Review: "PULP FICTION" is Still a Wild Child

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 23 of 2024 (No. 1967) by Leroy Douresseaux

Pulp Fiction (1994)

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

MPAA – R for strong graphic violence and drug use, pervasive strong language and some sexuality

DIRECTOR:  Quentin Tarantino

WRITERS:  Quentin Tarantino; from stories by Roger Avary and Quentin Tarantino

PRODUCER:  Lawrence Bender

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Andrzej Sekula

EDITOR:  Sally Menke

Academy Award winner

CRIME/DRAMA

Starring:  John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Phil LaMarr, Frank Whaley, Paul Calderon, Bronagh Gallagher, Rosanna Arquette, Eric Stoltz, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Walken, and Harvey Keitel

Pulp Fiction is a 1994 crime film from writer-director Quentin Tarantino.  The film follows the lives of an ensemble of characters, including two mob hit men, a boxer, a pair of armed robbers, and a gangster and his wife in a series of intertwined tales of violence and redemption.

Thirty years ago, this month, May 1994, brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the then co-chairmen of Miramax Films, blew into France with the entire cast of Pulp Fiction for the 47th Cannes Film Festival.  On or about May 21, 1994, the Weinsteins unveiled Pulp Fiction at a midnight screening.  From what I read lo those many years ago, that screening cause a sensation.  Pulp Fiction would go on to win the festival's top prize, the “Palme d'Or,” for Tarantino.

I had been putting off seeing Pulp Fiction during its initial release, but it was re-released in the spring of 1995 in the run-up to the 67th Academy Awards (March 27, 1995).  Pulp Fiction had been nominated for seven Oscars.  A friend encourage me to see it with her, which I think we did a week or so before the Oscars.  I'd seen Reservoir Dogs (1992), which I considered to be an exceptional film of that time, but even the uncommon nature of Reservoir Dogs did not prepare me for the demented nature of the audacious art that was (and still is) Pulp Fiction.  In preparation for this film, I recently rewatched Tarantino's other early films, Jackie Brown (1997) and Reservoir Dogs.

Told out of chronological order, Pulp Fiction is set in and around Los Angeles.  It opens in a diner, where a couple, Pumpkin/Ringo (Tim Roth) and Honey Bunny/Yolanda (Amanda Plummer), decide to pull of an armed robbery. Elsewhere, two hit men, Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta), seek to retrieve a brief case that belongs to their employer, crime boss Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), from a small group of thieves who tried to double-cross Wallace.

Later, Vega takes Wallace's wife, Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman), out to dinner – by request of Marsellus.  They banter.  They dance.  They deal with an overdose.  Also, a palooka boxer, Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), double-crosses Marsellus.  Now, he's on the run, but before the night is done, Butch and Marsellus will find themselves delivered into evil.  Finally, Jules meets Pumpkin and Honey Bunny.

Reservoir Dogs is “neo-noir,” which is a modern versions of “Film-Noir,” a term that refers to the stylized Hollywood dramas – especially crime dramas – covering a period from the 1930s to the 1960s.  So if Reservoir Dogs is “neo-noir,” Pulp Fiction recalls another vintage American genre of fiction, the storytelling of the pulp magazines and hard-boiled crime novels of the mid-20th century.  Tarantino grabs the lurid, exploitative, and sensational, and also the violence and corruption that were featured in some pulps and crime novels and grafts that onto Pulp Fiction's non-linear narrative tale of people living, working, cheating, screwing, and killing in the criminal underground of L.A.

Three decades later, I find that some of the film has not aged will, such as the opening scene at the diner and the early parts of the misadventures of Vincent and Jules.  The rest of the film still sparkles with cinematic magic, as Tarantino delights in the myriad elements of both American pop culture and international cinema that he borrows (or steals) for this film.  I will say that this film's last act – the diner scene featuring Vincent & Jules and Pumpkin & Honey Bunny – is what keeps Pulp Fiction in place as one of the best films of the 1990s.  If I can divide films into increments of a quarter-hour or so, I'd say that Pulp Fiction's last 17 minutes before the end credits form the one of the best sequences of film that I have ever seen.

Seeing it again, I was frozen in place, mesmerized, and riveted by the power of this moment in American cinema.  Honestly, Samuel L. Jackson,who was nominated for a “Best Supporting Actor” Oscar for his work in this film, should have won the award based solely on his performance in this last act of Pulp Fiction.  And I say that even as I believe that the actor who did win, the late Martin Landau for Tim Burton's Ed Wood, was deserving of the Oscar.

Back in 1994, at the moment Dick Dale & His Del-Tones' 1962 surf rock anthem, “Misirlou,” blasts across the film's soundtrack, Pulp Fiction injected some much needed juice and venom into American cinema, even if some rejected that injection at the time.  Someone once described Pulp Fiction as a “succulent guilty pleasure.”  I'll still suck on it, and I won't feel guilty about its pleasures.

10 of 10

Saturday, May 25, 2024

NOTES:

1995 Academy Awards, USA:  1 win: “Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” (Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary); six nominations: “Best Picture” (Lawrence Bender), “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (John Travolta), “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Samuel L. Jackson), “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Uma Thurman), “Best Director” (Quentin Tarantino), and “Best Film Editing” (Sally Menke)

1995 BAFTA Awards:  2 wins: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Samuel L. Jackson) and “Best Screenplay – Original” (Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary); 7 nominations: “Best Film” (Lawrence Bender), “Best Actor” (John Travolta), “Best Actress” (Uma Thurman), “Best Cinematography” (Andrzej Sekula) “David Lean Award for Direction” (Quentin Tarantino), “Best Editing” (Sally Menke), and “Best Sound” (Stephen Hunter Flick, Ken King, Rick Ash, and Dean A. Zupancic)

1995 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win: “Best Screenplay-Motion Picture: (Quentin Tarantino); 5 nominations: “Best Motion Picture – Drama,” “Best Director - Motion Picture” (Quentin Tarantino), “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (John Travolta), “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Uma Thurman), and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Samuel L. Jackson)

1994 Cannes Film Festival:  1 win: “Palme d'Or” (Quentin Tarantino)

2013 National Film Preservation Board, USA:  National Film Registry

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

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Review: "KONG: SKULL ISLAND" is a Monster Movie Paradise

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 14 of 2024 (No. 1958) by Leroy Douresseaux

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Running time: 118 minutes (1 hour, 58 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for brief strong language

DIRECTOR:  Jordan Vogt-Roberts

WRITERS:  Max Borenstein, Dan Gilroy, and Derek Connolly; from a story by John Gatins

PRODUCERS:  Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Thomas Tull, and Alex Garcia

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Larry Fong (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Richard Pearson

COMPOSER:  Henry Jackman

Academy Award nominee

ADVENTURE/HISTORICAL/HORROR and MILITARY/SCI-FI

Starring:  Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Corey Hawkins, John Ortiz, Tian Jing, Toby Kebbell, Jason Mitchell, Shea Whigham, Thomas Mann, Eugene Cordero, Marc Evan Jackson, Terry Notary, and Richard Jenkins

Kong: Skull Island is a 2017 monster movie, sci-fi military, and period, adventure film directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts.  It is a reboot of the King Kong film franchise and is also the second film in the “MonsterVerse” film series following 2014's Godzilla.  Set at the end of the Vietnam war, Kong: Skull Island focuses on a group of military personnel and civilian scientists who must fight to escape an uncharted island full of giant monsters that includes the island's king, the mighty Kong.

Kong: Skull Island introduces Bill Randa (John Goodman), the head of the U.S. government organization, “Monarch.”  It is 1973, and the U.S. is ending its mission in Vietnam.  Randa fears his time is running out to launch a mission to a recently discovered island that has long been shrouded in mystery and legend, “Skull Island.”

He convinces a U.S. senator to fund an expedition to the island, and subsequently recruits a U.S. Army unit commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Packard (Samuel L. Jackson) to accompany him.  Also on the mission are recent Monarch recruits, geologist Houston Brooks (Corey Hawkins) and biologist San Lin (Tian Jing).  Randa also hires James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston), a former British Special Air Service Captain, as a hunter-tracker for this expedition.  Mason Weaver (Brie Larson), an “anti-war” photographer, forces her way onto the expedition.

The expedition begins with thirteen U.S. army helicopters penetrating the fearsome storms that surround Skull Island.  Randa and Brooks told Packard that they wanted to map the island by dropping seismic explosives, and shortly after arriving on the island, Packard's men begin dropping the explosives, which does help to map the island.  The explosions also draw the attention of a giant ape, which promptly attacks the helicopters.  Soon, the expedition is divided into two groups of survivors.  One is led by Packard who wants revenge against the giant ape, and the other by Conrad who wants to reach a rendezvous point where they will be rescued.  The giant ape, however, is “Kong,” king of Skull Island, and he isn't the only deadly, giant monster on the island.

The “MonsterVerse” is an American multimedia franchise that includes movies; a streaming live-action television series (Apple TV+) and a streaming animated series (Netflix); books and comic books; and video games.  It is a shared fictional universe that includes the character, “Godzilla” and other characters owned and created by the Japanese entertainment company, Toho Co., Ltd.  The MonsterVerse is a reboot of Toho's Godzilla franchise.  It is also a reboot of the King Kong film franchise, which is based on the character, “King Kong,” that was created by actor and filmmaker, Merian C. Cooper (1893-1973).

The fifth film in the MonsterVerse series, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, is due to be released sometime in March, so I have decided to watch and review the previous four films:  2014's Godzilla, 2017's Kong: Skull Island (which is the subject of this review), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021).  I have previously seen Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island, but only recently made attempts to review them.

Kong: Skull Island is proudly both a monster movie and a King Kong movie.  Like Peter Jackson's 2005 film, King Kong (Universal Pictures), Kong: Skull Island digs into its “lost world” pulp fiction and pre-Code horror movie roots.  Kong is as King Kong as any other cinematic version of the character, and the result is an exhilarating film that is fun to watch even after repeated viewings.  Most books about writing fiction and screenplays will emphasize that the characters should drive the narrative, but Kong: Skull Island's narrative is driven by its plot, by its other-worldly setting, and especially by its monstrous gods and god-like monsters.

There are quite a few interesting characters in the film.  Samuel L. Jackson makes the most of his Lt. Col. Packard, who is driven crazy by his insane mission to kill Kong as a salve for his bitterness about the end of the American misadventure in Vietnam.  John C. Reilly once again displays his tremendous character actor chops as the lost-in-time, U.S. Army Air Force Lt. Hank Marlow.  Tom Hiddleston is a good heroic lead as James Conrad in a film in which the human hero is not the film's most important character.  Brie Larson also shows off her acting skills by chopping out some space for his character, Mason Weaver.

However, the characters are just pawns in the film's plot, which involves surviving Skull Island's various monsters and advancing to the rendezvous point.  The setting of Kong: Skull Island is a lost world Eden that is part tropical paradise and part jungle horror, an environment in which the most beautiful place is the most dangerous.  The amazing things to see on this island are its deadly denizens, which includes gargantuan spiders, man-snatching carnivorous birds, and seemingly unstoppable lizards that are literally nothing more than perfectly designed death machines.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention the practically mute human natives of Skull Island with their dazzling array of face and body painting and eclectic costumes.

At the center of Kong: Skull Island is the film's most important character and element, Kong, himself.  He is a thing of beauty, the best special effect in a movie favored with enough impressive CGI to have earned itself an Oscar nomination for “Best Achievement in Visual Effects.”  Kong's introduction into the story, a breathtaking display of fight choreography pitting him against a squadron of military helicopters, is as good as the best fight scenes audiences will find in the top superhero movies.  Whatever glitches in the overall narrative and character development Kong: Skull Island has, Kong's introduction glosses over.  Kong is made king again in Kong: Skull Island, and that is why it is a damn shame that there is not a Kong: Skull Island 2.

[This film has an extra scene at the end of the credits.]

A-

7 of 10

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Sunday, March 17, 2024

NOTES:

2018 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Achievement in Visual Effects” (Stephen Rosenbaum, Jeff White, Scott Benza, and Michael Meinardus)

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

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Review: "THE MARVELS" is a Fun-Filled Marvel

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 49 of 2023 (No. 1938) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Marvels (2023)

Running time:  105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for action/violence and brief language

DIRECTOR:  Nia DaCosta

WRITERS:  Nia DaCosta, Megan McDonnell, and Elissa Karasik

PRODUCER:  Kevin Feige

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Sean Bobbitt (BSC)

EDITORS:  Catrin Hedström and Evan Schiff

COMPOSER:  Laura Karpman

SUPERHERO/SCI-FI/ACTION with elements of comedy

Starring:  Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris, Iman Vellani, Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park See-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, Leila Farzad, Abraham Popoola, Lashana Lynch, and Samuel L. Jackson, Tessa Thompson, Hailee Steinfeld, and Kelsey Grammer

REVIEW SUMMARY:

• The Marvels is a direct sequel to the film, Captain Marvel (2019), and a continuation of the Disney+ miniseries, “Ms. Marvel” (2022).

• The story brings Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel together to stop a Kree warrior named Dar-Benn from destroying several worlds in a bid to save the Kree home world, Hala.

• The film is short and sweet and is also a quirky and weird science fiction superhero film that is similar in tone to Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy franchise and to the Marvel film, Thor: Ragnarok (2017).

• The Marvels' plot is a bit scattershot, but the fight and action scenes are highly energetic, resulting in a fun Marvel film full of likable characters.

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The Marvels is a 2023 superhero film directed by Nia DaCosta and produced by Marvel Studios.  The film is the 33rd entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and is also a direct sequel to 2019's Captain Marvel.  The Marvels is also a continuation of the Disney+/Marvel Studios television miniseries, "Ms. Marvel" (2022).

The film is headlined by the Marvel Comics character, Carol Danvers, who first appeared in the comic book, Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (cover dated: March 1968), and who later became Captain Marvel.  In The Marvels, Captain Marvel gets her powers entangled with two other similarly-powered individuals, forcing the trio to work together to save the universe.

The Marvels opens with a focus on Hala, the capital planet of the Kree Empire.  The collapse of the empire's “Supreme Intelligence” leads to a civil war among the Kree on their home world of Hala.  The result is that the planet is becoming barren as it loses its natural resources and its sun is rapidly going dark.  Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), the new leader of the Kree, retrieves one of two “Quantum Bands.”  She hopes to harness its power and to pair it with her staff, “the Universal Weapon,” as part of her scheme to save Hala.

On Earth, specifically in a home in Jersey City, New Jersey, teenager Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), who is also the superhero, “Ms. Marvel,” is dealing with teenage and family issues.  Kamala also happens to possess the other half of the Quantum Bands.

Meanwhile, above the Earth, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), now residing at the S.A.B.E.R. space station, has detected a “jump point” (which allows for hyperspace travel) anomaly caused by Dar-Benn.  Nick Fury calls in Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), an astronaut who has the ability to manipulate all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum, to investigate the jump point anomaly near S.A.B.E.R.

When Monica touches the jump point at the same time as Captain Marvel, it causes a reaction in which Monica, Carol, and Kamala switch places through teleportation.  Now, this reaction brings the three young women together in order to stop Dar-Benn from destroying several worlds in order to save her home world, Hala.  And Kamala thinks that she, Carol, and Monica can best do this as a team, a super-team she names “The Marvels.

In addition to being a sequel to the 2019 film, Captain Marvel, and being a continuation of the Ms. Marvel TV series, The Marvels includes story elements that appear in the Disney+ Marvel Studios miniseries, “WandaVision” (2021) and “Secret Invasion” (2023).  There are also elements from Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).  At this point, I wonder if watching Marvel movies means having to be familiar with what has happened in too many previous films and television series.  There is also a scene that runs in the middle of the end credits that references other movies based on Marvel Comics characters.

Still, I love The Marvels.  I have not subscribed to Disney+, and I only saw the fifth and sixth episodes of the Ms. Marvels miniseries when it was aired on the ABC broadcast network in early September (2023).  I love The Marvels because I can figure out what is going on without having seen everything else it references.  If I really want to know more, I can read Wikipedia summaries of the Disney+ series that I have not seen.

The Marvels is marvelously enjoyable.  It is a science fiction adventure comedy that makes a comedy of physical errors out of every fight.  It's more like Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017) than it is like any other Marvel film.  Director Nia DaCosta and her co-writers take time to develop the relationship between Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel.  Also, giving so much time to Kamala family:  her mother, Muneeba Khan (Zenobia Shroff); her father, Yusuf Khan (Mohan Kapur); and her older brother, Aamir Khan (Saagar Shaikh), gives the film a human element that keeps the sci-fi, outer space weirdness of The Marvels from entirely taking over the narrative.  Yes, the plot is a bit scattershot, but The Marvels is kinetic and packs a lot energy in its fight and action scenes.

The Marvels also gives us a lighter, funnier side of Nick Fury, and, the delights of Goose, the cat-like “Flerken” alien is multiplied this time.  Dar-Benn turns out to be one of the more ruthless and interesting of the MCU's recent villains.  And if that isn't enough, The Marvels has one of the MCU's best (if not the best) extra credit scenes.  The Marvels is refreshingly short, and while it is more loose than cohesive, it does remind me of one thing.  Every trip to the world of Marvel Studios' films is an out of this world experience.

[The film includes one extra-credits scenes that takes place during the middle of the credits (mid-credits).]

A

8 of 10

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, November 10, 2023

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 October 22nd to 31st, 2023 - Update #29

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:  Quiver Distribution announced they have completed production on the military action/science fiction film, "Agent Recon."  It features legendary martial arts expert and action film and TV hero, Chuck Norris (The Expendables 2, "Walker Texas Ranger").  Quiver and will launch sales at the 2023 American Film Market (AFM), which takes place Oct. 31st to Nov. 5th.

AMAZON - From Deadline:  Michael B. Jordan's production company, Outlier Society, will join Amazon MGM Studios to develop Rebecca Yarros' fantasy novel series, "The Empyrean," for television.

From Variety:  Amazon MGM Studios is in the early stages of developing a TV series based on the 1982 film, "Poltergeist."

MOVIES - From THR:  David Robert Mitchell is ready to make a sequel to his hit horror film, It Follows (2014).  Mitchell is taking "They Follow" to the 2023 American Film Market (AFM), where film people try to find buyers for new films and projects.  The fun starts Oct. 31st and ends Nov. 5th.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 10/27 to 10/29/2023 weekend box office is "Five Nights at Freddy's" with an estimated take of 78 million dollars.

From THR:  It's 78 million dollar opening weekend gives "Five Nights at Freddy's" the largest box office opening for a Halloween weekend.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Jason Statham will star in the film, "Levon's Trade," directed by David Ayer from a script by Sylvester Stallone.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  On Fri., Oct. 27th, Spectrum SportsNet and the Los Angeles Lakers announced the launch of "Spectrum SportsNet+."  This is a new direct-to-consumer streaming subscription service that will deliver a 24/7 feed of Spectrum SportsNet programming, including live Lakers games and behind-the-scenes Lakers content.  Now available, it is free to existing  Spectrum SportsNet customers. Others will pay $19.99 a month or $179.99.

DISNEY - From THR:  Disney releases a first-look at its film, "Disney's Snow White," a live-action version of its classic animated feature film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1937). The other news is that the film is moving to a 2025 release date from its original March 2024 release date.  This will be first of many release date changes as the Hollywood actors' strike continues.

AMAZON - From THR:  Amazon's ad revenue soars to $12 billion - in the third quarter.

POLITICS - From Medium:  Former President Barack Obama offers "Thoughts on Israel and Gaza."

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  There is a new film in The Hunger Games franchise.  "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes" looks to have a strong box office debut.

MUSIC - From Variety:  Taylor Swift, SZA, and Morgan Wallen lead the nominations for the 2023 Billboard Music Awards.  The winners will be announced Nov. 19th.

MOVIES - From Variety:  While promoting his new film, "Killers of the Flower Moon," Martin Scorsese comments on fellow director Quentin Tarantino's impending retirement.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  In a hearing today (Wed. Oct. 25th), New York Supreme Court Judge Michael Gaffey denied a defense motion to dismiss the domestic abuse charges that actor Jonathan Majors (Creed III) is facing.  Judge Gaffey set a start date of November 29th for the trial.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part Two," starring Tom Cruise, changes its release date from June 28, 2024 to May 23, 2025.

NETFLIX - From Deadline: Filmmaker and media mogul Tyler Perry has struck a new, multi-year first-look deal with Netflix that will see him write, direct and produce features for the streamer.  Perry signed a deal with Amazon Studios in November 2022 to write, direct and produce four features for Prime Video. 

AMAZON - From Deadline:  "Good Omens" hopes to be renewed for a third and final season on Amazon Prime.  If it renewed, co-showrunner Douglas Mackinnon will not return.  The series is based on the book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  During his stand-up performance at the TD Garden in Boston on Thurs., Oct. 19th, comedian Dave Chappelle addressed the events in Israel-Palestine and the audience reacted with cheers, jeers, and walk-outs.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 10/20 to 10/22/2023 weekend box office is "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" with an estimated take of 31 million dollars.

DISNEY - From ScreenRant:  Disney has confirmed "Zootopia 2," the sequel to its 2016 Oscar-winning hit, Zootopia.  The sequel may not arrive in theaters until 2028.

OBITS:

From Variety:  Television and film actor, Matthew Perry, has died at the age of 54, Saturday, October 28, 2023.  Perry was best known for the role of "Chandler Bing" in the long-running former NBC sitcom, "Friends" (1994-2004), a role for which he received one Primetime Emmy nomination in the category of "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series."  Perry would receive two more Emmy nominations for his guest role in the former NBC drama, "The West Wing" (2003) and another Emmy nomination for his starring role in the television film, "The Ron Clark Story" (2006, TNT).  His final Emmy nod came as an executive producer on HBO Max's "Friends: The Reunion" special (2021).

From Deadline:  In a joint statement to "People," the five surviving leads of the former NBC sitcom, "Friends": Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer said “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.”

From Deadline:  Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, paid an emotional tribute to his former classmate, "Friends" actor, Matthew Perry, who died on Sat., Oct. 28th.  They both attended Rockcliffe Park Public School in Ottawa, Canada.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood "breaking news" site, "Deadline," has a page dedicated to the recently deceased "Friends" actor, Matthew Perry.

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From Deadline:  The film and television actor, Richard Roundtree, has died at the age of 81, Tuesday, October 25, 2023.  Roundtree is considered to be "the first black action hero" for his most famous role, the private detective, John Shaft, in the 1971 film, "Shaft."  He played the role in two sequels, "Shaft's Big Score!" (1972) and "Shaft in Africa" (1973), as well as a series to TV films for CBS during the 1973-74 broadcast season. He would return to the role in the "contemporary sequels," "Shaft" (2000) and "Shaft" (2019).  In addition to his film roles, he made numerous TV appearances, including in such TV miniseries and series as "Roots," "Murder, She Wrote," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Desperate Housewives," to name a few.

From Deadline:  Richard Roundtree (1942-2023) - a life in photographs.

From Deadline:  Samuel L. Jackson offers a remembrance of his late co-star, Richard Roundtree.

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ACTORS STRIKE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From WGAContract:  A summary of the new agreement.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Review: Pam Grier is Radiant in "JACKIE BROWN," Tarantino's Best (Maybe) Film

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 77 of 2022 (No. 1889) by Leroy Douresseaux

Jackie Brown (1997)

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

MPAA – R for strong language, some violence, drug use and sexuality

DIRECTOR:  Quentin Tarantino

WRITER:  Quentin Tarantino (based upon the novel by Elmore Leonard)

PRODUCER:  Lawrence Bender

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Guillermo Navarro

EDITOR:  Sally Menke

Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/CRIME

Starring:  Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Forster, Bridget Fonda, Michael Keaton, Robert De Niro, Michael Bowen, Chris Tucker, LisaGay Hamilton, Tom Lister, Jr., Hattie Winston, Sid Haig, Aimee Graham, Tangie Ambrose, and T'Keyah Crystal Keymah

Jackie Brown is a 1997 drama and crime film from writer-director Quentin Tarantino.  It is based on Elmore Leonard's 1992 novel, Rum Punch.  Jackie Brown the movie focuses on a flight attendant who schemes with an aging bail bondsman in a bid to defeat both the ATF and her boss who smuggles guns into Mexico.

Jackie Brown introduces 44-year-old, Jackie Brown (Pam Grier), a flight attendant for the low-budget Mexican airline, Cabo Air.  She smuggles money from Mexico into the United States for her (kind of) boss, Ordell Robbie (Samuel L. Jackson), a gun runner in Los Angeles.  One day, Ordell's courier, Beaumont Livingston (Chris Tucker), is arrested, and he snitches about Ordell's business.

Acting on that information, LAPD Detective Mark Dargus (Michael Bowen) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agent, Ray Nicolette (Michael Keaton), intercept Jackie while she is returning with some of Ordell's cash, with a small bag of cocaine thrown in.  Dargus and Nicolette use the cocaine to threaten Jackie with serious criminal charges and hard prison time.

Ordell hires bail bondsman, Max Cherry (Robert Forster), of Cherry Bail Bonds, to bail Jackie out of jail.  Feeling trapped between Ordell and the law, Jackie conspires with Max to pretend to give both sides what they want – Ordell the money and the ATF Ordell.  If this heist works, Jackie and Max will secure her future with half a million dollars of Ordell's money.

Jackie Brown is obviously writer-director Quentin Tarantino's ode to 1970s blaxploitation films.  The film is also a star vehicle that Tarantino created for the actress playing the title role in Jackie Brown, the great Pam Grier.  She starred in some of the most fondly remembered and popular blaxploitation films, most notably Coffy (1973) and Foxy Brown (1974).  The roles in those two films obviously inspired the role of “Jackie Brown,” although “Flower Child Coffin” a.k.a “Coffy” (of Coffy) and Foxy Brown are action heroes.  Instead, Tarantino makes Jackie Brown a world-weary woman, not an action hero, but a working woman willing to take the action that will help her make her way in the world.

Grier plays Jackie Brown with subtlety and grace, making Jackie comfortable in her skin.  Her sexiness is not forced, but radiates from her, buoyed by her confidence.  Grier makes it seem quite genuine that Brown would one day finally have enough with getting the crappy end of the stick in life.  Jackie takes a chance, and with nothing to lose, she works her magic.  Grier also works her magic, and the audience can believe that she is going to pull off this implausible heist of Ordell's money and also trick the ATF and LAPD by giving them only some of what they want.  Here, Grier gives the best performance of her career, and it is a shame that Hollywood has under-utilized her amazing talent and screen presence.

I have not seen enough of his performances to say that Max Cherry is actor Robert Forster's best performance of his career.  Playing Max revitalized Forster's career, which was mostly stalled at the time.  With charming stoicism, Forster perfectly plays the calm, wise, and a little weary, Max Cherry, one of the most perfect characters that Tarantino ever wrote.  Forster also convinces us that he has so totally fallen for Jackie Brown that he is willing to do everything she wants even if it is everything that he should not do.

I also think that Ordell Robbie is Samuel Jackson's best performance.  Ordell is an example of what would become the stereotypical Samuel L. Jackson character – the menacing, bad-ass Black man who loves to shoot people and curse up a storm.  However, Jackson makes Ordell a man full of angles and twists.  He is coarse with a trashy sophistication; he is menacing, but sentimental in odd ways.  He is not nearly as smart as he thinks he is, so he is ultimately a cheap hood with enough low-rent ambitions to make himself a doomed idiot.

Tarantino uses Grier, Forster, and Jackson's performances and those of several others (Robert De Niro, Bridget Fonda, and Michael Keaton) to give his usual style, wit, humor, and rapid-fire bravado traction and depth.  Jackie Brown does not have the snappy banter nor the nonlinear antics of Tarantino's previous film, Pulp Fiction.  Jackie Brown's narrative is a straight story, Tarantino's most substantive film to date.  It may be an ode to blaxploitation and also a smooth heist film, but most of all, Jackie Brown is a character drama.  With a superb soundtrack behind it (focusing on “The Delfonics” 1969 classic song, “Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)”), Tarantino uses a slow pace to weave a delightful Los Angeles crime story about the criminal things people do when they are desperate … or in love.

I think that Quentin Tarantino and Pam Grier are a match made in cinematic heaven.  2022 is the twenty-fifth anniversary of Jackie Brown's original theatrical release (December 8, 1997).  Jackie Brown has aged well, and for me, it gets better every time I watch it.

10 of 10

A+

Friday, December 30, 2022

NOTES:

1998 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Actor in a Supporting Role” (Robert Forster)

1998 Golden Globes, USA:  2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical” (Pam Grier) and “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical” (Samuel L. Jackson)

1998 Image Awards (NAACP):  1 nominations:  “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture” (Pam Grier)

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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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from March 1st to 5th, 2022 - Update #16

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From THR:  Will Smith is returning for the long-talked about sequel to his hit 2007 film, "I Am Legend." This time actor Michael B. Jordan will also star in the film as well as be one of its producers.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   The first photographic image has been released from the action film, "Dead Zone," which stars Michael Jai White and Chad Michael Collins.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Reportedly, rapper Jack Harlow's first screen audition lands him a role in the reboot of writer-director Ron Shelton's 1992 sports comedy, "White Men Can't Jump."

TRAILER - From Deadline:  There is a trailer for the 50th Anniversary re-release of Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather."  This film and the others in the series will also have a 4K Ultra HD and Ultra Blu-ray release.

STREAMING - From Variety:  Actor Anthony Mackie will star in and executive produce a TV series based on the Sony Playstation video game, "Twisted Metal." The series is being produced for NBCUniversal's streaming service, Peacock.

OSCARS - From Variety:   Samuel L. Jackson says, ‘I Should’ve Won’ an Oscar, but Oscars Don’t Get ‘Asses in Seats’ Like I Do

TRAILER - From Variety:  Sony Pictures has released the official trailer for the stylish action movie, "Bullet Train" starring Brad Pitt and directed David Leitch.

MOVIES - From Consequence:  There is a report that says that Oscar-winning film producer, Brad Pitt, has come on board as a producer on the long-rumored sequel to "Beetlejuice" (1988).

ANIMATION - From Deadline:  The beloved sci-fi animated comedy, "Futurama," is returning on Hulu with 20 episodes and with "Bender" voice actor, John DiMaggio.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  On the comeback trail, actress Lindsay Lohan strikes two-picture deal with Netflix.

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The winners of the 2022 / 22nd annual Black Reel Awards were announced Monday evening, Feb. 28th in a livestream.  The Black Western, "The Harder They Fall" led with 6 wins, and "King Richard" was named "Outstanding Film" of 2021.

DISNEY - From Deadline:  The Walt Disney Company is temporarily pulling its theatrical releases from Russian movie theaters due to Russia's invasion of the nation of Ukraine.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/25 to 2/27/2022 weekend box office is Sony Pictures' "Uncharted" with a take of 23 million dollars.

MOVIES - From CNN:  Mid-budget Hollywood movies are in decline.  What does that mean for American cinema?

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American film executive and film producer, Alan Ladd, Jr., has died at the age of 84, Wednesday, March 2, 2022.  Ladd won an Oscar for producing "Braveheart" with Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey.  He was also the president of 20th Century Fox who approved the production of "Star Wars" and he was an executive at MGM/UA.

From Deadline:  Broadway and television actor, Ned Eisenberg, has died at the age of 65, Sunday, February 27, 2022.  Eisenberg was best known for his recurring role on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit" as the villainous defense attorney Roger Kressler.  Eisenberg had a prolific career in film and TV and on stage.

From Deadline:  Actress Farrah Forke has died at the age of 54, Friday, February 25, 2022.  Forke is best known for her recurring role as "Alex Lambert" on Seasons 4 through 6 of NBC's former sitcom, "Wings."  She also appeared on ABC's former romantic drama, "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" and the CBS comedy, "Dweebs."

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94TH ACADEMY AWARDS:

OSCARS - From Variety:  The nominations for the 2022 / 94th Academy Awards have been announced.  "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 nominations.  The winners will be revealed March 27th.

From Deadline:    With his "Best Actor" nomination for "The Tragedy of Macbeth," Denzel Washington is the most nominated Black actor is Oscar history.  He has been nominated in two acting categories a total of 10 times with two wins total.

From Variety:   With her "Best Director" Oscar nomination for "The Power of the Dog," Jane Campion becomes the first woman nominated twice in that category. She was previously nominated in that category for "The Piano" (1993).

From Variety:  With his three nominations today, Kenneth Branagh of "Belfast" becomes the first person to have been nominated in seven individual categories over his career.

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MOVIE AWARDS:

From Deadline:   The winners at the 2022 / 28th annual SAG Awards. "CODA" wins the top prize, "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture."

From Variety:  Here is a complete list of winners at 2022 / 53rd NAACP Image Awards in the film, television and music categories.  Jennifer Hudson was named "Entertainer of the Year."

From Deadline:   The 2022 / 9th annual Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Awards were announced.  The Amazon film, "Coming 2 America" (the sequel to the 1988 film, "Coming to America"), led with three wins.

From Deadline:  The 2022 BAFTA Film Awards nominations have been announced.  "Dune" leads with 11 nominations.  The winners will be announced March 13th.

From Deadline:   The 2022 / 33rd annual Producers Guild of America Awards nominations have been announced.  The winners will be announced Saturday, March 19th.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2022 / 74th annual Directors Guild Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced March 12th.

From COFCA:  The Columbus Film Critics Association name "The Power of the Dog" the "Best Film" of 2021.

From Deadline:  Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," was named the "Best Picture" of 2021 at the 13th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards.  The Western tied with "King Richard" for most wins with four.  Will Smith was named "Best Actor" for "King Richard."

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2022 / 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced.

From Variety:  The snubs and surprises in the nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards.

From Variety:   At the 2022 / 79th Golden Globes, "The Power of the Dog" wins "Best Motion Picture-Drama" and "West Side Story" wins "Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy."

From Variety:  The National Society of Film Critics names the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the best film of 2021.

From AwardsWatch:  The nominations for the 22nd Annual Black Reel Awards were announced a few weeks ago. Netflix's Black Western, "The Harder They Fall," has a record 20 nominations.  The winners will be announced February 27, 2022.

From AwardsWatch:  The Columbus Film Critics Association announced the nominations for their annual film awards.  Director Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog" leads with 12 noms.  The winners will be announced Thurs., Jan. 6th, 2022.

From Deadline:  The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has named the Japanese film, "Drive My Car," the "Best Picture" of 2021.

From Deadline:  The 2022 / 37th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards have announced their nominations. "Zola" leads with six nominations. The winners will be announced Sun., March 6, 2022.

From THR:  The 2022 / 79th Golden Globes Awards nominations have been announced.  "Belfast" and "The Power of the Dog" lead with seven nominations each.  Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From GoldDerby:   The 2022 Critics Choice Awards nominations have been announced. "Belfast" and "West Side Story" leads with 11 nominations each. Winners will be announced Jan. 9th, 2022.

From Deadline:   The American Film Institute announced the "2021 AFI Awards" Top 10 list, and the list includes "Dune," "The Tragedy of Macbeth," and "West Side Story."

From THR:  Director Aleem Khan's "After Love" tops the 2021 British Independent Film Awards, winning six awards, including "Best Film of 2021."

From Variety:   The New York Film Critics Circle has named the Japanese drama, "Drive My Car," as the "Best Film of 2021."

From Deadline:  The National Board of Review hands director Paul Thomas Anderson's "Licorice Pizza" it "Best Film" and "Best Director" awards.  Will Smith picks up the "Best Actor" award for "King Richard."

From THR:  Netflix’s "The Lost Daughter," directed by actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, dominated the 2021 Gotham Awards in New York on Monday night (Nov. 29th).  The film won in four of the five categories in which it was nominated, including "Best Feature."

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"RUST" ACCIDENTAL SHOOTING DEATH:

From Deadline:  This link will take you to Deadline's Halyna Hutchins page, which articles related to everything about her shooting death on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline:  Matt Hutchins, the husband of Halyna Hutchins, blames Alec Baldwin for Halyna's accidental shooting death on the set of the doomed Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline:  The family and estate of Halyna Hutchins has filed suit against Alec Baldwin (who accidentally shot Hutchins), a slew of production companies and entities, producers, and key crew members involved in the Western film, "Rust," for her death.

From THR:   A Republican New Mexico legislator, State Sen. Cliff Pirtle of Roswell, on Monday introduced a bill that would require all film set personnel who handle firearms to complete a safety course offered by the New Mexico Game and Fish Department.  This is in the wake a cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, being fatally shot on the set of the Western, "Rust," last year by Alec Baldwin with a weapon he says he thought was not loaded with live ammunition.

From Deadline:  Alec Baldwin and the other producers of the doomed Western film, "Rust," want a California judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed against them by the script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell.

From Deadline:   Alec Baldwin has finally turned over his cell phone to police for their probe into the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Baldwin's Western film, "Rust," last October in New Mexico.

From Variety:  One of the producers of tragic Western film, Rust, Emily Salveson, pushes tax shelters and hid income.

From THR:  "I let go of the hammer and 'Bang,' the gun goes off" says Alec Baldwin says in his first interview of the moment when a gun he was holding accidentally killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the Western film, "Rust."

From Deadline:  Alec Baldwin will sit down with ABC's news-reading clown George Stephanopoulos for a one hour special tomorrow night to talk about what happened on the set of the movie "Rust."  It will be Baldwin’s first extensive interview about the shooting.

From Deadline:  Industry veteran, Thall Reed, the father of Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the Western, "Rust," may have handed the police a tip on why the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot to death on the set.

From THR:  A search warrant affidavit filed Tuesday for a prop shop sheds light on how alleged live ammunition ended up on the set of the Western film, "Rust," where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in October.

From Deadline:  A month after cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins, was shot and killed on the New Mexico set the movie Western, "Rust," by a prop gun “discharged” by Alec Baldwin, those closest to the cinematographer held a private ceremony and interred her ashes at an unknown location.

From Deadline:  Actor Daniel Baldwin defends his brother, Alec Baldwin, in the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film, "Rust."  "Someone loaded that gun improperly," Daniel says.

From Deadline:  The newest lawsuit involving the tragic shooting on the set of the Western film, "Rust," has been filed by the film's script supervisor, Mamie Mitchell, against Alec Baldwin, the producers, the production company, armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed, and others.

From Deadline:  Serge Svetnoy, the gaffer on "Rust," has filed a lawsuit against several parties related to the film, including the production, the financiers, star Alec Baldwin, armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, and first Assistant Director David Halls.

From THR:   In the wake of the tragic accidental shooting on the set of his film, "Rust," Alec Baldwin on Monday took to social media to urge Hollywood to employ a police officer on every film and TV set that uses guns.

From THR:   The budget for "Rust" - Alec Baldwin was set to earn $150,000 as lead actor and $100,000 as producer, while $7,913 was earmarked for armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and $17,500 was set aside for the rental of weapons and $5,000 for rounds.

From Deadline:  Attorneys for Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the film, "Rust," said that they’re looking into whether a live bullet was placed in a box of dummy rounds with the intent of  “sabotaging the set.”

From THR:   Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the film, "Rust," released a statement through her lawyers.  She says she had “no idea where the live rounds came from” that were recovered by the Santa Fe County Sheriff's during the investigation of the accidental on-set shooting death of Halyna Hutchins.

From Jacobin:  An opinion piece says that cinematographer Halyna Hutchins' death on the set of the film, "Rust," was not a freak accident, but was about Alec Baldwin and his fellow producers' cost-cutting decisions.  Baldwin accidentally fired the gun that killed Hutchins.

From Deadline:   Two of executive producers on "Rust," Allen Cheney and Emily Salveson, disavow responsibility for the film's troubled production.

From THR:   Iconic "Ghostbusters" actor Ernie Hudson is reeling from the news of the death of Halyna Hutchins, like the rest of Hollywood. Hudson also appeared in the film, "The Crow," the film in which its star, Brandon Lee, was killed because of an on-set accidental shooting.  He also agrees with the call to ban real guns from movie sets.

From THR:  The Sheriff of Sante Fe County says that his office has recovered three guns and 500 rounds of ammunition from the set of the movie "Rust" where cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed.

From Deadline:  Regarding criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of the film "Rust," District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altweis, "all options are on the table - no one has been ruled out."

From THR:  Does Hollywood Need Guns? Will new regulations lead to an overreactions to a tragedy.

From Deadline:   "Rust" producers have opened an internal investigation into the fatal shooting on the set of the Western film.  They have hired outside lawyers to conduct interviews with the film's production crew.

From Deadline:  "Rust's" AD (assistant director), Dave Halls, has come under scrutiny in the wake of the on-set shooting death of the film's cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins.

From Deadline:  The affidavit of Sante Fe Sheriff's Department Detective Joel Cano has been made public. It can be read at "Deadline."  The affidavit was for a search warrant from the property were the Western, "Rust," was being filmed.

From THR:  The production company behind "Rust" has shut the film down until the police investigation into the fatal, on-set shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins is through.  The Sante Fe County Sheriff's Office has also revealed a timeline of the shooting.

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 THR:  "Rust" director, Joel Souza, who was wounded in the accidental on-set shooting, says that he is "gutted" by the death of his cinematographer on the film, Halyna Hutchins.

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.

Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama 2021 - Update #149

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIE REVIEWS - From Negromancer:  My review of "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

From Negromancer:  My review of "Eternals."

From Negromancer: My review of "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

From Negromancer:  My review of "Black Widow."

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MARVEL STUDIOS NEWS:

SPIDER-MAN - From Deadline:  "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is apparently already a profitable film.

From Variety:  Why "Spider-Man" is Hollywood's most potent box office force.

From Deadline:  "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is poised to become the first billion dollar film of the pandemic era.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From EW:  There is a teaser for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" that ties into the Disney+ animated series, "What If...?"

SPIDER-MAN - From THR:  A list of all the box office records that "Spider-Man: No Way Home" has broken.

From Variety:  In one weekend, it's debut weekend, "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is the highest grossing film at the domestic box office this year ... and has done better than any film released last year (2020).

From THR:   "'No Way Home' and the Tragedy of Spider-Man," a feature article by Graeme McMillan.

From YahooEntertainment:   Tom Holland explains how "Spider-Man: No Way Home" fits into the Marvel multiverse.

From Variety:  The site looks at the reviews and reactions to "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

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ETERNALS - From Deadline:  Marvel Studios' recent hit superhero film, "Eternals," will start streaming on Disney+ January 12, 2022.

THOR 4 - From TheDirect:  There is a teaser poster for next year's film, "Thor: Love & Thunder."

DAREDEVIL - From CinemaBlend:  Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has reportedly confirmed that actor Charlie Cox, who played Matt Murdock/Daredevil on the Netflix series, "Daredevil," will also play the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ... at some point.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From BoxOfficePro:  "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is tracking for a 200 million dollar-plus opening.

SPIDER-MAN - From Fandango:  In an interview with "Fandango," producer Amy Pascal said that Sony Pictures plans to make more "Spider-Man" movies with Marvel Studios.

HAWKEYE - From THR:   "How ‘Hawkeye’ Finally Gives an Avenger His Due"

SCARLETT JOHANSSON - From Deadline:   Scarlett Johansson became the 35th recipient of the "American Cinematheque Award."  Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, while paying tribute to her, teased a secret Marvel project for Johansson that has nothing to do with the "Black Widow" character she has made famous.

ETERNALS - From BoxOfficePro:  On Wednesday, Nov. 17th, "Eternals" crossed the 300 million dollar mark in global box office.

SPIDER-MAN - From Deadline:   Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios have dropped the "official trailer" for "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which is due Dec. 17th.

BLADE - From THR:  SPOILER - The "Eternals'" end credit scene featuring Blade's voice is explained.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From THR:  "Doctor Strange in the Madness of the Multiverse" is undergoing "significant" reshoots which will run through the end of the year.

DISNEY+ - From Variety:  First looks at "Moon Knight," "She-Hulk," and "Ms. Marvel" from "Disney+ Day."

From THR:  Among its many announcements today (Nov. 12th), Disney+ has ordered "X-Men '97," a sequel to the "X-Men" animated TV series that ran from 1992-97.  The animated "Spider-Man: Freshman Year" is set before the events depicted in "Captain America: Civil War."  There will also be a "Marvel Zombies" animated series and a second season of "What If...?"

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ETERNALS -  From THR:  Richard Newby of "The Hollywood Reporter" explains "Why 'Eternals' is Dividing Audiences" in a very favorable review of an excellent film.

From Variety:   "How ‘Eternals’ Brought Sex to the Marvel Cinematic Universe: ‘It’s Very Tasteful’"

From IGN:  Director Chloe Zhao only needed 25 minutes to film the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first sex scene - Sersi and Ikaris getting down on a beach in "Eternals."

From ComicBook:   Two characters in "Eternals," Barry Keoghan's Druig and Lauren Ridloff's Makkari, appear to have captivated audiences with their onscreen chemistry. 

From BuzzFeed:  Salma Hayek says she cried when she first saw herself in her "Eternals" costume.  "I saw my brown face in a superhero suit."

From DiscussingFilm:   Chloe Zhao talks about how she originally pitched "Eternals" to Marvel Studios.

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BLACK PANTHER 2 - From THR:   "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is temporarily shutting down production while star, Letitia Wright ("Shuri"), is recovering from an on-set injury.

ETERNALS - From THR:  Actress Lauren Ridloff talks about becoming the first deaf superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe via "Eternals."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3 - From Variety:   Writer-director James Gunn has announced that actor Will Poulter will play the Marvel Comics character, "Adam Warlock," in "Guardians of the Galaxy 3."  The film is due May 5, 2023.

WANDAVISION - From THR:   Disney+/Marvel Studios is in early development of a "WandaVision" spinoff TV series focusing on the character, "Agatha Harkness," with actress Kathryn Hahn reprising the role.  Hahn received a Primetime Emmy nominations for playing the role in "WandaVision."

BLACK WIDOW - From Variety:  Scarlett Johansson and The Walt Disney Company have reached a settlement over Johansson's pay lawsuit regarding the release of "Black Widow."  Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

SHANG-CHI - From CNBC:  "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" is now the highest grossing release of 2021 at the domestic box office.

WANDAVISION - From Deadline:  The Disney+ series, "WandaVision," has won Marvel Studios its first two Emmy Awards.  At the first night of the 2021 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, "WandaVision" won in two categories, "Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Program (Half-Hour)" and "Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes."

SHANG-CHI - From THR:  "Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings" has smashed the record for Labor Day openings with a four-day haul of $90 million and has posted the second-biggest three-day debut ($75.5) of the pandemic year so far, behind fellow Marvel Studios film, "Black Widow."

From YahooStyleCaster:  Beginning Oct. 15th, 2021, you'll be able to see "Shang-Chi" free on Disney+.

From YahooEntertainment:  "Shang-Chi" star Simu Liu breaks down that amazing bus fight scenes that occurs early in the film.

From Inverse:   How Marvel's "Shang-Chi" had to destroy its own racist origins.

From YahooEntertainment:  "Shang-Chi" star Simu Liu uses physics to describe the film.

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BLADE - From IndieWire:  Bassam Tariq, director of Marvel Studios' "Blade" reboot, does some vague teasing about the film, which will begin shooting in July 2022.

THE MARVELS - From CNALifestyle:   According to IMDb, South Korean actor, Park Seo-joon, will appear in the "Captain Marvel" sequel, "The Marvels."

IRONHEART - From Variety:   The character "Ironheart" will make her debut in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," which is due next year.  Played by actress Dominique Thorne, Ironheart will be the star of an upcoming Disney+ series.

SHANG-CHI - From Variety:   The history of the controversy around the logo for "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."

CAPTAIN AMERICA 4 - From Deadline:   "Deadline Hollywood" is reporting that Anthony Mackie has closed a deal to star in "Captain America 4."

ETERNALS - From EW:   "Entertainment Weekly" has a guide to Marvel Studios' "Eternals," which is scheduled to open Nov. 5th.

SHANG-CHI - From Deadline:   "We are not an experiment!"  "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" star, Simu Liu responds to Disney CEO Bob Chapek's recent comments about the film.

THE MARVELS - From Nerdist:  The "Captain Marvel" sequel, entitled "The Marvels," has begun filming.

WHAT IF...? - From Inverse:   Brad Winderbaum, executive producer of Disney+ "What If...?," says that some of the characters and stories explored in the animated series could be revisited in a film.

WHAT IF...? - From Deadline:   Jeffrey Wright, the narrator of Disney+/Marvel Studios' animated "What If...?," speaks on the late Chadwick Boseman who appears in the series via a voice performance.

BLACK WIDOW - From Variety:  Scarlett Johansson has filed suit against Disney over the way it released "Black Widow."  Much of Johannson's financial compensation for the film is based on ticket sales and box office benchmarks.

HAWKEYE - From EW:   In a first look from the Disney+ series, "Hawkeye," Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) meets Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld).  The series debuts November 24th.

FRANCHISE - From YahooBGR:   David S. Goyer, someone who has written for DC Comics and who has written films based on DC characters, explains why Marvel Studios movies are so much more successful than movies based on DC characters.

ANT-MAN 3 - From Nerdist:   "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" has begin filming.

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From Variety:   The site is reporting that actress Michaela Coel (HBO Max's "I May Destroy You") has been cast in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" in an unknown role.

From TimeOut:  Here is everything publicly known about "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

BLACK WIDOW - From WeGotThisCovered:  The "Black Widow" character, "Yelena Belova" (played by actress Florence Pugh), reportedly will make multiple appearances in the upcoming Disney+/Marvel Studios series, "Hawkeye."

BLADE - From Deadline:   Bassan Tariq "(Mogul Mowgli") is apparently Marvel Studios' choice to direct its "Blade" reboot film starring Mahershala Ali.

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From Collider:   Winstone Duke, who played M'Baku in "Black Panther, has confirmed that he will return for the sequel, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."

SHE-HULK - From YahooMensHealth:   Actress Jameela Jamil, who will play "Titania" on Disney+/Marvel's "She-Hulk," shows off her fight training.

KEVIN FEIGE - From TheDirect:   Marvel Studios just held a big meeting about multiverse rules in the MCU.

BLACK WIDOW - From Deadline:  "Black Widow" crosses the 100 million dollar mark in domestic box office in record time during the pandemic.

LOKI - From Deadline:  Disney+ has renewed its Marvel Studios hit, "Loki," for a second season. Audiences found out during the credits of the final episode of Season One. 

From Deadline:  Kate Erron, executive producer and director of "Loki," says that she won't be returning for the series' second season.

EMMYS - From Deadline:  Don Cheadle expresses surprise at his Emmy nomination ("Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series") for his 98-second appearance in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

BLACK WIDOW - From Variety:   We do know that "Black Widow" won the 7/9 to 7/11/21 weekend box office.  Now, we know how much the movie made via "Disney Plus Premiere Access," in which consumers pay an additional 30 dollars to see a new Disney film.  In a rare look at its profits, Disney announced that "Black Widow" made an additional 60 million dollars via premiere access.

BLACK WIDOW - From Deadline:   "Black Widow" director Cate Shortland talks about the potential for a sequel to this film and about how the current film was made.

BLACK WIDOW - From Variety:  "Black Widow" Cate Shortland talks about turning down directing the film before accepting the gig. 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Variety:  Chris Pratt ("Peter Quill/Star-Lord") says that "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" will begin filming later this year.

WANDAVISION - From Deadline:   The story of "WandaVision," according to Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, "will continue."

SHE-HULK - From Variety:   The news site is reporting that actress Jameela Jamil has been cast in Disney+/Marvel's "She-Hulk."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Kotaku:   At E3, Square Enix announced "Guardians of the Galaxy," a new game based on the popular Marvel team featured in movies and comics. The game is being developed by Eidos Montreal. It’s out on October 26, 2021.  The game also features a new original story featuring Marvel’s cosmic misfits. At the start of the game, they have only been together for a year. Players will take on the role of Peter Quill, also known as Starlord.

LOKI - From Metro:   Michael Waldron, the head writer of Disney+/Marvel's "Loki," teases cameos from Marvel Comics characters.  "Expect the unexpected," he says.

WANDAVISION - From RollingStone:   Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kathryn Hahn, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, and more tell the story of how the year’s biggest, boldest show came together

MOON KNIGHT - From Variety:   Marvel Studios finally officially confirms that Oscar Isaac is the star of its Disney+ series, "Moon Knight."

DOCTOR STRANGE - From Deadline:  Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige now says that it was a mistake to cast Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton as "The Ancient One" in "Doctor Strange" (2016).

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Variety:  Sebastian Stan talks about being injured on-set during film of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

FRANCHISE - From Variety:  Did you know that Marvel Studios' does not use a "showrunner" for its Disney+ series, a position that is industry standard for TV series.  Some TV writers are worried and upset about that. 

BLACK WIDOW - From HypeBeast:   Here are the "Black Widow" character posters.

WANDAVISION - From Movieweb:   Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige says "Doctor Strange" was written out of "WandaVision" to keep from having a "white guy" save the day.

ETERNALS - From Marvel:  A new promotional video from Marvel Studios includes footage from the upcoming film, "Eternals," which is due for a Fall 2021 release.

MS MARVEL - From ComicBook:  There are some photos that are alleged to be from the set of Disney+/Marvel's "Ms. Marvel" TV series.  Those photos provide a look at Ms. Marvel's uniform.

DEADPOOL - From Deadline:   Via a NYPD officer, Hugh Jackman makes of request of "Deadpool" star Ryan Reynolds - put me in "Deadpool 3" as Wolverine.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From WeGotThisCovered:   A second season of Disney+ "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is a possibility.

ETERNALS - From Variety:   Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao apparently impressed Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige with her use of practical locations instead of CGI when filming the Marvel film, "Eternals."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:   The site interviews Malcolm Spellman, the showrunner and executive producer of Disney+ "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."  Spellman is also the announced writer of the developing film, "Captain America 4."

SAM WILSON/CAPTAIN AMERICA - From Deadline:   Disney+ has released a poster featuring Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) as Captain America.

CAPTAIN AMERICA - From Deadline:   The site is reporting that Marvel Studios is developing a fourth "Captain America" film.  It would follow the events depicted in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," with the series' showrunner, Malcolm Spellman, writing the script.  This fourth film could follow Sam Wilson/Falcon as the new Captain America or could feature the original Captain America, Steve Rogers.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:   SPOILER - the final episode of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" reveals Sharon Carter to be the "Power Broker."  Sam Wilson/The Falcon takes on the mantle of Captain America.

THOR LOVE AND THUNDER - From ScreenRant:  Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe has reportedly confirmed that he is in Marvel Studios' "Thor: Love & Thunder," and that he will play the role of the Greek god, "Zeus."

FRANCHISE - From YahooTelegraph:   How being in a "Marvel movie" became every serious actor's dream.

SECRET INVASION - From Variety:   "Game of Throne's" Emilia Clarke has reportedly joined Marvel Studios' Disney+ series, "Secret Invasion."

SHANG-CHI - From YahooEntertainment:  "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" star, Simu Liu, celebrates with fans the release of the first official teaser trailer for the film. 

From Variety:  What the "Shang-Chi" Teaser Reveals About Marvel Studios’ Groundbreaking Movie

SECRET INVASION - From THR:   Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman is reportedly in negotiations to appear with Samuel L. Jackson in the Disney+/Marvel Studios' series, "Secret Invasion."

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From Variety:   Actor Alfred Molina, who appeared as Doctor Octopus" in 2004's "Spider-Man 2," talks about reprising the role in the upcoming "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

BLACK PANTHER II - From Deadline:  In a guest column, director Ryan Coogler explains why "Black Panther II" will film in Georgia, while he uses his voice to continue to fight Georgia's recent Jim Crow voting laws.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From BleedingCool:   In a series of videos, the cast of DisneyPlus' "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" talks about the appearance of the Dora Milaje, and there is a final teaser trailer for the series.

DEADPOOL - From WeGotThisCovered:   Rumors say that Ryan Reynolds is attempting to revive an animated Deadpool TV series that was dropped a few years ago.  He also wants the series to be canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe...

SHANG-CHI - From YahooFinance:  Simu Liu will be Shang-Chi, Marvel Studios first Asian-American superhero in the upcoming film, "Shang-Chi: Legend of Ten Rings."  Liu says the time of rising hate crimes against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities is not a time for AAPI actors to feel discouraged about pursuing their passions.

HAWKEYE - From BleedingCool:  Disney+ offers some prep on the character, Kate Bishop, who will appear in the still-filming "Hawkeye" series.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From YahooEntertainment:  Malcolm Spellman talks about going from stealing comics as a young man to showrunning Disney+/Marvel Studios' "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From BuzzFeed:   Actor Desmond Chiam talks about appearing in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and about being starstruck by series stars, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan.

SPIDER-MAN NO WAY HOME - From WeGotThisCovered:  According to the site is is official that previous screen Spider-Man actors, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, will appear in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."  Apparently, numerous villains from the previous Spider-Man films will also appear, and Doctor Strange is the instigator of this live-action "Spider-Verse."

THOR LOVE AND THUNDER - From Deadline:   Reports indicate that Oscar-winning actor, Russell Crowe, is joining Marvel Studios' "Thor: Love and Thunder" in a mystery role.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLIDER - From YahooEntertainment:   Isaiah Bradley, a black Marvel Comics character exposed to the super-soldier serum, makes his official appearance in the MCU in the second episode of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

BLACK WIDOW - From Deadline:   Disney has moved the release date for "Black Widow" from May 2021 to Friday, July 9, 2021, when it will play in theaters and on Disney+.  Disney is also doing that with its film, "Cruella" (May 28th).

RUMOR - From Variety:   Disney+ is reportedly in early development of a TV series featuring Native American Marvel Comics' character, "Echo."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLIDER - From YahooEntertainment:   Not everyone is crazy about the new Captain America, "John Walker," who appears in the first episode of Disney+ "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."  Still, the article has some information on him.

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Variety: Writer Malcom Spellman explains why "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is so pointed about race, nationalism and the world today.

RUMOR - From WeGotThisCovered:   Hot rumor is that Michael B. Jordan and his character, "Killmonger," will return to take up the mantle of Black Panther in "Black Panther 2."

SECRET INVASION - From Deadline:   British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir will star in Marvel's "Secret Invasion" series.  Ben-Adir recently portrayed Malcolm X in Regina King's "One Night in Miami."

FALCON AND WINTER SOLDIER - From Deadline:   While he would not commit to a Season Two of "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Marvel Studios President and CCO, Kevin Feige, says that there are ideas...

BLACK WIDOW - From ComicBookMovies:  During a shareholders' meeting, Disney CEO Bob Chapek says that will "Black Widow" still on course for a May 7, 2021 release.

ANTHONY MACKIE - From Variety:   "Variety" offers the profile of actor Anthony Mackie as he finally takes the lead in a Marvel Studios production, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

ANT-MAN 3 - From THR:  Rapper and actor, T.I., who appeared in the first two "Ant-Man" films will reportedly not appear in the third film.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From WeGotThisCovered:  Spider-Man: No Way Home reportedly has the largest physical set of any Marvel Studios film.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From YahooNerdist:   Cast members of the third Sony-Marvel "Spider-Man"film share early images from the film and also speculations on the title of the film.

DOCTOR STRANGE 2 - From Inverse:  Emmy and Grammy Award winning composer, Danny Elfman, has apparently confirmed that he will be provided the musical "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," which will be directed by Sam Raimi.

RUMORS - From WeGotThisCovered:   Once upon a time, Luke Cage and Iron Fist each had a TV series on Netflix.  Now, they may be reunited in a "Heroes for Hire"-type series that would be styled after Disney+'s upcoming, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

CAPTAIN MARVEL 2 - From Deadline:   Actress Zawe Ashton will reportedly play the main villain in "Captain Marvel 2."  The film will be directed by Nia DeCosta and star Brie Larson in the title role.

BLADE - From THR:   Stacy Osei-Kuffour, a playwright who acted as story editor and writer on HBO'S Emmy-winning and acclaimed limited series, Watchmen, will write the screenplay for Marvel Studios' "Blade" reboot that will star Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali in the title role.

ANT-MAN - From IndieWire:  Writer-director Edgar Wright ("Baby Driver") walked off the first Ant-Man movie over six years ago over creative differences with Marvel Studios.  Wright says he recently reconnected with Marvel boss Kevin Feige, and that he was glad he did.

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From Variety:   Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland, said that Sony/Marvel "Spider-Man 3"is the "most ambitious superhero movie of all time."

THOR LOVE AND THUNDER - From MCUDirect:  This link will take you to set photos from "Thor: Love and Thunder" featuring Chris Hemsworth (Thor) and Chris Pratt (Peter Quill/Star Lord).

From MensHealth:   Chris Hemsworth confirms the beginning of the filming of "Thor: Love and Thunder" with a set photo.

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DISNEYLAND - From YahooEntertainment:  Tom Holland teases a new Marvel ride at Disneyland: 'It's the most I've ever felt like Spider-Man'

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME - From ScreenRant:  Recent set photos from Sony/Marvel's third "Spider-Man" film indicates that the film may be partly set during Christmas.

MOON KNIGHT - From THR:  Four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke has reportedly signed a deal to play the lead villain in Disney+/Marvel Studios' "Moon Knight" series.

MOON KNIGHT - From THR:  Actress May Calamawy has been cast in an unnamed key role in Marvel Studios' "Moon Knight"series.

CAPTAIN AMERICA - From Deadline:   Sources say that Chris Evan is in negotiations to reprise his role as "Steve Rogers/Captain America" in a future Marvel Cinematic Universe film.

HAWKEYE - From CBR:   Actress Hailee Steinfeld promises that her portrayal of "Kate Bishop" in the Disney+ series, "Hawkeye," will be "comics-accurate."

BLACK PANTHER 2 - From YahooEntertainment: Marvel chief Kevin Feige talks legacy of Chadwick Boseman, how they'll approach 'Black Panther 2' without him.

DEADPOOL 3 - From Collider:   Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, says that "Deadpool 3" will be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but won't start filming until at least 2022.

SECRET INVASION - From Collider:  Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, explains why "Secret Invasion" is a series and not a movie.

MOON KNIGHT - From THR:   Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, indie genre filmmakers behind sci-fi horror movies, "The Endless" and "Synchronic," are joining Mohamed Diab, the Egyptian filmmaker behind Middle Eastern drama, "Clash," as directors of Marvel Studios TV series, "Moon Knight, which will star Oscar Isaac.

FRANCHISE - From WeGotThisCovered:   Rumors suggest that Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige wants most Marvel heroes to be women and people of color going forward.

WHAT IF...? - From YahooEntertainment:   Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has confirmed that the late actor, Chadwick Boseman ("Black Panther") recorded a number of voice performances for Marvel's upcoming animated series, "What If...?"

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TRAILERS AND PREVIEWS 2021:

From Marvel:  Here are the first official trailer and poster for Disney+/Marvel Studios' "Hawkeye" series.  The series starts streaming November 24, 2021.

From YouTube:   This is the first official teaser trailer (Aug. 23rd) for "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which is due December 2021.

From YouTube:  Here is the final trailer for Marvel Studios' "Eternals," which is due Nov. 5th.

From YouTube:   Marvel Studios releases an official trailer for its upcoming animated series, "What If...?"  The series debuts on Disney+ August 11th.

From Marvel:   Marvel Studios has released a brand-new video that provides a glimpse into its plans for its "Phase 4" movies.

From Marvel:  In celebration of "National Super Hero Day," Marvel has released (Wed., April 28th) this "Black Widow" featurette, "How Much Do You Really Know About Natasha Romanoff?"  "Black Widow" finally arrives in theaters and on Disney+ July 9th. [Disney should have kept they May 7th, 2021 release date. - Leroy]

From YouTube:   First official teaser trailer for Marvel Studios "Shangi-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings."  It is now due in theaters Sept 3rd.

From YouTube:   New "Loki" trailer - released Mon., April 5th, 2021.  "Loki" is due on Disney+ on June 11, 2021.

From YouTube:  New "Black Widow" trailer - released Sat., April 3rd, 2021.  Film is due in theaters and on Disney+ July 9th.

From YouTube:  Spider-Man 3 has a name. It's "Spider-Man: No Way Home," as revealed in this video clip (Wed., Feb. 24th, 2021).  It is due in theaters Christmas 2021.

From YouTube:  "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" Super Bowl LV trailer. Series arrives on Disney+ March 19, 2021.

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TRAILERS AND VIDEO PREVIEWS FROM 2020:

From Marvel:   A first look at Disney+ series, "Loki" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From Marvel:   A first look at "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From Marvel:   A first look at Marvel Studios' "What If ... ?" (Thurs., Dec. 10th, 2020)

From YouTube:  The official trailer for the Disney+ series, "WandaVision." (released, Sun., Sept. 20, 2020)

From YouTube:  The "final trailer" for "Black Widow" (released Mon., March 9, 2020).

From Newsarama:  This Disney+ Super Bowl TV spot focuses on the upcoming Marvel Studios TV series, "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," "WandaVision," and "Loki."

From Newsarama:  Here is the 30-second TV spot for "Black Widow" that was shown during Super Bowl LIV (Sun., Feb. 2nd, 2020).

From EW:  Here is the special look at "Black Widow" shown during the "College Football Playoff" Championship game between LSU (winner) and Clemson (Mon., Jan. 13th, 2020).

From Marvel:  See first official teaser trailer for Marvel Studios' "Black Widow" (Tues., Ded. 3, 2019).

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Click here for the 2020 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2019 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2018 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

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MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU):

Review: Iron Man (2008)

Review: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Review: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Review: Thor (2011)

Review:  Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Review:  Marvel's The Avengers (2012)

Review: Iron Man 3 (2013)

Review: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Review:  Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Review: Ant-Man (2015)

Review: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Review:  Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Review: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Review:  Black Panther (2018)

Review:  Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Review:  Captain Marvel (2019)

Review: Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Review:  Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

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