Monday, December 18, 2023

Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama 2023 - Update #60

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

Support Leroy on Patreon:

NEWS:

KANG - From THR:  Marvel Studios has dropped actor Jonathan Majors from its roster of stars after the actor was convicted by a New York City jury of reckless assault in the third degree and also of harassment.  Majors had played "Kang the Conqueror" in two seasons of the Disney+ series, "Loki," and in the movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

BLACK PANTHER - From ComicBookDisney+ has announced a new animated series, "Eyes of Wakanda," set in the world of his film, Black Panther.  It is scheduled to debut sometime in 2024.

THOR - From Variety:  Oscar-winner Taika Waititi said that he had not interest in directing "Thor: Ragnarok," but did so because he was poor and had a second child to feed.

AVENGERS - From Deadline:  According to the site, Michael Waldron, who created the Disney+ "Loki" series and served as its showrunner for Season 1, has been tapped to write the upcoming film, "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty." Waldron is already penning the sequel, '"Avengers: Secret Wars."

FANTASTIC FOUR - From Deadline:  Word is that actor Pedro Pascal will portray Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in Marvel Studios' planned "Fantastic Four" film.

AVENGERS - From DeadlineShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director, Destin Daniel Cretton, is stepping away from the directors chair of "Avengers: The Kang Chronicles."  He will continue to oversee the Disney+/Marvel Studios series, "Wonder Man," and will also continue to develop a "Shang-Chi" sequel.

THOR 5 - From Variety:  If there is really going to be a "Thor 5," Taika Waititi, who directed the previous two "Thor" films (Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder), says that he won't be the film's director. He says he is working on other non-Marvel films and is still developing his "Star Wars" films.

THE MARVELS - From BoxOfficePro:  "The Marvels" tops the 11/10 to 11/12/2023 weekend box office.

From Here:  A review of "The Marvels" by Leroy Douresseaux.

RELEASE DATES - From Deadline:  Disney is changing the release dates for Marvel Studios films again.  "Deadpool 3" moves to July 26, 2024.  "Captain America: Brave New World" moves to February 14, 2025.  "Blade" is not scheduled for November 7, 2025.

BLADE - From Deadline:  In an interview about his short film, "Dammi," director Yann Demange says that his Marvel Studios' film, "Blade" (starring Mahershala Ali) will be rated "R."

OBIT - From Variety:  Movie stuntman, Taraja Ramsess, has died at the age of 41, Tuesday, October 31, 2023.  Ramsess and two of his daughters were killed in a car crash on Halloween night.  Among his 94 screen credits was stunt work on Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Panther.

FRANCHISE - From Variety:  Crisis at Marvel Studios? Inside the Jonathan Majors/"Kang" scandal and other things exciting the gossipy press.

DAREDEVIL BORN AGAIN - From THR:  Screenwriter Dario Scardapane will be the showrunner for Disney+.Marvel Studios' "Daredevil: Born Again."  Scardapane will write the remainder of the episodes that will comprise Season One of the series, as well as commit any other writing.  "Loki" Season 2 helmers, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead, will direct the remaining episodes.

From THR:  Marvel Studios is "retooling" its Disney+ series, "Daredevil: Born Again."  It is looking for new directors and writers after firing the current staff.

X-MEN - From Deadline:  In an exclusive story, "Deadline" is reporting that Marvel Studios will start meeting with writers later this Fall 2023 to hear pitches for the X-Men movie.

DAREDEVIL BORN AGAIN - From VarietySteven DeKnight, the showrunner for the first season of Netflix/Marvel's "Daredevil" says that Disney is running a scam by renaming the series "Daredevil: Born Again."  The scam is that Disney is slightly renaming the series to set contract terms back to the first season." Read to hear his explanation and complaints.

DISNEY+ - From VarietyDisney+ has shifted the release dates of some of its upcoming series due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.  Season 2 of "What If?..." has been delayed.  "Echo" and the animated "X-Men '97" have been moved from Nov. 29th to Jan. 2024.  The "WandaVision" spinoff, "Agatha," has been moved over year away to Fall 2024.

LABOR - From Variety:  A super-majority of Marvel Studios' more than 50-worker visual effects (VFX) crew has voted to unionize, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) announced on Mon., Aug. 7th.

IRON MAN - From CBR:   In an interview, "Oppenheimer" director Christopher Nolan calls the casting of Robert Downey, Jr. (who stars in "Oppenheimer") one of the greatest casting decisions ever made.

THE MARVELS - From EW:  Marvel Studios' upcoming film, "The Marvels," is the "cover feature" at EW ("Entertainment Weekly), feature an exclusive behind-the-scenes look and new images from the film.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Deadline:  "Guardians of the Galaxy 3" will make its Disney+ debut on August 2nd, 2023.

MS MARVEL - From CBR:  The Disney+/Marvel Studios series, "Ms. Marvel," will be the first Marvel Studios series to make it to broadcast television.  The series will debut on ABC, Saturday, August 5th, 2023 with three episodes, and the remaining three will debut the following week, Sat. August 12th.

DEADPOOL - From THR:  The site is reporting that Jennifer Garner will once again play the role of anti-hero and Marvel Comics assassin, "Elektra," in the upcoming Marvel Studios' film, "Deadpool 3."  Garner originally played the role in 20th Century Fox's "Daredevil" (2003) and "Elektra" (2005).

SECRET INVASION - From Polygon:  The opening credits scenes for the new Marvel Studios' Disney+ series, "Secret Invasion," used art generated by an artificial intelligence.  Yes, AI art is here to stay, but Marvel's move has generated some ill will.

HULK - From Deadline:  The rights issues have cleared.  The second film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), 2008's "The Incredible Hulk," is now streaming on Disney+.

CAPTAIN AMERICA 4 - From Variety:  "Captain America: New World Order" is now "Captain America: Brave New World."  Plus, the film has dropped a first-look photo of Harrison Ford and Anthony Mackie ("Captain America") sharing a laugh on the set of the film.

THOR - From Deadline:  Irish actor Ray Stevenson, has died at the age of 58, May 22, 2023.  He played the character "Volstagg," in Marvel Studios' "Thor" (2011), "Thor: The Dark World" (2013), and "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017).  He also played "Frank Castle/The Punisher" in Lionsgate's 2008 Marvel Comics' film, "Punisher: War Zone."

DEADPOOL 3 - From Deadline:  Actresses Brianna Hildebrand will return as the character "Negasonic Teenage Warhead" and Shioli Kutsuna will return as Negasonic's girlfriend, Yukio, in Marvel Studios' "Deadpool 3."

LOKI - From Deadline:  Marvel Studios' Disney+ series, Loki Season 2, will arrive October 6th.  New episodes will arrive weekly.

ECHO - From Deadline:  Every episode of Marvel Studios' Disney+ series, "Echo," will drop on November 29th.  The series focuses on "Maya Lopez," a deaf Native American superhero.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Variety:  "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3" opens with a domestic box office gross estimated at 114 million dollars.  It added 168 million dollars in 52 international markets for an estimated worldwide total of 282 million dollars.

From GamesRadar:  Vin Diesel breaks his silence on his character, Groot's final line in the film. The reason why we (the audience) and new Gamorra could understand that line is that after spending so much time alongside Groot, we can understand him.

From THR:  This is an article about, among other things, how Chris Pratt and his "Guardians of the Galaxy" rescued their director James Gunn after his (unjust) firing by Disney.

From Deadline:  "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" does 14 million dollars in Thursday night's preview shows.

From The AVClub:  What does "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" mean for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

DAREDEVIL - From CBR:  Actor Vincent D'Onofrio says that the Disney+/Marvel Studios series, "Daredevil: Born Again," will not be like Netflix's "Daredevil" series.  He says that all he can say is "we are not bored."

VICTORIA ALONSO - From Deadline:  Disney has settled with former Marvel Studios VFX chief Victoria Alonso after abruptly firing her in March.  The terms are confidential, but the settlement is said to be a multimillion dollar compensation package.

JEREMY RENNER - From People:  Actor Jeremy Renner said that during his recovery from serious injuries he sustained due to a Jan 1st snowplow accident, fellow actor Anthony Mackie was at his bedside.  Renner and Mackie both starred in the Oscar-winning "The Hurt Locker" (2009) and both are among the Marvel Cinematic Universes biggest stars.

ANT-MAN - From Forbes:  Disney reveals that its spent 193.2 million dollars on pre-production and filming of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."

CAPTAIN AMERICA - From THRLiv Tyler, who played "Betty Ross" in Universal Pictures and Marvel Studios' "The Incredible Hulk" (2008), will return as the character in "Captain America: New World Order." Anthony Mackie will headline the film as Sam Wilson/Captain America.

From TheAVClub: Actor Carl Lumbly, who played the super-soldier, "Isaiah Bradley" in the Disney+ series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" will reprise the role in "Captain America 4," which is currently titled "Captain America: New World Order."

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY - From Deadline:  Director James Gunn talks about the runtime of "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3" (about two and a half hours) and says that not a second of the film is wasted.

EXECUTIVE SUITE - From THRVictoria Alonso, the president of physical and postproduction, visual effects and animation production at Marvel Studios, has reportedly left the company.

IRONHEART - From GameRant:  Iconic voice performer, Cree Summer, who has performed voice roles in numerous animated films and television series, has joined the Disney+/Marvel Studios' series, "Ironheart," in an undisclosed role.

WOLVERINE - From VarietyHugh Jackman is bulking up to play "Wolverine" again, this time, in the upcoming "Deadpool 3."  He is eating 8000 calories a day.

DAREDEVIL - From THR:  Actor John Bernthal will return to play Frank Castle/The Punisher in Disney+/Marvel Studios' "Daredevil: Born Again."  Bernthal played the character in Season 2 of Marvel/Netflix's "Daredevil" and in his own series, "The Punisher," for two seasons (2017-19).

WAKANDA FOREVER - From Deadline:  "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" topped the U.S. streaming charts the week of its debut, 1/30 to 2/5/2023, with 2.3 billion viewing minutes.  That is also the third highest debut ever, behind Netflix "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" and Disney+'s "Hocus Pocus 2."

ANT-MAN/WASP - From Variety:  Actor Jonathan Majors, who played "Kang," and screenwriter Jeff Loveness confront the bad reviews that "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" in different ways.

From Deadline:  "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" star Evangeline Lilly says she once turned down Hugh Jackman's request that she appear in an "X-Men" film."

THE MARVELS - From THR:  "The Marvels" release date has been moved July 28th to Nov. 10th.  Disney's "Haunted Mansion" will take the July 28th release date.

KEVIN FEIGE - From EW:  Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, gives a wide-ranging interview to "Entertainment Weekly" about Marvel's movies, including discussions on Phase 5, "Kang," and the future of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe).

OSCARS - From Marvel:  "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" has received 5 nominations at the 2023 / 95th Academy Awards.  The nominations came in the following categories: "Best Supporting Actress," "Best Costume Design," "Best Original Song," "Best Visual Effects," and "Best Makeup and Hairstyling."  The winners will be announced Sunday, March 12, 2023.

DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN - From DeadlineNikki M. James has joined the cast of the Disney+/Marvel Studios series, "Daredevil: Born Again."  Her role is unknown.

ANGELA BASSETT - From Variety:  “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” star Angela Bassett made superhero cinema history on Tuesday as the first woman, the first person of color, and the first Marvel Studios actor to be nominated for an Academy Award for their performance in a comic book adaptation

From Variety:  With her "Best Supporting Actress" win for her performance in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (as "Queen Ramonda") at the 80th Golden Globes, Angela Bassett becomes the first actor in a Marvel Studios film to win a major acting award.  She was part of the cast that won "Best Ensemble" for "Black Panther" at the 2019 SAG Awards.

AGATHA - From DeadlineKathryn Hahn, the star of the Disney+ "WandaVision" spinoff, "Agatha: Coven of Chaos," hints that there may a song or two in the new series.  The series is apparently due this year.

BLACK PANTHER - From Deadline:  "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" is among the ten nominees in the category of "Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures" at the 2023 / 34th Annual Producers Guild of America Awards.  Winners will be announced Sat., Feb. 25th, 2023.

DON CHEADLE - From Variety:  Oscar-nominated actor, Don Cheadle, says in an interview that Marvel Studios gave him two hours to decide if he wanted to join "Iron Man 2" and sign a six-movie contract with them.  Cheadle would go on to play James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine in six films.

WAKANDA FOREVER - From THR:  "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" cinematographer, Durald Arkapaw, reflects on “one of the most beautiful endings”

TEASERS & TRAILERS:

From Deadline:  This is second trailer for "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," which made it debut during Super Bowl LVII (Feb. 12th).  The film debuts May 5th, 2023.

From YouTube:  This is the second trailer for "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," which was released Jan. 9th.  The film is due in theaters February 17, 2023.

From YouTube: This is the first trailer for "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," which is due in theaters February 17, 2023.

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MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (MCU):

Review: Iron Man (2008)

Review: The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Review: Iron Man 2 (2010)

Review: Thor (2011)

Review:  Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

Review:  Marvel's The Avengers (2012)

Review: Iron Man 3 (2013)

Review: Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Review:  Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Review: Ant-Man (2015)

Review: Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Review: Doctor Strange (2016)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Review:  Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Review: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

Review:  Black Panther (2018)

Review:  Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018)

Review:  Captain Marvel (2019)

Review: Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Review:  Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Review: Black Widow (2021)

Review: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Review: Eternals (2021)

Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Review: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Review: Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Review: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)

Review: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 (2023)

Review: The Marvels (2023)

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Click here for the 2022 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama"

Click here for the 2021 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2020 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2019 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

Click here for the 2018 edition of "Marvel Studios Negromancer Link-o-Rama."

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Saturday, December 16, 2023

Review: First "CHICKEN RUN" Runs Wild at the End


TRASH IN MY EYE No. 54 of 2023 (No. 1943) by Leroy Douresseaux

Chicken Run (2000)
Running time:  84 minutes (1 hour, 24 minutes)
MPAA – G
DIRECTORS:  Peter Lord and Nick Park
WRITERS:  Karey Kirkpatrick; from a story by Peter Lord and Nick Park
PRODUCERS:  Peter Lord, Nick Park, and David Sproxton
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Dave Alex Riddett (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Mark Solomon
COMPOSERS:  Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell
BAFTA nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/COMEDY

Starring:  (voices):  Julia Sawalha, Mel Gibson, Phil Daniels, Lynn Ferguson, Tony Haygarth, Jane Horrocks, Miranda Richardson, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, and Benjamin Whitrow

Chicken Run is a 2000 stop-motion animated fantasy and comedy film directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park.  It is a British, French, and U.S. co-production produced by Pathe and Aardman Animations in partnership with DreamWorks Animation.  Chicken Run was Aardman's first feature-length animated film and, as of this writing, remains the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film in worldwide box office history.  Chicken Run is set at a British chicken farm where the chickens hope that an American chicken can help them escape the farm's vicious owners.

Chicken Run opens in post World War II England, specifically at an egg farm that is run like a prisoner-of-war camp.  The farm is owned and operated by the cruel Mrs. Malisha Tweedy (Miranda Richardson) and her submissive husband, Mr. Tweedy (Tony Haygarth), who eat and kill any chicken that is no longer able to lay eggs.  Inside the chicken yard, a rebellious chicken, Ginger (Julia Sawalha), is constantly engaged in escape attempts.  Her goal is to help all her fellow chickens escape the farm and find a new home in the land that lies behind a hill some distance from the Tweedy's farm. 

One night, Ginger witnesses a rooster glide over the coop's fences.  She learns that he is an American rooster, Rocky Rhodes (Mel Gibson), a.k.a. “Rocky the Flying Rooster” a.k.a. “Rocky the Rhode Island Red.”  Believing that Rocky can fly, Ginger begs him to help teach her and the other chickens how to fly so that they can escape the farm.  Rocky is not quite what he seems, however, and time is running out as Mrs. Tweedy has devised a new way to get more money out of the farm's large population of chickens.

I have been putting off seeing Chicken run for 23 years.  Then, I discovered that a sequel, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, was set to debut on Netflix December 15, 2023, so I decided to finally watch it.  I am a fan of the later feature-length animated films that Aardman Animations produced in partnership with DreamWorks Animation, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) and Flushed Away (2006).  I have also enjoyed a few of Aardman's animated short films, including A Grand Day Out with Wallace & Gromit (1989) and Wallace & Gromit in the Wrong Trousers (1993).

In the end, I like Chicken Run, not as much as I like other Aardman works I've seen.  Chicken Run takes some inspiration from director John Sturges 1963 war and adventure film, The Great Escape.  Chicken Run is also described as an adventure film, but it is really a sedate comedy and drama that only occasionally plays with its edgier elements.  Honestly, I think the storytellers under-utilize the Tweedys who are delightfully menacing and are endlessly funny as a dysfunctional couple.  The film is filled with interesting characters, inventive production design, and a novel plot, but the filmmakers seem to keep holding back the narrative's energy for the big ending – more than they need to as far as I'm concerned.

Chicken Run does not really live up to its comic and adventure potential until the last 20 minutes of the story before the end credits start.  The film suddenly seems to wind up and then explode in a final act of flying contraptions, determined poultry, and maniacal farmers.  In fact, the finale is the first time in the film that Mel Gibson's Rocky does not seem like an extraneous character.  I will try to see the sequel on Netflix, but for the time being, finally seeing Chicken Run seems to be the only run I really need to make at the story.

7 of 10
B+
★★★½ out of 4 stars

Saturday, December 16, 2023


NOTES:
2001 BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations: “Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film” (Peter Lord, David Sproxton, and Nick Park) and “Best Achievement in Special Visual Effects” (Paddy Eason, Mark Nelmes, and Dave Alex Riddett)

2001 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical”


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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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from Dec. 10th to 16th, 2023 - Update #18

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The finale episode of the CBS/NBC's "Magnum P.I." reboot starring Jay Hernandez will air Jan. 3rd, 2024 with the final two episodes (19 and 20 of Season 5) airing as a two-hour event from 9 to 11 EST.

MOVIES - From DeadlineWarner Bros. has won an auction for "Calamity Hustle," an action-comedy from writer-directors Adam & Aaron Nee. The film is currently set to star Ryan Reynolds and Channing Tatum.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  The site has the screenplay for "Asteroid City" by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola available for reading.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Dwayne Johnson will play Mark Kerr, the legendary MMA fighter from the no-holds barred era of UFC, in A24‘s "The Smashing Machine." The film will be directed by Benny Safdie of Uncut Gems fame.

AMAZON - From DeadlineAmazon MGM Studios has won the "film pitch packet" for "Best of Enemies," a spy thriller set to star Bradley Cooper and Christian Bale.

MOVIES - From Deadine:  Actress Naomi Scott, who first gained fame as "Princess Jasmine" in Disney's live-action Aladdin (2019), will star in Paramount sequel to its 2022 horror hit, Smile.  The sequel is set to hit theaters Oct. 18th, 2024.

STREAMING - From Variety:  From 1993 to 2004 Tony Award-winning actor David Hyde Pierce played "Dr. Niles Crane" on the former NBC sitcom, "Frasier."  He received 11 Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the role and won four of them. The series was recently rebooted for Paramount+ with series star, Kelsey Grammer, returning, but Pierce says that he did not return because he never really wanted to go back.

POLITICS - From Deadline:  "Biden Victory Fund" campaign co-chair, Jeffrey Katzenberg (co-founder of DreamWorks), says that the fund raised a record 15 million dollars during President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden's weekend visit to Los Angeles.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 12/8 to 12/10/2023 weekend box office is GKIDS' "The Boy and the Heron" with an estimated take of 12.8 million dollars.

From Deadline:  "The Boy and the Heron" is now the first original anime production to finish at the top of the domestic (North American) box office.

AMAZON - From THRDavid Alan Grier says playing a black Santa Claus in the Prime Originals holiday movie, Candy Cane Lane, reminded him of Marvel's Black Panther.

From DeadlinePrime Video has released the first trailer for its upcoming series, "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," based on the the 2005 Jolie-Pitt film, Mr. and Mrs. Smith.  Premiere date is Feb. 2nd, 2024.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  Journalist, historian, and documentary filmmaker, Cari Beauchamp, has died at the age of 74, Thursday, December 14, 2023.  Her 1998 biography, "Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and The Powerful Women of Early Hollywood," became a documentary she wrote and co-produced.  It premiered on Turner Classic Movies (TCM).  Beauchamp frequently appeared on TCM programming and at the annual TCM Classic Film Festival.

From Variety:   Film and television actor, Andre Braugher, has died at the age of 61, Monday, December 11, 2023.  Braugher was best known for his TV work.  He was "Detective Frank Pembleton" on NBC's former cop drama, "Homicide: Life on the Streets" and "Captain Raymond Hoult" on the former Fox/NBC sitcom, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine."  Braugher was nominated for 11 Primetime Emmy Awards and won twice, once for his work on "Homicide."

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AWARDS:

From THR:   The winners at the 2023 / 49th annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards have been announced.  The Holocaust historical drama, "The Zone of Interest," wins four awards, including "Best Picture," "Best Director" (Jonathan Glazer), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 29th annual Critics Choice Awards have been announced. "Barbie" leads with 18 nominations.

From Deadline:  The nominations for the 2024 / 81st annual Golden Globe Awards have been announced.  The winners will be announced Jan. 7th, 2024 on CBS and Paramount Plus.

From AwardsWatchThe Las Vegas Film Critics have announced their 2023 LVFC Awards nominations.  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" are the leading vote getters.  The winners will be announced Wed., Dec. 13th.

From THR:  The winners at the 2023 European Film Awards have been announced.  "Anatomy of a Fall" won five awards including for "Best Film," "Best Director" (Justine Triet), and "Best Actress" (Sandra Huller).

From AwardsWatch:  The 2023 National Board of Review film honors have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" won "Best Film," "Best Director" (Martin Scorsese), and "Best Actress" (Lily Gladstone).

From AwardsWatch:  The American Film Institute (AFI) names its top ten films: American Fiction, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, May December, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.  It also names its top ten television series: Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Beef, Jury Duty, The Last of Us, The Morning Show, Only Murders in the Building, Poker Face, Reservation Dogs, and Succession.

From AwardsWatch:  "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" lead the nominations for "Astra Film & Creative Arts Awards," which are put on by the "Hollywood Creative Alliance" (formerly known as the Hollywood Critics Association).  The winners will be announced Jan. 6th, 2024 in Los Angeles.

From Deadline:  At the 2023 / 26th British Independent Film Awards, director Andrew Haigh's "All of Us Strangers" won seven awards, including "Best British Independent Film."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 89th New York Film Critics Circle Awards have been announced.  "Killers of the Flower Moon" (directed by Martin Scorsese) was named "Best Film of 2023."  Christopher Nolan won "Best Director" for his film, "Oppenheimer."

From Variety:  The winners at the 2023 / 33rd Annual Gotham Awards were announced Mon., Nov. 27th.  Writer-director Celine Song's South Korean romantic drama, "Past Lives" won the "Best Feature" award.

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Friday, December 15, 2023

Review: Woody Allen's "SLEEPER" is Comedy Gold and a Sci-Fi Classic

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 53 of 2023 (No. 1942) by Leroy Douresseaux

Sleeper (1973)
Running time:  87 minutes (1 hour, 27 minutes)
MPAA –  PG
DIRECTOR:  Woody Allen
WRITERS:  Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman
PRODUCER:  Jack Grossberg
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  David M. Walsh (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Ralph Rosenblum, O. Nicholas Brown, and Ron Kalish
COMPOSER: Woody Allen

COMEDY/SCI-FI

Starring:  Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, John Beck, Mary Gregory, Don Keefer, John McLiam, Bartlett Robinson, Chris Forbes, Mews Small, Peter Hobbs, and John Cannon (voice)

Sleeper is a 1973 science fiction-comedy film directed by Woody Allen.  The film focuses on a store owner who is revived from a cryogenic state into a future world in which the United States has been transformed into an oppressive government that forces its citizens happy and content.

Sleeper opens in the year 2173.  The American Federation, a police state (of sorts), has replaced the United States of America, which was destroyed long ago.  The government is oppressive, but it keeps its citizens happy by giving them good jobs, plenty of food, mood-altering drugs, happiness via mind alteration, and a device called the “orgasmatron” to keep them sexual satisfied.

There is, however, an underground rebellion determined to take down the government and its mysterious “Leader.”  Towards that end, the rebels revive Miles Monroe (Woody Allen), a jazz musician who also owned of the “Happy Carrot” health food restaurant.  In 1973, Miles went in for a routine operation, which managed to go wrong, and the result was that he was cryogenically frozen.  The rebels illegally revive Miles and plan to use him as spy to infiltrate and derail the government because he would be the only member of this society without a known “biometric identity.”

As someone from the distant past, Miles is considered by the current government to be an “alien.”  If caught by the police, he will be brainwashed into a complacent member of society.  The success of Miles' spy mission and his hope of remaining free of brainwashing rest in an idle socialite and poet, Luna Schlosser (Diane Keaton), who may be too self-indulgent to become a rebel.

Coup de chance, the film Woody Allen says will likely be his final directorial effort, was released in France in September (2023).  Because of the controversies surrounding Allen the last few decades, especially the last five years, the film may not get a U.S. theatrical release.  In anticipation of somehow seeing Coup de chance, I have decided to watch the recent Woody Allen films that I missed, such as the 2015 film, Irrational Man.

I also decided to review Allen's 1973 classic film, Sleeper, because this year (2023) is the fiftieth anniversary of its original theatrical release (specifically December 17, 1973).  I have seen the film twice before, but I have previously not written a review of it.

Because Woody Allen has become such a controversial and, in recent years, such a toxic figure in American cinema and culture, people may have forgotten what a charming cinematic figure he was for at least three decades.  They may also be unaware that Allen is also an accomplished clarinetist as one can discover in Sleeper's lively Dixieland-style jazz soundtrack, which features Allen performing with “The Preservation Hall Jazz Band” and “The New Orleans Funeral Ragtime Orchestra.”

Sleeper is certainly an excellent parody of the science fiction films of its time, and it is a sharp satire of pseudo-intellectuals, pretentious artists and their patrons, self-indulgent poets, and other assorted poseurs.  The film expertly references such then current science fiction films as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), A Clockwork Orange (1971), and THX 1138 (1971).  [Douglas Rain, who provided the voice of “HAL 9000” in 2001: A Space Odyssey, also provided the voice of the medical computer in Sleeper.]

However, Sleeper is a showcase of Wood Allen's immense comedic talents, both as writer and as an actor possessing impeccable comic timing.  His skill at physical comedy is also quite impressive and reveals the influence of great performers such as Charlie Chaplin, Bob Hope, and Groucho Marx, and I would add the work of the great master of silent films, Buster Keaton.  Allen uses facial expressions and the rapid delivery of dialogue, which transforms this slightly built man into a comedy force of nature.  Allen uses his body like a prop, something to abused so long as it stirs a the barrel of laughs.  The result is a winning and lovable character in Miles Monroe.

Sleeper also proves (at least for me) that Diane Keaton is the perfect comic foil and partner for Woody Allen.  Obviously, she has serious dramatic chops, but Keaton is also pure magic and sparkly delight as a comedic actress.  I could watch another hour of her and Allen in this scenario.  Sleeper may seem a bit dated in some aspects, but its leads are eternally pleasing.  Sleeper is a clever satire as well as a witty spin on dystopian science fiction.  Other than Mike Judge's 2006 satirical sci-fi comedy, Idiocracy, there is nothing like it.  Still, the treat in Sleeper is an energetic Woody Allen and an equally smart and savvy Diane Keaton.

8 of 10
A
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Friday, December 15, 2023


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

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Thursday, December 14, 2023

Comics Review: "THE MADNESS #4" Has Women So Fierce They Can Be Compassionate

THE MADNESS #4 (OF 6)
AWA STUDIOS

STORY: J. Michael Straczynski
PENCILS: ACO
INKS: David Lorenzo
COLORS: Marcelo Maiolo
LETTERS: Sal Cipriano
COVER: ACO
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Butch Guice with Lee Loughridge; Daniel Otrakji
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (November 2023)

Rated: “Mature”

The Madness is a six-issue miniseries from AWA Studios.  It is written by J. Michael Straczynski; drawn by ACO (pencils) and David Lorenzo (inks); colored by Marcelo Maiolo; and lettered by Sal Cipriano.  The series follows a woman who uses her super-powers as a thief and her quest for revenge against a group of superheroes.

The Madness introduces Sarah Ross a.k.a. “The Raven.”  She has super-powers:  flight, super speed, super strength, and invulnerability, but she can only use one at a time.  Sarah has been using her powers as a thief, stealing from the rich and giving it to herself.  She plans one more big score so that she can retire to a life of luxury.  However, she steals from the “wrong person” and that leads to brutal consequences that will drive her to revenge... and to ultimate madness.

The Madness #4 opens as The Raven recounts how she became involved with her man, the widower Richard “Rick” Chambers, and how she began to build a family with him and his two young sons, Chuck and Devon.  Now, she has to continue her revenge tour because Rick and the boys where reduced to “ash and little bits of dry, bleached bone.”

She is tracking down members of “the Council of Justice,” the team of government-sanctioned superheroes who killed her family and left her in a shattered mental state.  The latest are Astraea and Miss Victory, but only one played a part in the decision to bring death and destruction to The Raven's life.  And the other one wants to convince Raven to make a better decision that one she wants to make.  Will The Raven relent or will she fight to the death?

THE LOWDOWN:  AWA Studios marketing recently began providing me with PDF review copies of their comic book publications.  The Madness #4 is a recent acquisition.

With this fourth issue, writer J. Michael Straczynski offers a chapter that is as intense as ever, but also more intimate.  I'm surprised that this offbeat chapter maintains the series drumbeat of war and revenge without missing... a beat.  Yes, I continue to think that The Madness mixes the madness of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen with the exhilaration of Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's The Authority.  Still, I felt a sense sadness that kept intruding on my need for kick-ass and blood lust.  There are not only consequences in the actions in which the characters take, but this is also pain.

Artist ACO may be offering his most daring storytelling and his most advanced work.  ACO creates a melancholy and tragic tone for this chapter that gives this overall narrative a sense of humanity and vulnerability that will give the violence to come some weight and depth.  ACO turns this narrative just when I think I'm following a bullet straight to violence, so I'm often getting more than I expect.

In The Madness #4, AWA Studios does what it has been doing for some time – offer the kind of single issue that can help save the Direct Market.  You just have to make the effort to find this kind of comic book, dear readers.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans looking for excellence in superhero comic books will want to try The Madness.

A+

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


THE MADNESS PAGE: https://awastudios.net/series/the-madness/
AWA Website: https://awastudios.net/ 
AWA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awastudiosofficial/
AWA Twitter: https://twitter.com/AWA_Studios
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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Monday, December 11, 2023

BOOM! Studios Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 13, 2023

BOOM! STUDIOS

OCT230140 DAMN THEM ALL #11 CVR A ADLARD $3.99
OCT230141 DAMN THEM ALL #11 CVR B MERCADO $3.99
OCT230143 DAMN THEM ALL #11 CVR D FOC REVEAL VAR CLARKE $3.99
OCT230034 HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER #20 CVR A RODRIGUEZ $3.99
OCT230035 HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER #20 CVR B DELL EDERA $3.99
OCT230036 HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER #20 CVR C SPOT UV VAR ALLEN $5.99
AUG230152 JIM HENSON DARK CRYSTAL AGE OF RESISTANCE COMP COLL HC $75.00
AUG230070 SEASONS HAVE TEETH TP $17.99
OCT230017 UNDERHEIST #1 (OF 5) CVR A LAPHAM $4.99
OCT230018 UNDERHEIST #1 (OF 5) CVR B SUDZUKA $4.99
OCT230100 ZAWA #2 (OF 5) CVR A DIALYNAS $4.99
OCT230101 ZAWA #2 (OF 5) CVR B BEEM $4.99
OCT230104 ZAWA #2 (OF 5) CVR E FOC REVEAL VAR $4.99

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Dynamite Entertainment Shipping from Diamond Distributors for December 13, 2023

DYNAMITE

OCT230323 ALICE COOPER #3 CVR A SAYGER $4.99
OCT230324 ALICE COOPER #3 CVR B MANGUM $4.99
OCT230325 ALICE COOPER #3 CVR C PHOTO $4.99
AUG230314 DARKWING DUCK #10 CVR M LEIRIX LTD VIRGIN $50.00
AUG230315 DARKWING DUCK #10 CVR N ANDOLFO LTD VIRGIN $50.00
OCT230255 JENNIFER BLOOD BATTLE DIARY #1 CVR I LINSNER LTD VIRGIN (MR) $50.00
OCT230276 SAVAGE RED SONJA #2 CVR K CHO LTD VIRGIN $50.00
OCT230365 SHEENA QUEEN OF JUNGLE #4 CVR A PARRILLO $4.99
OCT230366 SHEENA QUEEN OF JUNGLE #4 CVR B ROYLE $4.99
OCT230367 SHEENA QUEEN OF JUNGLE #4 CVR C SUYDAM $4.99
OCT230368 SHEENA QUEEN OF JUNGLE #4 CVR D COSPLAY $4.99
OCT238049 SHEENA QUEEN OF JUNGLE #4 CVR J FOC PARRILLO ULTRAVIOLET $4.99
OCT230354 VAMPIRELLA DEAD FLOWERS #3 CVR M PARRILLO LTD VIRGIN $50.00
SEP230339 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA RAGE #4 CVR A PARRILLO $3.99
SEP230340 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA RAGE #4 CVR B CELINA $3.99
SEP230341 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA RAGE #4 CVR C KROME $3.99
SEP230342 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA RAGE #4 CVR D VIGONTE $3.99
SEP230343 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA RAGE #4 CVR E COSPLAY $3.99
OCT238052 VAMPIRELLA DRACULA RAGE #4 CVR K FOC PARRILLO ULTRAVIOLET $3.99
OCT230297 WHEEL OF TIME GREAT HUNT #2 CVR A RUBI $4.99
OCT230298 WHEEL OF TIME GREAT HUNT #2 CVR B GUNDERSON $4.99

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