In Hollywood, ‘Anything Goes’ Becomes ‘You’re Fired’
Posted: July 23, 2018 Filed under: Entertainment, Health and Social Issues, Mediasphere, Politics, U.S. News | Tags: #MeToo, Activism, Guardians of the Galaxy, Hollywood, James Gunn, media, Mob, Twitter Leave a comment
Disney has severed ties with filmmaker James Gunn, who previously directed two ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies. Photo: Jordan Strauss/Associated Press
Joe Flint reports: Executives and creatives are losing their jobs as the entertainment industry becomes less tolerant of offensive remarks, abusive behavior
Hollywood’s longstanding say-anything, do-anything culture is rapidly turning into one where the wrong words can have career-killing consequences.
Top executives at Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures and Netflix Inc., as well as creative talent who worked on the “Lethal Weapon” television series and “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies have been fired in recent months after allegations of offensive remarks, verbal abuse and other inappropriate behavior that in the past was more likely to have been tolerated, industry veterans said.
“Saying something offensive back in the day wouldn’t necessarily get you fired,” said Tom Nunan, a former high-ranking television executive and executive producer of the Oscar-winning movie “Crash,” about race relations in Los Angeles. “Now the consequences are severe and immediate.”
The recent firings comes in the wake of the #MeToo movement that started in Hollywood with allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and has had repercussions throughout workplaces. Mr. Weinstein has denied accusations of nonconsensual sexual acts. Read the rest of this entry »
[VIDEO] Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Posted: October 24, 2016 Filed under: Comics, Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Movies, video Leave a comment
Today in Comic Book History, December 11, 1942: Captain Marvel Adventures #18
Posted: December 11, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Reading Room | Tags: Adam McKay, Adventures of Captain Marvel, Amanda Waller, Ant-Man (Scott Lang), Avengers (comics), Captain America, Captain Marvel (DC Comics), DC Comics, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man, Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios, Marvel Universe, vintage 1 Comment
TODAY IN COMIC BOOK HISTORY: December 11, 1942
In the pages of Captain Marvel Adventures #18 we learn Billy Batson has a long lost twin sister, Mary Batson. Mary is based off of actress Judy Garland by artist Marc Swayze and soon gains the same powers as her brother and is later dubbed Mary Marvel.
Mary Marvel would go on to headline her own book with supporting characters such as Uncle Marvel. Although Wonder Woman debuted a year earlier, Mary Marvel gained a great following especially from younger girls.
In the mid-fifties Fawcett Publications ceased the Mary Marvel books and all the Captain Marvel Family titles due to a copyright lawsuit by DC, and she wouldn’t be seen again for 20 years. DC eventually started publishing stories about the Marvel Family in the early 70s under the title “Shazam”. Read the rest of this entry »
Disney Declined Stan Lee’s Original ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, Dismissing it as ‘Too Vulgar’
Posted: September 2, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment, U.S. News | Tags: Atlanta, Dragon*Con, Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy, Gunn, Jackson Pollock, James Gunn, Marvel Comics, Stan Lee Leave a commentATLANTA, Sept. 2 (UPI) — Despite appearing on screen flirting with young woman so aggressively a talking raccoon calls him a “prevert,” Stan Lee‘s original cameo in Disney and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was dubbed so racy by Disney it was completely cut.
“One of the losing battles regarded Stan Lee’s original cameo in the film. Originally, Gunn had planned to have Lee in one of the Collector’s exhibits.”
Appearing on a panel at science fiction and fantasy convention Dragon Con in Atlanta, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn discussed the future of the surprise hit franchise that recently passed Captain America: Winter Soldier as 2014’s top grossing film.
“[Gunn] couldn’t believe he was able to get the line referencing Jackson Pollock into the film.”
— Evan Valentine
While telling antidotes about the film’s laundry list of cameo’s, Easter eggs and in-jokes, Gunn recounted the original plan for former Marvel chairman Stan Lee’s brief appearance. Read the rest of this entry »
[VIDEO] Marvel Studios Looks Back on Its First Ten Films
Posted: August 4, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Entertainment | Tags: Avengers, Film, Guardians of Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man, John Sexton, Lucy, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios 2 CommentsJohn Sexton writes: After seeing the disappointing Lucy last week and wondering why anyone would think it was a good idea to take a silly premise and turn it into a profound statement, I did not want to see another summer movie with delusions of grandeur. So Friday, my family and some friends went to see Guardians of the Galaxy. Ah, now that’s more like it.
Marvel has of course been promoting Guardians heavily on TV, even highlighting the claim that it’s the “best Marvel movie ever.” Sorry but that’s not true. The Avengers and the first Iron Man are both better films. But it’s a credit to Guardians that after those two high points it at least becomes arguable whether Guardians could be next in line.
[Also see – VIDEO] LUCY Movie Trailer HD – Writer Director Luc Besson, Stars Scarlett Johansson]
As if inviting the comparison..(more)
[VIDEO] Review: Pop Mech Digs Guardians of the Galaxy
Posted: August 3, 2014 Filed under: Entertainment, Mediasphere, U.S. News | Tags: Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, Guardians of the Galaxy, Popular Mechanics, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana 1 CommentThe perfect balance of humor, style, wit, and an awesome mix tape, Guardians of the Galaxy takes a band of misfits and creates a new team of heroes for us to cheer on for years to come.
I read Anthony Verducci’s review with one eye closed, because I’ve not seen Guardians of the Galaxy yet, though our Hong Kong Bureau chief has, so this is for him. For movies I’m planning to see, I’m also careful to limit my exposure to previews, trailers, and commentary, so I can preserve the surprises. Oh hell, I barely limit my exposure to anything. The one-eye thing, well, pirates have their reasons, it’s good for ducking in and out of dark movie theaters.
For Popular Mechanics, Anthony Verducci writes: Guardians of the Galaxy is a movie that should not work. It has characters familiar to no one but diehard comic fanboys, a heavy, intricate storyline, and a character that repeats one line of dialog. Yet this space western is so fun and (we’ll say it) heartwarming that you’ll wish it came out when you were a kid.Here’s a plot run-through with minimal spoilers: On the eve of his mother’s death, our soon-to-be-hero Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is captured by space pirates. Yondu, leader of the Ravagers, adopts and teaches Peter the art of thievery. Fast-forward 26 years and our charming protagonist is grooving to a 70’s soundtrack while dancing his way through a mission to steal an ancient silver orb that can destroy whole planets.
The big bad guy, Ronan the Accuser, sends Gamora (Zoe Saldana), the deadliest woman in the galaxy, to retrieve the orb. Meanwhile, a pair of bounty-hunters—Rocket, a wise cracking, trigger happy raccoon voiced by Bradley Cooper, and a living tree creature Groot (Vin Diesel)—are out to collect the bounty on Quill.
While in the midst of a melee, this quartet of misfits is arrested and thrown in a maximum security prison called Kiln. A muscle-bound inmate named Drax the destroyer (Bautista) wants to kill Gamora, but she explains that Ronan cannot be allowed to get his hands on the orb. Reluctantly, all five team up for a prison break. Cue the fight scene.
