Disney and Sony Pictures Entertainment Sign Content Agreement

Disney and Sony Pictures Entertainment Announce Unprecedented Post-Pay 1 Content Licensing Agreement

Deal Includes U.S. Rights to New Theatrical Releases from 2022-2026 Following Their Pay 1 TV Window and Library Titles from Sony Pictures for Disney’s Streaming Services and Linear Networks

Agreement Provides Disney with a Robust Collection of Sony Pictures’ Universe of Marvel Characters Films in Post-Pay 1 TV Windows

BURBANK, Calif. – The Walt Disney Company (DIS) and Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) today announced a multi-year content licensing agreement for U.S. streaming and TV rights to Sony Pictures’ new theatrical releases across Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution’s vast portfolio of platforms including its streaming services Disney+ and Hulu, as well as linear entertainment networks including ABC, Disney Channels, Freeform, FX and National Geographic. The deal covers theatrical releases from 2022-2026 and begins for each film following its Pay 1 TV window. The agreement builds upon the companies’ prior arrangement which saw SPE movies licensed to FX in the post-Pay 1 TV window.

The deal also grants rights to a significant number of SPE’s iconic library titles, ranging from the “Jumanji” and “Hotel Transylvania” franchises to Sony Pictures’ Universe of Marvel Characters films, including Spider-Man. This gives Disney enormous programming potential across its platforms and makes them key destinations for a robust collection of Spider-Man films. Notably, the agreement provides Hulu access to a significant number of library titles beginning as early as this June.

“This landmark multi-year, platform agnostic agreement guarantees the team at Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution a tremendous amount of flexibility and breadth of programming possibilities to leverage Sony’s rich slate of award-winning action and family films across our direct-to-consumer services and linear channels,” said Chuck Saftler, head of Business Operations for ABC, Freeform, FX Networks, and Acquisitions in DMED’s Networks division, who played a key role in the negotiations. “This is a win for fans, who will benefit from the ability to access the very best content from two of Hollywood’s most prolific studios across a multitude of viewing platforms and experiences.”

“This groundbreaking agreement reconfirms the unique and enduring value of our movies to film lovers and the platforms and networks that serve them,” said Keith Le Goy, president, Worldwide Distribution and Networks, Sony Pictures Entertainment. “We are thrilled to team up with Disney on delivering our titles to their viewers and subscribers. This agreement cements a key piece of our film distribution strategy, which is to maximize the value of each of our films, by making them available to consumers across all windows with a wide range of key partners.”

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.


ABOUT DISNEY MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT DISTRIBUTION:
Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) manages The Walt Disney Company’s vast content commercialization and distribution ecosystem that delivers the Company’s unparalleled storytelling to audiences worldwide. This entails P&L management and operation of the Company’s portfolio of streaming services including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and the international general entertainment offering, Star; its linear television channels and the ABC-owned stations; theatrical film distribution; content licensing and distribution, including Disney Music Group; global advertising sales; and the technology that powers these groups. Using a wealth of consumer insights from across the Company, DMED makes content investment and distribution decisions to maximize audience engagement and commercial impact across platforms, collaborating with creative leaders in Disney’s Studios, General Entertainment, and Sports organizations.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT:
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group 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. Sony Pictures Television operates dozens of wholly-owned or joint-venture production companies around the world. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, 3000 Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, Sony Pictures International Productions, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 18th to 24th, 2021 - Update #24

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS: 

AWARDS - From Deadline:   Back around April 11th, the winners at the 21st Annual Black Reel Awards were announced.  "Judas and the Black Messiah" won the "Outstanding Film" award.  Regina King's "One Night in Miami" wins the most awards, picking up five trophies.

TELEVISION - From Deadline:    CBS has renewed "NCIS: Los Angeles" for a 13th season.  It has give a straight-to-series order for "NCIS: Hawaii," which will be the first series in the franchise to have a female lead. The original "NCIS," was renewed for a 19th season.

OSCARS - From Esquire:  On the eve of the 93rd Academy Awards, writer Tom Nicholson ranks the previous 92 "Best Picture" Oscar winners.  No, "Crash" is not #92; it's #84.  "Cimarron" is #92. "Moonlight" is #1.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Star Vin Diesel and director F. Gary Gray will team-up for STXfilms action-comedy, "Muscle."  The film's story is being kept secret for the time being.

ANIMATION/LGBTQ - From YahooEntertainment:   Pixar is seeking "authentic" young performer to voice its first transgender character

AWARDS - From THR:  "Nomadland" wins "Best Feature" at the 2021 Film Independent Spirit Awards. This article includes a complete winners list.

SCANDAL - From Deadline:  Broadway and film super-producer, Scott Rudin, is now saying that he will step back from his film and streaming projects in the wake of the scandalous revelations about his abusive behavior towards those he works with and those who work for him.  Rudin previously announced that he would step back from his Broadway projects.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix is nearing a deal on "Shout It Out Loud," a biographical film about the iconic rock band, KISS.  Apparently, the hopes are that it would do for KISS what the Oscar-winning "Bohemian Rhapsody" did for the rock band, Queen. 

From Deadline:  Actress Hillary Duff is set to headline "How I Met Your Father," a spinoff of the long-running CBS comedy series, "How I Met Your Mother" (2005-14).

BLACK HISTORY - From Variety:   Jamie Foxx, Halle Berry, and Kevin Hart are among the Black Hollywood figures behind a two-part Apple Original Films documentary about African-American achievement in Hollywood and about what it takes for Black actors to be successful in the film industry.

DISNEY - From Variety:   Disney and Sony Pictures have signed a massive licensing deal that will bring Sony films to multiple Disney streaming and broadcast and cable TV platforms.  The previously announced Netflix/Sony deals gives Netflix exclusive rights to Sony films in the post-theatrical "Pay 1" window.  The Disney/Sony deal gives Disney all subsequent TV windows.

GOLDEN GLOBES - From Deadline:  The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which hands out the Golden Globes, has expelled former 8-time president, South African-born Phil Berk, from the organization.  Berk recently sent an email to fellow members disparaging "Black Lives Matter" and one of its founders.

From Deadline:  Phil Berk, former 8-time president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (which hands out the Golden Globes), sent out an email to fellow HFPA members blasting the "Black Lives Matter" movement and co-founder Patrisse Cullors.  Fellow members push back at Berk, an 88-year-old South African.

BLM - From YahooNews:   Former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on all counts against him in the killing of African-American victim, George Floyd, nearly one year after kneeling on Floyd’s neck in an incident that sparked global protests against police brutality.  Chavin, a white man, was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter in the death of Floyd on May 25, 2020.

ANIMATION - From Variety:   Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers (a current Oscar nominee for Disney/Pixar's "Soul"), and Justin K. Thompson have been tapped by Sony Pictures Animation to direct the sequel to the Oscar-winning animated feature “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:   The winner of the 4/16 to 4/18/2021 weekend box office is "Godzilla vs. Kong" with an estimated take of 7.7 million dollars.

STREAMING - From EW:  Amazon is spending "upwards of 464 million dollars" to produce the first season of its "Lord of the Rings" TV series!

AWARDS - From Deadline:  The American Society of Cinematographers announced its 35th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards winners.  "Mank" won the "Theatrical Release" trophy.

From Deadline:  At the 2021 / 48th annual Annie Awards, Disney/Pixar's "Soul" wins "Best Feature" and "Wolfwalkers" wins "Best Indie Feature."  The two films were the big winners at the ceremony, with "Soul" winning seven awards and "Wolfwalkers" winning five.

From Deadline:   At the 2021 / 57th annual Cinema Audio Society Awards, Amazon Studios drama, "Sound of Metal," and Disney/Pixar’s "Soul" won out in top categories.

OBITS:

From Deadline:   Film and television producer, Charles "Chuck" Fries, has died at the age of 92, Thursday, April 22, 2021.  Fried was a prolific producer of films and of television series and movies.  He produced such films as "Cat People" (a 1982 remake) and "Troop Beverly Hills" (1989).  Fries is also considered a very important person in the development of the TV movie, especially "issue-oriented" films such as "Bitter Harvest" (1981) and "Small Sacrifices" (1989).

From YahooEntertainment:   Gregory Jacobs, the rapper and record producer best known as "Shock G" and "Humpty Hump," has died at the age of 57, Thursday, April 22, 2021.  As Shock G, Jacobs led the rap group, "Digital Underground," which had a hit in 1990's "The Humpty Dance."  Shock G also produced two tracks and provided background vocals on 2Pac/Tupac Shakur's debut album, "2Pacalypse Now" (1991).

From YahooEntertainment:   Scottish pop singer, Les McKeown, has died at the age of 65, Tuesday, April 20, 2021.  McKeown was the lead singer of the Scottish pop rock band, the "Bay City Rollers," during the group's most successful period, the mid-1970s, including singing lead on the "Billboard Hot 100" #1 single, "Saturday Night" (1975).

From CNN:  Former Vice-President of the United States, Walter "Fritz" Mondale, has died at the age of 93, Monday, April 19, 2021.  Mondale served as VP under President Jimmy Carter from Jan. 20, 1977 to Jan. 20, 1981.  Mondale was also a United States Senator for the state of Minnesota from 1964 to 1976.  He unsuccessfully ran for President, but lost to incumbent President Ronald Reagan in 1984.

From Variety:  Songwriter, composer, playwright, and record producer, Jim Steinman, has died at the age of 73, Monday, April 19, 2021.  Steinman's most famous work is recording artist Meat Loaf's 1977 debut album, "Bat Out of Hell."  Steinman composed all the songs on the album which became one of the bestselling albums of all time.  Steinman also wrote and/or produced songs for Air Supply, Barry Manilow, and Celine Dion, to name a few.

Comics Review: POST AMERICANA #5 Gathers Its Eagles for the Fifth Chapter

POST AMERICANA #5 (OF 7)
IMAGE COMICS

STORY: Steve Skroce
ARTIST: Steve Skroce
COLORS: Dave Stewart
LETTERS: Fonografiks
28pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (April 2021)

Rated M / Mature

Post Americana is a six-issue miniseries written and drawn by Steve Skroce and published by Image Comics.  Post Americana is set in a dystopian future and focuses on two rebels' attempts to save an area called the “Wasteland” from a rogue President of the United States.  Colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Fonografiks complete Post Americana's creative team.

Post Americana  has two settings.  The first is “The Bubble,” an installation inside the Cheyenne Mountains that is the most sophisticated super-bunker in the world.  Inside, Nathaniel Hawksworthe, the new President of the United States, plans to use the bunker's resources to build the “New America” by basically paving over the second setting, the “Wasteland.”  Determined to stop Hawksworthe are Michael “Mike” Lee, a hapless rebel, and Carolyn, a deadly Wasteland girl, who is already hellbent on revenge against the denizens of the Bubble.  But Carolyn and Mike will have to survive the Wasteland in order to save the Wasteland.

As Post Americana #5 opens, Carolyn, Mike, and Evey's ride with Night Terror has taken them to the lost coast of California to Wonder Studios, the former home of the Walt Disney-like Cromwell Leviticus Okamoto.  There, Mike finally meets his secret ally, Okamoto's wife, Marcy, in person.  Marcy soon admits to deceiving Mike, but he doesn't even know half the story.  And that could mean a death sentence for everyone on the planet – even those soft-living folks in the Bubble.

THE LOWDOWN:  I am a huge fan of writer-artist Steve Skroce, going back over two decades – which I admitted in my review of Post Americana #1.  In my review of subsequent issues of this series, I have regaled you, dear readers, with the joys of reading Post Americana.

Post Americana #5 is the penultimate issue of the series, and in it, Skroce has created an issue that seems divorced from the rest of the narrative.  However, it actually isn't, as this fifth issue serves as a launching pad for the craziness to come in the finale.  Post Americana is a blast to read, and its satire of the United States is both sharp and sly and blunt and brutal.  It is as if Skroce wields both a satirical scalpel and hammer.

As he has throughout this miniseries, Skroce gets excellent assistance in creating this fine edition of his latest comic book.  That includes superb coloring from Dave Stewart and lettering from Fonografiks that makes the craziness readable.  I can't wait for the sixth issue.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Steve Skroce's comics and of post-apocalyptic sci-fi will want Post Americana.

A

[This comic book includes a four-page preview of “The Good Asian #1” by Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefenkgi.]

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


https://twitter.com/ImageComics
https://imagecomics.com/


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey, and Dave Chappelle to Headline "The Midnight Miracle" Podcast

Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey, and Dave Chappelle Announce The Midnight Miracle Podcast on Luminary

Luminary Original The Midnight Miracle Features Salon Style Conversations with Kweli, Bey, and Chappelle, and Guests from Among the Country’s Most Influential Cultural Icons

YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Luminary, a subscription podcast network, announced The Midnight Miracle, a salon style show created and hosted by Talib Kweli, Yasiin Bey, and Dave Chappelle. The show provides a glimpse into a very interesting season in the lives of the three hosts and their friends, and features guests from among the country’s most influential cultural icons. The show will be released in the coming weeks on Luminary, and will be available on the Luminary channel on Apple Podcasts when its new subscription platform debuts worldwide later in May.

“Making a podcast isn’t the obvious next move for me, but it’s the right one. The Midnight Miracle gives you a look into how me and my friends process the world around us, and I think it will change the way listeners think of what a podcast can be,” said Chappelle.

The Midnight Miracle was recorded during Chappelle’s legendary 2020 Summer Camp in an intimate setting at “The Shack” — a mechanic’s garage retrofitted as a clubhouse. Inside, listeners get the sense they’re sitting in on conversations among friends. In the variety show tradition, the conversations are punctuated with sketches, impersonations, archival audio clips, and a powerful soundtrack that includes music from Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, D’Angelo, Heatwave featuring Johnny Wilder, and much more to come.

Kweli, Bey, and Chappelle meticulously edited more than 100 hours of recorded content to make The Midnight Miracle in partnership with Jamie Schefman and Noah Gersh of SALT. A single season is planned, with new episodes starting in the coming weeks and continuing throughout the year, with a summer hiatus.

“The Midnight Miracle pushes the boundaries of podcasting, creating an audio experience listeners have never heard before. It is the exact type of project we built Luminary to support, and we are so excited to share it with listeners across the world,” said Simon Sutton, Luminary CEO.

“Talib, Yasiin, and Dave each bring deep wells of perspective to The Midnight Miracle. The conversations between them and their friends are humorous and profound, and the show is edited in a truly unique fashion. We are really proud to be a home for groundbreaking audio like this,” said Mark Silverstein, Luminary Chief Content Officer.

Kenzi Wilbur, Luminary Head of Development and Miles Hodges, Luminary Head of Acquisitions have led Luminary’s efforts to bring this outstanding programming to fruition.


About Dave Chappelle:
Dave Chappelle is an American comedian, screenwriter, television and film producer, and actor. Recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time, Chappelle was awarded the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 2019. Chappelle’s work in stand-up comedy, writing, producing, and acting has earned him more than 30 nominations and awards in television and film for projects that include his groundbreaking sketch comedy television series, Chappelle’s Show, guest appearances on Saturday Night Live, and his comedy specials, most recently earning his third and fourth Emmy Awards for Sticks & Stones in 2020. In audio content, Chappelle has won the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album three years in a row, 2018 through 2020. In 2017, Netflix cited Dave Chappelle: Collection 1 as the most-viewed comedy special ever on their network.

About Yasiin Bey:
Yasiin Bey, formerly known as Mos Def, is an American rapper, singer, actor, multimedia artist, and activist. Bey began his hip hop career in 1994 and in 1999 released his solo debut, Black on Both Sides which was #1 on the Billboard Top Rap Album chart. Since then, he has been nominated for 6 Grammy Awards for his musical performances, albums, and videos. His acting career has earned him more than 11 award nominations, including the Golden Globes, Emmys, and NAACP Image Awards. And in 2005 he won the Black Reel Best Indie Actor Award for his performance in The Woodsman.

About Talib Kweli:
Talib Kweli, a Brooklyn-based MC, is one of the most lyrically-gifted, socially aware, and politically insightful rappers to emerge in the last 20 years. Kweli has recorded with producer Hi-Tek as the duo Reflection Eternal, released landmark solo material, and collaborated with Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and more. Kweli founded Javotti Media in 2011, a platform for independent thinkers and doers in music, films and books. In 2019, in partnership with UPROXX, he launched People’s Party with Talib Kweli, a podcast where he explores hip hop culture and politics with thought-provoking guests like Lamar Odom, Don Cheadle, Lil’ Kim, Dax Shepard, Jemele Hill, Ice Cube, Perry Farrell, and Michael Rapaport. And in 2021, Kweli released Vibrate Higher, a book that illuminates Kweli's upbringing and artistic success, and discusses the power of hip hop as a political force.

About Black Star:
Together, Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli are known as Black Star — the seminal hip-hop duo from New York City who changed music forever in 1998 with their self-titled album Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star.

About SALT:
SALT is an audio first media company that creates exceptional experiences with the world’s leading artists, studios, and talent. What began with award winning and genre-defining work in audio fiction has quickly grown into SALT becoming the pre-eminent one stop partner for creating outstanding audio storytelling and brands. More than a podcast company, SALT stays true to its name helping everything taste just a little bit more like itself. Founded by partners Jamie Schefman, Noah Gersh, and Nick Panama, whose shared wealth of experience in music built the foundation of the company, SALT successes include Blackout, Carrier, The Last Degree of Kevin Bacon, Hit Job, and most recently The Midnight Miracle.

About Luminary:
Luminary is a subscription podcast network with an award-winning lineup of original shows you won’t find anywhere else. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access to the full collection of Luminary Original Podcasts, featuring celebrated creators, diverse voices, and important stories told through a new lens. You can find Luminary’s original content via the Luminary app, available on iOS, Android, and the web. And it will be available on the Luminary channel on Apple Podcasts when its new subscription platform debuts worldwide in May.

Luminary was founded by Matt Sacks in 2018 with backing from NEA, a global venture capital fund. Driven by a love for podcasts, Luminary is elevating the podcasting experience for both listeners and creators.

Luminary offers all listeners a seven-day free trial. After the free trial, the annual subscription is $34.99, or the equivalent of about $2.99 per month. Luminary also offers a monthly subscription for $4.99 which will increase to $5.99 for new subscribers concurrent with the launch of Luminary’s subscription channel on Apple Podcasts. International pricing is similar to US pricing, with annual and monthly plans available in each territory.

For more information about The Midnight Miracle, please visit newsroom.luminarypodcasts.com.

For more information about Luminary, visit luminarypodcasts.com or follow @hearluminary.

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Sigourney Weaver Narrates NatGeo Series, "Secrets of the Whales," Beginning April 22nd

National Geographic Taps Multi-Award-Winning Sigourney Weaver as Narrator for SECRETS OF THE WHALES, an Awe-Inspiring Look at the Mysterious and Beautiful World of Whales

Academy Award-Winning Filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-At-Large James Cameron to Serve as Executive Producer

Latest Work of National Geographic Explorer and Photographer Brian Skerry to be Featured in National Geographic Magazine and Book Timed to the Special

Epic Four-Part Series Will Be Marquee Event Premiere of National Geographic’s 2021 Earth Day Celebration

WASHINGTON, D.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic announced that Golden Globe and BAFTA Award-winning actress Sigourney Weaver (“Alien,” “Avatar,” “Gorillas in the Mist”) will narrate its global television event, SECRETS OF THE WHALES, which chronicles the whale way of life and their challenges and triumphs in an ever-changing ocean. Additionally, the network announced that renowned filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer-at-Large James Cameron will serve as executive producer. SECRETS OF THE WHALES will premiere globally on Earth Day 2021 in 172 countries and 43 languages.

    “I’m proud to work with my longtime partner, National Geographic, in showing incredible new insights into the inner world of whales, their emotion and culture. These majestic, mysterious animals continue to surprise us.”

The four-part event series is the work of acclaimed National Geographic Explorer and Photographer Brian Skerry, as he helps tell the story of a species he’s been documenting for decades. Filmed across three years in 24 locations, it’s a profoundly personal saga, venturing deep into the world of whales to reveal life and love from their perspective. Skerry’s latest work will also be featured in National Geographic magazine and the National Geographic book “Secrets of the Whales” timed to the special.

In SECRETS OF THE WHALES, Weaver guides viewers on a journey to the heart of whale culture to experience the extraordinary communication skills and intricate social structures of five different whale species. With the help of new science and technology, viewers witness whales making lifelong friendships, teaching clan heritage and traditions to their young and grieving deeply for the loss of loved ones.

“National Geographic has long been deepening our connection to the world around us, and I’m honored to team up with them to narrate this stunning series,” says Weaver. “Viewers get up close and personal and experience the extraordinary emotion, grace and power of these magnificent creatures. They get to know them intimately in order to ultimately realize just how like them we truly are.”

“SECRETS OF THE WHALES has all the elements I love — new tech used for scientific inquiry, wrapped in great storytelling that visually excites and emotionally resonates,” says Cameron. “I’m proud to work with my longtime partner, National Geographic, in showing incredible new insights into the inner world of whales, their emotion and culture. These majestic, mysterious animals continue to surprise us.”

“Capturing these whales on film has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire life, and I’m thrilled to bring the complexity and beauty of these creatures right to viewers’ living rooms,” says Skerry. “It is my hope that in venturing into their world, viewers recognize themselves in these animals’ joy, pain, love and relationships and are as inspired by them as I am.”

One of the world’s top ocean photographers, Skerry has spent more than 10,000 hours underwater, documenting uncharted territory and elucidating environmental issues, often leading to policy change. Skerry’s work expands upon National Geographic’s legacy of exploration and dedication to conservation and protecting the animal species that inhabit our planet as they grapple with an ecosystem under threat. On April 22, the company celebrates our wonderful world across its portfolio, raising awareness of the immense challenges facing Earth and inspiring stewardship for generations to come.

SECRETS OF THE WHALES is produced for National Geographic by Red Rock Films. For Red Rock Films, Brian Armstrong and Shannon Malone-DeBenedictis are executive producers. For Earthship, James Cameron and Maria Wilhelm are executive producers and Kim Butts is associate producer. For National Geographic, Pamela Caragol is executive producer and Geoff Daniels is executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment for National Geographic Global Networks.

About National Geographic Partners:
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between the National Geographic Society and Disney, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 132 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

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Review: UNCUT GEMS Offers Surprising Performances from Its Cast

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 28 of 2021 (No. 1766) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Uncut Gems (2019)
Running time:  135 minutes (2 hours, 15 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive strong language, violence, some sexual content and brief drug use
DIRECTORS:  Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie
WRITERS: Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie & Benny Safdie
PRODUCERS:  Sebastian Bear-McClard (p.g.a.), Eli Bush (p.g.a.), and Scott Rudin (p.g.a.)
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Darius Khondji (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie
COMPOSER:  Daniel Lopatin

DRAMA

Starring:  Adam Sandler, Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian, Judd Hirsch, Keith William Richards, Tommy Kominik, Jonathan Aranbayev, Noa Fisher, Jacob Igielski, and Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd)

Uncut Gems is a 2019 crime drama film from directors Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie.  Director Martin Scorsese is one of the film's executive producers.  Uncut Gems focuses on a fast-talking New York City jeweler and gambling addict who risks everything in hope of staying afloat and alive.

Uncut Gems opens in 2010 in the Welo mine in Ethiopia where Ethiopian Jewish miners retrieve a rare black opal from the mine.  The story moves to 2012 where we meet Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), who runs KMH, a jewelry store in New York City's Diamond District.  A fast-talking businessman, Howard is also a gambling addict, and he is struggling to pay off his gambling debts, which include the $100,000 he owes his brother-in-law, Arno Moradian (Eric Bogosian), a loan shark.

Howard's personal life is also in shambles, as he is estranged from his wife, Dinah Ratner (Idina Menzel).  Dinah insists on sticking to their plan of getting a divorce after Passover.  Meanwhile, Howard's relationship with his girlfriend, Julia De Fiore (Julia Fox), a KMH employee, is also up-and-down.  Still, Howard believes that all will be well when he gets that rare black opal that the Ethiopian miners found.

Things start to fall apart when Demany (Lakeith Stanfield), an intermediary who recruits clients for Howard, introduces him to NBA player, Kevin Garnett (Kevin Garnett), of the Boston Celtics.  Suddenly, holding onto and selling the opal takes on a life-or-death significance.

Audiences may pull for Adam Sandler's Howard Ratner and even root for him simply because he is the lead character in Uncut Jewels, but the truth is that Ratner is worthy of pity more than he is of sympathy.  He has a terrible case of “problem with immediate gratification.”  He is a gambling addict, and one gets the idea that he is addicted to seeking his own satisfaction.  He is vain, venal, narcissistic, and self-absorbed, and he tells lies the way people breathe air.  However, this all leads to a last act of the film when the pity that one might feel towards the pathetic Howard turns to sympathy.

Sandler gives one of the best performances of his career, and although many commentators thought that he deserved an Oscar nomination for his performance in Uncut Gems (which he did not get), he had a better character arc in 2005's The Longest Yard.  Still, Sandler proves in Uncut Gems that he can deliver a surprising performance that can even shock audiences.

However, I find the most fascinating character in this film to be Uncut Gem's version of the real-life former professional basketball player, Kevin Garnett.  Garnett fashions a version of himself that is more complex, darker, and more nuanced than the player people know from his long career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), which lasted 21 seasons from 1995 to 2016.  I could watch an entire film featuring this Garnett.

Overall, the Safdie Brothers deliver in Uncut Gems a crime drama like no other, and with screenwriter Ronald Bronstein, they offer a cast of interesting, even off-the-beaten path characters.  Actress Idina Menzel is known for her big smile and her ability to belt out a song, but here, she takes the script's Dinah Ratner and makes her a salty woman who is utterly disinterested in her wayward husband, Howard's conceited charisma.  Menzel's Dinah would set it off before she'd let it go.

The usual impeccable Lakeith Stanfield is impeccable – as usual, and I wish there was more of his Demany.  Abel Tesfaye, better known as the Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, The Weeknd, goes meta to turn in a delightfully edgy and smutty version of himself.

I don't know if I would recommend this film to fans of Adam Sandler's comedies, especially the raunchy and juvenile ones.  Still, the Safdies and Sandler create something so different that I think movie audiences that like to take a dare sometimes will find a dark jewel of a movie in Uncut Gems.

7 of 10
A-

Wednesday, March 17, 2021


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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BOOM! Studios Shipping from Diamond Distributors for April 21, 2021

BOOM! STUDIOS

FEB210900    FIREFLY BRAND NEW VERSE #2 (OF 6) CVR A KHALIDAH    $4.99
FEB210901    FIREFLY BRAND NEW VERSE #2 (OF 6) CVR B FISH    $4.99
DEC201014    GUERILLA GREEN OGN SC    $16.99
FEB210910    JIM HENSONS STORYTELLER TRICKSTERS #2 (OF 4) CVR A MOMOKO    $4.99
FEB210911    JIM HENSONS STORYTELLER TRICKSTERS #2 (OF 4) CVR B PENDERGAS    $4.99
FEB210858    LUNA #3 (OF 5) CVR A LLOVET (MR)    $3.99
FEB210859    LUNA #3 (OF 5) CVR B ANKA (MR)    $3.99
FEB210841    MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR #1 (OF 5) CVR A ANDRADE    $3.99
FEB210842    MANY DEATHS OF LAILA STARR #1 (OF 5) CVR B DEATH FOIL VAR    $4.99
DEC201057    MIGHTY MORPHIN / POWER RANGERS #1 LTD ED HC    $24.99
FEB210920    ORCS #3 (OF 6) CVR A LARSEN    $4.99
FEB210921    ORCS #3 (OF 6) CVR B BOO    $4.99
FEB210883    POWER RANGERS #6 CVR A SCALERA    $3.99
FEB210884    POWER RANGERS #6 CVR B LEGACY VAR DI NICUOLO    $3.99
FEB218645    POWER RANGERS UNLTD HEIR TO DARKNESS #1 2ND PTG    $7.99
FEB218646    SPECTER INSPECTORS #1 (OF 5) 2ND PTG    $4.99
FEB210917    SPECTER INSPECTORS #3 (OF 5) CVR A MCCURDY    $4.99
FEB210918    SPECTER INSPECTORS #3 (OF 5) CVR B HENDERSON    $4.99
JAN210987    WYND HC BOOK 01 FLIGHT OF THE PRINCE EXC VAR    $19.99