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• Thor Gay or Go Home! Tessa Thompson Promises Lots More Gay MCU
• Indie Comics Showcase #165: Gun Demon, Hardly Heroes & Life on Cora
• DC Comics Replaces Daniel Cherry III with Anne DePies as GM
• Blando Reviews: Belle (2021) “To Be Real”
• More on the Sudden Departure of DC Comics’ General Manager Daniel Cherry
• Dune Director Denis Villeneuve Updates Fans on Sequel’s Production
• Matrix Resurrections Slipping in China Amidst Boycott of Keanu Reeves Over Support for Tibet
• Vince Vaughn Producing ‘A Christmas Story’ Sequel with Peter Billingsley
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Returns to Theaters for 40th Anniversary
• Cratering: Netflix Shares Have Lost 40% of their Value Over Past 3 Weeks

Thor Gay or Go Home! Tessa Thompson Promises Lots More Gay MCU Posted: 26 Jan 2022 03:45 PM PST   Tessa Thompson will make her third MCU appearance as Valkyrie in Thor: Love and Thunder, and while she hasn’t revealed any specific plot points of Chris Hemsworth’s fourth film as Marvel’s God of Thunder, the actress has been discussing how this time around she has been able to explore Valkyrie’s sexuality in a way that she couldn’t previously.    While the character’s queerness has been alluded to in passing, the new film directed by Taika Waititi,  is expected to  feature a far more blunt depiction of Valkyrie’s homosexuality, something Thompson says she is very eager to explore. Of course we’ve been hearing this for over a two years, so it’s no longer news at this point.    Nonetheless, Thompson breathlessly explained to The Wrap:   "It's totally exciting. We talk so much about representation and obviously, in terms of the LGBTQIA community, there's still so much work to be done. But if you look at the comics in the canon, there are so many queer characters! It's hard because Taika and I would've even liked to go further, but in the context of the movies, there's only so much we can do. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of time invested in love stories in Marvel movies in general. I think that will be a little different on the new "Thor," which is exciting. And getting to play a character that historically is not written for somebody that looks like me, all of that felt exciting."   Agent M (Tessa Thompson) and Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) in Morocco in Columbia Pictures’ MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL.   Most moviegoers were unimpressed the last time Thompson and Hemsworth teamed up in Men in Black: International, resulting in an unmitigated bomb that ended the franchise, but Marvel Studios has so far had a pretty good track record getting “butts in seats,” and their Thor films typically have performed well/   But Marvel’s Phase Four has made quite a push for what the industry calls “inclusion,” which is code for ever increasing levels of LGBTQ+ character insertions. Disney is walking a tight rope between making the MCU a more “inclusive” place and shoving tales in a direction that reeks of pandering without any regard for the “woke” outcry this is sure to elicit. Thompson’s observation that the setting of the films only allows for so much love and romance, so this may be a clue that Waititi and his team appear to be trying to show a little restraint. Although he really isn’t known for restraint.   What are your thoughts?  The post Thor Gay or Go Home! Tessa Thompson Promises Lots More Gay MCU appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

Indie Comics Showcase #165: Gun Demon, Hardly Heroes & Life on Cora Posted: 26 Jan 2022 01:10 PM PST     Welcome back to another installment of Indie Comics Showcase, the weekly blog where we signal boost a few truly independent comics that are currently crowdfunding their projects, crowdsourcing their funding in some way, or just completely self-publishing on their own. Every little bit of support for these creators matters, from a single dollar pledge to the twenty-five dollar bundle, and of course the higher tiers are usually fun too! Even if you can’t back a campaign or buy a book, you can share or tweet about these projects to your friends and followers.    On Indie Comics Showcase, we interview the creators, show off some art, and tell you how you can check out the product for yourself. Below we have some outstanding crowdfunding campaigns this week for you to learn about, enjoy, and hopefully support by backing one or more of them! Thanks for checking these out and for being the best part of Indie Comics Showcase. Let's jump in!   GUN DEMON by Gregory LeVitre Check out the book here!   Chris Braly: Tell our readers your elevator pitch for Gun Demon: Devil’s Overture – Briefly tell our readers the pitch. Gregory LeVitre: ‘Gun Demon,’ is an action-packed science fiction superhero story set in the year 1992 in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It’s a wild ride that begins on Planet Hell and ends in disaster for New Orleans when an ancient evil known as Abaddon once again walks the Earth. Caught within a war on Earth between the planets Heaven and Hell, a young Demon named Gunny must find a way to survive.   CB: What was the genesis for this project, where did the idea for this comic come from, and what led to you deciding to crowdfund it? GL: Ethan Van Sciver’s hilarious video covering the Brie Larson debacle brought me to Comicsgate, then when I saw Ethan and other Indie Creators creating their dream books- that inspired me to put together a team to launch my own. I chose Gunny out of a large collection of my characters because his combat style is very exciting and fast-paced, and because his story offered a lot of character growth possibilities. Drizzt Do’Urden, Spiderman and Punisher were major inspirations.       CB: What kind of comic fans do you expect this comic will entertain the most? GL:  People who like heroic, action-packed underdog superhero comics that are inspired by early 90’s Image and Marvel comics as well as people who enjoy new twists on ancient mythology.    CB: Let’s get into the creative and production side a little. Tell us a bit about your creative team that have contributed to this project? GL:  My Sequential Team consists of Penciler and Layout Artist John Howard, Inker and Letterer Chis Wendha, Colorist Paul Bilick and Editor Jake Ryan. Cover Team- Artists Ced Nocon, Kristian Rossi, John Howard and Chris Oak and Colorists Paul Bilick and Felipe Obando.  Production Team- Logo and Character Designer James Dean Anderson, Creature and Character Designer Carlos Villas, Co-Producer Tank Ferret.     CB: What’s the workflow like? How do you like to work? GL:  Teamwork is the foundation of Braincage. Character and creature designs are given extra attention- we develop them to work in all mediums such as comics, video games and film so that screen and other adaptations will stay true to the original source material. All content is scrutinized and input is given by all members of the development and visual art teams. We’re all big kids, so we can handle it- the best end result is our priority.   CB: What have you been learning from crowdfunding and creating through this process? GL:  Developing your own model is important because what works for another campaign won’t necessarily work for yours.     CB: What is your purpose for telling this story and what are your plans beyond this book? Are there more stories to tell? GL: Gun Demon is all about fun. I’d love for it to be a child’s first comic book that helps inspire the next generation of comic book fans and a return to fun and exciting superhero comics for those who haven’t got enough of that in recent years. This is the first issue in a four issue mini series and I’m planning on .   CB: What do you think makes this comic unique from similar books? GL:  Other than some of the concepts I mentioned previously that Gun Demon has in common with Spiderman and Punisher, I can’t think of any books that are similar. I think the in-depth world building, gradual character progression and the crossovers, team ups and events we have planned will give Readers many reasons to keep reading.     CB: Thanks for chatting with us! Good luck and we are rooting for you! GL:  Thank you, Chris! Hail!   Check out the book here!   @tankferretart @johnhowarddraws   _________ HARDLY HEROES #1 by Bryan Cody Check out the book here!       Chris Braly: Tell our readers your elevator pitch for Hardly Heroes #1 – Briefly tell our readers the pitch. Bryan Cody:  Explore the world of Hardly Heroes! Hardly Heroes is a comic that our team at Shattermare Comics has spent the last two years developing and we are ecstatic to bring you Issue #1. We have adapted our group's Homebrew D&D campaign into a full-fledged comic book. The story follows a relatable group of murder hobos as they adventure their way across the Du’Bodan peninsula, “finding” themselves in precarious situations, as they unravel a plot to destroy the Loam. Arc 1 is in dedication to our friend and original DM, Wilson. Hardly Heroes is a 32 Page, monthly, physical and digital release with no ads. Just pure content. The only filler is random side quests!     CB: What was the genesis for this project, where did the idea for this comic come from, and what led to you deciding to crowdfund it? BC: We were sitting around the table one night, after a game session, and decided that it would be interesting to turn our homebrew adventure into a book, graphic novel, or I think someone mentioned an animated Youtube series. Gabe mentioned it’s always been his dream to have his own comic book company so that’s how we landed on a comic book as the medium. Personally, I’ve always dreamed of having an independent music publishing company. So, when the guys mentioned the comic I said that I’d run the publishing side of things since I already have a business background. It turns out comics are just as fun to produce as music. When our current DM had to drop-out as the writer, Kyle slid right into the head writer role, since he is passionate about writing and has a great understanding of the characters and world. That’s basically how we formed our core team.        Crowdfunding was a natural decision for recouping production expenses for the book prior to launch. After the original artist dropped from the project, we had to hire artists since the three of us can’t draw to save our lives. We didn’t realize at the time that we would have to hire a full team of artists. I’m glad we did though. Aside from a good way to recoup costs of producing the book, we wanted to offer cool perks to people who were there at the beginning to help us bring our story to life. There are a couple perks where we allow contributors to be drawn into the book as a main or side NPC, so they can have a living character in this world like we do as the creators. We also created cool crossover items like custom dice, a world map, and trading cards of the characters with stats. I think it’s a cool experience that people can read through our book and get the feeling of seeing something that actually happened at the game table or is similar to what someone at their table would do as they role-play their characters. CB: What kind of comic fans do you expect this comic will entertain the most? Who is your audience and potential age group? BC: There is a definite crossover between tabletop games and comics with our book. So, I expect it to be most entertaining to comic fans who have also played in a D&D or other tabletop RPG group. There are familiarities that they’ll appreciate, some meta jokes, and nods to what it’s like to sit around a game table with your friends. However, we also want to tell the story of these characters in this world. So, someone can pick up the book and still enjoy it as a legitimate story that makes sense in this fantasy world. Based on pre-orders and the feedback we’ve gotten from people in our area, our primary audience is guys and girls from ages 17-45.     CB: Let’s get into the creative and production side a little. Tell us a bit about your creative team that have contributed to this project? BC:  In Shattermare Comics, there are three of us who are owners of the company, Kyle, Gabe, and I. We all wear different hats but Kyle is the main writer. Gabe and I help with writing, editing, and administrative duties. Gabe also handles the distribution of comics and is the event coordinator. We all help with sales and marketing. I direct the artists that we contract to work on the book. I also handle our finances and accounting. Our main artist does all the pencils and inks, and goes by Dan Zay. He lives in Russia. Luana Cristini is our colorist, she lives in Brazil. Our letterist and graphic designer is Eric Heard. He’s out of Atlanta, GA. Otherwise, we have a handful local/regional artists who do alternate covers for us. Their names are Kyle Willis, Jason Sobol, and Jason Metcalf. We’ve also commissioned a handful of talented people to do various tasks to help us launch issue 1 of Hardly Heroes and get the publishing company up and running. I’ve also had the pleasure of already meeting some great members of the Indie community in Florida. They have given me some great advice and guidance along the way.     CB: What’s the workflow like? How do you like to work? BC:  I personally love it and I’ll speak for the other guys and say they enjoy it immensely. You have to be passionate about what you do, especially in the beginning when you aren’t getting paid for the work and you are risking your time and money for it to pay off. Especially, when it’s a creative endeavor. It’s so satisfying to work on something that is yours and to see it come to fruition.    We have a good workflow. We meet once a week to discuss writing, editing, art, etc. and make sure everyone is on task. Then, we assign everyone their tasks and go do our thing. The artists that we contract are professional so they are good about meeting deadlines and communicating with us. This is good, especially, because coming into this we weren’t experienced in the intricacies of designing a comic book. They were patient with us. I would say, since we locked in our colorist, we have been operating at much higher efficiency. Art revisions are fewer in between and take less time to turn around. We have colors and letters being completed simultaneously which is nice. We have streamlined the scripts for each issue so there is less drafting for structure purposes. There will always be drafting for writing purposes. We are actually ahead of schedule right now. We are midway through production of issue 2 and will have the line art done for issue 3 when this interview is online. I have a lot of trust in our team to deliver on each assignment, and that makes working with everyone a real pleasure.   CB: What have you been learning from crowdfunding and creating through this process? BC: To me, crowdfunding is one avenue for marketing/advertising our book. I enjoy marketing and coming up with interesting ways to promote the book. Crowdfunding platforms are great for that. They also blend a little bit of social media so you can get direct feedback from people buying your book.    I’ve also learned a lot about running a print publishing company and all of the resources that go into creating a monthly comic book. This doesn’t have to do with crowdfunding, but part of promoting the book has been touring the southeast and talking with comic shop owners. It’s fun to talk to people in different shops, talk to the local owners to discuss what their experiences are like, and discover local comic markets.   <   CB: What is your purpose for telling this story and what are your plans beyond this book? Are there more stories to tell? BC:  There are several purposes for telling this story. First and foremost, to tell an interesting story with enjoyable characters. We plan to have multiple arcs that follow each campaign in the world that our group has created. So, we want to make sure that this is a story people will want to continue reading. The first arc is in memory of our original DM, Wilson, who unfortunately passed away from cancer. His campaign was the inspiration for the world and the first campaign in which our group played. Today, we continue with his world and his legacy.    We’re on campaign two that our other friend, and current DM, carries forward. Campaign two will be the second arc of the story. That is our current plan for Hardly Heroes. We may continue to tell some offshoot stories of side characters in the world, but will determine if we want to tell more than two arcs of the main storyline, after we wrap up campaign two. However, we have plenty of content/issues planned for arc 1. We also have plans as a publisher to produce and tell other stories, separate from the Hardly Heroes universe. We currently operate as a creator-owned publisher for creators with existing content. We promote the books of two other creators at signings, conventions, and on our website. Depending on the demand for Hardly Heroes, we may produce other in-house stories sooner than later. CB: Thanks for chatting with us! Good luck! BC: Thank you! Yes, I appreciate you giving us the opportunity to talk about the book. We are very excited that we’ve come this far and can’t wait to see the book that we’ve spent the last two years working on in stores, on shelves, and in people’s hands. Check out Hardly Heroes, available February 2nd 2022.   @shattermare Check out the Indiegogo campaign here! _________ LIFE ON CORA #5  by Mike Jimmy Check out the campaign page here!   Chris Braly: Welcome to Indie Comics Showcase, Mike! Tell us about your latest installment of Life on Cora and how it began. Mike Jimmy:  Life On Cora started with simply saying “I always wanted to make a true fantasy, no humanoids, a completely alien world.” And I did! I started sketching and came up with the world concept, then my writer and I started brainstorming the kind of creatures living in it and how it worked. We got Life on Cora #1 made very quickly, a little too quick to be honest, but that’s how one learns. From there we just kept creating, and while the original writer is now no longer working with me, my new ones are doing a wonderful job at keeping me busy.   CB: Who do you expect this comic will entertain the most? MJ: If you like short, standalone stories, and like worldbuilding, this is definitely a comic for you. It is much closer to the European format with new and recurring characters having a new adventure in every issue, and we’ve found our readers so far really enjoy this format as well, it makes it very easy to jump into the series.   CB: Let’s get into the creative and production side a little. Tell us a bit about your creative team that have contributed to this project? MJ:  The original writer was Minerrale, and she helped me write and create the stories for Life On Cora #1 and #2. After she had left the project, I started looking for a new writer and had found two of them! Martin Fisher and Kimberly Kovac. I myself do the editing of their stories, pencils, inks, and lettering. Coloring I leave to my colorist Eristeine.   CB: What’s the workflow like? How do you like to work? MJ:  I’m very much an early morning person, I try and wake up as early as possible, and use the silence of the world around me to get to work on the art the moment I get my first sip of coffee. When it comes to the whole project, My writers send me a pitch for the story they have in mind, I tell them what works and what doesn’t, and they start making a script from there. Once that is complete, I give them a final edit, then go straight into thumbnailing and cranking out pages. Once I finish inking, the pages are sent to my colorist who works her magic on that and the pages are essentially done.   CB: What have you been learning from crowdfunding and creating through this process? MJ:  I’ve found a lot more interest online than I had originally expected. Sure, we failed the first time trying to crowdfund Life On Cora #3 on kickstarter (we published LOC 1 and 2 out of our own pockets), but on Indiegogo we got a much better reception for the idea of the comic and it really has been growing ever since. It also only further showed us that people really dig this way of storytelling and worldbuilding, and that the American audience really needs more of it. We’re offering all issues on the campaign. Both as add-ons as well as catch-up tiers.     CB: What is your purpose for telling this story and what are your plans beyond this book? Are there more stories to tell? MJ:  Our purpose is always to entertain, to give our audience something they can share with anyone of any walk of life and enjoy together. These stories are all-ages but that doesn’t mean they’re for kids only, in fact quite the opposite! As for new stories, right now we have scripts ready to go up to Life On Cora #10 and we’re only going to keep going from there, we’re far from out of ideas. CB: Thanks for chatting with us! Good luck! MJ:  Thank you so much for having me! No matter what, Faeries and Ents makes things happen.   @and_ents   Check out the campaign page here! _________   That’s it for this installment! Support indie comics!!!     Follow Indie Comics Showcase on Twitter at @Indie_Comics and reach out to them if you want us to consider featuring YOUR crowdfunding comic project!   The post Indie Comics Showcase #165: Gun Demon, Hardly Heroes & Life on Cora appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

DC Comics Replaces Daniel Cherry III with Anne DePies as GM Posted: 26 Jan 2022 12:52 PM PST     It’s just been announced that Anne Leung DePies has been elevated to Senior Vice President (SVP) and General Manager at DC Comics, succeeding Daniel Cherry III, who abruptly departed the company last week. DePies has been with DC since 201 and formerly worked with Cherry as SVP of Business Strategy, Finance, and Administration. Prior to her tenure at DC, she worked in acquisitions for Warner Bros. in their theatrical, television, and videogame divisions.   As ICv2 reports, DePies will oversee operations, marketing, brand management, and other aspects of DC’s business in her new role, and she will collaborate with CCO and Publisher Jim Lee to make creative and editorial decisions that will promote the company’s plans for its stories, characters, and digital programming, as well as its commitment to the direct market.   "Anne's deep knowledge and appreciation of the DC business, legacy and people will be invaluable in this new leadership role," said Pam Lifford, President WarnerMedia Global Brands and Experiences, who made the announcement. "She understands our fans, characters and stories, and along with Jim, will passionately build our DC publishing business to even greater heights."   "It is incredibly humbling to step into this role at a place I've been for a while now," DePies said. "I feel like I partially grew up at DC, and I've seen how important we are to our fans. To get the chance to lead our company to do even more for them is a dream come true."     h/t to Wes Daugherity from Thinking Critical, who has more on the story.       The post DC Comics Replaces Daniel Cherry III with Anne DePies as GM appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

Blando Reviews: Belle (2021) “To Be Real” Posted: 26 Jan 2022 08:25 AM PST 2022 finds me at the local AMC yet again, this time to snag a 5pm showing of Studio Chizu's Belle, directed by the seasoned Mamoru Hosoda (Wolf Children). I did some article blurbs here on Bleeding Fool last year leading up to its release, and now that it has arrived in the states it was time for me to actually watch the film I had been keeping tabs on over Summer and Autumn.     The story opens with an introduction to U, an advanced social medial platform, directed at the audience like an ad, stating that one can be a new 'you' in U, and that it is a place for second chances, sporting over five billion users. U in execution is like an MMORPG meets Twitter.   U is populated by advanced avatars based off of scans of a person's general appearance, but also potentially off of a psychological profile that is somehow glimpsed as well during the scan, the end result often being attractive, or unique in appearance, but not always.     The audience is introduced to the avatar of the protagonist, Belle, singing on a floating whale covered in speakers traversing a vibrant cityscape occupied by thousands upon thousands (Possibly millions) of colorful characters. Then we are plunked into real life (and 2d animation), finally shown our protagonist in the flesh, the withdrawn Suzu (Kylie McNeill in her debut role).   Following Suzu through her high school days we are introduced to her childhood friend, as well as crush, Shinobu (Manny Jacinto, Maliski from Trese – 2021) and her urbane best friend Hiroka (Jessica DiCicco, Shigeru Kamado from various Demon Slayer media) forming her inner circle.   Suzu's outer circle is comprised of quirky kayaking enthusiast Shinjiro Chikami, who goes by Kamishin (Brandon Engman, Morishima Hodaka from Weathering With You – 2019), and strangely, the most popular girl in high school, Ruka (Hunter Schafer, Jules Vaughn from Euphoria 2019 – 2022).     We further learn that Suzu's mother died saving a child from being washed away in a river that was flooding, Suzu being six at the time and witnessing this tragedy first hand has left her with emotional issues she's still battling with in the present, namely being able to sing.   Known for having a pretty voice among her peers, Suzu finds it hard to sing as every time she does she is reminded of her mother who encouraged it, which then reminds her of her death, spurring episodes of intense anxiety.     After an incident where she is put on the spot at karaoke, Suzu flees, vomiting on her way home. Hiroka prods Suzu into trying out U as an escape, and when she does, she uses a group picture where she and Ruka are in close proximity, causing her avatar to generate a face that is a composition of both; Ruka's beauty, and her freckles.   Suzu's name meaning 'Bell', she names her avatar Bell and enters U. She finds that she can sing without anxiety there, and performs a whole song without accompaniment in what constitutes a crosswalk in the virtual city she appeared in.   At first met with passivity and criticism, the following days Suzu finds that she has garnered a following, one that is growing fast, her performance recorded and spread across U as well as the internet at large.   With help from Hiroka, who is more than a little savvy with computers and social media, Suzu is able to build on her avatar's celebrity, singing more intricate, musically accomplished pieces, while also keeping her identity a secret as all earned income from her exploits are immediately donated to charity.   Her fame continues to grow, reaching such heights that she is able to hold a concert viewed by millions online. Enter 'The Dragon' (sorry, I couldn't help myself), a grotesque avatar with bruises on its back, crashing the concert with a wild conflict between Justin (Chace Crawford, Kevin Moskowitz / the Deep – The Boys) and The Justices, a group of vigilantes unofficially policing U with the ability to dispel an avatar, revealing the identity of the person behind it.     The Dragon (voiced by Paul Castro Jr, Rikuya Yoshida – High-Rise Invasion) manages to escape the battle after trouncing the Justices, leaving Justin, the audience and Bell (now referred to as Belle by her fans) stunned.   U and the media at large become enamored with The Dragon, fixated on discovering who is behind the grim façade and violence. Suzu and Hiroka perform their own investigation while the public exposes an artist suspected of being The Dragon as a fraud, who, simply aped the pattern of The Dragon's bruises in his works.   A professional baseball player is later accused of being The Dragon because he covers up his upper body, apparently, to hide the scars of a violent past. But he reveals to the world that he has scars from numerous surgeries performed on him when he was a child to rid him of cancer.   While speculation continues to fly, Suzu manages to find where the Dragon resides within U at the cost of becoming a target of Justin and his cadre. At first rebuked by The Dragon several times (all of which vehemently), Suzu begins to break through to the person under the avatar, realizing that he is not much younger than herself, and potentially suffering some actual burden outside of U.     Suspicions are confirmed when Suzu and Hiroka finally discover The Dragon's true identity, getting a glimpse of what he goes through in his personal life at home. This leads to the crescendo of the film stretched out over U and the real world as Suzu puts her own identity on the line in a desperate bid to save the The Dragon.   I won't spoil the ending here. You will have to buy a ticket for the rest.     Visually, Belle is the most intricately and impressively delivered piece by Studio Chizu to date, reflected in how they animate the two stages the story plays out on. U is vibrant, 3-dimensional, and glows with coding beneath its colorful objects.   The real world is rendered with an eye for the natural, Suzu's mountain hugging hometown a 2D recreation of rural Japan, effecting down to earth greens and browns. This helps contrast to realities Suzu moves between, both beautiful feasts for the eyes.     From a storytelling standpoint, it is not difficult to see where Belle pulls inspiration from. It is a Beauty and The Beast story with the Hosoda touch for virtual world building. Belle is pensive though, meditative in how it progresses, falling more in step with Wolf Children than, say, Summer Wars, nor is it as fairy-tale whimsical as its Disney predecessor.   Belle is a smart film in that it knows what it is doing with its plot device of U and what it is doing without it, treating both worlds separately, allowing them to tell similar, but different stories, and not blending the possibilities found in both until the final act. This duality is purposeful, and integral to what Belle is trying to convey.   The film is concerned with the public image contrasted with the private life. The ideal self, or at least the most provocative one put on display, and the person pulling its strings out of sight. The avatars in U are both a persona and a shield for the respective people controlling them, and the threat of having that veneer, that curtain, ripped away is what gives the antagonist in Justin a certain intimidation, or weight.   He cannot hurt you, but he can expose you.   Any invasion of privacy is horrifying because it can bring embarrassment, shame, judgment from others, or all the above. Belle addresses this horror by illustrating brutal honesty, and courage in the face of exposure.   Belle tells us that healing or strength isn't found in what we try to hide, or escape into, but in the bare faced truth, and the bravery it takes to be the genuine article before a world fixated on fabricated images.   That is a hard message to broach, but Belle sings it to us with a trembling, sincere voice that is equally hard to dismiss. The post Blando Reviews: Belle (2021) "To Be Real" appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

More on the Sudden Departure of DC Comics’ General Manager Daniel Cherry Posted: 26 Jan 2022 06:15 AM PST   The Hollywood Reporter announced a very telling resignation that has taken place at DC Comics, for an executive who originally worked in video games:   Daniel Cherry III, the senior vp and general manager of DC, has stepped down, multiple sources tell The Hollywood Reporter. Reasons for the abrupt exit, which was characterized as a "quitting," are unclear. Cherry was in the position for less than two years, having come aboard in September 2020. The role he inhabited was a newly created position at the time, crafted in response to harsh executive layoffs that occurred in 2020 and followed the departure of co-publisher Dan DiDio. […] Cherry came in as DC was in rebuilding mode and one of his goals was to "future-proof" the company with one of the aims being to increase its global reach. It is unclear how successful his initiatives were, but sources say DC did have a banner 2021 thanks to editorial initiatives and interest in its publishing lines thanks to The Suicide Squad movie, Sweet Tooth series and The Sandman Audible adaptation, among others.   Just like DiDio, Cherry is another bad choice for employee who won’t be missed. I have no idea what they mean by “future-proofing” the publisher, but it’s already obvious that, from an artistic perspective, they most definitely haven’t, and EIC Marie Javins is only ensuring the excruciating disasters will continue.     It’s worth considering that the news of Cherry’s departure comes shortly after the news that one of DC’s diversity-pandering creations, Yara Flor, is having her series cancelled pretty quickly, according to ComicBook, which predictably sugarcoats the whole subject:   In very unfortunate comics news, a wonderful DC Comics title has abruptly been canceled. In the newest DC Connect update from DC Comics, they have announced that Joelle Jones’ stellar Wonder Girl series will now end with Wonder Girl #7, meaning that the previously solicited Wonder Girl #8 will not be released. Instead, Flor’s adventures will continue in the upcoming Trial of the Amazons: Wonder Girl #1 and #2, which will hit later this year. This is really a shame, as Wonder Girl was one of the best books DC was releasing, and hopefully, this isn’t the end of Yara’s solo series shine. You can read the DC Connect announcement below. […] No reasoning was given, but regardless of what that reason was, it’s disappointing. Yara Flor is a star and is more than deserving of a solo title, especially one that was this good. You can read the official descriptions for Wonder Girl #7, Trial of the Amazons: Wonder Girl #1 and #2, and the now cancelled Wonder Girl #8 below.   This is almost enough to laugh, how they quickly set about fawning over the whole project as instantaneously great, without even considering the way it was intended more as social jutice inclusivity propaganda than an organic effort to introduce a spinoff character from Wonder Woman’s legacy. Though if no reason was provided, doesn’t that signal sales were poor? Obviously, nobody cared based on the inorganic approach to marketing, thus it makes no sense to merely say the title’s heroine is a “star” when they way they went about this was extremely poor.   Speaking of WW, there’s some very sickening news on MSN/Games Radar, that several of the Justice League’s members are being killed in April:   DC has been teasing what has looked like the death of Superman (again) as part of a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the original ‘Death of Superman’ story. But as it turns out, DC is going even bigger this time, killing the core roster of the Justice League – including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and more – in a story that will end the current Justice League title with April 19’s Justice League #75. Justice League #75 from writer Josh Williamson and artist Rafa Sandoval will pit Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, John Stewart (Green Lantern), Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl, Aquaman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Zatanna against a foe known as the Dark Army – and only one member of the League will return to tell the tale. Who comes back hasn’t been revealed, but a variant cover from ‘Death of Superman’ artists Dan Jurgens and Norm Rapmund shows coffins bearing the emblems of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Green Lantern, so we’re guessing it won’t be one of them.   Well! So Jurgens, one of the architects of one of the most overrated stunts of the 1990s, is contributing to this newest example of PC publishers and editors vehemently refusing to let go of what’s become an obsession: killing off characters both major and minor just to make some crazy point, which, post-2000, became increasingly done for political purposes. One more reason why I’ve lost only so much respect for Jurgens, and have to take even the best efforts in his portfolio with a grain of salt. Interesting they chose to kill off John Stewart rather than Hal Jordan this time, if only because POC and LGBT characters are often protected by this status in fiction publishing. But, it wouldn’t make any difference if it were Kyle Rayner who were the one killed, because no matter what character it is, and no matter their gender or racial background, their doing this as part of publicity stunts is exactly what makes this offensive and tasteless. Nobody who cares about entertainment merit should ever buy this.     A writer at Red State addressed the news, but while he’s appalled, the way he goes about this is still very screwed up:   But times change, and in our current time, the arts have been hijacked by radical ideologues who wish to insert their politics into every facet of our escapism. Naturally, they infiltrated the comic industry and have been creating storylines and characters that nobody wanted or asked for, and as a result, have effectively crashed the American comic industry. DC didn't escape the takeover. In fact, it was one of the brands that suffered the worst. In fact, looking at the top 20 adult graphic novels, not one DC Comic can be seen on the list. But DC isn't course correcting. In fact, it's doubling down on its LGBT, climate-change concerned, anti-patriarchy, feminist characters, and storylines and ridding itself of the past. According to Bounding Into Comics, DC has killed off the Justice League. This means their staples of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and more have met their end. While this has been done before, DC Comics writer Joshua Williamson indicated that they are "very serious" about killing off those beloved characters. "We want people to understand, this is serious and this is gonna have a major impact in the DCU moving forward," he stated. It's entirely possible that this could be a sales stunt and that the heroes will return at a later date…but I hope they don't, and for several reasons, but the primary one is that I'm tired of watching these heroes be abused and morphed into something they aren't. The social justice obsessed and woke culture has been taking these heroes that many of us grew up with and altering them into shadows of their former selves, oftentimes advocating for modern mainstream "morals" and "virtues" that seem outside of their character. Oftentimes these plot elements and additional characters seemed shoehorned in or try-hard to a point where it becomes nonsensical and obviously political. I would rather Batman and Superman die and stay unmolested than watch their legacies be tortured and destroyed like a child cruelly pulling the wings off a butterfly for his amusement and then declaring that he somehow improved the insect by doing so. My hope is that in death they would stay intact and be remembered as they were, not what these social justice-obsessed "artists" attempted to make them into.   While I can understand he’s devastated at the severe political abuse the whole franchise has suffered, preferring the characters stay dead is not the answer. Mainly because their PC successors are going to continue from where they left off, serving as political platforms and turning the legacies of the true heroes into totally sick jokes. What the writer should really wish is that the whole franchise as comics were cancelled already, and/or sold off to some more sensible business, if that’s how the legacies can be preserved tastefully. How such points are lost on these would-be professional commentators is beyond me.   At least he makes a point about the stark contrast Japanese manga stories have to USA comics:   The reason for this is multifaceted. For one, there's not a drop of wokeness to be found within their pages, but two, most of them have a beginning and an end. The storylines found in manga have a goal and a purpose. Their characters and situations all work toward a conclusion that — at least the best mangas — tie up the story well and leave it alone after that. There are rarely attempts to artificially extend the storyline, cheapening the story's finale and overusing the characters until they've lost that spark that made them so popular in the first place. American comics, however, continue to wheel out these characters over and over until even fans lose interest, stop reading, and lose track.   Exactly. The specific serial fiction format used for mainstream US comics has continued so long, without any serious attempts to change it for what could be better in the long run, that it’s proven to be its undoing. DC/Marvel refuse to abandon the monthly pamphlet format, nor the company wide crossovers that’ve been going on since Secret Wars, and even went so far as to largely abandon mainstream bookstores as a way of selling them for many years, that as a result it’s no wonder it got to a point where they’d end up abused by bad political motivations. The only way things will improve for now is if the companies are folded, NOT whether the classic heroes will remain in the afterlife.   Cherry obviously condoned the very mistakes spoken about by the Red State writer, and that’s why his departure from DC is for the best, as will the departure of Javins, when the publisher presumably goes under or is sold off.   Originally published here. The post More on the Sudden Departure of DC Comics’ General Manager Daniel Cherry appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

Dune Director Denis Villeneuve Updates Fans on Sequel’s Production Posted: 26 Jan 2022 04:45 AM PST   Denis Villeneuve, director of the eagerly awaited sequel Dune: Part Two, has issued an encouraging update on its development. The filmmaker disclosed on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast that the screenplay for the sequel is nearing completion and that he is now enjoying being at the more unbound imaginative stage of production before going forward with the more practical stages of development.   "Right now, I'm in what you call 'soft prep,' meaning that we are finishing the screenplay. We'll start storyboards soon. [Dune] Part 2 is being designed right now by [production designer] Patrice [Vermette]. It's that beautiful part where it's just dreaming, looking at the ceiling and thinking about the movie, I love it. I mean, it's like the moment where everything is possible, before we have the shock of reality that will come."   The sequel to Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune was green lit in October. Following several delays caused by the ongoing global pandemic (the film was initially due to be released in late 2020), the first Dune finally hit screens last September and was well-received by critics for its visuals, scope, and ambition.     The all-star cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem, Dune hurls audiences into the far future, dropping us into this adaptation of the complex world of Frank Herbert's seminal novel. The post Dune Director Denis Villeneuve Updates Fans on Sequel’s Production appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

Matrix Resurrections Slipping in China Amidst Boycott of Keanu Reeves Over Support for Tibet Posted: 25 Jan 2022 03:40 PM PST   "The Matrix: Resurrections" fell out of the top five chart positions at the mainland Chinese box office over the weekend. The top spots were reclaimed by local, holdover titles.   China Film Co.'s patriotic pandemic drama "Embrace Again" was the top film over the latest Friday to Sunday weekend, with a weekend score of $5.3 million, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. Since Dec. 31, 2021, the film has accumulated $139 million. The previous weekend, it had taken $6.8 million in second place.   In second place over the latest session was "Fireflies in the Sun," a Wanda Pictures-backed thriller, said to be a remake of "John Q." It was first released in mid-December but bubbled back with a $4.4 million weekend, lifting its cumulative to $169 million.   Chinese crime thriller "G Storm" earned $3.4 million over the weekend in third place for a cumulative of $93.2 million since releasing on Dec. 31. Comedy, "Another Me" earned $3.2 million for a cumulative of $63.8 million since its debut on Jan. 1. Paramount's "Paw Patrol" clung onto fifth spot for the second week. It earned $2.1 million for a ten-day cumulative of $7.5 million.   In contrast, "The Matrix: Resurrections" fell from a weak $7.5 million first place in its opening weekend to RMB11.7 or $1.85 million, according to Chinese ticketing and data firm Maoyan. The film's cumulative now stands at RMB72.8 million ($11.5 million).   Some of this could stem from a recent boycott announced by Chinese nationalists in retaliation for Keanue Reeves being announced in the line-up on the Tibet House U.S. Benefit Concert to be held on March 3rd. Tibet is currently under the control of the People's Republic of China, and the upcoming concert has led to some unhappy people, according to a report by Taiwan's Central News Agency.   Reeves is one of the artists listed to take part in the concert in some way. However, it is unclear exactly how star will be involved, on a roster that also includes Iggy Pop, Jason Isbell and Patti Smith, among others.   With many issues over Hollywood movie releases in China recently, including many Marvel films still waiting for a release in the country, a boycott of The Matrix Resurrections and, depending on how far they choose to take it, next year's John Wick 4, is something that would not be welcome among film studios who are still struggling to see films hit their full potential in theaters.   via Variety The post Matrix Resurrections Slipping in China Amidst Boycott of Keanu Reeves Over Support for Tibet appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

Vince Vaughn Producing ‘A Christmas Story’ Sequel with Peter Billingsley Posted: 25 Jan 2022 01:15 PM PST   Nearly 40 years after it first debuted, the holiday movie classic "A Christmas Story" is finally getting a sequel, with original star Peter Billingsley set to reprise his role and produce. Warner Bros. and Legendary are backing the production, Variety reports.   "A Christmas Story Christmas" will be directed by Clay Kaytis ("The Christmas Chronicles") from a script by Nick Schenk ("Cry Macho," "The Mule"). Vince Vaughn is also producing, under the Wild West Picture Show Productions banner he runs with Billingsley.   A box office failure when it first premiered in 1983, "A Christmas Story" has become one of the most beloved holiday movies in cinema history. Much of the story's appeal is its simple, nostalgic story about Ralphie (Billingsley), a 1940s kid who desperately wants a Red Ryder BB rifle that everyone, including the local mall Santa, tells him will shoot his eyes out. The new film will take place in the 1970s, with the adult Ralphie bringing his family to his childhood home for Christmas.     While the original was shot in Cleveland and Toronto — the home where the movie is shot has even become a tourist attraction — the new film will begin production in Hungary in February.   After working steadily as a child actor, Billingsley largely transitioned into producing as an adult, starting as a co-producer of Jon Favreau's 2001 mob comedy "Made." He executive produced Vaughn's movies "The Break-Up" and "Four Christmases," and Favreau's 2008 Marvel Studios film "Iron Man." Most recently, he's executive produced the animated series "F Is for Family."   The post Vince Vaughn Producing ‘A Christmas Story’ Sequel with Peter Billingsley appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Returns to Theaters for 40th Anniversary Posted: 25 Jan 2022 10:55 AM PST   Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is returning to theaters to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2022.   Star Trek: II: The Wrath of Khan debuted in 1982, delivering a more focused, tenser story than the first Star Trek movie. Critics and fans widely regard The Wrath of Khan as the best Star Trek movie and one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time, particularly praising William Shatner’s performance as Kirk and Ricardo Montalban as the Khan. Read our review of the classic here.       Here’s the official information and poster from Fathom:     “One of the most celebrated and essential adventures from the STAR TREK universe, STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN celebrates 40 years with the director’s cut on the big screen. On routine training maneuvers, Admiral James T. Kirk seems resigned that this may be the last space mission of his career. But an adversary from the past has returned with a vengeance.   Aided by his exiled band of genetic supermen, Khan (Ricardo Montalban)—brilliant renegade of 20th century Earth—has raided Space Station Regula One, stolen the top-secret device called Project Genesis, wrested control of another Federation starship, and now schemes to set a most deadly trap for his old enemy Kirk… with the threat of a universal Armageddon.”     In association with Turner Classic Movies, Fathom Events will send The Wrath of Khan back to theaters for three nights in September: Sunday, September 4th, Monday, September 5th, and Thursday, September 8th.       via ComicBook.com The post Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Returns to Theaters for 40th Anniversary appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

Cratering: Netflix Shares Have Lost 40% of their Value Over Past 3 Weeks Posted: 25 Jan 2022 08:15 AM PST   Since the beginning of 2022, shares of streaming behemoth Netflix have lost a stunning 40% of their value, owing to dismal new client data and industry analyst downgrades, all of which may be a harbinger of a far more difficult future for the corporation that once had no competition.   Shares of Netflix were down nearly 12% in morning trading at the beginning of this week after the stock dropped more than 20% Friday following reports that the streamer has seen weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter subscriber results and a pessimistic outlook for the first quarter of the new year. Executives were blaming it on the latest COVID variant named omicron.   Now Breitbart is reporting that more bad news could be further depressing the stocks. A new study says Netflix could lose hundreds of thousands more subscribers as several of their licenses Disney-owned shows from Modern Family to Sons of Anarchy are departing the streamer in the U.K. and will be migrated over to Disney+.   Netflix could lose as many as 750,000 customers in Great Britain as these titles ranked among the most-streamed in Europe, according to report in the Guardian. It's part of a larger trend that has seen legacy Hollywood studios remove more of their content from Netflix in order to build their own streaming services. Disney+ and HBO Max are moving aggressively to lure customers away from the competition as consumers grow more reluctant to subscribe to multiple streaming services and seek to consolidate their at-home entertainment options. The avalanche of negative news has prompted several analysts to downgrade Netflix shares. Morgan Stanley analyst Benjamin Swinburne slashed the stock's target price from $700 to $450, saying the weak subscriber growth has significantly impacted the company's earnings outlook, according to multiple reports. Macquarie Research's Tim Nollen had an even more negative prescription, downgrading the stock from "neutral" to "underperform" and cutting the price target from $615 to $395.   Netflix has blamed the recent quarter’s low subscriber growth on the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as rising streaming competition. As is customary, the firm did not address consumer dissatisfaction with its more awakened, left-wing content, such as the climate-change parody Don’t Look Up and titles created under Obama’s production banner.   The post Cratering: Netflix Shares Have Lost 40% of their Value Over Past 3 Weeks appeared first on Bleeding Fool.

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