  HBO's "Succession" leads with 27 nominations.  The winners will be announced September 18, 2023 and broadcast on Fox.

DISNEY - From THR:  Disney has extended Bob Iger's contract as CEO through 2026.  Iger was previously CEO from 2005-2020 before retiring.  He returned in  2022 after his replacement, Bob Chapek, was fired by Disney's board of directors.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Sony Pictures and Apple Original Films have released the first trailer for director Ridley Scott's "Napoleon," starring Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix in the title role.  The film is set for a worldwide theatrical release November 22nd, 2023.

From Deadline:  Director Michael Mann's latest film, "Ferrari," is headed to the Venice Film Festival.  The epic film, starring Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz, will open Christmas Day 2023.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/7 to 7/9/2023 weekend box office is Sony Pictures' "Insidious: The Red Door" with an estimated take of 32.6 million dollars.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  "Mission: Impossible" franchise director, Christopher McQuarrie, says that the first time he met Tom Cruse, the star told him that he (Cruise) makes "mass entertainment." Cruise also reveals the weirdest myth about him.

MOVIES - GiantFreakinRobot:  The site has been reporting since Dec. 2022 that Universal Pictures is rebooting its franchise, "The Mummy," that began with the 1999 film of the same title.  The latest is the actors Oded Fehr (Ardeth Bey) and John Hannah (Jonathan Carnahan) are returning.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Soap opera actress, Andrea Evans, has died at the age of 66, Sunday, July 9, 2023.  Evans was best known for playing the role of troublemaking teen, "Tina Lord," on ABC's "One Life to Live" from 1979-81, 1986-90, 2008, 2011.  She also starred in NBC's soap, "Passions" (2000-08), and CBS' "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful."  Evans was a two-time nominee at the Daytime Emmy Awards.  Evans career was also hampered for most of the 1990s as she retreated from public view because of violent stalker.

From Deadline:  Film and television writer, director, and producer, Manny Coto, has died at the age of 62, Sunday, July 9, 2023.  He wrote episodes of such TV series as "Star Trek: Enterprise," Fox's "24," and "Dexter," to name a few.  He was on of 12 people who won the "Outstand Drama Series" Primetime Emmy Award for "24" in 2006. In 2011, he shared an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Drama Series" for Showtime's "Dexter."

WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

From Variety:  The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles.  Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline:  The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

From Deadline:  Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.

From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.

From Deadline:  WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.

From THR:  TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.

From Deadline:  Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.

From THR:  Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.

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.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 17th to 23rd, 2022 - Update #17

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

SDCC - From Variety: "John Wick 4" has a new trailer and a release date, March 24, 2023.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Jordan Peele's latest film, "Nope," grosses 6.4 million dollars in Thursday night preview sales.  The film opens wide today (Fri., July 22nd).

SDCC - From Deadline:  What to expect at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, including a list of panels.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  A look at movie star salaries - from Tom Cruise's one million plus payday for "Top Gun: Maverick" to 20 million to Joaquin Phoenix for "Joker 2."

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The sequel to the 2021 "Mortal Kombat" film (a reboot of the 1990s film series) is moving forward.  Director Simon McQuiod is returning for the sequel.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Paramount Pictures unveils first looks at actors in costumes for "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves."

SCANDAL - From Variety:  The attorney for Oscar-winning director, Roman Polanski, has indicated that he will try to resolve the director's rape case (involving a then 13-year-old girl) that has dogged Polanski for 45 years.

MOVIES - From Variety:  The character, "John Wick," was originally supposed to be 75 years old ... then, came Keanu.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Dune: Part Two" has begun filming.  Warner Bros. and Legendary have also released a synopsis and full cast list.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Eddie Murphy will star in and Reginald Hudlin will direct the holiday comedy, "Candy Cane Lane."

BREAKING - From Deadline:  A crew member for the NBC series, "Law & Order: Organized Crime" was shot and killed early this morning (Tues., 7/19).

MOVIES - From LATimes:  Actor Sylvester Stallone tells the producers of his  Oscar-winning film, "Rocky," that he wants "what's left of my rights back."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/15 to 7/17/2022 weekend box office is Marvel Studios' "Thor: Love and Thunder" with an estimated take of 46 million dollars.

From Here:  Negromancer's review of "Thor: Love and Thunder."

MOVIES - From THR:  The July 15th, 2022 issue of "The Hollywood Reporter" has a cover profile of Oscar-winning actor, Daniel Kaluuya.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

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.

UVALDE, TEXAS MASS SHOOTING:

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

From TexasTribune:  The Texas House of Representatives has released its "Robb Elementary Investigative Committee Report," concerning the massacre of 19 children at two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. They found that the "systematic failures" went far beyond the local police.

From RSN:  At a school board meeting, parents in Uvalde Texas demanded better school security and also demanded that Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo be fired.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Vox:  Uvalde police keep changing their story.

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

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

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

From GuardianUK:  Canada plans to freeze all handgun ownership.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BLM-BUFFALO:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 9th to 15th, 2020 - Update #28

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

INDIANA JONES - From Newsarama:  "Indiana Jones 5" may begin filming as early as April 2020, says Harrison Ford.  The film is due for release July 9, 2021.

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JAMES BOND - From Variety:  Grammy-winner Billie Eilish released the audio of her theme song for the next James Bond film, "No Time to Die" (due April 10th).  Once again, the song is a collaboration with her Grammy-winning older brother, Finneas.

----------
MOVIES-COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Bong Joon Ho's storyboards for his Oscar-winning film, "Parasite," have been collected a graphic novel.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Actors Jake Johnson and Omar Sy, who were supporting actors in 2015's "Jurassic World," will return for the third film in the series, which is due June 2021.  Neither appeared in the second film, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" (2018).

----------
TELEVISION - From THR:  Fox has ordered a pilot for a TV series in which a teacher and three students attempt to re-enact the classic 1980s film, "The Goonies."

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Universal and Blumhouse's "The Hunt" has a new release date, March 13, 2020.  The film was originally slated for September 2019, but it was pulled after controversy about its plot - elites hunting ordinary people.

----------
MOVIES - From IndieWire:  Here is a first look at Wes Anderson's next film (his 10th), The French Dispatch," via 5 images.  It will debut at Cannes in May and hit North America July 24th, 2020.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  Laurence Fishburne will jion Liam Neeson for the action-adventure film, "The Ice Road," which Jonathan Hensleigh will write and direct.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  Dee Rees will write and direct a feature film adaptation of George Gershwin musical, "Porgy and Bess" for MGM.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/7 to 2/9/2020 weekend box office is "Birds of Prey" with an estimated take of 33.25 million dollars.

From Patreon:  Leroy Douresseaux reviews "Birds of Prey."

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Ava DuVernay is directing a documentary about the slain rapper, Nipsey Hussle.  Netflix has won the rights to it after a reportedly fierce bidding war.

----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline:  CBS is considering a "CSI" revival event miniseries in time for the 20th anniversary of its debut on CBS.

----------
OSCARS - From Deadline:  This link will give you a complete list of winners at the 92nd Academy Awards.

From YahooEntertainment:

From YahooEntertainment:  Joaquin Phoenix remembers his late brother, actor River Phoenix, who died in 1993 at the age of 23.

Winners in select categoreies:

Best motion picture of the year:
"Parasite" Kwak Sin Ae and Bong Joon Ho, Producers

Performance by an actress in a leading role:
Renée Zellweger in "Judy"

Performance by an actor in a leading role:
Joaquin Phoenix in "Joker"

Achievement in directing:
"Parasite" Bong Joon Ho

Performance by an actress in a supporting role:
Laura Dern in "Marriage Story"

Performance by an actor in a supporting role:
Brad Pitt in "Once upon a Time...in Hollywood"

 Adapted screenplay:
"Jojo Rabbit" Screenplay by Taika Waititi

Original screenplay:
"Parasite" Screenplay by Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won; Story by Bong Joon Ho

 Best animated short film:
"Hair Love" Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver

----------
MOVIES - From CinemaBlend:  Vin Diesel would like Oscar-winner Judi Dench to join the "Fast and Furious" franchise.

----------
CULTURE - From THR:  "Hollywood's Black Problem on the Set" - Apparently, there is a shortage of Hollywood and film industry makeup artists and hair stylists who know how to work with African-American performers' natural hair and skin tones.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Legendary Entertainment is developing another reboot of the 1974 horror film, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."  Director Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes remade (or rebooted) the film with "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" in 2003.

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OSCARS - From YahooEntertainment:  Superstar songwriter Diane Warren recently received her 11th best song Oscar nomination - for the song, "I'm Standing with You" from the film, "Breakthrough."  She did not win with her previous ten nominations, making her the most nominated woman in Oscar history never to have won.  She says, "I don't ever expect to win" ... but she'd like to.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The veteran stage and screen actress, Lynn Cohen, has died at the age of 86, Friday, February 14, 2020.  She was best known for playing the role of "Madga" on the HBO TV series, "Sex and the City" (1998-2004) and the 2008 and 2010 film versions of the series.

From THR:  The stage, film, and TV actress, singer, and dancer, Paula Kelly, has died at the age of 76.  The African-American performer's best known film appearances include "Sweet Charity" (1969) and "The Andromeda Strain" (1971).  She received two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, one of them for one of her best known TV roles, "Theresa" in the miniseries, "The Women of Brewster Place" (ABC, 1989).

Oscar-nominated "Joker" Has Returned to Movie Theaters

Todd Phillips’ “Joker,” the Most Oscar-Nominated Film of the Year, to Be Re-Released in Theaters Nationwide Beginning January 17, Offering Audiences Another Opportunity to Experience the Bold, Acclaimed Film on the Big Screen

“Joker” leads all films with 11 Academy Award nominations and 11 BAFTA nods, and recently won two Golden Globes, including Best Actor for Joaquin Phoenix’s mesmerizing performance

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures and BRON Creative’s “Joker” returned to more than 750 cinemas across North America Friday, January 17, 2020. The film has garnered numerous awards and award nominations across all categories, among them: 11 Academy Award and BAFTA Award nominations—including Best Picture—more than any other film; two Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Awards wins, for star Joaquin Phoenix’s remarkable performance and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir’s haunting score; and the Golden Lion, the top honor at the Venice Film Festival.

    “With the continued interest in ‘Joker’ as a result of its recognition during this exciting awards season, we wanted to give audiences the chance to see the film on the big screen, whether for the first time or again.”

Lauded by critics as a film that will stand the test of time, “Joker” sits on many coveted Top 10 lists, including AFI. The film’s other accolades to date include Variety’s Creative Impact in Directing Award for Phillips; the Palm Springs International Film Festival Chairman’s Award for Phoenix; the Camerimage Audience Award and its Golden Frog for cinematographer Lawrence Sher; two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations; a Producers Guild Award nod; and multiple guild nominations.

Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, stated, “With the continued interest in ‘Joker’ as a result of its recognition during this exciting awards season, we wanted to give audiences the chance to see the film on the big screen, whether for the first time or again.”

“Joker” took in over $1 billion worldwide in its initial run to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.


About “Joker”
Forever alone in a crowd, Arthur Fleck seeks connection. Yet, as he trods the sooted Gotham City streets and rides the graffitied mass transit rails of a hostile town teeming with division and dissatisfaction, Arthur wears two masks. One, he paints on for his day job as a clown. The other he can never remove; it’s the guise he projects in a futile attempt to feel he’s a part of the world around him, and not the misunderstood man whom life is repeatedly beating down. Fatherless, Arthur has a fragile mother, arguably his best friend, who nicknamed him Happy, a moniker that’s fostered in Arthur a smile that hides the heartache beneath. But, when bullied by teens on the streets, taunted by suits on the subway, or simply teased by his fellow clowns at work, this social outlier only becomes even more out of sync with everyone around him.

Directed, co-written and produced by Todd Phillips, “Joker” is the filmmaker’s original vision of the infamous DC villain, an origin story infused with, but distinctly outside, the character’s more traditional mythologies. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society. Longing for any light to shine on him, he tries his hand as a stand-up comic, but finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty and, ultimately, betrayal, Arthur makes one bad decision after another that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty, allegorical character study.

Four-time Oscar nominee Phoenix (“Joker,” “The Master,” “Walk the Line,” “Gladiator”) stars in the titular role alongside Oscar winner Robert De Niro (“Raging Bull,” “The Godfather: Part II”). The film also stars Zazie Beetz (TV’s “Atlanta,” “Deadpool 2”), Frances Conroy (TV’s “American Horror Story,” Hulu’s “Castle Rock”), Brett Cullen (“42,” Netflix’s “Narcos”), Glenn Fleshler (TV’s “Billions,” “Barry”), Bill Camp (“Red Sparrow,” “Molly’s Game”), Shea Whigham (“First Man,” “Kong: Skull Island”), Marc Maron (TV’s “Maron,” “GLOW”), Douglas Hodge (“Red Sparrow,” TV’s “Penny Dreadful”), Josh Pais (“Motherless Brooklyn,” “Going in Style”) and Leigh Gill (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”).

Oscar nominee Phillips (“Joker,” “Borat,” “The Hangover” trilogy) directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Oscar-nominated writer Scott Silver (“Joker,” “The Fighter”), based on characters from DC. The film was produced by Phillips and Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (“Joker,” “A Star Is Born,” “American Sniper”) under their Joint Effort banner, and Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff (“Joker,” “The Irishman,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”). It was executive produced by Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada, Aaron L. Gilbert, Joseph Garner, Richard Baratta, and Bruce Berman.

Behind the scenes, Phillips was joined by Oscar-nominated director of photography Lawrence Sher (“Joker,” “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” “The Hangover” trilogy), production designer Mark Friedberg (“If Beale Street Could Talk,” “Selma”), Oscar-nominated editor Jeff Groth (“Joker,” “War Dogs,” “The Hangover Part III”), and Oscar-winning costume designer Mark Bridges (“Joker,” “Phantom Thread,” “The Artist”). The music is by Oscar-nominated composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (“Joker,” HBO’s “Chernobyl”).

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, in Association with BRON Creative, a Joint Effort Production, a Film by Todd Phillips, “Joker.” It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. This film has been rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language and brief sexual images.

www.joker.movie

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from January 12th to 18th, 2020 - Update #23

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

AWARDS - From Deadline:   Bong Joon-Ho's "Parasite" tops the 70th annual ACE Eddie Awards, which are awarded b the American Cinema Editors

----------
DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney is dumping the word "Fox" from the names 20th Century Fox (which will become 20th Century Studios) and Fox Search Pictures (which will be Searchlight Pictures).

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  HBO's "Game of Thrones" prequel, "House of the Dragons," will likely premiere in 2022.

----------
STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix has been accused of funneling its international profits to tax havens while also seeking tax relief in the United Kingdom.

----------
STREAMING - From Deadline:   Amazon sets the regular cast for its "Lord of the Rings" TV series.

----------
JAMES BOND - From YahooMusic:  Grammy-nominated teen recording sensation, Billie Eilish, has recorded the movie theme for the next James Bond film, "No Time to Die."  At 18-years-old, she is the youngest ever to do so.  The previous record holder was then 22-year-old Sheena Easton who recorded the theme for 1981's "For Your Eyes Only."

----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The CW has given series pickups to two reboots of popular 1990s TV series, "Superman & Lois" and "Walker," a re-imagining of "Walker Texas Ranger" starring Jared Padalecki of "Supernatural."

----------
SPORTS - From ESPN:  The LSU Tigers won the2019 national college football championship Mon., Jan. 13th, 2020 by winning the "CFP National Championship " game 42-25 over the Clemson Tigers.

----------
OSCARS - From Variety:  The 2020 / 92nd Oscar nominations have been announced.  Winners will be announced Feb. 9, 2020.

From Deadline:  One of the "best documentary feature" nominees is "American Factory" which is presented by President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama.

From Variety:  Opinion: "5 Reasons Why Jennifer Lopez’s Oscar Snub Is Bad for the Academy Awards"

From YahooEntertainment:  A list of Oscar snubs (Lupita N'yongo for "Us") and surprises (Scarlett Johnasson becomes 12th actor nominated in both lead, for "Marriage Story," and supporting acting, for "JoJo Rabbit") categories.

From LATimes:  Tom Hanks earns his first Oscar nod since 2001 with his best supporting actor nomination for "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood."

From YahooEntertainment:  I was not one of those people who thought that Jennifer Lopez would really get an Oscar nomination for a role in the film, "Hustlers," which I have not yet seen.  I think Lopez herself had the feeling that it was not happening.

----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  In an Sunday night (Jan. 12th) on CBS' "60 Minutes," Joaquin Phoenix talks about the intrusion of the media when he was grieving for his brother, the late River Phoenix, who died of a drug overdose in 1993.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 1/10 to 1/12/2020 weekend box office is director Sam Mendes' "1917" with an estimated take 36.5 million dollars.

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  CBS has ordered a TV series that follows FBI agent, "Clarice Starling," after the events depicted in the film, "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991).  Entitled, "Clarice," the series will open in 1993.

----------
AWARDS - From Variety:   The winners of the 25th Critics Choice Awards were announced Sun., Jan. 12, 2020.  "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was named best picture of 2019.

----------
TELEVISION - From THR:  Syfy has picked up a TV series starring horror movie icon and doll, "Chucky," from the character's creator, Don Mancini.

----------
DISNEY - From THR:  Megan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex and the wife of British royal, Prince Harry, has signed a voice-over deal with Disney for an unspecified project.

OBITS:

From TheMirror:  The British author, Christopher Tolkien, has died at the age of 95, Wednesday, January 15, 2020.  Tolkien was the third son of legendary author, J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings."  Christopher completed and/or edited most of his father's posthumous work.

From WWE:  WWE Hall of Fame professional wrestler, Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson, has died at the age of 75, Wednesday, January 15, 2020.  He wrestled for the "National Wrestling Alliance" and "World Wrestling Federation" from 1964 to 1985.  He is also known as the father of football player turned wrestler turned actor, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

From YahooEntertainment:  Actor, director, and acting coach, Stan Kirsch, died at the age of 51, Saturday, January 11, 2020.  He was best known for his role of the syndicated TV series, "Highlander."  The cause of Kirsch's death was suicide.

From Variety:  Noted British film ant TV producer, Tony Garnett, has died at the age of 83, Sunday, January 12, 2020.  He is best known for founding the production company, World Productions, and for his 13-year association with acclaimed filmmaker, Ken Loach.

Review: "Joker" Ain't No Joke

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 1 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Joker (2019)
Running time: 121 minutes (2 hours, 1 minute)
Rating: MPAA – R for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language and brief sexual images
DIRECTOR:  Todd Phillips
WRITERS:  Todd Phillips and Scott Silver
PRODUCERS:  Todd Phillips, Bradley Cooper, and Emma Tillinger Koskoff
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Lawrence Sher
EDITOR:  Jeff Groth
COMPOSER:  Hildur Guðnadóttir

CRIME/DRAMA

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Shea Whigham, Bill Camp, Glenn Fleshler, Leigh Gill, Douglas Hodge, Carrie Louise Putrello, Sharon Washington, Brian Tyree Henry, and Dante Pereira-Olson

Joker is a 2019 crime drama from director Todd Phillips.  The movie offers a gritty character study and new origin story of The Joker, the classic Batman villain who first appeared in Batman #1 (cover dated: Spring 1940).

The film opens sometime in the early 1980s.  Gotham City is in a state of chaos because of political and social turmoil and also because of class conflict between the extremely wealthy and powerful and the ordinary citizens.  Gotham is also in the middle of a mayoral election and a strike by the sanitation workers, which means that no one is picking up the garbage.  Trash bags and refuse line the streets, and this has created a rodent problem so bad that people are talking about “super rats.”

One of Gotham's beleaguered citizens is Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man with a history of mental illness, including a stint in a mental institution.  Fleck works as a “party clown,” but he aspires to be a stand-up comedian.  He lives with his ailing, aging mother, Penny Fleck (Frances Conroy), who also has a history of mental illness.

Living in poverty and being mostly a loner, Arthur Fleck feels he has been disregarded by society.  All his life, it seemed to him that no one even noticed that he existed, so he always wondered if he really existed.  Now, two unexpected incidents in a single day will change his life.  One is an accident and mistake that costs Arthur his job.  The other is a violent act of self-defense that will leave an already shocked city aghast.  But not everyone is appalled by the man who will become “Joker.”

After all the controversy and worry that it would inspire lonely, young men (particularly “incels,” the “involuntarily celibate”) to violence, Todd Phillips' Joker, the comic book movie that is not a comic book movie, turns out to be a somewhat more personal film and, on the part of Joaquin Phoenix, a more intimate performance than one would expect from all the hullabaloo.  Joker portrays the descent (or ascent?) of a man from mentally-ill invisible man to psychopathic murder and celebrated figure.

I don't know if Joker is Phoenix's best performance, because as good as the Oscar-nominated actor is here, this millennium has seen him deliver tour-de-force performances in varied roles across a variety of films.  If he deserves to be nominated for an Oscar or even win one for his performance in Joker, this performance is just the latest example of actor-as-artist who has been in full bloom for quite awhile.  Phoenix's performance as Arthur fleck is both gut-wrenching and utterly entertaining.  He manages to be both dark and light, pitiful and deadly in a role and performance that is too complex to describe in a paragraph or two.  I can say that in the annals of films based on comic books, Phoenix as Arthur Fleck is an immortal work of art.

Director Todd Phillips and his co-screenwriter, Scott Silver, have created a movie that is an evolution in the comic book film genre.  However, most comic book movies are meant to be popcorn entertainment, even when they are deeply thoughtful, poignant, and/or dramatic.  I believe that Joker is not meant to change the direction of such films coming from Marvel Studios' Marvel Cinematic Universe (the MCU) or from Warner Bros. line of DC Comics-inspired films.  Like Christopher Nolan did with his film, The Dark Knight (2008), Phillips points towards a different direction for comic book films with Joker.  I think that The Dark Knight partly inspired Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), so, in the next five years, I expect to see at least one great comic book movie following in the inspired dance steps of Joaquin Phoenix's Joker.

The film has good supporting performances; for me, Robert De Niro as television talk show host, Murray Franklin, and Zazie Beetz as “love interest,” Sophie Dumond, who makes the most of her relatively small role, are standouts.  The crazy, ominous, gorgeous film score by Hildur Guðnadóttir is also one of the film's most special elements.

In Joker, Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips have created something scary, beautiful, fantastic, exhilarating, funny, and dazzling.  I will admit that sometimes it scared me and made me uncomfortable, but I love it all the more because of that.  Joker is a bravura act of cinema.

9 of 10
A+

Saturday, October 5, 2019


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"Joker" Becomes the Global Box Office's Most Successful R-Rated Film

“Joker” Takes in More Than $800 Million at the Global Box Office, Becoming the Highest-Grossing R-Rated Film of All Time

The character’s first-ever standalone film is a stand-out around the world

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Since its opening in early October 2019, Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures and BRON Creative’s “Joker” has been a powerhouse across the globe, passing the milestone $800 million mark, making it the highest grossing R-rated film of all time worldwide at $804.4 million and counting. The announcement was made by Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

The film’s impressive opening weekend totals made “Joker” the biggest October opener of all time domestically, internationally and worldwide. Since then, domestically the film has grossed $264.1 million in just three weeks and can boast numerous October records, including largest pre-show, and largest Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It also earned the largest all-time opening for a drama, an R-rated DC film, a Todd Phillips film, a Joaquin Phoenix film, a Robert De Niro film, and a Village Roadshow film.

Internationally, “Joker” has garnered a total of $540.3 million and holds records for the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film of all time in 14 markets, including Argentina and Mexico, and the highest-grossing DC film in 30 markets, including Italy, Spain, Russia, Argentina and Mexico.

In making the announcement, Emmerich stated, “Todd Phillips’s bold, creative vision is evident in every frame of ‘Joker,’ matched only by Joaquin Phoenix’s incomparable interpretation of this iconic character. What they and everyone who worked on this film created has clearly resonated with audiences worldwide. We congratulate them and our colleagues at DC on reaching this extraordinary benchmark, and I personally want to congratulate the entire Warner Bros. team on the roll-out of this film.”


About “Joker”
Forever alone in a crowd, Arthur Fleck seeks connection. Yet, as he trods the sooted Gotham City streets and rides the graffitied mass transit rails of a hostile town teeming with division and dissatisfaction, Arthur wears two masks. One, he paints on for his day job as a clown. The other he can never remove; it’s the guise he projects in a futile attempt to feel he’s a part of the world around him, and not the misunderstood man whom life is repeatedly beating down. Fatherless, Arthur has a fragile mother, arguably his best friend, who nicknamed him Happy, a moniker that’s fostered in Arthur a smile that hides the heartache beneath. But, when bullied by teens on the streets, taunted by suits on the subway, or simply teased by his fellow clowns at work, this social outlier only becomes even more out of sync with everyone around him.

Directed, co-written and produced by Todd Phillips, “Joker” is the filmmaker’s original vision of the infamous DC villain, an origin story infused with, but distinctly outside, the character’s more traditional mythologies. Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck, who is indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, is of a man struggling to find his way in Gotham’s fractured society. Longing for any light to shine on him, he tries his hand as a stand-up comic, but finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty and, ultimately, betrayal, Arthur makes one bad decision after another that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events in this gritty, allegorical character study.

Three-time Oscar nominee Phoenix (“The Master,” “Walk the Line,” “Gladiator”) stars in the titular role alongside Oscar winner Robert De Niro (“Raging Bull,” “The Godfather: Part II”). The film also stars Zazie Beetz (TV’s “Atlanta,” “Deadpool 2”), Frances Conroy (TV’s “American Horror Story,” Hulu’s “Castle Rock”), Brett Cullen (“42,” Netflix’s “Narcos”), Glenn Fleshler (TV’s “Billions,” “Barry”), Bill Camp (“Red Sparrow,” “Molly’s Game”), Shea Whigham (“First Man,” “Kong: Skull Island”), Marc Maron (TV’s “Maron,” “GLOW”), Douglas Hodge (“Red Sparrow,” TV’s “Penny Dreadful”), Josh Pais (upcoming “Motherless Brooklyn,” “Going in Style”) and Leigh Gill (HBO’s “Game of Thrones”).

Oscar nominee Phillips (“Borat,” “The Hangover” trilogy) directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Oscar-nominated writer Scott Silver (“The Fighter”), based on characters from DC. The film was produced by Phillips and Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born,” “American Sniper”) under their Joint Effort banner, and Oscar nominee Emma Tillinger Koskoff (“The Wolf of Wall Street”). It was executive produced by Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada, Aaron L. Gilbert, Joseph Garner, Richard Baratta, and Bruce Berman.

Behind the scenes, Phillips was joined by director of photography Lawrence Sher (“Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” “The Hangover” trilogy), production designer Mark Friedberg (“If Beale Street Could Talk,” “Selma”), editor Jeff Groth (“War Dogs,” “The Hangover Part III”), and Oscar-winning costume designer Mark Bridges (“Phantom Thread,” “The Artist”). The music is by Hildur Guðnadóttir (HBO’s “Chernobyl,” “Sicario: Day of the Soldado”).

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, in Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, in Association with BRON Creative, a Joint Effort Production, a Film by Todd Phillips, “Joker.” It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. This film has been rated R by the MPAA for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language and brief sexual images.

www.joker.movie

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