Human Zoos, a new documentary in the indie world by Dr. John West, is making waves within the festival circuit and causing America to become the main attraction in the film’s spectacle. In September 1920, there was a huge crowd rushing to see the latest attraction at the Bronx Zoo in Bronx, New York. Hoping to get a […]
For one night only, fans of the film The Five Heartbeats headed to theatres to watch director Robert Townsend’s documentary about the creation of the classic tale of brotherhood, race, and the music industry. My sister and I were among those who sat in the theatre late August marveling at the hard work and dedication Townsend […]
In her latest book, Seinfeldia, Jennifer Keishen Armstrong explores the world of the hit sitcom and its pervasiveness in our current culture. By including profiles of the actors, writers, directors, network executives and everyone else who had anything to do with the show, Armstrong illustrates how the show transformed creators and audiences alike. […]
Denzel Washington stars in “The Equalizer 2” Denzel Washington returns to his role as Robert McCall, former militiaman turned Lyft driver by day and vigilante by night, The Equalizer. He teams up with director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) for a third time, the result, a strangely heartwarming, yet flinchingly violent pseudo-parable of reaping and […]
Being a late 80’s baby, I have encountered In Living Color as a very young child, but more so as an adult. Some of my favorite characters (along with everyone else’s) include Wanda, Fire Marshall Bill, and Homey D. Clown. While I found them and the situations they were placed in funny, I was too […]
In his first Netflix special, comedian and host of CNN’s United Shades of America W. Kamau Bell uses his experiences as a black man and a parent to highlight the problematic and absurd state of our so-called democracy. Titling his performance Private School Negro, Bell presents his own positionality to assert that blackness is not a […]
Sorry to Bother You is exactly what the world needs right now. Directed by Boots Riley and starring Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson, the film creates a space for eccentric blackness to thrive in, and doesn’t rely on trite stereotypes based on what we’re expected to be like. This may be uncomfortable to viewers who […]
OWN’s Love Is ___ is the true story of Black Hollywood Powerhouse couple Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil. The format takes place like a present-day interview of the married couple as they recall the details of how they met. The episodes then flashes back to a younger Nuri and Yasir, recent Los Angeles transplants trying […]
The following review contains spoilers. Lil Rel teams up with basketball star Kyrie Irving in Uncle Drew, the new movie about camaraderie, intergenerational relationships, and growth. Dax (Lil Rel) is an orphan who, after a traumatic experience on the court, tries to regain love and validation by coaching the winning team on the 50th anniversary […]
This contemporary remake of a classic stars hot up-and-comer Trevor Jackson and one of my personal favorites, Jason Mitchell. Set in Atlanta, we follow allegedly low-key drug pens Priest (Jackson) and his partner Eddie (Mitchell) as they attempt to remain low-key and do one major deal before they retire from the drug game. While I […]