Sunday, July 16, 2023

Comics Review: "THE BATMAN & SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES #7" is at Gotham's Got Talent

THE BATMAN & SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES (2022) #7
DC COMICS

STORY: Amanda Deibert
ART: Dario Brizuela
COLORS: Franco Riesco
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte
EDITOR: Kristy Quinn
COVER: Dario Brizuela with Franco Riesco
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (May 2023)

Ages 8+

Batman created by Bob Kane with Bill Finger

“Gotham's Got Talent”

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries was a 12-issue comic book limited series that DC Comics published in 2021 and 2022.  The series brought the characters from both the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? and Batman comic book series together.  Over the past five decades, Mystery Inc.Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma, have joined Batman and (often) Robin to solve mysteries in various animated television series and comic books.

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries sold well enough that DC Comics began a second series in October 2022.  The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #7 (“Gotham's Got Talent”) is written by Amanda Deibert; drawn by Dario Brizuela; colored by Franco Riesco; and lettered by Saida Temofonte.

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #7 (“Gotham's Got Talent”) opens at the Crystal Cove Talent Show.  Daphne's karate routine has just earned her a trip to the “National Talent Show” in Gotham City.  Strange things begin to happen as soon as Daphne and the rest of Mystery Inc. arrive at the “Gotham's Got Talent” building.

A few contestants have already turned up missing, and not long after the competition begins, all three members of the “Twinkle Toes Tap Troupe” disappear.  Luckily, Bruce Wayne is one of the competition's three judges, so Batman is on site, ready to investigate.  Wayne's presence as a judge, however, hampers Batman's ability to be on the prowl, so it's up to Shaggy, Scooby, Fred, Velma, and even contestant Daphne to figure out who is trying to sabotage this competition.  Is it one of the competitors or is it a classic Batman villain?

THE LOWDOWN:  As a child, the most important characters in my life were Batman and Robin and Scooby-Doo and company.  I am still excited about the worlds of Batman and Scooby-Doo coming together.  Obviously, The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries is one of those comic book series that is perfectly made for me.

The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #7 is one of this series best issues yet.  I find myself really surprised by the identity of the mystery villain, but equally surprising is the role that Shaggy and Scooby ultimately play in the competition.  Once again, Amanda Deibert, one of this series regular writers, spins an engaging yarn that is highly entertaining, practically for all ages.

Dario Brizuela, one of my favorite Scooby-Doo comic book artists, is at the helm for “Gotham's Got Talent, and he doesn't disappoint.  He starts with a eye-catching cover, with its striking presentation of the series leads in a variety of costumes and posses.  Under Franco Riesco's rich colors, the art pops off the page, especially the pivotal “chase sequence” featuring Scooby and Shaggy.

All in all, The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #7 is a really good read and is a particularly good issue.  See you next Bat-time and have a Scooby-Dooby-Doo day, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of the union of the worlds of Batman and Scooby-Doo will want The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries.

[This comic book includes a seven-page preview of the DC Comics original graphic novel, “Shazam! Thundercrack” by Yehudi Mercado.]

A

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


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Saturday, July 15, 2023

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from July 9th to 15th, 2023 - Update #13

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

COMIC-CON - From Variety:  The "Dune: Part Two," "Jury Duty," and "Abbott Elementary" panels at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 have been cancelled due to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

NETFLIX - From TheNewYorker:  This shocking article discusses how little money many of the cast members of Netflix's "Orange is the New Black" made during and after the series. Consider this an explanation of the Hollywood writers strike and the impending actors strike.

EMMYS - From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2023 / 75th Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced.  HBO's "Succession" leads with 27 nominations.  The winners will be announced September 18, 2023 and broadcast on Fox.

DISNEY - From THRDisney has extended Bob Iger's contract as CEO through 2026.  Iger was previously CEO from 2005-2020 before retiring.  He returned in  2022 after his replacement, Bob Chapek, was fired by Disney's board of directors.

MOVIES - From DeadlineSony Pictures and Apple Original Films have released the first trailer for director Ridley Scott's "Napoleon," starring Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix in the title role.  The film is set for a worldwide theatrical release November 22nd, 2023.

From Deadline:  Director Michael Mann's latest film, "Ferrari," is headed to the Venice Film Festival.  The epic film, starring Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz, will open Christmas Day 2023.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 7/7 to 7/9/2023 weekend box office is Sony Pictures' "Insidious: The Red Door" with an estimated take of 32.6 million dollars.

CELEBRITY - From Deadline:  "Mission: Impossible" franchise director, Christopher McQuarrie, says that the first time he met Tom Cruse, the star told him that he (Cruise) makes "mass entertainment." Cruise also reveals the weirdest myth about him.

MOVIES - GiantFreakinRobot:  The site has been reporting since Dec. 2022 that Universal Pictures is rebooting its franchise, "The Mummy," that began with the 1999 film of the same title.  The latest is the actors Oded Fehr (Ardeth Bey) and John Hannah (Jonathan Carnahan) are returning.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Soap opera actress, Andrea Evans, has died at the age of 66, Sunday, July 9, 2023.  Evans was best known for playing the role of troublemaking teen, "Tina Lord," on ABC's "One Life to Live" from 1979-81, 1986-90, 2008, 2011.  She also starred in NBC's soap, "Passions" (2000-08), and CBS' "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful."  Evans was a two-time nominee at the Daytime Emmy Awards.  Evans career was also hampered for most of the 1990s as she retreated from public view because of violent stalker.

From Deadline:  Film and television writer, director, and producer, Manny Coto, has died at the age of 62, Sunday, July 9, 2023.  He wrote episodes of such TV series as "Star Trek: Enterprise," Fox's "24," and "Dexter," to name a few.  He was on of 12 people who won the "Outstand Drama Series" Primetime Emmy Award for "24" in 2006. In 2011, he shared an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Drama Series" for Showtime's "Dexter."

WRITERS/ACTORS STRIKE:

From Variety:  The SAG/AFTRA strike begins in New York and Los Angeles.  Hollywood actors began striking today, Fri., July 14th.

From Deadline:  The site has the video of the powerful strike speech given by SAG-AFTRA president, Fran Drescher, the actress best known for CBS' former sitcom, "The Nanny."

From Deadline:  Concerning the Hollywood writers strike (via the WGA), the Hollywood Studios (as represented by the AMPTP) is to let the writers go broke before resuming talks deep into the Fall.

From Deadline: SAG-AFTRA is already preparing strike picket signs in case the actors' strike begins next week.

From Deadline:  WGA is picketing the New York City filming location of the 12th series of FX's "American Horror Story" (entitled "Delicate") after series co-creator Ryan Murphy threaten litigation against an east coast strike captain.

From THR:  TV super-producer, Ryan Murphy, in a letter from his attorney to the leadership of the Writers Guild of America, threatened litigation against Warren Leight, an East Coast strike captain and Strike Rules Compliance Committee member who has subsequently forfeited those positions.

From Deadline:  The Hollywood studios via the AMPTP has given Canadian actors a new contract, including a 5 percent raise.

From Deadline:  Writers Strike puts the spotlight back on the challenge from writers for animation productions to be covered by the WGA.

From THR:  Studios won't give writers better pay, and now, are laying off janitors.

From Deadline:  The Directors Guild of America (DGA) has reached a tentative new three-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). So what does the Writers Guild (WGA), currently on strike and negotiating with the AMPTP, think of that deal.

From Deadline:  Netflix shareholders declined to support the 2023 pay packages of top executives during a non-binding vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.  The vote won't prevent these execs from getting their loot (an total of $166 million), but this is a rare public rebuke.  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has urged shareholders to vote "No" because the pay was "inappropriate" at this time.

From Deadline:  Warner Bros Discovery chief David Zaslav gave the commencement address at Boston University. There he was met with jeers and also chants of "pay your writers" from picketers and from some in the audience.

From Deadline:   President Joe Biden speaks on the Writers Guild of America strike.

From Deadline:  Retaliation! The studios have starting informing writer-producers who have "overall" and "first-look" deals that such deals are being suspended.

From Deadline:  Retaliation!  Prolific HBO creator, David Simon, who is best known for "The Wire," is one of the many writers who have had their overall deals suspended the studios due to the WGA strike.  Simon has been with HBO for 25 years.

From Deadline:  The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is on strike.

From Deadline:  Disney, HBO/HBO Max, and CBS have sent letters to showrunners (the TV equivalent of film directors) instructing them to return to work, inspite of the writer's strike.

From Deadline:  The WGA's chief negotiator, Ellen Stutzman, talks about the state of the writers' strike, including the lack of engagement on the part of the strike's other party, AMPTP.

From Deadline:  What went wrong between the WGA and AMPTP? What could they not agree on that led to a strike?

From Deadline:  The site explains the WGA strike: the issues, the stakes, movies and TV shows affected, and how long it might last.

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Friday, July 14, 2023

Review: "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - Dead Reckoning Part One" Embraces the Impossible

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 of 2023 (No. 1921) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
Running time: 163 minutes (2 hours, 43 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 intense sequences of violence and action, some language and suggestive material
DIRECTOR:  Christopher McQuarrie
WRITERS:  Christopher McQuarrie and Erik Jendresen (based upon the television series created by Bruce Geller)
PRODUCERS: Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Fraser Taggart (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Eddie Hamilton
COMPOSER: Loren Balfe

ACTION/ADVENTURE/SPY/THRILLER

Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Frederick Schmidt, Maria Garriga, Cary Elwes, and Henry Czerny

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is a 2023 action-thriller and espionage film directed by Christopher McQuarrie and starring Tom Cruise.  It is the seventh film in the Mission: Impossible film series, which is based on the American television series, “Mission: Impossible” (CBS, 1966-73), that was created by Bruce Geller.  In Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt and his IMF team race to obtain half of a key that is connected to something that could be a doomsday device.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One opens in the Bering Sea.  Beneath the surface, an advanced Russian submarine, the “Sevastopol,” prepares to test a new AI (artificial intelligence) system.  But disaster strikes.

Later, Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny), the director of the IMF (Impossible Mission Force), offers IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) a new mission.  Should he accept, Hunt must retrieve half of a mysterious cruciform key.  It is currently in the possession of his ally, the former British agent, Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson), who also has had a 50-million-dollar bounty placed on her.

Next, Hunt and his team – Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg) and Luther Stickwell (Ving Rhames) – must trace the current holder of the second half of that cruciform key to a buyer.  However, the mission is complicated by the intercession of new players:  Grace (Hayley Atwell), a professional thief; Alanna Mitsopolis (Vanessa Kirby), a black-market arms dealers also known as the “White Widow;” and Paris (Pom Klementieff), a French assassin.  The most shocking new player is Paris' boss, Gabriel (Esai Morales), a powerful terrorist with an intimate connection to Ethan Hunt's past.  Ethan and his IMF team clash with these new people in a struggle for a key that is connected to something that could rule the world or destroy it, The Entity

I divide the six Mission: Impossible movies into two trilogies.  Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), and Mission: Impossible III (2006) make up the first trilogy.  Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011),  Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) form the second trilogy.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is something new.  It was originally meant to be the first part of a two-part send off for Ethan Hunt, but that has apparently changed.  Still, Dead Reckoning Part One feels like the beginning of the end.  It's as if Ethan is facing his ultimate test, a mission in which most of the potential resolutions can make things worse for the U.S. and the rest of the world.  Honestly, this feels like a mission in which Ethan should not survive.

That aside, should you choose to accept this mission, dear readers, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is a non-stop thrill machine full of heart-pounding races, car chases, standoffs, and Tom Cruise running more than he ever has.  I balked at the runtime of two hours and forty-three minutes, but the film doesn't feel that long.  It's always moving and grooving to a electrifying pace.  The plot is a bit thin, and even that thinness manages to be a bit convoluted, but Dead Reckoning Part One moves too much to allow you to think about any inconsistencies.  Why think about plot when the action and thrills are so mesmerizing and exhilarating?  I had seen several video clips of Ethan Hunt's motorcycle cliff dive, which is the super-big stunt in Dead Reckoning Part One, but seeing the entire thing on the big, silver screen still made me nervous.  That's the peak power of the extravagant action movie treats that this film offers.

Dead Reckoning Part One has beautiful cinematography and a hypnotic, pounding film score, and killer production values.  Everyone is dressed so nicely, and all the sets put the art in art direction.  The cast is amazing, and I couldn't get enough of Pom Klementieff's Paris.  But the stars here are true movie star, Tom Cruise, and director Christopher McQuarrie.  They wanted to give people a reason to come back to movie theaters, and they have.  Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is the kind of high-quality and breath-taking entertainment that demands to be seen in a darkened movie theater with a bunch of other people as equally thrilled as you or I are.

8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, July 15, 2023


The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Apple TV+ Trumpets Its 54 Emmy Award Nominations at the 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards

Apple lands record 54 Emmy Award nominations, and makes history as “Ted Lasso” becomes the most Emmy-nominated comedy for the third consecutive year, and “STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie” becomes most-nominated documentary

Apple Originals honored with nominations across 13 hit titles, including “Ted Lasso,” “STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” “Shrinking,” “Black Bird,” “Bad Sisters,” “Schmigadoon!,” “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” “The Problem with Jon Stewart,” “Carpool Karaoke: The Series,” “For All Mankind,” “Five Days at Memorial,” “Hello Tomorrow!” and “Prehistoric Planet”

“Ted Lasso” once again leads as this year's most-nominated comedy with 21 Emmy nominations

Broadly celebrated documentary “STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie” leads documentaries with seven nominations, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special

Apple TV+ breaks through in late night as “The Problem with Jon Stewart” lands three nominations including Outstanding Talk Series

Apple Original programs “Ted Lasso,” “Shrinking,” “Bad Sisters” and “Black Bird” are honored with 15 acting nominations for acclaimed performances

“Carpool Karaoke: The Series” scores sixth series nomination, following five consecutive wins

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apple TV+ makes history with a record 54 Emmy Award nominations across 13 hit Apple Original titles, catapulting to the third most Emmy-nominated network in just over three years since its global launch. Apple Originals land major category nominations including Outstanding Comedy series for this year’s most Emmy-nominated comedy “Ted Lasso”; Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special for “STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” which also leads as this year’s most Emmy-nominated documentary; Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special for late night breakout “The Problem with Jon Stewart”; and Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series for “Carpool Karaoke: The Series.” Nominations for the 75th Emmy Awards were announced by the Television Academy and the winners are set to be unveiled at a ceremony on September 18, 2023.

“These brilliantly original stories have made us laugh, given us a greater sense of empathy and a fresh understanding of our world through many different genres of storytelling,” said Zack Van Amburg, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “We are in awe of the unique talents of the casts and crews that have brought these fantastic programs to audiences across the globe and we thank the Television Academy for these honors.”

“We are incredibly grateful to the Television Academy for recognizing this wide array of Apple Original programming,” said Jamie Erlicht, Apple’s head of Worldwide Video. “It has been an absolute pleasure to collaborate with these gifted artists and we couldn’t be happier to see them acknowledged for their exceptional work today. We send our warmest congratulations to all of the nominees.”

Global phenomenon “Ted Lasso” becomes the most-nominated comedy for the third consecutive year with 21 in total, expanding its nominations for its acclaimed third season. The series also lands nine total acting nominations, becoming only the fifth comedy in history to receive Emmy Award nominations for all of its original series regulars, joining “All in the Family,” “Golden Girls,” “Schitt’s Creek” and “Will & Grace.” Emmy Award-winning stars Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein and Hannah Waddingham are recognized with back-to-back nominations for season three. Stars Phil Dunster and Juno Temple, and guest stars Sam Richardson, Sarah Niles, Harriet Walter and Becky Ann Baker also land acting nominations.

Apple Original documentary “STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie” leads this year’s documentary films and docuseries with a total of seven Emmy Award nominations including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Special.

For the first year, Apple TV+ breaks through in late night programming as “The Problem with Jon Stewart” is recognized with nominations for Outstanding Talk Series, Directing for a Variety Series, and Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series.

Apple Originals “Shrinking,” “Bad Sisters,” “Black Bird,” “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” “Prehistoric Planet,” “Five Days at Memorial” and “Hello Tomorrow!” are recognized with first-time Emmy Award nominations. In addition, “Carpool Karaoke: The Series” scores with its sixth consecutive series nomination, following its fifth win in a row.

Apple TV+ series stars earn 15 acting category nominations, including nine top acting nominations for acclaimed performances in the third season of “Ted Lasso,” and first-time nominations for “Shrinking” stars Jason Segel and Jessica Williams, and “Black Bird” stars Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser. Sharon Horgan lands her first acting nomination in the Lead Actress in a Drama Series category for her celebrated performance in hit “Bad Sisters.”

In 2022, “Ted Lasso” joined the ranks of comedy legends with its win for Outstanding Comedy Series for its first and second seasons, becoming only the eighth series in the genre in 74 years of Emmy history to do so. The second season of “Ted Lasso” also became the most Emmy-winning comedy for the second year in a row with four total wins, including Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Jason Sudeikis), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Brett Goldstein), and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (MJ Delaney).

In total, Apple scores 54 Emmy Award nominations including:

“Ted Lasso” season three (21):
Outstanding Comedy Series
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Jason Sudeikis
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Phil Dunster
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Brett Goldstein
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series - Juno Temple
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series - Hannah Waddingham
Guest Actor in a Comedy Series - Sam Richardson
Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Becky Ann Baker
Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Sarah Niles
Guest Actress in a Comedy Series - Harriet Walter
Directing for a Comedy Series - Declan Lowney
Casting for a Comedy Series
Writing in a Comedy Series
Picture Editing for a Single-Camera Series - A.J. Catoline, ACE + Alex Szabo
Picture Editing for a Single-Camera Series - Melissa McCoy + Francesca Castro
Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary (One Hour or More)
Contemporary Hairstyling
Original Music and Lyrics - “Fought & Lost”
Original Music and Lyrics - “A Beautiful Game”
Music Supervision
Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode

“STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie” (7):
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program
Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program
Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special
Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program
Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program

“Bad Sisters” (4):
Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Sharon Horgan
Directing in a Drama Series - Dearbhla Walsh
Writing in a Drama Series
Casting for a Drama Series

“Black Bird” (4):
Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - Taron Egerton
Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - Paul Walter Hauser
Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - Ray Liotta
Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

“Schmigadoon!” season two (3):
Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour)
Choreography for a Scripted Program
Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour)

“The Problem with Jon Stewart” season two (3):
Outstanding Talk Series
Directing for a Variety Series
Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series

“Shrinking” (2):
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Jason Segel
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series - Jessica Williams

“Five Days at Memorial” (1):
Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode

“Prehistoric Planet” season two (1):
Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special

“Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me” (1):
Writing for a Nonfiction Program

“For All Mankind” season three experience (1)"
Emerging Media Program

“Carpool Karaoke: The Series” season five (1):
Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series

“Hello Tomorrow!” (1):
Main Title Design

Outstanding Commercial (4):
Apple - The Greatest - Accessibility
Call Me with Timothee Chalamet - Apple TV+
Quiet the Noise - AirPods
R.I.P. Leon - Apple

“Bad Sisters”:
In “Bad Sisters,” the tight-knit Garvey sisters have always looked out for each other. When their brother-in-law winds up dead, his life insurers launch an investigation to prove malicious intent — and set their sights on the sisters, all of whom had ample reason to kill him. The “Bad Sisters” ensemble cast is led by Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Sarah Greene and Eve Hewson as the Garvey sisters. Claes Bang, Brian Gleeson, Daryl McCormack, Assaad Bouab and newcomer Saise Quinn round out the ensemble cast.

The series is executive produced and written by Horgan with Brett Baer and Dave Finkel, who adapted it from the Belgian version of the series “Clan,” which was created by Malin-Sarah Gozin. Horgan, Faye Dorn and Clelia Mountford executive produce for Merman; and Gozin, Bert Hamelinck and Michael Sagol executive produce for Caviar. In addition to Horgan, Baer and Finkel, the series is written by Karen Cogan, Ailbhe Keogan, Daniel Cullen, Perrie Balthazar and Paul Howard. Dearbhla Walsh, Josephine Bornebusch and Rebecca Gatward serve as directors. Walsh also serves as executive producer. “Bad Sisters” is produced by Merman Television and ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios.

“Black Bird”:
Inspired by actual events, when high school football hero and decorated policeman’s son Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum security prison, he is given the choice of a lifetime — enter a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser), or stay where he is and serve his full sentence with no possibility of parole. Keene quickly realizes his only way out is to elicit a confession and find out where the bodies of several young girls are buried before Hall’s appeal goes through. But is this suspected killer telling the truth? Or is it just another tale from a serial liar? This dramatic and captivating story subverts the crime genre by enlisting the help of the very people put behind bars to solve its mysteries.

“Black Bird” is developed, written and executive produced by Dennis Lehane. The first three episodes are directed by Academy Award nominee Michaël R. Roskam, who also serves as executive producer. Lehane, Egerton and Roskam executive produce alongside Richard Plepler through his EDEN Productions; Bradley Thomas, Dan Friedkin and Ryan Friedkin executive produce through Imperative Entertainment; Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert executive produce through EMJAG Productions; and Kary Antholis also executive produces, along with the book’s author Keene. Jim McKay and Joe Chappelle also direct. The limited series is produced for Apple TV+ by Apple Studios.

“Carpool Karaoke: The Series”:
This season, the stars — sharing a car, singing along to their personal playlists and embarking on new adventures — include Kevin Bacon, Michael Bacon, Ciara, Brian Cox, Chelsea Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Alan Cumming, Duran Duran, Nikki Glaser, Method Man, Sandra Oh, Chris Redd, Amber Ruffin, Wilco, Russell Wilson, the cast of “For All Mankind” and more.

“Carpool Karaoke: The Series” is produced for Apple by CBS Studios and Fulwell 73 Productions with executive producers James Corden, Eric Pankowski and Ben Winston.

“Five Days at Memorial”:
From Academy Award winner John Ridley and Emmy Award winner Carlton Cuse, who both also serve as directors, and starring an award-winning ensemble cast that includes Vera Farmiga, Cornelius Smith Jr. and Emmy Award winner Cherry Jones, “Five Days at Memorial” chronicles the impact of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath on a local hospital. When the floodwaters rose, power failed, and heat soared, exhausted caregivers at a New Orleans hospital were forced to make decisions that would follow them for years to come.

In addition to Farmiga, Smith Jr. and Jones, the limited series stars Robert Pine, Julie Ann Emery, Adepero Oduye, Molly Hager, Michael Gaston and W. Earl Brown.

“Five Days at Memorial” is executive produced and written by Cuse and Ridley, the series is directed by Cuse, Ridley and Wendey Stanzler. The series hails from ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios.

“For All Mankind”:
The propulsive third season of the alternate reality series, takes viewers to a new decade, moving into the early ’90s with a high-octane race to a new planetary frontier: Mars. The Red Planet becomes the new front in the Space Race not only for the US and the Soviet Union, but also an unexpected new entrant with a lot to prove and even more at stake. Our characters find themselves going head-to-head as their ambitions for Mars come into conflict and their loyalties are tested, creating a pressure cooker that builds to a climactic conclusion.

“For All Mankind” is created by Emmy Award winner Moore, and Emmy Award nominees Nedivi and Wolpert. Nedivi and Wolpert serve as showrunners, and executive produce alongside Moore and Davis of Tall Ship Productions, as well as David Weddle, Bradley Thompson and Nichole Beattie. “For All Mankind” is produced by Sony Pictures Television.

“Hello Tomorrow!”:
“Hello Tomorrow!” is an inspiring dramedy starring and executive produced by Emmy and Critics Choice Award winner Billy Crudup. Set in a retro-future world, “Hello Tomorrow!” centers on a group of traveling salesmen hawking lunar timeshares. Crudup stars as Jack, a salesman of great talent and ambition, whose unshakeable faith in a brighter tomorrow inspires his coworkers, revitalizes his desperate customers, but threatens to leave him dangerously lost in the very dream that sustains him. The ensemble cast starring alongside Crudup includes Haneefah Wood, Alison Pill, Nicholas Podany, Dewshane Williams, Emmy Award winner Hank Azaria, Matthew Maher and Academy Award nominee Jacki Weaver.

Co-created by Amit Bhalla and Lucas Jansen, “Hello Tomorrow!” is produced by MRC Television. Stephen Falk, Jonathan Entwistle, Bhalla and Jansen serve as executive producers alongside Crudup. Blake Griffin, Ryan Kalil and Noah Weinstein serve as executive producers for Mortal Media.

“Prehistoric Planet”:
The series, from executive producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton and BBC Studios Natural History Unit (“Planet Earth”), and narrated by Sir David Attenborough with an original score by Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman and Kara Talve from Bleeding Fingers Music, transports viewers back millions of years in the past to discover our world — and the dinosaurs that roamed it — all in extraordinary detail. Viewers explore five new habitats, including the active volcanoes of India, the marshlands of Madagascar, the deep oceans near North America and so much more. Throughout this season, the series and its creators take you up close into dinosaurs’ habitats to experience the dangers, the adventures and even the camaraderie between species unlike any we’ve seen before.

“Prehistoric Planet” combines award-winning wildlife filmmaking, the latest paleontology learnings and state-of-the-art technology to unveil the spectacular habitats and inhabitants of ancient Earth for a one-of-a-kind immersive experience. The series is produced by the world-renowned team at BBC Studios Natural History Unit with support from the photorealistic visual effects of MPC applied to concept art created by Jellyfish Pictures. The theme is by Hans Zimmer and Andrew Christie for Bleeding Fingers Music, with an original score by Zimmer, Anže Rozman and Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music.

“The Problem with Jon Stewart”:
Acclaimed host, writer, producer, director and advocate Jon Stewart, recipient of the 2022 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, leads with compassion and humor as he takes a deep dive into some of the most important issues of our time. Using comedy and common sense, the series features tough, topical and culture-moving conversations from the perspectives of stakeholders, experts and individuals confronting these issues.

The Writers Guild Award-nominated series “The Problem With Jon Stewart” is hosted and executive produced by Stewart through his Busboy Productions. The series is executive produced by showrunner Brinda Adhikari, alongside Stewart’s longtime manager James Dixon, Chris McShane and Richard Plepler through his Eden Productions, which has an exclusive overall production deal with Apple. Lorrie Baranek and Reza Riazi are supervising producers and Kris Acimovic is head writer.

“Schmigadoon!”:
Having found true love in the town of Schmigadoon, season two of “Schmigadoon!” finds Josh (Keegan-Michael Key) and Melissa (Cecily Strong) in Schmicago, the reimagined world of ’60s and ’70s musicals. The second season of Apple’s broadly acclaimed comedy includes new original musical numbers from co-creator, executive producer and showrunner Cinco Paul, as well as returning stars Cecily Strong, Keegan-Michael Key, Ariana DeBose, Martin Short, Dove Cameron, Jaime Camil, Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ann Harada, Jane Krakowski and Aaron Tveit with Tituss Burgess and Patrick Page joined the cast for season two.

“Schmigadoon!” hails from Broadway Video and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. “Schmigadoon!” is co-created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Paul serves as showrunner and wrote all of the original songs for the series. Lorne Michaels and Andrew Singer serve as executive producers, Micah Frank serves as co-executive producer, and star Cecily Strong and Caroline Maroney serve as producers.

“Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me”:
“Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me” is a documentary feature about singer, songwriter, actress, producer, entrepreneur and activist Selena Gomez, “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” directed and produced by Alek Keshishian.

After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light. This film marks the second project for Apple with producers Lighthouse Management + Media and Interscope Films following their collaboration on the Emmy Award-nominated documentary “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.”

“Shrinking”:
Starring Jason Segel and Harrison Ford in one of his first television roles, “Shrinking” follows grieving therapist Jimmy (Segel) who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives … including his own. In addition to Segel and Ford (Paul), the series stars Jessica Williams (Gaby), Christa Miller (Liz), Lukita Maxwell (Alice), Michael Urie (Brian) and Luke Tennie (Sean).

Co-created by Emmy Award-winning “Ted Lasso” executive producer Bill Lawrence, Emmy Award-winning “Ted Lasso” star, writer and co-executive producer Brett Goldstein, and Segel, “Shrinking” is produced by Warner Bros. Television, where Lawrence and Goldstein are under overall deals, and Lawrence’s Doozer Productions. Lawrence, Segel, Goldstein, Neil Goldman, James Ponsoldt, Randall Winston, Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer serve as executive producers.

“STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie”:
“STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie” starring Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan, is directed by Academy Award winner Davis Guggenheim. The film, which incorporates documentary, archival and scripted elements, recounts Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words — the improbable tale of an undersized kid from a Canadian army base who rose to the heights of stardom in 1980s Hollywood. The account of Fox’s public life, full of nostalgic thrills and cinematic gloss, unspools alongside his never-before-seen private journey, including the years that followed his diagnosis, at 29, with Parkinson’s disease. Intimate and honest, and produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family, the film chronicles Fox’s personal and professional triumphs and travails, and explores what happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease. With a mix of adventure and romance, comedy and drama, watching the film feels like … well, like a Michael J. Fox movie.

“STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie” is produced by Concordia Studio. Guggenheim, Annetta Marion, Will Cohen and Jonathan King serve as producers, with Laurene Powell Jobs, Jonathan Silberberg, Nicole Stott and Fox’s longtime producing partner Nelle Fortenberry executive producing. The project marks the second partnership for Apple and Concordia Studio following the Emmy Award-winning documentary “Boys State.”

“Ted Lasso”:
Jason Sudeikis is Ted Lasso, an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team — despite having no experience. But what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with optimism, underdog determination — and biscuits. The widely acclaimed series also stars Hannah Waddingham, Brendan Hunt, Jeremy Swift, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Phil Dunster, and Nick Mohammed.

In addition to starring, Sudeikis serves as executive producer, alongside Bill Lawrence via his Doozer Productions, in association with Warner Bros. and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Doozer’s Jeff Ingold also serves as an executive producer, with Liza Katzer as co-executive producer. The series was developed by Sudeikis, Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly, and is based on the preexisting format and characters from NBC Sports.

All programs are currently streaming on Apple TV+.:
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut.


About Apple TV+:
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $6.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.*

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Comics Review: "SINS OF THE SALTON SEA #2" Raises All Kinds of Hell

SINS OF THE SALTON SEA #2 (OF 5)
AWA STUDIOS

STORY: Ed Brisson
ART: C.P. Smith
COLORS: C.P. Smith
LETTERS: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
COVER: Tim Bradstreet
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Francisco Francavilla; Chris Ferguson
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (July 2023)

Rated: “Mature”

Sins of the Salton Sea is a new five-issue comic book miniseries from writer Ed Brisson and artist C.P. Smith.  Published by AWA Studios, the series focuses on a professional thief who finds himself protecting lives rather than collecting the money he was promised.  Letterer Steve Wands completes the series creative team.

Sins of the Salton Sea introduces Wyatt, a professional thief living off the grid.  His brother, Jasper, convinces him to join his crew for one of those proverbial “last big scores.”  What Walt scores is one human sacrifice and a war among factions of a doomsday cult.

Sins of the Salton Sea #2 opens in Oroville, CA.  Wyatt finds himself in possession of Madison and her son, Silver.  However, Madison's ex-husband, Cecil Currier, wants possession of them both, especially of the boy.  Now, Cecil believes he has something that Wyatt wants, and if Wyatt doesn't cooperate, all hell will break loose.

THE LOWDOWN:  AWA Studios' marketing recently began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications.  Sins of the Salton Sea #2 is the latest.

I didn't have a lot to say about the first issue of Sins of the Salton Sea, but it was a damn good read.  Writer Ed Brisson offered a tale that suddenly blew up in the reader's face, leaving everything changed and the direction of the story totally different from what the reader expected.  There is more of that this second issue.  Brisson teases out just enough information and terse drama and tight suspense to make us chase him to this issue's shocking finale.

At the star of the series, artist-colorist, C.P. Smith, depicted the West in true grand fashion with a clean compositional style and panels that feel wide and cinematic.  Now, as the ultra-violence is kicking off, Smith brings in a cinematic storytelling style that is at once widescreen, but also close and intimate – even in those moments that make you, dear readers, want to pull away for the tough stuff.

Smith's colors, however, give the story a deeply intimate feel.  Not only the drama, but also the action scenes bring the readers up close and personal.  I felt like I was there and in trouble with everyone else.

I highly recommend Sins of the Salton Sea #2.  At the start, it promised a lot for the rest of this series, and this second issue delivers on all potentials and promises.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of action thrillers and conspiracies will want to try Sins of the Salton Sea.

A

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


AWA Website: https://awastudios.net/
AWA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awastudiosofficial/
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AWA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/awastudiosofficial


The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Tuesday, July 11, 2023

Review: "MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2" is Still on Fire

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 of 2023 (No. 1920) by Leroy Douresseaux

Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
Running time: 123 minutes (2 hours, 3 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action and some sensuality
DIRECTOR:  John Woo
WRITERS:  Robert Towne; from a story by Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Barga (based upon the television series created by Bruce Geller)
PRODUCERS: Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jeffrey L. Kimball (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Steven Kemper and Christian Wagner
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer

ACTION/ADVENTURE/SPY/THRILLER

Starring: Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton, Richard Roxburgh, John Polson, Brendan Gleeson, Rade Serbedzija, William Mapother, Dominic Purcell, Nicholas Bell, Kee Chan, Antonio Vargas, and Ving Rhames with Anthony Hopkins

Mission: Impossible 2 is a 2000 action-thriller and espionage film directed by John Woo and starring Tom Cruise.  It is a sequel to the 1996 film, Mission: Impossible, and is based on the American television series, “Mission: Impossible” (CBS, 1966-73), that was created by Bruce Geller.  In Mission: Impossible 2 (also known as M:I-2), Ethan Hunt battles a rogue fellow agent in a bid to obtain a genetically modified virus.

Mission: Impossible 2 opens in a lab at Australia's Biocyte Pharmaceuticals.  There, Dr. Vladimir Nekhorvich (Rade Serbedzija), a bio-genetics scientist, sends a message to his old friend, “Dimitri,” which is the cover name for Impossible Mission Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise).  Nekhorvich's employer, Biocyte Pharmaceuticals, has forced him to create a biological weapon, which he calls “Chimera,” and a cure for it, which he names “Bellerophon.”  Biocyte's CEO, John C. McCloy (Brendan Gleeson), plans to profit from Bellerophon as cure for Chimera after the virus is released into the unsuspecting world.

Nekhorvich injects himself with Chimera and carries Bellerophon with him and heads to the U.S., where he hopes to meet “Dimitri.”  However, he is intercepted by IMF agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott), who is, in some ways, Ethan Hunt's equal and opposite.  Ambrose and his men steal Bellerophon and begin their hunt to obtain Chimera, not knowing that it was inside Nekhorvich.

IMF Mission Commander Swanbeck (Anthony Hopkins) orders Hunt to lead his team – computer hacker, IMF agent Luther Stickwell (Ving Rhames), and helicopter pilot, William “Billy” Baird (John Polson), on a mission to get Chimera before Ambrose does.  Swanbeck also orders Hunt to add to his team a professional thief named Nyah Nordoff-Hall (Thandie Newton), who was, until recently, Ambrose's girlfriend.  Can Ethan trust Nyah, or has he gotten to close to her?  And is Ambrose more than a match for Ethan?

I divide the six Mission: Impossible movies into two trilogies.  Mission: Impossible (1996), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), and Mission: Impossible III (2006) make up the first trilogy.  Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011),  Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015), and Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) form the second trilogy.

That's just my personal thing.  M:I-2 is its own thing.  Directed by Hong Kong auteur, John Woo, the film features the hallmarks of Woo's directorial style, including his “bullet ballet” action sequences, stylized imagery, slow motion action and character drama scenes, Mexican standoffs, and fight sequences that recall the Chinese martial arts sub-genres “wuxia” and “wire-fu.”  However, the film doesn't really kick into high gear with some of Woo's best flourishes until its second half.

The first half of the film focuses on Ethan Hunt's obsession with Nyah Nordoff-Hall, which mirrors Sean Ambrose's obsession with her.  This “love triangle” allows Woo and his screenwriters to build tension between Hunt and Ambrose that explodes with jealousy and rage and eventually leads to a fight to the death.  M:I-2 may be the film in this franchise in which Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt shares the most screen time with other characters, especially Newton's Nyah and Scott's Ambrose.

Anyway, the film really begins to rumble in the second half.  The last half-hour or so is a masterpiece of directing, film editing, cinematography, and stunt coordinators and stuntmen.  My high rating is mainly because of this exhilarating last act, which makes me want to see this movie again.

Tom Cruise was in his late 30s when Mission: Impossible 2 began filming, yet he looks much younger onscreen, about a decade or so (at least to me).  His long hair, that boyish grin, his immature and petulant anger and jealousy would be largely gone 19 months later when his trippy drama, Vanilla Sky (2001), arrived in December 2001.  So for me, Mission: Impossible 2 is a good-bye to the Mission: Impossible film franchise's beginnings.  The series would rapidly begin to morph with the third entry, and boyish Tom Cruise would finally give way to adult Tom Cruise.  At least, I now remember why I loved this film so much 23 years ago, and now, I want to see it again.

8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Tuesday, July 11, 2023


NOTES:
2001 Image Awards (NAACP):  2 nominations: “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture” (Ving Rhames) and “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Thandie Newton)


The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Monday, July 10, 2023

BOOM! Studios Shipping from Diamond Distributors for July 12, 2023

BOOM! STUDIOS

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MAY230377 GHOSTLORE #3 (OF 12) CVR B DEL REY $4.99
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MAY230304 SIRENS OF THE CITY #1 (OF 6) CVR A RANDOLPH $4.99
MAY230305 SIRENS OF THE CITY #1 (OF 6) CVR B FRISON $4.99
MAY230306 SIRENS OF THE CITY #1 (OF 6) CVR C FOIL RANDOLPH $6.99
MAY230311 SIRENS OF THE CITY #1 (OF 6) CVR H FOC REVEAL YOUNG $4.99
MAR239613 SIRENS OF THE CITY #1 (OF 6) CVR I FOC REVEAL FOIL VAR YOUNG $6.99
MAR230246 WYND HC BOOK 03 THRONE IN THE SKY $19.99

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