Oscar-winning actor Michelle Yeoh is among this year’s 19 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House announced Friday.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented annually, is the nation’s highest civilian honor, bestowed on individuals “who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” per the White House.
Yeoh made history in with her starring turn in 2022’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” becoming the first Asian woman to receive the Oscar for best actress. She began her career starring in martial-arts action movies, notably “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon,” and has starred in numerous other films including the James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” and Kenneth Branagh’s “A Haunting in Venice.” Yeoh also stars in the first Star Trek TV movie, “Section 31,” which recently wrapped filming.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented annually, is the nation’s highest civilian honor, bestowed on individuals “who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” per the White House.
Yeoh made history in with her starring turn in 2022’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” becoming the first Asian woman to receive the Oscar for best actress. She began her career starring in martial-arts action movies, notably “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon,” and has starred in numerous other films including the James Bond film “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” and Kenneth Branagh’s “A Haunting in Venice.” Yeoh also stars in the first Star Trek TV movie, “Section 31,” which recently wrapped filming.
- 5/3/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
President Biden on Friday announced that he would be awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 recipients, including a handful of names familiar to the world of media and entertainment.
The Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor that the President can bestow, and is given to those “who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.”
This year’s list of honorees include Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, who “continues to shatter stereotypes and enrich American culture,” according to the White House.
It also includes Phil Donahue, the journalist whose daytime talk show transformed syndicated TV and become one of the most influential programs of its era.
Other honorees include Bloomberg founder Michael Bloomberg, former Vice President (and the focus of An Inconvenient Truth) Al Gore and Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky.
You can...
The Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor that the President can bestow, and is given to those “who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.”
This year’s list of honorees include Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, who “continues to shatter stereotypes and enrich American culture,” according to the White House.
It also includes Phil Donahue, the journalist whose daytime talk show transformed syndicated TV and become one of the most influential programs of its era.
Other honorees include Bloomberg founder Michael Bloomberg, former Vice President (and the focus of An Inconvenient Truth) Al Gore and Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky.
You can...
- 5/3/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Phil Donahue and Michelle Yeoh are among the media and entertainment recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which Joe Biden will present at the White House later today.
Other honorees include former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. James Clyburn (D-sc), former Vice President Al Gore, former Secretary of State John Kerry and former senator Elizabeth Dole. Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, also will be honored.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor. The White House last held a ceremony in July, 2022.
Donahue is being recognized as “a journalist and television pioneer who pioneered the daytime issue-oriented television talk show.” Yeoh is being recognized as the first Asian to win the Academy Award for best actress, and as someone who “continues to shatter stereotypes and enrich American culture.”
Others on the list include Clarence B. Jones,...
Other honorees include former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Rep. James Clyburn (D-sc), former Vice President Al Gore, former Secretary of State John Kerry and former senator Elizabeth Dole. Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, also will be honored.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor. The White House last held a ceremony in July, 2022.
Donahue is being recognized as “a journalist and television pioneer who pioneered the daytime issue-oriented television talk show.” Yeoh is being recognized as the first Asian to win the Academy Award for best actress, and as someone who “continues to shatter stereotypes and enrich American culture.”
Others on the list include Clarence B. Jones,...
- 5/3/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Raoul Peck, the filmmaker behind Academy Award-nominated documentary I Am Not Your Negro, is in production on his next feature doc — an investigation into the 2021 assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise, tentatively titled, The Hands That Held the Knives.
Over two years in the making, with unprecedented access to many of those involved, and including secret filming in Haiti’s prisons and an unexpected encounter with a fugitive who was an eyewitness to the murder, Peck’s film taking him back to his home country will be a documentary thriller, in the tradition of Graham Greene or John Le Carré.
His investigation takes him deep into the politics of Haiti, its relationship with the United States, and the corrupt business empires and criminal organizations — dealing drugs and contraband throughout the Caribbean, using weapons trafficked from the U.S. — which have now rendered the country a hellscape for its citizens. The...
Over two years in the making, with unprecedented access to many of those involved, and including secret filming in Haiti’s prisons and an unexpected encounter with a fugitive who was an eyewitness to the murder, Peck’s film taking him back to his home country will be a documentary thriller, in the tradition of Graham Greene or John Le Carré.
His investigation takes him deep into the politics of Haiti, its relationship with the United States, and the corrupt business empires and criminal organizations — dealing drugs and contraband throughout the Caribbean, using weapons trafficked from the U.S. — which have now rendered the country a hellscape for its citizens. The...
- 3/18/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Killer Mike is still on a victory lap following a clean sweep at the recent Grammy Awards, and on Monday that tour placed him on a panel at The View.
The rapper, 48, said he was “overwhelmed” after winning three awards during the pre-Grammys telecast, including trophies for best rap song, performance and album. Killer Mike, whose real name is Michael Santiago Render, then encouraged viewers to keep their dreams alive.
“You have to keep whatever 9-year-old, 12-year-old, 15-year-old that is in your head, keep that child alive,” he said. “No matter what you see in the mirror, you’re still that child and your imagination has to be bigger than the room, bigger than the building, bigger than the sky because if you keep your imagination alive, everything is possible. When you limit your imagination, nothing becomes as possible as it could be.”
At that point, The View co-host Sunny Hostin...
The rapper, 48, said he was “overwhelmed” after winning three awards during the pre-Grammys telecast, including trophies for best rap song, performance and album. Killer Mike, whose real name is Michael Santiago Render, then encouraged viewers to keep their dreams alive.
“You have to keep whatever 9-year-old, 12-year-old, 15-year-old that is in your head, keep that child alive,” he said. “No matter what you see in the mirror, you’re still that child and your imagination has to be bigger than the room, bigger than the building, bigger than the sky because if you keep your imagination alive, everything is possible. When you limit your imagination, nothing becomes as possible as it could be.”
At that point, The View co-host Sunny Hostin...
- 2/12/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Editor’S Note: The following blog originally ran in June of 2020. We’re re-posting it here in honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 15. The updated piece includes minor edits and, more importantly, updated info re: streaming availability.
***
In the wake of international protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin of the Minneapolis Police Department on May 25, 2020, practically every big-name streaming service quickly assembled, from their selection of available titles, their own specially curated collection of Black cinema. These collections have provided an invaluable resource for film fans of all racial demographics eager to learn more about the troubled history of American racial inequality.
Thankfully, there’s a lot of truly amazing stuff being spotlighted within these curated lists. We’ve plucked out a few (but definitely not all) of our favorite titles below. Whether based on a true story or totally invented, narrative or nonfiction,...
***
In the wake of international protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin of the Minneapolis Police Department on May 25, 2020, practically every big-name streaming service quickly assembled, from their selection of available titles, their own specially curated collection of Black cinema. These collections have provided an invaluable resource for film fans of all racial demographics eager to learn more about the troubled history of American racial inequality.
Thankfully, there’s a lot of truly amazing stuff being spotlighted within these curated lists. We’ve plucked out a few (but definitely not all) of our favorite titles below. Whether based on a true story or totally invented, narrative or nonfiction,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Now a week into the new year, Max is, like many of us, cleaning house. The streamer is ushering in a new month of library additions and new originals, and, like usual, we have to give to get.
While the streamer has lost a few titles already this month, including 2018’s “The Nun,” nearly all of Max’s departures will make their exit during the final week of the month, including “Birdman,” “Barbarian,” and more!
Before January comes to an end, check out The Streamable’s top picks of what to watch before they’re gone, and see the full list of what’s leaving Max throughout the rest of the month!
7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Leaving Max in January 2024? “Barbarian” | Wednesday, Jan. 24
Georgina Campbell leads the horror-thriller as Tess, a young woman who books a rental home only to...
While the streamer has lost a few titles already this month, including 2018’s “The Nun,” nearly all of Max’s departures will make their exit during the final week of the month, including “Birdman,” “Barbarian,” and more!
Before January comes to an end, check out The Streamable’s top picks of what to watch before they’re gone, and see the full list of what’s leaving Max throughout the rest of the month!
7-Day Free Trial $9.99+ / month Max via amazon.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Leaving Max in January 2024? “Barbarian” | Wednesday, Jan. 24
Georgina Campbell leads the horror-thriller as Tess, a young woman who books a rental home only to...
- 1/10/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
George C. Wolfe’s miraculous new film “Rustin” is many things. It’s a biographical film about Bayard Rustin (played by Colman Domingo), an unsung hero of the Civil Rights movement and a key architect of the 1963 March on Washington. It’s also a buddy movie with Rustin and Martin Luther King Jr. (Aml Ameen). And it’s a process movie about exactly what it takes to launch an event of the march’s scale, complexity and importance.
What makes the movie even more impressive is that it does it all while peeling back the layers of who Rustin was, as a key Civil Rights figure that few know about in the same breath as, say, King, Medgar Evers (who is referenced in the film) or Malcolm X (who is not).
For director Wolfe, learning about Rustin was a discovery process that spanned years.
“I’ve learned in stages. I...
What makes the movie even more impressive is that it does it all while peeling back the layers of who Rustin was, as a key Civil Rights figure that few know about in the same breath as, say, King, Medgar Evers (who is referenced in the film) or Malcolm X (who is not).
For director Wolfe, learning about Rustin was a discovery process that spanned years.
“I’ve learned in stages. I...
- 9/11/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
The I Am Not Your Negro director’s adaptation of a 2019 ProPublica investigation effectively connects one family’s story with the larger scourge of legal Black land theft
In swift succession, the documentarian Raoul Peck has built a reputation as a connoisseur of the visual essay. His Oscar-nominated 2017 film I Am Not Your Negro reinvigorated the astonishing legacy of essayist and critic James Baldwin through a dramatization of notes on his relationships with such civil rights luminaries as Malcolm X, Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King Jr. The 2021 series Exterminate All the Brutes assembled an impressive bricolage of historical documents, archival footage, personal history, cultural ephemera, scripted scenes, animation and infographics to illuminate nothing less than the genocidal origins and cascading impacts of European colonialism.
Silver Dollar Road, Peck’s latest film, focuses on one Black family’s decades-long legal fight to maintain ownership of their coastal property in North Carolina,...
In swift succession, the documentarian Raoul Peck has built a reputation as a connoisseur of the visual essay. His Oscar-nominated 2017 film I Am Not Your Negro reinvigorated the astonishing legacy of essayist and critic James Baldwin through a dramatization of notes on his relationships with such civil rights luminaries as Malcolm X, Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King Jr. The 2021 series Exterminate All the Brutes assembled an impressive bricolage of historical documents, archival footage, personal history, cultural ephemera, scripted scenes, animation and infographics to illuminate nothing less than the genocidal origins and cascading impacts of European colonialism.
Silver Dollar Road, Peck’s latest film, focuses on one Black family’s decades-long legal fight to maintain ownership of their coastal property in North Carolina,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
It’s not easy to upstage Martin Luther King Jr., but that’s exactly what leading man Colman Domingo does in “Rustin,” a movie named for the civil rights pioneer who gave King the platform to speak his most famous four words: “I have a dream.” That day, Aug. 28, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the man standing slightly out of focus over King’s right shoulder — quite literally, his right-hand man — was one Bayard Rustin. It was he who conceived and organized what King called “the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation,” the March on Washington.
While widely recognized for his contributions to the civil rights movement (and posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama), Rustin is hardly the household name one might assume from his achievements — and worse still, he was nearly elbowed out of history altogether on account of his homosexuality.
While widely recognized for his contributions to the civil rights movement (and posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama), Rustin is hardly the household name one might assume from his achievements — and worse still, he was nearly elbowed out of history altogether on account of his homosexuality.
- 9/3/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Bob Dylan has written a number of epic songs in his career, and some have taken inspiration from real life. Dylan has written about actual historical events and figures in his music. Some of these are more historically accurate than others. Here are five of the people and events behind his music.
‘Murder Most Foul’ is Bob Dylan’s longest song
In 2020, Dylan released his 39th album, Rough and Rowdy Ways. The album’s longest song — and the longest of his career — was “Murder Most Foul.” The nearly 17-minute song is about the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
“‘Twas a dark day in Dallas, November’ 63/ A day that will live on in infamy/ President Kennedy was a-ridin’ high/ Good day to be livin’ and a good day to die/ Being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb/ He said, ‘Wait a minute, boys, you know who I am?'...
‘Murder Most Foul’ is Bob Dylan’s longest song
In 2020, Dylan released his 39th album, Rough and Rowdy Ways. The album’s longest song — and the longest of his career — was “Murder Most Foul.” The nearly 17-minute song is about the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
“‘Twas a dark day in Dallas, November’ 63/ A day that will live on in infamy/ President Kennedy was a-ridin’ high/ Good day to be livin’ and a good day to die/ Being led to the slaughter like a sacrificial lamb/ He said, ‘Wait a minute, boys, you know who I am?'...
- 6/12/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tosin Cole was larking about on the set of the Warner Bros House Party reboot in Los Angeles when an email dropped from casting director Kim Coleman (BlacKkKlansman) about Emmett Till’s story.
“I was like, ‘I’m filming for months non stop, I want to go home,’ ” he recalls thinking. “They wanted me to go for Medgar Evers, and I was like, ‘I don’t know who that is. Let me think about it.’ “
His agent brought him up short telling him, “No, you got to do it. At least send a tape.”
“I was like, ‘I’m doing night shifts in LA. I don’t know when I’ll have time,’ ” he worried.
That’s when Barbara Broccoli, an executive producer of Uar’s Till, zinged him a message saying, “We’d love to have you on board, if you can.”
That missive sharpened Cole’s mind.
Besides...
“I was like, ‘I’m filming for months non stop, I want to go home,’ ” he recalls thinking. “They wanted me to go for Medgar Evers, and I was like, ‘I don’t know who that is. Let me think about it.’ “
His agent brought him up short telling him, “No, you got to do it. At least send a tape.”
“I was like, ‘I’m doing night shifts in LA. I don’t know when I’ll have time,’ ” he worried.
That’s when Barbara Broccoli, an executive producer of Uar’s Till, zinged him a message saying, “We’d love to have you on board, if you can.”
That missive sharpened Cole’s mind.
Besides...
- 1/14/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
The 1990 bubblegum hip-hop comedy “House Party,” starring Kid ‘n Play, was a movie that channeled the flavor of its moment, and influenced a lot of what came afterward. It opened in March 1990 and helped to launch the spirit of the ’90s — something at once edgy and optimistic, infused with a rogue bravura that was made to conquer. Hip-hop had been on the rise for a decade, and by the late ’80s the preeminence of N.W.A. and Public Enemy had brought an ominous new profound power to hip-hop. In the summer of 1989, Spike Lee released “Do the Right Thing,” and that movie, with its fight-the-power core, was of course a Black cinematic apotheosis suffused with equal parts exuberance and trauma.
Somehow landing in the middle of all that, here was “House Party,” a naughty rollicking New Line comedy that was comparable, in many ways, to the John Hughes films or “Animal House.
Somehow landing in the middle of all that, here was “House Party,” a naughty rollicking New Line comedy that was comparable, in many ways, to the John Hughes films or “Animal House.
- 1/12/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Till is a biographical drama directed by Chinonye Chukwu starring Danielle Deadwyler.
Premise
Fourteen year-old Emmet Till travels from Chicago to Mississippi on vacation to spend time with relatives. Tragedy strikes as young Emmet is beaten and shot to death by white supremacists, and his body is thrown into a river. Mamie Till Mobley, his mother, will relentlessly pursue justice. Till insists on showing the world what atrocity has been committed, first by allowing the media to publish images of her sons severely mutilated body, then fighting for justice to be served to the killers.
Till (2022) Movie Review
A movie that brings us the story of Till’s fight for justice. It is impossible not to be moved by this movie, and being a story that is based on real life events, it successfully conveys its purpose, or purposes. To bring the story up and close to people, and to...
Premise
Fourteen year-old Emmet Till travels from Chicago to Mississippi on vacation to spend time with relatives. Tragedy strikes as young Emmet is beaten and shot to death by white supremacists, and his body is thrown into a river. Mamie Till Mobley, his mother, will relentlessly pursue justice. Till insists on showing the world what atrocity has been committed, first by allowing the media to publish images of her sons severely mutilated body, then fighting for justice to be served to the killers.
Till (2022) Movie Review
A movie that brings us the story of Till’s fight for justice. It is impossible not to be moved by this movie, and being a story that is based on real life events, it successfully conveys its purpose, or purposes. To bring the story up and close to people, and to...
- 11/26/2022
- by Diane T. Larsen
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
(L to R) Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till Mobley and Whoopi Goldberg as Alma Carthan in Till, directed by Chinonye Chukwu, released by Orion Pictures. Credit: Lynsey Weatherspoon / Orion Pictures. © 2022 Orion Releasing LLC. All Rights Reserved.
The heart-breaking true story drama Till is the long overdue telling of Emmett Till’s story. We all know the name Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was murdered by white Southern racists for whistling at a white woman in 1955. But the reason we know his name is his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, who made the decision to have an open-casket funeral and, further, to see to it that the whole country could see exactly what was done to her son by allowing Jet Magazine to publish photos. Director Chinonye Chukwu, however, made the inspired decision to focus on Emmett Till’s mother rather than the murder, and how she made her son’s...
The heart-breaking true story drama Till is the long overdue telling of Emmett Till’s story. We all know the name Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was murdered by white Southern racists for whistling at a white woman in 1955. But the reason we know his name is his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, who made the decision to have an open-casket funeral and, further, to see to it that the whole country could see exactly what was done to her son by allowing Jet Magazine to publish photos. Director Chinonye Chukwu, however, made the inspired decision to focus on Emmett Till’s mother rather than the murder, and how she made her son’s...
- 10/28/2022
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Click here to read the full article.
It happens every few decades, each time more reverentially than the last: declarations of Black art’s existence. There are whispers of a renaissance, talk of watershed moments. Certain demographics rush to celebrate its arrival, and those allergic to trends (or with a memory longer than a decade) dutifully remind that it’s always been here. Chatter about representation, necessity, meaning and craft is run through until it fizzles. And then we do it again.
Elvis Mitchell’s Is That Black Enough for You?!?, which premiered at the New York Film Festival and lands on Netflix Nov. 11, is the kind of work that tries to free us from this purgatory of intellectual relitigation. The documentary — dense and considered — examines the impact and legacy of Black films released during the late 1960s to late 1970s, a decade remembered for the proliferation of Blaxploitation flicks.
It happens every few decades, each time more reverentially than the last: declarations of Black art’s existence. There are whispers of a renaissance, talk of watershed moments. Certain demographics rush to celebrate its arrival, and those allergic to trends (or with a memory longer than a decade) dutifully remind that it’s always been here. Chatter about representation, necessity, meaning and craft is run through until it fizzles. And then we do it again.
Elvis Mitchell’s Is That Black Enough for You?!?, which premiered at the New York Film Festival and lands on Netflix Nov. 11, is the kind of work that tries to free us from this purgatory of intellectual relitigation. The documentary — dense and considered — examines the impact and legacy of Black films released during the late 1960s to late 1970s, a decade remembered for the proliferation of Blaxploitation flicks.
- 10/12/2022
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Netflix’s Rapman-created Supacell series, about a group of regular people who gain superpowers, is up, up and away with Tosin Cole (61st Street) signed on to play lead character Michael Lasaki. Filming begins in South London on Monday.
Speaking exclusively to Deadline, Blue Story creator Rapman Aka Andrew Onwabolu said Cole’s Michael is a “van driver, an everyday working man, who’s deep in love” with Dionne, played by Adelayo Adedayo (The Responder).
The cast also includes Nadine Mills (The Weekend), Eric Kofi Abrefa, Calvin Demba (The Rig), Josh Tedeku (Moonhaven), Rayxia Ojo (Call The Midwife) and Giacomo Mancini (Top Boy).
Commissioned in 2021, the six-part superhero show sees a certain number of Black people in South London develop superpowers. Rapman is showrunner and lead director and Sebastian Thiel (Dreaming Whilst Black) will direct three of the episodes.
Cole’s casting...
Speaking exclusively to Deadline, Blue Story creator Rapman Aka Andrew Onwabolu said Cole’s Michael is a “van driver, an everyday working man, who’s deep in love” with Dionne, played by Adelayo Adedayo (The Responder).
The cast also includes Nadine Mills (The Weekend), Eric Kofi Abrefa, Calvin Demba (The Rig), Josh Tedeku (Moonhaven), Rayxia Ojo (Call The Midwife) and Giacomo Mancini (Top Boy).
Commissioned in 2021, the six-part superhero show sees a certain number of Black people in South London develop superpowers. Rapman is showrunner and lead director and Sebastian Thiel (Dreaming Whilst Black) will direct three of the episodes.
Cole’s casting...
- 8/11/2022
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
This commentary on the life and legacy of Sidney Poitier was first published in the 2006 BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards, as part of the organization’s lifetime achievement award tribute to the trailblazing star, who died Jan. 6 at the age of 94.
Is Sidney Poitier the most important actor in American history?
One could quickly defend that question affirmatively simply with a newsreel of clips showing heroes like Martin Luther King Jr., from Birmingham to the March on Washington, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Jackie Robinson and Rosa Parks; Olympians Tommy Smith and John Carlos with their fists in the 1968 Mexico City air; rabid segregationists Bull Connor, Lester Maddox and George Wallace; the sit-ins and the accompanying firehoses and attacking police dogs; the segregated public spaces, the high-profile Ku Klux Klan marches and their low-profile lynchings.
To any American film fan who lived through the Civil Rights revolution of the 1950s and ’60s,...
Is Sidney Poitier the most important actor in American history?
One could quickly defend that question affirmatively simply with a newsreel of clips showing heroes like Martin Luther King Jr., from Birmingham to the March on Washington, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Jackie Robinson and Rosa Parks; Olympians Tommy Smith and John Carlos with their fists in the 1968 Mexico City air; rabid segregationists Bull Connor, Lester Maddox and George Wallace; the sit-ins and the accompanying firehoses and attacking police dogs; the segregated public spaces, the high-profile Ku Klux Klan marches and their low-profile lynchings.
To any American film fan who lived through the Civil Rights revolution of the 1950s and ’60s,...
- 1/9/2022
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
Frankie Faison (The Wire), Jayme Lawson (The Batman), Tosin Cole (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Kevin Carroll (The Leftovers), Sean Patrick Thomas (Barbershop), John Douglas Thompson (Mare of Easttown) and Roger Guenveur Smith (Self Made: Inspired by the Life Of Madam C.J Walker) will join Danielle Deadwyler, Whoopi Goldberg and Jalyn Hall in Chinonye Chukwu’s feature Orion Pictures release, Till about Emmett Louis Till. The movie is currently filming in Atlanta.
Till tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley (Deadwyler), whose pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son Emmett Louis Till (Hall) became a galvanizing moment that helped lead to the creation of the civil rights movement. As Time Magazine reported, “…thanks to a mother’s determination to expose the barbarousness of the crime, the public could no longer pretend to ignore what they couldn’t see.” Mamie’s decision to have an open casket at Emmett’s funeral,...
Till tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley (Deadwyler), whose pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son Emmett Louis Till (Hall) became a galvanizing moment that helped lead to the creation of the civil rights movement. As Time Magazine reported, “…thanks to a mother’s determination to expose the barbarousness of the crime, the public could no longer pretend to ignore what they couldn’t see.” Mamie’s decision to have an open casket at Emmett’s funeral,...
- 10/11/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
MGM’s Orion Pictures’ film “Till,” starring Danielle Deadwyler, Whoopi Goldberg and Jalyn Hall as Emmett Till, has rounded out its cast.
Frankie Faison, Jayme Lawson, Tosin Cole, Kevin Carroll, Sean Patrick Thomas, John Douglas Thompson and Roger Guenveur Smith have boarded the project, directed by Chinonye Chukwu. “Till” is currently filming in Atlanta, with the full cast pictured above.
“Till” tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley (Deadwyler), chronicling her decision to have an open casket at Emmett’s funeral and allowing Jet magazine to publish David Jackson’s funeral photos in order to ensure people everywhere saw the true horrors of her son’s murder. The decision from the grieving mother was a galvanizing moment that led to the creation of the civil rights movement. Goldberg is set to portray Till’s grandmother, Alma Carthan.
Chuwku also wrote the screenplay for the film, about a mother’s pursuit of justice,...
Frankie Faison, Jayme Lawson, Tosin Cole, Kevin Carroll, Sean Patrick Thomas, John Douglas Thompson and Roger Guenveur Smith have boarded the project, directed by Chinonye Chukwu. “Till” is currently filming in Atlanta, with the full cast pictured above.
“Till” tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley (Deadwyler), chronicling her decision to have an open casket at Emmett’s funeral and allowing Jet magazine to publish David Jackson’s funeral photos in order to ensure people everywhere saw the true horrors of her son’s murder. The decision from the grieving mother was a galvanizing moment that led to the creation of the civil rights movement. Goldberg is set to portray Till’s grandmother, Alma Carthan.
Chuwku also wrote the screenplay for the film, about a mother’s pursuit of justice,...
- 10/11/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The first James Bond film, ‘Dr. No,” starring Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Jack Lord and Joseph Wiseman, opened in England on Oct. 2, 1962. But the 007 classic didn’t open in New York and Los Angeles until May 29, 1963. Let’s travel back almost six decades to look at the top events, movie, TV series, books and other cultural events of that year in James Bond history, which was punctuated by the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 22.
35th Annual Academy Awards
Best Picture: “Lawrence of Arabia”
Best Director: David Lean, “Lawrence of Arabia”
Best Actor: Gregory Peck, “To Kill a Mockingbird
Best Actress: Anne Bancroft, “The Miracle Worker”
Best Supporting Actor: Ed Begley, “Sweet Bird of Youth”
Best Supporting Actress: Patty Duke, “The Miracle Worker”
Top 10 highest grossing films
“Cleopatra”
“How the West Was Won”
“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”
“Tom Jones”
“Irma La Douce...
35th Annual Academy Awards
Best Picture: “Lawrence of Arabia”
Best Director: David Lean, “Lawrence of Arabia”
Best Actor: Gregory Peck, “To Kill a Mockingbird
Best Actress: Anne Bancroft, “The Miracle Worker”
Best Supporting Actor: Ed Begley, “Sweet Bird of Youth”
Best Supporting Actress: Patty Duke, “The Miracle Worker”
Top 10 highest grossing films
“Cleopatra”
“How the West Was Won”
“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”
“Tom Jones”
“Irma La Douce...
- 10/8/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
The 24th Annual Reel Black Men Short Film Festival kicks off on Saturday with films from Charles Burnett, David M. Massey, and 19 other Black filmmakers. The festival, which will be held virtually through August 22, is put on each year by the Black Hollywood Education Resource Center. The 21 films being screened came from 500 semifinalists that were culled from 1,700 entries submitted from across the globe.
This year’s line-up is “truly outstanding,” said John Forbes, Bherc’s executive director. “They are great stories that include drama, horror, romantic comedy, documentary, and sci-fi. The content is diverse and tells both historical and contemporary, fictional and non-fictional stories. They are compelling in many cases, including the issue of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Sandra Evers-Manly, president of the Bherc, is a former president of the Beverly Hills/Hollywood branch of the NAACP, and the cousin of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers. Last year, she became...
This year’s line-up is “truly outstanding,” said John Forbes, Bherc’s executive director. “They are great stories that include drama, horror, romantic comedy, documentary, and sci-fi. The content is diverse and tells both historical and contemporary, fictional and non-fictional stories. They are compelling in many cases, including the issue of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Sandra Evers-Manly, president of the Bherc, is a former president of the Beverly Hills/Hollywood branch of the NAACP, and the cousin of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers. Last year, she became...
- 8/7/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s very early to be talking about documentary contenders for next year’s Emmys, but The One and Only Dick Gregory certainly should be part of the conversation.
The film written and directed by Andre Gaines at last gives the late Gregory his rightful due—as one of the most significant figures in the history of comedy, a hero in the Civil Rights Movement and a pioneer in nutrition, health and wellness. It’s hard to separate each of the areas where Gregory made an impact, because they all sprang from a common impulse, to redeem America from its savage racism and to help his fellow human beings.
“It was within the first five minutes of meeting him that I was confident and assured in my belief that I needed to tell his story myself,” Gaines tells Deadline. “And that belief and confidence and the enthusiasm for it just built continuously over time.
The film written and directed by Andre Gaines at last gives the late Gregory his rightful due—as one of the most significant figures in the history of comedy, a hero in the Civil Rights Movement and a pioneer in nutrition, health and wellness. It’s hard to separate each of the areas where Gregory made an impact, because they all sprang from a common impulse, to redeem America from its savage racism and to help his fellow human beings.
“It was within the first five minutes of meeting him that I was confident and assured in my belief that I needed to tell his story myself,” Gaines tells Deadline. “And that belief and confidence and the enthusiasm for it just built continuously over time.
- 7/29/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
At the start of “The One and Only Dick Gregory,” Chris Rock hails the standup/activist as “one of the greatest political comedians who ever lived” and the following two hours prove the point. The first-rate doc, written and directed by Andre Gaines, is a reminder to anyone familiar with Gregory of the breadth and prescience of his work; to the uninitiated, it will be an eye-opener.
A title card identifies Gregory as “Public citizen #1, comedian, activist, health pioneer.” Aside from looking at his varied career, Gaines’ doc offers a time capsule of the tumultuous years in which he lived (1932-2017), offering a few shocks at how much of the national anguish has remained unchanged.
The film grabs the audience within the first two minutes and doesn’t let go. The opener mixes archival footage and audio clips of Gregory with testimonials from Rock and others, including Harry Belafonte and Wanda Sykes.
A title card identifies Gregory as “Public citizen #1, comedian, activist, health pioneer.” Aside from looking at his varied career, Gaines’ doc offers a time capsule of the tumultuous years in which he lived (1932-2017), offering a few shocks at how much of the national anguish has remained unchanged.
The film grabs the audience within the first two minutes and doesn’t let go. The opener mixes archival footage and audio clips of Gregory with testimonials from Rock and others, including Harry Belafonte and Wanda Sykes.
- 7/1/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Judd Ehrlich’s “The Price of Freedom” is an absorbing, disturbing, and scrupulously well-researched documentary that lays out the nuts and bolts of the National Rifle Association’s history. In the process, You probably think I’m talking about the NRA’s relentless lobbying of Congress; its macho coziness with presidents like Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump; its blackballing of political candidates who don’t have the right agenda; as well as the essential NRA ideology about what American gun law should consist of: no background checks, no training or permits, no restrictions on the buying and selling of assault weapons, no closing of the gun-show “loophole.”
The film covers all that stuff, and does it well. That said, we’ve heard most of it before, in the ongoing journalistic coverage of the gun debate (which is really a gun culture war), and in documentaries like “Making a Killing: Guns,...
The film covers all that stuff, and does it well. That said, we’ve heard most of it before, in the ongoing journalistic coverage of the gun debate (which is really a gun culture war), and in documentaries like “Making a Killing: Guns,...
- 6/25/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris (1970) can be streamed on Mubi for free June 18-19, 2021 at mubi.com/free.In Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris (1970) director Terence Dixon sets out to portray Baldwin as a writer rather than a political figure. To do so he devises what he termed “a system and scheme” to project Baldwin, focusing on his literary relationship with Paris, where Baldwin lived for the first nine years of his newly flourishing career. It’s a formula that lends itself to cinematic articulation, with elegant vignettes of the city—its symmetrical streets, the River Seine and the Bastille—poetic in their accompaniment to Baldwin’s lacerating prose. However, as cinematographer Jack Hazan recalls, “Things did not go to plan,” for Baldwin swiftly disabuses the filmmakers—Hazan and Dixon—of the fallacy that they are the most influential element in the documentary mix. From the...
- 6/17/2021
- MUBI
Exclusive: ABC is rounding out the recurring cast for its limited series Women of the Movement, from creator-writer Marissa Jo Cerar and a producing team that includes Jay-Z, Will Smith and Aaron Kaplan. Joining the cast are Leslie Silva as Ruby Hurley, Chris Butler as Rayfield Mooty, Alex Désert as Dr. Howard, Miles Fowler as Simeon Booker, Tongayi Chirisa as Medgar Evers, Jason Turner as James Hicks, and Daniel Abeles as Chet Packton.
Inspired by the book Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement by Devery S. Anderson, the six-episode limited series is set in 1955. It centers on Mamie Till-Mobley (Adrienne Warren), who risks her life to find justice after her son Emmett (Cedric Joe) is brutally murdered in the Jim Crow South. Unwilling to let Emmett’s murder disappear from the headlines, Mamie chooses to bear her pain on the world stage,...
Inspired by the book Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement by Devery S. Anderson, the six-episode limited series is set in 1955. It centers on Mamie Till-Mobley (Adrienne Warren), who risks her life to find justice after her son Emmett (Cedric Joe) is brutally murdered in the Jim Crow South. Unwilling to let Emmett’s murder disappear from the headlines, Mamie chooses to bear her pain on the world stage,...
- 4/13/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
“I Am Not Your Negro” director Raoul Peck is debuting a new four-episode docuseries on colonialism, which will revisit the history of Native American genocide and American slavery to reframe their fundamental present day implications. HBO Documentary Films released the first trailer today for “Exterminate All the Brutes,” a timely and artistically bold new series from the Oscar-nominated filmmaker.
Here’s the official description from HBO: “A four-part series that provides a visually arresting journey through time, into the darkest hours of humanity. Through his personal voyage, Peck deconstructs the making and masking of history, digging deep into the exploitative and genocidal aspects of European colonialism – from America to Africa and its impact on society today – challenging the audience to re-think the very notion of how history is being written.”
The series is based on three books: Sven Lindqvist’s “Exterminate All the Brutes,” Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s “An Indigenous Peoples...
Here’s the official description from HBO: “A four-part series that provides a visually arresting journey through time, into the darkest hours of humanity. Through his personal voyage, Peck deconstructs the making and masking of history, digging deep into the exploitative and genocidal aspects of European colonialism – from America to Africa and its impact on society today – challenging the audience to re-think the very notion of how history is being written.”
The series is based on three books: Sven Lindqvist’s “Exterminate All the Brutes,” Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s “An Indigenous Peoples...
- 3/23/2021
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Walt Disney, Frank Capra, Whitney Houston, Billie Holiday, Johnny Cash and Alex Trebek are among the entertainment industry figures who have been added as proposed honorees in the National Garden of American Heroes monument project unveiled by President Donald Trump in July.
As he began his final 48 hours as President, Trump issued an amended executive order Monday that added dozens of names slated to be honored in the the planned statuary park. The location for the park has yet to be determined. Trump first announced the plan on July 3 during his speech at Mt. Rushmore.
Among the entertainment-related names making the cut are Louis Armstrong, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Irving Berlin, Humphrey Bogart, Kobe Bryant, Frank Capra, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, Woody Guthrie, Charlton Heston, Alfred Hitchcock, Bob Hope, Elvis Presley and Jimmy Stewart. The monument will honor those deemed to be “historically...
As he began his final 48 hours as President, Trump issued an amended executive order Monday that added dozens of names slated to be honored in the the planned statuary park. The location for the park has yet to be determined. Trump first announced the plan on July 3 during his speech at Mt. Rushmore.
Among the entertainment-related names making the cut are Louis Armstrong, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Irving Berlin, Humphrey Bogart, Kobe Bryant, Frank Capra, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, Woody Guthrie, Charlton Heston, Alfred Hitchcock, Bob Hope, Elvis Presley and Jimmy Stewart. The monument will honor those deemed to be “historically...
- 1/18/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
PBS’ American Masters documentary “How It Feels to Be Free” – which counts Alicia Keys among its roster of exec producers – salutes the careers of six Black female entertainers who used their celebrity to promote civil rights and challenge racists stereotypes.
The documentary – which premieres today on PBS and is set to become a market priority for its distributor Fremantle at NATPE this week – is directed by Yoruba Richen.
A Yap Films production in association with Itvs, Chicken & Egg pictures and Documentary Channel in Canada, it celebrates the careers of Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier.
While its premiere may seem timely in the wake of the Time’s Up and Black Lives Matters movements, PBS and Itvs first came on board five years ago – it just took years to raise the necessary finance, according to Richen.
It was only when two of the film...
The documentary – which premieres today on PBS and is set to become a market priority for its distributor Fremantle at NATPE this week – is directed by Yoruba Richen.
A Yap Films production in association with Itvs, Chicken & Egg pictures and Documentary Channel in Canada, it celebrates the careers of Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier.
While its premiere may seem timely in the wake of the Time’s Up and Black Lives Matters movements, PBS and Itvs first came on board five years ago – it just took years to raise the necessary finance, according to Richen.
It was only when two of the film...
- 1/18/2021
- by Ann-Marie Corvin
- Variety Film + TV
You want to have awards’ success? Get your legal briefs in order. A slew of movies with trials at their center have been Oscar contenders, racking up multiple wins and nominations. And for good reason. The genre is rich with emotions, betrayals, manipulations, love, hate, violence and redemption. This season, there is a lot of Oscar buzz for Aaron Sorkin’s well-received legal drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
The 2002 musical extravaganza “Chicago” won six Oscars including Best Picture and Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Five years later Tilda Swinton won a supporting actress Oscar for the acclaimed “Michael Clayton.” Tony Gilroy’s smart legal thriller earned a lucky seven bids, including film, screenplay and director for Gilroy and actor for George Clooney.
Let’s take a look back at 10 other films that were able to turn Oscar buzz into Academy Award nominations and wins:
“The Verdict” (1982)
Twenty-five years after...
The 2002 musical extravaganza “Chicago” won six Oscars including Best Picture and Supporting Actress (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Five years later Tilda Swinton won a supporting actress Oscar for the acclaimed “Michael Clayton.” Tony Gilroy’s smart legal thriller earned a lucky seven bids, including film, screenplay and director for Gilroy and actor for George Clooney.
Let’s take a look back at 10 other films that were able to turn Oscar buzz into Academy Award nominations and wins:
“The Verdict” (1982)
Twenty-five years after...
- 11/19/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Cooley High director Michael Schultz will be honored October 24 by the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center as part of its 26th annual African American Film Marketplace and the S.E. Manly Short Film Showcase, which runs from October 23-November 29.
“Michael represents the best of the best in Hollywood, a true genius at what he does,” said Bherc president Sandra Evers-Manly. “Cooley High is a classic that launched the careers of several phenomenal actors and inspired a generation of filmmakers. A renaissance professional, Michael has placed an indelible imprint on the stage, film and television industries.”
Cooley High was “so important during its time because of the cultural content as well as its box office performance,” she said. “It’s a comedy turned drama coming-of-age story of high school friends that reached beyond communities and lines of color and gave voice and validation to lives never explored on the big screen.
“Michael represents the best of the best in Hollywood, a true genius at what he does,” said Bherc president Sandra Evers-Manly. “Cooley High is a classic that launched the careers of several phenomenal actors and inspired a generation of filmmakers. A renaissance professional, Michael has placed an indelible imprint on the stage, film and television industries.”
Cooley High was “so important during its time because of the cultural content as well as its box office performance,” she said. “It’s a comedy turned drama coming-of-age story of high school friends that reached beyond communities and lines of color and gave voice and validation to lives never explored on the big screen.
- 10/16/2020
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Editors’ note: Sandra J. Evers-Manly is president of the Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center, a former president of the Beverly Hills/Hollywood branch of the NAACP, and the cousin of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers. On June 30, she became a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She has penned this guest column for Deadline.
The killing of George Floyd brought about much pain, grief and anger. The unjust killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others have been something that our community has had to live with for many years. This brutality is part of a long history of systemic racism, inequality and injustice that was never fully dealt with in our society. There is not a corner in the world, and certainly not in our country, that we can point to where injustice and inequality do not exist. Hollywood is no exception.
Deep-rooted inequities exist in our industry,...
The killing of George Floyd brought about much pain, grief and anger. The unjust killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others have been something that our community has had to live with for many years. This brutality is part of a long history of systemic racism, inequality and injustice that was never fully dealt with in our society. There is not a corner in the world, and certainly not in our country, that we can point to where injustice and inequality do not exist. Hollywood is no exception.
Deep-rooted inequities exist in our industry,...
- 7/31/2020
- by Sandra J. Evers-Manly
- Deadline Film + TV
I am a proud, sixth-generation, born-and-raised Mississippian. I’ve traveled around the world singing songs, and though I hang my hat in Tennessee, I tell people I’m from Mississippi. And for all the pride I feel as a Mississippian, I also feel a twinge of anxiety when the word Mississippi leaves my lips.
For as far back as I can tell, there have been two Mississippis.
The Mississippi I know and love sounds like Charley Pride’s voice, Marty Stuart’s Telecaster, and B.B. King’s Lucille. It tastes...
For as far back as I can tell, there have been two Mississippis.
The Mississippi I know and love sounds like Charley Pride’s voice, Marty Stuart’s Telecaster, and B.B. King’s Lucille. It tastes...
- 6/30/2020
- by Charlie Worsham
- Rollingstone.com
The move is out of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
Dubai-based distributor Front Row is partnering with streaming platforms operating in the Middle East and North Africa to offer free digital screenings of Us race relations documentary I Am Not Your Negro across the region.
Front Row CEO Gianluca Chakra describes the move as an act of solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement, following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer on May 25 which has sparked protests worldwide.
Under the initiative involving regional platforms Bein, Osn, Etisalat’s E-Life, Du, Vodafone, Ooredoo, and Omantel, the...
Dubai-based distributor Front Row is partnering with streaming platforms operating in the Middle East and North Africa to offer free digital screenings of Us race relations documentary I Am Not Your Negro across the region.
Front Row CEO Gianluca Chakra describes the move as an act of solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement, following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer on May 25 which has sparked protests worldwide.
Under the initiative involving regional platforms Bein, Osn, Etisalat’s E-Life, Du, Vodafone, Ooredoo, and Omantel, the...
- 6/10/2020
- by 1100388¦Melanie Goodfellow¦69¦
- ScreenDaily
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and O Cinema will work with Magnolia Pictures to make “I Am Not Your Negro,” “Whose Streets?” and “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am” available to watch for free.
The effort comes in the wake of protests that are sweeping across the U.S., as tens of thousands of people have assembled in the streets to call attention to police brutality and systemic racism. They have been motivated to speak out because of the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. The three films, which focus on influential Civil Rights leaders and Black thinkers such as James Baldwin and Toni Morrison, as well as issues of social injustice, could not be more topical.
Starting on June 7, the film will be available in eight cities through community partners. The cities include Akron, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Macon, Georgia; Miami,...
The effort comes in the wake of protests that are sweeping across the U.S., as tens of thousands of people have assembled in the streets to call attention to police brutality and systemic racism. They have been motivated to speak out because of the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. The three films, which focus on influential Civil Rights leaders and Black thinkers such as James Baldwin and Toni Morrison, as well as issues of social injustice, could not be more topical.
Starting on June 7, the film will be available in eight cities through community partners. The cities include Akron, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; Detroit, Michigan; Macon, Georgia; Miami,...
- 6/4/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
At such an unprecedented moment in time, with more demand than ever for streaming content, the sheer volume of films across all the major Svod platforms — specifically Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and now Disney+ — can make finding a genuinely great movie an arduous task. But what can be even more aggravating is when a sought-after title is not available on any streaming platform whatsoever. This is currently true for several consequential films directed by black filmmakers, and it behooves any major streamer to consider acquiring these titles for their libraries.
But that’s not to say that there aren’t major films from black directors available on significant Svod platforms. Here are 10 titles that are currently available to stream on either Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu or Disney+, listed in chronological order. This list will be updated regularly.
“School Daze” (1987)
“School Daze” was inspired by director Spike Lee’s own experiences in a deeply entrenched,...
But that’s not to say that there aren’t major films from black directors available on significant Svod platforms. Here are 10 titles that are currently available to stream on either Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu or Disney+, listed in chronological order. This list will be updated regularly.
“School Daze” (1987)
“School Daze” was inspired by director Spike Lee’s own experiences in a deeply entrenched,...
- 5/4/2020
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Facts are so often stranger than fiction: The truth can be so terrible that we struggle to believe it, or so joyous and full of life that we’re inspired or moved. The past decade has seen a boom in the documentary space as streaming platforms have invested in their production and proliferated their distribution opportunities. So many docs that could have made this list, from those that have inspired public policy changes to others that captured gorgeous slices of life often overlooked, and even a few that pushed the visual boundaries of what’s possible in non-fiction storytelling. Here are just a handful of the best documentaries from the previous decade:
10. “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”
Alison Klayman’s documentary may have been many Americans’ introduction to Ai Weiwei, the outspoken artist (whose work has found a devoted following on social media) and controversial voice that the Chinese government has...
10. “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”
Alison Klayman’s documentary may have been many Americans’ introduction to Ai Weiwei, the outspoken artist (whose work has found a devoted following on social media) and controversial voice that the Chinese government has...
- 12/16/2019
- by Monica Castillo
- The Wrap
It’s almost easy for modern audiences to forget just how tumultuous the 1960s were. In 1963, Civil Rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated in the driveway of his own home. Months later, a bomb planted in Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church killed four young girls. That November, the President of the United States was assassinated […]
The post ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ and ‘Charlie Says’ Paint Very Different, But Equally Necessary, Portraits of the Manson Family appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ and ‘Charlie Says’ Paint Very Different, But Equally Necessary, Portraits of the Manson Family appeared first on /Film.
- 7/30/2019
- by Jamie Righetti
- Slash Film
Morrissey has always worn his influences on his black-on-the-outside sleeves. For as much as he crowed about the New York Dolls and the Cramps in his youth, his music both with and without the Smiths has reflected more erudite lyricists with an overall lighter musical touch. For California Son, the Pope of Mope has picked 12 lilting tales of injustice and unrequited love by some of his favorite artists and re-orchestrated them for his voice, improving some and turning others into head scratchers.
The best here are the ones with adventurous arrangements.
The best here are the ones with adventurous arrangements.
- 5/24/2019
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Whoopi Goldberg celebrates her 63rd birthday on November 13, 2018. The actress, comedian, and talk show host has had one of the most varied careers in show business and has even achieved the Egot, which has come to symbolize success across the board in all mediums.
Goldberg won her Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for the film “Ghost.” She had previously been nominated for her screen debut for Steven Spielberg in “The Color Purple” and stood a good chance at becoming the first African-American woman to win Best Actress, but controversy surrounding the film’s depiction of black men scared voters away from the film and it lost all 11 of its nominations.
Goldberg’s Emmy wins both came for daytime work. Her first win was for hosting a documentary about Hattie McDaniel of “Gone With the Wind,” the Best Supporting Actress for that film. She also won a second Emmy for her...
Goldberg won her Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for the film “Ghost.” She had previously been nominated for her screen debut for Steven Spielberg in “The Color Purple” and stood a good chance at becoming the first African-American woman to win Best Actress, but controversy surrounding the film’s depiction of black men scared voters away from the film and it lost all 11 of its nominations.
Goldberg’s Emmy wins both came for daytime work. Her first win was for hosting a documentary about Hattie McDaniel of “Gone With the Wind,” the Best Supporting Actress for that film. She also won a second Emmy for her...
- 11/13/2018
- by Robert Pius and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
A few years ago, after rough battles with the press and paparazzi and the cancellation of his MSNBC talk show, Alec Baldwin penned a much-publicized article announcing he’d be leaving “public life.” Baldwin seems to have reconsidered that departure and has been all over the media this last year. is currently appearing in two popular films, “BlacKkKlansman” and “Mission Impossible: Fallout.” On the television side he appeared in the limited series “The Looming Tower”, recreated his recurring role on the reboot of “Will and Grace”, hosted “Match Game” and will premiere this fall in “The Alec Baldwin Show,” an interview program on ABC.
Most notably Baldwin continued his appearances on “Saturday Night Live” lampooning Donald Trump. He recently received his 19th Emmy nomination for Best Comedy Supporting Actor. Baldwin won the award last year and has previously won two Best Comedy Actor twice for his role on “30 Rock.
Most notably Baldwin continued his appearances on “Saturday Night Live” lampooning Donald Trump. He recently received his 19th Emmy nomination for Best Comedy Supporting Actor. Baldwin won the award last year and has previously won two Best Comedy Actor twice for his role on “30 Rock.
- 8/21/2018
- by Robert Pius and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
There’s a long history of actors winning Oscars for portraying Nazis in war films. But playing a Neo-Nazi? That’s a different story. Be it neo-Nazi, Kkk member, skinhead or white nationalist, actors such as Edward Norton, J.K. Simmons, Patrick Stewart and even Daniel Radcliffe have all given fiery, hateful performances on screen. Topher Grace made headlines when it was revealed he would be playing former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard David Duke in Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman,” opening this Friday. Here are some other famous actors who have shaved their heads or donned a white hood for a role.
Tim Roth in “Made in Britain” (1983)
Tim Roth made his onscreen debut in Alan Clarke’s TV movie “Made in Britain.” He played a teenage, British skinhead who rejects authority, frequently gets violent and has a torrent of four-letter words in his arsenal. Roger Ebert called Roth’s performance “truly satanic.
Tim Roth in “Made in Britain” (1983)
Tim Roth made his onscreen debut in Alan Clarke’s TV movie “Made in Britain.” He played a teenage, British skinhead who rejects authority, frequently gets violent and has a torrent of four-letter words in his arsenal. Roger Ebert called Roth’s performance “truly satanic.
- 8/10/2018
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Bridging the gap between famous people and everyday people has been this century’s defining celebrity movement. Without it, social media wouldn’t have been able to thrive more than any other post-millennial invention.
The attempt to humanize and ground hallowed stars has been evident in everything from Jennifer Lopez’s 2002 hit “Jenny from the Block” to magazines and websites that regularly document all the ways in which they’re just like us. Among the evidence: They fall down in public, and some actually buy their own groceries.
It’s a particularly prevalent trend in music, where, more than any other entertainment genre, celebrities cultivate personal connections to fans. “We’re rich and famous, but we’re no different from you,” they seem to be telling us as they post Instagram pics from their daily lives to back it up.
But if I was too blinded by the bling to...
The attempt to humanize and ground hallowed stars has been evident in everything from Jennifer Lopez’s 2002 hit “Jenny from the Block” to magazines and websites that regularly document all the ways in which they’re just like us. Among the evidence: They fall down in public, and some actually buy their own groceries.
It’s a particularly prevalent trend in music, where, more than any other entertainment genre, celebrities cultivate personal connections to fans. “We’re rich and famous, but we’re no different from you,” they seem to be telling us as they post Instagram pics from their daily lives to back it up.
But if I was too blinded by the bling to...
- 6/1/2018
- by Jeremy Helligar
- Variety Film + TV
Hall of Fame basketball player, Emmy Award winning studio analyst, and author Charles Barkley, along with leading education technology provider Everfi, Inc., today announced a partnership to power a new African-American history initiative for high school students throughout the states of Alabama and Mississippi.
The course will engage tens of thousands of students in the Mississippi Delta region, which includes Barkley’s hometown of Leeds, Alabama, all at no cost to students, their schools or school districts. Additionally, as part of this new partnership, Charles’s production company Round Mound Media will create short-form filmed documentary content for the 306 course, in conjunction with Los Angeles-based creative and production agency Wondros, designed for students to further explore key moments and topics in specific to their states, beginning with Alabama.
“I was born and raised in rural Alabama at the dawn of the Civil Rights era, and I owe an enormous debt...
The course will engage tens of thousands of students in the Mississippi Delta region, which includes Barkley’s hometown of Leeds, Alabama, all at no cost to students, their schools or school districts. Additionally, as part of this new partnership, Charles’s production company Round Mound Media will create short-form filmed documentary content for the 306 course, in conjunction with Los Angeles-based creative and production agency Wondros, designed for students to further explore key moments and topics in specific to their states, beginning with Alabama.
“I was born and raised in rural Alabama at the dawn of the Civil Rights era, and I owe an enormous debt...
- 3/6/2018
- Look to the Stars
This week Independent Lens airs a special that envisions the book that James Baldwin never finished, which was to recount the remarkable lives and murders of his close friends Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. and Medgar Evers. Born in 1924, Baldwin was an author with several important literary works including his collection of essays published as Notes of a Native Son. His work explored the complex nature of racial and sexual classification in the Western world and also took an early look at the difficulties faced by gay and bisexual men in society. Baldwin was also a political activist and by...read more...
- 1/15/2018
- by James Wray
- Monsters and Critics
The issue of race is one that has been around for decades, and unfortunately, still a serious issue today. Back in 1979, James Baldwin, an essayist, playwright and author, pitched the ideal of a book to his editor that would focus on the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcom X and Medgar Evers, who were all actually friends. When Baldwin passed away in 1987, he had only worked and completed approximately 30 pages of the book, which was entitled “I Am Not Your Negro.” Once the book was found and read, Raoul Peck took the pages and began to
An Important View on Race in “I am Not Your Negro”...
An Important View on Race in “I am Not Your Negro”...
- 1/13/2018
- by Nat Berman
- TVovermind.com
I recently watched the highly entertaining thriller Get Out and the deeply disturbing documentary I Am Not Your Negro. Turns out they're the same movie. They both deal with the subjugation of the unpopular voice — whether black, female, gay, Muslim, Jewish or immigrant — through the enslavement of the body. Get Out uses the medical-horror genre, and I Am Not Your Negro uses ex-pat African-American writer James Baldwin's passionate outrage at the martyrdom of his three murdered friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. But both films explore the differences between the end of legal slavery and the lingering ...
- 3/13/2017
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
I recently watched the highly entertaining thriller Get Out and the deeply disturbing documentary I Am Not Your Negro. Turns out they're the same movie. They both deal with the subjugation of the unpopular voice — whether black, female, gay, Muslim, Jewish or immigrant — through the enslavement of the body. Get Out uses the medical-horror genre, and I Am Not Your Negro uses ex-pat African-American writer James Baldwin's passionate outrage at the martyrdom of his three murdered friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. But both films explore the differences between the end of legal slavery and the lingering ...
- 3/13/2017
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Ava DuVernay's "Selma" is a wonderful film, a moving and powerful tribute to the American civil rights pioneers who helped bring about tremendous changes to their nation. Along with the likes of Nobel Laureate Martin Luther King Jr., a large number of equally committed individuals fought for the rights of their community against injustice.
One of the key participants of that Bloody Sunday that occurred on the Edmund Pettus Bridge was the Reverend Hosea Williams, member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and close associate with Dr. King. In the film he is played by Wendell Pierce, himself a vocal champion for justice and a tremendous talent to boot. As one of the backbone players on shows such as "The Wire" and "Treme," with "Selma" Pierce brings out some of his trademark wit and that exquisite baritone voice.
Moviefone Canada spoke with Pierce about his involvement in the film,...
One of the key participants of that Bloody Sunday that occurred on the Edmund Pettus Bridge was the Reverend Hosea Williams, member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and close associate with Dr. King. In the film he is played by Wendell Pierce, himself a vocal champion for justice and a tremendous talent to boot. As one of the backbone players on shows such as "The Wire" and "Treme," with "Selma" Pierce brings out some of his trademark wit and that exquisite baritone voice.
Moviefone Canada spoke with Pierce about his involvement in the film,...
- 12/31/2014
- by Jason Gorber
- Moviefone
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