Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 10th to 16th, 2022 - Update #13

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Tony Revolori (the Sony/Marvel "Spider-Man" films) and Samara Weaving join the cast of "Scream 6."

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Top Gun: Maverick," starring Tom Cruise, has passed the 600 million dollar-mark at the domestic box office.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey has pled not guilty to five sexual assault charges at a court hearing at London’s famed Old Bailey court Thurs, July 14th and will face trial in June 2023.  Spacey goes to trial in New York in October to face a sexual assault lawsuit from actor, Anthony Rapp.

TRAILERS - From Deadline:  Universal Pictures debuts the trailer for director Rob Zombie's "The Munsters," a film adaptation of the 1960s television sitcom.

EMMYS - From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 74th annual Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced.  HBO's "Succession" and Apple TV+'s "Ted Lasso" lead in the major categories.  The eligibility period is June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022.  The winners for the "Creative Arts" categories will be announced Sept. 3rd and 4th and the main awards will be announced Sept. 12th on NBC.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/8 to 7/10/2022 weekend box office is DisneyMarvel's "Thor: Love and Thunder" with an estimated take of 143 million dollars.

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

DISNEY - From Variety:  Hulu is renewed its popular series, "Only Murders in the Building" for a third season.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson has joined the horror film, "Skill House," as both an actor and producer.

MARVEL STUDIOS - From People:  With new of a "Captain America 4," actor Chris Evans wants to remind people that Sam Wilson, not Steve Rogers, is Captain America, now.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Actor Miles Teller says that he is having conversation with Tom Cruise about a third "Top Gun" movie in the wake of the billion-dollar box office success of the second film in the series, "Top Gun: Maverick."

MOVIES - From THR:  Writer-director Zach Cregger's horror film, "Barbarian," is moving from its Aug. 31st, 2022 release date to September 9th, 2022.  The film stars Bill Skarsgard and Georgina Campbell.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  British film music composer and singer, Monty Norman, has died at the age of 94, Monday, July 11, 2022.  He was best known for composing the instantly familiar "James Bond Theme," which first appeared in the 1962 Bond film, "Dr. No." In the 1950s and 1960s, Norman sang in several big band acts and for various variety shows.  Norman also composed songs for such acts as Cliff Richards, Count Basie, and Bob Hope.

From Variety:  Actor and director, L.Q. Jones, has died at the age of 94, Saturday, July 9, 2022.  As an actor, he was best known for appearing in several films for director Sam Peckinpah, including "Ride the High Country" (1962), and "The Wild Bunch" (1969), and "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" (1973), to name a few.  He directed the cult 1975 science fiction film, "A Boy and His Dog."

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From ESPN:  Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty on Thursday to bringing hashish oil into Russia, telling a judge that she had done so "inadvertently" while asking the court for mercy.

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

From RSN:  According to The Washington Post Editorial Board: "Brittney Griner is a hostage, plain and simple.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from October 17th to 23rd, 2021 - Update #25

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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TELEVISION - From THR:    CBS has given a full-season pickup to its supernatural comedy, "Ghosts."

AWARDS - From THR:  The nominations for the 2021 Gotham Awards have been announced in both film and TV categories.  The winners will be announced Monday, Nov. 29th.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Emily Blunt is in talks to join Christopher Nolan's film, "Oppenheimer."

TRAILER - From ETCanada:  There is a new trailer for the film, "Being the Ricardos," starring Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz.  The film, directed by Aaron Sorkin, focuses on a week in the production of the classic television series, "I Love Lucy."  It will be released on "Amazon Prime" on Dec. 21st.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:   Netflix says that its hit, "Squid Game," the Korean sci-fi dystopian series, has been streamed by 142 million households in its first four weeks.

MOVIES - From THR:  Steve McQueen has won the inaugural European Film Award for Innovative Storytelling for "Small Axe," an anthology of five films set between 1969 and 1982 that explore the experiences of London’s West Indian community.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Hulu has ordered "History of the World, Part II," a TV variety series that will act as a sequel to Mel Brooks' classic film comedy, "History of the World, Part I" (1981).  Brooks will be a writer and executive producer on the series.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Lionsgate is developing, "The Continental," a three-night, special event TV series that will act as a prequel to the "John Wick" film series.  Actor Mel Gibson is the first star signed to appear in "The Continental," which is set to appear on Starz.

From Variety:  Actor Colin Woodell will play a young "Winston Scott" in Starz's "John Wick" prequel series, "The Continental."  Winston Scott is played by actor Ian McShane in the "John Wick" films.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Rob Zombie has shared the first cast photo from his film, "The Munsters," which updates or reboots the old 1960s TV series of the same name.  Universal Studios will release the film.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Disney delays the release date of several upcoming films, including "Doctor Strange 2," "Thor 4," Black Panther 2," and "Indiana Jones 5."

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 10/15 to 10/17/2021 weekend box office is "Halloween Kills" with an estimated take of 50.35 million dollars.

LABOR - From Deadline:  The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) have reached a new film and TV deal that averted the start of a strike by over 60,000 IATSE members on Monday.  This article has the details.

DC FANDOME:

From Variety:  See all the hot trailers for upcoming DC Comics films and TV series from DC FanDome.

From Deadline:  At DC FanDome, director Matt Reeves revealed a new trailer for his film, "The Batman," which is due May 4, 2022.

From Deadline:  A preview of DC Film's "The Flash" gives us a peek at a cameo from a certain Batman...

OBITS:

From TMZ:  Singer and musician, Tommy DeBarge, has died at the age of 64, Thursday, October 21, 2021.  DeBarge was a vocalist and bass player for the R&B/funk band, "Switch," which had it best success in the late 1970s and early 1980s.  Tommy and his brother, the late Bobby DeBarge, were founding members of Switch.  Tommy and Bobby would later leave the group to mentor their younger siblings in the 1980s group, "DeBarge."

From THR:   Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins as died at the age of 42, Thursday, October 21, 2021 after a prop gun incident on the set of the film, "Rust."  Hutchins was known for her work on such indie films as "Archenemy," "Blindfire," and "The Mad Hatter."

From THR:  Actor Peter Scolari has died at the age of 66, Friday, October 22, 2021 after a battle with cancer.  Scolari first game to prominence on the short-lived ABC sitcom, "Bosom Buddies" (1980-82), with friend, Tom Hanks.  Scolari joined the cast of CBS' "Newhart" as a recurring character during the series' second season (1983-84), and then, became a series regular from 1984 until the series' end in 1990.  He won a "Guest Actor" Primetime Emmy for his role on HBO's "Girls."

From YahooNews:   American four-star general, diplomat, and statesman, General Colin Powell, has died at the age of 84, from complications of COVID-19.  He was the first African-American U.S. Secretary of State and a trailblazing figure both in the United States and around the world.  He also served as the 16th United States National Security Advisor from 1987 to 1989 and as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993.

From Deadline:  The actress, Betty Lynn, has died at the age of 95, Saturday, October 16, 2021.  Her best known role was as "Betty Lou," the girlfriend of "Deputy Barney Fife" on "The Andy Griffith Show."  Lynn appeared on the series 26 times from 1961 to 1966.  In the 1950s, Lynn appeared in "Cheaper by the Dozen" (1950) and "Meet Me in Las Vegas" (1956).  Lynn also appeared on four episodes of Andy Griffith's series "Matlock" (1986-92).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 18th to 24th, 2021 - Update #17

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   CBS has revealed a first-look teaser trailer for "CSI: Vegas," the sequel to its long-running, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."

CULTURE - From Slate:  BY Dahlia Lithwick: "We Are All Our Own Militia Now": The new Texas abortion law, paired with rising vigilantism and the ideas that fuel “stand your ground,” points to a frightening future.

MUSIC - From YahooTheRoot:   The first Prince album to be released posthumously will be available for streaming beginning July 30th.  Prince died in April 2016, and the album, entitled "Welcome 2 America," was apparently recorded 11 years ago.

MOVIES - From RollingStone:   A year from now, July 22, 2022, Jordan Peele's next feature film will debut ... says Peele.  He releases a teaser poster for the film with a title, and the title is "Nope."

STAR TREK - From WeGotThisCovered:  While the streaming series, "Star Trek: Picard," is currently in production of its second season, rumors say that there could be as many as three more seasons.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Rob Zombie has provided a first look at the makeup and costume design for his big screen adaptation of "The Munsters."

TELEVISION/OLYMPICS - From Deadline:   The site offers the Tokyo Olympics full TV & streaming schedule: how to watch everything from gymnastics to track & field, basketball and soccer on NBC, Peacock and more.

SPORTS - From YahooSports:   The Milwaukee Bucks are the 2021 NBA World Champions.  They beat the Phoenix Suns 105-98 in Game 6 on Tues. July 20th to win the best-of-seven series, 4 games to 2.  Star player Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points.  This is the Bucks first NBA title since 1971.

CELEBRITY - From APNews:   HarperOne will publish Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis' memoir, "Finding Me," April 19, 2022. Davis is currently working on the memoir.

SCANDAL - From ABCNews:   This morning (Tues., July 20th), New York State Dept. of Corrections officials handed over convicted rapist, Harvey Weinstein, for extradition to California to face sexual assault charges there.

COVID-19 - From THR:   Hollywood’s major studios and guilds have come to a tentative, short-term agreement on new on-set COVID-19 protocols, finally taking vaccines into account.

CELEBRITY - From YahooLife:   Grammy-winning recording artist, Megan Thee Stallion, is the cover stallion on the 2021 edition of the "Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit" issue.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Lionsgate has acquired worldwide rights to Kevin Smith’s "Clerks III," which is in pre-production in New Jersey and will begin production next month.  The film will be a sequel to his 1994 cult hit classic, "Clerks," and to he first sequel, 2006's "Clerks II."

MOVIES - From Collider:   Warner Bros. releases a bunch of character posters for its upcoming blockbuster film, "Dune," which is due October 22nd in theaters and on HBO Max.

MOVIES - From Collider:   Actor Bill Skarsgard (Pennywise the Clown in "It") is joining "John Wick 4."

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 7/16 to 7/18/21 weekend box office is "Space Jam: A New Legacy" with an estimated take of 31.6 million dollars.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:  There are rumors of a Comcast/ViacomCBS merger and NBCUniversal/Lionsgate merger, among others.

ANIMATION - From THR:   There will be at least two animated series based on "Game of Thrones." While a single animated project was previously reported to be in development in January, HBO Max is now working on at least two more potential shows.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from June 6th to 12th, 2021 - Update #22

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Variety:   The new documentary film, "The Kids," examines Larry Clark's 1995 film, "Kids," and the lives of the young actors it shattered.

MUSIC - From Deadline:   Gregory James, the rapper known as "Shock G" and MC Humpty Hump" of the rap group, "Digital Underground," died this past April.  The initial case summary released by the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s office in Florida said Shock G died from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, ethanol and methamphetamine.

BLM - From Truthout:   Darnella Frazier, the Minnesota teen whose cellphone video recording of Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck last May was key piece of prosecution evidence in the trial the ended with the former Minneapolis police officer’s murder conviction, received an honorary Pulitzer Prize on Friday, June 11th.

NETFLIX - From EW:   "John Wick" actor, Lance Reddick, will play "Albert Wesker" in Netflix's planned "Resident Evil" TV series.  Wesker is actually a character from the "Resident Evil" game franchise.

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  The Lord of the Rings is getting the anime (Japanese animation) treatment with the animated film, "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim," from New Line Pictures and Warner Animation.  The film will be directed by Japanese anime director, Kenji Kamiyama, and Japanese anime company, Sola Entertainment, will provide the animation.

STREAMING - From Deadline: Mario Cantone, Willie Garson, David Eigenberg and Evan Handler, who regulars on HBO's "Sex and the City," are returning for HBO Max's revival, "And Just Like That..."

EMMYS - From Variety:   TNT (7 wins) and ESPN (6 wins) lead the 2021 / 42nd Annual Sports Emmys.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Searchlight Pictures has released the first trailer for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye."  It stars Oscar-nominee Jessica Chastain as Tammy Faye Bakker, wife of infamous televangelist, Jim Bakker (played by Oscar-nominee Andrew Garfield), and is based on a grue story.  You can watch the trailer in the article.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:   Tyler Perry his bring his signature character, Madea, out of retirement for a new Netflix film, "A Madea Homecoming," which will be released in 2022.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Horror movie super-producer Jason Blum and director Bryan Fuller are behind a new film version of Stephen King's 1983 novel, "Christine."  John Carpenter directed the first film adaptation, which was also released in 1983.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Following her breakout role in the Netflix smash hit "Outer Banks," Madelyn Cline has joined the cast of the "Knives Out" sequel.

NETFLIX - From Polygon:   Netflix has provided a first look at its live-action version of the anime classic, "Cowboy Bebop," which includes a look at John Cho's hairdo to play "Spike."

LGBTQ - From TheHill:  Burger King has entered the chicken sandwich wars and has challenged anti-gay chicken fast food franchise, Chick-fil-A, with its own support of LGBTQ+.

MOVIES - From BloodyDisgusting:   At one point, director Neill Blomkamp was going direct "Alien 5," which would have been a direct sequel to writer-director James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986), the second film in the series.  But the film was killed off, but more concept art from the project has emerged.

MOVIES - From BloodyDisgusting:   Writer-director Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses) has announced that he has landed his dream gig.  He will write and direct a film update of the late CBS sitcom, "The Munsters" (1964-66), for Universal Pictures.  The film may also end up being an exclusive release for NBCUniversal's "Peacock" streaming service.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Recent Oscar-nominee Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan are attached to star in “She Said,” about "The New York Times" sexual harassment investigation against Harvey Weinstein that kicked off the #MeToo movement.

STREAMING - From Deadline:   In addition to adding new programming to the streaming service, "Paramount+", ViacomCBS is created a low-cost tier to Paramount+ that will be ad-supported.

CELEBRITIES - From BET:  Duchess Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announced that their second child, a baby girl, was born on Friday, June 4, 2021. They’ve decided to name her Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, after both her grandmother, the late Princess Diana, and her great-grandmother, the Queen of England.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The winner of the 6/4 to 6/6/2021 weekend box office is "The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" with an estimated take of 24 million dollars. 

 

From Deadline:  Faith-based (Mormon) film, "Witnesses," makes a strong debut at the specialty box office, but "Bo Gia" still leads.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Executive producer Ryan Murphy has revealed the four actors who will appear in Hulu's "American Horror Stories," the spinoff of his hit FX series, "American Horror Story."

OBITS:

From YahooSports:  Former NFL coach, Jim Fassel, has died at the age of 71, Monday, June 7, 2021.  Fassel was the head coach of the National Football League's "New York Giants" (NFC) from 1997 to 2003.  He led the Giants to Super Bowl XXXV (Jan. 28, 2001), where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens (AFC) 34 to 7.  However, a decade earlier, Fassel was an assistant coach when the Giants won Super Bowl XXV under head coach Bill Parcells.  Fassel was also named "NFL Coach of the Year" in 1997.

From THR:  African-American film, stage and television actor, Clarence Williams III, has died at the age of 81, Friday, June 4, 2021.  His breakout role was in the television series, "The Mod Squad" (1968-73), playing hippie cop, "Lincoln 'Linc' Hayes."  Williams also became a memorable character actor, appearing in films such as "Purple Rain," "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka," "Tales from the Hood," and "Half Baked," to name a few.  Other memorable TV roles included a recurring role on Season Two of the original "Twin Peaks" (1990-91), an episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," and a supporting role in 10 of the Hallmark Channel's "Mystery Woman" movies.  In 1965, he earned a Tony Award nomination for "Best Featured Actor" in the play, "Slow Dance on the Killing Ground."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 25th to 30th, 2016 - Update #30

Support Leroy on Patreon.

JAMES BOND - From Variety:  Daniel Craig is absolutely the first choice to play James Bond in the next film, according to executive producer of last four films.

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:  Long-time (and near legendary) television critic Ken Tucker does not like Woody Allen's new TV series for Amazon, "Crisis in Six Scenes."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  More people are joining Kenneth Branagh's "Murder on the Orient Express," including Daisy Ridley and Judi Dench, among others.

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MOVIES - From Bustle:  Tim Burton tries and strangely explains why their or so few "people of color" in his films.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From LAWeekly:  Henry Rollins: White America Couldn't Handle What Black America Deals With Every Day.

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ECO - From Time:  Robert Redford says he is standing with Standing Rock Sioux.

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COMICS-FILM - From CinemaBlend:  Someone paid $400,000 for the "Batpod," the motorcycle-like vehicle actually used in the 2012 film, "The Dark Knight Rises," which is a terrible-ass movie.

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MOVIES - From ThePlaylist:  Kenneth Branagh is eyeing Johnny Depp and Michelle Pfeiffer for his remake of "Murder on the Orient Express."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Jon Favreau is set to direct Disney's live-action remake of "The Lion King."  Favreau directed Disney's smash hit remake of "The Jungle Book."

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MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Charlize Thereon gained 31 pounds for her new movie, "Tully."

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TELEVISION - From YahooTV:   As his lawsuit goes forward, former showrunner of "The Walking Dead," Frank Darabont wants $280 million dollars in denied profits from the show.

From THR:  Hot details from Darabont's deposition in his suit against AMC over profits for "The Walking Dead."

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COMICS-FILM - From CinemaBlend:  Filming those Stan Lee superhero movie cameos ahead of time.

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COMICS-FILM - From CinemaBlend:  Is this Tom Holland changing into his Spider-Man duds in this video.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  FX's "The Strain" to end next year with season four.

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COMICS-FILM - From SlashFilm:  "Doctor Strange" to appear in "Avengers: Infinity War."

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Viola Davis will star in Steve McQueen's ("12 Years a Slave") upcoming heist thriller, "Widows."  "Gone Girl" screenwriter and novelist, Gillian Flynn, will write the script for "Widows" with McQueen.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Martin Scorsese's "Silence" enters the Oscar race.

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OBIT - From NYTimes:  Musician Stanley Dural, Jr., better known as "Buckwheat Zydeco" (also the name of his band), has died at the age of 68, Saturday, September 24, 2016. He was one of the few zydeco (a musical genre born in Louisiana) musicians to achieve mainstream success.  He won a Grammy Award in 2010.  In 2002, he shared an Emmy Award with Brian Keene.

CELEBRITY - From YahooCelebrity:  Goldie Hawn explains why she has not married her partner of 33 years, Kurt Russell.

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COMICS - From IGN:  DC Comics has announced that its Batman event comic book miniseries, Dark Knight III: The Master Race, will be 9 issues long instead of 8 as originally planned.  Frank Miller and Brian Azzarello are writing.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Daisy Ridley and Elizabeth Debicki have joined the animation/live-action hybrid "Peter Rabbit."

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SPORTS - From YahooSports:  How LSU football coach, Les Miles, went from champ to fired.

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BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 9/23 to 9/25/2016 weekend box office is "The Magnificent Seven" with an estimated take of $35 million.

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BOOKS - From BleedingCool:  James Patterson was actually publishing a work of fiction that centered on the murder of Stephen King!  He has cancelled it.

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CELEBRITY - From SFGate:  Who is the A-lister who raped Corey Haim.

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MOVIES - From FlickeringMyth:  John Carpenter has some harsh words for Rob Zombie and his 2007 remake of Carpenter's classic film.  I like quite a few things about both of Zombie's Halloween films, although I think Carpenter's 1978 original is far better than the remake and remake/sequel/re-imagining of "Halloween 2."

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OBIT - From YahooSports:  Golf legend Arnold Palmer has died at the age of 87, Sunday, September 25, 2016.

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OBIT - From YahooSports:  Major League Baseball pitcher, Jose Fernandez (Miami Marlins), has died at the age of 24, Sunday, September 25, 2016.  He died in a boating accident.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Jim Parsons ("The Big Bang Theory") tops list of highest paid TV actors.

From Variety:  Sofia Vergara ("Modern Family") tops list of highest paid TV actresses.

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TECH-POLITICS - From Variety:  California OKs law requiring removal of actor ages by database sites.

TRAILERS:

From YahooMovies:  See Denzel Washington and Viola Davis square off in "Fences."

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"Rob Zombie's 31" to Have Special Event Showing on September 1st

Rob Zombie’s ‘31’ Brings a Warped Game of Horror to Cinemas Nationwide for One Night on September 1

Fathom Events and Saban Films Bring the Vision of Rock Icon and Filmmaker Rob Zombie to U.S. Movie Theaters for One Terrifying Night This Fall

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From the visionary mind of Rob Zombie comes the horrific story of five carnival workers who are kidnapped on Halloween night and held hostage in an industrial Hell. The captives are then forced to play the terrifying game called “31.” Zombie’s highly-anticipated seventh feature, “31” made its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival, and on September 1, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. local time, horror fans nationwide can catch the film during a special one-night event. Presented in cinemas by Fathom Events and Saban Films, “Rob Zombie’s 31” will also include two exclusive music video premieres: “The Hideous Exhibitions of a Dedicated Gore Whore” and “Get Your Boots On! That’s The End of Rock and Roll,” along with a never-before-seen making-of “31” featurette and a Q&A with Rob Zombie filmed specifically for the cinema event. This event will keep audiences across the country on the edge of their seats as the five-some must fight for their lives against an endless parade of homicidal maniacs on Halloween.

    @FathomEvents News: Be the first to catch Rob Zombie's terrifying flick "31" in cinemas with the #RobZombie31 event

Tickets for “Rob Zombie’s 31” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in more than 400 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

“I think this is the one the Zombie-heads have been waiting for - a nonstop barrage of insane characters trapped in an intensely violent situation,” said Zombie. “I am thrilled to finally get this out to the fans.”

A rock icon and filmmaker with a unique vision, Zombie has continuously challenged audiences as he stretches the boundaries of both music and film. He has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide and is the only artist to experience unprecedented success in both music and film as the writer/director of six feature films with a worldwide gross totaling more than $150 million. Zombie’s “Halloween,” released in 2007, earned the no. 1 spot at the box office in its opening weekend, and his first two films, “House of 1,000 Corpses” and “The Devil’s Rejects,” have become cult favorites among critics and fans. Zombie is currently on tour to support his sixth studio album, The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser (released on April 29 via UMe/T-Boy Records).

“Rob Zombie continues to both scare and impress with his filmmaking. His latest project, ‘31,’ is no exception – it has all the fans talking and ready to be terrified,” Fathom Events CEO John Rubey said. “We are excited to partner with Saban Films to bring this chilling thriller to movie theaters nationwide.”

Following this one-night event, “31” will have a wide theatrical release on October 21, 2016.

“Rob Zombie is a creative visionary like no other,” said Bill Bromiley, President of Saban Films. “We are thrilled to have Fathom Events as a partner in providing a preview of ‘31’ to horror fans with this extraordinary one-night event.”


About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is recognized as the leading domestic distributor of event cinema, and ranks as one of the largest overall distributors of content to movie theaters. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), Fathom Events offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events that include live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions such as the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live’s Hamlet, sporting events like FS1 Presents USA v Mexico, concerts with Roger Waters and One Direction, the TCM Presents classic film series and faith-based events such as The Drop Box and Four Blood Moons. Fathom Events takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 885 locations and 1,348 screens in 181 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.

About Saban Films
Launched in 2014, Saban Films is a boutique North American acquisition and distribution company based in Los Angeles, California that has built an impressive slate of high-quality feature films. The company has built an impressive slate of high-quality feature films they distribute in conjunction with their studio partner, Lionsgate. Focusing on commercial, talent-driven films, the company looks at projects in all stages of production for strategic release across multiple platforms. Saban Films tailors each release based on the unique characteristics of their films, ranging from day-and-date VOD releases to mid-scale traditional theatricals. Saban Films was established by Haim Saban, and is led by Bill Bromiley who serves as President and Shanan Becker as Chief Financial Officer.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 20th to 26th, 2015 - Update #23

Support Leroy on Patreon.

NEWS:

From CounterPunch:  Black lives do not matter... because nothing much else does.

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From YahooNews:  The story of Santa Claus.

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From Variety:  Thom Yorke posts the song they produced for the Bond movie, Spectre, which the Bond bosses rejected.  A shame really...

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From YahooTech:  Quentin Tarantino names "Mad Max: Fury Road" his best film of 2015.

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From TheNation:  Obama's NPR interview causes another right-wing freakout.

---------------
From THR:  Michael Moore talks about on new wave of gun violence.

---------------
From BloodyDisgusting:  Rob Zombie's upcoming film, "31" has received an NC-17 rating... for a second time.

From BloodyDisgusting:  A Rob Zombie red carpet interview.

---------------
From HitFix:  Robert DeNiro compares Jennifer Lawrence and David O'Russell's relationship to the one he has with Martin Scorsese.

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From Variety:  Johnny Depp is most overpaid actor.

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From HitFix:  Jennifer Lawrence is over "cool girls."

---------------
From BoxOfficeMojo:  With the weekend actual numbers announced, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" sets a record for biggest opening weekend at the global box office with a take of $529 million, which surpasses "Jurassic World" and its opening weekend global haul of $524.9 million.

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From YahooMovies:  The stage play, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" debuts a middle-aged trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, with Hermione being a Black woman.

From FlickeringMyth:  Art from "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child."

---------------
From BoxOfficeMojo:  The #1 movie at the 12/18 to 12/20/2015 weekend box office is "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" with an estimated take of $238 million, a record for a domestic opening weekend.  The previous record holder was Jurassic World with $208.8 million.

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From YahooNews:  Channing Tatum pestered Quentin Tarantino for a month to get in "The Hateful Eight."

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From WashPost:  Heroic Tennessee teen football player shot to death trying to protect three girls.


COMICS - Films and Books:

From YahooMovies:  Fans won't be disappointed by the number of characters appearing in "Avengers: Infinity War."

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From Vulture:  Kurt Russell confirms that he is in talks to appear in "Guardians of the Galaxy."


STAR WARS:

From YahooNews:  John Boyega is connected to a tragic crime.

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From YahooMovies:  5 super Star Wars Spoilers - the biggest bombshells (SPOILER ALERT)


TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  Deadpool Christmas trailer.

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From YahooMovies:  First teaser for "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

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From YouTube:  20th Century Fox's "Eddie the Eagle" with Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman.

Review: "The Lords of Salem" is Bee-zarre

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 71 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Lords of Salem (2012)
Running time:  101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for disturbing violent and sexual content, graphic nudity, language and some drug use
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Rob Zombie
PRODUCERS:  Jason Blum, Andy Gould, Oren Peli, Steven Schneider, Rob Zombie
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Brandon Trost
EDITOR:  Glenn Garland
COMPOSERS:  Griffin Boice and John 5

HORROR

Starring:  Sheri Moon Zombie, Bruce Davison, Jeffrey Daniel Phillips, Judy Geeson, Meg Foster, Patricia Quinn, Ken Foree, Dee Wallace, Maria Conchita Alonso, Andrew Prine, and Troy

The Lords of Salem is a 2012 horror film from writer-director Rob Zombie.  The film received a limited theatrical release in April 2013.  The Lords of Salem focuses on a radio DJ who receives a strange vinyl record that when played causes her to feel sick and to experience flashbacks of a violent, dark past.

In Salem, Massachusetts, radio station WIQZ has a hot trio of DJs, the “Big H Team.”  One of the DJs, Heidi Lorac (Sheri Moon Zombie), a recovering drug addict, receives a strange wooden box containing a vinyl record from a band called “the Lords.”  Heidi’s fellow DJs, Herman “Whitey” Salvador (Jeffrey Daniel Phillips) and Herman “Munster” Jackson (Ken Foree), decide to call the band, “The Lords of Salem.”  The first time Heidi listens to the record, she has strange visions and feels nauseated.

There are also strange doings at the apartment complex where Heidi lives.  Heidi insists that she has a new neighbor in Apartment 5, but her landlord, Lacy Doyle (Judy Geeson), says that there is no new tenant.  Meanwhile, Francis Matthias (Bruce Davison), an author of a book on witches, is troubled by the name, “The Lords of Salem.”  He begins to research Salem’s dark past involving witches, as Heidi’s visions become more troubling.

The Lords of Salem is like a modern version of Rosemary’s Baby with tattoos and Hepatitis C.  This is not really a typical girl-gonna-have-Satan’s-baby movie, as it has original story elements.  It is horrifying and horrible, meaning that some of it is unsettling and even disturbing, but some of it is ridiculous and unintentionally comical.

Coming from the music industry and having appeared in music videos, Rob Zombie knows how to create an aural-visual experience that captivates the imagination or captures it, if necessary.  To that end, Zombie gets an exceedingly creepy film score from Griffin Boice and John 5, making The Lords of Salem, in some ways, their film.

Once again, Sheri Moon Zombie, Rob Zombie’s wife and muse/art victim, takes the lead in one of Rob’s films.  In The Lords of Salem, she is not so much an actress, as she acts like she needs an intervention and detox.  The best performance in this film belongs to Bruce Davison who brings subtlety and nuance to Zombie chamber piece of bizarre imagery and sacrilege.

The Lords of Salem is an original vision with many familiar elements, but in some ways, the film goes too far without really going too far.  The story offers crazy women forsaking one symbol of male authority for another.  Either way, they seem determined to serve the interests of male genitalia.  The Lords of Salem is not the great movie it could have been, but it gave me the creeps and the willies.  So Rob Zombie’s movie is a must-see for horror fans.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, October 22, 2013


The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "The Devil's Rejects" a Different Kind of Crime Flick

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 79 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
Running time:  101 minutes (1hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for sadistic violence, strong sexual content, language, and drug use
DIRECTOR:  Rob Zombie
WRITER:  Rob Zombie (based upon his characters)
PRODUCERS:  Mike Elliot, Andy Gould, Marco Mehlitz, Michael Ohoven, and Rob Zombie
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Phil Parmet (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Glenn Garland
COMPOSER:  Tyler Bates

HORROR/CRIME/ACTION/THRILLER

Starring:  Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, William Forsythe, Ken Foree, Matthew McGrory, Leslie Easterbrook, Geoffrey Lewis, Priscilla Barnes, Dave Sheridan, Ken Norby, Lew Temple, Danny Trejo, Diamond Dallas Page, and Tom Towles

The subject of this movie review is The Devil’s Rejects, a 2005 horror thriller and crime film from director Rob Zombie.  The film is a sequel to Zombie’s 2003 film, House of 1000 Corpses.  In the new film, the villains of the first movie are now seen as anti-hero types on the run from the law.

The Firefly Family or, as they call themselves, The Devil’s Rejects, a band of sadistic killers, wake up one morning to find their isolated farm hideout ambushed by the vengeful Sheriff John Quincy Wydell (William Forsythe) and a posse of his deputies.  With guns blazing, only Otis B. Driftwood (Bill Moseley) and his sister Baby Firefly (Sheri Moon Zombie) escape the barrage of bullets unharmed.

The duo hide out in an isolated desert motel waiting to be joined by another murderous relative, the killer clown, Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig), killing whoever stands in their way or angers them.  However, as the body count soars, Sheriff Wydell, seeking revenge for the Rejects’ murder of his brother, George Wydell (Tom Towles), decides to take matters into his own hands and begins a private and violent war against The Devil’s Rejects outside the jurisdiction of the law.

The Devil’s Rejects is Rob Zombie’s sequel to his controversial 2003 indie hit, House of 1000 Corpses.  Rejects is structurally better in terms of narrative flow and writing, and Zombie sprinkles his cast with a collection of character actors known either for their roles in violent action movies or for their cult status in TV and film.  Among them include Priscilla Barnes, who is best remembered as “Terri Allen,” the third and final blonde roommate on the popular late 70’s/early 80’s television sitcom, “Three’s Company,”  and Ken Foree, who was “Peter,” one of the four human survivors trapped in a shopping mall in the original 1978 Dawn of the Dead.

In fact, Zombie designed his film to look like one of those violent crime thrillers that were synonymous with 70’s cinema.  Even going back to the first film, this franchise was as much Deliverance as it was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  The film’s opening sequence, a bullet-laden shootout, is as good as any Hong Kong crime film and is as intense as the big shootout in Michael Mann’s Heat – though much shorter.  Zombie’s film is silly, sadistic, and unabashedly subversive.  While the film and its characters’ antics (both the “hero” and the “villains are brutal and vicious assholes) get old after awhile, Zombie doesn’t commit the same flawed, artistic pretensions he did in House of 1000 Corpses.

His film is gloriously and rebelliously a bloody, gore-laden, crime film about bad-asses headed for a showdown.  There are a few scenes and sequences in this film that true film fans cannot and must not miss.  Those who can take the buckets of blood, F-bombs (several hundred), and atrocious murders will find The Devil Rejects a welcomed respite from the highly-polished polished movies that currently pass for Hollywood’s version what a gritty crime flick is.

6 of 10
B

Monday, April 17, 2006

Updated:  Sunday, October 20, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: A Rickety "House of 1000 Corpses"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 56 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

House of 1000 Corpses (2003)
Running time:  89 minutes (1 hour, 29 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong sadistic violence/gore, sexuality and language
WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Rob Zombie
PRODUCER:  Andy Gould
CINEMATOGRAPHERS:  Alex Poppas (director of photography) and Tom Richmond (director of photography)
EDITORS:  Kathryn Himoff, Robert K. Lambert, and Sean Lambert
COMPOSERS:  Scott Humphrey and Rob Zombie

HORROR with elements of fantasy

Starring: Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Karen Black, Chad Bannon, Sheri Moon, Erin Daniels, and Chris Hardwick

The subject of this movie review is House of 1000 Corpses, a 2003 horror and exploitation film from musician, recording artist, and director, Rob Zombie.  The film takes place on Halloween and follows four people (two couples) held hostage by a sadistic backwoods family.

I’m only vaguely familiar with Rob Zombie’s music, as a solo artist or as the front man for the band White Zombie, but what I’ve heard, I’ve like very much.  I first ignored news that he was making a movie, especially when I learned that the title would be House of 1000 Corpses.  However, I became more interested as I followed the controversy surrounding the film, including original distributor, Universal’s, decision not to release the film because they believed it would receive an NC-17 rating from the MPAA.  Since being finished in 2000, Zombie searched for a distributor until Lion’s Gate decided to distribute the film.

The tale of this horror movie is a familiar one to fans of scary movies, in particular, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  This time, two couples get lost in a remote rural area during a terrible rainstorm.  Seeking refuge and a telephone, the end up in a rundown farmhouse with a family of hugely strange and unusual people.

I could use a lot of words to describe this film: evil, wicked, disgusting, gory, horrible, horrifying, funny, hilarious, terrifying, spooky, creepy, weird, vain, surreal, strange, bizarre, or maybe I could just say whether it is good or bad.  Well, it’s not a bad film, but I wouldn’t exactly call it good.

It’s as much a music video as it is a movie, not only in its sensibilities, but also in its execution.  Zombie mixes the story with video clips that have nothing to do with the film, while some of them are either vaguely or obviously related to the film either literally and thematically.  Zombie creates a virtual sound wall of violent, bloody, gory, and deranged imagery.  The film is awash in horror, violence, and acts of pure inhumanity.  Despite all that, Zombie manages to create a coherent story.  Even while cramming in as much shock value as he does, he holds onto his central concept of victims and victimizers, giving us just enough about the characters to keep us interested in or curious about them.  Light though he may be on characterization, Zombie seemed to at least have one idea about who and what each character should be.  I know that I really liked the heroes/victims and wanted to know more about them, and the villains are so sick and deranged that I wanted to know from where do things like them come.

The performances are inspired and zany, especially Karen Black, Sheri Moon, and Chad Bannon.  Everybody seemed to be having a lot of fun.  For all the sickness that is this film, I have to give credit for the filmmakers’ creative energy and obvious love for this project.  You could see it in the performances and feel it in the craftsmanship.  Heck, love for this project dripped off the screen the way gore dripped off the walls in the film.

This is by no means for everyone.  I think the film’s biggest weakness is that the violence and sadism are far too sick.  The setting’s relentless environment of blood, violence, and the bizarre hamper the storytelling, but structurally the film is sound.  This is a curiosity piece.  It’s not very everyone; honestly, it’s not for very many people.  It’s a vanity project that might interest fans of Zombie’s music and hardcore horror movie fans who love gore by the shipload.  You have to have a strong stomach and be able to tolerate really extreme subject matter; it’s not for the average Joe or even for many “serious” film fans.  When you walk out the theatre, you need to be able to just brush off this particular movie experience.  It’s not good or bad; it just is.

The story is only supposed to make sense visually the way a music video might “make sense.”  This is Zombie vomiting out some of the twisted imagery that rides in his head.  If he gets to make another horror movie, the next one might delve a little deeper into story and character and leave the shocking and extraneous video images for one of those short films musicians use to sell their music.

4 of 10
C

Updated:  Sunday, October 20, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Rob Zombie's "Halloween" Fueled by Brutal Violence

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 8 (of 2009) by Leroy Douresseaux


Halloween (2007)
Running time: 109 minutes (1 hour, 49 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong brutal bloody violence and terror throughout, sexual content, graphic nudity, and language
DIRECTOR: Rob Zombie
WRITER: Rob Zombie (based upon the movie written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill)
PRODUCERS: Malek Akkad, Andy Gould, Rob Zombie, and Andy La Marca
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Phil Parmet (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Glenn Garland

HORROR

Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Scout Taylor-Compton, Brad Dourif, Daeg Faerch, Sheri Moon Zombie, William Forsythe, Hanna Hall, Ken Foree, Lew Temple, Danny Trejo, Danielle Harris, Kristina Klebe, Pat Skipper, Dee Wallace, and Tyler Mane

In 2007, musician turned movie director Rob Zombie already had two brutal horror films to his credit, House of 1000 Corpses and its sequel, The Devil Rejects, when he unleashed Halloween, a remake and re-imagining of director John Carpenter’s 1978 classic horror film of the same name. Zombie’s film followed the now familiar storyline, but went into the past to reveal some origins.

It’s Halloween, and 10-year-old Michael Myers (Daeg Faerch) goes on a murderous rampage in the quiet town of Haddonfield, Illinois. He spends the next 17 years in the Smith’s Grove Sanitarium under the care of noted child behaviorist, Dr. Samuel Loomis (Malcolm McDowell). Loomis seems to be the only person who can truly understand the evil of Michael’s nature.

After 17 years, the adult Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) escapes from the mental facility on the day of Halloween and begins a bloody trek back to Haddonfield. He stalks a high school girl, Laurie Strode (Scout Taylor-Compton), and her friends, Annie (Danielle Harris) and Lynda (Kristina Klebe). When Dr. Loomis hears about Michael’s escape, he races to Haddonfield and joins Sheriff Brackett (Brad Dourif) to find Michael and to put an end to Michael’s reign of terror. There, Loomis discovers that Myers and Laurie Strode have ties to a similar past.

Rob Zombie’s Halloween is a prequel, a re-imagining, a reinvention, and a remake of the original film. This new film is partly a prequel because Zombie, as both writer and director, chose to begin the story earlier in Michael Myer’s life than the writers of the original movie, John Carpenter and the late Debra Hill, did. That the story begins before the scene in which Michael puts on the mask and kills his sister, which is where the first film began. Zombie’s film begins Halloween morning, at the breakfast table of a highly dysfunctional “white trash” family. The audience sees Myers the “perfect storm” as Dr. Loomis calls it: Myers’ destructive home environment and his murderous tendencies.

Zombie re-imagines the film in the way he presents Michael Myers. Michael is not something of supernatural force, as the first film suggest, but he is simply a human monster – a psychopath. In the original film and its sequels (in which John Carpenter was involved to some extent) Carpenter suggested that Michael Myer’s evil was in some way a reflection of the darkness that existed at the heart of small towns like Haddonfield. Zombie provides no such social context or metaphor. Myers is simply a bad-ass, evil killer dude.

The film is a re-invention of sorts because it presents the violent slasher film as sort of a reality show in which all the gushing fluids of violent murder must be on display before the voyeuristic audience. In the original Halloween, Carpenter showed no blood, although Myers’ attacks on his victims were quite violent. In Zombie’s hands, the attacks are rude and crude – exercises in blood and mayhem and in bloody mayhem.

This film remains a respectful remake. Scenes, sequences, and even certain shots are repeated from the original or are only slightly altered. Halloween 2007 can stand on its own. The acting wasn’t great, but Zombie chose a nice mixture of character actors for the major parts and some famous faces and somewhat cult figures to fill in the bit parts and cameos, and that works out well.

Towards the end, the film seems out of control, both in terms of Zombie’s usual excesses and the fact that the ending seems padded. Still, Halloween is a scary movie, a celebration of raw violent horror, and true to Zombie’s rebel spirit. It is scandalous and disrespectful of those “our values” about which so-called conservatives like to preach. It’s funny and scary – a black comedy and horror movie that is stained dark with a lot of blood.

6 of 10
B

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Review: "Grindhouse" a Two-Fisted Double Dose

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 72 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Grindhouse (2007)
Running time: 192 minutes
MPAA – R for strong graphic bloody violence and gore, pervasive language, some sexuality, nudity, and drug use
CINEMATOGRAPHERS/WRITERS/DIRECTORS: Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror, and fake trailer segment “Machete”) and Quentin Tarantino (Death Proof)
PRODUCERS: Elizabeth Avellan, Robert Rodriguez, Erica Steinberg, and Quentin Tarantino
EDITORS: Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez (Planet Terror) and Sally Menke (Death Proof)

ACTION/HORROR/SCI-FI/THRILLER

Starring: (Planet Terror) Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn, Naveen Andrews, Josh Brolin, Jeff Fahey, Stacy Ferguson, Nicky Katt, Michael Parks, Quentin Tarantino, and Bruce Willis; (Death Proof) Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Tracie Thoms, Zoe Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Sydney Tamiia Portier, Vanessa Ferlito, Rose McGowan, Jordan Ladd, Jonathan Loughran, Eli Roth, and Quentin Tarantino

Directors Robert Rodriguez (Spy Kids, Sin City) and Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill) present two-full length movies in their horror double feature, Grindhouse. The film is an ode to theatrical double and triple features shown at grindhouse theatres (called such because these theatres would grind out one movie after another). Most of the films shown at grind houses were exploitation films involving sex, violence, crime, sci-fi/horror, or race (blaxploitation). Rodriguez and Tarantino’s Grindhouse also includes four fake trailer segments for non-existent movies – an homage to how grindhouse theatres would show many trailers for upcoming films between double features.

The first feature is Rodriguez’s zombie horror flick, Planet Terror, in which a small Texas town finds itself inundated by fellow townsfolk who have mutated into flesh-hungry zombies. A mysterious trucker named Wray (Freddy Rodriguez) and a go-go dancer named Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan), who had her right leg ripped off by zombies, join forces to fight the monstrous invasion. Wray eventually replaces Cherry’s missing leg with an automatic rifle, and the pair lead an group of accidental warriors in a bid to stop Lt. Muldoon (Bruce Willis), a rogue military officer, from making the all-ready dire situation worse.

The second feature film is Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, in which Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), a scar-faced rebel-type, stalks college-age beauties in a small Texas town. Popular DJ, Jungle Julia (Sydney Tamiia Portier) and her pals Shanna (Jordan Ladd) and Arlene (Vanessa Ferlito) don’t know that a killer has his eyes on them. Stuntman Mike is really a murderer, who uses his muscle car as his weapon. Stuntman Mike, however, eventually meets his match when he attacks a trio of women who work as film crewmembers. On the back roads of Tennessee, Stuntman Mike engages in a duel to the death with Kim (Tracie Thoms), Zoe (Zoe Bell, a real life stuntwoman), and Abernathy (Rosario Dawson).

Although I never experienced grindhouse theatres, I am somewhat familiar with exploitation films. In fact, I’ve seen enough of those to know that well before Grindhouse, Rodriguez and Tarantino’s films were capturing the vibe of 1970’s exploitation cinema.

With the sound dropping out or fading, a scratchy picture, bad splicing, etc., Rodriguez’s Planet Terror looks like a movie played from a print that’s been dragged across the country. Besides that, it’s a damn fine sci-fi/horror movie – certainly on par with Rodriguez’s late 90’s teen horror flick, The Faculty, although not quite as good as From Dusk ‘til Dawn. It’s one of the best zombie films to come around since Resident Evil kick-started this horror sub-genre back to life in 2002.

Planet Terror is a hoary old beast of a movie, created by modern movie science, but formed and shaped with an eye on the excesses of 70’s cinema. It’s violence and gore is a work of art and a labor of love. Plus, it’s damn funny when you get down to it, with a mixture of social satire (especially the fake trailer segment “Machete,”) and movie parody with a touch of irony.

Tarantino’s Death Proof is the better of the two films, but not by much. It was born from Tarantino’s love for late 60’s/early 70’s car chase films like Bullitt and Vanishing Point. Whereas Rodriguez showed his love for exploitation movies by making one that looks like an exploitation flick, Tarantino borrows from those films and makes something that is both technically and artistically superior. It’s like Steven Spielberg directing a slasher horror movie.

As is usual with Tarantino films, the dialogue is good, but, here, the action sequences with the cars make Death Proof. In fact, that first car crash is unforgettable – a stroke of genius on Tarantino’s part for the way he executed it. Tarantino insisted that there by no CGI for the car chase sequences in Death Proof, yet the first car crash and the long chase sequence that ends the film are breathtaking and far scarier than even the cool CGI-enhanced chases in films like The Matrix Reloaded and Bad Boys II.

Ultimately Grindhouse is a gift to people who obsess about movies from two guys who obsess about movies and movie making. I left the theatre thinking that I owed them something more than just the cost of a ticket for the joy they gave me.

8 of 10
A

NOTES: The creators of three of the four fake trailer segments are as follows:
Writer/Producer/Director: Eli Roth (fake trailer segment “Thanksgiving)
Writer/Director: Edgar Wright (fake trailer segment “Don’t”)
Writer/Director: Rob Zombie (fake trailer segment “Werewolf Women of the S.S.”)
Writer: Jeff Rendell (“Thanksgiving”)
Producers: Daniel S. Frisch and Gabriel Roth (“Thanksgiving”)

Saturday, May 05, 2007

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