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Remembering African Singer And Style Icon Papa Wemba

Congolese singer Papa Wemba performing Saturday in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, shortly before collapsing onstage. He died before reaching the hospital early Sunday.

Congolese singer Papa Wemba performing Saturday in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, shortly before collapsing onstage. He died before reaching the hospital early Sunday. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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One of Africa’s most famous musicians and an international style icon, Congolese singer Papa Wemba, died suddenly during a performance early Sunday at age 66. He died after collapsing onstage in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast; the show was being broadcast live on RTI 1, one of Ivory Coast’s public television channels.

Wemba’s death was confirmed by the culture minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Baudouin Banza Mukalay, the Associated Press reported. According to reports obtained by Reuters from the Ivory Coast morgue that received Wemba’s body, he died between his collapse and his arrival at a local hospital.

Papa Wemba was born in 1949 in Lubefu, in the Central African nation known then as the Belgian Congo, later as Zaire and now as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). His birth name was Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, but as the eldest son in his family, he was nicknamed “Papa.” His mother was a professional mourner; he grew up steeped in the sounds of her music and blessed with a singularly keening tenor.

But other circumstances also made Wemba’s emergence as an artist particularly fortuitous. He grew up during a golden age of Congolese music. During the 1950s and 1960s, his country was the epicenter of a brilliant new kind of dance music variously called Congolese rumba, lingala and soukous. This new style borrowed heavily from the sound — and particularly rhythms — of Cuban big bands, but put in an African context. Artists like Franco and Tabu Ley Rochereau became idols all over the continent, and to the young Papa Wemba as well.

By the time he arrived in Zaire’s capital, Kinshasa, in the late 1960s, the young Wemba had set his sights on a professional singing career. In 1969, he became a founding member of what would become one of the biggest acts in African music in the 1970s, Zaïko Langa Langa. The band took Congolese rumba, stepped up the tempo, and brought in more rock-ified guitars. And with that band, Wemba launched a trailblazing career that emphasized an internationally accessible sound.

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Wemba left Zaïko Langa Langa in 1974; after co-founding a series of other short-lived bands (including Isisfi Lokole and Yoka Lokole), he founded a hugely popular group called Viva La Musica in 1977.

Offstage and on, Wemba embodied a dapper persona. He even turned to acting, and starred in the 1987 Congolese vehicle La vie est belle (released internationally as Life Is Rosy), in which he, unsurprisingly, played an aspiring young singer.

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Papa Wemba’s smooth, easy sound and extraordinary voice reached the ears of some very famous European and American artists as well. He settled in Paris in the 1980s, and became one of the best-known — and most well-connected — musicians from Africa. He sang with Stevie Wonder and opened for Peter Gabriel, before going on to record for Gabriel’s Real World label.

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As the years went by, Papa Wemba continued to hone his sound to keep up with current trends. In the early 2000s, he strove for a silky R&B sound on tunes like “Ye Te Oh.”

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More recent singles found him collaborating on more hip hop-flavored tracks like “O’Koningana,” alongside a rising young performer named Tony Madinda.

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Papa Wemba also gained notoriety for his offstage dealings. When he toured Europe in the 1980s, he would arrive with huge entourages of dozens of musicians, dancers and staff from Zaire. In 2003, he was accused in both France and Belgium of running a human-smuggling ring and went to jail for several months in France; when the case went to trial in 2004, prosecutors charged that many included in those entourages were actually illegal immigrants, who paid thousands of dollars to enter Europe with the famed singer. He was convicted in France, fined and given a suspended prison sentence; foreign news organizations like London’s Independent reported then that his bail was paid by the Congolese government. Upon his release, he moved back to the DRC.

At home, and across sub-Saharan Africa and the African diaspora, Papa Wemba will be remembered not just for his voice and for his musical innovations, but his legendary sense of fashion style. As I noted just last month on Latitudes, the singer was celebrated as “Le Pape (The Pope) de la Sape” — the undisputed king of the fashionable men known as sapeurs. That sobriquet is so well known in the French-speaking world that in a popular YouTube skit about dressing well and living large, a French comedy trio refers to their characters as “Papa Wemba’s hidden sons.”

The sapeurs‘ natty attire even became the inspiration for a number of international menswear designers, including Junya Watanabe and Paul Smith.

After Papa Wemba’s death, the BBC collected reflections from a number of other prominent African artists. Singer Angélique Kidjo, who recorded a duet with him for an album by Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango, told the BBC’s Newshour:

“His whole attitude about dressing well was part of the narrative that we Africans have been denied our humanity for so long.

“People have always had stereotypes about us, and he was saying dressing well is not just a matter of money, not just something for Westerners, but that we Africans also have elegance. It was all about defining ourselves and refusing to be stripped of our humanity.”

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'Wake Up You!' Explores The Transitional, Post-War Rock 'N' Roll Of Nigeria

Warhead Constriction, a group of high-schoolers from Lagos, is one of many rock bands of the 1960s and '70s featured in the new book series Wake Up You! The Rise and Fall of Nigerian Rock, 1972-1977.

Warhead Constriction, a group of high-schoolers from Lagos, is one of many rock bands of the 1960s and ’70s featured in the new book series Wake Up You! The Rise and Fall of Nigerian Rock, 1972-1977. Courtesy of Now-Again Records hide caption

toggle caption Courtesy of Now-Again Records

If you came of age in the 1960s, chances are you think about rock ‘n’ roll as the music of youth, of rebellion, of fighting the establishment. But in Nigeria, which was in the middle of a civil war, rock was one of the ways in which people expressed their politics.

You might have heard about activist artists like Fela Kuti, who rebuked abusive government practices through song. But what you might not know is that the warring governments also understood the power of rock. Some military administrators went so far as to conscript popular rock bands — both to keep up their soldiers’ morale and to pacify the angry civilians.

That fascinating history is the subject of a new book series called Wake Up You! The Rise and Fall of Nigerian Rock, 1972-1977 by music producer and historian Uchenna Ikonne. He joined NPR’s Michel Martin to talk about it; you can hear their conversation at the audio link, or read on for an edited version.

Michel Martin: So how did the Nigerian rock scene get started?

Uchenna Ikonne: Well, the scene got started in the early 1960s, actually, when Rock Around The Clock showed in Nigeria. That was the first introduction to rock ‘n’ roll, as it was for many people around the world. But at the time, rock ‘n’ roll was seen more as a passing fad rather than a genre that was expected to have any kind of permanence. As the decade proceeded, a lot of young people got together to dance to foreign rock ‘n’ roll records, usually those by Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard, and later by The Beatles. And soon enough, they decide to form their own bands.

Would you mind talking a little bit about Fela? He is, for a lot of people, perhaps the main musical figure that they might be acquainted with. Where does he fit into this story?

Fela is somebody who is often associated with a proudly and aggressively pro-African stance, but that’s not the way he was always perceived on the Nigerian music scene. In his early days, in fact, he was rejected by the mainstream because his music seemed too foreign.

He had come back from England with the idea of being a straight-ahead jazz musician in the mold of Miles Davis. This was a period of cultural nationalism, and all Nigerians were encouraged to project expressions of self that were more or less indigenous — so the idea of coming and trying to play jazz, it was seen as not really where the culture wanted to go. The first audience that accepted Fela at this time was kids who were listening to rock ‘n’ roll music, because they themselves felt like outcasts.

So then how did rock ‘n’ roll start to change as the war years went on?

When rock ‘n’ roll first came about, it sounded kind of ridiculous to most people. It seemed like these young Africans were awkwardly aping foreign artists, who were white, who were themselves copying black Americans. Something seemed to be lost in translation. But one thing that changed during the war was the popularity of soul music. And there was something about soul music that seemed to speak to young Africans on a very deep level. So the music became funkier, it became deeper, and that gave the rockers the opportunity to occupy the center stage in the culture.

One of the fascinating things that I learned from your book is that people on both sides of the conflict actually had their own dedicated bands, or they had their own kind of musical following. Can you talk a little bit about that?

During the war, the soldiers had to be entertained, so both the Nigerian and the Biafran armies found out that it was in their best interest to conscript musical groups, to entertain the soldiers and keep their morale up. These groups also gave a lot of young people the opportunity to avoid being drafted to the combat zone. If you could pick up a guitar, there’s a chance that maybe you could be an army musician and be in less risk of being killed. So, a lot of people flocked towards those bands if they could play at all.

How do you think that affected the music scene after the war?

Well, it affected the kind of music that was popular. You can hear that, for example, on tracks such as “Graceful Bird,” by Warhead Constriction, which was a band of high schoolers at the time in Lagos.

You can also hear the same thing in the music of The Hykkers, such as “In The Jungle.” They were just showing a new heaviness, a new sense of fury and fuzz, to the music, that sort of reflected the sense of confusion and the aftermath of the violence of the war.

One of the things I was wondering is that, given that rock is so important to the Nigerian story, did any of these artists gain fame elsewhere in the world?

Several of them tried. They weren’t able to do it; it was difficult. They really did make the attempt, but at the time, I’m not sure that the Western audience was ready to accept them. Things are a lot easier now due to the internet: People are used to listening to music from all over the world. Back then, Western record labels really did not know what to do with African artists. They would fall in love with them for their African sound, and then take them over to London or New York, and then really not know how to market them. They’d end up trying to scrub all the Africanness away from them and turn them into something else.

Why is the subtitle of the book, “The Rise And Fall Of Nigerian Rock”?

Because the music did not really sustain itself. By the middle of the 1970s, it had already started fading. By the end of the ’70s, it was mostly gone. And not only did it disappear, but it disappeared from the collective memory in many ways. I think the country just kind of grew out of it, decided to move in a different direction culturally. And that whole period just turns out to be a weird interstitial period that isn’t exactly the ’70s and isn’t the ’60s, either; it was just a period of transition.

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Best of the Week: 'The Magnificent Seven' Trailer, Tribeca Film Festival Buzz and More

The Important News

Marvel Madness: Robert Downey Jr. was confirmed for Spider-Man: Homecoming. Tony Revolori and Laura Harrier also joined Spider-Man: Homecoming. But Michael Keaton has left talks to play the new Spider-Man villain. James Gunn stated he’d like Annihilus and Kang to be villains in future Guardians of the Galaxy movies.

DC Delirium: Willem Dafoe joined the Justice League movies.

X-Men X-Citement: Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine could be replaced by female clone X-23.

Box Office: The Jungle Book outperformed its expectations. Captain America: Civil War is already outselling all other Marvel movies.

Remake Report: Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart will star in the Jumanji remake. Pamela Anderson joined the cast of Johnson’s Baywatch movie.

Franchise Fever: J.A. Bayona will direct Jurassic World 2. Twelve writers joined the G.I. Joe cinematic universe writer’s room. Sigourney Weaver says Neill Blomkamp’s Alien sequel is still happening.

Sequelitis: Jon M. Chu will return to direct Now You See Me 3. Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed he’d like to star in the new Predator sequel. Independence Day: Resurgence will feature new aliens. Ana de Armas joined Blade Runner 2.

Trekkie Tracks: Simon Pegg revealed Star Trek Beyond is a standalone sequel.

Casting Net: Daisy Ridley will star in the J.J. Abrams-produced fantasy thriller Kolma. Fran Kanz joined The Dark Tower.

Reel TV: Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson and Mel Gibson will star in the TV series The Barbary Coast. Three’s Company is going to be redone as a movie.

New Directors, New Films: James Ponsoldt will direct a movie about the start of MTV. Alfonso Cuaron will help with Andy Serkis’s now delayed Jungle Book.

R.I.P.: Prince (1958-2016).

The Videos and Geek Stuff

New Movie Trailers: The Magnificent Seven, Jason Bourne, Warcraft, The Founder, The Girl on the Train, Cafe Society, The Infiltrator, Equals, No Men Beyond This Point and Hands of Stone.

See: What the effects of Avatar 2 might look like.

Learn: How Obi-Wan Kenobi almost survived in Star Wars.

Watch: What would happen if Captain America fought a Jedi Knight.

See: A disturbing vegan barbecue that roasted a replica of E.T.

Watch: An honest trailer for Superman Returns.

See: Elizabeth Banks as villain Rita Repulsa in Power Rangers.

Watch: A fan theory that Joy is the true villain in Inside Out.

See: What Tim Burton’s Game of Thrones would look like. And a new Tim Burton-themed bar.

Watch: A supercut of the best stoner movies.

See: Russia’s Soviet-era werebear superhero movie.

Watch: Chris Pratt gives a tour of the Milano on the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 set.

See: What a Disneyland My Neighbor Totoro attraction would look like.

Watch: Everybody Wants Some!! redone as a horror movie.

See: This week’s best new posters.

Our Features

Tribeca Film Festival Buzz: Why Wolves is the best film of this year’s festival.

CinemaCon Interview: Jared Leto compares playing the Joker to having sex.

Comic Book Movie Guide: What if the Captain America: Civil War teams were swapped?

Comic Book Movie Guide: How Prince made superhero movies into pop culture events.

Geek Movie Guide: Civil wars in five geeky genre movies.

Home Viewing: Here’s our guide to everything hitting VOD this week.

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Today in Movie Culture: Captain America Vs. 'Star Wars,' 'Game of Thrones' Meets 'The Hunger Games' and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Movie Promo of the Day:

Watch Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans fight over a donut while Elizabeth Olsen watches on in a People magazine bit promoting Captain America: Civil War (via Heroic Hollywood):

.@Marvel‘s #CaptainAmericaCivilWar stars @chrisevans and @RobertDowneyJr face off—for the last donut! ??https://t.co/4dVum8xvuB

— People Magazine (@people) April 21, 2016

Movie Science of the Day:

Speaking of Captain America, could his shield hold off a lightsaber from Star Wars? While we wait for that eventual crossover, here’s Kyle Hill from Because Science on the expert decision:

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Fan Art of the Day:

Speaking of Star Wars, here’s what the movies’ spaceships look like as monsters as imagined by artist Jake Parker and very possibly foreshadowing of a Pixar movie in the distant future (via Neatorama):

Virtual Set Visit of the Day:

Chris Pratt has another video showing us around the set of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, this time to check out construction on his ship, The Milano (via Geek Tyrant):

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Mashup of the Day:

The following (piece of an) infogram pits the characters of Game of Thrones against each other a la The Hunger Games. See the rest, and there is a lot more, here (via Film School Rejects).

Very Old Movie of the Day:

Today is the credited 110th anniversary of the famous actuality film A Trip Down Market Street Before the Fire, which documents a look at San Francisco just before it’s devastating 1906 earthquake. Watch the film in full here via the Library of Congress:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Elaine May, who turns 84 today, directs Charles Grodin, who turns 81 today, and Jeannie Berlin in The Heartbreak Kid in 1972:

Movie Comparisons of the Day:

Here’s a cool video by Really Dim called “Scenes Alike” that puts similar-looking shots from different movies side by side:

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Cosplay of the Day:

Many female Ghostbusters fans are jumping ahead to cosplay as the upcoming reboot characters, but here’s one woman who went old school with a Dana as Gatekeeper photoshoot (via Live for Films):

Classic Trailer of the Day:

In honor of the passing of Prince today, watch the original trailer for his 1986 directorial debut, Under the Cherry Moon:

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Today in Movie Culture: 'My Neighbor Totoro' Theme Park Ride, Stoner Movie Tributes and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Dream Theme Park Attraction of the Day:

Disney theme park designer John Ramirez came up with this idea for a My Neighbor Totoro attraction, which sadly will never exist (via Geekologie):

Fandom Splurge of the Day:

Star Wars fans rented a billboard to make a plea to Disney and Lucasfilm to resurrect the Expanded Universe (via JoBlo.com):

Animated Recap of the Day:

If you don’t have time to see all of Hardcore Henry at the theater, here’s a 60-second animated version that goes for a side-scrolling game style rather than POV shooter (via Geek Tyrant):

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Cosplay of the Day:

The Jones family (aka cosplayer Coregeek’s family) dressed up as the four main characters from Mad Max: Fury Road, but swapped all the genders. See more photos at Fashionably Geek.

Movie Comparison of the Day:

With its sequel coming out this week, here are 24 reasons Snow White and the Huntsman is the same movie as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Ryan O’Neal, who turned 75 today, breathes oxygen from a tank on the set of Stanley Kubrick‘s Barry Lyndon with the filmmaker by his side:

Cinema Tribute of the Day:

Speaking of Kubrick movies, artist Andrew Valko has a beautiful series of paintings of drive-in theaters featuring movies on the screen, such as the one below with The Shining. See more at One Perfect Shot.

Movie Trivia of the Day:

In honor of 4/20, CineFix shares nine things you may not know about Half Baked:

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Supercut of the Day:

And also in honor of 4/20, Jacob T. Swinney compiled a supercut of stoner movie scenes for Playboy:

Classic Trailer of the Day:

One last thing for 4/20, here’s the original trailer for the most famous stoner comedy of all time, the 1978 Cheech and Chong movie Up in Smoke:

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Today in Movie Culture: Tim Burton's 'Game of Thrones,' a 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Reunion and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Fan Art of the Day:

Artist Xenia Rassalova shows us what a Game of Thrones (animated?) movie might look like as designed by Tim Burton. See more character drawings at Geek Tyrant:

Charitable Contest of the Day:

See Star Wars: The Force Awakens buddies Poe (Oscar Isaac) and BB-8 reunited in a short video promoting Star Wars: Force for Change:

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Cosplay of the Day:

Beauty and the Beast is mashed with Star Wars for these cosplayers dressed as Belle and Chewbacca (via Fashionably Geek):

Movie Comparison of the Day:

Little White Lies shows how Jeff Nichols‘s Midnight Special evokes John Carpenter‘s Starman:

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Alternate Poster of the Day:

It’s slightly more conventional in design than the official posters for The Hateful Eight but that doesn’t make this Mondo print by Jason Edmiston any less desirable (via /Film):

Movie Takedown of the Day:

In an election for the fans, Superman Returns was chosen to be pummeled in the latest Honest Trailer:

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Mashup of the Day:

Batman and The Iron Giant are crossed in this latest Photoshop piece by BossLogic:

Vintage Image of the Day:

Tim Curry, who turns 70 today, gets his hair done on the set of The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1974:

Filmmaker in Focus:

This supercut celebrates Guillermo del Toro‘s uses of color in his movies for emotional emphasis (via Cinematica Montage Creators):

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

This weekend marks the 30th anniversary of the release of “Crocodile” Dundee. Watch the original trailer for the Oscar-nominated comedy below.

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Today in Movie Culture: Incredible Indian Versions of 'Star Wars' Music, 'E.T.' is Barbecued and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Re-Arranged Movie Score of the Day:

Watch and hear music producer Tushar Lall perform his Indianized versions of Star Wars music, including the score from The Force Awakens (via Reddit):

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Movie Parody of the Day:

Saturday Night Live takes on the God’s Not Dead franchise and controversial religious freedom laws in this fake trailer:

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Movie-Themed Cookout of the Day:

Some vegans made a life-size, meatless replica of E.T. and roasted him on a spit and then ate him to protest “the needs of eaters who seek a surrogate for the sacrificial and ritual aspects of convivial, meat-based, barbecues.” See more photos of the disturbing event at Geekologie.

Animated Franchise Recap of the Day:

Curious what the deal was with the three Hobbit movies but don’t have to watch them? Mashable animates the whole trilogy in less than three minutes:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd in a publicity photo for the Oscar-nominated film noir The Blue Dahlia, which opened 70 years ago today:

Fan Theory of the Day:

Is Joy really the villain of Pixar‘s Inside Out? This video makes the case that she at least does more harm than good:

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Cosplay of the Day:

There’s no Captain Marvel movie yet, but when there is one can it be as adorable as this cosplay photo (via Live for Films)?

Reimagined Movie of the Day:

Mashable cut a trailer for Lincoln, inserting some clips from Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, to make it look like an old English language-dubbed kung fu movie:

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Filmmaker in Focus:

In anticipation of The Neon Demon coming out this summer, here’s a (NSFW) video on Nicolas Winding Refn‘s use of color, particularly red, blue and yellow, in his films (via Cinematic Montage Creators):

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 20th anniversary of the release of Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie. Watch the original trailer for the movie, in which the gang watches This Island Earth, below.

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Best of the Week: 'Doctor Strange' Trailer Released, Spider-Man Got a New Movie Title and Villain and More

The Important News

Marvel Madness: Spider-Man: Homecoming was announced as the superhero’s next movie title. Michael Keaton may play Spider-Man’s next foe. Tessa Thompson will be a super hero and love interest in Thor: Ragnarok. Inhumans is being delayed again.

Star Wars Mania: Alden Ehrenreich is the frontrunner to play young Han Solo. Star Wars: The Force Awakens won big at the MTV Movie Awards. The original trilogy is returning to theaters this summer.

X-Men X-Citement: Boyd Holbrook will play the villain in the next Wolverine movie. Deadpool 2 has confirmed development.

DC Delirium: Ben Affleck was confirmed to be directing a solo Batman movie. Batman: The Killing Joke received an R rating.

Sequelitis: Avatar is now getting four sequels over four years. Scott Eastwood joined Fast & Furious 8. Disney announced The Jungle Book 2. Channing Tatum joined Kingsman: The Golden Circle. Elton John might, too.

New Directors, New Films: Steven Spielberg will direct The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara.

Casting Net: Mark Rylance joined Spielberg’s Ready Player One. Jason Statham will star in Meg. Jackie Earle Haley might join The Dark Tower.

Remake Report: Benedict Cumberbatch will voice the Grinch in a new animated version of the story. David Lowery will direct Disney’s live-action Peter Pan remake.

Box Office: The Boss took down Batman v Superman.

First Look: Paramount released an image of Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell. Fox Searchlight released an image of Emma Stone and Steve Carell in Battle of the Sexes.

Cinematters: AMC got a lot of criticism this week for thinking of allowing texting in theaters.

The Videos and Geek Stuff

New Movie Trailers: Doctor Strange, Suicide Squad, The Neon Demon, The Birth of a Nation, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Out of the Shadows, The Angry Birds Movie, When the Bough Breaks, Almost Christmas, The Family Fang, Godzilla Resurgence and A Monster Calls.

Clips: Captain America: Civil War.

Behind the Scenes: Kong: Skull Island.

Watch: Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Two recap.

See: The Doctor Strange trailer mashed up with Inception. And the Rogue One trailer mashed with Mission: Impossible.

Watch: A visual effects breakdown of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

See: Another alternate ending to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And a Force Awakens VFX breakdown.

Watch: An honest trailer for The Jungle Book.

See: A fake deleted scene from Unfriended.

Learn: How Finding Dory found its cast via television.

Watch: 100 best after-the-kill one-liners.

See: The Koyaanisqatsi trailer remade with stock footage.

Learn: How to make a real Sharknado.

See: This week’s best new posters.

Our Features

CinemaCon Movie Buzz: Story of Your Life could be the year’s sci-fi breakout. And more CinemaCon highlights.

CinemaCon Interview: Samuel L. Jackson on when Nick Fury will be back in the MCU.

CinemaCon Interview: Kevin Feige on the sweeping story of Black Panther.

CinemaCon Interview: Suicide Squad director and cast on how much Batman we’ll see. And on which villains he captures.

CinemaCon Interview: David Ayer on possible Suicide Squad sequels.

CinemaCon Interview: Jeff Goldblum on the possibility of him returning to the Jurassic Park series.

Horror Movie Guide: All the latest in horror news and trailers.

Comic Book Movie Guide: 5 Spider-Man villains Michael Keaton could play.

Comic Book Movie Guide: Is Ben Affleck’s Batman the Nick Fury of the DC Movies?

Home Viewing: Here’s our guide to everything hitting VOD this week.

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Today in Movie Culture: Marvel Phase Two Recap, 'The Force Awakens' Jakku Escape FX Breakdown and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Franchise Recap of the Day:

With Captain America: Civil War coming out soon, get a reminder of what’s happened in Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in this retrospective (via Live for Films):

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Cosplay Reality of the Day:

Want to have the best, most spot-on Darth Vader cosplay? This infogram indicates that might be a bit pricey (via Fashionably Geek):

VFX Reel of the Day:

Watch a breakdown of the visual effects of the Jakku escape from Star Wars: The Force Awakens (via Devour):

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Studio Showcase of the Day:

The revolutionary studio A24 is celebrated in this supercut of their films, all of them interesting releases that most distributors wouldn’t touch (via Film School Rejects):

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Cinematographer in Focus:

Check out some of the greatest shots from the lens of Roger Deakins in this supercut showcase (via Cinematic Montage Creators):

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Actor in the Spotlight:

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who currently can be seen briefly in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, is the focus of the latest episode of No Small Parts:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Emma Watson, born on this day in 1990, with Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe during the making of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone about 15 years ago:

Supercut of the Day:

In this “Color Theory” video, see the best shots in movies representing each color of the rainbow (via Cinematic Montage Creators):

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Movie Science of the Day:

The Film Theorists looks into the scientific possibility of the titular storm from Sharknado:

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Classic Trailer of the Day:

With the live-action remake now in theaters, here’s the original trailer for Disney’s 1967 animated feature The Jungle Book:

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Today in Movie Culture: 'Rogue One' Meets 'Mission: Impossible,' Fake 'Unfriended' Deleted Scene and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Mashup Trailer of the Day:

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story sounds like Mission: Impossible in space, so obviously someone did the trailer mashup for that:

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Mashup Poster of the Day:

If you love both Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Sicario, you might want a poster for the former that looks like this (via Live for Films):

Supercut of the Day:

Burger Fiction follows their video of before the kill one-liners with this list of the 100 greatest after the kill one-liners. Plenty of Arnold Schwarzenegger in this one, too:

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Vintage Image of the Day:

Anthony Michael Hall, who was born on this day in 1968, with Molly Ringwald and a puppy during a break from filming The Breakfast Club:

Fake Deleted Scene of the Day:

This fake deleted scene from Unfriended should really be in the movie since it’s the most realistic way people mess with each other on the Internet (via Geek Tyrant):

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Fan-Made Poster of the Day:

Thanks to Pee-wee Herman himself for tweeting the below fan art inspired by Pee-wee’s Big Holiday:

Movie Science of the Day:

How is the blood of the Xenomorphs in the Alien movies so acidic? Kyle Hill of Because Science explains:

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Film History of the Day:

For the Tribeca Film Festival, Jacob T. Swinney gives spotlights 100 years/100 shots, as in the best shot per year for a whole century of cinema:

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Video Essay of the Day:

For Mubi, A. Martin & C. Álvarez López look at the “intervals (or distances) between people, things, and the camera” in John Cassavetes‘s Gloria. Click on the image below to watch the video.

Classic Trailer of the Day:

This weekend marks the 20th annivesary of Jean-Pierre Jeunet‘s Delicatessen. Watch the original trailer for the French film below.

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