American Fiction is not just one of the best comedies this year but Cord Jefferson’s feature debut is one of the best films of the year. Jefferson’s script is based on the novel, Erasure, by Percival Everett. I learned during the exclusive Critics Choice Association press conference that Jefferson also incorporates his own experiences into the script. In any event, the novel is over two decades old but painfully still relevant today. Jefferson asks some…
"American Fiction: One of the Best Films of 2023"Tag: Issa Rae
The global hit Barbie is Kenough for audiences to finally bring home on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD in addition to Digital. I saw the film twice on the big screen. Most recently, I took advantage of the special re-release for IMAX. Unfortunately, the special gag footage was exclusive for the IMAX release. It’s also a shame that they chose against releasing it with the physical media release. It would certainly be a fun…
"Barbie is Kenough to Bring Home on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD" Greta Gerwig continues a brilliant run behind the camera with Barbie while co-writing a hysterical script with Noah Baumbach. Gerwig and Baumbach’s script is funnier than it has any right to be. It’s also full of double entendres but it does have a PG-13 rating for suggestive references and brief language. One would assume that many parents would want to bring their young daughters under 10 but that might not be the best idea. After…
"Barbie: Greta Gerwig Continues A Brilliant Run Behind The Camera"
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse not only manages to improve on its predecessor but it is one of the best pictures of the year. Unlike many Marvel films that came before, there is not a scene during the credits. However, there is a lot of animation to appreciate as the credits run their course. It’s the ONLY disappointment about an otherwise amazing film. What I can say with 100% certainty is that Spider-Man: Across the Universe…
"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is Awesome Fun"
Comedy whodunits have been making something of a comeback in recent years but B.J. Novak spices things up in Vengeance. Ben Manalowitz (B.J. Novak) is writer for the New Yorker and aspires to record a podcast about America. Only his boss, Eloise (Issa Rae), shoots down his initial pitch for American Moment. And then his girlfriend dies–only she was not his girlfriend but her family thinks she was. The two may have hooked up a…
"Vengeance Blends Comedy, Thriller"
The Lovebirds, starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae, is set to be released on Netflix this weekend after the theatrical release got canceled. Everything is about to change for Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) and Leilani (Issa Rae). Without intending to do so, the duo find themselves caught up in a crime. Given that this is a comedy, it’s naturally a comedy of errors when it comes to clearing their name. Will their relationship be able to…
"The Lovebirds Launches On Netflix"
The Hate U Give offers an art-imitates-life narrative of a situation that’s all too familiar in minority neighborhoods frequented by white police officers. In a perfect world, this film would be in the Oscar conversation. As the film starts, former gangster Maverick Carter (Russell Hornsby) is giving his kids the all-important talk about what to do when they see police officers. His kids are young for the talk but this has grave importance in their…
"The Hate U Give: Now On 4K/Blu-ray/DVD" The Hate U Give offers an art-imitates-life narrative of a situation that’s all too familiar in minority neighborhoods frequented by white police officers. As the film starts, former gangster Maverick Carter (Russell Hornsby) is giving his kids the all-important talk about what to do when they see police officers. His kids are young for the talk but this has grave importance in their Garden Heights community. We soon cut to a few years later where…
"The Hate U Give: A Deeper Message At Core"