‘When They See Us’ exposes the system that operated as a wolf pack seeking to destroy the lives of these five Black youth.
Movies
Movies: a space for local and national arts and entertainment stories, with an emphasis on stories pertaining to African and African Americans.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies, Television
Ava Duvernay’s ‘When They See Us’ blasts Netflix viewership records
‘When They See Us’ has been the most-watched series on Netflix, since its debut.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
More than music: St. Paul recording arts school makes high marks
High School for Recording Arts (HSRA) continues to prove itself to be a spawning ground for talent of remarkable consequence.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
We’re in a golden age of Black horror films
Black actors have always had a role in horror films. But something different is taking place today: the re-emergence of true Black horror films.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
Kam Williams, prolific film and literary critic, dies
Film critic and literary writer Kam Williams died Thursday, May 30 from prostate cancer. He was 66 years old.
Posted inLocal & State, Movies, News
‘Foster’ documentary addresses foster care realities
May is Foster Care Awareness Month. Nearly 200,000 U.S. children are in foster care — and almost half of them are Black.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
Watch List: 5 Black films to get into this spring
We’ve highlighted a few films featuring Black talent that are currently in theaters or will be coming to one near you very soon.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
Elba makes directorial debut with gritty coming-of-age drama
Though slightly marred by a tendency to telegraph its punches, the coming-of-age drama marks Elba’s noteworthy directorial debut.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
Film links Minneapolis’ Jim Crow past to present-day disparities
A new TPT documentary, ‘Jim Crow of the North,’ is set to further the discussion of Minneapolis’ color-coded housing bigotry.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Glass’ — a long sit without much reward
After viewing ‘Glass,’ there will be a great debate: Should M. Night Shyamalan stop writing scripts for his films? Should he refrain from directing them? Or maybe both!
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
Eddie Murphy to reboot blockbuster hit ‘Coming to America’
Eddie Murphy will once again play crown prince Akeem Joffer in a sequel to the 1988 hit movie, Coming to America. The film’s plot centered around a prince who travels to New York to find an independent woman who loves him despite his royal title. The sequel will have Prince Joffer returning to America after […]
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
Best films of 2018
In 2018, the stories told, talent on view, compelling characters, emotions expressed, and genres stretched were just amazing.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
Barry Jenkins directs beloved James Baldwin classic ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’
Kudos to Jenkins for crafting another compelling inner-city saga…
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
‘Green Book,’ a moving dramedy that touches on a timely topic
Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) was a promising prodigy whose formal training in classical piano began when he was admitted to Russia’s prestigious Leningrad Conservatory at the age of nine. Because he had the misfortune of being raised in Florida in the Jim Crow Era, it was very unlikely that his extraordinary talent would be appreciated […]
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
‘Amazing Grace’: a compelling look behind an Aretha Franklin classic
With the best of intentions, director Sydney Pollack and his crew filmed the Queen of Soul as she performed over two days, January 2 and 3, at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles in 1972.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
‘Widows,’ a heist film that packs an emotional punch
Although Widows’ grittiness has more in common with 1997’s Set It Off than this year’s lighthearted Ocean’s 8, the multi-layered subplots and characters set it apart from either film.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
‘The Hate U Give’ lacks grit but has its moments
The wealth of talent on view is almost staggering. Stenberg carries the weight of the film, giving Starr just enough juice to grow from a humble, vulnerable teen to a courageous protester.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
Black cop infiltrates Klan in thoughtful, fact-based dramedy
What makes the picture work is the way in which it mocks the small-minded Klan members’ racist attitudes and behaviors. It also juxtaposed that shameful chapter of American history with current events.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
‘The American King’ seeks to reconnect Blacks with the Motherland
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.”
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
‘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.