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The sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates is always the underdog of the crew. Usopp’s abilities are questioned and he’s considered the weakest crewmate, mostly because of the more obvious strength of his friends. However, Eiichiro Oda has repeatedly added one detail about Usopp that cannot be ignored.

There are many moments in One Piece where Sanji has endured the cold without getting sick, survived lightning, and many more. His genetic modifications granted him this. However, during those moments, Usopp was alongside him and was equally unaffected.

Usopp from One Piece. [Credit: Toei Animation]

While there’s no genetic explanation for Usopp’s surprising endurance, it makes his abilities all the more impressive. It’s not even happened once that it could be marked as a coincidence. There’s a hidden purpose behind these scenes. Usopp might not be the most combative Straw Hat but he’s strong in hidden ways.

Netflix’s One Piece changed Namin in one big way, and the same strategy might be used for Vivi. The original story is filled with eccentric characters and outlandish storylines, which is something that Netflix’s adaptation managed to capture with its bold spirit and bright colors. However, One Piece made some changes from the original anime’s lore that have both caused problems and solved existing issues.

One Piece has been frequently praised as one of the best anime series ever made, and, surprisingly, Netflix’s live-action adaptation was mostly successful in living up to that impossible legacy. The show was filled with much of the same goofy spirit and lack of self-seriousness, which allows the story to go in weird and wonderful directions that audiences would never expect. While some of the changes to existing lore were met with criticism, the show as a whole benefitted from making...

One Piece season 2 using Nico Robin as one of its main villains would strangely pay off the franchise’s weirdest anime movie almost two decades later. While One Piece season 2’s release date has yet to be revealed, the Netflix live-action show seems to have a bright future ahead of it. One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda recently revealed he visited the set of season 2, which is expected to be bigger than the first season on every level. Not only there are plenty of new characters joining One Piece season 2’s cast, but Luffy will now enter the Grand Line.

Every villain in One Piece season 2 should be stronger than the ones they faced in season 1, with Crocodile likely being the main antagonist for the next two seasons. It must be noted that Netflix’s One Piece won’t get to Arabasta in season 2. As such, considering that Crocodile can’t...

The debut of Tony Tony Chopper in live-action will be even more important than expected thanks to One Piece season 2’s Arabasta decision. With One Piece season 1 ending after Arlong’s defeat, it was easy to predict where the Netflix show was going to go next. While One Piece season 2 is indeed adapting the Arabasta saga, the series will not cover it in its entirety, saving the actual Arabasta arc for the yet-to-be-confirmed season 3. In other words, season 2 will cover from Loguetown to Drum Island.

Earlier in 2024, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda revealed in an open letter to fans that One Piece season 2 was going to visit Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whisky Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island. Although the addition of Loguetown was expected – it was supposed to be in season 1 after all – the absence of Arabasta was surprising. Netflix’s One Piece is taking its time with the story,...

In the 2014 film, Whiplash, a young man named Andrew is intent on becoming an amazing jazz drummer, leading to a number of intense musical performances that draw on real jazz music. Although Whiplash is often praised for its outstanding performances by Whiplash's talented cast, or its fast-paced directing by Damien Chazelle, what really stands out about this movie is its use of music. It is no wonder that the film won an Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing in 2015. Whiplash wouldn't be the fantastic movie that it is without the thoughtful use of jazz music.

Whiplash may be a movie about music, but it is far from being your typical movie musical. Instead, Whiplash uses specific jazz songs, sometimes over and over again, to emphasize the difficulty of the genre. Andrew is not joyfully playing this music, but is practically haunted by it. He plays so hard that he sweats and bleeds,...

Warning: Spoilers ahead of the One Piece manga.

Joe Manganiello has been cast as Crocodile, also known as Mr. 0, in Netflixs One Piece season 2, and I wouldnt mind the show breaking canon to give us more of his version of the character. After weeks of rumors and speculation, the casting of Mr. 0 was confirmed during Netflixs Geeked Week, which Manganiello also hosted. The actor joined Lera Abova, who will play Miss All Sunday, as the two latest additions to the cast of One Piece. The live-action show is currently filming season 2 in South Africa, with a release date yet to be revealed.

The announcement of who was going to play Crocodile and Nico Robin was one of the most anticipated things about One Piece season 2. Whereas Miss All Sunday is just a small chapter in the story of one of One Pieces main characters, Mr. 0 should be the big bad of the shows next saga.

As fans await the arrival of Mr. 0, aka Crocodile, in the eagerly anticipated second season of One Piece, one of the best and most prolific fan art creators of our time, BossLogic, has imagined how the recently cast Joe Manganiello will look in the role. The upcoming season of the hit Netflix live-action series will premiere in 2025.

BossLogic shared the image on X (formerly known as Twitter) to celebrate Manganiello's casting as the former Warlord of the Sea. "Wanted to work on a little something when the news dropped about Joe Manganiello being cast in [Netflix's One Piece]. I can't wait to see him play Crocodile. Anyone you want to see? I may do some more," his post reads. The art depicting the One Piece character showcases Manganiello with Mr. 0's signature cigar and without the actor's usual mustache and beard. BossLogic's interpretation of Crocodile is very faithful to the source material.

Netflix's live-action One Piece series adds Joe Manganiello and Lera Abova to the cast in two key roles.

Per a September 18 X post from fan account What's on Netflix, Manganiello and Abova have signed on for One Piece Season 2 in the roles of Mr. O, aka Crocodile, and Miss All Sunday, better known as Nico Robin, respectively. The pair will be joining fellow incoming Season 2 stars Sendhil Ramamurthy, best known for his role of Doctor Mohinder Suresh on Heroes, and Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran, who will be taking on the roles of Nefertari Cobra and Miss Wednesday.

Related One Piece Chapter 1126 "Settling the Score" Recap and Spoilers

While Shanks punishes Bartolomeo for burning his flag, Blackbeard prepares to seize the One Piece and Luffy vanishes alongside the Thousand Sunny.

It's official!Joe Manganiello and Lera Abova have joined the One Piece season 2 cast as Mr. O and Miss All...

A new One Piece behind-the-scenes video hosted by actor Jeff Ward has been released, teasing new locations as the Straw Hats venture into the Grand Line. One Piece season 2 is set to continue the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy (Iaki Godoy) and his crew, including Zoro (Mackenyu), Nami (Emily Rudd), Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson), and Sanji (Taz Skylar). Production is currently underway, with a previous announcement confirming season 2 will adapt from the Loguetown Arc through the Drum Island Arc of Eiichiro Odas original manga.

Released by Netflix's One Piece Twitter, the Buggy actor met with multiple people involved in season 2, revealing a glimpse at what's to come. Costume designer Kerry Barnard showcases numerous outfits for season 2, including some that are blurred out to avoid spoilers. Hair and makeup designer Amanda Ross McDonald showed off some wigs for character design, while property master Egbert Kruger and creator and showrunner Matt Owens...

One Piece not covering Arabasta in season 2 is a risky decision, but one clever theory about who will be the main villain until Crocodile shows up solves all my problems with it. Although my initial reaction to Oda's One Piece season 2 announcement was to ponder how many years it would take for the show to cover the rest of the story, I realized it doesnt really matter how much is covered in the next season. The fact is that the Netflix live-action show cannot possibly adapt One Piece in its entirety at a reasonable speed without some major changes.

With over 1000 manga chapters to cover and counting, worrying about how many sagas the Netflix show will get through is not worth it right now. This is why my biggest problem with the Arabasta decision was not about the pacing but rather about the villains. Saving Arabasta for season 3 means...

Season 2 of One Piece's live-action adaptation will seemingly not end with Luffy battling Crocodile, as previously expected. Possible final opponents for Luffy in Season 2 include Wapol from Drum Kingdom or the Baroque Works criminals. Whether One Piece has a strong enough antagonist in season 2 without Crocodile is a matter of debate.

Luffy's final opponent in One Piece season 2 looked set in stone, but a surprising story update for Netflix's adaptation has thrown the upcoming bout into doubt. One Piece season 1's ending saw Iaki Godoy's Luffy take down the fearsome fishman Arlong during a crushing climax. In Eiichiro Oda's One Piece anime and manga, Luffy faces a string of lesser opponents following his Arlong victory, then eventually encounters his next major opponent: Crocodile of the Seven Warlords. It seemed fairly certain, therefore, that Crocodile would serve as the final villain for Netflix's One Piece season 2.

That no...

The doctor of the Straw Hat Pirates, Tony Tony Chopper, is one of the cutest and funniest characters in the entire One Piece. He joined the crew at the end of the Drum Island arc, and ever since then, he has been a part of their adventures, their battles, and their journey to find the One Piece treasure.

Tony Tony Chopper in One Piece | Credit: Toei Animation

As One Piece fans know, Chopper is part of the comedic trio of the Straw Hat Pirates, also containing Luffy and Usopp. While they have fun quite a lot, it’s mostly at the expense of Chopper. Luffy unintentionally jokes about Chopper being emergency food, and it is one of the funniest things in the entire series.

However, there is one more recurring joke in One Piece about Chopper’s identity. Almost every character in One Piece, including Luffy, fails to recognize Chopper as a reindeer.

Tony Tony Chopper isn't just the mascot of the Straw Hat Pirates, but one of the most important members of the crew in One Piece. As the doctor, it's Chopper's job to make sure every crew member is healthy and to treat their wounds as they arise. And regardless of how much Luffy and the rest of the crew fight, Chopper's job is never over. With the lives of his friends on the line, Chopper is one of the most collected and cool-headed members of the crew when things get serious.

He may only be a reindeer, but Chopper has the heart of a human and is one of the kindest members of the Straw Hat Pirates. With the goal of curing every disease in the world, Chopper has his work cut out for him, but his dream isn't too far off, given the fantastical nature of the Grand Line.

In a sign of Folivari’s widening ambitions, the French animation powerhouse will handle world sales of the Sherlock Holmes spinoff “The Baker Street Four” through its newly launched distribution branch Folivari International.

Adapted from a local comic book series that pairs Arthur Conan Doyle’s great detective with four streetwise urchins, the title was developed in-house, with Folivari and Blue Spirit (“Blue Eye Samurai”) tackling creative duties and Canal+ set as commissioning broadcaster.

Headed by Melissa Vega – former acquisitions and international sales manager at Dandelooo – Folivari International has picked up three additional titles, among them Folivari originals “Nino Dino” and “Kiki & Ailen” and the Chilean/Brazilian preschool series “Guitar & Drum,” co-produced by Hype Animation and Punkrobot.

That Vega and Folivari founding partner Damien Brunner both share Franco-Spanish backgrounds lends the upstart distributor a desire to look for projects from further afield.

“What works in Latin America often works just...

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found, directed and written by Raoul Peck and narrated by Lakeith Stanfield, invites us into the life and voice of one of South Africa’s influential yet unsung heroes of photojournalism and activism. Through words and imagery, this documentary introduces the world to Ernest Cole, a pioneering freelance photographer whose work captured the brutal realities of South African apartheid and the enduring struggle for freedom.

Ernest Levi Tsoloane Kole, born in 1940 in Eersterust, Pretoria, began his career sweeping floors in a Johannesburg photography studio. He finally broke through when hired by famed Black outlet Drum magazine in the late 1950s. Cole’s lens was unflinching, and his images of the oppressive apartheid state quickly made him a target for the South African government. Through his pictures, he chronicled how racism existed in every facet of daily life and how the intense subjugation forced the Black people...

May 5 is the official birthday of Monkey D. Luffy, the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates in One Piece. Iaki Godoy, the actor who plays Luffy on the live-action One Piece show, celebrated the characters birthday while teasing Season 2 of the Netflix series.

On the official Japanese One Piece account on X, Godoy wished Luffy a happy birthday and explained why so many fans worldwide have fallen in love with the would-be King of the Pirates. In Luffys honor, Godoy blew out the birthday candle on a suspiciously tall birthday cake he brought with him early in the video. Before coming to an end, the video zooms in on the birthday candle to reveal its shaped like the number 3. The 3 is exactly in the style of "Loan Shark" Galdinos hairstyle, better known to the world as Mr. 3 of Baroque Works.

Related Megan Thee Stallion Brings One Piece's Boa Hancock to...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg (Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill)

You can’t always get what you want, unless you are a Rolling Stones fan hungering for documentary deep-dives into the band’s storied history. Indeed, it is spectacularly serendipitous that Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg arrives just a few months after The Stones and Brian Jones. The latter doc, from Nick Broomfield, centered on Jones, the band’s founder and leader until Mick Jagger and Keith Richards snatched that mantle. Catching Fire and The Stones and Brian Jones cover much of the same ground, use some of the same archival footage, and even feature the same anecdotes from delightful Tin Drum director Volker Schlöndorff. The films are...

Nadia Romdhani, former Screen International and The Drum executive, is joining Deadline as Sales Director, International.

Romdhani, a seasoned executive with more than 20 years of experience in the advertising, film and TV sectors, will be based in London as part of Deadline‘s formidable international team.

In her role helping to grow Deadline‘s overseas business she will report to Celine Rotterman, Deadline‘s SVP Global Business Development and Strategic Partnerships, who is also based in London.

Romdhani, a fluent French speaker, was most recently Head of Data Operations and Lead Generation at marketing and media industry publication The Drum. Before that she served as Publishing Director at Screen International, Kftv and The Knowledge between 2016-2020. During her 11 year-stint at UK trade Screen she brokered major deals and initiatives across print, digital and live media-events.

Romdhani said: “I am thrilled to become a part of the highly skilled group of...

One Piece co-showrunner Matt Owens confirmed that they haven’t started the casting process for the highly-anticipated Season 2.

Despite showing a brief glimpse of Captain Smoker in the Season 1 finale’s mid-credits scene, it looks like Netflix has not yet finalized the casting of the fan-favorite Marine. Speaking with Deadline, Owens clarified that One Piece Season 2 is currently still in the early stages of development. Due to the SAG-Afra strike, their search for the actors who will be playing the new characters joining Luffy and the Straw Hat crew’s next adventures is still currently on hold.

Related: Netflix's Live Action One Piece Cemented Mr. 7's Place in the Story's Canon

"No one’s been cast yet not only because of both strikes going on, but we were still early in the process; we weren’t beyond talking about potential, digging into the characters, talking about who they are,...

“One Piece” has officially been renewed for a second season after dominating Netflix’s global Top 10 charts for the past two weeks.

The streamer announced the renewal on X in a video with the property’s creator, Eiichio Oda. In the video, Oda censors his face — a move that has become part of the creator’s brand — and picks up a signature “One Piece” snail phone.

“What did you think of Season 1 of the live-action ‘One Piece?’ I spent a long time working on it with Netflix and Tomorrow Studios,” Oda says. “To everyone who’s been a fan of ‘One Piece’ for years, and to those who experienced ‘One Piece’ for the first time, thank you so much.”

The manga creator then announces the series has been renewed for a second season. “The adventures of Iñaki [Godoy] and the live-action Straw Hats will continue onward. It’ll still take a...

For a laugh, it’s worth remembering some of the most ridiculous Power Rangers monsters the titular heroes have faced off against over the years. Across its 20 iterations, Power Rangers centers on a group of teens-turned-elite-warriors tasked with fighting bizarre monsters. The series began in 1993 with its most popular permutation, Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers — a show that recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with the nostalgia-drenched Netflix special Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always.

The most memorable monsters in the series largely originated from that first outing, which took much of its monster-fight footage from the Japanese series Super Sentai. In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, evil sorcerers Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd created most of the ridiculous villain-of-the-week monsters. Often born from everyday earth objects that Rita and Zedd imbued with both sentience and deadly arsenals, some of these beings wreaked real havoc on Angel Grove. Regardless of the creatures' prowess,...

With Thursday Preview Screenings for Barbie and Oppenheimer officially underway, now is the perfect time to drop a creative trailer for the mash-up event of the summer – Barbenheimer! The geniuses at the Dumb Drum YouTube channel are breaking out the toy box to recreate Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer trailer, featuring a cast of Barbie dolls! The blonde bombshell herself steps into the role of J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, in the riveting new drama. In the Barbenheimer trailer, Barbie and the gang contemplate their actions while building the most terrifying weapon known to humankind.

Using a cast of Barbie dolls, everyday household items, and visual effects, Dumb Drum recreates the tension of Christopher Nolan’s latest opus. The Barbeheimer trailer includes black-and-white footage mixed with colored scenes. Still, the deep cuts don’t stop there. The trailer features a section of Barbie’s Dreamhouse as the facility where...

Vampire Weekend have revealed they are adding raga singing into their repertoire on their new album. Better yet, the New York indie rockers also promised the project is “close to done.”

In a newsletter (via Vulture) accompanying the first volume of their new vinyl series, drummer Chris Tomson gave fans the lay of the land, saying lead singer Ezra Koenig “took a raga singing lesson with Terry Riley in rural Japan and wrote what he considers to be 7 of his all-time top 10 best songs.” Whether or not the band is replacing guitars with sitars is currently unknown.

Tomson went on to describe being able to “connect, jawbone, and jam” with his bandmates without any responsibilities and compared it to their formation at Columbia University. “I personally found an immense peace and pleasure from creating with the guys like we had in the Ruggles days,” he wrote. “The vibe was strong.

She may not be a face many would expect, but Netflix's live-action One Piece TV show desperately needs Jamie Lee Curtis to portray one specific character. Netflix's previous live-action anime adaptations are very much like the post-time skip fake Straw Hat crew - there is a vague resemblance to the real deal, but something went very wrong during the transition. One Piece will be looking to buck that trend in 2023, adapting the first chapters of Eiichiro Oda's famous manga into a ten-episode debut season.

Exactly how far Iñaki Godoy's Monkey D. Luffy will sail in One Piece season 1 remains to be seen. Casting updates and behind-the-scenes set videos confirm the narrative will extend at least as far as the battle between the Straw Hats and Arlong, with Luffy's first four nakama - Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji - all in place. The next recruit will be Chopper from Drum Kingdom,...

Exclusive: Ranging in subject matter from coronavirus lockdown to local politics inspired by Aoc and the Squad, sibling revelations, winning the lottery and more, the 10 scripts that make up Hollywood’s first ever Muslim List were revealed Tuesday.

Agents, start dialing – see the full list below.

First reported last September by Deadline, The Muslim List is an initiative by The Black List, the Muslim Public Affairs Council Hollywood Bureau and Pillars Fund focusing on screenwriters who are practitioners or followers of Islam, an often dramatically underrepresented group in Tinseltown, to say the least. About 200 feature film and pilot scripts were submitted by the December 4 deadline, with evaluations conducted into early this year.

And now we have a list. Requests for the scripts themselves can be made through the Black List.

“On behalf of Mpac’s board and staff, congratulations to the 10 winners of the first-ever Black List Muslim List,” said Sue Obeidi,...

By Lee Pfeiffer

Yaphet Kotto, the distinctive and distinguished actor, has passed away at age 81. Kotto was born in Harlem and began to study acting at age 16. He made his big screen debut in 1964 in the acclaimed race-themed drama "Nothing But a Man" opposite Ivan Dixon, a fellow African-American whose star would rise on the basis of the film. Kotto also appeared in "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968) and was a regular presence in guest star roles on top TV series such as "Gunsmoke", "Daniel Boone", "Night Gallery", "The Big Valley", "Hawaii Five-0", "Mannix" and "The High Chapparal". He was nominated for an Emmy award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the 1976 TV production of "Raid on Entebbe". Kotto simultaneously kept landing good parts in major movies such as "5 Card Stud", "The Liberation of L.B. Jones" and "Across 110th Street". In 1973, he appeared in what is perhaps his most memorable role,...

Writer, producer, director Lee Daniels discusses some of his favorite films with Josh & Joe.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Infested (2002)

Shadowboxer (2005)

The United States Vs. Billie Holiday (2021)

A Star Is Born (1937)

Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013)

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

Lady Sings The Blues (1972)

Island In The Sun (1957)

Carmen Jones (1954)

Claudine (1974)

Mandingo (1975)

Drum (1976)

Caligula (1979)

Gloria (1980)

The Exorcist (1973)

Abby (1974)

Blacula (1972)

Scream Blacula Scream (1973)

Cabaret (1972)

Lenny (1974)

Sounder (1972)

All That Jazz (1979)

I Am A Camera (1955)

Travels With My Aunt (1972)

The Emigrants (1971)

Star 80 (1983)

Harold And Maude (1971)

The Godfather (1972)

The Godfather Part II (1974)

Pickup On South Street (1953)

In The Mood For Love (2000)

Leave Her To Heaven (1945)

Laura (1944)

Dragonwyck (1946)

The Baron of Arizona (1950)

His Kind of Woman (1951)

Explorers (1985)

Innerspace (1987)

Jack Reacher (2012)

Them (1954)

Revenge of the Creature (1955)

Tarantula! (1955)

Coogan’s Bluff (1968)

Going In Style (1979)

Going In Style (2017)

Judas And The Black Messiah (2021)

Stroszek (1977)

Fitzcarraldo (1982)

Land of Silence and Darkness (1971)

Cave Of Forgotten Dreams...

Steve Carver, a director of action films whose portfolio included An Eye for an Eye and Lone Wolf McQuade, both starring Chuck Norris, and Big Bad Mama, starring Angie Dickinson, has died. He was 75.

Carver died Friday of a heart attack in Los Angeles, writer-producer Rob Word told The Hollywood Reporter.

Carver’s first feature was Pam Grier’s The Arena (1974), a gladiator movie set in ancient Rome that marked his initial collaboration with producer Roger Corman, and he also guided Ben Gazzara in Capone (1975), Warren Oates and Ken Norton in Drum (1976) and Lee Majors in Steel (1979).

Carver’s first love was photography,...

Steve Carver, a director of action films whose portfolio included An Eye for an Eye and Lone Wolf McQuade, both starring Chuck Norris, and Big Bad Mama, starring Angie Dickinson, has died. He was 75.

Carver died Friday of a heart attack in Los Angeles, writer-producer Rob Word told The Hollywood Reporter.

Carver’s first feature was Pam Grier’s The Arena (1974), a gladiator movie set in ancient Rome that marked his initial collaboration with producer Roger Corman, and he also guided Ben Gazzara in Capone (1975), Warren Oates and Ken Norton in Drum (1976) and Lee Majors in Steel (1979).

Carver’s first love was photography,...

La Fabrique Cinéma, the French support program aimed at young filmmakers from emerging countries, presented a wide-ranging showcase of works from around the world at the Cannes online market on Tuesday, among them new works by Iranian filmmaker Keywann Karimi (“Drum”) and Thai helmer Sompot Chidgasornpongse (“Railway Sleepers”).

They are among 10 filmmakers taking part in the Institut Français’ La Fabrique Cinéma program, presenting projects in various stages of development with the aim of finding co-production partners.

The works explore such topical issues as the trauma of war and imprisonment, religion, gender identity, migration, mental illness, love and family.

In “Do You Know Anything About Omid?” Karimi tells the story of a middle-aged couple in Tehran who set off in search of their beloved cat, who has disappeared. The film examines 1980s Iran, right after the revolution, when many people were imprisoned and political prisoners, including communists, were executed.

“My film...

Epix has given a 10-episode straight-to-series order to Jerusalem's Lot, a drama based on the short story by Stephen King to star Oscar winner Adrien Brody. The series is the first from Epix Productions as the Epix becomes the latest cable/premium network to launch an in-house production arm.

Jerusalem’s Lot hails from writers Peter and Jason Filardi and producer Donald De Line. Production is slated to begin in May 2020 in Halifax, Nova Scotia with an eye towards a fall 2020 premiere.

The project reunites Peter Filardi, King and Epix President Michael Wright. Salem’s Lot, a two-part TNT miniseries written by Filardi and King based on King’s 1975 novel, was one of the highest profile projects Wright shepherded as VP Movies and Miniseries at the Turner network. He went on to become Svp Original Programming for TNT, President and Head of Programming for TNT,...

A flawed masterpiece, writer-director-star Nate Parker’s The Birth Of A Nation is based on the true tale of Nat Turner, a bible-thumping, visionary slave who led a bloody uprising in Virginia in 1831. As a child, Nat was bound for more than picking cotton. With the encouragement of his owner’s nurturing wife (Penelope Ann Miller), Nat studied the Bible, which leads to him growing up (played by Parker) as one of the few educated slaves on the struggling plantation run by Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer). Samuel rents Nat out to other plantation owners to preach, earning a name as someone who can keep slaves mollified despite their abuse. Nat crosses a line by baptizing a white man which leads to a whipping and the epiphany that he can no longer stand by while blacks are mistreated. He and a band of fellow slaves ambush and murder over 50 white folks...

Strangely enough, Pam Grier’s last Blaxploitation feature, 1975’s Sheba, Baby, would be the title to introduce her to a much wider audience thanks to its PG rating. Though undoubtedly adult in theme, it’s a kittenish exercise compared to the violence, gratuitous sex, and shameless taken-for-granted racist and misogynistic antics of earlier efforts. Its classification as the final chapter of Grier’s Blaxploitation days is also sort of a misnomer, since this refers to the last time she’d don her famous persona as an action star in pursuit of a more serious career, heading into Drum (a sequel to the infamous Mandingo), starring opposite Richard Pryor in Greased Lightning, and even a Ray Bradbury adaptation in Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983). But 1975 was one of several sterling years for Grier, headlining three films, though none of them would eventually reach the same iconicity as the prior year’s...

Mandingo, a 1975 movie based on the best-selling period potboiler by Kyle Onstott about sexual shenanigans between masters and slaves on the Falconhurst slave-breeding plantation, was savaged by critics who saw it as nothing but degrading, big-budget exploitation. Roger Ebert called it “racist trash”, a “piece of manure”, and “excruciating to sit through”. Mandingo certainly had it all; brutal violence, interracial sex, rape, infanticide, lynchings, and abundant nudity including full-frontal shots of it’s male star, boxer Ken Norton. But of course it was a huge hit and inspired a brief run of “slaverysploitation” films such as Passion Plantation (1975 aka Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle ) and the cleverly titled Mandiga (1976). Mandingo was overwrought melodrama to be sure, but it’s a model of subtlety compared to its official sequel, the more lascivious Drum, a mean-spirited trash epic from 1976 that would never fly in today’s politically correct climate. Despite its spaghetti western trappings,...

Drum, the title character in the 1976 slaverysploitation hit Drum, was that perfect specimen of slave that neither man nor women could keep their hands off. He was played by Ken Norton, a former world champion heavyweight boxer who had also played Drum’s father Mede in the film’s predecessor Mandingo. Norton had a brooding, massive presence and no doubt high hopes for a film career, but he was no actor and his awkward readings and blank stare stood in stark contrast to the scenery-chewing of his Mandingo and Drum co-stars (James Mason, Warren Oates, Pam Grier – did he have a chance?). Norton (who once broke Muhammad Ali’s jaw) was reportedly a contender for the role of Apollo Creed in Rocky but, though he did appear in a handful of subsequent films, Mandingo and Drum were his first and last shots at big-screen stardom. Norton was in St. Louis...

Over the weekend, we found out a truckload more information about GTA V, specifically as it pertains to the sound of the game. Rockstar announced that GTA V will have a whopping 15 radio stations along with 2 talk radio stations, totaling over 240 licensed songs, and also an original, context-sensitive score provided by Tangerine Dream’s Edgar Froese, Woody Jackson (who previously worked on Red Dead Redemption and L.A. Noire), and The Alchemist & Oh No.

In addition to the five tracks that Rockstar released samples of, we’ve also learned that the likes of Pam Grier and Kenny Loggins will be hosting other radio stations (soul and rock respectively). While some stations are starting to leak out given the Psn screw-up last week, Rockstar have posted some official sample clips to whet our appetites ahead of the September 17th release date…

5. Vinewood Boulevard Radio

Ensuring that GTA V is going to...

December is Tarantino Month here at Sos, and in the week leading up our January month-long theme of westerns, I thought it would be best to whip up an article spotlighting some films that influenced Tarantino’s long awaited take on the western, Django Unchained. For my money, all of the films listed below are essential viewing for fans of Django Unchained. I’ll be diving deeper into these films come January, but in the meantime, this should hopefully whet your appetite. Enjoy!

Note: I’m not including any Sergio Leone Spaghetti westerns as they should be essential viewing for anyone, regardless if you like or dislike Tarantino’s film.

****

Django

Directed by Sergio Corbucci

Written by Bruco Corbucci and Sergio Corbucci

1966, Italy / Spain

The most obvious influence for Django Unchained was of course critic-turned-director Sergio Corbucci’s 1966 masterpiece Django. The film features the Belgian actor Franco Nero playing the...

When I was a kid, I devoured the kitschy fun of producer Dino De Laurentiis' films such as the 1976 "King Kong" remake. His name got branded in my feeble mind. When you see his "Dino De Laurentiis Presents" before a trailer, you know that film would be fun!

So the death of the Oscar-winning Italian film producer saddened me. The Italian media was reporting that Laurentiis, who gave the world nearly 500 films including "La Strada," "Serpico," and "Three Days of the Condor" died in Los Angeles. He was 91.

Here's a lengthy but absolutely wonderful snap shot of Laurentiis' life written by John Gallagher from film reference:

One of the most colorful, prolific, and successful producers in the contemporary motion picture business, Dino De Laurentiis has proven his entrepreneurial skills time and again, growing from an independent Italian producer into an international conglomerate. His product, from low-budget neorealist works to multimillion dollar spectacles,...

Mandingo, a 1975 movie based on the best-selling period potboiler by Kyle Onstott about sexual shenanigans between masters and slaves on the Falconhurst slave-breeding plantation, was savaged by critics who saw it as nothing but degrading, big-budget exploitation. Roger Ebert called it “racist trash”, a “piece of manure”, and “excruciating to sit through” and Mandingo certainly had it all; brutal violence, interracial sex, rape, infanticide, lynchings, and abundant nudity including full-frontal shots of it’s male star, boxer Ken Norton. But of course it was a huge hit and inspired a brief run of “slaverysploitation” films such as Passion Plantation (1975 aka Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle ) and the cleverly titled Mandiga (1976). Mandingo was overwrought melodrama to be sure, but it’s a model of subtlety compared to its official sequel, the more lascivious Drum, a mean-spirited trash epic from 1976 that would never fly in today’s politically correct climate. Despite it’s...