In an effort to improve ties between the African Diaspora and the Black community in America, Nigerian filmmaker Jeta Amata teamed up with Prince Adah Obekpa, Vanessa Teemsma and Joan McCarthy to make a comedic, yet timely, film titled “The American King: As Told by an African Priestess.”
Arts & Entertainment: a space for local and national arts and entertainment stories, with an emphasis on stories pertaining to African and African Americans.
‘Uncle Drew’ – geriatric legends relive glory days in hoops comedy
Rucker Park is home to the popular basketball tournament staged since 1950 on an outdoor court on 155th Street. Many promising prospects have honed their skills on the world-famous proving grounds en route to enviable NBA careers: Kevin Durant, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, to name a few.
‘Sorry to Bother You,’ a clever and provocative social satire
It’s impressed upon Cash during his training to “Stick to the Script,” if he wants to succeed. Plus, he gets a valuable tip from an African American colleague (Danny Glover) in the neighboring cubicle, namely, “Use your White voice.”
Best not to bother — wannabe satirical comedy misses the mark
The cast is loaded with heavyweight names, giving rise to speculation that Forrest Whitaker, one of the producers, called in a few friendly favors.
‘Ocean’s 8,’ a refreshing departure from prequels
The original Ocean’s 11 (1960) starred Frank Sinatra and a tight-knit cadre of fellow Las Vegas headliners affectionately dubbed the Rat Pack by the press. The bawdy band of brothers were famous for partying and making impromptu appearances at each other’s shows on the Strip. They even shot the movie right there in Vegas so […]
Pan-African graphic novel to get full length animated adaptation
Black Sands, an animated feature film based on the award-winning comic novels of the Black Sands Universe, is on the horizon.
Gabrielle Union breaks into the suspense genre
If you’re looking for a fun thriller, Breaking In should hit the spot – just enjoy the ride and don’t ask a lot of questions.
A conversation with cinematic groundbreaker Craig Rice
In the Twin Cities, when comes to being artistically sound, completely serious about culture, and important to sustaining African American cinema, we’re talking filmmaker-producer Craig Laurence Rice. Not since the late firebrand legend DeJunius Hughes (Twin Cities International Black Film Festival founder) has there been so successful a cinematic groundbreaker this side of immortal icon Gordon Parks. […]
‘Rampage’: Mutant monsters decimate the Windy City in old-fashioned horror flick
Hey, sci-fi fans, did you find it hard to stomach the sight of a human mating with another species in The Shape of Water, too? If so, have I got a movie that’ll wash the bad taste right out of your mouth. Call me shallow, but I much prefer this old-fashioned monster flick. Loosely based […]
Music in the Zoo lineup features Chaka Khan, Buddy Guy, Black Violin and more
Today Sue McLean & Associates (SMA) announced the launch of the 26th Annual Music in the Zoo summer concert series. This year, the series features such legendary acts as blues giant Buddy Guy and R&B songstress Chaka Khan. Other notable acts include Black Violin, Michael Franti, Ziggy Marley, Keb’ Mo’, Los Lonely Boys, Rufus Wainwright […]