Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Nov. 17th to 23rd, 2024 - UPDATE #9

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 WorldofReel:  Robert Pattinson has been cast in Christopher Nolan's next film which begins shooting in several countries across Europe. Pattinson was previously in Nolan's wonderful film, "Tenet."

CELEBRITY - From THR:  "The Hollywood Reporter" names their 10 hottest young stars in Hollywood."

CABLE - From Deadline:  Comcast is spinning off all its linear cable networks (except "Bravo") into a separate company apart from NBCUniversal. The castoffs... err... I mean spinoffs include MSNBC, CNCB, E!, Syfy, and USA, to name a few.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Season 5 of the CBS hit, "The Equalizer," will introduce two guest characters with the potential to spun off into their own series.

MOVIES - From Esquire:  Although "The Equalizer 3" (which I still haven't seen) suggests that the series is done, Denzel Washington confirms that "The Equalizer 4" and "The Equalizer 5" are in development.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Javier Bardem will star as the villain, "Max Cady," in the Apple TV+ series, "Cape Fear."  Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, who directed the 1991 film version of "Cape Fear," are among the series executive producers.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 11/15 to 11/17/2024 weekend box office is Amazon/MGM Studios' "Red One" with an estimated take of 34 million dollars.

From Variety:  Director Edward Berger's awards-season favorite, "Conclave," is making money at the domestic box office.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  During the press tour for "Gladiator II," Denzel Washington explains why he made some clunkers (bad films) after earning an Oscar nomination for his role in "Malcolm X" (1992).

From WorldofReel:  Denzel Washington says that he has spoken to director Paul Thomas Anderson ("Licorice Pizza") about working together.

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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.

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

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 1st to 10th, 2024 - UPDATE #11

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:  The official title for "Avatar 3" is "Avatar: Fire and Ash."  Disney annual "D23" event also revealed a first-look at the film.

ANIMATON - BleedingCool:  After 26 years, the "Cartoon Network" website (cartoonnetwork.com) is no more. Now, cartoonnetwork.com takes visitors to a "max.com" page.

BUSINESS - From Deadline:  Paramount Global prepares for another round of layoffs.

POLITICS/TIM WALZ - From YahooNYT:  "19 Facts to Know About Tim Walz, Harris' Pick for Vice President"

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney finally turned a streaming profit, thanks to ESPN+, as Disney+ and Hulu still lost a combined 19 million dollars on 5.8 billion dollars in revenue.

EMMYS - From Deadline:  The Emmy-winning father-son team of Eugene Levy and Dan Levy are in talks with ABC to host its telecast of the 2024 Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 15th.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are in early talks to star in A24's "The Drama," from director Kristoffer Borgli.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro: The winner of the 8/2 to 8/4/2024 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel's Deadpool & Wolverine with an estimated take of 97 million dollars.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Idris Elba has been allocated some land in Zanzibar, a semi-autonomous region in the East African nation of Tanzania, in which to build a film studio.  Zanzibar's investment minister calls it "Zollywood."

CELEBRITY - From TheRoot:  Kit Harrington isn't hearing your complaints about "Black out" nights at the West End production of Jeremy O. Harris' drama, "Slave Play."

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Former Major League Baseball player, Billy Bean, has died at the age of 60, Tuesday, August 6, 2024.  Bean was the second MLB player to come out as gay (after Glenn Burke of the Los 
Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletic). Bean played for Detroit Tigers, Dodgers, San Diego Padres before retiring in 1995.  He had been an MLB executive in the areas of includes and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) since 2014.

From YahooEntertainment:  South African television and film star, Connie Chiume, has died at the age of 72, Tuesday, August 6, 2024.  Chiume is best known outside of South Africa her roles in Disney/Marvel Studios "Black Panther" (2018) and "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (2022).  She also starred in Beyonce's "Black is King."

Review: "TENET" May Have Been 2020's Best Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 39 of 2023 (No. 1928) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tenet (2020)

Running time:  150 minutes (2 hours, 30 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some suggestive references and brief strong language

WRITER/DIRECTOR:  Christopher Nolan

PRODUCERS:  Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Hoyte Van Hoytema (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Jennifer Lame

COMPOSER:  Ludwig Goransson

Academy Award winner

SCI-FI/ACTION/SPY

Starring:  John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Dimple Kapadia, Himesh Patel, Denzil Smith, Yuri Kolokolnikov, Clémency Poséy, Fiona Dourif, Laurie Shepherd, Martin Donovan, and Kenneth Branagh and Michael Caine

Tenet is a 2020 science fiction, secret agent, and action-thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan.  The film, Nolan's eleventh as a director, is a co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States.  Tenet focuses on a CIA operative on a mission to save the world, armed with only one word, “Tenet.”

Tenet introduces a CIA operative known only as "The Protagonist" (John David Washington).  The Protagonist leads a covert CIA extraction during a staged terrorist siege at the National Opera House in Kyiv., Ukraine.  After he is injured and the mission goes badly, the Protagonist is recruited by a secretive organization known only by the word, “Tenet.”  He is told that with a gesture, Tenet can “open the right doors and the wrong doors.”

He is briefed about bullets with “inverted” entropy that move backwards through time.  It seems that the man who possesses the technology to invert entropy is a Russian oligarch named Andrei Sator (Kenneth Branagh).  The technology has been given to Sator from mysterious forces in the future, and those forces are also sending Sator the pieces of something called the “Algorithm,” which is a threat to the present world.

Suddenly, the Protagonist finds himself surrounded by a menagerie of people he cannot quite trust or really know.  That includes the Mumbai-based arms dealer, Priya Singh (Dimple Kapadia), and Sator's estranged and abused wife, Katherine “Kat” Barton (Elizabeth Debicki).  Another is Ives (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), a Tenet military commander.  Most mysterious of all is Neil (Robert Pattinson), who is supposed to be the Protagonist's “handler” from Tenet, and Neil seems to know the Protagonist in ways he does not know Neil.  Now, the Protagonist must uncover the secrets of inversion, the secrets of the Algorithm, and perhaps, even the secrets of himself.

Christopher Nolan gained many fans for his series of films starring DC Comics' Batman, known as “The Dark Knight Trilogy”: Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).  However, Tenet is closer to Nolan's films such as Memento (2000), Insomnia (2002), The Prestige (2006), and Inception (2010), which, like Tenet, have some combination of complex plots and character time lines, ambiguous elements, and cleverly hidden details that are open to many theories and interpretations.

Tenet freely plays with the themes of free will and determinism.  Do people really have free will, or is it better that people think that they have free will?  In the end, I think the narrative ultimately decides that free will and determinism are compatible, which is one of many reasons that I love this film.  Many secret agent and spy films offer the illusion that the hero (or the protagonist) is in control.  From the first movie in Eon Productions' “James Bond film series, Dr No (1962), the hero, James Bond, seems to have a measure of control or at least force of will to save the day or often, the world.  One can say the same of Universal Pictures' “Jason Bourne” film series.  It starts with The Bourne Identity (2002), and Matt Damon's Jason Bourne seems to exert free will all the more with each film, although his fate was determined and settled before the narrative of the first film begins.  In Tenet, free will is a work in progress, exercised within the settled plots of determinism.

I love Tenet's cast.  Either The Protagonist was tailor-made for actor John David Washington, or he was the perfect casting.  I feel the same way about Robert Pattison's Neil, and Kenneth Branagh is such a fine actor that he can make any role seem like a real person.  Elizabeth Debicki, honestly, is Oscar-worthy as Kat Barton, and Dimple Kapadia adds a delightful flavor as Priya Singh.  Aaron Taylor-Johnson is all fire, menace, and masculinity as Ives.

I had not seen a Christopher Nolan film since Inception, although I'd planned to see Tenet in a theater.  However, I was really wary of returning to movie theaters during the 2020 year of COVID-19 movie theater shutdowns, even after they reopened.  In a way, that worked out.  I got to savor Tenet on DVD as a way of prepping for eventually seeing his most recent film, Oppenheimer.

I like Tenet's trippy, surreal, time-shifting, inscrutable nature, and I like that Nolan is willing both to throw out a lot of ideas and to engage them.  For me, it is mysterious, a mystery worth losing myself in every chance I get.  As far as my opinion is concerned, Tenet is Christopher Nolan's best, most imaginative, and truly most inventive film.

10 of 10

Sunday, August 27, 2023

NOTES:

2021 Academy Awards, USA:   1 win: “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley, and Scott R. Fisher); 1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Production Design”

{Nathan Crowley-production design and Kathy Lucas-set decoration)

2021 BAFTA Awards:  1 win: “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Scott R. Fisher, Andrew Jackson, and Andrew Lockley)

2021 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Ludwig Göransson)

2021 Black Reel Awards:  2 nominations: “Outstanding Cinematography” (Hoyte Van Hoytema) and 1 nomination: “Outstanding Production Design” (Nathan Crowley)

The text is copyright © 2023 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 March 19th to 25th, 2023 - Update #12

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Recently departed (fired?) Marvel Studios executive, Victoria Alonso, is weighing legal action against the Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios.

GHOSTBUSTERS - From Deadline:  Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, comedian James Acaster, and Emily Alyn Lind have joined the cast of the live-action sequel to Sony Pictures’ hit film, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." The film is due December 2023.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar winner Adam McKay has lined up Rob Pattinson, Amy Adams, Robert Downey Jr, Forest Whitaker, and Danielle Deadwyler ("Till") to head the ensemble cast of his next directorial effort, the serial killer comedy, "Average Height, Average Build."

MOVIES - From Variety:  Apple and Amazon are making pricey investments in making films for release to theatres.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Destry Allyn Spielberg, the daughter of legendary director, Steven Spielberg, will make her directorial debut with the thriller, "Please Don't Feed the Children."

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Netflix has tapped "Dune" screenwriter, Jon Spaihts, to pen its live-action "Gears of War" film, based on the hit video game series.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  President Joe Biden will present the "2021 National Medals of Arts" in conjunction with the "2021 National Humanities Medals" tomorrow, Tues., March 21st 2023, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.  The list for the National Medal of Arts recipients includes Bruce Springsteen, José Feliciano, Gladys Knight, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mindy Kaling, Antonio Martorell-Cardona, Judith Francisca Baca, Fred Eychaner, Joan Shigekawa and Vera Wang, along with organizations the Billie Holiday Theatre and the International Association of Blacks in Dance.

The National Humanities Medals for 2021 will go to "Just Mercy" writer and justice advocate Bryan Stevenson; poet Richard Blanco; anthropologist Johnnetta Betsch Cole; historian Earl Lewis; educator Henrietta Mann; authors Walter Isaacson, Ann Patchett, Amy Tan, Colson Whitehead and Tara Westover; and call-in show "Native America Calling."  Elton John is also on the 2021 NEH medal list, but he received his honor in September and played a concert on the White House lawn.

MOVIES - From BloodyDisgusting:  According to the site, director Jordan Peele's next film will debut December 25, 2024. In addition, his production company, Monkeypaw, is producing a film that will arrive in theaters Friday, September 27, 2024.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 3/17 to 3/19/2023 weekend box office is Warner Bros. Pictures' "Shazam! Fury of the God" with an estimated take of 30.5 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Shazam! Fury of the Gods."

EN MEMORIAM - From Deadline:  Film and television actor, Lance Reddick, died suddenly, Friday, March 17, 2023.  He leaves behind a number of projects yet to be released, but in which he finished filming his scenes.  Those includes the upcoming "John Wick: Chapter 4" and its upcoming spinoff, "The Ballerina."

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Film and television producer and screenwriter, Norman Steinberg, has died at the age of 83, Wednesday, March 15, 2023.  He was best known for co-scripting Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles," and he won an Primetime Emmy as a writer on the former NBC variety show, "The Flip Wilson Show" (1970-74).

From Deadline:  Screenwriter Hal Dresner has died at the age of 85, Friday, March 17, 2023.  He is best known for his work on such films as "Cool Hand Luke" (1967) and "Zorro, the Gay Blade" (1981).  He is credited with writing the line, "What we have here is a failure to communicate" for "Cool Hand Luke."

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from December 1st to 10th, 2022 - Update #21

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix and one of its biggest content providers, Warner Bros. Discovery, may be head for a streaming war due to the unhappiness of the latter's CEO David Zaslav.

MOVIES - From Variety:  "Scream 6" cast member Melissa Barrera says that the upcoming horror flick is "100 times gorier" than any previous entry in the franchise.

SCANDAL - From EW:  Grammy Award winning recording artist, Celine Dion, has revealed that she has a rare neurological disorder, "stiff-person syndrome," that will leave her rigid and suffering spasms in her torso and limbs.

MOVIES - From Variety:   Jennifer Lawrence says that the biggest reaction to her being cast in "The Hunger Games" was "how much weight is she going to lose."

MOVIES - From Variety:  There is a first-look image of Robert Pattinson in Oscar-winner Bong Joon Ho's ("Parasite") next film "Mickey 17.  The film is not due until March 29, 2024.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Robert Downey, Jr. talks about "Sr.," a Netflix documentary film about his late father, the filmmaker Robert Downey, Sr.

SCANDAL - From Variety:  Disgraced Oscar-winning film producer and former studio executive, Harvey Weinstein, has abnormal testicles, as they reside in his inner thighs.  That and more tidbits from his rape trial in Los Angeles.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:   The winner of the 12/2 to 12/4/2022 weekend box office is Disney/Marvel Studios' "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" with an estimated take of 17.5 million dollars.

From Here:  Leroy Douresseaux's review of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

SPORTS - From Deadline:  Soccer great and sometimes actor, Pele, has reportedly entered end-of-life care in Brazilian hospital.

CANNES - From Variety:  Pedro Almodovar says his "queer Western" short film, "Strange Way of Life" will debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.  The film stars Pedro Pascal and Ethan Hawke.

DISNEY - From Variety:  Indiana Jones 5 has a title, "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," and the film has its first trailer.  It features a de-aged Harrison Ford/Indiana Jones.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Peter Dinklage is among the voice cast added to "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," which is due June 9, 2023.

AVATAR - From THR:  Director James Cameron talks about "Avatar: The Way of Water," the "Avatar" franchise, and more in a wide-ranging interview.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Two-time "Best Director" Oscar winner, Ang Lee, will direct a Bruce Lee biopic with Ang's son, Mason Lee, playing martial arts film legend.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Television and film actress, Kirstie Alley, has died at the age of 71, Monday, December 5, 2022.  Alley rose to fame as "Rebecca Howe" on the former NBC sitcom, "Cheers," from 1987-93, a role for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series."  She originated the role of "Saavik" in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," and she also appeared in three "Look Who's Talking" films.

From Variety:   Actor, singer, musician, recording artist, and children's book author, Bob McGrath, has died at the age of 90, Sunday, December 4, 2022.  McGrath played one of the original human characters, "Bob Johnson," on the long-running PBS education series, "Sesame Streeet."  McGrath played Bob Johnson from 1969 until 2016.

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AWARDS:

From Deadline:  The American Film Institute (AFI) has named its "AFI Awards Film" list of "Top 10 Films of 2022."  The list includes "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," and "The Woman King."

From THR:  The African-American Film Critics Association name "The Woman King" the "Best Film of 2022."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the "2023 Critics Choice Awards" in the television categories have been announced.  ABC's sitcom, "Abbot Elementary" leads the nominations.  The winners will be announced Sunday, January 15, 2023 and broadcast on The CW.

From Variety:  The 2022 / 88th Annual New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) Awards have been announced.  Todd Field's "Tar" wins "Best Film" and "Best Actress" (Cate Blanchett).  Keke Palmer wins "Best Supporting Actress" for her performance in "Nope."

From Deadline:  "Everything Everywhere All at Once" wins the "Best Feature" award at the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards, one of two wins for the film.

From IndieWire:  The nominations for the 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards have been announced.   "Everything Everywhere All at Once" leads with eight nominations.  The winners will be announced March 4th, 2023.

From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 32nd Annual Gotham Awards were announced a month ago.  Todd Field's "Tar" leads with five nominations.  The winners will be announced Monday, November 28th.

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BRITTNEY GRINER:

From CBSNews:  WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from her Russian imprisonment in a one-for-one prisoner swap for notorious international arms dealer, Viktor Bout.

From NBCNews:   Brittney Griner will enter a system of isolation, grueling labor and psychological torment when she is transferred to a penal colony, the successor to the infamous Russian gulag, to fulfill a nine-year sentence handed down Tuesday in Moscow, former prisoners and advocates said.

From NBCNews:  A Russian court has rejected Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence on (fake) drug charges.

From Reuters:  Russia says that it is ready to talk prisoner swamp for Brittney Griner and U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, but also scolds the U.S. Embassy.

From TheDailyBeast:   Legendary NBA bad boy and champion (Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls), Dennis Rodman claims that he has been given permission to go to Russia and help free imprisoned hostage, WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

From Vox:  Vox's Jonathan Guyer talks the Brittney Griner case with Danielle Gilbert, a Dartmouth professor who is writing a book about states and rogue actors that take hostages.

From ESPN:   A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, Aug. 4th.  Griner was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country and pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.

From ESPN:  The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

From RSN:  "Will Support From LeBron James, Joe Rogan, Kim Kardashian, and Other Celebrities Help Free Brittney Griner From a Russian Prison?" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar via Substack

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

From CBSSports:  The Brittney Griner situation explained.

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

"THE BATMAN" DELETED SCENE: Batman Meets Joker in Arkham

MARCH 23, 2022: Warner Bros. Pictures has released a deleted scene from THE BATMAN, in which Batman (Robert Pattinson) meets the Joker (Barry Keoghan) for a menacing conversation in Arkham.  The scene suggests that the two have an establish history.  The video is below:

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Review: "THE BATMAN" Has Great Action Scenes and Dull Psychological Drama

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 12 of 2022 (No. 1824) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Batman (2022)
Running time:  175 minutes (2 hours, 55 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material
DIRECTOR:  Matt Reeves
WRITERS:  Matt Reeves and Peter Craig (based on Batman created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger)
PRODUCERS:  Dylan Clark and Matt Reeves
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Greig Fraser (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  William Hoy and Tyler Nelson
COMPOSER:  Michael Giacchino

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION and DRAMA/MYSTERY

Starring:  Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Peter Sarsgaard, Jayme Lawson, Gil Perez-Abraham, Alex Ferns, Rupert Penry-Jones, Hana Hrzic, Charlie Carver, Max Carver, Luke Roberts, Stella Stocker, and Barry Keoghan

The Batman is a 2022 superhero action-drama from director Matt Reeves.  It is the eighth film in the modern Batman film franchise that began with director Tim Burton's 1989 film, Batman, and it is a reboot of the Batman film franchise.  In The Batman, a sadistic serial killer begins murdering key political figures, forcing Batman to investigate his city's hidden corruption, which may involve both his father and mother's side of the family.

The Batman opens on Halloween.  The Gotham City mayoral race is in the final stretch between incumbent Mayor Don Mitchell Jr. (Robert Pattinson) and challenger, Bella Reál (Jayme Lawson).  A sadistic new serial killer, who calls himself “The Riddler” (Paul Dano), murders Mayor Mitchell.  Thus, begins The Riddler's wave of murder and terror.

The Batman (Robert Pattinson), a vigilante who has operated in Gotham for two years, works alongside Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) of the Gotham City Police Department, much to the chagrin of many rank and file officers and higher-ups in the department.  They discover that with each of his murders, The Riddler leaves a message for Batman.

Batman is really reclusive billionaire, Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson), who obsessively protects Gotham.  So focused on his mission is Bruce that he pushes away his loyal butler and mentor, Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis).  However, Batman ends up partnering with Selina Kyle ( Zoë Kravitz), a waitress who is something of a cat burglar – a “Catwoman” – who is trying to find her missing roommate and girlfriend Annika (Hana Hrzic).

The Batman will be forced to reckon with Gotham City's hidden corruption and also face tough questions about his late parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne's (Luke Roberts and Stella Stocker) involvement in that corruption  Especially, troubling is Thomas Wayne's connection to a notorious Gotham crime lord, Carmine Falcone (John Turturro).

The Batman is a film that borrows liberally from the recent film and comic book past of Batman.  I recognize story elements borrowed from Batman comic book stories like “Batman: Year One” and “Zero Year.”  There are allusions to Tim Burton's 1989 Batman film; even composer Michael Giacchino's score seems to reference composer Danny Elfman's score for Burton's film.

However, director Matt Reeves, in making The Batman, seems obsessed with or bewitched by director Christopher Nolan's hugely popular Batman films:  Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), referred to as “The Dark Knight trilogy.”  Nolan's film were “dark” and edgy in terms of subject matter, plots, and characters, but Nolan filled the films with invigorating and tense action set pieces.

The Batman is just dark.  It is as if Reeves took Nolan's aesthetic and through a coal black filter over it.  The Gotham City of this film seems like a real-life city, and it is dark as all Hell at night and damp – really damp.  Reeves and his co-screenwriter, Peter Craig, fashion a story that is overwhelmed with political corruption and depraved criminals that are dark in personality and even darker in motivation.  Bruce Wayne is morose, as if both actor Robert Pattinson and Matt Reeves are determined to make him a caricature of the caricature that has become iconic rock musician, the late Kurt Cobain.  It is an utter waste of Pattinson's potential as both an actor and a movie star.

On the other hand, Pattinson's Batman has more layers.  Pattinson makes him formidable and dangerous, but also introspective and capable of mercy.  This Batman is also a fierce fighter, but is physically vulnerable; Bruce's body is marked with the scars of his Batman activities.  Batman is often knocked down by his opponents in hand to hand combat and seriously injured by gunfire.

Too bad that The Batman does not have better villains.  They aren't really worth talking about, but I do want to point out the really terrible version of The Riddler that is in this film.  He is a whiny, boring incel, and as The Riddler, actor Paul Dano is more doofus than diabolical.

The Batman does have good supporting characters, but the script does not give them much with which to work.  Zoë Kravitz is full of fire and talent as Selina Kyle, and when she is allowed to show her acting chops, she steals entire scenes.  Most of the time, however, it feels like all the filmmakers really want her to do is pose and look bad-ass slash alluring.  James Gordon is a mostly one-note character, and even the supremely talented Jeffrey Wright cannot make the character be more than that.  I won't get into how much the brilliant Andy Serkis is wasted as Alfred Pennyworth.

The Batman is truly at its best during the fights, chases, and action scenes.  The film also gives us a monster-like Batmobile that is more muscle car than mobile, and when Batman uses it to pursue the Penguin (Colin Farrell) in his car, the film seems to explode off the screen.

What keeps The Batman from being a really good film, to say nothing of being a great film, is that it is too long.  It is half kick-ass action and half plodding melodrama, and I wish the plodding melodrama had been cut in half.  Honestly, I would only recommend The Batman to people who enjoy watching Batman movies, regardless of whether they are comic book fans or not.

6 of 10
B

Friday, March 4, 2022


The text is copyright © 2022 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

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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).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 23rd to 31st, 2020 - Update #25

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

REMEMBERING CHADWICK BOSEMAN:

From Slate:  Friends and Fans mourn "Black Panther" star, Chadwick Boseman, dead at 43

From YahooEntertainment:  Remembering Chadwick Boseman: A journalist’s cherished, complicated friendship with a superhero.

From Deadline:  The site has a page dedicated to the late actor, Chadwick Boseman.

From Variety:   Chadwick Boseman: A Virtuoso Actor Who Could Do Just About Anything

From Variety:  Chadwick Boseman’s Final Tweet Is Twitter’s Most-Liked Post of All Time

From YahooEntertainment:  Did Chadwick Boseman hint at his cancer battle in a 2017 interview?

From Newsweek:  Chadwick Boseman's final tweet was a picture of him with Vice-Presidential candidate, Senator Kamala Harris.

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION:

From CNN:  Full video of Vice-President Joe Biden's acceptance speech at the 2020 DNC.

From CNN:  Full video of Sen. Kamala Harris acceptance speech at the 2020 DNC

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURAL NEWS:

PORNO - From RollingStone:  Legendary star of pornographic movies, 67-year-old Ron Jeremy, faces an additional 20 charges related to sexual assault, in addition to the four announced back in June.  Jeremy's alleged victims range in age from 15 to 54, and the alleged assaults took place from 2004 to as recent as January 2020

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeGuru:  The winner of the 8/28 to 8/30/2020 weekend box office is "New Mutants" with an estimated take of 7 million dollars.

From Deadline:  Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated big-tent picture, "Tenet," launches with an estimated take of $53 million at the worldwide box office.

CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment:  Jamie Lynn Spears will become the trustee of her sister, Grammy-winning recording artist, Britney Spears' 57 million fortune.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  CBS All-Access' star-laden, limited series adaptation of "The Stand," Stephen King's beloved 1978 novel, will debut Dec. 17th, 2020.  The novel was previously adapted as a four-part TV miniseries which originally aired on ABC in May 1994.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Frank Grillo, Melissa Leo, and Josh Hartnett lead the cast of "Ida Red," an action film shot in Oklahoma during the pandemic.

OSCARS - From Deadline:  A Los Angeles Superior Court judge will not force the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to reinstate Oscar-winning director, Roman Polanski, who the Academy expelled in 2018.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The 1982 novel, "The Color Purple," became a beloved 1985 film, and both were the source for 2005 Broadway musical.  The 2015 revival of the musical won a Tony Award.  Now, the musical will received a film adaptation.  Blitz Bazawule, who co-directed Beyonce's Disney+ visual album, "Black is King," is set to direct the film.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  There is a new "direct sequel" to the classic horror film, "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre."  It is entitled "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Bloodbath," and a week into production in Bulgaria, and there has been a change of directors.

AWARDS - From THR:  The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) held its second annual TV awards Saturday morning, Aug. 22nd, and they had fun with it.

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  Released last week, the Russell Crowe road-rage movie, "Unhinged," apparently leads the 8.21 to 8/23/20 weekend box office with an estimated take of $4 million dollars.

DC COMICS-MOVIES - From GameSpot:  The first trailer for director Matt Reeves "The Batman" has arrived.  Robert Pattinson ("Twilight" series) stars as Batman/Bruce Wayne.

From THR:  "Official main trailer" for "Wonder Woman 1984."  The film is due October 2, 2020.

From ScreenGeek:  The first trailer for "Justice League Snyder Cut" has arrives.

From DCFanDome:  DC FanDome is live.

OBITS:

From ESPN:  Iconic American college basketball coach, John Thompson, has died at the age of 78, Monday, August 31, 2020.  Thompson is best know for his tenure as head men's basketball coach at Georgetown University.  Thompson led the Hoyas to the 1984 NCAA Division I national championship.  The Hoyas also played in the 1982 and 1985 championship games.

From Variety:  The actor Chadwick Boseman has died at the age of 43, Friday, August 27, 2020, after a four-year battle with cancel.  Boseman was best known for playing T'Challa/Black Panther in Marvel Studios' 2018, Oscar-winning, recording-setting film, "Black Panther."  Boseman also appeared in a number of biopics:  Jackie Robinson in "42" (2013); James Brown in "Get on Up" (2014), and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in "Marshall" (2017).

From THR:  The American character actor, Allan Rich, has died at the age of 94, Saturday, August 22, 2020.  He appeared in such films as "Serpico" (1973) and "Frances" (1982).  In 2004, he appeared in Season 4 of "Curb Your Enthusiam."  He may be best known for surviving the "Hollywood blacklist" of suspected of being a communist.  After being fired by NBC in 1953, he did not work again until 1963 when he appeared on ABC's "Naked City."

From Spin:  American musician (guitarist) and songwriter, Jack Sherman, has died at the age of 64, Thursday, August 20, 2020.  Sherman is best known for being the second guitarist of the band, Red Hot Chili Peppers.  He wrote songs and performed on the band's first album, "Red Hot Chili Peppers" (1984), and played with the band on its first tour in 1984.  Sherman had contributed to most of the songwriting for the second album, "Freaky Styley" (1985), but was fired from the band before the album was completed.


CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From TheIntercept:  The federal government has ramped up security and police-related spending in response to the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic, including issuing contracts for riot gear, disclosures show. The purchase orders include requests for disposable cuffs, gas masks, ballistic helmets, and riot gloves...

From TheAtlantic:  The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying. The pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.

From ProPublica:  Hospital's Secret COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns

From TheGuardian:  More than 20 million Americans could have contracted COVID-19, experts say.

From RSN/WashPost:  The COVID-19 mutation that has taken over the world.

7/13 - From YahooSports:  Maybe a pandemic means that there will not be college football this fall.

7/13- From YahooNews:  The CDC adds four new symptoms (including nausea and purple or blue lesions on feet and toes) to the list of COVID-19 symptoms.

7/19 - From YahooFinance:  Harvard Public Health professor Dr. Howard Koh says the U.S. "needs to regroup" to find COVID-19.

7/22 - From YahooNews:  A public health employee predicted Florida's coronavirus catastrophe — then she was fired.

7/22 - From YahooLifestyle:  Florida mom loses son, 20, to coronavirus, and then days later, her daughter.

7/23 - From TheWrap:  The site has a list of movie and TV stars, entertainment and sports figures who have tested positive for COVID-19

From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar-winning filmmaker Mel Gibson reveals that he was hospitalized with COVID-19 for a week in April.

From Bloomberg:  Will the COVID-19 pandemic turn Millennials into socialists?

7/27 - From CNN:   Chief of critical care at Baltimore's Mercy Medical Center, Dr. Joseph Costa, passes away due to Covid-19 complications... after treating the hospital's sickest COVID-19 patients.  He was 56 and leaves behind family, including a husband of 28 years.

7/29 - From YahooPolitico:  Rep. Louie Gohmert, the defiant Texas Republican U.S. congressman who refused to wear a mask, has tested positive for COVID-19.

7/30 - From Deadline:  Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") reveals that he had a bout with COVID-19.

7/31 - From YahooEntertainment:  Writer and actress, Lena Dunham, creator of HBO's "Girls, reveals that she contracted COVID-19 and the symptoms she experiences and still experience.

7/30 - From YahooGMA:  In their bid to crackdown on illegal gatherings amid COVID-19, New York authorities break up an alleged sex party.

7/31 - From Slate:  COVID-19 is airborne - for reals!

8/2 - From TheDailyBeast:  In Mississippi, COVID-19 has coroners terrified.

8/6 - From CNN:  Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (Republican) has tested positive for COVID19.

8/6 - From YahooNews:  Testing everyone constantly could stop the spread of COVID-19... according to this article.

8/8 - From YahooNYT:  The coronavirus is new, but your immune system might recognize it.

8/8 - From YahooNBC:  They thought COVID-19 was a hoax, and they almost died from it or are watching family and loved ones suffer with it or die from it.

8/9 - From YahooNews:  The rest of the world is incredulous at the pitiful U.S. response to COVID-19.

8/9 - From YahooAFP:  According to the real-time tally kept by John Hopkins University, the United States has hit 5 million cases of COVID-19.

8/15 - From NBA:  Bosnian NBA player Jusuf Nurkic of the Portland Trail Blazers says that his grandmother, 67-year-old Hana, has died of COVID-19.

8/16 - From Truthout: COVID Deaths Continue to Surge in Countries Led by Far Right Authoritarians

8/16 - From YahooEntertainment:  Sharon Stone reports that her sister, Kelly, is in the hospital with COVID-19.  She blames "non-mask wearers" for his sister's condition.

BLACK LIVES MATTER:

From RSN:   Judge's Blistering Opinion Says Courts Have Placed Police Beyond Accountability

From Billboard:  In an interview will the venerable music publication, legendary country music singer-songwriter and actress, Dolly Parton, expresses support for the "Black Lives Matter" movement.

From RSN:  Reader Supported News' "Sunday Song" for Aug. 8th, 2020 is "Chain Gang" by Sam Cooke.

From VICE:  One of the 2020 Republican National Convention's top speakers, Abby Johnson, says the police would be justified in profiling her adopted biracial son.

"Tenet" Early Access Screenings Begin Aug. 31st

“Tenet” Early Access Screenings Bring Christopher Nolan’s New Sci-Fi Action Spectacle to the Big Screen, August 31st – September 2nd, 2020 Where Theaters Are Open

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In support of theater reopenings, Warner Bros. Pictures is offering moviegoers in select U.S. cities a preview program for the first global release of the summer: Christopher Nolan’s hugely anticipated action spy thriller “Tenet.” “Tenet” Early Access Screenings will begin on August 31st, 2020, three days ahead of its official September 3rd, 2020 domestic release. The announcement was made today by Jeff Goldstein, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Domestic Distribution.

    “Warner Bros. is proud to support our partners in exhibition as they reopen their doors. And there could be no better film to welcome audiences back to a true big-screen experience than ‘Tenet.’”

“Tenet” Early Access Screenings will be scheduled on the evenings of August 31st, September 1st and September 2nd, 2020 in U.S. markets where theaters are open. Tickets for those shows will go on sale on Friday, August 21st. Go to www.tenetfilm.com for available cities and showtimes.

“Tenet,” which Nolan filmed using a mixture of IMAX® and 70mm film, will be made available in large-format and premium theaters, providing audiences with the most immersive moviegoing experience.

In making the announcement, Goldstein said, “Warner Bros. is proud to support our partners in exhibition as they reopen their doors. And there could be no better film to welcome audiences back to a true big-screen experience than ‘Tenet.’”

John David Washington is the new Protagonist in Christopher Nolan’s original sci-fi action spectacle “Tenet.” Armed with only one word—Tenet—and fighting for the survival of the entire world, the Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time. Not time travel. Inversion.

The film also stars Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, with Michael Caine, and Kenneth Branagh. Nolan wrote and directed the film, which was produced by Emma Thomas and Nolan. Thomas Hayslip served as executive producer. Nolan’s behind-the-scenes creative team included director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Jennifer Lame, costume designer Jeffrey Kurland, visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson, and special effects supervisor Scott Fisher. The score was composed by Ludwig Göransson.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Syncopy Production, a Film by Christopher Nolan, “Tenet.” Warner Bros. Pictures is distributing “Tenet” in theaters and IMAX worldwide. The film has been rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some suggestive references and brief strong language.

www.Tenetfilm.com

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 10th to 16th, 2020 - Update #29

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

BLACK AMERICA AND COVID-19 - Crisis or... :

From TheVox:  (May 8th) - Social distancing arrests target people of color.

From YahooNews:  A tale of two parks: Enjoying the sun in wealthy Manhattan, social distancing under police scrutiny in the Bronx

From YahooGMA: (4/28) - Rana Zoe Mungin, a 30-year-old teacher from Brooklyn, died on Monday, April 27th for COVID-19.  She had twice been denied a test for the coronavirus after showing symptoms.  Her family and friends blame racial disparity in the health care system.

From RSNWashPost:  How COVID-19 is a perfect storm for Black Americans.

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From NBCNews:  Because COVID-19 is NOT killing enough black people fast enough for some people... Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT worker, was killed in a botched police raid on the part of the Louisville Metro Police Department.

From ABCNews:  This article has a picture of the three Klansmen... I mean Louiville police officers who slaughtered Breonna Taylor.

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From NewYorkTimes:  Because COVID-19 isn't killing enough black people fast enough for some people... a timeline in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery.

From YahooSports:  NBA superstar and champion, LeBron James, speaks on the killing of Ahmaud Arbery.  "We're literally hunted everyday," James says.

From YahooSports:  NFL champion and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback, Tom Brady, signs letter on Ahmaud Arbery.

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From USAToday:  Because COVID-19 isn't killing enough black people fast enough for some people... Dreasjon "Sean" Reed was killed by the Indianapolis Metro Police Department on May 7th.

From TMZ:  Cops joke about "closed casket" funeral after killing Sean Reed.

CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19 NEWS:

From CDC:   The Centers for Disease Control has a "COVID Data Tracker."

From YahooNews:  Why does COVID-19 kill some people and hardly affects others?

From YahooNews:  Yahoo has a dedicated page of links updating news about COVID-19.

From Deadline:  The news site "Deadline" has a dedicated page for news about coronavirus and the film, TV, and entertainment industries.

From TheNewYorker:  The venerable magazine has a dedicate COVID-19 page free to all readers.

From YahooNews:  Re: the federal government's response to COVID-19: What if the most important election of our lifetime was the last one - 2016?

From YahooLife:  What is "happy hypoxia?"  And do you have this COVID-19 symptom?

From JuanCole:  Remeber when President Donald went crazy and suggested that we ingest household cleaning supplies and UV light to fight COVID-19.  Here is the video and commentary from Juan Cole.

From RSN:  Former U.S. Secretary of Labor (under President Bill Clinton), Robert Reich, list the new "class divides" with their inequalities that he says the COVID-19 pandemic has created.

From Grist:  The scientists that saw coronavirus coming are hunting for the next pandemic.

From YahooNews:  Senate majority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell (Republican of Kentucky) blames former President Obama for current President Donald's piss-poor response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 OBIT:

From CNN:  Entertainer and magician, Roy Horn, has died at the age of 75, May 8, 2020 of complications of COVID-19.  Horn was best known as one-half of the Las Vegas animal and magic act, "Siegfried & Roy," with his partner Seigfried Fischbacher.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Danny Boyle is set to direct Micheal B. Jordan in the film, "Methuselah," which is based on the Biblical character.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Warner Bros. is remaking director Blake Edwards' 1979 comedy, "10," which originally starred Julie Andrews, Dudley Moore, and Bo Derek.

MOVIES - From Variety:  Universal Pictures has tapped Luca Guadagnino ("Call Me By Your Name") to direct its reboot of the film "Scarface."  Joel Coen and Ethan Coen wrote the latest version of the script.

DISNEY - From Variety:  Disney+ is in the early stages of developing the "Percy Jackson" book series as a live-action series.  Fox previously produced two live-action films based on the books by Rick Riordan.

MOVIES - From CNN:  Russell Crowe's thriller, "Unhinged," gets a July 1st, 2020 release date.  This may make it the first new film to arrive in movie theaters during the pandemic.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  Disney+ will stream a filmed version of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, "Hamilton." beginning July 3, 2020.  Director Tommy Kail, who also directed the musical, comprised the film version by shooting three live performances of the musical.  Disney paid $75 million for the worldwide rights to the movie.

From GQ:  Robert Pattinson shot his own cover for the latest "GQ" magazine and its "A Dispatch from Isolation" interview with him.  He talks about a number of things including his role in "The Batman" and his struggle to describe the plot of Christopher Nolan's "Tenet."

From THR:  For its Fall 2020 schedule, Fox is picking on "L.A.'s Finest," a scripted original series for cable provider, Spectrum.

From Deadline:  Ryan Murphy is working on an anthology spinoff of his hit FX series, "American Horror Story."  It will be titles "American Horror Stories."

From Variety:  There will be no Cannes Film Festival this year - even in the fall.

From Deadline:  Not even a basket of horrid "X-Men" can stop writer-producer Simon Kinberg's career trajectory.  Netflix has picked up his heist spec script, "Here Comes the Flood," for deal in the mid-7 figures.

From Deadline:  Kal Penn talks about CBS' 2020-2021 TV sequel to the 1991 Oscar-winning film, "Silence of the Lambs."

From Deadline:  CBS has picked up three new series for next season: The Equalizer reboot starring Queen Latifah; "Silence of the Lambs," sequel "Clarice," starring Rebecca Breeds; and the Chuck Lorre-Marco Pennette multi-camera comedy, "B Positive," headlined by Thomas Middleditch and Annaleigh Ashford.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Veteran film and television character actor, Fred Willard, has died at the age of 86, Friday, May 15, 2020.  Willard was known for playing a long list of roles in various comedic films ("Best in Show" and "How High" to name a few) and television series ("Fernwood 2 Night" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" to name a few).  On IMDb, Willard has 311 credits.  He will be seen posthumously in the upcoming Netflix comedy, "Space Force," with Steve Carell.

From THR:  The comedian and actor, Jerry Stiller, has died at the age of 92, Monday, May 11, 2020.  He is best known for TV series.  First is for the recurring role of "George Costanza's" father, "Frank," on the NBC series, "Seinfeld" (1989-1998), from 1993 to 1998.   The second role is that of series regular, "Arthur Spooner," on CBS' "The King of Queens" (1998 to 2007).  Decades ago, Stiller was best known for being part of the comedy team of Stiller and Meara with the late Ann Meara, who would become his wife.  The couple had two children, actor and filmmaker, Ben Stiller, and

From Essence:  Noted R&B and soul singer, Betty Wright, has died at the age of 66, Sunday, May 10, 2020.  Noted for her use of the "whistle register," Wright had a number of hit songs.  His signature single was "Clean Up Woman" (1974), a top 10 hit on "Billboard" magazine's "Hot 100" and "R&B" charts.  In 1975, she had a hit with what is called a "proto-disco" song, "Where is the Love?"  She won a "Best R&B Song" Grammy Award for composing the song with Harry Wayne Casey and Richard Finch of "KC & the Sunshine Band."  Wright was also a prolific and prominent background vocalist who performed on recordings for a number of popular recording artists, including Gloria Estefan, Stevie Wonder, and David Byrne, to name a few.

From RollingStone:  One of the founding fathers of rock and roll music, Little Richard, has died at the age of 87, Saturday, May 9, 2020.  He combined blues and gospel music to create a thrilling new sound, and his flamboyant and gender-bending persona helped to create the sound and spirit of a new art form, rock and roll or rock 'n' roll music.  His best known recordings included "Tutti Frutti" (1955), "Long Tall Song" (1956), and "Good Golly, Miss Molly" (1958).  In 1986, Little Richard was among the first inductees of the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

From RollingStone:  Little Richard wrote this tribute to himself in 2010 for "Rolling Stone's" "100 Greatest Artists" issue.

Director Matt Reeves Has Begun Filming "The Batman"

Filming Is Underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Batman,” Directed by Matt Reeves and Starring Robert Pattinson

Pattinson plays the dual role of Batman and Bruce Wayne amidst a star-studded ensemble

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “The Batman.” Director Matt Reeves (the “Planet of the Apes” films) is at the helm, with Robert Pattinson (upcoming “Tenet,” “The Lighthouse,” “Good Time”) starring as Gotham City’s vigilante detective, Batman, and billionaire Bruce Wayne.

Starring alongside Pattinson as Gotham’s famous and infamous cast of characters are Zoë Kravitz (“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” “Mad Max: Fury Road”) as Selina Kyle; Paul Dano (“Love & Mercy,” “12 Years a Slave”) as Edward Nashton; Jeffrey Wright (the “Hunger Games” films) as the GCPD’s James Gordon; John Turturro (the “Transformers” films) as Carmine Falcone; Peter Sarsgaard (“The Magnificent Seven,” “Black Mass”) as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson; Jayme Lawson (“Farewell Amor”) as mayoral candidate Bella Reál; with Andy Serkis (the “Planet of the Apes” films, “Black Panther”) as Alfred; and Colin Farrell (“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” “Dumbo”) as Oswald Cobblepot.

Reeves and Dylan Clark (the “Planet of the Apes” films) are producing the film, with Simon Emanuel, Michael E. Uslan, Walter Hamada and Chantal Nong Vo serving as executive producers. Reeves’ behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Greig Fraser (“Lion,” upcoming “Dune”); his “Planet of the Apes” production designer, James Chinlund; editors William Hoy (the “Planet of the Apes” films) and Tyler Nelson (“Rememory”); Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Dan Lemmon (“The Jungle Book”); Oscar-nominated SFX supervisor Dominic Tuohy (“1917,” “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker”); Oscar-nominated sound mixer Stuart Wilson (“1917,” the “Star Wars” franchise); Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“1917,” “Little Women,” “Anna Karenina”) and costume designers Glyn Dillon (the “Star Wars” franchise) and David Crossman (“1917,” the “Star Wars” franchise); hair designer Zoe Tahir (upcoming “No Time to Die,” “Spectre”); and Oscar-nominated makeup designer Naomi Donne (“1917”).

Batman was created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger. Based on characters from DC, “The Batman” is set to open in theaters June 25, 2021 and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 26th to 31st, 2019 - Update #22

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From THR:  Elton John among those angry that Russian film distributors will edit sex scenes out of the Elton John biopic, "Rocketman."

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Trevor Noah of "The Daily Show" draws attention with a billboard that makes a joke about recent best picture Oscar winner, "Green Book."

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COMICS-FILM - From Deadline:  Apparently, it is NOW official that Robert Pattison will be the new Batman/Bruce Wayne for the upcoming "The Batman."

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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Octavia Spencer and "Ma" propel the momentum of "Black-led" horror films.

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BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" earns $6.3 million in Thursday night preview shows.

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PIXAR - From Deadline:  Pixar's "Toy Story 4" tracking for a potential $200 million opening weekend.

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ANIMATION - From TheWrap:  Arnold Schwarzenegger will star in and co-produce an animated preschool series based on Stan Lee's "Superhero Kindergarten."

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COMICS-FILM - From TheWrap:  Comic book writer, Tom King, and Oscar-nominee Ava DuVerany will write the screenplay for DuVerany's adaption of DC Comics and Jack Kirby's "New Gods" comic book series.

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CELEBRITY - From BET:  Halle Berry surprises to African-American reporters on the red carpet for "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 5/24 to 5/26/2019 weekend box office is Disney's live-action remake, "Aladdin," with an estimated take of 86.1 million dollars.

From Deadline:  Deadline's regularly updated article on the Memorial Day holiday weekend box office, with an emphasis on the performance of Disney's "Aladdin."

From USAToday:  "Aladdin" rakes in 207.1 million dollars at the global box office.

From Patreon:  This is my (Leroy Douresseaux) movie review of "Aladdin."

From THR:  "John Wick: Chapter 3" is now the "John Wick" series top earner with 181 million dollars in global box office.

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POLITICS - From HuffPost:   Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is a Democratic presidential candidate, says that the late Sen. John McCain cited the names of dictators during the President Trump's inaugural address.

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TELEVISION - From AVClub:  How the ’80s Twilight Zone honored and extended Rod Serling’s legacy

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Former "CBS Evening News" anchorman, Scott Pelley," says he was fired from CBS in 2017 for constantly complaining about "a hostile environment."

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CELEBRITY - From EOnline:  Multiple Grammy Award nominee, Moby, started a controversy with Oscar winner and multiple Oscar nominee, actress Natalie Portman.  This article tells all.

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CANNES - From THR:  At Cannes 2019, Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" wins the Palme d'Or (the top prize).  Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" did not win any prizes.

VIDEOS-TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  Here is the first official trailer (5/30/2019) for "Rambo V: Last Blood," the fifth installment in the "Rambo" film series.  The film is due September 2019.

From YouTube:  Here is the first teaser trailer (5/30/2019) for Netflix's TV series, "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance."  The series debuts August 30, 2019.

OBITS:

From BleacherReport:  Former Major League Baseball player, Bill Buckner, has died at the age of 69, Monday, May 27, 2019.  Buckner has a 22 year career and was known for being a first baseman, although he did play some as an outfielder.  He was known for his part in an infamous incident during Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

From Deadline:  Pro Football Hall of Fame (Class of 1977) NFL quarterback, Bart Starr, has died at the age of 85, Sunday, May 26, 2019.  Starr was the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971.  He led the Packers to five NFL championships, including wins in the first two Super Bowls (I in 1967 and II in 1968).  Starr remains the only starting quarterback to win three consecutive NFL championships (1965 through 1967 seasons).

Christopher Nolan's "Tenet" Begins Filming

Filming is Underway on “Tenet,” a New Film from Christopher Nolan

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Filming has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Tenet,” being directed by Christopher Nolan.

“Tenet,” which is being filmed on location across seven countries, is an action epic evolving from the world of international espionage.

Nolan is directing from his own original screenplay, utilizing a mixture of IMAX® and 70mm film to bring the story to the screen.

The international ensemble cast is led by John David Washington and also stars Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clémence Poésy, with Michael Caine and Kenneth Branagh.

The film is being produced by Nolan and Emma Thomas. Thomas Hayslip is serving as executive producer.

Nolan’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema, production designer Nathan Crowley, editor Jennifer Lame, costume designer Jeffrey Kurland, and visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson. The score is being composed by Ludwig Göransson.

Warner Bros. Pictures is distributing “Tenet” worldwide and has slated the film for a July 17, 2020 release.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 12th to 18th, 2019 - Update #17

Support Leroy on Patreon:

TELEVISION - From Variety:  Oscar-nominated actress, Sharon Stone, and Grammy-nominated recording artist, Marilyn Manson, will appear in HBO's "The New Pope," from director Paolo Sorrentino.

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COMICS-FILM - From Variety:  The site is reporting that Robert Pattison ("Twilight" series) will be the new Batman/Bruce Wayne in director Matt Reeves' upcoming film, "The Batman," which is due June 25, 2021.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Chris Rock (yes, that Chris Rock) is joining Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures to reboot the "Saw" film franchise.  The new film is due October 2020.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  James Gunn talks about being fired from "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" and then, being reinstated.

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MOVIES - From Movieweb:  James Wan ("Aquaman") is rebooting the "Mortal Kombat" film franchise (based on the beloved video game).  Wan will produce the film.

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DISNEY/STREAMING - From Variety:  Disney now has full operational control of the streaming service, Hulu, of which it has at least 60% ownership interest.  Comcast/NBCU retains its 33% ownership interest, which Disney can buy at some point in the future.  Comcast is planning to launch a free, ad-supported streaming service next year.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Rami Malek is in talks to join Denzel Washington in the serial killer film, "Little Things" from director John Lee Hancock.

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TELEVISION - From TVLine:  The upcoming sixth season (2019-2020) will be the final season for Fox's soap opera-drama, "Empire."

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 5/10 to 5/12/2019 weekend box office is "Avengers: Endgame" with an estimated take of 63 million dollars.

From Forbes:  "Pokemon: Detective Pikachu" debuted this weekend and grossed 58 million dollars at the box office, the biggest opening weekend ever for a movie based on a video game.

From Patreon:  My review of "Avengers: Endgame."

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Broadcast television networks announce series orders and pick-ups.

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STREAMING - From TheVerge:  CBS All Access to give Jordan Peele's rebooted "The Twilight Zone," which is in full-color the black and white treatment, beginning May 30th.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Russell Crowe to star in road-rage thriller, "Unhinged."

OBITS:

From Deadline:  The Emmy-winning actor and comedian, Tim Conway, has died at the age of 85, May 14, 2019.  Conway was best known for his work on the ABC sitcom, "McHale's Navy" (1962-1966), and the long-running CBS variety program, The Carol Burnett Show" (1967-1978).  Conway won six Emmy Awards out of 13 nominations.

From TheWrap:  The actor Isaac Kappy died at the age of 42, Monday, May 13, 2019.  He had a small role in Marvel Studios' "Thor" (2011) and appeared in films such as "Terminator: Salvation" and "Beerfest."

From Deadline:  Iconic American actress and singer, Doris Day, has died at the age of 97, May 13, 2019.  She was known for such films as "Pillow Talk" (1959), which she made with her longtime friend, Rock Hudson; "That Touch of Mink" (1962), co-starring Cary Grant; and "Move Over, Darling" (1963) with James Garner.  She was also known for her TV series, "The Doris Day Show" (1968-1973) and for a string a hit records from the mid-1940s to the mid-1950s.

From Variety:  The actress and singer, Peggy Lipton, has died at the age of 72, Saturday, May 11, 2019.  Lipton appeared in the TV series, "The Mod Squad" (1968-1973), as the flower child, Julie Barnes, a role for which she received four Emmy nominations and won a Golden Globe.  Lipton also had a main role in the ABC TV series, "Twin Peaks" (1990-91).  Lipton was married to legendary music producer, Quincy Jones, with whom she has two daughters, actress and producer, Rashida Jones, and model and fashion designer, Kidada Jones.