"John Carpenter's Asylum" Wins Silver Medal from "Forward Magazine"

John Carpenter's Asylum Wins Silver Medal at Foreword Magazine's INDIEFAB Awards

(Hollywood CA) - Foreword Reviews announced the winners of its annual INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards for the best indie books of 2014 and John Carpenter's Asylum won silver in the graphic novel category.  Representing hundreds of independent and university presses of all sizes, the winners were selected after months of editorial deliberation over more than 1,500 entries in 63 categories. This year’s list of winners includes the Dalai Lama, Lev Grossman, Jeet Heer, Chuck Palahniuk, Zack Whedon, Georges Jeanty, Lee & Low Books, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Kent State University Press, Rizzoli, Abingdon Press, Quirk Books, Cleis Press, and Six Sisters Stuff, among others. The winners exemplify the best work coming from today’s indie authors and publishers.  The book also was included in Village Voice's best of 2014 graphic novel list.

Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention awards were determined by a panel of librarians and booksellers and announced at a special program during the American Library Association Annual Conference in San Francisco on June 26, 2015.

Sandy King Carpenter will be at San Diego Comic Con.


About John Carpenter's Asylum:
There's a war coming to the City of Angels.  In tunnels beneath the city, in the dark alleys among the homeless, demons lurk and Lucifer bides his time. One man knows.  One man sees. One man walks those dark streets. Father Daniel Beckett's seen demons and he's spoken to the Devil, but he's never seen an angel and he's never spoken to God.  Obsessed and driven as much by betrayal as righteousness and anger as redemption, he walks the smoke-filled encampments of lost souls like Dante's nine rings of the Inferno. He is God's warrior at war with God.

With this step into the comic book world, John Carpenter brings it all to the serial world he's loved since childhood.  Supernatural horror with that twist of fate that only flawed mankind can provide.

Want the most up to date information on John Carpenter's Asylum like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JohnCarpentersAsylum. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JCsAsylum

About Storm King Productions:
Storm King Productions is headed up by writer producer powerhouse Sandy King Carpenter. Storm King focuses on artistic storytelling in all forms. Their flagship comic book title John Carpenter's Asylum has become a global fan favorite. Other comic properties including Randy Queen's DarkChylde, are also currently in production.

About Foreword:
Foreword Magazine, Inc is media company featuring a FOLIO: award winning quarterly print magazine, Foreword Reviews, and a website devoted to independently published books. In the magazine, they feature reviews of the best 170 new titles from independent publishers, university presses, and noteworthy self-published authors. Their website features daily updates: reviews along with in-depth coverage and analysis of independent publishing from a team of more than 100 reviewers, journalists, and bloggers. The print magazine is available at most Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million newsstands or by subscription.

You can also connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. They are headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan, USA.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites for July 4th to 11th, 2015 - Update #11

Support Leroy on Patreon.

NEWS:

From Variety:  Avengers and Inside Out help push Disney over $3 billion in global box office gross.

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From BoxOfficeMojo:  It looks like "Jurassic World" will still be #1 at the box office for the July 4th 2015 weekend box office.


COMIC BOOKS - Films and Books:

From THR:  Batman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will unite in a comic book.

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From CBR:  Andy Kubert and Klaus Janson are announced as artist for "Batman: The Dark Knight III: The Master Race."

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From CBR:  Wesley Snipes says that he has met with more about playing "Blade" again.

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From Variety:  Marisa Tomei will reportedly be the new Aunt May in the Spider-Man reboot.

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From ThePlaylist:  "X-Men: Apocalypse" is the real first X-Men film, says Bryan Singer.

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From EW:  More on the upcoming new X-Men film.


TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  New trailer for "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip."


OBITS:

From TheGuardian:  The actor, Omar Sharif, died at the age of 83 in Egypt on Friday, July 10, 2015.  Sharif is known for his roles in Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago.

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From THR:  Movie producer Jerry Weintraub died today, Monday, July 6, 2015, at the age of 77.  He produced the original Ocean's 11 and The Karate Kid films and the remakes and sequels.  He received an Emmy Award for producing the TV bio-film, Behind the Candelabra, one of three he won.

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From Deadline:  Michael Douglas's mother, Diana Douglas, died on Saturday, July 4th, 2015.  She was Kirk Douglas' first wife.  She was 92.


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From TheWrap:  The actress Amanda Peterson was recently found dead in her Colorado home.  She was best known for her role in 80's classic, Can't Buy Me Love.

16 Films Added to 2015 Japan Film Festival of San Fran Lineup

2015 JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO EXPANDS PROGRAM SLATE AND ADDS 16 MORE ACCLAIMED MOVIES

3rd Annual Japanese Film Festival For S.F. Bay Area Presents Biggest Program To-Date With Additional New Action, Sci-Fi Anime, Documentary, Historical Drama, Crime Drama, Short Film, And Romantic Mystery Films Scheduled To Premiere At NEW PEOPLE Cinema

San Francisco, CA – The 2015 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco (JFFSF), the first and only fully-dedicated Japanese film celebration for the S.F. Bay Area, has just announced 16 additional films that will screen as part of this year’s program.

Presenting a diverse array of current and acclaimed Japanese cinema, this year’s slate features a number of notable Japanese films across a variety of genres such as action, anime sci-fi, documentary, short film, historical drama, crime drama, coming-of-age, and romantic mystery. The just-announced films augment an extensive roster of titles already announced to run during the weekend of the 2015 J-POP SUMMIT, taking place at Fort Mason on Saturday and Sunday August 8th and 9th. A complete listing of film summaries, trailers, screening times and advance tickets are available at: www.JFFSF.org.

The 2015 Japan Film Festival of San Francisco opens in conjunction with the 2015 J-POP SUMMIT on Friday, August 7th, 2015 at the Castro Theatre, and runs thru Sunday, August 16th, 2015 at NEW PEOPLE Cinema located inside the NEW PEOPLE entertainment complex in Japantown at 1746 Post St., San Francisco, CA 94115 (www.newpeoplecinema.com). Tickets to individual screenings are $13.00 each, unless otherwise noted.

The latest announced films will run at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema beginning the week of Monday August 10th, 2015 with screenings continuing until Sunday, August 16th, 2015.

THE KINGDOM OF DREAMS AND MADNESS
Monday, August 10th, 7:00pm

Granted near-unrestricted access to the notoriously isolated Studio Ghibli, director Mami Sunada follows the three men who are the lifeblood of Ghibli – the eminent director Hayao Miyazaki, producer Toshio Suzuki, and the elusive and influential “other director,” Isao Takahata – over the course of a year as the studio rushes to complete two films, Miyazaki’s The Wind Rises and Takahata’s The Tale of Princess Kaguya.

HARAJUKU DENIER
Monday, August 10th, 9:20pm

This film unfolds in Harajuku, the melting pot of Tokyo and the epicenter of many popular sub-cultures. The lives of many young and dream-filled eccentrics, teenyboppers, narcissists, tourists, and workers from various countries – cutting-edge filmmaker Shuta Tanaka humorously captures the amalgamation of cultures found in today’s Harajuku in an ensemble cast comedy.

LITTLE FOREST – SUMMER & AUTUMN
Tuesday, August 11th, 7:00pm

Here comes the farm-to-table film for foodies! Little Forest, Summer ＆ Autumn is a beautiful adaptation of the popular comic by Daisuke Igarashi about a young woman’s self-discovery through farming, cooking, and eating to live through the changing seasons. Ichiko moves back from the city to the tiny village in Northeastern Japan where she grew up and starts living a sustainable lifestyle that she learned from her mother.

THE WIND RISES
Tuesday, August 11th, 9:15pm

Hayao Miyazaki pays tribute to engineer Jiro Horikoshi and author Tatsuo Hori in his creation of the fictional character Jiro – the center of the epic tale of love, perseverance, and the challenges of living and making choices in a turbulent world. Inspired by the famous Italian aeronautical designer Caproni – Jiro dreams of flying and designing beautiful airplanes and grows to become one of the world’s most accomplished airplane designers.

UZUMASA LIMELIGHT
Wednesday, August 12th, 7:00pm

A nostalgic portrait of kirare-yaku - an actor whose forte is being "cut to death" with a sword in samurai films, Uzumasa Limelight goes behind the scenes of the distinctive film genre. A professional extra named Kamiyama (played by real-life kirare-yaku Seizo Fukumoto) has devoted 50 years of his life as a kirare-yaku. When the studio decides to discontinue its productions, he finds himself at a loss. Will the art of dying by the sword live on?

WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE
Wednesday, August 12th, 9:00pm

The newest feature from Japan’s famed Studio Ghibli is a sweeping story of friendship, mystery and discovery that delivers breathtaking animation that only Ghibli can bring to life. When shy and artistic Anna moves to the seaside to live with her aunt and uncle, she stumbles upon an old mansion surrounded by marshes, and a mysterious young girl named Marnie. The two girls instantly form a unique connection that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality.

THE CASE OF HANA AND ALICE
Thursday, August 13th, 7:00pm

Directed by multi-faceted filmmaker Shunji Iwai, The Case of Hana & Alice follows Tetsuko Arisugawa (a.k.a. Alice), a transfer student at Ishinomori Middle School. She hears a strange rumor about a murder case in school. Meanwhile, Alice’s classmate Hana is said to know something about the case… Was Judas really murdered? Hana and Alice embark on an adventure to solve the mystery of the “smallest murder in the world.”

HAVE A SONG ON YOUR LIPS
Thursday, August 13th, 9:00pm

This touching school drama unfolds around Yuri Kashiwagi, a former piano prodigy, who returns to her hometown to work as a temporary music teacher and supervise the chorus members at the local middle school. While practicing for the regional contest, chorus members get an assignment from Yuri to write a letter to themselves in 15 years. Facing their personal issues, Yuri and her students begin to find their own voices.

OUR FAMILY
Friday, August 14th, 7:00pm

From Yuya Ishii, the award-winning director of The Great Passage, comes this honest adaptation of a semi-autobiographical novel about a family that pulls together to fight a terminal illness will resonate close to the heart. Reiko’s daydreams and forgetfulness were not concerning to her broken family until a trip to the doctor reveals that she has brain cancer. With Reiko given only one week left to live, how will this dysfunctional family keep from falling apart?

KABUKICHO LOVE HOTEL
Friday, August 14th, 9:20pm

Directed by Ryuichi Hiroki, one of Japan's leading directors in the erotic fantasy genre known as pinku (pink films), Kabukicho Love Hotel is an erotically charged drama that traces the intersecting stories of a group of employees and visitors at a notorious "Love Hotel” (a type of short-stay hotel in Japan used primarily for sexual activities) in Tokyo's red-light district- from a sexless young couple with broken dreams to a middle-aged couple on the run.

100 YEN LOVE
Saturday, August 15th, 12:00pm

32-year-old slacker Ichiko lives with her parents until a fight with her disapproving sister escalates, prompting her to move out and start working at a local 100-yen shop. One day she meets boxer Yuji, whom she has seen passing by on his way home and becomes attracted to him. After her life takes more unexpected and unwanted turns, she takes up boxing herself and attempts to change her ways.

TOKYO SHORT SHORTS 2015: A New Generation of 5 Short Films
Saturday, August 15th, 2:30pm

Co-presented by Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia. By popular demand, JFFSF teams up again with the Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia to present the exclusive SF premiere of five outstanding short films directed by several up-and-coming filmmakers from Japan! Enjoy a colorful mix of comedy and drama that reflect life in Japan with a delicate and witty touch.

THE BIRTH OF SAKÉ
Saturday, August 15th, 4:30pm & Sunday August 16th, 12:00pm – Director Erik Shirai will attend both screenings followed by Q&A sessions

The Birth of Saké is a cinematic documentary that reveals the story of passionate saké-makers and what it takes to make world-class saké at Yoshida Brewery, a 144-year-old family-owned small brewery in Northern Japan. Director Erik Shirai and producer Masako Tsumura were granted unprecedented full access to film at the brewery and capture the intense and relatively unknown process (even within in Japan), of traditional saké making.

THE TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA
Saturday, August 15th, 7:00pm

This Academy Award nominated film is legendary Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata’s (Grave of the Fireflies, Pom Poko) rendition of Japan’s most famous folktale, that has been decades in the making. Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter, a tiny baby girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthralls all who encounter her – but ultimately she must confront her fate, the punishment for her crime.

INITIATION LOVE
Sunday August 16th, 2:30pm

Co-starring ex-AKB star Atsuko Maeda and Shota Matsuda, this romantic mystery is based on the bestselling novel by Kurumi Inui. In the late 1980s, a college student in Shizuoka Prefecture named Suzuki begins a romance with a dental hygienist named Mayu. However, when Suzuki moves to Tokyo for his job and the two are forced into a long-distance relationship, their relationship starts to fall apart as Suzuki begins spending time with another woman named Miyako.

0.5MM
Sunday August 16th, 5:00pm

Co-presented by the Legacy Film Festival on Aging. Director Momoko Ando takes on the big subjects of Japan’s historical, social and emotional psyche with her second feature epic. Based on the director’s own novel and starring her sister Sakura Ando in the leading role of Sawa, an oddly determined caregiver for the elderly, the film is a lengthy yet magnetic road movie that brilliantly captures Sawa’s unexpected encounters and unique relationships with the elderly.

NEW PEOPLE Cinema is a 143-seat cinema located in the underground floor of NEW PEOPLE in San Francisco. Equipped with a cutting-edge HD digital projection and THX®-certified sound system, NEW PEOPLE Cinema is home for local film festivals and entertaining events. www.newpeoplecinema.com


About JAPAN FILM FESTIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO
Launched in 2013, Japan Film Festival of San Francisco is the first and only fully dedicated Japanese film event for the SF Bay Area. This year’s edition will feature a colorful mix of narratives, anime and documentary film premieres and exclusive screenings with special guest appearance at the NEW PEOPLE Cinema in SF’s Japantown from August 8th (Sat) through August 16th (Sun), 2015. More details and ticket information is available at www.jffsf.org.

Universal Signs First Look Deal with Dark Horse Comics

UNIVERSAL CABLE PRODUCTIONS AND COMIC BOOK GIANT DARK HORSE ENTERTAINMENT SIGN FIRST-LOOK DEAL

UNIVERSAL CITY, CA – Universal Cable Productions (UCP) continues to expand its powerhouse producing talent and build upon the studio’s genre footprint by signing a first-look deal with legendary comic book publisher, Dark Horse Entertainment (“The Mask,” “Hellboy”).  The deal announced today will focus on developing and producing scripted programming from their extensive comics library as well as new material.   Discussions for the deal began at Comic Con in 2014 when Dark Horse introduced UCP executives to some of their top writers and artists. Over the last year, those conversations continued and have yielded multiple television projects with direct involvement from the comics creators.

“Dark Horse Entertainment has an incredible roster of fantastical, witty and mind bending stories,” said Dawn Olmstead, Executive Vice President of Development, Universal Cable Productions. “Their brand has conquered multiple media platforms and boasts iconic books that have attracted the highest level of writers.  It’s going to be a wild and imaginative ride.”

UCP will collaborate with Dark Horse to bring their unique and fresh approach to the creative process. Together they will maximize Dark Horse’s network of talented comic creators and robust library of content to develop character driven concepts for television intended to resonate with their current fan base. Dark Horse President and founder Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg, SVP of Production, have enjoyed great success for the last two decades; no strangers to television, they also currently executive produce Syfy’s “Dark Matter”.

“As the landscape of narrative storytelling evolves, Dark Horse is thrilled to be working in the golden age of television with Universal Cable Productions. Their creative team has embraced the spirit of the Dark Horse brand and we’re proud to be partnered with them.” said Richardson.

Projects currently in development:

Harrow County - Emmy has always known that the deep, dark woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts, goblins, and the restless dead. On the eve of her 18th birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures and to the land itself in a way she never imagined, for she is the reincarnation of a powerful witch who was put to death on the very day Emmy was born. For this reason, the townsfolk mean to kill her too. In order to survive, Emmy must embrace the unusual powers at her command.  This project is based on the brand new book written by Cullen Bunn (“The Damned,” “The Sixth Gun”) and illustrated by Tyler Crook (“Bad Blood”). 

The Umbrella Academy - Nine years after parting ways, the estranged members of the Umbrella Academy, a dysfunctional family of superheroes with bizarre powers, must figure out how to work together to save the world. Created by Gerard Way (lead singer of “My Chemical Romance,” and writer of “The True Lies of the Fabulous Killjoys”) and Gabriel Ba (Daytripper); Bluegrass films is also attached to executive produce.

Back Up - In the near future, a new technology allows people to be backed up the same way we now back up our computers—but instead of protecting against drive failure, these backups protect against death. This project is based on a feature script by Tom Vaughn.  Kenny Golde is set to write and executive produce, Brad Anderson (“Zoo”, “Almost Human”) is in negotiations to direct.  Jim Wedaa is also attached to executive produce.

Concrete - After his subconscious is transplanted into a hulking stone body, Ronald Lithgow must come to terms with his new form and try to live a normal life.  This Eisner award-winning title is the opus of comics legend Paul Chadwick.

Dark Horse joins UCP’s leading producer line-up, including: horror icon Wes Craven; creator and executive producer of UCP’s critically acclaimed “Mr. Robot”, Sam Esmail; Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment, BenderSpink; and Jason Blum’s Blumhouse Productions.

UCP’s extensive library of genre, fantasy and science fiction projects in the works include: with Syfy “Childhood’s End,” the first-ever adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s iconic novel starring Charles Dance, Mike Vogel and Julian McMahon; “Brave New World,” based on Aldous Huxley’s classic novel which is being developed alongside Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television; “The Magicians,” based on Lev Grossman’s popular trilogy; and Wes Craven’s “The People Under The Stairs,” based on the 1991 film; and “We Are All Completely Fine,” based on book by Daryl Gregory. And the mind-bending thriller pilot “Falling Water” with USA from executive producers Gale Anne Hurd (“The Walking Dead”) of Valhalla Entertainment, Blake Masters (“2 Guns”) and the late Emmy Award-winner Henry Bromell (“Homeland”).


About Universal Cable Productions
Universal Cable Productions (UCP) creates innovative and critically acclaimed original scripted and digital content across media platforms for domestic and international distribution. UCP’s content library spans classics such as Emmy-award winning, “Monk,” and critic and fan favorites “Psych,” “Battlestar Galactica,” and “Warehouse 13.” In the U.S., UCP’s programming can be seen across various networks, including: “Mr. Robot,” “Colony” (Fall 2015), “Dig,” “Playing House,” “Royal Pains,” “Satisfaction” and “Suits” on USA Network; “Killjoys,” “Hunters” (2016), “Magicians” (2016), “Defiance,” “Dominion,” and “12 Monkeys” on Syfy; “Girlfriends’ Guide To Divorce” on Bravo; “The Royals,” on E!; “Difficult People” on Hulu; “Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome” on Machinima Prime/YouTube, Syfy and DVD/Blu-Ray; and “Side Effects” on Awesomeness TV/YouTube. Universal Cable Productions is a part of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. Follow us @UCPisTV.

About Dark Horse Entertainment
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Kazuo Koike, Neil Gaiman and Frank Miller, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, X and Barb Wire. Its successful line of comics, manga and products based on popular properties includes Dragon Age, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Tomb Raider, Halo, The Witcher, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

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Novelist Chuck Palahniuk Joins Cast of His Comic Book "Fight Club 2"

Bestselling Novelist Chuck Palahniuk Joins the Cast of FIGHT CLUB 2, The Acclaimed Comic Book Mini-series From Dark Horse Comics

Timed to the launch of San Diego Comic-Con International, Dark Horse Comics announced today that bestselling novelist Chuck Palahniuk will be a character in the acclaimed ten issue FIGHT CLUB 2 mini series, which is written by Palahniuk, illustrated by Cameron Stewart and colored by Dave Stewart, with covers by David Mack. Issue 3 of the series, on sale July 22, 2015, confirms Palahniuk as a character in the series, where he will be a reoccurring presence along with his iconic creations Tyler Durden and Marla Singer. Issue 4 of the series promises to further up the ante and the antics with an appearance by members of Palahniuk's real life writing group, including the novelists Chelsea Cain, Monica Drake, Lidia Yuknavitch, Suzy Vitello and Diana Jordan.

“Literary critics claim that Ken Kesey's mental hospital in CUCKOO’S NEST and Toni Morrison's plantation in BELOVED represent those authors’ post-graduate writing workshops,” said Chuck Palahniuk. “To prevent anyone from thinking my own workshop is either a support group for the terminally ill or a bare-knuckle mosh pit, I've included it in FIGHT CLUB 2."

"Consider FIGHT CLUB’s cultural impact, and you have to imagine its impact, and Tyler’s impact, on Chuck himself,” said Dark Horse Comics Editor-in-Chief Scott Allie. "Fans sometimes blur the line between the artist and the work, and having lived with these characters for twenty years, Chuck’s diving head on into it here. Authors from Philip Roth to Bret Easton Ellis to Grant Morrison have popped up in their own work before, but Chuck’s taking it into all new territory, doing what he always does—giving you an experience no one else can provide."

“By openly acknowledging the mechanics of film, David Fincher made his version seem more real and more mythic at the same time,” said Palahniuk. “By dragging my own creative process into FC2 I'm doing the equivalent of demonstrating splices, reel change-over marks, film breaks and rattling the film in the movie projector gate."

Palahniuk enthusiasts at Comic-Con will want to track down two FIGHT CLUB exclusives. An SDCC exclusive FIGHT CLUB 2 issue 1 comic book, with a cover by Joelle Jones, will be available at the Dark Horse Booth (Booth # 2615) while supplies last. Meanwhile the Penguin Random House booth (Booth # 1519/1520) will be selling a Rare Bird Lit SDCC exclusive edition of the vinyl audiobook release of Palahniuk's FIGHT CLUB prequel story “Expedition." The short story takes place before the events of the bestselling FIGHT CLUB novel and is an origin story of Tyler Durden. The vinyl audiobook features Palahniuk reading “Expedition” from Doubleday's bestselling short story collection MAKE SOMETHING UP: STORIES YOU CAN’T UNREAD, accompanied by music by Brian Jonestown Massacre's Rob Campanella and featuring album art by FIGHT CLUB 2 cover artist David Mack.

At SDCC, Palahniuk will participate in two high profile panels:

Saturday, July 10, 2015

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.
DARK HORSE TAKES OVER THE WORLD (Room 7AB)
From Hellboy to Fight Club 2, there are a lot of reasons for Dark Horse fans to get excited for the coming year in comics. Dark Horse president and publisher Mike Richardson and Dark Horse creators Mike Mignola, Chuck Palahniuk, Jeff Lemire, Eric Powell, and Matt Kindt bring fans a sneak peek of what to pick up at Comic-Con and beyond.

7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
FIGHT CLUB 2 panel (Room 5AB)
Acclaimed novelist Chuck Palahniuk continues one of his most beloved works with FIGHT CLUB 2! Join Dark Horse for a discussion of the creation of this story with Chuck Palahniuk, editor Scott Allie, artist David Mack, and artist Cameron Stewart.

Fans attending the FIGHT CLUB 2 panel are encouraged to dress as Tyler Durden and Marla Singer at the FIGHT CLUB event. During that same panel, an announcement will be made about the previously rumored scratch-and-sniff FIGHT CLUB 2 bookmarks.

Palahniuk will also participate in two signings:

Friday, July 10
5:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
MAKE SOMETHING UP Signing
(Penguin Random House Booth #1520)

Doubleday will be giving away free copies of MAKE SOMETHING UP and free FIGHT CLUB wristbands.  No other memorabilia allowed.

Sunday, July 12
11:00am to 12:50pm
Fight Club 2 Signing with David Mack and Cameron Stewart
(Dark Horse Booth Booth # 2615)

Wristband required.  Wristbands are distributed by drawing at show opening on Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12. Attendees with wristbands may get one of the followed signed: a free FIGHT CLUB 2 preview mini-comic provided by Dark Horse Comics or a FIGHT CLUB 2 comic brought to or purchased at the event. No other memorabilia is allowed.


About Dark Horse
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent, such as Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Geof Darrow, Brian Wood, Gail Simone, Stan Sakai, and Guillermo del Toro, and comics legends, such as Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Kazuo Koike, Neil Gaiman and Frank Miller, Dark Horse has developed its own successful properties, such as The Mask, Ghost, X and Barb Wire. Its successful line of comics, manga and products based on popular properties includes Dragon Age, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan, Tomb Raider, Halo, The Witcher, Serenity, Game of Thrones, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Today Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic book publisher in the US and is recognized as one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.

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Review: Denzel Does Good Guy/Dark Side in "The Equalizer"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 27 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux - Support Leroy on Patreon.

The Equalizer (2014)
Running time:  132 minutes (2 hours, 12 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, including some sexual references
DIRECTOR:  Antoine Fuqua
WRITER:  Richard Wenk; (based on the television series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim)
PRODUCERS:  Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Tony Eldridge, Mace Neufeld, Alex Siskin, Michael Sloan, Steve Tisch, Denzel Washington, and Richard Wenk
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Mauro Fiore (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: John Refoua
COMPOSER:  Harry Gregson-Williams

ACTION/CRIME/THRILLER

Starring:  Denzel Washington, Martin Csokas, Chloë Grace Moretz, David Masters, Johnny Skourtis, David Meunier, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Alex Veadov, Haley Bennett, James Wilcox, Mike O'Dea, E. Roger Mitchell, and Vladimir Kulich

The Equalizer is a 2014 action movie and crime thriller from director Antoine Fuqua and starring Denzel Washington.  The film is based on the television series, “The Equalizer,” which was created by  Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim and was originally broadcast on CBS from 1985 to 1989.  The Equalizer the movie focuses on a man with a mysterious past who helps a young female prostitute, which brings him into conflict with her owners, ultra-violent Russian gangsters.

The Equalizer introduces Robert “Bob” McCall (Denzel Washington), a man who lives quietly in Boston, Massachusetts, where he works at a “Home Mart” hardware store.  McCall spends his nights at the Bridge Diner where he has befriended Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz), a young call girl who also wants to be a pop singer.  She is pimped out by local Russian gangsters that are led by a man named Slavi (David Meunier).

After Slavi beats Teri into a coma, McCall attempts to rescue her from Slavi.  The aftermath of that meeting brings Teddy Rensen (Martin Csokas) to Boston.  Rensen is the enforcer/fixer for Russian mafia leader, Vladimir Pushkin (Vladimir Kulich), but McCall decides to do some fixing of his own.

The Equalizer is a thoroughly satisfying movie... at least to me.  I guess that I should qualify this review by admitting that I am a huge fan of Denzel Washington, whom I consider to be one of the world's best actors of the last three decades.

Since his Oscar-winning turn in 2001's Training Day, Washington has proven to be a capable bad guy.  With 2010's Book of Eli, Washington showed that he could be a bad-ass, kick-ass, action hero with fancy martial arts-styled moves.  Ostensibly the hero in The Equalizer, Washington mixes bad guy with bad-ass in Robert McCall.

The screenplay by Richard Wenk has McCall constantly in peril or makes it seem as if he were in danger even when he is not.  Director Antoine Fuqua plays that for everything he can get out of it.  He makes a crime film that moves like an action movie, and Fuqua makes everything so tense that he fashions a thriller that strengthens the crime and action movie elements.

And Denzel glides through it all with lethal inevitability and assurance, so much so that I have to give special credit to actor Martin Csokas.  He delivers the kind of performance that makes Teddy Rensen an adversary who is a believable threat to Robert McCall.

The Equalizer is a game of death that is hard to stop watching, even if it is light on story and character development (which would have made this movie a classic).  I was a big fan of the original television series, which I have not seen in years, and therefore, remember little of it.  I do remember that the series did delve into character.  Well, the recent announcement of a sequel to this film means that there could be improvement on the character front.  In the meantime, take time to enjoy a slick and stylishly violent movie, The Equalizer.

7 of 10
B+

Tuesday, May 12, 2015


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Review: Denzel Washington Takes "Flight"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 26 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux - Support Leroy on Patreon.

Flight (2012)
Running time:  138 minutes (2 hours, 18 minutes)
MPAA – R for drug and alcohol abuse, language, sexuality/nudity and an intense action sequence
DIRECTOR:  Robert Zemeckis
WRITER:  John Gatins
PRODUCERS:  Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, and Robert Zemeckis
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Don Burgess (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Jeremiah O'Driscoll
COMPOSER:  Alan Silvestri
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA

Starring:  Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, Kelly Reilly, Tamara Tunie, John Goodman, Nadine Velazquez, Garcelle Beauvais, Justine Martin, Melissa Leo, and Brian Geraghty

The subject of this movie review is Flight, a 2012 drama from director Robert Zemeckis.
The film focuses on an airline pilot who saves almost all his passengers on his malfunctioning airliner, which eventually crashes, but an investigation into the accident reveals something troubling.

In the film, SouthJet Flight 227 is heading to Atlanta from Orlando, when something goes terribly wrong.  Veteran airline Captain William “Whip” Whitaker (Denzel Washington) manages to keep the crash from being a complete and total disaster.  Suddenly, Whip is a hero, but questions begin to arise when he avoids the spotlight.  Meanwhile, the investigation by the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) into the Flight 227 accident reveals something troubling.

Flight has an Oscar-winning director in Robert Zemeckis (for Forrest Gump).  However, Flight's Oscar-nominated screenplay by John Gatins is a blistering character study of a man whose talents (as a highly skilled airplane pilot) fully come to light at the same time as the most troubling aspect of his personality (his alcoholism) begin to come to light.  As a character study, the film script provides Denzel Washington with the opportunity to give one of his best performances of the last decade.

Zemeckis guides all the actors through this thoughtful and provocative character study, but Washington is the primary focus.   Whip Whitaker is a meaty role, and the film takes him on a harrowing personal journey.  Washington does not shy away from being intimate with the stage, camera, and audience as he pulls all the mess and addiction out of the tortured Whip for the audience to see.  It is good to see an African-American actor get the chance to be so vulnerable and revealing to movie audiences.  Washington deserved the Oscar nomination he received for his performance here.

Flight is an excellent return to live-action film for Zemeckis.  He is flawless in the way he captures Washington's grand performance and Whip Whitaker's journey towards redemption and maybe, salvation.  Flight should be a blueprint for high-quality film drama.

8 of 10
A

Saturday, April 25, 2015


NOTES:
2013 Academy Awards, USA:  2 nominations: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role” (Denzel Washington) and “Best Writing, Original Screenplay” (John Gatins)

2013 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Denzel Washington)

2013 Black Reel Awards:  1 win: “Best Actor” (Denzel Washington); 3 nominations: “Best Film” (Laurie MacDonald, Walter F. Parkes, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, and Robert Zemeckis – Paramount Pictures), “Best Supporting Actress” (Tamara Tunie), and “Best Ensemble” (Victoria Burrows-Casting Director)

2013 Image Awards:  1 win: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Denzel Washington); 3 nominations: “Outstanding Motion Picture,” “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” (Don Cheadle), “Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture-Theatrical or Television” (John Gatin)


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