Monday, August 26, 2024

Comic Books, Magazines and Books from Diamond Distributors for August 28, 2024

COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

APR241755 2000 AD PROG PACK (JUNE 2024 SHIPPING) (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $27.99
FEB241669 40 YEARS OF SCREAM ARCHIVAL COL HC PX SLIPCASE ED (C: 0-1-2) $92.99
MAY240945 ABLAZE KIDS SPOTLIGHT STORIES SET (C: 0-1-2) $35.00
JUN248507 AGE MATTERS GN VOL 02 (C: 0-1-2) $19.99
JUN241779 AKOLYTE #6 $4.99
JUL241861 ALLEY OOP AND MINI-DINNY COMPLETE SUNDAYS 1985 1987 TP (C: 0 $34.99
JUL241862 ALLEY OOP AND THE MESMERIC MENACE TP (C: 0-1-2) $19.99
JUL241863 ALLEY OOP AND THE MONARCHS OF GORP TP (C: 0-1-2) $19.99
JUN242256 AM I ACTUALLY THE STRONGEST GN VOL 07 (C: 0-1-2) $12.99
MAY241967 AMPUTATION CAPITAL GN (MR) $24.99
MAY241057 ANANSI BOYS I #3 CVR A MACK $3.99
MAY241058 ANANSI BOYS I #3 CVR B MARTINBROUGH $3.99
FEB249343 ANIMAL WARRIORS OF THE KINGDOM #3 (OF 5) CVR A PRASTHA $4.98
FEB249344 ANIMAL WARRIORS OF THE KINGDOM #3 (OF 5) CVR B WHALEN $4.98
JUN247317 APOTHECARY DIARIES GN VOL 12 (C: 0-1-2) $12.99
JUN241085 ARCHIE THE DECISION ONESHOT CVR A DAN PARENT $3.99
JUN241086 ARCHIE THE DECISION ONESHOT CVR B STEPHEN BYRNE $3.99
MAY241506 ARE YOU WILLING TO DIE FOR THE CAUSE GN (C: 0-1-2) $22.95
JUN241894 ASTERIX OMNIBUS PAPERCUTZ ED HC VOL 12 (C: 1-1-1) $22.99
JUN241895 ASTERIX OMNIBUS PAPERCUTZ ED SC VOL 12 (C: 1-1-1) $14.99
MAY242182 BACKSTABBED IN A BACKWATER DUNGEON GN VOL 06 (C: 0-1-2) $13.99
MAY242002 BARBARIC VS DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR A GOODEN (MR) $5.99
MAY242003 BARBARIC VS DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR B TERRY PREMIUM VAR (NET) (M $PI
MAY242004 BARBARIC VS DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR C GANAS PREMIUM VAR (Net) (M $PI
MAY242005 BARBARIC VS DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR D TERRY FULL ART PREMIUM VAR $PI
MAY242006 BARBARIC VS DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR E GANAS FULL ART PREMIUM VAR $PI
MAY242007 BARBARIC VS DEATHSTALKER #1 CVR F VAULT VINTAGE PREMIUM VAR $PI
JUN241198 BEST OF MY LITTLE PONY TP VOL 02 MARES IN MANEHATTAN $8.99
JUN241092 BETTY & VERONICA JUMBO COMICS DIGEST #327 $9.99
JUL241733 BETWEEN THE PIPES GN (C: 0-1-0) $18.95
JUL241955 BETWEEN TWO SOUNDS ARVO PARTS JOURNEY MUSICAL LANGUAGE (C: 0 $26.00
JUN241857 BIKER MICE FROM MARS #2 (OF 3) CVR A WEAVER $4.99
JUN241858 BIKER MICE FROM MARS #2 (OF 3) CVR B SPAZIANTE $4.99
JUN241859 BIKER MICE FROM MARS #2 (OF 3) CVR C SOUZA $4.99
MAR240480 BLADE RUNNER 2039 TP VOL 03 ASH (C: 0-1-2) $17.99
JUN240418 BLADE RUNNER TOKYO NEXUS #2 (OF 4) CVR A GUICE (MR) $3.99
JUN240419 BLADE RUNNER TOKYO NEXUS #2 (OF 4) CVR B MANDRAKE (MR) $3.99
JUN240420 BLADE RUNNER TOKYO NEXUS #2 (OF 4) CVR C TAIBO (MR) $3.99
JUN247678 BLADE RUNNER TOKYO NEXUS #2 (OF 4) FOC MANDRAKE B&W VIRGIN ( $3.99
JUN242257 BLUE LOCK GN VOL 14 (C: 0-1-2) $12.99
JUN242259 BLUE WOLVES OF MIBU GN VOL 03 (C: 0-1-2) $13.99
JUN241941 BUCKLE UP GN (C: 0-1-2) $13.99
MAY241062 BUTCHERS BOY #4 $4.99
JUN241759 CAN I SCREAM #1 2ND PTG CVR A FANTINI $6.99
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JUN241761 CAN I SCREAM #1 2ND PTG CVR C METAL VIRGIN $99.99
APR241161 CANTO HC VOL 04 LIONHEARTED (C: 0-1-1) $29.99
MAY242185 CAT COMPANIONS MARURU & HACHI GN VOL 01 (C: 0-1-2) $14.99
JUN240466 CONVERT #1 (OF 4) $3.99
OCT232236 CORRESPONDENCE FROM END OF UNIVERSE GN VOL 05 (C: 0-1-1) $12.99
JUN241762 CRYING BOY #4 CVR A FELIX MORALES $5.99
JUN241763 CRYING BOY #4 CVR B ROB MORAN $5.99
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JUN241079 CURSED LIBRARY ALPHA #1 CVR B ROBERT HACK $4.99
JUN241080 CURSED LIBRARY ALPHA #1 CVR C SOO LEE $4.99
JUN241081 CURSED LIBRARY ALPHA #1 CVR D REIKO MURAKAMI $4.99
MAY242188 DAI DARK GN VOL 07 (C: 0-1-2) $13.99
MAR240503 DARK SOULS WILLOW KING DM ED TP (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $17.99
MAR240502 DARK SOULS WILLOW KING REG ED TP (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $17.99
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JUL230928 DEAD BY DAYLIGHT TP VOL 01 DM ED LEE (C: 0-1-2) $19.99
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FEB241431 DISNEY MASTERS HC VOL 25 MICKEY MOUSE RIVER OF TIME (C: 1-1- $34.99
FEB247480 DOCTOR WHO RETURN OF THE DALEKS TP (C: 0-1-2) $29.99
JUN242402 DONT TOY WITH ME MISS NAGATORO GN VOL 17 (C: 0-1-1) $12.95
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APR247752 EYE LIE POPEYE #1 (OF 5) CVR H BLANK SKETCH VAR LMT 2000 $4.99
APR241525 FANTAGRAPHICS UNDERGROUND KATE CAREW TP (C: 0-1-2) $30.00
MAY242161 FIRE FORCE BOX SET VOL 01 (C: 0-1-2) $65.94
JUL241806 FLASH GORDON #2 CVR A WILL CONRAD $4.99
JUL241807 FLASH GORDON #2 CVR B FRAZER IRVING CONNECTING $4.99
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JUL241805 FLASH GORDON QUARTERLY #1 CVR B FILYA BRATUKHIN $5.99
APR241852 FLESH AND BLOOD TP VOL 01 (C: 0-1-2) $32.99
JUN241334 FLORIDA MAN VS HOGZILLA #2 CVR A SLEMONS $4.99
JUN241335 FLORIDA MAN VS HOGZILLA #2 CVR B MONORIROGUE $4.99
JUN248459 FLORIDA MAN VS HOGZILLA #2 CVR C FOC $4.99
JUN241886 FRANKIE & BEASTLY BOG SONG HC $12.99
JUN241911 FULL SHIFT GN (C: 0-1-0) $17.99
JUN241942 GARFIELD DONUT DISTURB SC (C: 0-1-0) $16.00
FEB242028 GENTLE NOBLES VACATION RECOMMENDATION VOL 08 (C: 0-1-2) $12.99
JUN242263 GO GO LOSER RANGER GN VOL 11 (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $10.99
JAN241546 GODS AND MONSTERS BOOK ONE CVR A STEPHEN SCOTT OMEGA (C: 0-1 $9.99
JAN241547 GODS AND MONSTERS BOOK ONE CVR B ADRIAN SALMON SUTEKH (C: 0- $9.99
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JUN241483 GODSLAP #6 CVR A JAMIE (C: 0-1-2) $15.00
JUN241484 GODSLAP #6 CVR B WIDJAJA (C: 0-1-2) $15.00
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JUN242148 HOW DO WE RELATIONSHIP GN VOL 11 (C: 0-1-2) $11.99
JUL241746 HOW I SURVIVED FOUR NIGHTS ON THE ICE GN (C: 0-1-0) $16.95
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MAY242196 I MARRIED MY FEMALE FRIEND GN VOL 03 (MR) (C: 0-1-1) $14.99
JUN241885 I WAS THE CAT 10TH ANNV ED TP $19.99
FEB247800 IMAGE FIRSTS ASCENDER #1 (BUNDLE OF 20) (NET) $PI
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FEB247807 IMAGE FIRSTS BLACK SCIENCE #1 (BUNDLE OF 20) (NET) (MR) $PI
FEB247816 IMAGE FIRSTS EAST OF WEST #1 (BUNDLE OF 20) (NET) $PI
FEB247818 IMAGE FIRSTS FARMHAND #1 (BUNDLE OF 20) (NET) $PI
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FEB247869 IMAGE FIRSTS TREES #1 (BUNDLE OF 20) (NET) (MR) $PI
JUN242266 IN SPECTRE GN VOL 20 (C: 0-1-2) $10.99
JUL241758 INSCRUTABLE DOCTOR BAER & CASE OF TWO-FACED STATUE GN (C: 0- $15.00
MAY242157 JK HARU IS SEX WORKER IN ANOTHER WORLD GN VOL 07 (MR) (C: 1- $13.99
APR241767 JUDGE DREDD BY BRIAN BOLLAND: MASTERPIECE ED TP (C: 0-1-2) $39.99
MAY241331 JUNGLE COMICS #28 (C: 0-1-1) $4.99
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APR241769 KELPIE THE BOY WIZARD HC (C: 0-1-2) $22.50
JUN240536 KILLADELPHIA #35 CVR A ALEXANDER (RES) (MR) $3.99
JUN240537 KILLADELPHIA #35 CVR B CRAIN (RES) (MR) $3.99
JUN242002 KILLING MACHINE #1 (OF 5) (MR) $4.99
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APR247234 LADY & HER BUTLER GN VOL 01 $21.99
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APR248568 LIVE FOREVER ETERNAL ED GN VOL 01 (C: 0-1-1) $24.99
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JUN241689 MIA AND FRIENDS HC GN (C: 0-1-0) $21.99
APR241757 MONSTER FUN MAGIC & MYSTERY 2024 (C: 0-1-2) $7.99
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JUN240549 MONSTRESS #54 (MR) $3.99
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JUN242006 NIGHT NEVER ENDS GN (MR) (C: 0-1-0) $19.99
JUN240552 NIGHTS #10 (MR) $3.99
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MAY241507 OBA ELECTROPLATING FACTORY HC (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $29.95
JUN241780 ODINA #1 (OF 6) OMNI STRIKE $4.99
MAY247080 PAYING FOR IT THE FILM EDITION (MR) (C: 0-1-2) $21.95
APR241107 POWERS GN VOL 07 (C: 0-1-2) $29.99
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JAN241884 PRE CODE CLASSICS BAFFLING MYSTERIES SOFTEE VOL 01 (C: 0-1-1 $32.99
MAR242191 PRECARIOUS WOMAN MISS BLACK GENERAL GN VOL 10 (MR) (C: 0-1-1 $12.99
JUN241571 PROCESSING 100 COMICS THAT GOT ME THROUGH IT GN (MR) (C: 0-1 $24.95
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JUN241045 RAMGOD #2 (OF 6) CVR D DATTOLI (MR) $4.99
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JUL241677 RECOGNIZED $9.99
JUL241678 REGISTER $9.99
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MAY241101 RESIDENT ALIEN BOOK OF LIFE #3 $3.99
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MAGAZINES

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BOOKS

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JUN241910 WHAT IS STORY OF MY LITTLE PONY SC (C: 0-1-2) $7.99
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Saturday, August 24, 2024

Review: "BLINK TWICE" is Incredible; 2024's Best Film, Thus Far...

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 39 of 2024 (No. 1983) by Leroy Douresseaux

Blink Twice (2024)
Running time:  103 minutes (1 hour, 43 minutes)
MPA – R for strong violent content, sexual assault, drug use and language throughout, and some sexual references.
DIRECTORS:  Zöe Kravitz
WRITERS:  Zöe Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum
PRODUCERS:  Zöe Kravitz, Bruce Cohen, Garret Levitz, Tiffany Persons, and Channing Tatum
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Adam Newport-Berra (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Kathryn J. Schubert
COMPOSER:  Chanda Dancy

MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring:  Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum, Alia Shawkat, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Haley Joel Osment, Liz Caribel, Levon Hawke, Trew Mullen, Geena Davis, and Kyle MacLachlan

SUMMARY OF THE REVIEW:

Blink Twice is a both an incredible psychological thriller and mesmerizing mystery thriller and is sort of a spiritual sibling of Jordan Peele's “Get Out”

Naomi Ackie and Channing Tatum gives stellar performances that really sell this film's frequent weirdness

This is a stunning directorial debut on the part of Zöe Kravitz, and thus far, it is the best film released in 2024


Blink Twice is a 2024 psychological thriller and mystery film from director Zöe Kravitz.  The film focuses on a cocktail waitress who accepts a tech billionaire's offer to vacation on his private island, after which, she begins to question her reality of the situation.

Blink Twice introduces Frida (Naomi Ackie), a cocktail waitress.  She is working an exclusive event with her roommate and best friend and roommate, Jess (Alia Shawkat).  The event's V.I.P. is billionaire tech mogul, Slater King (Channing Tatum), who recently stepped down as CEO of King Tech amid a public apology for some bad behavior on his part in the past.  Frida and Slater quickly strike up a friendship, and he invites her and Jess to join him and his friends to holiday at his private island.

Arriving at the island, Slater's assistant, Stacy (Geena Davis), confiscates the everyone's phone.  Also on the island for some fun are Slater's friends and business partners:  Vic (Christian Slater), Cody (Simon Rex), Tom (Haley Joel Osment), and Lucas (Levon Hawke).  In addition to Frida and Jess, there are three female guests:  Sarah (Adria Arjona), Camilla (Liz Caribel), and Heather (Trew Mullen).  The women are treated to lavish rooms, gift bags with perfume, gourmet meals, and a luxurious, carefree holiday experience.

But something is wrong.  Frida has a hard time keeping track of time, and she begins to question her perception of reality.  Also, there is a strange maid who is saying something to her that she can't quite make out.  When one of the women disappears, Frida is forced to confront this luxurious holiday, the kind she always wanted... as troubling as this dream vacay has turned out to be.

After director Steven Soderbergh made his feature film debut with sex, lies, and videotape (1989), some may have wondered if his rousing success with it (winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes 1989 and earning a “Best Original Screenplay” nomination) was “beginner's luck” or perhaps, a fluke.  For several years, the film did seem like a fluke, but by the time Soderbergh won a “Best Director” Oscar 12 years later, one could say that sex, lies, and videotape was not a fluke, but was a calling card.

I'd like to believe that Blink Twice will also be a calling card for its young first-time director Zoe Kravitz.  Right now, it is the best new film to debut in 2024, and I wouldn't be surprised if I am calling it the “Best Picture of the Year 2024” deep into the 2024-25 movie awards season.  Blink Twice is an astounding debut, a mystery thriller and psychological terror that recalls Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch.  And no, I would not be embarrassed to reference Lynch's legendary Blue Velvet (1986), of which I am not a big fan, when discussing Blink Twice.  I am also calling Blink Twice a spiritual sibling of Jordan Peele's Get Out (2017) and a distant relative of Alex Garland's Men (2022).  Blink Twice even has a element similar to one found in the underrated horror thriller, You're Next (2011).

Kathryn J. Schubert's film editing for Blink Twice is superb, and I think that should be mentioned.  Of course, I think Schubert has superb material with which to work.  Kravitz has an eye for storytelling which finds pleasure in accepting that altered states of reality are a norm for many of us, especially when we obtain something we always wanted in a way that seems to be too good to be true.  Dressing her film in Biblical themes, “Me Too” politics, gender dynamics, and sexual gamesmanship, Kravitz takes the screenplay she wrote with E.T. Feigenbaum and grapples with the modern battle of the sexes.

Behind the pulpy entertainment and popcorn horror thrills of this psychological thriller is a movie that does a deep dive into the modern psyche.  Kravitz isn't afraid to examine the social hierarchies and assumed and presumed privileges.  It is refreshing that Kravitz so boldly answers any questions her film asks with a resounding, “Because he can.”

Actress Naomi Ackie is the perfect choice to be this film's lead.  Her face, with its wide mouth and big expressive eyes, is an artist's canvas.  Whatever her director needs in terms of emotion and action, Ackie can deliver.  Also, I must say that Channing Tatum shocks me in Blink Twice.  I never thought that he was really a good actor.  However, he gives Slater King so many layers that there are moments when I feel sympathy for him.  Tatum makes King innocent, childish, childlike, and monstrous, and he can do all of that in the span of a minute.

Wow.  I'm still stunned.  I've wanted to see Blink Twice since it was first announced last year under the title, “Pussy Island,” but I never thought I'd get this nearly perfect film, a film so good that its flaws seem like artistic choices rather than mistakes.  I heartily recommend this to movie fans looking for great films in a time when the various movie factories seem determined to only deliver entertainment that dare not make a statement lest “middle America” take offense.  Blink Twice is both – tremendous cinematic art and delightfully good entertainment.

10 of 10

Saturday, August 24, 2024


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

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Comics Review: "NIGHT CLUB II #1" - Young Vampires Beefin'

NIGHT CLUB II #1 (OF 6)
DARK HORSE COMICS

STORY: Mark Millar
ART: Juanan Ramírez
COLORS: Fabiana Mascolo
LETTERS: Clem Robins
COVER: Juanan Ramírez with Fabiana Mascolo
EDITORIAL: Sarah Unwin
VARIANT COVER ARTIST: Jae Lee with June Chung
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (August 2024)

Rated M / Mature

Night Club created by Mark Millar at Netflix

Night Club II is a new six-issue miniseries written and created by Mark Millar and drawn by Juanan Ramírez.  A Dark Horse Comics publication and a Netflix production, Night Club II is a sequel to the 2023 miniseries, Night Club.  Both series focus on a teen boy who is bitten by a vampire and decides to make the best of his new condition.  Colorist Fabiana Mascolo and letterer Clem Robins complete Night Club II's creative team.

Night Club introduces 17-year-old Danny Garcia, who had ambitions to gain fame and fortune as a YouTube star.  After being turned into a vampire, he passed his new found powers unto his friends, DJ Sam Huxley and Amy Chen.  Now, they're the superheroes:  Starguard (Danny), Thundercloud (Sam), Yellowbird (Amy).  But jealousy has broken up this vampire-superhero trio...

Night Club II #1 opens with Danny and Amy, now a couple, still playing superheroes and filming it for their lucrative YouTube page.  They are actively attacking the drug empire of Rufus Tee, much to the chagrin of the police.  Meanwhile, former “band mate,” Sam is using his vampire powers to ball hard, and now, he's gotten an attractive offer from a man who should be his enemy.

THE LOWDOWN:  This is the second time that I have been on any kind of list that provides PDF copies of titles published by Dark Horse Comics.  The latest received is Night Club II #1.

Reading this first issue of Night Club II, I suddenly remembered how much I really liked the first series and how much I really missed it.  I'd love for Night Club to be an ongoing series, but I know that Millarworld doesn't really work that way.  Night Club will have a beginning, middle, and end, but I feel like, as far as a vampire-superhero hybrid goes, it could be like DC Comics' Teen Titans.

Instead of offering big surprises in this return, writer Mark Millar and artist Juanan Ramírez build on the narrative that began in Night Club #1 and came to a head in Night Club #6.  Millar provides the character drama, and Ramirez spreads it out in big panels and in widescreen storytelling.  I think this means that there will be a lot of force applied by various interested parties to other interested parties in this second installment, and I think we'll like it, dear readers.

If you have ever seen the 1987 vampire film, The Lost Boys, you might have wondered what it would be like if the vampire boys got to play to their own interests.  Maybe, Night Club II is that story.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Mark Millar and of vampire comic books will want to be bitten by Night Club II.

A

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


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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from August 18th to 24th, 2024 - UPDATE #13

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

You can support Leroy via Paypal or on Patreon:

Amazon wants me to inform/remind you that any affiliate links found on this page are PAID ADS, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on affiliate links like this, MOVIES PAGE, and BUY something(s).

ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winning Alejandro G. Iñàrritu’s untitled movie with Tom Cruise continues to add to its stellar cast.  The Warner Bros and Legendary Entertainment film now includes such cast members as Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons and Sophie Wilde. Oscar winner Riz Ahmed is in final negotiations to join the cast.

NETFLIX - From Deadline:  Ted Danson's upcoming Netflix comedy, "A Man on the Inside," now has a premiere date of November 2024 and some first-look photos.

FESTIVALS - From DeadlineThe Santa Barbara Film Festival 2024 (Oct. 18-24) will hold a retrospective on the films of Denis Villeneuve.

BUSINESS - From DeadlineSkydance, which really covets Paramount Global, encourages the company's board to ignore American businessman Edgar Bronfman, Jr.'s 6 billion dollar offer.

From Deadline:  American businessman and media executive, Edgar Bronfman, Jr., makes his move to obtain Paramount Global with a 4.3 billion dollar offer.

KAMALA - From Deadline:  Director and Oscar-nominated film producer, Reginald Hudlin, has directed the short biopic film that will be shown just before Vice-President Kamala Harris gives her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, May 22, 2024. Hudlin and his wife, Chrisette, are friends of VP Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff.

BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficePro:  The winner of the 8/16 to 8/18/2024 weekend box office is 20th Century Studios' Alien: Romulus with an estimated take of 41.5 million dollars.

From EW:  How Alien: Romulus resurrected the late Ian Holm, who starred in "Alien," for a new character.

MUSIC/POLITICS - From RSN:  A "Rolling Stone" list of music acts that don't want Donald Trump using their music.

NETFLIX - From Variety:  "The Union" director Julian Farino explain why Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry never kiss in the newly released Netflix feature.

MOVIES - From Deadline:  Oscar-winner Colin Firth is looking to join Emily Blunt in Steven Spielberg's next film, which is due May 2026. The unnamed film would be Spielberg's first major summer release in years.

OBITS:

From Deadline:  American media personality and television talk show host, Phil Donahue, has died at the age of 88, Sunday, August 18, 2024.  Donahue was best known for "The Phil Donahue Show," later renamed "Donahue."  It began in Dayton, Ohio and the ended after a 29-year run in New York City in 1996. It was the first talk show format to include audience participation.  Donahue returned to TV with the MSNBC talk show, "Donahue," which began in July 2002 and was cancelled in February 2003, apparently because Donahue opposed the then imminent U.S. invasion of Iraq in March 2003.  Donahue was nominated for 20 Daytime Emmy Awards for hosting his talk show, and won eight times.  He also received two special Daytime Emmys.

From THR:  Iconic French actor, Alain Delon, has died at the age of 88, Sunday, August 18, 2024.  His style, looks, and movie roles made him one of the biggest actors of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, and made him an enduring star of European cinema.  Among his best known films are "Purple Noon" (1960), "The Leopard" (1963), "Le Samourai" (1967), and "Un Flic" (1972).  Although he moved to Hollywood briefly in the mid-1960s, and made several films, including "Once a Thief" (1965) and "Lost Command" (1965), he was never able to crack the American audience.

From Deadline:  "Deadline" looks back at the career of French film icon, Alain Delon, with an overview of his best films.


Friday, August 23, 2024

Comics Review: "SCOOBY-DOO, Where Are You? #128" Hails Hydra

SCOOBY-DOO, WHERE ARE YOU? (2010) #128
DC COMICS

STORY: Derek Fridolfs; Georgia Ball
PENCILS: Randy Elliot; Dario Brizuela
INKS: Randy Elliot; Dario Brizuela
COLORS: Silvana Brys; Candace Schinzler-Bell
LETTERS: Saida Temofonte
EDITORS: Courtney Jordan; Jessica Chen (reprint)
COVER: Derek Fridolfs with Silvana Brys
32pp, Color, $2.99 U.S. (August 2024)

Ages 8+

“Dehydrated”

Welcome, dear readers, to my continuing journey through the Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? comic book series, which began publication in 2010.  I continue to renew my subscription so that I can continue to review this series for you, dear readers.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #128 opens with “Dehydrated,” which is written by Derek Fridolfs and drawn by Randy Elliot.  The story finds Mystery Inc.Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma visiting a local lake for a lazy day of floating and fishing.  Unfortunately, the place is haunted by a three-headed version of the monster of antiquity known as “the Hydra.”  And you know, Mystery Inc. is never one to let a mystery go unsolved.

As usual, the second story, “Scuba Scoob,” is a reprint story.  It is written by Georgia Ball and drawn by Dario Brizuela.  [This story was originally published in Scooby-Doo, Where Are You #54 (cover date: April 2015).]  The story finds Mystery Inc. in the Caribbean Islands for some scuba-diving fun via “Scuba-Duba Boat Tours.”  However, the boat tour's owner, Farukh, is having trouble with a monster shark.  As usual, Scooby and the gang have a mystery to solve.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #128 has as its theme vacations on the water ruined by water-based monsters.  This issue is blessed by being drawn by two of the best modern Scooby-Doo comic book artists, Randy Elliot for “Dehydrated” and Dario Brizuela for “Scuba Scoob.”  The latter story features some dazzling color and color effects by Candace Schinzler-Bell.  In fact, it is the art and colors that really stand out this time around.  The stories are nice and feature nice monsters, but these simply aren't stand out stories.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #128 does not match up to the quality of issue #127, but a Scooby-Doo comic book is always a good thing.  So grab your “Scooby Snacks” and read it, and maybe watch a Scooby-Doo movie, later.  And until next time, Scooby-Dooby-Doo!

B

[This comic book includes a seven-page preview of the DC Comics original graphic novel, “DC League of Super-Pets: The Great Mxy-Up” by Heath Corson and Bobby Timony.]

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


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The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Thursday, August 22, 2024

Review: Brandon Lee Gives "THE CROW" Staying Power

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 38 of 2024 (No. 1982) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Crow (1994)
Running time:  102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – R for a great amount of strong violence and language, and for drug use and some sexuality
DIRECTOR: Alex Proyas
WRITERS:  David J. Schow and John Shirley (based on the comic book series and comics strip created by James O'Barr)
PRODUCERS:  Jeff Most and Edward R. Pressman
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Dariusz Wolski (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Dov Hoenig and M. Scott Smith
COMPOSER:  Graeme Revell

SUPERHERO/FANTASY/ACTION/CRIME

Starring:  Brandon Lee, Michael Wincott, Ernie Hudson, Rochelle Davis, Bai Ling, Sofia Shinas, Anna Thomson, David Patrick Kelly, Angel David, Laurence Mason, Michael Massee, Tony Todd, Jon Polito, Bill Raymond, Marco Rodriguez, and Kim Sykes

The Crow is a 1994 American superhero and dark fantasy film from director Alex Proyas.  The movie is based on The Crow comic book series and on the character that first appeared in the comic book, Caliber Presents #1 (cover dated: January 1989), all created by James O'Barr.  The Crow the movie focuses on a musician who returns from the dead a year after he and his girlfriend were brutally murdered to seek vengeance against their murderers.

The Crow is infamous for the death of its lead actor, Brandon Lee (1965-1993), the son of film icon, Bruce Lee.  On March 31, 1993, Lee was fatally wounded by a discharge from a prop gun.  At that point, Lee had completed almost all his scenes for the film.  Through the use of special effects, digital face replacement, stunt doubles, and rewrites, Proyas was able to finish the film, and it was released in May 1994.

The Crow is set in a crime-ravaged and decrepit city that is like Detroit, Michigan, and the story opens on October 30th, Devil's Night (an infamous celebration in Detroit).  It introduces rock musician, Eric Draven (Brandon Lee), and his fiancée, Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas).  They are going to be married on Halloween.  Instead, Eric is beaten and murdered.  Shelly is brutally beaten and raped and later dies of her injuries.

One year later, Eric Draven rises from the grave as an avenging spirit, The Crow (Brandon Lee).  He has returned to killed the men who murdered him and Shelly:  T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly), Funboy (Michael Massee), Tin Tin (Laurence Mason), and Skank (Angel David).  Sarah (Rochelle Davis), a young girl who was Eric and Shelly's friend, and Albrecht (Ernie Hudson), and an outcast police officer, become personally involved in Eric's return as The Crow.  Waiting in the background, however, is Top Dollar (Michael Wincott), the crime lord who is connected to what happened to Eric and Shelley and who sees The Crow's rampage as a threat to his criminal empire.

Despite the notoriety it gained because of the onset tragedy, The Crow should also be known as a really good film.  It was Alex Proyas first major directorial effort, and that shows in the occasional clumsiness in the flow of the narrative.  However, Proyas unleashes a film that is highly-stylized and drenched in darkness that has a painterly quality.  In other films, this darkness would merely be a case of a poor lighting and mediocre cinematography.  Here, the film's production values and contributions from the cinematographer, production design/art direction team, hair and make-up crew, and film editors contribute to the creation of dark and gloomy cinematic art.

Proyas finds the film's substance in Eric Draven/The Crow's quest for revenge.  In this film, retribution has depth, weight, feel soul; in that, The Crow is like its comic book source material.  Proyas finds power and vulnerability in his lead character the way he finds power and juice in the violence that must happen before Draven can return to his grave.

Proyas, who would go on to direct Will Smith in I, Robot (2004), gets fine performances from a number of supporting actors, especially Ernie Hudson, Michael Wincott, and Rochelle Davis.  He gets the most out of his star, Brandon Lee, who was likely on the verge of blowing up.  In this film, Lee has his own charisma and presence, different from that of his father, Bruce Lee, who made his most charismatic turn in Enter the Dragon (1973).  Was The Crow going to be Brandon's Enter the Dragon?  I don't know, but Brandon makes The Crow feel solid in its slightest moments and grander in its biggest and most violent moments.

The Crow is a flawed jewel, but not a heavily flawed jewel.  Also, I imagine that it is a lot more influential than movie buffs realize.  I can see bits and pieces of it in later films like Blade (1998), The Matrix (1999), and The Dark Knight (2008).  The on-set death of its star cast a melancholy mood over The Crow, but the determination of the filmmakers, cast, and crew eventually brought it out to the public.  The Crow is not a morbid curiosity.  It is more like a rose that survived a deluge of misfortune.

A
8 of 10
★★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, August 22, 2024


The text is copyright © 2024 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Comics Review: "CONAN THE BARBARIAN #8" Brings Conan Low

CONAN THE BARBARIAN #8 (2023)
TITAN COMICS/Heroic Signatures

STORY: Jim Zub
ART: Doug Braithwaite
COLORS: Diego Rodriguez
LETTERS: Richard Starkings of Comicraft
EDITOR: Chris Butera
COVER: Ashleigh Izienicki
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Patch Zircher; Greg Broadmore
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (March 2024)

Suggested for mature readers

“Thrice Marked for Death!” Part IV: “Sacrifice”

Conan the Cimmerian was born in the pulp fiction of Robert E. Howard (REH), first appearing in the magazine, Weird Tales (1932).  In 1970, Marvel Comics brought Conan to the world of comic books via the title, Conan the Barbarian. With only a few pauses, Conan comic books have been published for the better part of five decades.

Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures are the new producers of Conan comic books, and they launched a new Conan the Barbarian series in 2023.  The current story arc is written by Jim Zub; drawn by Doug Braithwaite; colored by Diego Rodriguez; and lettered by Richard Starkings.  Entitled “Thrice Marked for Death!,” the arc finds Conan taking up with a thieves guild known as “The Gloryhounds,” and the target of their latest act of larceny is a fine-cut, dark stone that only Conan realizes is dangerous.

Conan the Barbarian #8 (“Sacrifice”) opens with Conan alone, wandering the streets, and possessed.  Only recently, he ran with the thieves guild known as the “Gloryhounds.”  They wanted to steal an artifact known as “Tarim's Touch,” but only Conan recognized it as a shard of the cursed “Black Stone,” which he'd once broken with a Pict Blade.  Now, all the Gloryhounds are dead, their violent deaths caused by the spirits within Tarim's Touch.

Now, it's Conan's turn.  All the spirits of the shard are inside him, and they want him to find the blade he once used against the stone.  Because he'd sold it, Conan must now go on a rampage through darkened Shadizar in order to find it.  When he finds it, will that bring him peace and freedom or more trouble and damnation?

THE LOWDOWN:  Titan Comics has been providing me with PDF copies of their publications for review for several years now.  Conan the Barbarian #8 is one of them.

Writer Jim Zub spends the narrative of his script for issue #8 working himself and the story into a corner.  “Thrice Marked for Death!” must come to an end, but it doesn't seem that Zub will come up with an end that makes sense in the context of the situations in which he has placed Conan.  But, of course, Zub does it.  He saves the day and sends Conan on a new adventure, with the kind of tremendous surprise I would never expect.

Artist Doug Braithwaite continues to summon the ghosts of Conan's greatest comic book artist, John Buscema, with strong storytelling.  Issue #8 is a sound and fury signifying a storm of trouble for Conan, with powerful, brutal and violent action that boggles the mind even of a longtime Conan reader like myself.  The art shines brilliantly under Diego Rodriguez's remarkable colors.  All the while, Richard Starking's lettering maintains a soundtrack of doom.

People looking for good comic books should be reading Titan Comics' Conan the Barbarian.  This is the real Conan deal, and dear readers, I think you will enjoy this as much as I keep enjoying it.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Conan comic books will want to try Titan Comics and Heroic Signatures' Conan the Barbarian.

[This comic book includes the essay, “Robert E. Howard and His Ages Undreamed Of,” by Jeffrey Shanks.  Although labeled as “Part Six,” it is also the eighth installment.]

A

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


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