The Prince of Egypt may have beautiful animation and music but in retelling the story of the Exodus, they get part of it wrong. While working as Chairman of Walt Disney Studios Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted to do an animated adaptation of the 1956 classic, The Ten Commandments. No matter how many times he mentioned this to then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner, the answer–like the many requests of Moses to Pharaoh–was always no. With a no-go at…
"The Prince of Egypt Gets Part of The Exodus Wrong"Tag: Danny Glover
Shooter makes its arrival on 4K Ultra HD one week ahead of the film’s 15th anniversary of its theatrical release in 2007. In development hell for well over a decade, the film is based on Stephen Hunter’s 1993 novel, Point of Impact. One of the things that screenwriter Jonathan Lemkin did was move the script out of the Vietnam War and into a contemporary setting. It certainly works for the film’s advantage to an extent.…
"Shooter Arrives on 4K Ultra HD for 15th Anniversary"
Roland Emmerich’s 2009 sci-fi disaster thriller, 2012, offers thrills and destruction at the end of the world with amazing visuals to boot. We follow the film through the lens of two different characters, geologist Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and novelist Jackson Curtis (John Cusack). On a trip to India in 2009, Adrian learns that neutrinos are heating up the Earth’s core. This information is quickly presented to White House Chief of Staff Carl Anheuser (Oliver…
"2012: Disaster Thriller Is Our Worst Nightmare"
Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me is a powerful and inspiring biography of the highest-ranking Black woman in Congress. Only one person voted against the 2001 authorization for military force. That person is longtime Rep. Barbara Lee. While she is the only one to go through with her feelings on the vote, other colleagues regret not joining her. A number of colleagues are interviewed about this including Lynne Woolsey (D-CA, James Clyburn (D-SC),…
"DOC NYC 2020: Truth to Power"
Jumanji: The Next Level appropriately raises the stakes as the game takes all the major players to the next level upon their return. If you read nothing else, please do not immediately leave as the credits begin to role. There is a mid-credits scene. It’s been two years since the previous adventure. While some things have changed, the core four have remained friends. So what happened to lead us to where we find ourselves today? …
"Jumanji: The Next Level Raises The Stakes"
The Last Black Man in San Francisco might suffer at times with the film’s pacing but it is otherwise a beautiful ode to the Bay Area. Jimmie Fails (Jimmie Fails) has a dream. This dream is to take back what rightfully belongs to his family: A Victorian home in San Francisco. Jimmy’s grandfather is said to have built it himself in the 1940s. Even though a family currently resides in the house, this doesn’t stop…
"The Last Black Man in San Francisco"
The Dead Don’t Die may work as a horror comedy but writer-director Jim Jarmusch ultimately aims for both meta and allegorical comedy. “This is going to end badly,” police officer Ronald Peterson (Adam Driver) repeatedly tells police chief Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray). How does Peterson know this? He read the full script. Robertson on the other hand would only receive the pages with his scenes. While the joke may be self-referential, it ultimately pays off. Other…
"The Dead Don’t Die Goes Meta"
Being billed as Robert Redford’s final acting performance, the actor delivers quite possibly for the last time in The Old Man & The Gun. We’re taken back in time to 1981 when Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) was a leader of the Over-the-Hill Gang, joined by Teddy (Danny Glover) and Waller (Tom Waits). What’s so perplexing about it was that this old man couldn’t have been nicer to the bank tellers. In the words of many…
"The Old Man & The Gun – Robert Redford’s Last Film?" Being billed as Robert Redford’s final acting performance, the actor delivers quite possibly for the last time in The Old Man & The Gun. We’re taken back in time to 1981 when Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) was planning so many bank robberies. What’s so perplexing about it was that this old man couldn’t have been nicer to the bank tellers. In the words of many of them, he was pretty much almost a perfect gentleman! …
"TIFF 2018: The Old Man & The Gun"
Boots Riley’s Sorry To Bother You, one of the most buzzed about films at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, is one of the best feature debuts during the fest. The star-studded cast of Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Armie Hammer, Terry Crews, Steven Yeun, Omari Hardwick, Jermaine Fowler, and Danny Glover was one of the few films that showcased diversity with POC in leading roles. Much in the same vein as last year’s hit film, Get Out, Sorry…
"Sorry To Bother You is Wild and Bonkers"