Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Big Apple Con is This Sat., March 5th

NYC's Big Apple Con Returns, Celebrating Over 20 Super Years

Comic Books, Celebs, Cosplay & More

Saturday, March 5th 10am~6pm Penn Plaza Pavilion, NYC

MIKE CARBONARO’s BIG APPLE CON, New York City's longest-running Pop Culture convention, returns to PENN PLAZA PAVILION (401 7th Ave @ 33rd Street -opposite Madison Square Garden) on SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2016 from 10am to 6pm.

This amazing explosion of Comic Books, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, & Cosplay will bring together top comic book creators, media celebrities, dealers, panel discussions, a costume contest & more in one incredible day! There will be hundreds of tables of comics, toys, posters, videos, original art, t-shirts & other collectibles, with everything from the world's rarest comics as well as the newest and coolest books for sale! Advance tickets are now available at www.nycbm.com

BIG APPLE CON proudly hosts a full “Artists Alley” of comic book and trading card creators, illustrators & writers, including: Neal Adams (Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow), Jim Steranko (Captain America, Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD), Ramona Fradon (Super Friends, Aquaman), Mark Texeira (Ghost Rider, Wolverine), Rich Buckler (Deathlok, Fantastic Four), Erik Larsen (Savage Dragon, Spider-Man), David Lloyd (V For Vendetta, Aces Weekly), Tom Palmer (Star Wars, Avengers), Reilly Brown (Deadpool, Daredevil), Joseph Michael Linsner (Cry For Dawn, Vampirella), Sean Chen (Iron Man, Valiant Comics), Mike Lilly (Punisher, Nightwing), John Cebollero (Batman, Captain America), and Brian Kong (Cryptozoic Entertainment, Leaf Trading Cards).

The headlining media celebrity guests include: Lori Petty (Orange is the New Black, Tank Girl), Jason David Frank (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Sweet Valley High), Kathy Garver (Family Affair, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends), Laurence Mason (The Crow, Gotham), Karyn Parsons (Static Shock, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Johnny Brennan (Jerky Boys, Family Guy), Debbie Rochon (Tromeo & Juliet, Santa Claws), and (from 3pm on) Pro Wrestlers The Nasty Boys, Scott Steiner, & Ryan Shamrock of the WWE and WCW.

BIG APPLE CON always provides a jam-packed programming schedule, and this year is no exception! Our over 7 hours of scholarly and fun discussions cover everything from Star Wars, Batman, the Black Panther, Charlton Comics, and Power Rangers, with a special presentation of animated shorts and the return of the NY Jedi!

Captain Zorikh's Costume Contest will once again bring the most amazing costumers and Cosplayers together for a fast-paced, exciting show of creative excellence! Come as any character in comics, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, cartoons, anime/manga, video games, or make up your own! You can also participate in special themed group Cosplay photoshoots! Valuable prizes to be awarded by audience applause!

DATE: Saturday, March 5th ~ 10am -6pm PLACE: Penn Plaza Pavilion ~ 401 7th Ave. @ 33rd St. NYC

TICKETS: $20 (adult) $10 (children 5-12, 4 and under free!) VIP Package/Early Admission: $50

TICKET PURCHASE & INFORMATION: www.nycbm.com

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/bigappleconvention

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ConBigApple

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Image Comics' "Drifter" Begins New Story Arc

DRIFTER CASTS OUT NEW STORY ARC

Writer Ivan Brandon (Wolverine, Men of War) and artist Nic Klein (Captain America, Thor) will launch a new story arc in their ongoing dark sci-fi series DRIFTER this April.

Previously in DRIFTER, Abram Pollux barely survived a crash landing on Ouro, a lawless backwater planet, only to end up on the wrong end of a bullet. What started as a struggle for survival quickly became a journey to the very edges of what it means to be human, as Pollux searched for answers among the ruins of this forgotten world. When he crossed the grey line to the dark side of planet Ouro—where humanity has no place—mysteries began to unravel.

In DRIFTER #10, Abram Pollux returns to Ghost Town, determined to even the score. But the rules have changed. New alliances are drawn, old friends become new foes, and each step closer to the truth brings Pollux that much closer to hell.

"All the dread that's been building over the last year, it's taken physical form,” said Brandon. “Ghost Town's about to burn."

DRIFTER #10 Cover A by Nic Klein (Diamond code: FEB160518) hits stores Wednesday, April 13th. DRIFTER #10 Cover B by Goran Parlov (Diamond code: FEB160519) will also be available Wednesday, April 13th. Final order cutoff deadline for retailers is Monday, March 21st.


ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has five partners: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, Skybound and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

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Tuesday, March 1, 2016

"Goodnight Punpun" Coming in March 2015

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF INIO ASANO’S GOODNIGHT PUNPUN MANGA SERIES

Poignant Coming Of Age Story By The Creator Of SOLANIN And WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD! Debuts Next Month In Print And Digital

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest publisher, distributor and licensor of manga and anime in North America, introduces readers to an edgy coming-of-age story about the trials of adolescence from manga creator Inio Asano with the launch of GOODNIGHT PUNPUN on March 15th, 2016.

Volume 1 of the series from the Eisner- and Harvey Award-nominated creator of SOLANIN, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD! and Nijigahara Holograph is rated ‘M’ for Mature Readers and will debut in print under the VIZ Signature imprint with an MSRP of $24.99 U.S. / $28.99 CAN. The series also launches digitally on March 15th via VIZManga.com and will be available from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores. Future installments of the 7-volume series are set to be published quarterly.

Meet Punpun Punyama. He’s an average kid in an average town. He wants to win a Nobel Prize and save the world. He wants to go far away with his true love. He wants to find some porn. But Punpun’s life is about to unravel…

“Inio Asano is a unique voice of a generation and a luminary in the world of indie manga,” says Pancha Diaz, Editor. “GOODNIGHT PUNPUN captures the life of a boy during the turmoil of adolescence, as he struggles to deal with a dysfunctional family, first love, and an uncertain future. We invite readers to discover the poignancy, clarity and wit of this exceptional series.”

Inio Asano was born in Ibaraki, Japan in 1980. In 2001, his short story “Hello from Outer Space” won the first Sunday GX Rookie Prize. GX went onto also publish his series, Subarashi Sekai, which is available in English from VIZ Media as WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD! (Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens). His other works include Hikari no Machi (City of Light), Nijigahara Holograph and Umibe no Onna no Ko (A Girl on the Shore), as well as SOLANIN, which is published in English by VIZ Media (Rated ‘T+’ for Older Teens).

For additional information on GOODNIGHT PUNPUN or other manga titles published by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.


About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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Fathom Events Celebrate 75th Anniversary of Tuskegee Airman

Commemorate The Tuskegee Airmen’s 75th Anniversary in Select U.S. Movie Theaters March 29

Presented by Fathom Events and Bryton Entertainment, This Event Pays Tribute to America's First African-American Fighter Pilots from World War II

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fathom Events is partnering with Bryton Entertainment to present “In Their Own Words: The Tuskegee Airmen - The 75th Anniversary” in select U.S. cinemas for the first time ever on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. local time. This one-night cinema event features emotional interviews, rare photographs, archival footage and computer-generated recreations. Audiences will also experience an exclusive panel discussion captured at the National Air Force Museum with Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. George Hardy, Former Administrator of NASA Col. Fred Gregory, as well as the producer Bryan Williams and director Denton Adkinson.

Tickets for “In Their Own Words: The Tuskegee Airmen - The 75th Anniversary” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in nearly 200 movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Sixteen of the Tuskegee Airmen, America's first African-American military aviators who flew the skies of the European Theater during World War II, are featured in this powerful event. As African Americans were rejected in their attempts to enlist in World War I, the recruitment, training and combat of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II was a monumental moment not only in American military history, but also in American history as a whole. “In Their Own Words: The Tuskegee Airmen - The 75th Anniversary” tells the story of how these airmen were some of the first to begin the civil rights movement and have lived long enough to see the changes that continue to resonate today.

“Fathom is extremely excited to be working with Bryton Entertainment on this powerful event that honors the Tuskegee Airmen. 2016 marks the 75th anniversary of these amazing fighters and there is no better way to celebrate these men than a documentary and panel discussion,” said Fathom Events CEO John Rubey.

“The enthusiasm in which the few remaining Tuskegee Airmen reacted to this news has been nothing short of fulfilling. These brave men made one request of us upon lending their story, ‘Never let our story die!’ We are thrilled to honor that request with Fathom Events on March 29, when this event hits theaters around the country,” said Bryan Williams of Bryton Entertainment, LLC.


About Fathom Events
Fathom Events is the event cinema distribution arm of AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC), Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) (known collectively as AC JV, LLC), the three largest movie theater circuits in the U.S., and is recognized as the leading distributor of alternative content. It offers a variety of one-of-a-kind entertainment events in movie theaters nationwide that include live, high-definition performances of the Metropolitan Opera, dance and theatre productions such as the Bolshoi Ballet and National Theatre Live’s Hamlet, sporting events like FS1 Presents USA v Mexico, concerts with Roger Waters and One Direction, the TCM Presents classic film series and faith-based events such as The Drop Box and Four Blood Moons. Fathom Events also takes audiences behind the scenes and offers unique extras including audience Q&As, backstage footage and interviews with cast and crew, creating the ultimate VIP experience. In addition, Fathom Events’ live digital broadcast network (“DBN”) is the largest cinema broadcast network in North America, bringing live and pre-recorded events to 875 locations in 179 Designated Market Areas® (including all of the top 50). For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com.

About Bryton Entertainment
Bryton Entertainment, LLC is a multifaceted video production company, whose services range from commercials, music videos, concerts, documentaries, and live events, to graphic design and 3D animation. In the ten years since it was founded, Bryton Entertainment, a Christian-based production company, has had the pleasure of producing many inspiring works. With In Their Own Words: The Tuskegee Airmen and 29 Let’s Go (A World War II film) slated for national release, and more than thirty music videos, three BET and two Stellar Awards Gospel Music Video of the Year nominations under their belts, Bryton has the strong ability to tell entertaining and engaging, yet wholesome, stories.

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Marching Into Negromancer

It's March 2016.  Welcome to Negromancer 2.0.  This is the rebirth of Negromancer, the former movie review website as a new movie review and movie news site;

Support me on Patreon.

All images and text appearing on this blog are © copyright and/or trademark their respective owners.


Monday, February 29, 2016

VIZ Media Announces New Manga from the Creator of "Vampire Knight"

VIZ MEDIA LAUNCHES MATSURI HINO’S NEW MANGA SERIES SHURIKEN AND PLEATS

Dive Into A Tale Of Intrigue And Modern-Day Ninjas In The Latest Shojo Manga Series By The Creator Of VAMPIRE KNIGHT

San Francisco, CA – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor, publisher and licensor of manga and anime in North America, announces the launch of famed creator Matsuri Hino’s new manga (graphic novel) series, SHURIKEN AND PLEATS, on March 1st, 2016.

SHURIKEN AND PLEATS, the story of a schoolgirl who’s also a ninja in modern-day Japan, is the latest title from Hino, who created the pivotal shojo series, VAMPIRE KNIGHT (also published by VIZ Media; rated ‘T+’ for Teens).

SHURIKEN AND PLEATS is rated ‘T’ for Teens and will be published in print under the Shojo Beat imprint with an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN. The series also launches digitally on March 1st via VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga App (iOS and Android), as well as from the Nook, Kobo, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology, and GooglePlay stores. New volumes of the series, which is ongoing in Japan, will be released twice a year.

When the master she has sworn to protect is killed, Mikage Kirio, a skilled ninja, travels to Japan to start a new, peaceful life for herself. But as soon as she arrives, she finds herself fighting to protect the life of Mahito Wakashimatsu, a man who is under attack by a band of ninja. From that time on, Mikage is drawn deeper into the machinations of his powerful family.

“Matsuri Hino returns with SHURIKEN AND PLEATS, a story about a skilled female ninja who is striving to find a new life for herself,” says Nancy Thistlethwaite, Senior Editor. “We invite readers to savor all the action and intrigue in this beautifully illustrated new manga series.”

Matsuri Hino burst onto the manga scene with her debut title, Kono Yume ga Sametara (When This Dream Is Over), which was published in Japan in LaLa DX magazine. Already possessing strong artistic talent, Hino became a manga artist a mere nine months after she decided to pursue it as a professional career. With the success of her popular series, CAPTIVE HEARTS and MERUPURI (both also published by VIZ Media), Hino has established herself as a major player in the world of shojo manga.

For additional information on SHURIKEN AND PLEATS or other manga titles distributed by VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan.  Owned by three of Japan's largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular digital manga anthology WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and ONE PIECE, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages.  VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products.  Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from February 21st to 29th, 2016 - Update #47

Support Leroy on Patreon.

OBIT - From Variety:  The actor George Kennedy has died at the age of 91 on Sunday, February 28, 2016.  Kennedy had a long career and earned a best supporting actor Oscar for his role in the Paul Newman film, "Cool Hand Luke."

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OSCARS - From YahooMovies:  The highs and lows of the 88th Oscars.

From Variety:  Italy celebrates Ennio Morricone's Oscar win for scoring "The Hateful Eight."

From YahooMovies:  No, Sam Smith, you are NOT the first openly gay person to win an Oscar.  Remember Dustin Black - best screenplay winner for Milk, not to mention several others?

From YahooMovies:  "Spotlight" wins "Best Picture" at 88th Oscars.

From YahooMovies:  Leonardo DiCaprio's Best Actor win was the most tweeted about Oscar moment ever.

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MOVIES - From the NYT:  A very funny story about diversity by Colton Dunn - "Don't Call Me the Black Seth Rogen."

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BOX OFFICE - BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 2/26 to 2/28/2016 weekend box office is "Deadpool" with an estimated take of $31.5 million.  This is it's third consecutive weekend at #1.

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STAR TREK - From CinemaBlend:  Tony Todd says that he is on an actors short list for upcoming CBS digital Star Trek series.

STAR TREK - From CinemaBlend:  Nicholas Meyer, the director of the beloved film, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn" has joined the new CBS series in some creative capacity.

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CRIME - From BuzzFlash: Public defender system in Louisiana is in full meltdown.

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AWARDS - From PopSugar:  At the 2016 Spirit Awards, Mya Taylor becomes the first transgender actress to win a major film award.

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AWARDS - From Deadline:  2016 "Spirit Awards" winners; "Spotlight" dominates.

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OSCARS - From YahooNews:  Ava DuVernay on Oscars controversy and Flint water crisis with Katie Couric.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From WashPost:  Why did Cleveland sue Tamir Rice's family.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Patricia Arquette hosts a dinner on gender equality.  Jennifer Lawrence is one of the attendees.

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TV - From TVLine:  CBS has order a pilot for a television series based on the 2001 film, "Training Day," for which Denzel Washington won an Oscar.  Bill Paxton will play the morally ambiguous cop in a re-imagining of the film.

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OBITS - From TheWrap:  The actor Tony Burton has died at the age of 78,  He is best known for portraying Apollo Creed's trainer Tony "Duke" Evers in six "Rocky" movies.

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OSCARS - From the VillageVoice:  Spike Lee talks about the Oscars and more.

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OSCARS - From VillageVoice:  Michael Musto: The sweet smell of scandal at the Oscars.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From RSN:  I am not a super-predator.

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CULTURE - From BuzzFlash:  St. Louis archbishop rails against Girl Scouts.

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OSCARS - From YahooMovies:   "See You Again" from "Furious 7" not nominated - still doesn't make sense.

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COMICS - From BleedingCool:  Alan Moore's new prose novel is available for pre-order.

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MOVIES - From SlashFilm:  For its loose booty adaptation of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Disney has hired James Mangold to direct... after dumping David Fincher's take on the film.

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OSCARS - From Variety:  Al Sharpton to lead Oscar-weekend #OscarSoWhite protests.

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MUSIC - From YahooCelebrity:  Demi Lovato, that girl can sang.  She sings Ray Charles tunes at a White House event, which will air on PBS, Friday, Feb. 26th, 2016.

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POLITICS - From The NYT:  The Republican-controlled Senate refuses to consider any Obama Supreme Court nominee, and it's all ugly old white men, especially that gargoyle, Mitch McConnell.

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MOVIES - From WeGotThisCovered:  "Zombieland 2" is apparently still happening.

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MOVIE - From Variety:  Jessica Chastain and Queen Latifah are among actresses advising new female-empowered production company.

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MOVIE - From CinemaBlend:  "Pacific Rim 2" is back on, but with a new director.

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MOVIES -  From TheWrap:  Nate Parker's acclaimed "Birth of a Nation" gets a release date, October 7, 2016 - just in time to not get any Oscar nominations.

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COMICS - From TheHDRoom:  When "Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice hits Blu-ray, it will have an R-rating.

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MOVIE - From TheWrap:  The 1968 Steve McQueen movie, "The Thomas Crown Affair," will get a second remake starring Michael B. Jordan.  The first remake was in 1999 with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo.

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Ava DuVernay is set to direct Disney's "A Wrinkle in Time."

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CULTURE - From TheAtlantic:  The enduring solidarity of whitness by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

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MOVIES - From DreadCentral:  Chucky the killer doll that first appeared in Child's Play could return for a seventh film.

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COMICS - From HitFix:  It seems there will be a "Justice League," movie, and it will start film April 11, 2016.

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OBITS - From Variety:  The Oscar-nominated cinematographer Douglas Slocombe has died at the age of 103 (Monday, February 22, 2016).  He shot "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and several of the Ealing Studios comedies, including the "The Lavender Hill Mob."

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MOVIES - From Deadline:  Demian Bichir added to Ridley Scott's "Alien: Covenant."

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COMICS - From SlashFilm:  In "Captain America: Civil War," Martin Freeman plays Everett Ross.

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OSCARS - From Variety:  5 upsets that could rock the 88th Academy Awards.

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COMICS - From FlickeringMyth:  Set photos from Doctor Strange in London.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The number one movie at the 2/19 to 2/21/2016 weekend box office is "Deadpool," which an estimated take of $55 million.  It is a repeat winner, having won last week in its debut weekend.

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COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  The third Wolverine film, which will be Hugh Jackman's last as the title character, will be R-rated and will be based on the story "Old Man Logan."

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TELEVISION - From CinemaBlend:  "The Walking Dead" is making a time-jump.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  "The Revenant" sounds best to Cinema Audio Society.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Mad Max: Fury Road leads the Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Guild awards.

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COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  Doctor Strange will be a blast...

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SPORTS - From Steelersdotcom:  Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller has retired.  Sigh.