Set in the 1990s, Marvel Studios’ “Captain Marvel” is an all-new adventure from a previously unseen period in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that follows the journey of Carol Danvers as she becomes one of the universe’s most powerful heroes. While a galactic war between two alien races reaches Earth, Danvers finds herself and a small cadre of allies at the center of the maelstrom.
The film stars Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Rune Temte, Algenis Perez Soto, Mckenna Grace, with Annette Bening, with Clark Gregg, and Jude Law.
Marvel Studios’ “Captain Marvel” is produced by Kevin Feige and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Patricia Whitcher and Stan Lee are the executive producers.
Watch the trailer below:
Dave Chappelle hosted a star-studded surprise comedy show at the Peppermint Club in Los Angeles on Wednesday night (Sept. 19). Joining the comic for a turn on stage was the multi-hyphenate Will Smith (making his standup debut, with wife Jada Pinkett Smith and daughter Willow in attendance), basketball giant and recent L.A. transplant LeBron James, Jon Stewart, Michelle Wolf, Katt Williams, Michael Che and John Mayer, who provided background guitar work and the occasional zinger.
Few of those gathered at the private venue expected such high-wattage guests, though a mandatory lock-out of all mobile devices should have offered the first clue. Indeed, there was not a cell phone in sight as jokes delivered tackled such topics as the #MeToo movement, race and religion. “Comedy ‘Fight Club’” was how Chappelle described the night, which offered more than three-and-a-half hours of belly laughs. The show also had its serious moments. Jon Stewart made an impassioned plea for gun control; Williams sang a hopeful tune for LeBron James’ arrival to the Lakers (for his part, James didn’t say much); and Wolf took on women’s issues and the gender divide.
As for Smith? He explained to the crowd that his 50th birthday was coming up and doing standup was on his “bucket list” and that he was filming the experience for a show called “The Bucket List” (next week, he bungie jumps from a helicopter over the Grand Canyon). His repertoire revolved mostly around life at home with the family. “I kind of lost control of my house,” joked Smith, noting that his wife’s “Red Table Talk” show on Facebook Watch has turned the garage into a control booth (a bewildered Smith made light of how his ex-wife Sheree got booked for the first episode). Meanwhile, son Jaden had a song that was taking off (“Icon”) but wouldn’t let his dad be featured on the track. Cracked an incredulous Smith: “He looked at me like I was the second-best rapper in the house!”
Smith also joked about joining social media and broke stride mid-way through his performance to acknowledge his family sitting feet away. He later did rap a bit for the night’s grand finale, when all the participants gathered on stage and Chappelle declared, “There’s a new sheriff in town!”
Also honing his comedy chops was John Mayer, who mused on pornography (“Why are all porn videos rated 73%?”) and his own sex life, but mostly served as a musical guide — Mayer jammed through songs from “Footloose” and “Caddyshack” and tunes by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Prince and Jeff Buckley with equal aplomb — and Chappelle foil.
Chappelle made one mention of Louis CK, whom he referenced in his most recent Netflix special, asking the audience how they would react if the shunned comedian showed up and started masturbating openly. When the question was met with mostly silence, he cracked, “[some] brave women” here. Chappelle also jabbed at the sexual exploits of Jamie Foxx, Aziz Ansari and Mayer, name-checking Taylor Swift.
Other highlights included Chappelle’s mockery of the book “The Secret” and, more heartfelt, his comparison of Kanye West to Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champ in the world.
Source: Variety
“Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler has come on board as a producer on Warner Bros.’ “Space Jam” sequel, starring LeBron James and Bugs Bunny.
Coogler’s attachment comes in the wake of the blockbuster success of “Black Panther,” which grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide. He also directed “Creed” and “Fruitvale Station,” and is an executive producer on the upcoming “Creed II.”
Terence Nance, creator of the HBO show “Random Acts of Flyness,” is directing the untitled sequel. His credits include “An Oversimplification of Her Beauty,” “Swimming in Your Skin Again,” and “Univitillen.”
The movie marks James’ first major acting role. He played himself in the 2015 Amy Schumer-Bill Hader comedy “Trainwreck.”
Rumors of a “Space Jam” follow-up first emerged in 2015 when James and his company, SpringHill Entertainment, signed a deal with Warner Bros. Justin Lin was in talks to direct in 2016, but that deal did not go through. Lin is an executive producer on the movie. Warner Bros. has not set a release date for the sequel.
SpringHill announced Coogler and Nance’s involvement by tweeting a clever locker room photo with their names.
Michael Jordan teamed up with Looney Tunes characters in 1996’s live-action/animated sports comedy “Space Jam,” which grossed $230 million worldwide. The cast included NBA stars Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, and Patrick Ewing, and the story took place during the time between Jordan’s initial retirement from the NBA in 1993 and his comeback in 1995. Jordan was enlisted by Bugs Bunny and friends to help them win a basketball match against a group of aliens.
James signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in July after opting out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Variety reported on Sept. 13 that he’s teamed with Elizabeth Banks to executive produce a drama series titled “Hoops” currently in development at NBC.
Coogler is repped by WME. The news was first reported by the Hollywood Reporter.
Source: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter
The BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” has remained the biggest night in hip hop on television for over a decade with its powerful performances, iconic hip hop honorees and much-anticipated cyphers. Comedian, actor and host of VH1’s “Hip Hop Squares,” Deray Davis – a bonafide fan favorite will rock the mic as host of the BET “HIP HOP AWARDS” 2018 in Miami, FL.
The “I Am Hip Hop” Award returns to honor self-proclaimed “greatest rapper alive,” and New Orleans’ own Lil Wayne. Having sold over 100 million records worldwide and garnered five Grammy awards, Lil Wayne is one of the most successful and critically lauded artists in hip hop. Touted rap’s first rock star, he released his platinum solo debut, Tha Block Is Hot, in 1999 at the age of 17. He released the first installment of his legendary Tha Carter series in 2004 before releasing three others, including the landmark Tha Carter III in 2008, which is the last rap album to have sold one million physical copies in the first week. Lil Wayne was the first male solo artist to surpass Elvis Presley’s record for most entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and his 138 Billboard Hot 100 appearances, currently ranks as the third most of any artist. His most recent studio album, I Am Not A Human Being II, was released in 2013 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 Charts. Last year, Wayne released FWA (Free Weezy Album) exclusively on Tidal, where it was streamed a staggering ten million times within the first seven days alone. Lil Wayne is also a celebrated author who released his memoir “Gone Till November” in October of 2016 chronicling his experience in Rikers Island. Outside of his iconic music career, Lil Wayne has continued on as the CEO of his own Young Money Entertainment label (Drake, Nicki Minaj) which will release the much anticipated Tha Carter V later this year (in conjunction with Republic Records). Additionally, Lil Wayne is the CEO of Young Money APAA, a premiere full service sports agency.
From the Hood to Hollywood – nothing is off limits and no one is safe from the 2018 BET Hip Hop Awards host, DeRay Davis’ hilarious, sidesplitting anecdotes. He has continuously sold out venues both domestically and internationally. His highly anticipated 1st ever Netflix special “DeRay Davis: How to Act Black” smashed the cultural landscape on November 14, 2017 and was so popular it shut down the Netflix server. He can currently be seen on the FX series, Snowfall.
BET “Hip Hop Awards 2018” heads to Miami on Saturday, October 6, 2018 for the second consecutive year at, The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater and will premiere on Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 8:00PM ET/PT.
Join the conversation on social media by logging on to BET’s multiple social media platforms:
On BET.com: http://www.bet.com/shows/hip-hop-awards.html
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She’s ready and available at any time, even if it’s just helping out with one simple favor. Which is why when best friend Emily asks her to pick up her son, Nicky, she does so without hesitation.
But when dinnertime rolls around and Emily hasn’t shown up yet, Stephanie starts to get worried. It’s so unlike Emily to be late. And not to respond to her texts. The next morning, Stephanie takes the boys to school; still no word from Emily.
Now she’s worried.
Stephanie calls Emily’s husband, Sean. A few hours later, the police launch a full-fledged investigation into Emily’s absence.
Where is Emily?
As the police interrogate family members about Emily’s mysterious disappearance, Stephanie begins to question her knowledge of her best friend.
You can get close to her but you can never quite reach her.
After all, how much can you really know someone?
She’s like an enigma. Like a beautiful ghost.
And what if the person you thought you knew doesn’t even exist?
Emily doesn’t have many positive characteristics. But she does genuinely want to be a good mother and to have people in her life whom she can trust. She also encourages Stephanie to stick up for herself, to be assertive and not to constantly apologize to others.
Stephanie, for her part, is about as different from Emily as she could be. She’s a hardworking single mom who is actively present in her son’s life (school activities, healthy meals, discipline, etc.). She lovingly looks out for his best interests. She wants to make friends (though it’s hard for her), and she’s kind to others. When Emily goes missing, Stephanie is quick to help needy family members and to care for Emily’s son, Nicky.
Abusive parents send two young sisters to a Bible camp every year, in the hope that their behavior and personalities will be improved (in the eyes of the parents). The mother refers to her daughters as “evil” girls who need to be “exorcised.” Two camp counselors joke about a lake filled with “holy water” and Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000.
In one of her blogs, Stephanie says that she avoids the topic of religion because she doesn’t want to “offend any non-denominational moms.” A woman feels guilty after looking at a statue of Jesus on the cross.
[Spoiler Warning] A reverend prays the Lord’s Prayer and says “God rest her soul” at a funeral. A child comforts his friend by telling him, “At least your mom’s in heaven now.”
Three sex scenes strategically avoid nudity, but still depict explicit movements and sounds. One scene involves a married woman and her half-brother. Another pictures a married couple having sex in a bathroom stall. The third implies oral sex.
Emily and her husband, Sean, have “as much chemistry as a science fair” as they make out and get physical. Emily uses her sexual prowess as a weapon against Sean and those around her. In one scene, she wears a suit jacket that is completely open in the front (partially revelaing her breasts). Emily has a graphic, naked self-portrait hanging in her home (as well as a sex toy in her closet).
A woman is seen completely unclothed from behind. Men are seen shirtless, and women wear revealing outfits. Emily smacks Stephanie’s backside suggestively. Two women kiss.
A female character (who’s called a “dyke”) talks about a past love affair with another woman. A man is called a “perv.” Someone says, “Prudes are people too.” Emily tells Stephanie about a threesome that she and her husband had with another person. Sean asks about a possible affair. We hear several graphic conversations about both the male and female anatomy (two of which are related to childbirth). A song refers to women as “hoes.”
Two young sisters are physically abused by their father; we hear him beating one of the girls. Later, they kill their father by setting their home on fire. It’s also insinuated that the girls are verbally abused by both parents. Someone drowns a family member. A woman isn’t afraid to physically harm herself for her own gain. (She throws a wrench at her own face.) A man is shot in the chest twice. A woman wields (and hides) a gun on multiple occasions. Someone is hit by a car.
Stephanie tells a story about a mom whose head was found “in a trash can.” Emily mentions that the best thing she could do for her child would be to “blow my brains out” and tells someone else to hang himself. We hear another sarcastic reference to a murder and a suicide. Kids joke about their dolls killing each other, then coming back to life.
Sean’s mother lies in a hospital bed after a head injury; Emily cruelly comments that she “broke her head.” The body of a dead woman is pulled from a lake. We hear that a baby is stillborn. Someone narrowly avoids an accident that would have been fatal. Two men exhibit aggressive behavior in conversation and then later die in a car crash. A little boy repeatedly punches his friend.
God’s name is misused nearly 10 times (occassionally with with “d–n”), and Jesus’ name is misused five times (once with the f-word). The f-word is used more 50 times, and the s-word about a dozen times. Other profanities include “a–,” “a–hole,” h—” and d–n.” There are a few crude references to genitals.
Jokes are made about the consumption of crystal meth, Xanax, antidepressants and “some pills.” It’s assumed that a woman is using heroin and we see another woman shoot up with that drug using a needle.. Friends pass around a bong, and a song mentions the use of marijuana. Emily wonders (jokingly) if Stephanie’s son drinks alcohol. Emily is a borderline alcoholic who (among other characters) imbibes various mixed drinks. Stephanie gets drunk.
Emily doesn’t make the greatest decisions, and she says so herself. She tells Stephanie that some of her tattoos indicate “another one of my bad decisions.” And she even lets Stephanie in on her marital and financial problems.
Emily and Stephanie trade confessions about the “wildest” things they’re ever done (most of which are dark secrets). Emily’s husband, Sean, reveals that his wife is fiercely private. She doesn’t want her picture taken, going so far as shutting down his Facebook profile, lest it reveal personal information about her.
A woman steals a large sum of money from a former lover and tries to obtain an even larger sum illegally. Someone is described as a pathological liar and a thief. Deception plays a big role in the film.
People make fun of Stephanie and her “mommy vlog” and wonder if she can survive Emily’s abrasive personality. Stephanie believes that loneliness “probably kills more people than cancer.” Causal, harsh comments are made about bad parenting and children viewing their own parents as “losers.” A fashion mogul tries to make light of child labor.
You think you know someone. But people aren’t always who they seem.
This taut, suspenseful story takes two women who are seemingly opposite and intertwines their growing similarities while contrasting their stark differences. And the result of saying yes to one simple request unlocks a story full of increasing moral murkiness. The film shows how one lie can lead to a lifetime of deception and secrets, and how those secrets can ultimately destroy you.
That said, A Simple Favor isn’t really intended as a cautionary tale as much as it’s designed to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. And it delivers in that respect as it twists and turns around a gripping plot. But despite some compelling cinematic moments, what we end up with here is basically Gone Girl-lite. Whereas that thriller was completely submerged in explicit sexual content and graphic violence, this one doesn’t dive quite so deeply into those problematic waters.
But it wades into them far enough to warrant more than a simple warning from us. Don’t be deceived by the presence of crowd-pleasers Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively in the lead roles here: A Simple Favor definitely earns it R-rating.
By Kristin Smith
Set after the events of Predator and 1990’s Predator 2 (and possibly after 2010’s Predators, although it isn’t directly referenced), The Predator casts Boyd Holbrook (Logan) as an Army sniper who finds himself caught up in the Predators’ latest safari when he accidentally discovers one of their crashed ships. Believed insane by his commanding officers, he recruits a group of fellow military castoffs of questionable sanity to help him stop the alien hunters.
As with all of the films in the series, the story boils down to pitting a group of human protagonists against a seemingly unstoppable alien enemy. The Predator ups the ante by introducing a larger, genetically modified version of the iconic alien hunter, as well as a few other fun (for the audience, not the human characters) surprises in its hunting arsenal.
Black’s efforts to bring something new to the franchise are admirable, and although the new super-sized Predator doesn’t feel all that different from its predecessors, he and co-writer Fred Dekker come up with some clever ways to introduce new elements to the franchise’s lore and twist existing elements — both narrative and physical, when it comes to the aliens’ tech — in unexpected ways. The signature force fields and cloaking technology used by the Predators in previous installments of the franchise, for example, are used in some memorably creative ways in The Predator that make the old feel new again.
As the film’s male lead, Holbrook joins original Predator star Arnold Schwarzenegger, Predator 2‘s Danny Glover, and Predators star Adrien Brody as the latest tough guy to take on the Predator, but never quite carves out his own niche in the series. Where Schwarzenegger’s character was every bit the classic ’80s Hollywood tough guy archetype, Glover was the eternally outclassed, reluctant hero, and Brody played a compelling lone wolf, Holbrook is just a guy with a never-ending supply of guns — only distinct from the rest of the cast due to his screen time.
Holbrook is ostensibly the film’s male lead, but it’s his surrounding cast that saves The Predator from becoming just another montage of human characters being sliced, stabbed, and otherwise turned into red mist.
Playing a pair of veterans whose post-traumatic stress disorders manifest in some ridiculous ways, Thomas Jane and Keegan-Michael Key are the film’s primary scene-stealers and most frequent sources of comedy. The two have a genuinely entertaining chemistry in the film, and the ensemble of quirky veterans around them harkens back to the original 1987 film’s iconic team of tough guys in all the right ways. Their characters do a lot with the screen time they’re given, and make the moments they get in the spotlight memorable amid all of the action.
In the role of a biologist brought in to study the Predators’ genetic modifications, Olivia Munn actually seems more comfortable with the chaotic running and jumping and shooting sequences than the dialogue-heavy, expositional scenes her character is intended to provide. To her credit — and that of the film’s creative team — at no point in The Predator does she fall into a damsel in distress role, and better yet, she holds her own in the gun-toting cast remarkably well.
Still, the film tends to drag a bit when either Munn or Holbrook are the sole focus of a scene.
Black wisely keeps those slower, quieter moments to a minimum, though, and The Predator moves along at a pace that doesn’t let you dwell too long on all of the call-outs to the earlier films that are packed — and occasionally forced — into the story, relying instead on its monster and eccentric ensemble to sweep the audience along. That pace occasionally makes the film feel a little disjointed as it suddenly swings from one extreme to the other with its comedy and gory action, but the ride rarely stops being entertaining.
It’s not quite the complete package that the 1987 original was — or the well-received 2010 installment, for that matter — but The Predator does deliver on what its trailers and preview buzz promised. Easily the most intentionally funny chapter of the franchise (as opposed to the campy, unintentionally funny Alien vs. Predator crossover films), The Predator should also satisfy the series’ more hardcore fans with the way it builds on the series’ lore and puts a fresh coat of paint on classic elements.
Whether The Predator can reinvigorate interest in a franchise more than three decades old remains to be seen, but as long audiences approach it with appropriate expectations, there’s a lot of cheer-worthy action and sincere laughs to be found in Black’s installment of the saga. Sure, it has a fair share of flaws that keep it from being one of the series’ best, but The Predator certainly keeps the hunt interesting.
By Rick Marshall
You wouldn’t think it given the subject, but THE OLD MAN & THE GUN is a playful change-of-pace for director David Lowery, a superb director, whose films are typically mournful and elegiac. While definitely a story about a career criminal on the decline, there’s a sweetness and joy to the film that’s surprisingly upbeat. Robert Redford’s Forrest Tucker, a real-life character, may be an unrepentant criminal, but hey — he sincerely loves his work. He’s robbing banks, but loving every second of it, and that joy informs the tone of the movie.
If Redford’s to be believed and this is in fact his swan song (as an actor), he’s going out on the type of A-level piece of work that few of his contemporaries have had the luck to manage. Redford, despite being in his eighties, is very much at the top of his game. He’s still got his looks and his talent, and his reputation is as good as ever, making him a beloved figure very much like his late old partner in crime, Paul Newman.
In fact, Redford seems to almost be playing this as a tribute to his old pal, trying on a light, flintiness that’s truthfully not something he’s ever really been known for, but it works beautifully here. Director Lowery plays to his strengths, with Tucker, for all of his crimes, staying a likeable rogue, while the romance is amped up to allow for a nice, autumn romance between him and the always excellent Spacek. It’s not overdone — it’s just right.
More than anything he’s done in years, this is Redford’s show all the way, and it seems to have been reverse engineered to give him that acting Oscar that’s always eluded him (he’s only been nominated as an actor once — for THE STING, while he also won an Oscar for directing ORDINARY PEOPLE). He’s well-supported by a loose, likeable Casey Affleck, who always seems to do his best work under Lowery’s direction. Given Redford’s stature, a who’s who of supporting players have been roped in, with the meatiest roles going to Tom Waits and Danny Glover as his over-the-hill gang cronies, while Elisabeth Moss has a single scene as his estranged daughter. Tika Sumpter is excellent and warm as Affleck’s wife, while John David Washington, Keith Carradine and Isiah Whitlock Jr., have walk-ons. Clearly, a lot of folks wanted to be part of Redford’s last movie, and who can blame them.
In keeping with the light tone, THE OLD MAN & THE GUN only runs about ninety minutes, and tells a condensed version of his life story, actually leaving some of the more unbelievable aspects off-screen. It’s one of those stranger-than-fiction stories, but Lowery never takes it too far. It’s a surprisingly fun, seventies-style character piece with a sense of humor, and indeed, Redford’s going out on a high note.
By: Chris Bumbray
New Line has attached Eddie Murphy to star, and Tim Story to direct and produce an untitled comedy inspired by the hit Walter Matthau-Jack Lemmon comedy Grumpy Old Men. John Davis is producing through his Davis Entertainment banner. He produced the original.
In the 1983 comedy, two lifelong neighbors who’ve been feuding since childhood find their dislike for one another exacerbated by the presence of a new neighbor who leaves each of them smitten. Ann-Margret played the neighbor and Donald Petrie directed it. They haven’t gotten as far as figuring out who’ll play opposite Murphy, but I have heard Samuel L. Jackson’s name as an inspired idea. He and Story just wrapped Shaft.
Story will produce through his The Story Company banner, and The Story Company’s Sharla Sumpter Bridgett is also producing. Story has directed eight studio features and he became the first African American director to cross the $1 billion mark in global grosses, this before Ryan Coogler hit that mark with Black Panther. Seven of Story’s films debuted number one at the box office: Ride Along 2, Think Like A Man Too, Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer, Fantastic Four and Barbershop. Story is currently in post-production on Shaft, the New Line film that stars Jackson, Jessie T. Usher, Alexandra Shipp and Regina Hall. That film bows June 14, 2019.
Murphy just wrapped the Craig Brewer-directed Dolemite Is My Name, playing self-made iconic blax-ploitation star Rudy Ray Moore. Murphy is repped by WME and Ziffren Brittenham and Story by UTA and the same law firm.
Source: Deadline
Katt Williams told police that Wanda Smith’s husband, Lamorris Sellers, pulled a gun on him and pointed it in his face outside the Atlanta Comedy Theater.
Comedian Katt Williams and Atlanta radio host Wanda Smith allegedly got into a fight outside the Atlanta Comedy Theater in Norcross that ended with Smith’s husband pulling a gun on Williams, according to a report from the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Smith and Williams reportedly started arguing at the club about an interview Smith did with Williams on Saturday, Sept. 15 around 9:30 p.m. According to the police synopsis, Williams told police that Smith’s husband, Lamorris Sellers, pulled a gun on him and pointed it in his face.
Williams and his security guard ran to the Food Depot next door to meet with police.
Sellers told police that Williams had a verbal fight with Smith, and Williams indicated he wanted to fight, according to the report. Sellers approached Williams and chased him into the Food Depot, then turned back to the Atlanta Comedy Club, police said.
Sellers admitted to police he had a gun, and that it fell from his waistband while he was chasing Williams, and he stopped to retrieve it, according to the report. He denied pointing a gun at anyone.
No independent witnesses came forward to talk with officers about what happened, according to police.
Gwinnett Police said surveillance video from the Food Depot surveillance cameras shows Sellers chasing Williams into the store, but does not show Sellers holding a gun.
The officer was told the Atlanta Comedy Theater has surveillance cameras but they could not be accessed at the time. Williams told police he did not wish the press charges.
Police said if the video surveillance shows any crimes, criminal charges could be filed.
Yesterday on Atlanta’s V-103’s Frank and Wanda In The Morning, Emmy-winning actor/comedian Katt Williams lit up the airwaves, sharing nuclear-hot takes on some of today’s top comedians, including Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, Jerrod Carmichael and Hannibal Buress.
Watch as Williams calls some ugly, questions others’ talents, and suggests that race and colorism play roles in who Hollywood hires and why.