Saturday, September 8, 2018

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from September 1st to 8th, 2018 - Update #25

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From Variety:  At the 2018 Venice Film Festival, Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma" wins the top prize, the "Golden Lion."

----------
SCANDAL-MUSIC - From YahooHuffPost:  Les Moonves, CBS CEO and chairman, was obsessed with ruining Janet Jackson’s career, sources say.

----------
TELEVISION - From YahooEntertainment:  The is a "GoFundMe" campaign for Dawn Wells, the actress who played "Mary Ann" on the classic 1960s TV series, "Gilligan's Island."

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Hollywood remembers the Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning actor, Burt Reynolds, who died today, Thursday, Sept. 6th.

From YahooEntertainment:  According to Mark Wahlberg, Burt Reynolds hated "Boogie Nights," the film for which he earned an Oscar nomination.

-----------
MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Olivia Munn discovered that one of the actors who appears in the new film, "The Predator," is a registered sex offender... and a friend of the film's director, Shane Black.  Fox has edited his scene from the film.

----------
CULTURE-MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  WarnerMedia and Michael B. Jordan Announce Company-Wide Diversity and Inclusion Policy

----------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic:  The so-unusual story of how 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' went from bad-boy party song to feminist anthem, 35 years after its made Cyndi Lauper an MTV icon.

----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline:  NBC orders 13 episodes of "Law & Order: Hate Crimes," from franchise creator Dick Wolf and one of his top lieutenants, Warren Leight.

----------
COMICS-STREAMING - From JoBlo:  Len Wiseman, one of the people behind the "Underworld" film franchise, has been tapped to executive produce a series based on DC Comics' "Swamp Thing" for the "DC Universe" streaming platform.  Wiseman would also direct the first episode.

----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Tyler Perry has offered actor Geoffrey Owens a job on his TV series for OWN, "The Haves and the Have Nots."  Ownes, an alumnus of "The Cosby Show," was recently photographed working at Trader Joe's.

----------
TELEVISION - From TheVerge:  The Big Bang Theory is better at portraying geekdom than haters admit.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 8/31 to 9/2/2018 three-day, Labor Day, holiday weekend box office is "Crazy Rich Asians" with an estimated take of $22.2 million.

From Variety:  "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" tops the international box office thanks to $77 million grossed in China.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Actor Steve Guttenberg said in a Twitter post that a new "Police Academy" movie "is coming."  Guttenberg.  There are seven films in the franchise, beginning with the first in 1984 and the last in 1994.  Guttenberg appeared in the first four films.  [Yes, I am a big fan of the franchise. - Ed.]

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  Vince Vaughn talks about re-teaming with Mel Gibson in "Dragged Across Concrete."

----------
POLITICS - From WashPost:  Ken Burns writes "How to Honor John McCain's memory."

----------
CULTURE - From THR:  What happens when fandom does not grow up.

----------
POLITICS - From YahooNews:  The memorial service of Senator John McCain, the former Vietnam prisoner of war, is marked by an impassioned and emotional eulogy from his dauther, Meghan McCain, a powerful eulogy frpm President Barack Obama, a former rival of McCain's, and a eulogy of strong and comforting words from President George W. Bush, another former rival.

From TheAtlantic:  This article has the full text of President Barack Obama's eulogy of Sen. John McCain.

From TheAtlantic:  This article has the full text of President George W. Bush's eulogy of Sen. John McCain.

----------
STREAMING - From TVSeriesFinale:  Jennifer Esposito has reportedly joined Amazon Studio's "The Boys."  This is an adaptation of the comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson.

----------
STREAMING - From SlashFilm:  Netflix plans to shifts the focus of its original movies to films that are Marvel-like blockbusters.

----------
CULTURE-BLM - From Truthout:  “Sorry to Bother You” Exposes the Danger of Bourgeois Integration

OBITS:

From Variety:  The actor and comedian, Bill Daily, died at the age of 91, Tuesday, September 4, 2018.  Daily was best known for playing the comic foil on two classic television series.  On "I Dream of Jeannie" (1965-70), he was astronaut Major Roger Healey.  On the "The Bob Newhart Show" (1972-78), he was airline pilot and Bob Newhart's Dr. Robert Hartley's daffy neighbor, Howard Borden.

From Variety:  The actor Burt Reynolds has died at the age of 82, Thursday, September 6, 2018.  One of the most popular leading men of the 1970s and 1980s, Reynolds appeared in a number of films that are legendary or are iconic, including "Deliverance," "The Longest Yard," and "Smokey and the Bandit."  He received an Oscar nomination for his performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Boogie Nights," and he won an Emmy for his lead role in the late CBS series, "Evening Shade."  Reynolds was scheduled to appear in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."

From RollingStone:  The rapper and recording artist, Mac Miller, has died at the age of 26, Friday, September 7, 2018.


Friday, September 7, 2018

Dolly Parton Named "2019 MusiCares Person of the Year"


Eight-time GRAMMY® Winner Dolly Parton to Be Honored as 2019 MusiCares® Person of the Year

Gala Benefiting Music People in Need Will Be Held on Friday, Feb. 8, 2019

[Dolly Parton photograph by Kii Arens]

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eight-time GRAMMY® winner Dolly Parton will be honored at the 2019 MusiCares® Person of the Year tribute on Friday, Feb. 8, 2019, it was announced by Neil Portnow, President/CEO of MusiCares and the Recording Academy™. Proceeds from the 29th annual benefit gala will provide essential support for MusiCares (www.musicares.org), a charity founded by the Recording Academy that ensures music people have a place to turn in times of financial, medical, and personal need. The tribute will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center two nights prior to the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards®.

    “I couldn't think of anyone more deserving to be the first MusiCares Person of the Year representing the Nashville music community. It's been a privilege to witness her generous heart firsthand for the last 14 years.”

Parton will be the first artist from the Nashville music community to be honored by MusiCares. She is being recognized as the 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year for her considerable creative accomplishments and her longtime support of a number of causes through her Dollywood Foundation, including the Imagination Library, which, since 1996, has provided more than 100 million books to children from birth to 5 years of age in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the U.K.

"Dolly Parton has always been and continues to be a courageous trailblazer and indomitable inspiration for creators and artists—so for us to have the opportunity to honor her at our annual MusiCares Person of the Year gala is to pay tribute to a true pillar of strength and someone who we all look up to and cherish," said Portnow. "With her legendary talent, she has forged a career that spans decades, and her gifts as a performer resound on both stage and screen. Dolly also knows the power of philanthropy and she has used her stardom to contribute to a wide range of causes from natural disasters to education and literacy programs."

"I am so excited and humbled to be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year," said Parton. "It's even more special knowing the gala benefits music people in need. I can't wait to hear all of the great artists singing my music."

Remarks Parton's manager Danny Nozell, CEO, CTK Management, "I couldn't think of anyone more deserving to be the first MusiCares Person of the Year representing the Nashville music community. It's been a privilege to witness her generous heart firsthand for the last 14 years."

"With each passing year, the goal of MusiCares remains clear: to do more and serve more music people in need," said Michael McDonald, MusiCares' Board Chair. "Over the course of our last fiscal year, we provided more than $6.4 million to more than 8,500 members of the music industry—the largest number of clients served and dollars distributed in a single year in our charity's history. We are confident that our 2019 Person of the Year tribute to Dolly Parton will help us raise the funds that sustain and expand our mission."

The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute ceremony is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week. The Person of the Year gala will begin with a reception and silent auction offering an exclusive and unparalleled selection of luxury items, VIP experiences, and one-of-a-kind celebrity memorabilia for bidding guests. The reception and silent auction will be followed by a gala dinner sponsored by AEG; a live auction; a tribute concert featuring renowned musicians and other artists; and the award presentation.

The celebration culminates with the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019. The telecast will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Established in 1989 by the Recording Academy, MusiCares offers health and human services and programs to members of the music community, including emergency financial assistance for basic living expenses such as rent, utilities, and car payments; medical expenses, including doctor, dentist and hospital bills; and treatment for HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, hepatitis C, and other critical illnesses. MusiCares offers nationwide educational workshops covering a variety of subjects, including financial, legal, medical, and substance abuse issues, and programs in collaboration with health care professionals that provide services such as flu shots, hearing tests, and medical/dental screenings. MusiCares provides access to addiction recovery treatment and sober living resources for members of the music community. Staffed by qualified chemical dependency and intervention specialists, MusiCares offers Safe Harbor Room® support, sponsored in part by the Bohemian Foundation, to provide a network to those in recovery while they are participating in the production of televised music shows and other major music events. MusiCares holds weekly addiction support groups for people to discuss how to best cope with the issues surrounding the recovery process.

For more information, please contact MusiCares at 310.392.3777 or personoftheyear@musicares.org.


ABOUT DOLLY PARTON
Dolly Parton is the most honored female country performer of all time. Achieving 25 RIAA certified gold, platinum, and multiplatinum awards, she has had 26 songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard country charts, a record for a female artist. She has 41 career Top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and she has 110 career-charted singles over the past 40 years. In 2014, the RIAA recognized her impact on recorded music with a plaque commemorating more than 100 million units sold worldwide—and in 2016, her album Pure & Simple, which topped the Billboard Top Country Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts and debuted at No. 1 in the United States, Canada, U.K., and Australia, added to that massive tally. She has garnered eight GRAMMY Awards, including a 2016 win with Pentatonix for their collaboration on her iconic 1974 hit "Jolene"; nine Country Music Association Awards, including Entertainer of the Year; 13 Academy of Country Music Awards, also including a nod for Entertainer of the Year; four People's Choice Awards; and three American Music Awards. In 1999, Parton was inducted as a member of the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2008, Parton launched her return to touring on a global scale with Backwoods Barbie World Tour, the first of many sold-out arena tours, returning her to Billboard Boxscore's Top 10 Country Tours of the Year. Her 2016 movie Christmas Of Many Colors: Circle Of Love, was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie. In 2017, Parton released her first children's album, I Believe In You, on Dolly Records through her partnership with Sony Music Nashville; the project's proceeds benefit The Dollywood Foundation's Imagination Library, a nonprofit that, since 1996, has provided more than 100 million books to children from birth to 5 years of age in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the U.K. In 2018, Parton received her first two Midsouth Emmy Awards as the organization recognized her lifetime of giving with the Governors Award and the award for Best Community Service Program, lauding her 2016 telethon "Smoky Mountains Rise," which raised more than $13 million for her My People fund, which provided financial assistance to victims of massive wildfires in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Parton is currently collaborating with producer Linda Perry on the soundtrack for the film Dumplin' starring Jennifer Aniston and Danielle MacDonald with Parton as the executive producer. And Parton's Dixie Pixie Productions is partnering with Warner Bros. Television to produce a series of television films to premiere on Netflix in 2019. Next year will mark the 33rd anniversary season for Dollywood, her theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., which since 1986 has hosted more than 2 million visitors annually.

ABOUT MUSICARES
A friend and ally of the music community, MusiCares was established by the Recording Academy to safeguard the health and well-being of all music people. A four-star charity and safety net in times of need, MusiCares offers confidential preventative, recovery, and emergency programs to address financial, medical, and personal health issues. Through the generosity of our donors and volunteer professionals, our dedicated team works across the country to ensure the music community has the resources and support it needs.

For more information, visit www.musicares.org, "like" MusiCares on Facebook, and follow @MusiCares on Twitter and Instagram.

------------------------------

Academy Awards Holds Back on "Achievement in Popular Film" Category... For Now

ACADEMY DETERMINES NEW OSCARS CATEGORY MERITS FURTHER STUDY

KEY DATES FOR THE 92ND OSCARS ANNOUNCED

While remaining committed to celebrating a wide spectrum of movies, the Academy announced today that it will not present the new Oscars category at the upcoming 91st awards. The Academy recognized that implementing any new award nine months into the year creates challenges for films that have already been released.  The Board of Governors continues to be actively engaged in discussions, and will examine and seek additional input regarding this category.

“There has been a wide range of reactions to the introduction of a new award, and we recognize the need for further discussion with our members,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson.  “We have made changes to the Oscars over the years—including this year—and we will continue to evolve while also respecting the incredible legacy of the last 90 years.”

Changes to the 91st Oscars (2019) include restructuring and shortening the length of the telecast to three hours.  To honor all 24 award categories, six to eight categories will be presented live, in the Dolby Theatre®, during commercial breaks.  The winning moments will then be edited and aired later in the broadcast.  Selected categories will be rotated each year.  The Academy will collaborate with the show producer(s) to select these categories.

The Board of Governors also voted to move up the date of the 92nd Oscars telecast to Sunday, February 9, 2020, from the previously announced February 23. The date change in the timeline will not affect awards eligibility dates or the voting process.

The key dates for the 2019 awards season are as follows:

Saturday, November 16, 2019 Governors Awards
Thursday, January 2, 2020  Nominations voting opens
Tuesday, January 7, 2020  Nominations voting closes
Monday, January 13, 2020  Oscar Nominations Announcement
Monday, January 27, 2020  Oscar Nominees Luncheon
Thursday, January 30, 2020  Finals voting opens
Tuesday, February 4, 2020  Finals voting closes
Sunday, February 9, 2020  92nd Oscars

Starting in 2020, the Scientific and Technical Awards will move to June, as the technologies honored do not represent achievements within a specific awards year.  

The 91st Oscars will be held at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

-------------------------

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

"TV Cortos" is Latin America's First Short Movie Channel

Shorts International Launches Latin America’s First Short Movie Channel to Air Exclusively on DIRECTV

LONDON and LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Shorts International, the world’s leading short movie entertainment company and operator of the ShortsTV channel, is pleased to announce the launch of TVCortos, the new Latin American HD TV channel dedicated to short movies.

TVCortos is available to viewers through DIRECTV, the pay-TV service that delivers the best entertainment experience to more than 8 million subscribers in South America, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay and the Caribbean. With a library of over 5,000 titles, including award-winning and star-studded live action, animated and documentary shorts, Shorts International is uniquely positioned to capitalize on Latin America’s appetite for short content. The channel is an all-Spanish language feed, with Spanish original-language content representing approximately one-third of its programming at launch and pushing rapidly above 50%.

Shorts International also plans to roll out its dedicated short movies app across Latin American markets in the coming months, as the global shift in entertainment preferences towards short form content with multi-platform availability continues to gather pace.

Carter Pilcher, CEO of Shorts International, commented: “Working with DIRECTV at the forefront of entertainment in Latin America is exciting. It’s where some of the world’s most important trends are being established. Entertainment tastes are changing globally but Latin American audiences are leading the way into shorter form entertainment. Now, TVCortos is bringing the highest quality short form entertainment - the best films from Latin and international creators - to create one big entertainment opportunity for Latin America.”

TVCortos will stream on channel 1521. In addition, on demand content from TVCortos will be available through DIRECTV’s digital platforms.


About Shorts International

  •     Shorts International is the world’s leading short movie entertainment company
  •     With over 5,000 titles, Shorts International has the world’s largest library of shorts available on TV, online and in theatres, including award-winning and star-studded live action, animated and documentary shorts from around the world
  •     Shorts International owns ShortsTV, the world’s only 24/7 HD TV channel dedicated to short movies. It is available in 47 million households with 7 million subscribers across the US, Latin America, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia
  •     In 2018, ShortsTV launched the ShortsTV App which marries the linear ShortsTV feed with the functionality of the Internet, at the click of a button on a viewer’s remote control. Using advanced machine-learning algorithm technology, the ShortsTV App enables viewers to either watch TV or to create, control and personalize their own TV channel, engineered to their desired genres or moods
  •     Online, ShortsTV offers hundreds of the world’s best independent shorts for download on iTunes in 92 countries, as well as on Amazon Instant Video (UK, US and Germany), Google Play (US and Canada) and Verizon and Frontier (US)
  •     Since 2006, Shorts International has exclusively presented the ‘Oscar Nominated Short Films’ theatrical release in cinemas across the US, South America, Europe, Australia and South Africa
  •     Shorts International is headquartered in London, England and is represented in the US by Shorts Entertainment Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary located in Los Angeles, CA. The company is led by Carter Pilcher, CEO, and is owned by Shorts Entertainment Holdings, with AMC Networks as a significant minority shareholder

----------------------------------------


BOOM! Studios from Diamond Distributors for September 5, 2018

BOOM! STUDIOS

MAY181237    AMAZING WORLD GUMBALL ORIGINAL GN VOL 05 TUNNEL KINGDOM    $14.99
JUL181409    GIANT DAYS #42    $3.99
MAY181210    PLANET OF APES ARCHIVE HC VOL 04    $59.99
JUL181422    ROCKOS MODERN LIFE #8    $3.99
JUL181423    ROCKOS MODERN LIFE #8 SUBSCRIPTION PERILLO VAR    $3.99
JUL181414    STEVEN UNIVERSE HARMONY #2    $3.99
JUL181415    STEVEN UNIVERSE HARMONY #2 SUBSCRIPTION GANUCHEAU    $3.99
JUL181371    WWE NXT TAKEOVER BLUEPRINT #1  SUBSCRIPTION DALFONSO VAR    $3.99
JUL181370    WWE NXT TAKEOVER BLUEPRINT #1 MAIN    $3.99

Dark Horse Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 5, 2018

DARK HORSE COMICS

MAY180361    BTVS SEASON 11 GILES GIRL BLUE TP VOL 01    $17.99
JUL180429    CALL OF DUTY ZOMBIES 2 #1    $3.99
MAY180375    CONAN OMNIBUS TP VOL 06    $24.99
APR180036    CRYSTAL FIGHTERS GN    $12.99
MAY180371    HELLBOY OMNIBUS TP VOL 04 HELLBOY IN HELL    $24.99
JUL180488    PREDATOR HUNTERS II #2 CVR A PADILLA    $3.99
JUL180436    WAR BEARS #1 (OF 3)    $4.99

DC Comics from Diamond Distributors for September 5, 2018

DC COMICS

JUL180621    ADVENTURES OF THE SUPER SONS #2 (OF 12)    $3.99
JUL180624    BATMAN #54    $3.99
JUL180625    BATMAN #54 VAR ED    $3.99
MAR180338    BATMAN BY JEPH LOEB AND TIM SALE OMNIBUS HC    $125.00
FEB180296    BATMAN BY SCOTT SNYDER & GREG CAPULLO BOX SET 3    $59.99
JUN180572    BATMAN CATWOMAN THE WEDDING ALBUM DELUXE ED HC    $17.99
JUN180566    BATMAN DETECTIVE COMICS TP VOL 07 BATMAN ETERNAL    $16.99
MAY189860    BATMAN LIL GOTHAM BATMAN DAY 2018 #1 SPECIAL ED    $PI
JUN180560    BATMAN PRELUDE TO KNIGHTFALL TP    $19.99
JUN180571    BATMAN PRELUDES TO THE WEDDING TP    $16.99
JUN180569    BATMAN THE COURT OF OWLS SAGA ESSENTIAL EDITION TP    $24.99
JUL180716    BATMAN WHITE KNIGHT BATMAN DAY 2018 #1 SPECIAL ED    $0.25
JUL180599    BORDER TOWN #1 (MR)    $3.99
JUL180600    BORDER TOWN #1 VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
JUL180601    COVER #1 (OF 6) (MR)    $3.99
JUL180603    COVER #1 (OF 6) BLANK VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
JUL180602    COVER #1 (OF 6) VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
JUL180633    CURSE OF BRIMSTONE #6    $2.99
JUN180575    DARK KNIGHT III THE MASTER RACE TP    $24.99
JUL180635    DEATHSTROKE #35    $3.99
JUL180636    DEATHSTROKE #35 VAR ED    $3.99
JUL180606    DREAMING #1 (MR)    $3.99
JUL180608    DREAMING #1 BLANK VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
JUL180607    DREAMING #1 VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
JUL180645    GREEN ARROW #44    $3.99
JUL180646    GREEN ARROW #44 VAR ED    $3.99
JUL180647    GREEN LANTERNS #54    $3.99
JUL180648    GREEN LANTERNS #54 VAR ED    $3.99
JUL180651    HARLEY QUINN #49    $3.99
JUL180652    HARLEY QUINN #49 VAR ED    $3.99
JUL180658    INJUSTICE 2 #33    $2.99
JUL180772    JINXWORLD SAMPLER #1    $1.00
JUL180661    JUSTICE LEAGUE #7    $3.99
JUL180663    JUSTICE LEAGUE #7 JIM LEE PENCIL VAR ED    $PI
JUL180662    JUSTICE LEAGUE #7 VAR ED    $3.99
JUL180675    NIGHTWING #48    $3.99
JUL180676    NIGHTWING #48 VAR ED    $3.99
JUL180703    UNEXPECTED #4    $2.99
JUL180611    UNITED STATES VS MURDER INC #1 (OF 6) (MR)    $3.99
JUL180613    UNITED STATES VS MURDER INC #1 (OF 6) BLANK VAR ED (MR)    $3.99
JUL180612    UNITED STATES VS MURDER INC #1 (OF 6) VAR ED (MR)    $3.99