Remembering Michael Brown - One Year Later - #BlackLivesMatter - Update #3

On August 9th, 2014, the state of Missouri, using police officer Darren Wilson as its death weapon, murdered Michael Brown, Jr., an 18-year-old, unarmed young black man.  This killing occurred in Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis.

It amazes me that a jury cannot give James Eagan Holmes the death penalty for killing 12 people (and wounding 70 others) at a Century movie theater in Aurora, Colorado in 2012.  However, the state can find it acceptable to kill an unarmed Black teen for (allegedly) bitch-slapping a cop.

After arresting Dylan Roof for killing 9 people in a South Carolina African-American church, the arresting officers took Roof to Burger King.  After being arrested in Waller County, Texas, Sandra Bland was given the trash bags she used to allegedly kill herself.

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A Mike Brown timeline from Yahoo News.

Michael Brown's family still mourning.

From YahooNews:  Roasted pig's head makes appearance at protest.

From YahooNews:  What it's like to be a Black cop in Ferguson.

From TheVox: The all-white Oath Keepers have shown up in Ferguson and they are openly well armed.  How would Ferguson police and St. Louis County police act if the Oath Keepers were Black and armed to the teeth, walking the streets of Ferguson.

From TheGuardian:  Pentagon taking back two military Humvees it once gave to Ferguson PD.

And just in time to remember this day comes news of another unarmed young black man, Christian Taylor, shot by a trainee doofus cop...

From MotherJones:  An interview with a civil rights activist who was at the front lines of the Ferguson protests.

From TheNation:  Youth movements to end White supremacy.

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Production Begins on Zach Braff's Remake of "Going in Style"

Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin to Headline Director Zach Braff’s Comedy “Going in Style”

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Production is now underway on location in New York City on the New Line Cinema comedy “Going in Style,” directed by Zach Braff (“Garden State”) and starring Oscar winners Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”), Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules,” “Hannah and Her Sisters”) and Alan Arkin (“Little Miss Sunshine”).

Freeman, Caine and Arkin team up as lifelong buddies Willie, Joe and Al, who decide to buck retirement and step off the straight-and-narrow for the first time in their lives when their pension fund becomes a corporate casualty. Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, the three risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money.

The film also stars two-time Oscar nominee Ann-Margret (“Tommy,” “Carnal Knowledge”) as Annie, a grocery cashier who’s been checking Al out in more ways than one; Peter Serafinowicz (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) as Joe’s former son-in-law, Murphy, whose pot clinic connections may finally prove useful; John Ortiz (“Silver Linings Playbook”) as Jesus, a man of unspecified credentials who agrees to show them the ropes; Joey King (“Wish I Was Here”) as Joe’s whip-smart granddaughter, Brooklyn; Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future” trilogy) as the guys’ lodge buddy, Milton; and Oscar nominee Matt Dillon (“Crash”) as FBI Agent Hamer.

Braff will direct from a screenplay by Theodore Melfi (“St. Vincent”), based on the film by Martin Brest.

“Going in Style” is being produced by Donald De Line (“The Italian Job”). The executive producers are Tony Bill, who was a producer on the 1979 film “Going in Style,” Jonathan McCoy, and Andrew Haas.

The creative filmmaking team includes Emmy-nominated director of photography Rodney Charters (“24”), production designer Anne Ross (“Lost in Translation”) and costume designer Gary Jones (“New Year’s Eve”).

Scheduled for release on May 6, 2016, the film is a New Line Cinema presentation of a De Line Pictures Production. It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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Review: Christopher Lee Still a Sexy Beast in "Horror of Dracula"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Horror of Dracula (1958)
Dracula – original title
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK
Running time:  82 minutes (1 hour, 22 minutes)
Not rated by MPAA
DIRECTOR:  Terence Fisher
WRITER:  Jimmy Sangster (based upon the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker)
PRODUCER:  Anthony Hinds
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Jack Asher (D.o.P)
EDITOR:  Bill Lenny
COMPOSER:  James Bernard

HORROR

Starring:  Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Michael Gough, Melissa Stribling, Carol Marsh, Olga Dickie, John Van Eyssen, Valerie Gaunt, and Janine Faye

Dracula is a 1958 British horror film from director Terence Fisher.  Written by Jimmy Sangster, this was the first in a series of movies from Hammer Films that were inspired by Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula.  For its release in the United States, the film's title was change to Horror of Dracula so that it would not be confused with the 1931 film, Dracula (starring Bela Lugosi), which was apparently still quite popular in the U.S. at that time.  In Hammer's Dracula, vampire expert Van Helsing fights to stop Dracula from taking revenge against the family of a former colleague of Van Helsing's.

Horror of Dracula opens on May 3, 1885, Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) arrives at a castle near Klausenburg (in Romania).  It is the home of Count Dracula (Christopher Lee), and Harker is there to take up his post as Dracula's librarian.  Almost immediately, Harker experiences a series of strange events, including meeting a young woman who claims to be Dracula's prisoner.

A few days later, Harker's colleague, Dr. Abraham Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), arrives in Klausenburg, looking for Harker.  What he finds chills his blood.  Van Helsing returns to Karlstadt to inform Harker's fiancée, Lucy Holmwood (Carol Marsh), of the bad news.  Lucy's brother, Arthur Holmwood (Michael Gough), and his wife, Mina (Melissa Stribling), are reluctant to give any bad news to Lucy, who has been ill of late.  Van Helsing alone suspects that the terrible evil of Count Dracula's castle has arrived in Karlstadt to haunt the Holmwoods.

Horror of Dracula was the first of seven movies for Hammer Films in which Christopher Lee played Count Dracula, which is why Lee is arguably the second most famous Dracula in film history, after Bela Lugosi.  Lee made Dracula both sexual and dangerous, like a creepy guy who ignores any rejection to his advances.  [He just knows that he can “love” you good, girl.]  There is a moment in this film when Dracula rubs his face against Mina's face which encapsulates Dracula's power of seduction.  He is essentially a home invader slash rapist, but his moves make him see like the masculine hero of a romantic tale that is also a rape fantasy.

While fans remember this 1958 Dracula film for Lee, I remember it equally for Peter Cushing, one of my all-time favorite actors.  Cushing is the consummate stoic and stalwart horror and scary movie hero.  Cushing's monster fighters can keep their cool even when surrounded by killer monsters and other strange creatures.  Throw in a natural disaster, and maybe a Cushing hero will break a little sweat.

Cushing and Lee, who were close friends in life, formed one of the best hero-villain combinations in film history.  I wish Horror of Dracula were a longer film in order to give us more of the two locked in conflict.  [There is apparently various longer versions of this film.]  I must also make note of another British actor that I like, the late Michael Gough, who played Bruce Wayne's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, in four Batman movies, beginning in 1989.  Gough manages to keep his Arthur Holmwood from turning invisible behind Van Helsing and Dracula.

With Christopher Lee's recent passing, I decided to see this movie again, which I had not seen in its entirety in over a decade.  I am glad I did.  It was good to see Cushing (who died in 1994) and Lee in action.  They don't make movies like Horror of Dracula anymore.  There aren't actors like Lee and Cushing anymore, either.

7 of 10
A-

Wednesday, July 1, 2015


The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

Don Cheadle's "Miles Ahead" Heads to Sony Pictures Classics

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS ACQUIRES DON CHEADLE’S DIRECTORIAL DEBUT MILES AHEAD

NEW YORK (August 5, 2015) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired worldwide* rights to Don Cheadle’s directorial debut, MILES AHEAD. MILES AHEAD tells the story of a few lost days in the life of Miles Davis (Cheadle), the virtuoso, fighter and genius, as he bursts out of his silent period, conspires with a Rolling Stone writer (McGregor) to steal back his music, and relives the years he had with his great love, Frances Taylor (Corinealdi). The film was recently announced as this year’s Closing Night selection for the 53rd New York Film Festival.

Written by Steven Baigelman and Cheadle, MILES AHEAD stars Cheadle, Ewan McGregor, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Keith Stanfield. Cheadle, Lenore Zerman, Pamela Hirsch, Daniel Wagner, Robert Ogden Barnum, Darryl Porter and Vince Wilburn, Jr. produced the film. Mark Amin, Baigelman, Jonathan Gardner and Brian Pope executive produced. Davis’ son, Erin Davis, and daughter, Cheryl Davis, are also executive producers, and the film was made with the participation of The Miles Davis Estate. The film was financed by BiFrost Pictures.

"Miles was many things…a supreme artist and a national treasure but also an enigma to those around him, especially during his so-called quiet period," said Cheadle. "With the family’s blessing and Miles’ tenets on creativity as our guide, we used these cloistered years as a jumping off point to compose the story of a self-exiled artist creating his own ‘centrifugal adventure’ to spin himself back into playing music again. And now I’m delighted that we’ve found the perfect partners in Michael, Tom and the SPC team to take this journey with us."

"What Don Cheadle has done here with the spirit of Miles Davis is truly astounding. We are not only witnessing for the first time this part of Miles Davis’ story as it deserves to be told, but also the birth of a major film director who happens to portray the iconic musician in a jaw dropping performance. This movie will be embraced by audiences everywhere and we are so pleased to help make that happen," stated Sony Pictures Classics.

The deal was negotiated by SPC with UTA Independent Film Group, which arranged the financing and represented the filmmakers in the deal. IM Global handled pre-sales in multiple territories.*

*Pre-sale territories were Portugal, Switzerland, UK, Ex-Yugoslavia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Israel and Middle East.


ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992, which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world.

Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 32 Academy Awards® (28 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 158 Academy Award® nominations (132 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for WHIPLASH, AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, AND CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition and distribution; television production, acquisition and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. For additional information, go to http://www.sonypictures.com.

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Steven Spielberg's "Ready Player One" Due December 2017

“Ready Player One,” from Director Steven Spielberg, Will Be Ready for Audiences in the 2017 Holiday Window

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The game is on in 2017. Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures’ “Ready Player One”—the already much-anticipated sci-fi action adventure, to be directed by Steven Spielberg—has been slated for release on December 15, 2017. The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution; Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and Distribution; and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President, Worldwide Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

    “There are few directors with the global stature of Steven Spielberg, so we are thrilled to be delivering his latest adventure to audiences worldwide.”

A three-time Academy Award winner, Spielberg (“Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan”) is directing “Ready Player One,” based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name, which has become a worldwide phenomenon. The film is being produced by Spielberg; Donald De Line, under his De Line Pictures banner; Dan Farah; and Spielberg’s longtime colleague Kristie Macosko Krieger; with Bruce Berman serving as executive producer. De Line and Farah originally brought the project to Warner Bros.

“Ready Player One” marks a return to Warner Bros. for Spielberg, who previously directed the studio’s “Empire of the Sun,” “The Color Purple” and “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” in addition to producing the hits “Gremlins” and “The Goonies.”

In making the announcement, Fellman stated, “Any film from Steven Spielberg is an event film, so it felt right to date this thrilling new project from one of our greatest filmmakers for the holiday season.”

Sue Kroll added, “From the success of the book, ‘Ready Player One’ already has a devoted following, and we’re excited for its fans and moviegoers everywhere to see this fantastically innovative story come to life. We know it couldn’t be in better hands, and look forward to working with Steven and the producers to bring it to the big screen.”

Kwan Vandenberg said, “There are few directors with the global stature of Steven Spielberg, so we are thrilled to be delivering his latest adventure to audiences worldwide.”

A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures, “Ready Player One” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

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"The Man From U.N.C.L.E." Soundtrack Now on Sale

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Soundtrack Due August 7, 2015

Features Music from Composer Daniel Pemberton

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music today announced the August 7, 2015 release of the soundtrack to director Guy Ritchie’s action adventure The Man From U.N.C.L.E. which opens in theatres Friday, August 14, 2015. It features original music composed by BAFTA-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton (LittleBigPlanet, The Movies), who took inspiration from Ritchie’s unique and inimitable style.

    “Writing a score set in the 1960s was a dream come true for me. There is a boldness to the way music was written and recorded in this era that allowed me to go all in, in a way that you can’t get away with in most contemporary films”

“One of the best things about working with Guy Ritchie is he is a director who, above all, understands the immense power music can bring to a film. A composer on one of his films has to give it everything,” Pemberton declared. “You have to step up and write music that is bold, surprising and strong. I can remember so many amazing music sequences from pretty much every film he has ever made - that marriage of music and visual is the essence for me of pure cinema. So to be part of that legacy has been an unbelievable thrill and one of the most crazy, exciting and unpredictable musical journeys I have ever been on.”

With the film being set during the Cold War, Pemberton was allowed to musically explore the period while adding contemporary elements from around the world. The composer describes the score as a “kaleidoscope of international color,” with the sounds of cimbaloms, flutes, guitars, bongos, and more incorporated into the music. “Writing a score set in the 1960s was a dream come true for me. There is a boldness to the way music was written and recorded in this era that allowed me to go all in, in a way that you can’t get away with in most contemporary films,” explains Pemberton.

The soundtrack, available to order at iTunes and Amazon also features music from iconic artists such as Roberta Flack, Louis Prima, and Nina Simone. The track list is below. All music by Daniel Pemberton, unless specified otherwise:

1. “Compared To What” – Roberta Flack
2. Out Of The Garage
3. His Name Is Napoleon Solo
4. Escape From East Berlin
5. “Jimmy, Renda se” – Tom Zé and Valdez
6. Mission: Rome
7. The Vinciguerra Affair
8. Bugs, Beats and Bowties
9. “Cry To Me” – Solomon Burke
10. “Five Months, Two Weeks, Two Days” – Louis Prima
11. Signori Toileto Italiano
12. Breaking In (Searching The Factory)
13. Breaking Out (The Cowboy Escapes)
14. “Che Vuole Questa Musica Stasera” – Peppino Gagliardi
15. Into The Lair (Betrayal Part I)
16. Laced Drinks (Betrayal Part II)
17. “Il Mio Regno” – Luigi Tenco
18. Circular Story
19. The Drums Of War
20. Take You Down
21. We Have Location
22. A Last Drink
23. “Take Care Of Business” – Nina Simone
24. The Unfinished Kiss

Henry Cavill stars as Napoleon Solo opposite Armie Hammer as Illya Kuryakin in director Guy Ritchie’s action adventure “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” a fresh take on the hugely popular 1960s television series. Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, it centers on CIA agent Solo and KGB agent Kuryakin who are forced to put aside longstanding hostilities and team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide catastrophe.

The film also stars Alicia Vikander and Elizabeth Debicki, with Jared Harris and Hugh Grant. The screenplay is by Guy Ritchie & Lionel Wigram, story by Jeff Kleeman & David Campbell Wilson, based on the television series “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” John Davis, Steve Clark-Hall, Wigram and Ritchie produced the film, with David Dobkin serving as executive producer.

A Warner Bros. Pictures presentation, a Ritchie/Wigram Production, a Davis Entertainment Production, a Guy Ritchie Film, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites for the Week of August 1st to 8th, 2015 - Update #16

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NEWS:

From CinemaBlend:  Your bro doesn't think that you're big enough for his movies anymore, Miles Teller.

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From ThePlaylist:  "The Day the Clown Cried" is Jerry Lewis' infamous, unreleased and rarely seen Holocaust drama.  He has the only copy in existence, or he had.  The Library of Congress has it now as a gift from Lewis, but cannot show it for 10 years.

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From Variety:  Sony Pictures announce the release of 16 films over the next four years, including two "Bad Boys" films.

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From SlashFilm:  Will Smith will replace Hugh Jackman in "Collateral Beauty," which will co-star Rooney Mara.

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From Deadline:  More actors added to Woody Allen's next film, due in 2016.

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From SlashFilm:  "The Hobbit" will return to theaters this fall with extended editions of all three films.

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From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 7/31 to 8/2/15 weekend box office is "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" with an estimated haul of $56 million.

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From TheWrap:  Andre Benjamin joins "American Crime" Season 2.

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From YahooSports:  Wrestler and actor "Rowdy" Roddy Piper died Thursday, July 30, 2015 at the age of 61.

From EntertainmentWeekly:  EW takes a look at Roddy's career, focusing on his turn in John Carpenter's sci-fi cult classic, They Live.  I have been a fan of his since I first saw this film. Rest in Peace, "Rowdy."

From EW:  Director John Carpenter pays tribute to his friend, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
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COMICS - Films and Books:

From YahooNews:  Doctor Strange - Marvel's "Fantasia?"

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From YahooMovies:  Talk about white privilege, Josh Trank blames others for his panned Fantastic Four reboot.

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From Variety:  A Deadpool teaser for the Deadpool trailer debuts ahead of the trailer's debut on "Conan" on Tuesday night, August 4, 2015.

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From HuffingtonPost:  Kate Mara and Michael B. Jordan deal with rude interviewer.

From EW:  Stan Lee is quite fine with Michael B. Jordan as the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four reboot.

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From SideshowCollectibles:  News on the Marvel/Netflix deal and potential schedule of series.


TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  20th Century Fox unleashed the "red band" trailer for 2016's "Deadpool."

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From YouTube:  New trailer for "The Martian," directed by Ridley Scott and starring Matt Damon.

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From YouTube:  A new trailer for future box office disappointment, "Hitman: Agent 47."


MISC:

From VillageVoice:  I'm glad that there is a new generation discovering the great Nile Rogers.