Review: "GLADIATOR II" Happily Chases the Ghosts of the Original

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 52 of 2024 (No. 1996) by Leroy Douresseaux

Gladiator II (2024)

Running time:  148 minutes (2 hours, 28 minutes)

MPA – R for strong bloody violence

DIRECTOR:  Ridley Scott

WRITERS:  David Scarpa; from a story by Peter Craig and David Scarpa (based on the characters created by David Franzoni)

PRODUCERS:  David Franzoni, Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Michael Pruss, and Ridley Scott

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  John Mathieson (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Sam Restivo and Claire Simpson

COMPOSER:  Harry Gregson-Williams

DRAMA/HISTORICAL

Starring:  Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Derek Jacobi,Yuval Gonen, Rory McCann, Matt Lucas, Alexander Karim, and Peter Mensah with Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington

SUMMARY OF THIS REVIEW:

“Gladiator II” is slavishly devoted to its predecessor, 2000's “Best Picture” Oscar-winner, “Gladiator,” sometimes to its detriment.

The new film's lead, Paul Mescal, carries this film with help from Pedro Pascal, Connie Nielsen, Alexander Karim, and with a delightfully nutty turn by Denzel Washington.

Ultimately, “Gladiator II” does stand on its own because of big action set pieces, heart-stopping gladiator combat, and a crazy final duel.

Gladiator II is a 2024 drama and historical film from director Ridley Scott.  It is a sequel to the Academy Award-winning “Best Picture of the Year” (2000), Gladiator.  Gladiator II focuses on a soldier-turned-slave who must look to his past if he is going to return the glory of Rome to its people as his late grandfather once wished.

Gladiator opens sixteen years after the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius.  Rome is ruled by the corrupt twin brothers, Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), and the corruption is so terrible that the city of Rome seems near collapse.

Meanwhile,  General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) lead's the Roman navy in an invasion of the North African province of Numidia.  Acacius is unaware that Numidia is the home of Marcus Aurelius' grandson, Lucius Verus Aurelius (Paul Mescal), who now goes by the name “Hanno.”  During the battle, Acacius orders the killing of Hanno's wife, Arishat (Yuval Gonen), and Hanno is taken prisoner.

Hanno is sold to Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a stablemaster who owns and trains gladiators, and Hanno proves to be a talented gladiator.  In him, Macrinus sees an opportunity to position himself next to power in Rome, so he offers Hanno a path to revenge against Acacius.  However, Acacius' wife is Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), the daughter of Marcus Aurelius, and she is starting to believe that she recognizes this alluring stranger who calls himself Hanno.

In anticipation of seeing Gladiator II, I decided to watch the original film, Gladiator (2000) in its entirety for the first time since I first saw it in a movie theater with some friends back in May of 2000.  I have to be honest, Gladiator II is not nearly the film that Gladiator is, and that's okay.

Gladiator II is a very good film on its own.  The “battle for Numidia,” which is in the film's first act, is as exciting and as gory as I expected it to be.  The gladiatorial events in the new film are quite nice, although admittedly not as nice as the original's.

As the lead in Gladiator II, Paul Mescal as Hanno/Lucius is not as powerful as Russell Crowe was as Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator.  Crowe stood astride that film, using his dominating screen presence to carry Gladiator's straightforward, sword-and-sandals, revenge tale to box office and Oscar glory.  Gladiator II does not give Mescal a straightforward, sword-and-sandals tale of revenge.  The Rome of this new film is a hot mess of corruption, led by two homicidal narcissists.  The Roman emperors of this film, Geta and Caracalla, are not as lusciously evil as Joaquin Phoenix's Emperor Commodus in the original film.  They are simply petty, murderous, vain, egotistical tyrants.  Thus, Hanno/Lucius' revenge story is overshadowed by the hot mess that is Geta/Caracalla's Rome, which is complicated by the shifting schemes of Denzel Washington's Macrinus.

Still, Mescal manages to make Hanno/Lucius the center of Gladiator II, even as director Ridley Scott and screenwriter David Scarpa chase the ghosts of the original film.  Mescal brings balance to Hanno/Lucius rage with thoughtfulness and humility that truly makes the character not so much the lone hero, as he is one-of-the-people and a man of the people who can start Rome on a path to redemption.

Gladiator II is also helped by the fact that Denzel Washington, as Macrinus, delivers a dominating performance that makes his supporting character a co-lead.  Paul Mescal may be a rising star, but Denzel Washington is the kind of established movie star and Hollywood icon whose presence is fuels a film's theatrical push.

Gladiator II won't get out of Gladiator's shadow, but its wild battle scenes and crazy gladiatorial spectacles combined with some key performances should allow the new film to casts its own shadow.  Besides, if you have seen Gladiator, dear readers, you know that you are itching to see Gladiator II.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Monday, November 25, 2024

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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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 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.

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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.

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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.

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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: "ALIEN: ROMULUS" is Proud to Be an "Alien" Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 37 of 2024 (No. 1981) by Leroy Douresseaux

Alien: Romulus (2024)

Running time:  119 minutes (1 hour, 59 minutes)

MPA – R for bloody violent content and language

DIRECTOR:  Fede Alvarez

WRITERS: Fede Alvarez and Rodo Sayagues (based on characters created by by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett)

PRODUCERS: Walter Hill, Ridley Scott, and Michael Pruss

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Galo Olivares (D.o.P.)

EDITOR: Jake Roberts

COMPOSER:  Benjamin Wallfisch

SCI-FI/HORROR/THRILLER/ACTION

Starring:  Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Reaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu, and Robert Bobrocyzki

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

Alien: Romulus is a solid science fiction movie that wholeheartedly embraces the horror movie roots of the Alien film franchise

Director Fede Alvarez and his creative cohorts deliberately make Romulus look and feel like a film from the early days of the Alien franchise, as the film is set between Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986)

Alien: Romulus is a bit over the top, especially at the end, but David Jonsson's performance as “Andy” keeps everything on point in this film that is for longtime fans and will certainly create new Alien fans

Alien: Romulus is a 2024 American science fiction, horror, and action film from director Fede Alvarez.  It is the seventh entry in the Alien film series (and the ninth overall when including the Alien vs. Predator films).  Alien: Romulus focuses on a group of young space colonists who come face to face with a terrifying life form while scavenging aboard a derelict space station.

Alien: Romulus introduces Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), an orphaned young woman.  She lives and works on the mining colony of “Jackson's Star.”  She lives with a surrogate brother, Andy (David Jonsson), a malfunctioning android or “synthetic human” who was reprogrammed by Rain's late father to be her companion.  After her work contract is unexpectedly extended, she realizes that her employers, the mega-corporation, Weyland-Yutani, realizes that she will be trapped on Jackson's Star at least another five years.

However, her ex-boyfriend, Tyler (Archie Reaux), has a plan.  He has discovered that a derelict space station has drifted into orbit around Jackson's Star. Tyler believes that the station has cryonic stasis chambers (for suspended animation), which they could salvage.  The cryogenic units would allow them to make the nine-year journey to the next nearest human colony, a remote planet named “Yvaga.”

Andy is essential for the mention because he can communicate with the space station's computer systems.  Rain and Andy join Tyler and his crew:  his sister, Kay (Isabela Merced); their cousin, Bjorn (Spike Fearn); and a pilot, Navarro (Aileen Wu).  After boarding “the Corbelan,” a mining hauler, they head for the space station.  What none of them realize is that waiting aboard the space station is a decades-old secret conspiracy and the most terrifying life form in the universe.

After watching Alien: Romulus last night, I realize it is shamelessly proud to be an Alien film, and that it gleefully embraces the good, the bad, and the ugly that is the franchise's wacky narrative.  Although it is a standalone film, Romulus is set between the events depicted in Alien (1979) and its sequel, Aliens (1986), and directly references story elements from both films.  Romulus also references story and elements from the franchise's prequel film, Prometheus (2012), and at least one of the original Alien sequels, Alien: Resurrection (1997).

I did not like Romulus director's Fede Alvarez's Hollywood calling card, Evil Dead, a 2013 “re-imagining” of Sam Raimi's beloved cult classic, The Evil Dead (1981).  Alvarez's Evil Dead had none of the imagination of the original, and it was as if Alvarez was using his film to purge the Evil Dead franchise of its flavor.  Here, Alvarez and his co-writer, Rodo Sayagues, immerse this new Alien film in the trappings of the franchise, and the result is a very good science fiction film that celebrates the horror that science, the future, and technology can unleash upon mankind.  And Romulus is a gory, bloody, body-ripping scary movie.

What keeps Alien: Romulus from being great is that Alvarez offers too much of everything – too much peril and too, too many cliffhangers.  At times, Romulus feels like sound and fury signifying overload.  As he did in Evil Dead, Alvarez offers a group of characters who are nothing more than intended victims, and that goes even for the “final girl,” Rain.

However, the script does invest nuance and character in Andy, brilliant played by David Jonsson, a British actor.  Jonsson steals Romulus by dabbling in multiple layers, making Andy frightening, sympathetic, and mesmerizing.  Jonsson's turn as Andy reminds me of British actor Chukwudi Iwuji's turn as the “High Evolutionary” in Disney/Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023).  Jonsson vastly elevates the character drama in Romulus, as the other actors do their best work with him, especially Cailee Spaeny as the ostensible lead, Rain.

Alien: Romulus is a welcome return of the Alien franchise's roots, as it firmly sets itself in the tone, style, and aesthetic of the franchise's earlier films.  I heartily recommend Alien: Romulus to fans of the franchise and also to those who want to be fans.

7 of 10

A-

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Friday, August 16, 2024

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

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Review: 45 Years On, "ALIEN" is Still a Great Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 36 of 2024 (No. 1980) by Leroy Douresseaux

Alien (1979)

Running time:  117 minutes (1 hour, 57 minutes)

MPAA – R

DIRECTOR: Ridley Scott

WRITERS: Dan O'Bannon; from a story by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett

PRODUCERS: Gordon Carroll, David Giler, and Walter Hill

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Derek Vanlint (director of photography)

EDITORS:  Terry Rawlings and Peter Weatherley

COMPOSER: Jerry Goldsmith

Academy Award winner

SCI-FI/HORROR/THRILLER

Starring:  Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto, Bolaji Badejo, and Helen Horton (voice)

Alien is a 1979 American science fiction and horror film directed by Ridley Scott.  It is the first movie in the Alien film series, which has entered its fifth decade and is comprised of prequels and a set of crossover films.  Alien is also a multimedia franchise that includes comic books, novels, video games, and an upcoming television series.  Alien focuses on the crew of a commercial spacecraft that encounters a deadly alien lifeform after landing on a mysterious moon.

Alien opens on the commercial towing vehicle, the Nostromo, which is returning to Earth.  Its cargo is twenty tons of mineral ore that is being refined.  It has a crew of seven in stasis (suspended animation): Captain Dallas (Tom Skerritt), Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt), 3rd Officer Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), Navigator Lambert (Veronica Cartwright), Science Officer Ash (Ian Holm), and engineers, Parker (Yaphet Kotto) and Brett (Harry Dean Stanton).

The ship's computer, Mother (voice of Helen Horton), detects a mysterious transmission of unknown origin from a nearby moon and awakens the crew.  The company that owns the Nostromo has a policy that the crew must investigate any transmission that indicates intelligent origin.  After landing on the moon, Dallas, Kane, and Lambert head out to investigate the landscape, and they discover a derelict alien spaceship.  What they find onboard that ship leads to a deadly encounter with an alien lifeform.  The problem is that the crew does not know how dangerous the lifeform is, and not everyone on the ship is working towards the same goal.

20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox) is set to release Alien: Romulus (2024), the latest entry in the Alien film franchise.  It is set between Alien and its sequel, Aliens (1986).  I have already reviewed Aliens, so I decided to watch Alien for the first time in over three decades and to review it for you, dear readers.

There are generally three reasons that I fondly remember Alien.  First, the Alien creature (now known as a “xenomorph”) was created and designed by the late Swiss artist, H. R. Giger (1940-2014).  Alien was how I discovered Giger, and I became a huge fan of his.  I sometimes paid premium prices for his art books, including those that focused on his work on Alien and his prior work that influenced the film.

The second reason is the film's director Ridley Scott.  I am a fan of Scott's work, especially his 1982 science fiction classic, Blade Runner, and his Alien prequel, Prometheus (2012).

The third reason that I fondly remember Alien is that it is one of the first films that introduced me to the Oscar-nominated actress Sigourney Weaver.  Her most famous films appeared in the 1980s and 1990s, including such personal favorites as Ghostbusters (1984) and Galaxy Quest (1999).

That aside, the film is rather good, although I think that Ridley Scott takes many of his cues for the film's pace, tone, and execution from Stanley Kubrick's space epic, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).  That is not necessarily a bad thing.  Unlike some of the Alien sequels, Alien is a science fiction film that is also a classic horror film.  It builds its scares not on action and violence, but rather on building a sense of mystery, creating an atmosphere of fear and desperation, and throwing a blanket of suspense over the entire thing.  Of course, the chest-bursting scene is still chilling and mesmerizing.

Alien remains a great film because it demands that we be patient and enjoy our steadily mounting feelings dread and terror.  The film is not perfect, but because it acts as if its audience is smart enough to enjoy a film without fast-paced action scenes and frenzied blood and gore, it is almost perfect.  Alien is as good today as it was when it first debuted in theaters forty-five years ago (specifically May 1979).  I am happy that Alien remains a thrilling film full of imaginative and inventive production design, SFX, and make-up and creature effects.  Not showing any wrinkles, Alien has aged well.

9 of 10

A+

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

NOTES:

1980 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win: “Best Effects, Visual Effects” (H.R. Giger, Carlo Rambaldi, Brian Johnson, Nick Allder, and Dennis Ayling) and 1 nomination: “Best Art Direction-Set Decoration” (Michael Seymour, Leslie Dilley, Roger Christian, and Ian Whittaker)

1980 BAFTA Awards:  2 wins: “Best Production Design” (Michael Seymour) and “Best Sound Track” (Derrick Leather, Jim Shields, and Bill Rowe); 5 nominations: “Best Costume Design” (John Mollo and Terry Rawlings), “Best Editing” (Terry Rawlings), “Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Role” (Sigourney Weaver), “Best Supporting Actor” (John Hurt), and “Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music” (Jerry Goldsmith)

Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Jerry Goldsmith)

2002 National Film Preservation Board, USA:  “National Film Registry”

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

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

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OBITS:

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

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Feb. 18th to 24th, 2024 - UPDATE #16

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The latest "Game of Thrones" spinoff, "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: A Hedge Knight" is currently in pre-production and will debut in late 2025.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Warner Bros. has signed Tom Cruise and Margot Kidder to be big production deals.  It has spent $200 million on its "Joker" sequel.  It's all to make Warner Bros. attractive to a buyer or merger partner beginning in April.

MOVIES/TRAILERS - From Deadline:  Lionsgate has released the first trailer for its star-studded film adaptation of the videogame, "Borderlands."  Directed by Eli Roth, the film stars Cate Blanchett who leads a cast including Kevin Hart and Jamie Lee Curtis, to name a few.  It is due in theaters August 9, 2024.

MUSIC - From Deadline:  Beyonce has become the first Black woman to reach No. 1 on Billboard's "Hot Country Songs" chart.  Her song, "Texas Hold 'Em," released February 11, 2024, debuted at the top of the "Hot Country Songs" list.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Gareth Edwards is in final negotiations to direct the fourth "Jurassic World" movie.  This comes after news that talks with the first choice, "John Wick" director David Leitch, fell through.  Edwards is best known for directing Godzilla (2014) and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and recently directing "The Creator."  The new Jurassic World movie is due in theaters July 2, 2025.

MOVIES/BOOKS - From Deadline:  Stephen Kings calls out Warner Bros. on Twitter for holding back on the released date of "Salem's Lot," its film adaptation of King's 1975 classic horror novel. The film has been having release date changes since September 2022.

MOVIES/MUSIC - From Deadline:  Oscar-winning director, Sam Mendes ("American Beauty") will direct four separate films about "The Beatles."  Each film will focus on one of four members of "the Fab Four": John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Jonathan van Tulleken will direct and executive produce the first two episodes of the high-profile limited series, Amazon Prime Video‘s "Blade Runner 2099."  Van Tulleken also directed the first two episodes of FX's upcoming "Shogun."

BAFTAS - From Deadline:  The winners at the 2024 / 77th BAFTA Film Awards have been announced.  "Oppenheimer" wins seven awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

AWARDS - From People:  "Barbie" dominates at the 2024 People's Choice Awards, winning six awards. Also, this article has a complete winners list.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Sony Pictures has bought the international film distribution rights for "Materialists," the next film from Celine Song, whose recent "Past Lives" has won several awards and is currently Oscar-nominated.  A24 will handle the U.S. release.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 2/16 to 2/18/2024 weekend box office is Paramount Pictures' "Bob Marley: One Love" with an estimated take of 27.7 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Ridley Scott will direct Paramount Pictures' biopic about the Grammy-winning, hit-making pop music group, the "Bee Gees" (brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb).

OBITS:

From Deadline:   Film, television, and stage actor, Paul D'Amato, has died at the age of 75, Monday, February 19, 2024.  D'Amato is best known for the role of "Tim 'Dr. Hook' McMcCraken" in the 1977 sports movie classic, "Slap Shot."  He also appeared in such films as "The Deer Hunter" (1978) and "Suspect" (1987).

From Deadline:  Film and television actor, Tony Ganios, has died at the age of 64, Sunday, February 18, 2024.  Ganios may be best known for two roles, his debut role as "Paul LaGuardia" in "The Wanderers" (1979) and as "Anthony 'Meat' Tuperello" in the hit 1981 sex comedy, Porky's, and its two sequels.  He also had a recurring role in the former CBS crime drama, "Wiseguy."

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AWARDS:

From THR:  Key award season dates leading up to the 2024 / 96th Academy Awards, which are Sunday, March 10th, 2024.

From Variety: The nominations for the 2024 / 96th Academy Awards have been announced.  "Oppenheimer" leads with 13 nominations, and "Poor Things" follows with 11.  The winners will be announced Sun., March 10th, 2024.

From THR:   The Directors Guild of America has announced the winners at the 2024 / 76th DGA Awards.  Christopher Nolan won the top category, "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film of 2023," for his work on his blockbuster film, "Oppenheimer."

From Deadline:  The winners at the 2024 / 51st Annie Awards have been announced.  "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" won six, including "Best Feature."  Its predecessor, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" also won six categories, including "Best Feature."

From AwardsWatch:  The NAACP has announced the nominees for the 2024 / 55th NAACP Image Awards.  By visiting www.naacpimageawards.net, the public can vote to determine the winners of the 55th NAACP Image Awards’ in select categories. Voting closes February 24th at 9:00 p.m. NAACP will also recognize winners in non–televised Image Awards categories March 11–14th, which will stream via naacpimageawards.net.  The winners will be revealed during the two–hour LIVE TV special, airing Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 8:00 PM ET/ PT on BET and CBS.

From THR:  The Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) has announced the winners at the 28th Art Directors Guild Awards.  "Poor Things," "Oppenheimer," and "Saltburn" win top prizes.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 Writers Guild Awards have been announced. The winners will be announced on April 14th, more than a month after the Oscars.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2024 / 77th EE BAFTA Film Awards have been announced.  "Oppenheimer" leads with 13 nominations, and "Poor Things" follows with 11 nominations.  The winners will be announced Feb. 18th.

From Variety:  The Producers Guild of America has announced the nominees for the 2024 / 35th annual Producers Guild Awards.  For the first time in the history of the awards, two international films, "Anatomy of a Fall" and "The Zone of Interest," have made been nominated in the PGA's top category, "Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures." The winners will be announced Feb. 25th.

From Variety:   The nominees for the 2024 / 51st Annie Awards have been announced.  Netflix's "Nimona" leads the features categories with nine nominations.  The winners will be announced Sat., Feb. 17th.

From Deadline:  The Screen Actors Guild nominations for the 2024 / 30th annual SAG Awards have announced. "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" leads the film side of things with four nominations apiece.  The winners will be announced Saturday, Feb. 24th.

From AwardsWatch:  The Latino Entertainment Journalists Association has announced the 6th Annual LEJA Awards.  "Past Lives" won "Best Picture."  Actor Coleman Domingo won "Best Actor" for his role in "Rustin" and "Best Supporting Actor" for his role in "The Color Purple."

From AwardsWatch:  The Vancouver Film Critics Circle has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Anatomy of a Fall" won "Best Picture."

From Variety:  The Directors Guild of America has announced the nominations for the 2024 / 76th DGA Awards.  In the top category, "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film of 2023," the nominees are Greta Gerwig for "Barbie," Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer,” Martin Scorsese for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Yorgos Lanthimos for “Poor Things,” and Alexander Payne for “The Holdovers.”  The winners will be announced Feb. 10th.

From AwardsWatch:  The London Critics Circle announced the winners of its 44th annual film awards. "The Zone of Interest" won three awards, including "Film of the Year" and "Best Director" (Jonathan Glazer).

From AwardsWatch:  The Kansas City Film Critics Circle (KCFCC) has won the 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" won six awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy tied with Paul Giamatti for "The Holdovers").

From Variety:  The American Cinema Editors has announced the nominees for the 2024 / 74th Annual ACE Eddie Awards.  The winners will be announced March 3rd, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) has named its 2023 film awards. "Oppenheimer" won eight awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Houston Film Critics Society (HFCS) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Poor Things" won three awards, including "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Chicago Indie Critics (CIC) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won seven awards, including "Best Studio Film." Celine Song's "Past Lives" won three, including "Best Independent Film."

From Variety:  The Motion Picture Sound Editors has revealed the nominations for the 71st annual MPSE Golden Reel Awards in categories spanning feature film, television, animation, computer entertainment and student productions.  The winners will be announced March 3rd.

From AwardsWatch: The Iowa Film Critics Association (IFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  Alexander Payne's "The Holdovers" won four awards, including "Best Picture."

From Variety:  The Visual Effects Society has announced the nominations for the 2024 / 22nd Annual VES Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Feb. 21st.

From AwardsWatch:  The North Dakota Film Society (NDFS) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won nine awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The Music City Film Critics Association has announces it MCFCA 2023 Film Awards.  Oppenheimer won seven awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Portland Critics Association (PCA) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won nine awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From Deadline:  The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) announced the 15th annual African-Ameri an Film Critics Awards. "American Fiction" was voted the #1 film and won four awards, including "Best Comedy." Ava DuVernay's "Origin" was voted the #2 film and won three awards, including "Best Drama." 

From Deadline:  The winners of the 2024 / 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced.  "Oppenheimer" won eight awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Hawaii Film Critics Society (HFCS) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Barbie" wins four awards, including "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Denver Film Critics Society (DFCS) has announced the winners of its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won four awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) revealed the nominees for the "2024 / 38th Annual ASC Awards" with categories in feature film, documentary, television and music video categories.  The winners will be announced March 3rd, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Austin Film Critics Association (AFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) announced the winners in 21 categories for the 2023 Seattle Film Critics Society Awards.  Director Celine Song’s "Past Lives" was named the "Best Picture of 2023."

From AwardsWatch:  The Cinema Audio Society (CAS) has announced the nominations for the 60th CAS Awards.  The winners will be announced March 2nd.

From AwardsWatch:  The Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) has announced the nominations for the 28th Art Directors Guild Awards. The winners will be announced Feb. 10th.

From AwardsWatch:  The Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) has announced it 2024 ASTRA Film Awards.  "Barbie" won eight awards, including "Best Picture.

From AwardsWatch:  The Greater Western New York Film Critics Association (GWNYFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Past Lives" was named "Best Picture."

From NSFC:  The National Society of Film Critics announce its 58th annual NSFC Awards.  "Past Lives" was named "Best Picture of 2023."

From Deadline:  The 2024 / 81st Golden Globes Awards ceremony was held Sun. night, Jan. 7th, 2024.  "Oppenheimer" won five awards, including "Best Motion Picture-Drama," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), "Best Actor-Drama" (Cillian Murphy), and "Best Supporting Actor-Motion Pictures" (Robert Downey, Jr.). "Poor Things" won "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."

From Deadline:  NIGHT 2 of the 75th Creative Arts Emmys took place Sun., Jan. 7th, 2024.  (Former) President Barack Obama and Keke Palmer were among the winners.

From Deadline:  NIGHT 1 of the 75th Creative Arts Emmys took place Sat., Jan. 6th, 2024.  HBO's "The Last of Us" lead the night with 8 wins, including wins in both "Guest Actor in a Drama Series" categories: Nick Offerman (Guest Actor) and Storm Reid (Guest Actress).

From AwardsWatch:  The 5th annual DiscussingFilm Critics Awards were announced.  "Oppenheimer" won eight awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:   The Utah Film Critics Association (UFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards. "Past Lives" won three awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Celine Song).

From AwardsWatch:  The Georgia Film Critics Association (GFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" won seven honors, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" was named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Columbus Film Critics Association (COFCA) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won six awards including "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese).

From AwardsWatch:  The Costume Designers Guild (Local 892) announced the official nominees list for the 26th CDGA (Costume Designers Guild Awards). The annual CDGA ceremony will take place Wed., Feb. 21st, 2024.

From Variety:   The British Academy has unveiled the results of the first round of voting across all 24 categories for the 2024 / 77th BAFTA Film Awards.  These results are known as "the longlists."  "Barbie," "Killers of the Flower Moon," and "Oppenheimer" all appeared on the longlist of 15 categories.  The nominations will be announced Jan. 18th, and the winners will be announced Feb. 18th.

From AwardsWatch:  The Oklahoma Film Critics Circle (OFCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won five awards, including "Best Film," "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese), and "Best Actress" (Lily Gladstone).

From AwardsWatch:  The Critics Association of Central Florida (CACF) has announced the winners of its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won 10 awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan). 

From AwardsWatch:  U.K. Film Critics Association (UKFCA) has announced the winners of its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won three awards: "Best Film," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From Variety: The Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild (MUAHS, IATSE Local 706) has announced nominations for the 11th MUAHS Guild Awards. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 led with five mentions in the film categories and ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" led with four in the television categories. The winners will be announced Sunday, February 18, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Nevada Film Critics Society has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Oppenheimer" won five awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  Hayao's Miyazaki's anime film, "The Boy and the Heron" was named "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "American Fiction" won six awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Cord Jefferson), and Best Actor (Jeffrey Wright).

From AwardsWatch:  The San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) has announced its 2023 film awards.  Always trying to be difficult, it named "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" the "Best Picture."  It named Martin Scorsese "Best Director" for "Killers of the Flower Moon."

From AwardsWatch:  The Dublin Film Critics Circle has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Past Lives" wins "Best Film" and "Best Director" (Celine Song)"

From AwardsWatch:  The North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" wins five awards, including "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan).

From AwardsWatch:  The Southeaster Film Critics Association (SEFCA) has announces its 2023 films awards.  "Oppenheimer" won eight awards including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy).

From AwardsWatch:  The Indiana Film Journalists Association (IFJA) has announced its 2023 films awards.  "Poor Things" won six awards, including "Best Pictuere," "Best Director" (Yorgos Lanthmos), "Best Actress" (Emma Stone"), and "Best Supporting Actor" (Mark Ruffalo).

From AwardsWatch:  The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle (PFCC) has announced it 2023 film awards.  "Poor Things" won four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Yorgos Lanthimos), and "Best Actress" (Emma Stone).

From AwardsWatch:  The St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) has announced its 2023 awards.  "Oppenheimer" won seven awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Christopher Nolan), and "Best Actor" (Cillian Murphy)

From AwardsWatch:  The Phoenix Film Critics Society (PFCS) has named its 2023 film awards.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture."  Oppenheimer wins six, including "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The Dallas-Ft. Worth Film Critics Association (DFWFCA) has named its 2023 films awards.  "The Holdovers" wins "Best Picture."  "Oppenheimer" wins four, including "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) have announced their 2023 film awards.  "The Zone of Interest" wins "Best Picture" and "Best Director" (for Jonathan Glazer).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2023 Boston Online Film Critics Association (BOFCA) awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture," one of two awards its won.  "Oppenheimer" wins five, including a "Best Director" for Christopher Nolan.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 2024 / 24th annual Black Reel Awards have been announced.  "The Color Purple" leads with 19 nominations.  The winners will be announced Jan. 16th, 2024.

From AwardsWatch:  The Phoenix Critics Circle (PCC) has announced its 2023 film awards.  "Past Lives" wins "Best Picture."

From AwardsWatch:  The New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) have named "Killers of the Flower Moon" the "Best Film" of 2023.  Christopher Nolan wins "Best Director" for "Oppenheimer."

From AwardsWatch:  The Las Vegas Film Critics Society have named "Oppenheimer" the "Best Picture" of 2023, with the film's director, Christopher Nolan, winning "Best Director."

From AwardsWatch:  The winners at the 2023 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" wins "Best Picture," and Christopher Nolan wins "Best Director" for "Oppenheimer."

From THR:   The winners at the 2023 / 49th annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  The Holocaust historical drama, "The Zone of Interest," wins four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Jonathan Glazer), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 29th annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced. "Barbie" leads with 18 nominations.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 81st annual Golden Globe Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Jan. 7th, 2024 on CBS and Paramount Plus.

From AwardsWatch:  The Las Vegas Film Critics have announced their 2023 LVFC Awards nominations.  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" are the leading vote getters.  The winners will be announced Wed., Dec. 13th.

From THR:  The winners at the 2023 European Film Awards have been announced.  "Anatomy of a Fall" won five awards including for "Best Film," "Best Director" (Justine Triet), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2023 National Board of Review film honors have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won "Best Film," "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese), and "Best Actress" (Lily Gladstone).

From AwardsWatch:  The American Film Institute (AFI) names its top ten films: American Fiction, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, May December, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.  It also names its top ten television series: Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Beef, Jury Duty, The Last of Us, The Morning Show, Only Murders in the Building, Poker Face, Reservation Dogs, and Succession.

From AwardsWatch:  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" lead the nominations for "Astra Film & Creative Arts Awards," which are put on by the "Hollywood Creative Alliance" (formerly known as the Hollywood Critics Association).  The winners will be announced Jan. 6th, 2024 in Los Angeles.

From Deadline:  At the 2023 / 26th British Independent Film Awards, director Andrew Haigh's "All of Us Strangers" won seven awards, including "Best British Independent Film."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 89th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" (directed by Martin Scorsese) was named "Best Film of 2023."  Christopher Nolan won "Best Director" for his film, "Oppenheimer."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 33rd Annual Gotham Awards were announced Mon., Nov. 27th.  Writer-director Celine Song's South Korean romantic drama, "Past Lives" won the "Best Feature" award.

BEST PICTURE COUNT:

All of Us Strangers: 1

American Fiction: 2

Anatomy of a Fall: 2

Barbie: 2

The Boy and the Heron: 1

The Holdovers: 2

Killers of the Flower Moon: 9

Oppenheimer: 21

Past Lives: 9

Poor Things: 4

The Zone of Interest: 3

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Nov. 1st to 11th, 2023 - Updated #25

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

GRAMMYS - From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 66th annual Grammy Awards have been announced.  The "Barbie" soundtrack leads with 11 nominations, while SZA leads individual artists with nine nominations.  The winners will be announced Feb. 4th, 2024.

ANIMATION - From THR:  Just as it shelved the "Batgirl" movie last year, Warner Bros. is shelving its live-action/animation hybrid, "Coyote Vs. Ace," which finished principal photography in New Mexico last year.  The films stars John Cena.

DISNEY/NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Disney CEO Bob Iger says that he won't "chase bucks" by licensing its "core brands" (Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars) to its rival, Netflix.  However, it is in talks with Netflix over other titles.

STRIKE - From Deadline:  The actors' strike is over. SAG-AFTRA, the actors union, have agreed to a new three-year deal with the Hollywood studios.  The strike will officially be over 12.01 a.m. Pacific Time (PT).

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Sony is co-financing with Nintendo a live-action movie based on the video game franchise, "The Legend of Zelda."  Wes Ball of "The Maze Runner" franchise is set to direct.

AMAZON - From Variety:  Amazon Prime Video has dropped a new trailer for the second season of its popular "Reacher" series.  Prime will drop three of the new season's episodes on Dec. 15th.

MOVIE - From Variety:  What Ridley Scott had to say to a television historian about "historical inaccuracies in his new film, "Napoleon" (starring Joaquin Phoenix), and what he'll say to the Oscars if he ever wins.

CELEBRITY - From Variety:  Jeremy Renner says that he has tried every type of therapy to heal from his near-fatal snow plow accident back in January (2023).

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Paramount is remaking its 1974 Burt Reynolds prison football movie, "The Longest Yard," again.  This time it will be written by Rodney Barnes, who executive produced and wrote HBO's "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty."  Barnes is also the writer of the comic book, Killadelphia, with artist Jason Shawn Alexander.  The film was remade in 2005 with Adam Sandler in the lead.

DISNEY - From THR: FX has renewed its drama, "The Bear," for a third season. The series air exclusively on Hulu.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/3 to 11/5/2023 weekend box office is Universal Pictures' "Five Nights at Freddy's" with an estimated take of 19.4 million dollars.

MARVEL - From Variety:  What comes after the Marvel Cinematic Universe? What will dominate in its place? It's not likely to be high-falutin' says Variety's Owen Gleiberman.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  "Friends" actor, Matthew Perry, was laid to rest Friday afternoon at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles near Warner Bros Studios.  His "Friends" co-stars: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer attended the service.  Perry died Oct. 28th at his home in Los Angeles.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  DreamWorks Animation has changed the release date of its live-action version of its hit 2010 animated film, How to Train Your Dragon.  The new release date is June 13, 2025, moved up from March 14, 2025.

ANIMATION - From IndieWire:  GKIDS has released the official English-dub trailer for "The Boy and the Heron," the new film from the legendary Japanese director, Hayao Miyazaki.

EMMYS - From THR:  The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) announced on today (Thurs., Nov. 2nd) the nominees for the 2nd Annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards.  Disney leads with 92 nominations.  The date for the awards ceremony will be announced at a later date.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney is going to pay Comcast 8.61 billion dollars for its remaining 33 percent stake in the streaming service, Hulu.

MOVIES - From TheAtlantic:  This link leads to an excerpt from David Grann's non-fiction work, "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the F.B.I." The book is the source material for Martin Scorsese's new film, "Killers of the Flower Moon."

CULTURE - From NYT:  Maine resident and legendary novelist, Stephen King, wrote a piece about the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine. He starts by writing "There is no solution to the gun problem..."

TELEVISION - From THR:  Seasame Workshop has announced that "Sesame Street" is set to undergo some major renovations.  The long-running PBS children’s series will be getting a creative overhaul for its 56th season, which will debut in 2025.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Television and film actor, Peter White, has died at the age of 86, Wednesday, November 1, 2023.  White was best known roles on such daytime soap operas as "All My Children" and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing." White was one of the original cast members of the hit off-Broadway play, "The Boys in the Band" (1968), and he reprised his role in the play in the 1970 film adaptation directed by William Friedkin.

From THR:  American television writer-producer, Peter S. Fischer, has died at the age of 88, Monday, October 30, 2023.  He co-created the former CBS television mystery series, "Murder, She Wrote" (1984-96) with the late television producing partners, Richard Levinson and William Link.  Fischer executive produced the series first seven seasons and wrote nearly three dozen of its episodes.  Fischer also wrote multiple episodes of such series as "Marcus Welby," "Columbo," and "Ellery Queen," to name a few.  He shared three "Outstanding Drama Series" Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his work on "Murder, She Wrote."

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ACTORS STRIKE:

From Deadline:  The SAG-AFTRA national board unanimously approved the tentative agreement reached with the AMPTP to end the actors' strike.  Now, the actors vote...

From Variety:  The Hollywood studios have agreed to adjust language on artificial intelligence (AI) in their contract negotiations with SAG-AFTRA to end the 117-day actors' strike.

From THR:  SAG-AFTRA is evaluating the studios' "last, best and final offer" to end the actors' strike.

From Deadline:  The studios have delivered a new contract deal to SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union, and more strike talks are scheduled to be held this weekend.

From Deadline:  Striking actors are set to meet the studios today for Halloween negotiations, but they are still "far apart on key issues."

From Variety:  SAG-AFTRA (actors) and AMPTP (studios) will resume strike negotiations tomorrow (Tues., Oct. 24th).

From Deadline:  SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher says that the offer from top-earning Hollywood actors to chip in some money to help end the strike "isn't legally compatible with the union's contract.

From Deadline:  Top earning Hollywood actors want to chip in some money to end the SAG-AFTRA strike.

From Deadline:  George Clooney, Emma Stone, Ben Affleck, Tyler Perry and Scarlett Johansson were among a group of top talent guild members that spoke Tuesday (Oct. 17th) with guild president Fran Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland for a detailed debrief, we hear.

From Deadline:  The movie studios via AMPTP have suspended their talks with striking actors via SAG-AFTRA.  The snag seems to be that actors want "2 precent of potential profits" on streaming.

From Variety:  SAG-AFTRA (the actors) and AMPTP (the studios) are to resume strike talks Wed., Oct. 11th, as the actors strike enters Day 88.

From Deadline:  The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Hollywood studios CEOs met for strike talks for the first time since the actors went on strike July 14th. They plan to meet again, Wed., Oct. 4th.

BREAKING - From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to end its strike after nearly five months. The parties finalized the framework of the deal Sunday when they were able to untangle their stalemate over AI and writing room staffing levels.

From WGAContract:  The WGA contract page has additional information on the settlement.

From WGAContract:  A summary of the new agreement.

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From Deadline:   The actors’ strike is now in its 63rd day.  Now, SAG-AFTRA leaders are ramping up their rhetoric against the studio heads, accusing them in the latest issue of the "SAG-AFTRA Magazine" of “behaving like petty tyrants,” “would-be feudal lords” and “land barons in feudal times.”

From Deadline:  Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra says that Hollywood unions need to embrace AI.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav says the industry must focus and fight to resolve the writers and actors strikes.

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

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

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