Alice – Sundance 2022

Alice is inspired by true accounts and has Quentin Tarantino-esque vibes once it gets into the Blaxploitation part of the film. I needed to sleep on this one. It’s been over twelve hours since pressing play and I’m still not sure what to think. When it comes to Sundance premieres that touch on slavery, Descendant is the better of the two offerings. The gist of the film is that Alice (Keke Palmer) is an enslaved…

"Alice – Sundance 2022"

Selma Remains Just As Powerful in 2020

Selma takes us back to the heights of the Civil Rights movement by recreating the historic 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery. It’s been just over five years since the theatrical release and the film remains just as powerful.  The biggest injustice is that the Academy only gave the film two nominations.  That’s right.  The film only earned nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Song.  While I admit to actively rooting for Birdman that…

"Selma Remains Just As Powerful in 2020"

The Kitchen Isn’t The Feminist Thriller We Need

The Kitchen is about a trio of wives who take over protecting the neighborhood while their husbands are serving time in jail. Oscar-nominated screenwriter Andrea Berloff adapts Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle’s comic book series for the big screen.  I really wish that I could say that The Kitchen is a good film but it fails along the way.  The whole women-take-revenge plot was done so much better in Steve McQueen’s criminally underrated Widows.  Where…

"The Kitchen Isn’t The Feminist Thriller We Need"

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.  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"

Smallfoot available on Home Video

Starring the voices of Channing Tatum, James Corden, and Zendaya, Smallfoot is now available to bring home on physical home media. Sasquatch has seen quite the interesting year dating back to the tail end of 2017.  This came in the form of various feature films.  By the end of 2018, the year of Sasquatch would not be limited to just live-action alone.  An animated film would join the Sasquatch Cinematic Universe come September 2018. Migo…

"Smallfoot available on Home Video"

Hunter Killer: Dumb, Mindless, and Not Fun

If you’re searching for the dumb Gerard Butler movie of the year, you will have found it in submarine non-thriller, Hunter Killer. When a US submarine goes down while pursuing a Russian sub, it’s Captain Joe Glass (Gerard Butler) to the rescue.  The USS Arkansas’s submarine captain recently departed for another gig so Navy officials must go outside the box for the new one.  He’s not an Annapolis guy so of course, the crew is hesitant…

"Hunter Killer: Dumb, Mindless, and Not Fun"

The Hate U Give: A Deeper Message At Core

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"

The Tale: Laura Dern Deserves All The Awards

While The Tale is a film that certainly would benefit from a theatrical release, it’s best viewed at home because of all the screaming at the screen.  This is, in part, due to the events that transpire on screen during the 1970s. The question at hand while viewing the film, which runs shy of two hours, is whether or not it qualifies as a Me, Too film.  Writer/director Jennifer Fox, a documentary filmmaker, uses a…

"The Tale: Laura Dern Deserves All The Awards"

Tribeca 2018: All About Nina

All About Nina is a highly personal film grounded in the world of stand-up comedy that delves into Me, Too territory. Nina Geld (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is a rising comedian in New York City and she’s crassier than Sarah Silverman.  Listen, stand-up comedy is no doubt dominated by men and Nina has worked her butt off to get to where she is today.  Her sets come through with raw talent and emotion.  On the other…

"Tribeca 2018: All About Nina"

Megan Leavey: Kleenex Not Included

Megan Leavey is based on a true story about the war hero and her dog, Rex.  If your eyes aren’t watering by the final frame, you’re watching the wrong film or you simply don’t have a heart.  Take it from me, you’ll want to bring some Kleenex. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite from a screenplay written by Pamela Gray and Annie Mumolo & Tim Lovestedt, Meagan Leavey stars Kate Mara, Ramón Rodríguez, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford,…

"Megan Leavey: Kleenex Not Included"