Movies

Criminal justice reform starts “with the idea of human beings deprived of freedom. That is so profound,” said San Francisco-based independent filmmaker Noel Schwerin.

Nat (Jonathan Pryce) is the owner of Dayan and Son, a Kosher bakery located in London. The store’s name is a bit of a misnomer since he’s been the only Dayan working there ever since his father passed away.

Many are very aware of the Godfather of Soul, the late James Brown, but how many among those who love rap, especially its present day rappers, know that genre’s living “grandfather”?

Easily the best installment in the beloved franchise, a movie which manages to entertain while delivering a sobering message that’s long overdue.

An unimaginative director would have done a paint-by-numbers bio/drama. Budreau, however, formed a creative idea, pulled his tech crew and cast into his dream world and completed his concept perfectly.

The Wake of Vanport is a very moving documentary featuring archival photographs of the Memorial Day disaster, as well as the wistful remembrances of a number of survivors.

‘White Lies,’ a skeletons-in-the-closet affair directed by Dana Rothberg. Rothberg also adapted it to the screen from the novella ‘Medicine Woman’ by Witi Ihimaera, the author of ‘Whale Rider.’

Confirmed bachelor Charlie Mack (Terrence J) is always up-front with women about his dating philosophy, which is simply, “I don’t do relationships.”

The conventional wisdom for shooting a sequel to a successful action flick is that “bigger is better.” In the case of this bigger-budgeted follow up to Olympus Has Fallen, that translates to bigger guns, more elaborate chase scenes, a higher body-count and more bombastic pyrotechnics, including my favorite staple of the genre: exploding cars careening off cliffs in flames.

The new movie Race aims to enlighten those unfamiliar with the legendary story of athletic star Jesse Owens, “whose quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler’s vision of Aryan supremacy,” according to the film’s official synopsis.

While the members of the Academy have nominated a fine slate of actors and actresses, it has failed to include any minorities for the second year in a row.

Honor among thieves? Not with this bunch. These guys are playing a mean duplicitous game, and as they do, you can’t guess who will survive.

Ever since Scary Movie (2000), Marlon Wayans has carved out quite a career for himself writing and starring in a string of silly spoofs that includes Scary Movie 2 (2001), Dance Flick (2009), A Haunted House (2013), and A Haunted House 2 (2014).

Oscar-winner Michael Moore (for Bowling for Columbine) has been challenging the power structure ever since releasing Roger & Me way back in 1989.

Movies have become a great comfort in what has been a tumultuous year. They’ve entertained us. Made us laugh, feel courageous, scared, romantic and educated us too. It’s a perfect time to reflect on the films, performances and Black artists who made 2015 special.

In 2002, Will Smith landed his first Academy Award nomination for Ali, a riveting biopic about Muhammad Ali directed by Michael Mann. Although a cultural icon in his own right, Smith managed to disappear into the role in the process of delivering a brilliant performance as “The Greatest” boxer of all time.

When I first saw a White Dutch person dressed up as Black Pete, I was both sickened and shocked. It’s hard to stand next to someone who views your skin color and hair as a costume.