Entertainment

John Amos, Patriarch On ‘Good Times’ And An Emmy Nominee For The Blockbuster ‘Roots,’ Dies At 84

Published

2 months ago

2024-10-02

Los Angeles — John Amos, who played the family patriarch on the popular 1970s sitcom “Good Times” and received an Emmy nod for his performance in the seminal 1977 miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 84.

He died on August 21 from natural causes in Los Angeles. Belinda Foster, Amos’ spokeswoman, confirmed the news of his death Tuesday.

He played James Evans Sr. in “Good Times,” which starred one of television’s first Black two-parent households. Norman Lear produced it, and actor Mike Evans, who co-starred in “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons,” co-created it. It played on CBS from 1974 to 1979.

John Amos, Patriarch On ‘Good Times’ And An Emmy Nominee For The Blockbuster ‘Roots,’ Dies At 84

“That show was the closest depiction in reality to life as an African American family living in those circumstances as it could be,” Amos told the magazine Time in 2021.

Amos’ film credits included “Let’s Do It Again” with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier, “Coming to America” with Eddie Murphy and its 2021 sequel, “Die Hard 2,” “Madea’s Witness Protection,” and “Uncut Gems” with Adam Sandler. He appeared in Ice Cube and Dr. Dre’s 1994 video, “Natural Born Killaz.”

Amos’ “Good Times” character, along with his wife Florida, played by Esther Rolle, debuted on another Lear comedy, “Maude.” James Evans frequently worked two physical labor jobs to support his family of three children, with Jimmie Walker breaking out as oldest son J.J.

The program had such an influence that Alicia Keys, Rick Ross, and the Wu-Tang Clan all mentioned Amos or his character in their lyrics.

“Many fans consider him their TV father,” his son, Kelly Christopher Amos, stated. “He led a good life. His legacy will be remembered through his amazing performances in television and film. My father had a lifelong passion for acting. “He was my father, greatest friend, and hero.

The elder Amos and Rolle were keen to convey a favorable image of a Black family working against the difficulties in Chicago’s public housing project. They became frustrated, however, when Walker’s character was made dumb and his role was increased.

“The fact is that Esther’s criticism, as well as that of John and others — some of which was quite direct and personal — substantially hurt my appeal in the Black community,” Walker said in his 2012 memoir “Dyn-O-Mite! Good Times, Bad Times, and Our Times.

Following three seasons of critical praise and excellent ratings, Amos was fired. He had become critical of the show’s white writers for inventing plots that he felt were inauthentic to the Black characters.

“There were multiple occasions when I told, ‘No, you don’t do these things. It is anathema to Black society. “I’ll be the expert on that if you don’t mind,” he told Time. “And it got confrontational and heated enough that ultimately my being killed off the show was the best solution for everybody concerned, myself included.”

Amos’ character was killed in an automobile accident. Walker bemoaned the circumstances. “If the decision had been up to me, I would have preferred that John stay and the show remain more of an ensemble,” according to his memoir. “Nobody wanted me up front all the time, including me.”

Amos and Lear eventually reunited, and they hugged at a “Good Times” live TV reunion special in 2019.

Amos swiftly recovered, gaining the role of an adult Kunta Kinte, the focal point of “Roots,” based on Alex Haley’s novel set during and after the slavery era in the United States. The miniseries was a critical and ratings success, and Amos received one of 37 Emmy nominations.

“I knew that it was a life-changing role for me, as an actor and just from a humanistic standpoint,” according to Time. “It was the culmination of all of the myths and stereotypes that I had seen and witnessed being offered to me. It felt like a gift for enduring those indignities.”

John Allen Amos Jr. was born on December 27, 1939, in Newark, New Jersey, the son of an auto technician. He earned a sociology degree from Colorado State University while still playing football for the institution.

John Amos, Patriarch On ‘Good Times’ And An Emmy Nominee For The Blockbuster ‘Roots,’ Dies At 84

Before becoming an actor, he relocated to New York and worked as a social worker at the Vera Institute of Justice, working with defendants at the Brooklyn House of Detention.

He had a brief professional football career, competing in several lower leagues. He signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1967, but coach Hank Stram pushed him to pursue his passion for writing instead. Before turning to acting, he worked as an advertisement and comedy writer.

Amos’ first notable television role was as Gordy Howard, the weatherman on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” from 1970 until 1973. He was the show’s only Black character, playing straight man to bombastic host Ted Baxter.

He was a regular guest star on “The West Wing,” and his other TV performances included “Hunter,” “The District,” “Men in Trees,” “All About the Andersons,” “Two and a Half Men,” and “The Ranch.”

In 2020, Amos was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. He served in the New Jersey National Guard.

He is survived by his daughter Shannon, a former entertainment executive, and Kelly Christopher, a Grammy-nominated video music director and editor. They sprang from his first marriage to Noel Mickelson, whom he met in college. His second marriage, to actor Lillian Lehman, also ended in divorce.

SOURCE | AP

Entertainment

Gladiator II Rakes in $87 Million in Weekend Debut

Published

3 days ago

2024-11-18

Geoff Brown

Despite not playing in theaters in the United States, Canada, and China until this coming Friday, Gladiator II earned $87 million over the weekend, which is the best foreign opening for a Ridley Scott film to date.

Last week, the picture premiered in 63 countries, including the UK, and grossed $11.4 million from 722 theatres. Particularly impressive was its performance in France, where it raised $10.3 million from 729 outlets.

But this one is a little weaker compared to February’s smash hit sequel, Dune: Part Two, which grossed $97 million worldwide in its opening weekend. At the same time, Deadpool & Wolverine made $233 million for Disney, while Inside Out 2 for Pixar grossed $140 million.

The Fall Guy, an action comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, earned $36.7 million in its opening weekend worldwide, while Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga earned $30 million.

Last Monday, King Charles III attended a screening of Gladiator II in London, capping off a weeks-long worldwide press tour for the film’s cast and production. A Mexican biscuit brand, Rome’s public transportation system, and a German bank VR are just a few multinational brands it has teamed up with to boost its visibility.

In Australia, dessert merchant Oliver Brown offered a special edition of pistachio-heavy puds and drinks dubbed the Emperor’s Collection. The Gladiator II salted caramel latte is available at French Coffee Shop, a business in Paris.

After poor statistics for Venom: The Last Dance and The Rock’s comedy Red One, which premiered worldwide last week, fans hope that Scott’s delayed sequel can lift the global box office for the last month and a half of the year.

Some are predicting a Barbenheimer-style struggle for the top spot in the US box office when Gladiator II and the highly anticipated musical Wicked premiere on the same day, even though double-bill events are unlikely to be very popular.

Gladiator Star Russell Crowe Honored in Rome

Gladiator Star Russell Crowe Honored in Rome

Entertainment

Blizzard’s Remastered Versions Of Warcraft 1 And 2 Are Now Available On PCs.

Published

1 week ago

2024-11-13

Salman Ahmad

Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment

(VOR News) – It has been said by Blizzard that it does not intend to remake Warcraft 1 and 2 since the company believes that these games are “just not that fun any longer.”

When the corporation first made this declaration, it has been almost exactly eight years since it was delivered.

However, the firm has only recently made the news that it will be doing precisely that, and as part of the celebrations for Warcraft’s 30th anniversary, both of the remastered versions are now available to play. The celebrations did not start until today.

The public first played Warcraft in 1994.

This game played a significant role in Blizzard’s rise to the top of the competition. In the year that followed, Warcraft 2 was hastily created in order to suit the requirements of the burgeoning fanbase that the first Warcraft had established.

Additionally, the company has just disclosed that they will be remastering the games, and these remasters will contain a variety of additions to the traditional real-time strategic action that is included in the games.

The initial stage of these enhancements to the development process consists of a new collection of hand-drawn pictures that may be toggled on and off in real time. The artistic style of the originals has been said to be completely captured by these photos, according to the assertions made.

Specifically, Blizzard has implemented “modern controls” for Warcraft 1, which include the option to move with a right click, the ability to pick bounding boxes, and a faster progression rate.

These features are all present in the Warcraft game.

The alterations that have been made include these, however they are not the only ones. It is important to note that these changes have been introduced in addition to the user interface and user experience enhancements that have been implemented throughout both games.

Tool tips, health bars, mission decision screens, and increased unit selection are some of the enhancements that have been introduced in this version of the game. As an additional feature, the multiplayer mode that was included in the first version of Warcraft 2 is still included in the remastered version of the game.

As an additional point of interest, each and every one of the legacy custom maps is entirely compatible with the new edition and may be played in the same capacity.

Despite the fact that there is currently no information regarding whether or not Warcraft 1 Remastered and Warcraft 2 Remastered will eventually be made available on other markets, both of these remastered versions of the game are currently available for purchase on Battle.net for personal computers at prices of $9.99 and $14.99, respectively.

Both of these versions of the game are remastered versions of the original game. A Battle Chest bundle is also available for purchase, and it can be purchased for the price of $39.99. All of the titles that have been remastered are included in this bundle, in addition to Blizzard’s Warcraft 3: Reforged, which has been met with a considerable deal of criticism.

Blizzard has been making continual efforts to improve the game ever since it was first made available to the public in the year 2020.

This is despite the fact that the game was met with poor reviews practically immediately after it was released. An entirely new upgrade, version 2.0, is currently being made available to all gamers without delay.

One of the numerous enhancements to the quality of life that are included in this is “much, much more,” in addition to a wide range of options for personalizing the hockey experience within the game and a new ladder.

In addition to the high-definition versions of all of the older Warcraft assets, these upgrades also include new environments and lighting, a redesigned user interface, and a variety of other enhancements.

SOURCE: EG

Entertainment

Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 Returns Without Kevin Costner

Published

2 weeks ago

2024-11-11

Geoff Brown

Yellowstone is finally returning for the second half of its fifth season without Kevin Costner

Yellowstone will finally return for the second half of its fifth season. We have a lot to speak about, such as recalling what is going on in this program, Kevin Costner’s departure, and whether or not season 5, part 2, will truly end Yellowstone.

Season 5 Part 1 ended on a cliffhanger—we could be in for a full-fledged Dutton family civil war—and we’ve been waiting for nearly two years.

A quick recap: nothing changes from how this program usually goes, except it’s a little more intense. Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) despised Jamie Dutton. Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) despised Beth Dutton.

That has always been the case since childhood trauma, but now things have escalated. Their father, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), is now Montana’s Governor, and Jamie, who should be his top legal thinker, is played by a group of local businessmen known as Market Equities.

Anyway, Jamie and Beth are attempting to kill each other, and John appears to be leaning toward Beth’s side.

Given Kevin Costner’s public exit from the program, part 2 of season 5 will be especially noteworthy. Long story short, he departed to make his Horizon films and never returned.

So, how will Yellowstone pick up the tale without John? That much is unknown, which adds to the season’s appeal!

Of course, our other characters continue to do what they do. Rip (Cole Hauser) is doing his Rip thing. Kayce (Luke Grimes) oversees the ranch. His wife, Monica (Kelsey Asbille), is still grieving the loss of their unborn son.

But we do have some high stakes to pick up—and they will begin on Sunday, November 10th, whether Kevin Costner appears on screen or not.

Another twist: While we believed season 5 would conclude the Yellowstone story, part 2 is in the works.

There have also been suggestions that Yellowstone could return for a sixth season, starring Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly as Rip and Beth. Hmm, certainly!

Yellowstone’s fifth season, part 2, will air each episode of the truncated half-season on Sunday nights at 8:00 PM EST.

The episodes will then be shown on linear TV, Hulu with Live TV, or the Paramount Network website and app for those with a cable subscription. The premiere will also re-air on CBS at 10:00 p.m. EST.

Yellowstone season 5, part 2, will consist of six episodes, the first of which is currently accessible to watch and stream. That implies the series might end with five more episodes of Western family drama.