Celebrating Juneteenth

Photography by Carl Van Vechten in 1950s Harlem:

1) actor James Earl Jones
2) writer James Baldwin
3) Billie Holiday
4) writer WEB DuBois

Variety: SAG-AFTRA Slaps ‘Fortnite’ With Unfair Labor Practice Complaint Over James Earl Jones’ AI-Recreated Voice of Darth Vader. “SAG-AFTRA is objecting to the use of AI to recreate the late James Earl Jones’ bass intonations of Darth Vader in Epic Games’ ‘Fortnite.'”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/05/21/variety-sag-aftra-slaps-fortnite-with-unfair-labor-practice-complaint-over-james-earl-jones-ai-recreated-voice-of-darth-vader/

The empire strikes back with F-bombs: AI Darth Vader goes rogue with profanity, slurs - For a short period of time on Friday, Darth Vader could drop... - https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2025/05/the-empire-strikes-back-with-f-bombs-ai-darth-vader-goes-rogue-with-profanity-slurs/ #machinelearning #jamesearljones #darthvader #epicgames #fortnite #biz⁢ #gaming #disney #ai

While they got permission, streamers are already fucking this up for the rest of us.

An AI James Earl Jones returns as Darth Vader in Fortnite, with permission

https://www.polygon.com/fortnite/599517/an-ai-james-earl-jones-returns-as-darth-vader-in-fortnite-with-permission

"The Annihilation of Fish," a romantic comedy starring the late James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave, was shot in 1999 but never distributed, thanks to a negative review from @Variety, followed by the bankruptcy of the producer. Now, a newly restored version has been released in select U.S. theaters. Variety's J. Kim Murphy (not the original reviewer) spoke to director Charles Burnett about how he feels about the movie's tortuous path to the big screen, working with Redgrave, Jones and Margot Kidder, and what he's learned about making films.

https://flip.it/gn2WSr

#NowWatching #FilmMastodon
#ClearAndPresentDanger (1994)
CIA Analyst Jack Ryan is drawn into an illegal war fought by the US government against a Colombian drug cartel.
#HarrisonFord #JamesEarlJones #WillemDafoe

Time to end the evening with some Lindo coffee ️

3 things about Charles Burnett’s THE ANNIHILATION OF FISH [1999]

1. Recreating VERTIGO at Fort Point.
2. Curried goat.
3. The demon’s corpse is beginning to stink, she points out.

️️️️️️️

#Film version of #AlanPaton's 1948 novel with #JamesEarlJones and #RichardHarris

#CrytheBelovedCountry (1995) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112749/

'The Raven' by Edgar Allan Poe (read by James Earl Jones)

#TheRaven #EdgarAllanPoe #JamesEarlJones #Poetry #Poem #Poet #Octobereen #Halloween #Literature #Art #Performance #PoetryReading
#PoemsForHalloween

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXU3RfB7308

Losing too many icons to properly honor all of them. But I will say it was fun to see John Amos pop up in that cameo in Uncut Gems. And on the low, he was good in a minor role on HBO's Ballers. It also occurs to me that we just lost two of the main cast members of Coming To America, #JohnAmos and #JamesEarlJones

Dame #MaggieSmith is dead and #JimmyCarter is still alive. Explain that to me.

#JamesEarlJones is dead and Jimmy Carter is still alive. Makes no sense.

The list goes on and on.

I love Jimmy Carter. Don't get me wrong! I even had lunch with him and Rosalind at Manuel's Tavern in Atlanta about 10 years ago. (We all had hot dogs).

But dude has to be drinking the blood of young virgin boys or something.

Why the fuck is he still alive?!

Broadway theaters will dim their lights in memory of James Earl Jones tonight.

The two-time Tony-winning stage icon made his B'way debut in 1957.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Broadway-Theatres-Will-Dim-Their-Lights-in-Memory-of-James-Earl-Jones-20240923

Brewster Rockit by Tim Rickard for September 24, 2024 - GoComics https://www.gocomics.com/brewsterrockit/2024/09/24 #StarWars #JamesEarlJones

I was watching a clip of Conan the Barbarian where Jones' character Thulsa Doom reveals the riddle of steel.

"You know what it is, don’t you boy? Shall I tell you? It’s the least I can do. Steel isn’t strong, boy, flesh is stronger!"

Steel much like the tech we create can help or harm. It's what we shape our code to do, it's how that code is written.

It's how we use our systems to harm others. It's our choice in what we code and who we allow to use it.

Just watched the #Emmys in memoriam segment, and the last two were #JamesEarlJones and #BobNewhart. My first thought was that both were memorable on #TheBigBangTheory

In honor of James Earl Jones' passing, I watched "The Hunt for Red October" for the umpteenth time. This movie will always be a guilty pleasure of mine and I will always remember Jones as THE Admiral Greer, in my book.

‘It was a true privilege to witness his talent firsthand’: readers on James Earl Jones https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/12/james-earl-jones-readers-on-darth-vader-cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof #JamesEarlJones #TheLionKing #StarWars #Culture #Theatre #Film

"When I read great literature, great drama, speeches, or sermons, I feel that the human mind has not achieved anything greater than the ability to share feelings and thoughts through language." — James Earl Jones — — — #JamesEarlJones #quote #quotes #language #feelings #communicate #literature #speeches #sermons #drama