Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Nov. 1st to 9th, 2024 - UPDATE #14

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.

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

NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Gladiator II" director Ridley Scott and star Paul Mescal will reunited in the film, "The Dog Stars." The film is due to start filming next spring.

GRAMMYS - Deadline:  The nominations for the 2025 / 67th annual Grammy Awards have been announced.  Beyonce leads the pack with 11 nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, February 2, 2025.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/1 to 11/3/2024 weekend box office is Sony Picture's "Venom: The Last Dance" with an estimated take of 26.1 million dollars.

From Deadline:  Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer speaks on the box office bomb that was the "Borderlands" movie.  "Everything that could go wrong did go wrong."

MOVIES - From Variety:  Actress-producer Eva Longoria reveals that she has made over 12 million dollars off her 6 million dollar investment in the 2014 film, "John Wick."  She says that she is still getting checks off the film a decade after her six million dollar investment saved the film from being cancelled. She says her only regret is not investing in the "John Wick" sequels.

MOVIES - From ScreenRant:  The site offers a first-look at actor Billy Zane as legendary actor Marlon Brando in the biopic, "Waltzing with Brando."

MOVIES/CELEBRITY - From THR:  Tom Cruise is very busy, including developing a sequel to his 1990 racing movie, "Days of Thunder."  Meanwhile, he and Paramount have some disagreements about "Mission: Impossible 8," which apparently has cost... 400 million dollars.

MOVIES - From THR:  Oscar-nominee William H. Macy has joined star Glen Powell in Edgar Wright's new film version of the Stephen King/Richard Bachman's novel, "The Running Man."

POLITICS/STREAMING - From YahooEntertainment:  Democratic politician and activist, Stacey Abrams told Yahoo Entertainment that she finds the argument that pop stars should stick to music “extraordinarily reductive.” Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are among the pop stars getting political. "We shouldn't expect entertainers to shut up and sing," Abrams says.  Abrams and actress and activist, Selena Gomez, have produced a new documentary, "Louder: The Soundtrack of Change" (now streaming on Max), that shows how female musicians have been involved in the fight for equal rights across generations.

OBITS:

From Variety:  American film and television actor and voice performer, Tony Todd, has died at the age of 69, Wednesday, November 6, 2024.  He was best known for playing the title role in the original "Candyman" films (1992 to 1999, and a cameo in the 2021 film) and in the "Final Destination" film franchise. Todd also appeared in such films as "Platoon" (1986), the 1990 version of "Night of the Living Dead," and "Wishmaster" (1997), to name a few.  His best known TV work was as "Kurn," the brother of series regular "Lt. Worf," on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" over four episodes.  Todd was also a prolific voice actor whose work appeared in numerous video games and in animated films and TV featuring DC Comics' characters.

From Deadline:  American singer and recording artist, Tyka Nelson, has died at the age of 64, Monday, November 4, 2024.  Nelson was the late recording artist Prince's only full sibling.  Nelson released four studio albums from 1988 to 2011 and had a Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 1988 with "Marc Anthony's Song."

From Variety:  American record producer, recording artist, songwriter, bandleader, and film and television composer, Quincy Jones, has died at the age of 91, Sunday, November 3, 2024.  Jones may be best known for producing Michael Jackson's three most successful studio albums, "Off the Wall" (1979), "Thriller" (1982), and "Bad" (1987).  He provided the musical score for numerous films, including "In the Heat of the Night" (1967), "The Italian Job," and "The Color Purple" (1985), to name a few. He also provided the theme for the TV series, "Hey Landlord" and "Sanford and Son."  Jones received 80 Grammy Award nominations and won 28 of them.  He won an Primetime Emmy Award for his work on the ABC miniseries, "Roots."  He won a Tony Award for the revival of the musical, "The Color Purple." Jones was nominated seven times for the Academy Award and received the "Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award."

From Deadline:  Entertainment industry tributes continue to pour in for legendary producer and recording artist, Quincy Jones.

From Variety:  "Variety" offers the 15 best examples of recording artists sampling the late Quincy Jones' music. The list includes Kanye West, The Weeknd, and Harry Styles.

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

From THR:  American television actor, Alan Rachins, has died at the age of 82, Saturday, November 2, 2024.  Rachins was best known for playing attorney Douglas Brachman, Jr. on the former NBC legal drama, "L.A. Law" (1986-94) and for playing "Larry," Dharma's hippie father, on the former ABC sitcom, "Dharma & Greg" (1997-2002).  He also appeared in the notorious 1995 film, "Showgirls."  For his work on "L.A. Law," Rachins received a 1988 Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

-----------

MOVIE AWARDS:

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.

Review: Spielberg's "THE COLOR PURPLE" Still Wants to Be Seen (Celebrating "The Fabelmans")

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 of 2023 (No. 1896) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Color Purple (1985)

Running time:  154 minutes (2 hours, 34 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13

DIRECTOR:  Steven Spielberg

WRITER:  Menno Meyjes (based on the novel by Alice Walker)

PRODUCERS:  Steven Spielberg; Quincy Jones, Frank Marshall, and Kathleen Kennedy

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Allen Daviau (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Michael Kahn

COMPOSER:  Quincy Jones

Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring:  Whoopi Golderg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery, Willard E. Pugh, Akosua Busia, Desreta Jackson, Adolph Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong, Dana Ivey, Leonard Jackson, Bennet Guillory, and Laurence Fishburne

The Color Purple is a 1985 drama and period film directed by Steven Spielberg.  The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel, The Color Purple, by author Alice Walker.  The Color Purple the movie focuses on an African-American woman who suffers abuse from the men in her life, but finds strength in the women close to her.

The Color Purple opens in 1909, in rural Hartwell County, Georgia.  Celie Harris (Desreta Jackson) is a teenage African-American girl living with an abusive father who rapes her.  He has already fathered two children by Celie, both of which he sold shortly after Celie gave birth.  Celie's father eventually gives her to an older man named Albert Johnson (Danny Glover), who Celie calls “Mister.”

A widower with three children, Mister initially wants to marry Celie's younger sister, Nettie (Akosua Busia).  Now, Mister abuses Celie, while his children also mistreat her.  One day, Nettie arrives at Mister's door, thrown out after rejecting her father's advances.  Nettie eventually also has to fight off a rape attempt by Mister, who promptly throws her off his property.

In the years and decades that follow, an adult Celie (Whoopi Goldberg), grown meek from years of abuse, finds strength in two other women.  The first is Mister's daughter law, Sofia (Oprah Winfrey).  The second is a woman Mister once wanted to marry, jook joint singer, Shug Avery (Margaret Avery).  For Celie, however, there are still great secrets from her past that will eventually be revealed.

It had been nearly 37 years since I last watched The Color Purple.  I cried so much during the first time I saw it that I had not been able to watch it again until now.  Over the years, I planned to view it a number of times, especially during the twentieth (2005) and twenty-fifth (2010) anniversaries of its original release.  It is also one of my favorite directorial efforts by Steven Spielberg.  I forced myself to watch it again because of my “celebration” of the release of Spielberg's recent autobiographical film, The Fabelmans.

The film's themes of domestic violence, pedophilia, and sexism still resonate, and, for me, the themes of racism and sexism seem to have strengthen with time.  The screenplay does so much to emphasize these themes that it is as if it creates a world within the larger world where abuse and degradation are the natural order.  Over the years, I have encountered people, mostly black men, who say that the film makes black men look bad.  I say that the film makes an honest portrayal of the abuse that black women faced in the past – from both black and white men.  [Over time, I have spoken with African-American women who personally knew older African-American women whose experiences are of the exact kind of abuse faced by Celie, Nettie, Sofia and other women in the film.]

That aside, I consider The Color Purple to be one of Spielberg's most subtle efforts as a director.  Some contemporaneous commentary said that the film was overly sentimental, but I find that Spielberg allows the film's narrative and characters to grow naturally from the screenplay.  In collaboration with his longtime editor, the Oscar-winning Michael Kahn (nominated here), Spielberg creates the illusion that he is simply capturing the evolution of Celie's tale from its harsh beginnings to its golden-hued happy ending.  The Color Purple feels organic … although I don't think anyone would have described it as such when it was first released.

One of the most impressive things about The Color Purple is that two its best performances are by actresses who have little or no acting experience – Whoopi Golderg as Celie and Oprah Winfrey as Sofia.  Spielberg gets these performers to create characters that are unique in form and substance.  To me, characters like Celie and Sofia seem so genuine because they were utterly new to American cinema, and truthfully, there has been nothing like them since.

Truthfully, all the film's performances are unique and winning.  Margaret Avery amazingly makes her Shug Avery an oasis in the often relentless pain of this film.  Danny Glover is also brilliantly cruel as the awful Mister, and Willard Pugh is sweet and charming as his son and Sofia's husband, the hapless Harpo.

At the 58th Academy Awards, The Color Purple did not win in any of the 11 categories in which it was nominated.  In fact, Steven Spielberg did not even receive a “Best Director” Oscar nomination.  In the decades since its release, The Color Purple remains as relevant today as it was being a historical and monumental release in 1985 and 1986.  The films that bested it at the Oscars are largely forgotten compared to it.  Alice Walker's novel was also adapted into a 2005 Broadway musical, and the film adaptation of that musical is scheduled for release later this year (2023), as of this writing.

As a triumph in Spielberg's filmography, some may discount The Color Purple, considering the films Spielberg has made since then (such as Schindler's List).  Still, as a line in the film says (more or less), The Color Purple wants to be seen and loved … and it still is.

10 of 10

Thursday, February 16, 2023

NOTES:

1986 Academy Awards, USA:  11 nominations: “Best Picture” (Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Quincy Jones), “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Whoopi Goldberg), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Margaret Avery), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Oprah Winfrey), “Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium” (Menno Meyjes), “Best Cinematography” (Allen Daviau), “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (J. Michael Riva, Bo Welch, and Linda DeScenna), “Best Costume Design” (Aggie Guerard Rodgers), “Best Music, Original Song” (Quincy Jones-music/lyrics, Rod Temperton-music/lyrics, and Lionel Richie-lyrics for the song “Miss Celie's Blues (Sister)”), “Best Music, Original Score” (Quincy Jones, Jeremy Lubbock, Rod Temperton, Caiphus Semenya, Andraé Crouch, Chris Boardman, Jorge Calandrelli, Joel Rosenbaum, Fred Steiner, Jack Hayes, Jerry Hey, and Randy Kerber), and “Best Makeup” (Ken Chase)

1987 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Screenplay – Adapted” (Menno Meyjes)

1986 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Whoopi Goldberg); 4 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Steven Spielberg), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Oprah Winfrey), and “Best Original Score – Motion Picture” (Quincy Jones)

1986 Image Awards (NAACP):  2 wins: “Outstanding Motion Picture” and “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture” (Whoopi Goldberg)

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

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

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

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

BET Celebrates Michelle Obama and Rashida & Quincy Jones in December

BET Celebrates Black Excellence with Two Uplifting Specials Premiering in December

“A THOUSAND WORDS WITH MICHELLE OBAMA” Premieres on Wednesday, December 5 AT 9PM ET

“Q85: A MUSICAL CELEBRATION FOR QUINCY JONES” Premieres on Sunday, December 9 AT 8PM ET

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks is set to premiere two powerful specials in December, embracing the holiday spirit that uplifts and celebrates black excellence. “A THOUSAND WORDS WITH MICHELLE OBAMA” premieres on Wednesday, December 5,2018 at 9PM ET and “Q85: A MUSICAL CELEBRATION FOR QUINCY JONES” will air on Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 8PM ET.

“A THOUSAND WORDS WITH MICHELLE OBAMA” is an empowering new one-hour special featuring former First Lady Michelle Obama in candid conversation with former Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama Valerie Jarrett at the Leading Women Defined symposium at the St. Regis hotel in Miami, FL. The women discuss a range of topics as Michelle Obama shares words of uplift, stories of sisterhood, the importance of self-care and her marked growth through her husband’s eight years in office.

Tune in to the captivating conversation with the Former First Lady as she shares anecdotes and salient advice from her worldwide bestselling autobiography, Becoming. “A THOUSAND WORDS WITH MICHELLE OBAMA” premieres Wednesday, December 5 at 9 PM ET/PT on BET.

WATCH & SHARE: Please see exclusive clips from the highly anticipated special below. Additional assets and photos are available at: BET Press Room.

Michelle Obama on confidence and identity, “I always laugh when people ask, ‘how did you figure out how to be the First Lady?’”: https://youtu.be/YsrQciMbUsQ

…On sisterhood, “When I meet good women, hold on to them and don’t compete with them”: https://youtu.be/zYrg_ov0mOs

…On “sharing your shine”: https://youtu.be/JYyP_HsVkLc

…On self-care, “You’re worthy of a quality of life…why do you think you deserve to live a grind…to only leave yourself the crumbs of your day?”: https://youtu.be/pxY4RLeybY4

For photos and exclusive assets from BET Presents: “Q85: A Musical Celebration for Quincy Jones,” please visit BET Press Room.

For any broadcast requests for the above content via downloadable link, please contact Melissa.Nyarko@bet.net.

“Q85: A MUSICAL CELEBRATION FOR QUINCY JONES” is a star-studded evening that celebrates the life and legacy of the icon. Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Brian McKnight, John Legend, Gloria Estefan, Emily Estefan, Fantasia, Charlie Wilson, Jennifer Hudson, Ne-Yo, Meghan Trainor, Patti Austin, Yolanda Adams, Ledisi, Cynthia Erivo, and Gregory Porter all hit the stage to pay tribute to Mr. Jones performing his classic works in this nostalgic musical special. Additionally, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Danny Glover, Usher Raymond, Dave Chappelle, LL Cool J, Rashida Jones, Ludacris, and Aloe Blacc share their personal stories of how Quincy has impacted them throughout the years.


ABOUT BET NETWORKS:
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 1st to 10th, 2018 - Update #34

Support Leroy on Patreon:

COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool:  See Marvel's Black Panther family tree

OSCARS - From IndieWire:  Paul Michael Thomas, Oscar-nominated director of "Phantom Thread," praises his fellow best director Oscar nominees.

----------
CRIME - From TheGuardian:  California police work and cooperate with white supremacists against anti-racist activists.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  Joaquin Phoenix in talks to play Batman arch-nemesis, "The Joker," in a stand-alone Joker movie that would be directed by Todd Phillips.

From GeekTyrant:  DC Comics/Entertainment wants Michael Bay to direct a movie based on their character, Lobo.

----------
MOVIES - From TheFilmStage:  The prolific Richard Linklater, who has directed six films in the last seven years, has apparently set his sights on a film about the 1969 moon landing.

----------
SCANDAL - From TheGuardian:  Recent statements have famed director Quentin Tarantino facing a backlash.

MOVIE - From IndieWire:   French director Jean Pierre-Jeunet accuses Guillermo del Toro of plagiarism.

----------
MUSIC - From Vulture:  This is a killer interview with Quincy Jones who talks about Michael Jackson, The Beatles, and the Trumps.

From TMZ:  Quincy Jones claims in his Vulture interview that the late legendary actor Marlon Brando had sex with the late legendary comedian Richard Pryor.  Pryor's widow, Jennifer, apparently confirms it.

----------
COMICS-TV - From PreviewsWorld:  Gaumont has optioned the rights to produce an animated TV series based on the long-running comic book, Usagi Yojimbo.

-----------
ANIMATION - From Variety:  Fox Animaton and Universal music an united to produce an animated film based on the music of the late world music legend, Bob Marley.

-----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Newly-minted Oscar nominee, James Mangold, will follow his hit film "Logan" (an X-Men) with a movie Henry Ford II's rivalry with Ferrari.

----------
STREAMING - From Deadline:  Amazon Studios is developing a series based on Robert E. Howard's "Conan the Cimmerian" (or Conan the Barbarian) character.

----------
BLM - From NYTimes:  Remembering #TrayvonMartin via Charles M. Blow's opinion piece, "The Whole System Failed Trayvon Martin.

From GuardianUK:  Why NFL player protests still matter - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

----------
SUPERBOWL - From SBNation:   Philadelphia Eagles (NFC) win Super Bowl LII 41 to 33 over the New England Patriots (AFC).

From CBSSports:  Here are the players rosters for Super Bowl LII's participants, the Philadelphia Eables and the New England Patriots.

From YahooEntertainment:  Which movie trailer won Super Bowl LII - see them all.

From EW - Celebrities react to Justin Timberlake's mediocre Super Bowl LII halftime show.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the Super Bowl LII weekend box office - 2/2 to 2/4/2018 - is "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" with an estimated take of $11 million.

From Deadline:  Multiple Oscar nominee, "The Darkest Hour," passes the $100 mark in global box office.

----------
SCANDAL - From YahooET:  Halle Berry addresses sexual harassment allegations against her former agent, Vincent Cirrincione.

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  CBS has ordered for additional drama pilots for the 2018-19 season.  One of them is a modern take on the James Ellroy's novel, "L.A. Confidential," which was previously adapted into a 1997 Oscar-winning film.

----------
SCANDAL - From NYTimes:  Actress Uma Thurman has a lot to say about Harvey Weinstein and about Quentin Tarantino, with whom she made three films.

----------
MOVIES - From GeekTyrant:  Steven Soderbergh eyes a screenplay entitled "Planet Kill" as his next film... although he is supposed to be in retirement.

----------
POLITICS - From HuffPost:  A graphic cartoon that shows him sniffing President Donald Trump's ass has got British TV personality Piers Morgan enraged.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Director F. Gary Gray is in talks to direct Sony Picture's "Men in Black" spinoff.  The film would focus on new characters and be a semi-reboot the way "Jurassic World" was a semi-reboot of "Jurassic Park."  The film is slate to be released June 14, 2019.

----------
CELEBRITY - From GQ:   A profile of actor Taylor Kitsch, who is currently starring in the Paramount Network's "Waco" miniseries.

-----------
COMICS-FILM - From BleedingCool:  Marvel Studio's "Black Panther" will pay tribute to the late stuntman, John Bernecker, who died last year on the set of AMC's "The Walking Dead."

----------
CELEBRITY - From THR:  Apparently, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office has named actor Robert Wagner as a "person of interest" in its investigation in the "mysterious death" of his late wife, Natalie Wood, in 1981.

TRAILERS:

From YahooNews:  Here is the first teaser trailer for Sony/Marvel's "Venom" (October 5th, 2018), starring Tom Hardy.

From YouTube:  Here is the first teaser/trailer for Marvel Studios' "Ant-Man and the Wasp" which opens in theaters July 6th, 2018.

OBITS:

From IndieWire:  The actor, Reg E. Cathey, has died at the age of 59, Friday, February 9, 2018.  Cathey is best known for his roles in the television series, "The Wire" and "Oz."  He won an Emmy ("Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series") for his appearances on Netflix's "House of Cards."  He also appeared as "Franklin Richards" in Fox's 2015 reboot of "The Fantastic Four."

From THR:  The actor John Mahoney has died at the age of 77, Sunday, February 4, 2018.  Mahoney is best known for playing "Martin Crane" the cantankerous father on NBC's "Frasier" (1993 to 2004).  Mahoney was also a Tony Award winner.

From RollingStone:  Soul and R&B singer, Dennis Edwards, has died at the age of 74, Friday, February 2, 2018.  Edwards was the former lead singer of seminal Motown vocal group, The Temptations, singing on classic hits, "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" "I Can't Get Next to You."

From MSN:  Utah billionaire and philanthropist, Jon Huntsman, Sr., died at the age of 80, Friday, February 2, 2018.  The founder of Huntsman Corp, Huntsman and his family have given away more than $1.4 billion.  Huntsman, Sr. was also the father of Jon Huntsman, Jr., the former U.S. ambassador, Utah governor, and Republican presidential candidate.

Second Wave of 2016 Oscar Presenters Announced

THE ACADEMY ANNOUNCES SECOND SLATE OF PRESENTERS FOR 88TH OSCARS®

Oscars producers David Hill and Reginald Hudlin announced today the second slate of presenters for the 88th Oscars telecast. The Oscars, hosted by Chris Rock, will air live Oscar Sunday, February 28, 2016 on ABC. 

The presenters, including Oscar winners and nominees, are:

Steve Carell
Priyanka Chopra
Quincy Jones
Byung-hun Lee
Jared Leto
Julianne Moore
Olivia Munn
Margot Robbie
Jason Segel
Andy Serkis
J.K. Simmons
Kerry Washington
Reese Witherspoon

These artists have enriched the international moviegoing experience with a range of memorable work from the comic to the profound,” Hudlin and Hill said. “In the process, they have won over millions of fans, and we count ourselves among them.”

The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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

Robin Williams Dead at 63 - Breaking... Update #10

Robin Williams, the stand-up comic, television actor, and acclaimed hit-making big screen actor, has died at the age of 63.  He was found in his home and apparently had been battling depression lately.

Williams was known for his comedic and dramatic turns in film - performing in films as diverse as Walt Disney's Aladdin and Mrs. Doubtfire to Awakenings and What Dreams My Come.  He received best actor Oscar nominations:  Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, and The Fisher King.  He won the best supporting actor Oscar for Good Will Hunting (1997).

Williams was a writer and performer on "The Richard Pryor Show" (1977).  His breakout role was as the alien "Mork" for four seasons on the ABC sitcom, "Mork & Mindy," for which he earned an Emmy nomination.

In addition to his Oscar, Williams won two Emmy Awards and several Golden Globe and Grammy Awards.

Williams is survived by a wife and three children.  Negromancer sends condolences to Mr. Williams' family and friends.  R.I.P. Robin Williams.

LINKS:

From YahooNews:  Matt Damon:  Ben and I owe everything to him (Robin Williams)...

From UPI:  PBS is broadcasting a Robin Williams tribute special.  Williams' "Mork & Mindy" costar, Pam Dawber, will guest star on that special.

From YahooNews:  Actress Mila Kunis shares advice Robin Williams gave her.

From The Washington Post via RSN:  Frenetic, Often Fearless

From YahooMovies:  Other "Genie" voice actor has a tribute to Williams.

From YahooGames:  Nintendo responds to petition to include Robin Williams tribute in Zelda game

From FOXNews:  "Mork and Mindy" star Pam Dawber, other celebs react to the news of Robin Williams' death

From Entertainment Weekly's InsideMovies:  Robin Williams: sober and battling Parkinson's, according to wife

From Today:  Michael J. Fox "stunned" to learn Robin Williams had Parkinson's

From Today:  Robin Williams was struggling with early Parkinson's, wife say.

From Variety:  Police: Robin Williams' Death Due to Hanging

From YahooFinance:  Robin Williams Set Up a 3-Part Trust Fund for His Kids Amid Money Troubles

From YahooSports:  Robin Williams was the first male Denver Broncos cheerleader

From YahooCelebrity:  The Children of Robin Williams Remember Dad

From InContention:  We might have Robin Williams to thank for Jessica Chastain.

From YahooTV:  Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg give the most eloquent reaction to Robin Williams' death.

From Collider:  R.I.P. Robins Williams, Legendary Comic and Actor at 63

From Deadline:  Singular Talent Robin Williams Commits Suicide at Age 63

From EW InsideMovies:  Robin Williams Dead at 63

From The Hollywood Reporter via Yahoo: Robin Williams Died of Suspected Suicide

From Variety:  Robin Williams Found Dead in Possible Suicide

Robin Williams' Wikipedia page is here.
Robin Williams' IMDb page is here.

Review: Michael Caine is Still Cool in "The Italian Job"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 190 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Italian Job (1969)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK; Languages: English and Italian
Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Peter Collinson
WRITER: Troy Kennedy Martin
PRODUCERS: Stanley Baker and Michael Deeley
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Douglas Slocombe
EDITOR: John Trumper
COMPOSER: Quincy Jones
Golden Globe nominee

CRIME with elements of action and comedy

Starring: Michael Caine, Noël Coward, Benny Hill, Raf Vallone, Tony Beckley, John Le Mesurier, Fred Emney, Rossano Brazzi, Maggie Blye, George Innes, Irene Handl and Harry Baird

The subject of this movie review is The Italian Job, a 1969 British caper and crime film directed by Peter Collinson. Starring Michael Caine and featuring a soundtrack composed by Quincy Jones, it is a beloved film in Great Britain.

Before it was the remade into a 2003 summer hit, The Italian Job was a cult favorite caper film starring Michael Caine as Charlie Croker, a clever criminal who adopts a complicated heist plan formulated by a recently murdered colleague. The film is a nice crime film with an air of subdued comedy and some short, but exciting action sequences. In fact, the film has aged quite well and, except for the ending, stands with today’s crime thrillers.

Croker, just out of prison, hatches a plan to steal a huge cache of Chinese gold ($4 million) en route to Turin, Italy to be used as collateral for a Fiat automobile plant. The necessary diversion for the snatch and grab comes courtesy of huge traffic jam that Charlie and his gang plan to cause during an all-important Italy-Great Britain soccer match. Croker eventually convinces Mr. Bridger (Noël Coward), an incarcerated criminal genius, to fiancé and equip the criminal enterprise, all from his jail cell. In spite of all their planning, the hitch is that the Mafia doesn’t want the Englishmen to steal the gold, and are willing to commit murder to stop them.

The film is pleasant, but it’s a bit more than just a diversion. Michael Caine is charming, and while he is ostensibly the lead and his character directs the heist, neither the script nor the director gives the audience much time to really get to know Charlie Croker outside of some witty lines. Actually, the film’s focus is almost totally on the criminal enterprise, and the characters are just checker pieces in the story. Other than Caine and Coward’s characters, no other players really stand out except for a few seconds here or there.

The ending is very problematic, and the 2003 remake (in a sense) picks up where the original left off, although in a more spiritual than literal sense. The remake also vastly improves on the original in giving the characters more room to breath. Still, there is nothing like this film, and fans of caper and heist films should like this, especially as it features the golden age of the young Michael Caine.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
1970 Golden Globes, USA: 1 nomination: “Best English-Language Foreign Film”

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

Review: "In the Heat of the Night" Retains its Heat (Happy B'day, Sidney Poitier)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 142 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Running time: 109 minutes (1 hour, 49 minutes)
DIRECTOR: Norman Jewison
WRITER: Stirling Silliphant (based on the novel by John Ball)
PRODUCER: Walter Mirisch
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Haskell Wexler (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Hal Ashby
COMPOSER: Quincy Jones
Academy Award winner

DRAMA/CRIME//MYSTERY

Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates, Lee Grant, William Schallert, Beah Richards, Matt Clark, and Quentin Dean

The winner of five Academy Awards (out of seven nominations) including an Oscar® for “Best Picture” and another for Rod Steiger as “Best Actor,” director Norman Jewison’s film, In the Heat of the Night, remains a potent examination of racism, prejudice, and bigotry nearly four decades after its release. Although Oscar® ignored his performance, Sidney Poitier created one of his signature roles in this film. His Virgil Tibbs is one of the most important and influential Black characters in film history and set a standard for the Black leading man portraying strong, resolute characters.

Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is in the small and sleepy town of Sparta, Mississippi waiting at a train station for a connecting train. After getting harassed and detained by Sam Woods (Warren Oates), a racist cop, Tibbs reveals to Sparta Police Chief Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) that he is a homicide detective from Philadelphia. Tibbs presence coincides with a grisly murder, and via a set of convenient circumstances, Tibbs stays in town to assist in finding the murderer. During the course of the investigation, Tibbs and Gillespie rub each other the wrong way. Tibbs, however, is determined to solve the case, remaining in the investigation in spite of Gillespie numerous demands that Tibbs leave Sparta, and Gillespie doggedly follows Tibbs every step protecting him from Sparta’s more violent and bigoted citizens determined to kill Tibbs the uppity nigger.

The performances of course are all good, some of them great. Poitier, an actor with a highly mannered style, is perfect in his portrayal of Virgil Tibbs, giving him a proud air necessary for a highly skilled black man who must work with and prove himself to lesser talented white men, who nurse assorted insecurities and skin color hatreds. Poitier’s performance is a delicate high wire act that is occasionally overstated, but is never more so direct and appropriate than when Tibbs returns a slap to the face of a white character. Steiger is also very good. He strains at the seams to unleash the fury in him, kept behind a low key façade, but Stirling Silliphant’s Oscar®-winning script doesn’t give him enough room to really play.

In addition to the film’s social implications, it is flat out a great film. Norman Jewison does a fine job balancing social commentary and displays of ethnic tensions with the necessities of genre conventions, in this case, the characteristics of crime fiction. In the Heat of the Night is also an intriguing mystery story that keeps you guessing to the end right along with Tibbs – whodunit?

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
1968 Academy Awards: 5 wins: “Best Picture” (Walter Mirisch), “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (Rod Steiger), “Best Film Editing” (Hal Ashby), “Best Sound” (Samuel Goldwyn SSD), “Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium” (Stirling Silliphant ); 2 nominations: “Best Director” (Norman Jewison) and “Best Effects, Sound Effects” (James Richard)

1968 BAFTA Awards: 2 wins: “Best Foreign Actor” (Rod Steiger) and “UN Award” (Norman Jewison); 2 nominations: “Best Film from any Source” (Norman Jewison) and “Best Foreign Actor” (Sidney Poitier)

1968 Golden Globes: 3 wins: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” “Best Motion Picture Actor – Drama” (Rod Steiger), and “Best Screenplay” (Stirling Silliphant); 4 nominations: “Best Motion Picture Actor – Drama” (Sidney Poitier), “Best Motion Picture Director” (Norman Jewison), “Best Supporting Actress” (Lee Grant), and “Best Supporting Actress” (Quentin Dean)

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