Review: "CREED III" Lets Loose with Fists of Fury

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 11 of 2023 (No. 1900) by Leroy Douresseaux

Creed III (2023)

Running time:  116 minutes (1 hour, 56 minutes)

MPA – PG-13 for intense sports action, violence and some strong language

DIRECTOR:  Michael B. Jordan

WRITERS: Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin; from a story Ryan Coogler, Keenan Coogler, and Zach Baylin

PRODUCERS:  William Chartoff, Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Glickman, Elizabeth Raposo, Charles Winkler, David Winkler, and Irwin Winker

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Kramer Morgenthau (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Jessica Baclesse and Tyler Nelson

COMPOSER:  Joseph Shirley

DRAMA/SPORTS

Starring:  Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Phylicia Rashad, Mila Davis-Kent, Jose Benavidez, Selenis Leyva, Florian Munteanu, Thaddeus James Mixson, Jr., Spence Moore II, Tony Bellew, Jacob “Stitch” Duran, Yahya McClain, and Stephen A. Smith

Creed III is a 2023 boxing drama and sports movie directed by Michael B. Jordan.  It is the ninth entry in the Rocky film series, which began with the 1976 film, Rocky.  Creed III is also a sequel to 2018's Creed II.  In Creed III, Adonis Creed has retired on top of the boxing game, but a childhood friend who was once a boxing prodigy returns bringing trouble with him.

Creed III finds champion boxer, Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Michael B. Jordan), defending his unified heavyweight boxing championship of the world (including the WBC titles) against an old rival.  Then, he retires to the life of a boxing promoter and manager via Delphi Boxing Academy in Los Angeles with its owner, Tony “Little Duke” Evers (Wood Harris).  His wife, music producer Bianca Taylor (Tessa Thompson), has a thriving career, and they have a bright, inquisitive, and hearing-impaired daughter, Amara (Mila Davis-Kent).  Life is good, but...

Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad), the wife of Donnie's late father, Apollo Creed, adopted Donnie, and he must now deal with her failing health.  Also, Donnie has been teaching Amara to fight, and that causes a clash with Bianca after an incident at Amara's school.

The most shocking turn of events is the return of Damian “Dame” Anderson (Jonathan Majors).  Once upon a time, Dame was an 18-year-old, “Golden Gloves-winning,” boxing prodigy (Spence Moore II).  He was also 15-year-old Donnie's (Thaddeus James Mixson, Jr.) best friend.  However, a terrible incident separated them, and now, a reunion has become a dangerous face-off.

I did not think that I would enjoy Creed III as much as I enjoyed Creed (2015) and Creed II, but I did.  I will say, however, that Creed III is not quite as good as the earlier films.  The main reason is that the screenplay, written by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin with contributions for producer Ryan Coogler, is full of fanciful nonsense that would not happen in the real world of boxing.  Much of what happens in the planning and managing of fights seems illogical.  Still, the film's fight scenes are quite intense and even crazy, especially the fighting between Donnie and Dame.

Creed III, however, does not run on logic; it runs on emotions and passions.  The film's themes revolve around time and loss, and, to a lesser extent, love and longing.  Time does not heal all wounds, and the loss of opportunity can be devastating – as the film sees it.  Under the guidance of first time director, Michael B. Jordan, who is obviously also the film's star, the characters are direct – sometimes stunningly so – to each other about their feelings.  So can there be healing?

In that mode of raw emotions, Jordan, Tessa Thompson, and Wood Harris give strong performances.  Phylicia Rashad offers a poignant painful turn as Mary Anne, and Mila Davis-Kent steals scenes as young Amara Creed.  Jonathan Majors, currently a blazing hot movie star, presents Dame Anderson as crazy, but not too crazy, and as bull-in-the-china-shop who hides two decades of hurt behind his destructiveness and brutality.

Creed III”s maelstrom of emotions and feelings fascinated and got me past the plot holes.  For all the bitterness, wall-pounding, regret, and hurt that this film presents, it is about making amends.  I am impressed by Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut, and I think that fans of the previous films will really enjoy Creed III.

7 of 10

B+

★★★½ out of 4 stars

Saturday, March 4, 2023

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "CREED II" Stands Strongly on Its Own

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 10 of 2023 (No. 1899) by Leroy Douresseaux

Creed II (2018)

Running time:  130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for sports action violence, language, and a scene of sensuality

DIRECTOR:  Steven Caple, Jr.

WRITERS: Juel Taylor and Sylvester Stallone; based on a story by Sascha Penn and Cheo Hodari Coker (based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone and Ryan Coogler)

PRODUCERS:  William Chartoff, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin King-Templeton, Charles Winkler, David Winkler, and Irwin Winker

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Kramer Morgenthau (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Dana E. Glauberman, Saira Haider, and Paul Harb

COMPOSER:  Ludwig Goransson

DRAMA/SPORTS

Starring:  Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Dolph Lundgren, Florian Munteanu, Russell Hornsby, Wood Harris, Milo Ventimiglia, Robbie Johns, Brigitte Nielsen, Andre Ward, Tony Bellew, Jacob “Stitch” Duran, Max Kellerman, Jim Lampley, Roy Jones, Jr., Michael Buffer, and Scott Van Pelt

Creed II is a 2018 boxing drama and sports movies directed by Steven Caple, Jr.  It is the eighth entry in the Rocky film series, which began with the 1976 film, Rocky.  Creed II is also a sequel to 2015's Creed, which was a spin-off of the Rocky series.  In Creed II, newly crowned heavyweight champion, Adonis Creed, faces off against a boxer who is the son of the man who killed his father in the boxing ring.

Creed II opens three years after the events depicted in Creed.  Boxer Adonis “Donnie” Creed (Michael B. Jordan) finally defeats his rival, Danny “Stuntman” Wheeler (Andre Ward), to win the heavyweight championship of the world.  By his side is his trainer, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), the rival-turned-friend of his late father, Apollo Creed.  Creed's widow, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad), who adopted Donnie as her son, is proud of him and his accomplishments.  His girlfriend, singer-songwriter Bianca Taylor (Tessa Thompson), also accepts his proposal of marriage

On the other side of the world, however, ghosts from his and Rocky's pasts stir. In Kyiv, Ukraine lives Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), the former Soviet Union boxer who killed Apollo Creed during a bout in 1985.  After losing to Rocky in a subsequent boxing match, Ivan moved to Ukraine in exile.  Seeking an opportunity for redemption and a chance to regain glory, Ivan has been training his son, Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), to be a professional boxer.  Using training methods that are practically torture, Ivan has turned Viktor into a monster of a boxer who can and has broken his opponents' bodies.

Assisted by American boxing promoter, Buddy Marcelle (Russell Hornsby), Ivan is determined to get Viktor a match against Donnie.  For Donnie, it is a chance to settle his late father's affairs, but Rocky wants no part of such a match.  Can Donnie's body take the punishment fighting Viktor will inflict?  Donnie must also answer this question: why is he really a fighter?

As I said in my review of Creed, I have never watched the movie, Rocky, or any of its sequels in their entirety.  I doubt that I have ever watched enough of them to amount to an entire film.  I don't like boxing movies, but after watching these Creed films, I am thinking about diving into the Rocky series.

I thought director Ryan Coogler delivered some powerful work in the first Creed, and I think director Steven Caple, Jr. delivers an equally powerful film in Creed II.  Although Creed II's story is directly connected to 1985's Rocky IV, it is not as reliant on the Rocky franchise the way Creed, with its multiple intimate connections, was.

Like Coogler did in the first film, Caple gives Sylvester Stallone the space he needs to give one of his best performances as Rocky Balboa in decades.  Stallone, who also co-wrote Creed II's screenplay, actually evolves the character of Rocky, showing more about his character and life.

Caple also gets an excellent performance from Michael B. Jordan.  Jordan makes Adonis Creed seem genuine; all his hopes and dreams and the things that make him proud or angry resonate strongly in Creed II.  I dare say that Jordan is Adonis Creed the way great actors have seemingly made themselves into their characters (for instance, Harrison Ford as Han Solo and as Henry “Indiana” Jones).  Simply put, Jordan makes Donnie real.

Tessa Thompson as Bianca Taylor is good, but the character seems as if she is becoming a younger version of Phylicia Rashad's Mary Anne, and Rashad already does the mothering in this film quite well.  Dolph Lundgren is nice as Ivan Drago, delivering a layered performance as a fully developed character.  I must say, however, that Florian Munteanu is magnificent as Viktor Drago.  Viktor does not have many lines, but Munteanu tells the character's story and reveals his personality with his expressive eyes and emotive facial expressions.  Viktor Drago needs his own movie.

I did not think that I would like Creed II so much, but I love it.  I think its depictions of boxing matches are more intense than those in Creed (shout-out to Creed II's editors:  Dana E. Glauberman, Saira Haider, and Paul Harb).  The finale between Donnie and Viktor is the cherry on top of Creed II, a movie that can go toe-to-toe with the other boxing movies that I have deigned to watch.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, March 2, 2023

NOTES:

2019 Black Reel Awards:  2 nominations: “Outstanding Actor” (Michael B. Jordan) and “Outstanding Score” (Ludwig Göransson)

2019 Image Awards (NAACP): 1 nomination: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Michael B. Jordan)

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "CREED" Fights Furiously in the Shadow of "Rocky"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 9 of 2023 (No. 1898) by Leroy Douresseaux

Creed (2015)

Running time:  133 minutes (2 hours, 13 minutes)

MPAA – PG-13 for violence, language and some sensuality

DIRECTOR:  Ryan Coogler

WRITERS: Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington; from a story by Ryan Coogler (based on characters created by Sylvester Stallone)

PRODUCERS:  Roger Chartoff, William Chartoff, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin King-Templeton, Charles Winkler, David Winkler, and Irwin Winker

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Maryse Alberti (D.o.P.)

EDITORS:  Claudia Castello and Michael P. Shawver

COMPOSER:  Ludwig Goransson

Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/SPORTS

Starring:  Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Andre Ward, Tony Bellew, Ritchie Coster, Jacob “Stitch” Duran, Graham McTavish, Gabe Rosado, Brian Anthony Wilson, Max Kellerman, Jim Lampley, Michael Wilbon, Tony Kornheiser, and Hannah Storm

Creed is a 2015 boxing drama and sports movies directed by Ryan Coogler.  It is the seventh film in the Rocky film series, which began with the 1976 film, Rocky.  Creed is also a spin-off of the Rocky series.  The film focuses on a young boxer who struggles with his legacy, but seeks out his late father's friend and former rival to be his trainer.

Creed introduces Adonis “Donnie” Johnson (Michael B. Jordan).  He is the son of former heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed via an extramarital affair.  Creed's widow, Mary Anne (Phylicia Rashad), took Donnie into her home in Los Angeles, which opens up many opportunities for him.  However, Donnie also wants to be a boxer, but when he finds that no one will support or train him, he travels to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

There, he convinces Apollo Creed's old friend and former rival, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), to train him.  Initially reluctant to return to boxing, Rocky eventually agrees and begins training Donnie at his old stomping grounds, Front Street Gym.  When Donnie gets the offer to fight the “light heavyweight” champion of the world, “Pretty” Ricky Conlan (Tony Bellew), Stallone isn't sure that he should do it.  Donnie's new girlfriend, singer-songwriter, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), also has her doubts.

To do this, Donnie will have to embrace his legacy as well as forge a new one for himself.  But is he willing to accept that the world does not want Adonis Johnson.  It wants “Adonis Creed?”

I have never watched the movie Rocky or any of its sequels in their entirety.  I doubt that I have ever watched enough of them to amount to an entire film.  I don't like boxing movies, although there is one I do like, the 1949 Film-Noir, The Set-Up.  However, I have been a fan of writer-director Ryan Coogler since seeing his powerful film debut, Fruitvale Station (2013).  I am crazy about his two films for Disney's Marvel Studios, Black Panther (2018) and its sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).  I am intrigued by the upcoming Creed III, so I decided to see the one Coogler film that I'd skipped, the first film in the series, 2015's Creed.

In some ways, Creed seems entirely reliant on the first three film in the Rocky series.  It obviously would not exist with those films, but sometimes Creed acts as if it could not exist without constantly referencing the past.  Creed, as a film, struggles with its own legacy (Rocky) as it tries to become its own thing just as Adonis Johnson struggles with the legacy of Apollo Creed.  Will becoming Adonis Creed overshadow Adonis' own identity and achievements?  Can Creed escape the shadow of Rocky.  Perhaps, they find a happy medium, Adonis more so than the film that tells his story.

Beyond that, Creed is a really good film because Ryan Coogler is an exceptionally good filmmaker.  Here, his work makes him come across as a natural, and I now see why Marvel was willing to consider him for Black Panther all those years ago.  Coogler gives Sylvester Stallone the space he needs to give his best performance as Rocky Balboa in three decades.  The role had become a stereotype, but here, Coogler makes old and ailing Rocky seem like a genuine life lived instead of as a caricature revived.

Coogler also gets Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson to give what still seem to be the best performances of their careers.  Adonis and Bianca have weight and depth, and Jordan makes Adonis feel like an especially developed character.  Jordan carries Adonis' history and emotions as if they were real things.

It is a shame that the Oscars could only recognize Stallone – via the “Best Supporting Actor” category that he did not, but should have won.  It is as if the Academy, especially the directors and screenwriters' branches, fears Ryan Coogler colossal talent.  Still, Creed, in spite of its spin-off imperfections, will be remembered much more than many of 2016's Oscar favorites.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Saturday, February 25, 2023

NOTES:

2016 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” (Sylvester Stallone)

2016 Black Reel Awards:  5 wins: “Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture” (Michael B. Jordan), “Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture” (Tessa Thompson), “Outstanding Director, Motion Picture” (Ryan Coogler), “Outstanding Original or Adapted Screenplay, Motion Picture” (Aaron Covington and Ryan Coogler), and “Outstanding Motion Picture” (Sylvester Stallone, Irwin Winkler, David Winkler, Robert Chartoff, William Chartoff, Kevin King-Templeton); 4 nominations: “Outstanding Score” (Ludwig Göransson), “Outstanding Ensemble” (Francine Maisler), “Outstanding Original Song” (Tessa Thompson, Ludwig Göransson, and Sam Dew for the song, “Grip”), “Outstanding Original Song” (Donald Glover, Vince Staples, Jhené Aiko, Ryan Coogler, and Ludwig Göransson for the song, “Waiting for My Moment”)

2016 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win: “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Sylvester Stallone)

2016 Image Awards (NAACP):  4 wins: “Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture” (Michael B. Jordan), “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Tessa Thompson), “Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture-Theatrical” (Ryan Coogler and Aaron Covington), “Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture-Theatrical” (Ryan Coogler); 2 nominations: “Outstanding Motion Picture” and “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture” (Phylicia Rashad)

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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Review: Takes a Bit, But Pixar's "Soul" Finds its Soul

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 30 of 2021 (No. 1768) by Leroy Douresseaux

Soul (2020)
Running time:  100 minutes (1 hour, 40 minutes0
MPAA –  PG for thematic elements and some language
DIRECTORS:  Pete Docter with Kemp Powers (co-director)
WRITERS:  Pete Docter, and Mike Jones, and Kemp Powers
PRODUCER:  Dana Murray
CINEMATOGRAPHERS:  Matt Aspbury (D.o.P.) and Ian Megibben (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Kevin Nolting
COMPOSERS: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross with Jon Batiste (jazz compositions and arrangements)
Academy Award winner

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring:  (voices) Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Graham Norton, Rachel House, Alice Braga, Richard Ayoade, Phylicia Rashad, Donnell Rawlings, Ahmir-Khalib Thompson a.k.a. Questlove, Angela Bassett, Cora Champommier, Margo Hall, Daveed Diggs, Rhodessa Jones, Wes Studi, Sakina Jaffrey, Ochuwa Oghie, Jeannie Tirado, Dorian Lockett, and Marcus Shelby

Soul is a 2020 American computer-animated, comedy-drama, and fantasy film from director Pete Docter and co-director Kemp Powers and is produced by Pixar Animation Studios.  Soul is also the first Pixar film to feature an African-American protagonist.  Soul focuses on a jazz pianist who finds himself trapped in a strange place that exists between Earth and the afterlife.

Soul introduces Joe Gardner (Jamie Foxx), a pianist living in New York City and who dreams of playing jazz professionally.  He is also a middle school music teacher at M.S. 70, and the school's Principal Arroyo (Jeannie Tirado) has just offered to make him a full-time teacher.  Joe's mother, Libba, (Phylicia Rashad) insists that he make teaching a full time job, fearing for his financial security as a jazz musician chasing gigs and sessions.

One day, a former student, Lamont “Curley” Baker (Ahmir-Khalib Thompson a.k.a. Questlove), who is now a jazz drummer, tells Joe that there is an opening in the jazz group, “the Dorothea Williams Quartet,” and that auditions are being held at “The Half Note” jazz club.  Dorothea Williams is a legend, and playing in a jazz outfit like hers has been Joe's dream for years.

But an accident causes Joe's soul to be separated from his body, and Joe ends up trapped between “the Great Beyond” and “the Great Before.”  And perhaps the only thing that can save Joe is helping a wayward soul known as “22” (Tina Fey).

Soul may feature Pixar Animation Studios' first African-American lead, Jamie Foxx's Joe Gardner,, but it is not really a “black film.”  The film is not a celebration of ordinary black people, but it dares to imagine black people as ordinary folks who have the same ups and downs, successes and failures, and hopes and dreams as everyone else.  Also, Soul is the most adult film that Pixar has produced to date.  I think children could enjoy it, but Soul deals with the kind of existential questions that adults face.  In fact, I found that the film's story seemed to confront me about my life on more than a few occasions.  I also like that the film asks a lot of questions, but bluntly and stubbornly refuses to answer all of them.

I did find the first 50 minutes of Soul to be muddled in terms of the narrative.  Everything about it is technically proficient, but the story lacks … soul.  It is not until Joe and 22 reach Earth that Soul really begins to grapple with the struggle between living a life with a purpose as in goals and living a life in which once enjoys living.

Whenever I review a Pixar film, I really don't get into the quality of the animation.  From the standpoint of technology and art, Pixar has practically always been astounding and awesome.  For a long time now, Pixar's computer-animation (or 3D animation) has been so good and so beautifully rendered and colored that it makes me forget that I am watching an animated film.  Soul, in its dazzling colors, inventive characters, and imaginative settings (“the Great Beyond” and how it welcomes a soul), is about as strong as its predecessors

Soul's film score recently won an Oscar.  Jon Batiste's jazz compositions and arrangements are captivating, and made me feel like I was right there in the performance.  Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score, especially when the story moves into the realms of the soul, is ethereal, magically, and futuristic, and sounds like music from another world.

I like the voice performances.  Jamie Foxx does not fully sound like Jamie Foxx, and, in that, he makes Joe Gardner feel like a genuine character.  What more can I say about Tina Fey?  As “22,” she shows, once again, that she has talent to burn.  Also, I think Phylicia Rashad makes the most of every line she has in the film; she makes Libba Gardner seem like a real mother.

Ultimately, Soul reminds me that I really need Pixar Animation Studios in my life.  Pixar's feature films find the best of humanity and emphasize the beauty in us all.  This time, Pixar gives us Soul to remind us to look up and notice the beauty in us and in the world around us.

8 of 10
A

Sunday, May 2, 2021


NOTES:
2021 Academy Awards, USA:  2 wins:  “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures-Original Score” (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste) and “Best Animated Feature Film” (Pete Docter and Dana Murray); 1 nomination: “Best Sound” (Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott, and David Parker)

2021 Golden Globes, USA:  2 wins: “Best Motion Picture – Animated” and “Best Original Score - Motion Picture” (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste)

2021 BAFTA Awards:  2 wins: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Pete Docter and Dana Murray) and “Original Score” (Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross); 1 nomination: “Best Sound” (Coya Elliott, Ren Klyce, and David Parker)


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved.  Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Comcast Announces Premiere of "Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®"

Comcast Announces Exclusive Premiere of Twenty Pearls – A Documentary Examining the Storied History of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® – On Its Newly Launched Black Experience on Xfinity Channel

Narrated by Phylicia Rashād

Watch the Trailer Here.

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Comcast NBCUniversal is excited to announce the exclusive premiere of the documentary film Twenty Pearls: The Story of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, Friday, March 26, 2021 on its newly-launched Black Experience on Xfinity Channel, available on X1, Flex, and on-the-go with the Xfinity Stream app.

    “This is an extraordinary time to look back at our past to serve our future”

From award-winning filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper, produced by Coffee Bluff Pictures, and narrated by Phylicia Rashād, Twenty Pearls closely examines the founding and legacy of the first Black sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, which is now regarded as one of the most significant and influential Black organizations in history. The documentary tells a powerful story of sisterhood. In 1908, nine Black women enrolled at Howard University made one decision that would change the course of history. These college students created Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. For over 113 years, the sorority has influenced many of the most famous watershed moments in history.

Through narration, interviews and rarely seen archival materials, the audience will see the sorority’s impact on World War II, NASA, Civil Rights, Women’s Rights and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) culminating in the historic election of America’s first Black and South Asian woman Vice President. Twenty Pearls features interviews with members of the sorority including Vice President Kamala Harris, Miss Universe Ireland 2019 Fionnghuala O’Reilly, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt Fierst, great-granddaughter of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, International President and CEO of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® Dr. Glenda Glover and many more.

Watch the Twenty Pearls trailer here.

“This is an extraordinary time to look back at our past to serve our future,” said filmmaker Deborah Riley Draper. “A future where Black women are centered. Helming this documentary love letter to the founders of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the generations of women that followed in their footsteps and to all Black women everywhere is an honor. This is an important history for all of us to know and understand.”

“We’re thrilled to work with award-winning filmmaker, Deborah Riley Draper, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority to bring this exclusive premiere to the Black Experience on Xfinity channel, furthering our company-wide mission of investing in and showcasing authentic Black stories and culture,” added Keesha Boyd, Executive Director, Multicultural Video & Entertainment, Xfinity Consumer Services. “We launched this channel to help facilitate the discovery of stories like Twenty Pearls, while providing a platform for emerging Black content creators.”

“Telling our own story is essential to preserving our history and uplifting the culture,” said Alpha Kappa Alpha International President and CEO Dr. Glenda Glover. “Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated’s remarkable 113-year journey which began on the campus of Howard University is punctuated by stories of history makers, ceiling breakers, public servants and ordinary women who have changed the course of American history. Through this beautifully written and narrated odyssey, this film highlights in undeniable ways the vision, courage, tenacity, determination and power of Black women while putting to bed the age-old questions about the relevance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the Divine Nine sororities and fraternities.”

Black Experience on Xfinity is a first-of-its-kind destination of Black entertainment, movies, TV shows, news and more. It features high-quality content from many of Xfinity’s existing network partners, at no additional cost, while investing millions of dollars in fostering and showcasing emerging Black content creators. The channel is the only one of its kind endorsed by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), the world's largest group of Black film critics that gives annual awards for excellence in film and television. Available at home on Xfinity X1 and Flex, and on-the-go with the Xfinity Stream app, the Black Experience on Xfinity will entertain, educate and uplift, featuring Black actors, writers, producers and directors. At home, Xfinity subscribers can visit channel 1622 or simply say “Black Experience” into the Voice Remote to instantly enjoy the ultimate in Black storytelling.

Visit https://www.xfinity.com/learn/digital-cable-tv/black-experience to learn more about the Black Experience on Xfinity and other Black programming available on X1, Flex, and the Xfinity Stream app. Visit www.aka1908.com to learn more about Twenty Pearls, which premiered on March 26 on Xfinity and is free for subscribers, and will be available nationwide, on demand, starting on March 30, 2021.


About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

About Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Incorporated®:
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® began as the vision of nine African-American college students on the campus of Howard University in 1908. Since then, the sorority has flourished into a globally-impactful organization of more than 300,000 college-educated members bound by the bonds of sisterhood and empowered by a commitment to service that is both domestic and international in scope. As Alpha Kappa Alpha has grown, it has maintained its focus in two key areas: lifelong personal and professional development of its members and galvanizing its membership into an organization of respected power and influence which is consistently at the forefront of advocacy and social change that results in equality and equity for all citizens of the world.

About Coffee Bluff Pictures:
Coffee Bluff Pictures is an award-winning production company committed to creating film, television and books with beautifully complex, diverse characters that enhance cultural and socially conscious dialogue. The company’s work includes 2017 NAACP Image Award nominee Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, fashion cult classic Versailles ‘73: American Runway Revolution and Twenty Pearls. Coffee Bluff Picture’s recent short film Illegal Rose has garnered awards on the film festival circuit and has film and television projects in development and production. Recognized by critics globally for its incredible storytelling and ability to find unseen and unheard voices, Coffee Bluff Pictures is changing the independent film landscape. For more information visit www.coffeebluffpictures.com.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 24th to 30th, 2019 - Update #27

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From THR:  See 12 stars from Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman," the characters they play, and the real life inspirations behind those characters.

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ECO - From YahooEntertainment:  "Young Sheldon" star, Iain Armitage, joined Jane Fonda's #FireDrillFridays climate change protest in Washington D.C.

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MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  Black directors are making zombie movies that are taking zombies back to their African and Caribbean roots.

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SCANDAL - From Variety:  Controversial and Oscar-winning director, Roman Polanski, cancelled a lecture in Poland at his alma mater, the Polish film school in Lodz, after protests from students and faculty.  Polanski pleaded to statutory rape in 1978 and was recently accused of raping an actress in 1975.

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TELEVISION - From Deadline:  "Saturday Night Live" performer, Pete Davidson, required attendees at one of his recent comedy shows to sign a "non-disclosure agreement" (NDA) regarding phones and smart watches.

----------
SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment:   Saturday morning "Ugh!" Part 2 - Kid Rock - yes, Virginia, he is a racist.

From YahooSports:  Saturday morning "Ugh!" Part 1 - Margaret Court, tennis legend.

----------
SCANDAL - From Variety:  In the wake of Gabrielle Union being fired from the "talent" reality show, "America's Got Talent" (NBC), women's advocacy group, "Time's Up," and Hollywood women are throwing their support behind Union.  It seems Union may have angered the show's power brokers after she complained about racist or racial incidents occurring behind the scenes.

----------
CELEBRITY - From THR:  Angelina Jolie may be currently filming Marvel Studios' "Eternals," but she still has time to change talent agencies.  She moves from UTA to WME.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  "A Holiday Reunion," a short film reuniting the creature from "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and Henry Thomas, who played Elliott in the 1982 Steven Spielberg film, premiered Thurs., Nov. 28th on NBC (broadcast network), Syfy (cable network), and on the website of Comcast Xfinity.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Word is that Christopher Nolan's next film, "Tenet," will be previewed before IMAX showings of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker."

----------
SCANDAL - From THR:  A New York judge denied Harvey Weinstein's motion to dismiss the sex crimes charges (two counts of "Predatory Sexual Assault") against him.

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  In the wake of Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough getting fired from "America's Got Talent," we learn that some people working on the show thought Union's hairstyles were "too black" for AGT's audience.

--------
MOVIES - From EW:   Elizabeth Banks will follow-up her reboot of "Charlie's Angels" with the horror movie, "The Invisible Woman," for Universal, which she will direct and star in.  It will not be connected to next year's "The Invisible Man," (also from Universal), nor does it have anything to do with Marvel Comics' "Invisible Woman" superhero character.  It is not connected to the 1940-released "The Invisible Woman," which was a spin-off of Universal Studios' classic 1933 horror film, "The Invisible Man."

----------
MUSIC - From YahooMusic:  Talk show host Wendy Williams says that it is unbelievable that Taylor Swift is the American Music Awards' "Artist of the Decade."  [Well, it certainly says something or even a lot about the state of poular music... - Leroy]

POLITICS - From TheRoot:  That's why I don't trust Pete Buttigieg.  Everything about him is undercover... except that he is gay... which is unusual.  He is Lindsay Graham, except Pete doesn't hide in the closet... at least about being gay.

----------
SCANDAL - From People:  British royal, Prince William (37), has been involved in the decision-making to remove his uncle, Prince Andrew (59), from royal duties.  This comes in the wake of Andrew's disastrous Nov. 16th interview with the BBC about his connections and relationship with the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

From People:  A royal historian says that Prince Andrew's "entire public existence" has been wiped out because of his connection to the late Jeffrey Epstein.

----------
BLM - From YahooNYT:  Black police officers put their lives in their own hands or in the hands of their incompetent and/or racist white colleagues.

---------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 11/22 to 11/24/2019 weekend box office is "Frozen II" with an estimated take of 127 million dollars.

From THR:  "Frozen II's" weekend debut ($127 million) set a few records, including being the largest opening for an animated film outside of the summer release corridor and being the largest opening for an animated film in the month of November.

From Variety:  "Frozen II" makes a 223 million dollar debut in international markets.  It's 350 million dollar global debut is a record an animated film.

----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Actress Julia Ormond joins the cast of "The Walking Dead: World Beyond," which will debut Spring 2020.  It is the third "Walking Dead" television series.

----------
AWARDS - From Deadline:  Here is a full list of the winners at the 2019 American Music Awards (AMA).  Taylor Swift led the night with six wins, giving her a total of 29 AMA wins, the most ever.

----------
MOVIES - From TheUndefeated:  Former NFL cornerback, Nnamdi Asomugha, is making a name for himself as a producer with films such as "Harriet" and Apple+'s "The Banker."

----------
STREAMING - From Deadline:  Tyler Perry announced that his next film, "A Fall From Grace," will bow on Netflix January 17, 2020.  The cast includes Cicely Tyson, Phylicia Rashad, and Perry, to name a few.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooMovies:  Chadwick Boseman talks about his new films, "21 Bridges," and the Oscar chances of "Avengers: Endgame."

TRAILER:

From Deadline:  Here is the first full trailer for the Vietnam War film, "The Last Full Measure," which is due Jan. 24th, 2020.

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from April 21st to 30th, 2019 - Update #29

Support Leroy on Patreon:

BOX OFFICE - From Deadline:  The final total on the opening weekend for "Avengers: Endgame" is 357.1 million dollars in domestic box office.  Of course, the film was the #1 at the 4/26 to 4/28/2019 weekend box office.

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TELEVISION - From TheWrap:  CBS is renewing classic game show, "The Price is Right" for the 2019-20 season.  It is also renewing the entirety of its daytime lineup for next season.  2019-20 will also be "The Price is Right's" 48th season, and the show will hit 9000 episodes in October 2019.

----------
MOVIES/OBIT - From Variety:  The film writer-director-producer John Singleton has died at the age of 51, Monday, April 29, 2019.  In 1992, Singleton became the first African-American nominated for a best director Oscar for his 1991 film, "Boyz n the Hood," one of two nominations he received for the film.  He also directed films such as "Poetic Justice," "Shaft" (2000), and the second film in the "Fast & Furious" franchise, "2 Fast 2 Furious."  He had been hospitalized when he suffered a stroke on April 17th, from which he never recovered.

From Variety:  Word is that director John Singleton ("Boyz n the Hood"), who suffered a stroke just short of two weeks ago, will be taken off life support, today, Monday, April 29, 2019.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 4/26 to 4/28/19 weekend box office is "Avengers: Endgame" with an estimated take of 350 million dollars.  The film's global box office take is an estimated 1.2 billion dollars.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  Guillermo del Toro says a director should always try to exceed the film's production budget.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:   Friday, April 26th, 2019 marks the 40th anniversary release of Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning film, "Alien," which birth a film franchise.  James Cameron, the director of the beloved and Oscar-winning sequel, "Aliens," talks about where the franchise sent wrong.

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COMICS-FILM - From THR:  Fox has settled a lawsuit that was brought by the family of Joi Harris, a stuntwoman who was killed will committing a stunt on the set of "Deadpool 2."

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  Disney studio chief Alan Horn is scrapping many film projects that were in development at Fox before the Disney/Fox merger was complete.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Oscar nominated writer-director John Singleton ("Boyz n the Hood") suffered a stroke last week (April 17th).  Apparently, he is worse off than initially reported.   Singleton “is currently hospitalized in a coma and is unable to provide for his personal needs” after suffering a "major stroke."

----------
BOND - From Variety:  Recent Oscar-winner, Rami Malek ("Bohemian Rhapsody"), will be the villain in the still untitled 25th James Bond film, referred to as "Bond 25."

----------
MOVIES - From EOnline:  Oscar-nominated actor, Demian Bichir ("A Better Life"), has announced that his wife, Canadian actress and model, Stefanie Sherk, has died at the age of 37.

----------
BLM - From YahooNews:  On June 7, 1998, three white supremacists in Texas beat a 49-year-old black man, James Byrd Jr., chained him to the back of a pick-up truck and dragged him for three miles, tearing his body apart.  On Wednesday, April 24th, 2019, Texas executed 44-year-old John William King for that crime.  He is the second to be executed for killing Byrd; ringleader Lawrence Russell Brewer was executed in 2011.  A third man received life in prison.

----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Come May 2019, there will be no cancellations at the The CW.  All of the series' scripted dramas are returning for the 2019-20 broadcast season.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety: Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to star in Guillermo del Toro's next film, "Nightmare Alley."  This new film will reportedly be closer to the 1946 novel than its 1947 film adaptation.

----------
MOVIES - From THR:  James Wan and Gary Dauberman, the masterminds behind "The Conjuring" universe of films, are bringing Stephen King's 1975 novel, "Salem's Lot," to the big screen.  The book has previously been adapted for television via a 1979 miniseries for CBS and a 2004 miniseries for TNT.

----------
CELEBRITY - From ComicBook:  Writer-director, Kevin Smith ("Clerks"), responds to a fan's accusation that he is "kissing Disney's ass."

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The number win film at the 4/19 to 4/21/2019 weekend box office is "The Curse of La Llorona" with an estimate take of 26.5 million dollars.

From YahooEntertainment:  A man has seen Marvel Studios' "Captain Marvel" a record 116 times.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  David Leitch, director of "Deadpool 2" and "Hobbs & Shaw," has signed a first-look deal with Universal.  His wife and longtime producing partner, Kelly McCormick, is a partner in the deal.

----------
BROADWAY - From THR:  Phylicia Rashad won a Tony Award for "Best Actress in a Play," for her performance in the revival of "A Raisin in the Sun."  Now, the veteran actress will make a Broadway directing debut in Spring 2020 by directing the play "Blue."

----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Jimmy Kimmel will present a live 90-minute prime time event on ABC that will pay tribute to Norman Lear’s groundbreaking comedy series, "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" (both of which originally aired on CBS).  An original episode from each iconic Lear comedy will be re-created.  "Live In Front Of A Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All In The Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons’" will air Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at 8-9:30 PM ET.  Woody Harrelson will play Archie Bunker, with Marisa Tomei as wife Edith in the recreation of All In The Family. Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes take the roles of George and Louise Jefferson in the All in the Family spinoff, The Jeffersons.  James Burrows will direct the special.

----------
MUSIC - From RollingStone:  Rapper-turned-actor, Will Smith, joined his son Jaden Smith, who dabbles in both, onstage at Coachella.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From Newsarama:  "Avengers: Endgame" directors, Joe and Anthony Russo, are working on a documentary about Marvel Comics' legend, Stan Lee.

TRAILERS:

From YouTube:  This is the first official trailer for the Will Smith film, "Gemini Man."  Directed by Ang Lee, the film debuts October 11, 2019.

OBITS:

From MeTV:  The actor Richard Erdman died at the age of 93, Saturday, March 16, 2019.  Erdman appeared in over 160 film and TV roles.  He had a memorable role in an episode of "The Twilight Zone" ("A Kind of Stopwatch"), and his career ran for 1944 to 2017.  In recent years, he had a regular role in the NBC comedy, "Community."  I wanted to mention Erdman's passing, which I missed, because I was a fan.  My favorite role of his is probably the 1951 Film-Noir movie, "Cry Danger," which starred the great Dick Powell. - Leroy Douresseaux

From THR:  The actor, Larry "Flash" Jenkins, has died at the age of 63, Thursday, April 25, 2019.  Jenkins was best known for his appearances in the films, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Edtv."

From Variety:  The actor, Ken Kercheval, has died at the age of 83.  Kercheval was best known for his portrayal of "Cliff Barnes" on CBS' long-running evening soap, "Dallas."  Kercheval and Dallas' star, the late Larry Hagman," were the only actors to appear in all 14 seasons of Dallas (1978-1991), although Kercheval's Barnes was a recurring character.

From THR:  Film producer, Steve Golin, has died at the age of 64, Sunday, April 21, 2019.  At the 88th Academy Awards, Golin won an Oscar for producing "Spotlight" (2015), one of four producers on the film who received a statuette.  Golin was actually competing against himself that night, as another film he produced, "The Revenant," was also up for the best picture Oscar.

From Deadline:  Noted paranormal investigator and author, Lorraine Warren, has died at the age of 92, Thursday, April 18, 2019.  Warren and her late husband, Ed Warren (who died in 2006), are known to film audiences because of they are the subjects of the films, "The Conjuring" and "The Conjuring 2," which were based on real-life events in the lives of Lorraine and Ed.

Review: Halle Berry Stellar in "Frankie & Alice"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 7 (of 2016) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

Frankie & Alice (2010)
Running time:  101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA –  R for some sexual content, language and drug use
DIRECTOR:  Geoffrey Sax
WRITERS: Cheryl Edwards, Marko King, Mary King, Jonathan Watters, Joe Shrapnel, and Anna Waterhouse; from a story by Oscar Janiger, Philip Goldberg, and Cheryl Edwards
PRODUCERS:  Halle Berry, Vincent Cirrincione, Simon DeKaric, and Hassain Zaidi
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Newton Thomas Sigel (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  David M. Richardson
COMPOSER:  Andrew Lockington
Golden Globe nominee

DRAMA/BIOPIC

Starring:  Halle Berry, Stellan Skarsgard, Phylicia Rashad, Chandra Wilson, Alex Diakun, Joanne Baron, Brian Markison, Matt Frewer, and Scott Lyster

Frankie & Alice is a 2010 Canadian drama from director Geoffrey Sax and starring Halle Berry.  The film received a limited theatrical release in 2010 in order to qualify for the 2010-2011 movie awards season.  It did receive a wider theatrical release in August 2014.  Frankie & Alice follows a go-go dancer with multiple personality disorder and the psychotherapist who tries to help her.

Frankie & Alice opens in Los Angeles in 1973 where we meet Francine “Frankie” Lucinda Murdoch (Halle Berry), an African-American female go-go dancer.  During an attempted sexual encounter, Frankie experiences a personality change that throws her life into chaos.  Eventually her manic episodes land her in a mental care facility.  Frankie meets Dr. Joseph “Joe” Oswald (Stellan Skarsgard), a.k.a. “Dr. Oz.”

Dr. Oswald believes that Frankie suffers from multiple personality disorder (now known as “dissociative identity disorder”).  He identifies that Frankie has two other personalities:  “Genius,” a seven-year-old child; and “Alice,” a Southern racist White woman.  “Genius” and “Alice” are aware of each other, but Alice wants control of Frankie.  In order to discover a way to help Frankie, Dr. Oswald must uncover a terrible trauma in Frankie's past that is either forgotten or kept secret.

Halle Berry had apparently been trying to get Frankie & Alice produced since the 1990s.  Serious movement began on the film around 2004, apparently, but it was another six years before the film saw even a limited theatrical release.  That was reportedly almost two years after the film had finished production.  That is a shame really, because Frankie & Alice is a good movie.  In this film, Berry gives one of the best performances of her career, one that I think is on par with her Oscar-winning turn in 2001's Monster's Ball.

As a film, Frankie & Alice is not a fancy, big, prestige biographical drama in the tradition of such films as A Beautiful Mind and The King's Speech.  However, it is not quite one of those infamous disease-of-the-week made-for-television movies.  In some ways, the film is similar to a two-actor stage drama, focusing on the characters that Berry and Stellan Skarsgard portray.  Although he delivers a nice performance, Dr. Oswald is not close to Skarsgard's best work, and that is mainly because the character is not that well developed.  The movie gives us glimpses into him, but that is as far as that goes.

Watching the film and trying to follow its story, it is easy to see that eight different writers worked on it over the course of many years.  Frankie & Alice does have a patchwork feel to it.  There are so many other good characters with small roles, like Frankie's mother, Edna (Phylicia Rashad), and sister, Maxine (Chandra Wilson).  These two characters could have enriched both their stories and Frankie's.

Still, Halle Berry, of whom I am a huge fan, is so good here.  She carries this movie in a way that engages the audience with Frankie, but also with the characters, “Genius” and “Alice.”  Quite frankly, Berry should get credit for giving three excellent performances.  Her turn as the troubled and brittle “Alice” is superb; she sells that character as genuine, but she makes you believe that “Alice” could be a menace to Frankie.  Her turn as the sweet, but fearful “Genius” is heartbreaking and borders on brilliant.

Berry does not give one of those showy performances that cries out for an Oscar nomination, which she deserved, but did not get for this film.  She honestly plies her craft as an actor, and delivers a brilliant performance as an artist.  In fact, whatever faults it has, Frankie & Alice is still a quality drama because Berry is at its center delivering stellar work.

7 of 10
B+

Saturday, December 19, 2015


NOTES:
2011 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama” (Halle Berry)

2011 Image Awards:  2 wins: “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” (Halle Berry) and “Outstanding Independent Motion Picture;”  2 nominations: “Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture-Theatrical or Television” (Mary King, Jonathan Watters, Cheryl Edwards, Joe Shrapnel, Marko King, and Anna Waterhouse), and “Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture-Theatrical or Television” (Geoffrey Sax)

The text is copyright © 2015 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

"Creed Original Motion Picture Score" Now Available

Creed Score Available November 20 Through WaterTower Music

Score By Ludwig Goransson

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music has announced the release of the Original Motion Picture Score to award-winning filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s Creed - the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema film which explores a new chapter in the Rocky story, opening in theatres Wednesday, November 25, 2015.

    “You Can See The Whole Town From Here”

The film reunites Coogler with his Fruitvale Station composer and songwriter Ludwig Goransson (Community, Happy Endings), with whom he has a long-standing working relationship. They met as students attending the graduate film program at the University of Southern California. The Swedish-born composer scored Coogler’s first short film, Locks (2009), before creating the music for Coogler’s 2013 Sundance Film Festival-winning feature, Fruitvale Station.

In Coogler’s second feature film, Creed, Ludwig Goransson’s dynamic 21-track score combines symphonic film scoring elements with modern production and beats, many brilliantly crafted from actual sounds in the boxing ring. To craft three of the tracks, “First Date,” “You’re A Creed,” and “You Can See The Whole Town From Here,” Goransson utilized interpolations of “Going The Distance” and “Gonna Fly Now” (Theme From Rocky) from the original Rocky movie. The original Rocky (1976) film won the 1977 Academy Award for Best Motion Picture and Rocky composer Bill Conti, along with Carol Connors, were Oscar-nominated for Best Music: Original Song for “Gonna Fly Now.”

Goransson was inspired by Conti’s iconic score to Rocky, calling it “The theme song of an underdog. What I wanted to do for Creed was create something that had as big of an impact on the movie as the Rocky theme did 40 years ago. I always feel encouraged by Ryan to think outside of the box and create something that I really believe in. Having it come to life and recording it with Ryan is a great reward.”

Coogler was “blown away” by Goransson’s blend of old and new ideas. “I think we landed on something really special,” the director stated.

The Creed Original Motion Picture Score is now available on Amazon and iTunes.

From Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema comes award-winning filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s Creed. The film reunites Coogler with his Fruitvale Station star Michael B. Jordan as the son of Apollo Creed, and explores a new chapter in the Rocky story, starring Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone in his iconic role.

Creed also stars Tessa Thompson (“Selma,” “Dear White People”), Phylicia Rashad (Lifetime’s “Steel Magnolias”) and English pro boxer and former three-time ABA Heavyweight Champion Anthony Bellew.

Coogler directed from a screenplay he wrote with Aaron Covington, based on characters from the Rocky series written by Sylvester Stallone. The film is produced by Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Kevin King-Templeton and Sylvester Stallone, with Nicolas Stern executive producing. The music is by composer Ludwig Goransson.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures present, in association with New Line Cinema, a Chartoff Winkler Production, Creed. Opening on Wednesday, November 25, 2015, the film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, with select international territories being handled by MGM.

This film has been rated PG-13 for violence, language and some sensuality.
http://creedthemovie.com

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November 25th, 2015 is "Creed Day" in Philadelphia

Mayor of Philadelphia Proclaims November 25th “‘Creed’ Day”

“Creed” Stars Sylvester Stallone, Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson and Writer/Director Ryan Coogler and Producer Irwin Winkler on Hand.

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Standing atop the Philadelphia Art Museum’s iconic steps, Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter proclaimed Wednesday, November 25th, 2015 “Creed” Day in honor of the upcoming film—opening that same day—which explores the next chapter in the “Rocky” saga. Joining Mayor Nutter to receive the official proclamation were Sylvester Stallone himself and fellow “Creed” stars Michael B. Jordan and Tessa Thompson, and the film’s writer/director, Ryan Coogler, and producer Irwin Winkler.

The film, which brings Rocky Balboa face-to-face with the son of his one-time rival and best friend, Apollo Creed, was shot in and around the City of Brotherly Love. The museum steps, and the statue of Rocky that stands at the bottom of them, can, in fact, be seen in “Creed.”

Mayor Nutter also gifted the team from “Creed” with individually inscribed miniature Liberty Bells to mark the occasion; they, in turn, presented the mayor with a framed rendering of the mural, created as a special tribute to the city, that was installed this morning at the Front Street Gym in North Philly, a location that features prominently in the new film.

Following the presentations, former football star Vince Papale—who, much like Rocky, went from underdog to hometown hero to sports superstar when he became a walk-on Philadelphia Eagle—opened the floor for questions from the press in attendance.

From Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema comes award-winning filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s “Creed.” The film reunites Coogler with his “Fruitvale Station” star Michael B. Jordan as the son of Apollo Creed, and explores a new chapter in the “Rocky” story, starring Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone in his iconic role.

Adonis Johnson (Jordan) never knew his famous father, world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed, who died before he was born. Still, there’s no denying that boxing is in his blood, so Adonis heads to Philadelphia, the site of Apollo Creed’s legendary match with a tough upstart named Rocky Balboa.

Once in the City of Brotherly Love, Adonis tracks Rocky (Stallone) down and asks him to be his trainer. Despite his insistence that he is out of the fight game for good, Rocky sees in Adonis the strength and determination he had known in Apollo—the fierce rival who became his closest friend. Agreeing to take him on, Rocky trains the young fighter, even as the former champ is battling an opponent more deadly than any he faced in the ring.

With Rocky in his corner, it isn’t long before Adonis gets his own shot at the title…but can he develop not only the drive but also the heart of a true fighter, in time to get into the ring?

“Creed” also stars Tessa Thompson (“Selma,” “Dear White People”); Phylicia Rashad (Lifetime’s “Steel Magnolias”); and English pro boxer and former three-time ABA Heavyweight Champion Anthony Bellew.

Ryan Coogler directed from a screenplay he wrote with Aaron Covington, based on a story by Coogler. The film is being produced by Irwin Winkler, Robert Chartoff, Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Kevin King-Templeton and Sylvester Stallone, with Nicolas Stern executive producing.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures present, in association with New Line Cinema, a Chartoff Winkler Production, “Creed.” The film opens nationwide on Wednesday, November 25, 2015, and will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, with select international territories as well as all television distribution being handled by MGM.

“Creed” has been rated PG-13 for violence, language and some sensuality.

www.creedthemovie.com

---------------------------

"Good Deeds" is Good Indeed

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 16 (of 2012) by Leroy Douresseaux


Good Deeds (2012)
Running time: 111 minutes (1 hour, 51 minutes)
MPAA - PG-13 for sexual content, language, some violence and thematic material
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Tyler Perry
PRODUCERS: Ozzie Areu, Paul Hall, and Tyler Perry
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Alexander Gruszynski
EDITOR: Maysie Hoy
COMPOSER: Aaron Zigman

ROMANCE/DRAMA

Starring: Tyler Perry, Thandie Newton, Gabrielle Union, Eddie Cibrian, Brian White, Jordenn Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Beverly Johnson, Rebecca Romijn, and Jamie Kennedy, Andrew Masset, and Victoria Loving

Good Deeds is a 2012 romantic drama from writer/director Tyler Perry. Although Perry is also the film’s lead actor, this isn’t a “Tyler Perry film,” as far as what we generally expect of a Perry film – broad comedies often featuring the character, Mabel “Madea” Simmons, who does not appear in this movie. Good Deeds is about a businessman who leaves his comfort zone to help a struggling single mother.

Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry) is a San Francisco-based businessman who is CEO of Deeds Corporation, the software company his late father started. He is engaged to marry Natalie (Gabrielle Union), a beautiful young woman who works in real estate, but his mind is always on work. With the assistance of John, (Eddie Cibrian), a company executive, Wesley is currently trying to buy a rival company, but Wesley’s resentful younger brother, Walter Deeds (Brian White), may be trying to sabotage the company. Their mother, Wilimena (Phylicia Rashad), is totally plugged into planning the wedding. Wesley Deeds does what he is supposed to and expected to do.

However, Wesley is jolted out of his scripted life when he meets Lindsey Wakefield (Thandie Newton), a single mother who is a janitor in Wesley’s office building. Lindsey speaks her mind and is fiercely independent, but when she and her daughter, Ariel (Jordenn Thompson), are left homeless, she needs help. A chance encounter brings together two people who are in a really bad place in their lives.

If Wesley Deeds can be said to leave his comfort zone in this story, then, it can be said that Tyler Perry, for the most part, leaves his comfort zone to create Good Deeds. This is an uplifting movie that emphasizes living the life one wants to live (or trying to) by relying on one’s self. In this movie, Perry pushes believing in yourself as a vehicle of change rather than a belief in faith and God as the path to change. Good Deeds is by no means anti-religion, but this is the most secular film Perry has done to date. The religious themes and testifying that are so evident in his broad comedies are absent in this romance and drama.

I was also surprised by how well written the screenplay is, considering (once again) that Perry has left his broad comedy comfort zone. Good Deeds does sometimes come across as an African-American soap opera (especially the elevator scene late in the film). However, this is also a character drama that puts a laser focus on Wesley Deeds and Lindsey Wakefield. Perry really delves into these characters and pulls out their insides so that the audience can see what makes them tick. Perry shows the audience the inner conflicts and struggles as much as he depicts Wesley and Lindsey’s exterior drama.

I think that Thandie Newton is, as usual, very good. She can do trials and tribulations as well as any African-American actress, and better than most. Perry, on the other hand, is mostly hit or miss as Wesley. There are moments in which he just does not seem convincing as an upper class Black man from an old money African-American family with an Ivy League pedigree.

Another of the film’s faults is that it largely ignores some of the other characters that have potential: Walter and Wilimena Deeds and Natalie, in particular. Perry created three good characters in them, but gave them small spaces to shine except in moments that seem like little more than stereotypical melodrama. Young Jordenn Thompson as Lindsey’s daughter, Ariel, also steals a few scenes.

Still, Good Deeds is really about Wesley and Lindsey, and to that end, the film is a pleasant drama that has a few riveting moments. These moments can jerk some tears from the audience, and that’s surprising to me. I didn’t expect even that much from Good Deeds.

6 of 10
B

Sunday, February 26, 2012

"Night Catches Us" Dominates 2011 Black Reel Awards

The Academy Awards are tomorrow night.  As we get closer, I'm catching up on movie awards from other organizations.  A few weeks ago, the winners of the Black Reel Awards were announced.  Night Catches Us dominated, while Tyler Perry's For Colored Girls only won 3 of the 10 nominations it received.  It is a shame that neither film received a single Oscar nomination.

2011 Black Reel Award winners:

Outstanding Film
Night Catches Us, distributed by Magnolia Pictures

Outstanding Director
Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes-The Book of Eli

Outstanding Actor
Anthony Mackie – Night Catches Us

Outstanding Actress
Kerry Washington – Night Catches Us

Outstanding Supporting Actor
Wesley Snipes – Brooklyn’s Finest

Outstanding Supporting Actress
Phylicia Rashad – For Colored Girls

Outstanding Score
The Roots – Night Catches Us

Outstanding Song
“Shine” by John Legend from Waiting for Superman

Outstanding Ensemble
For Colored Girls, distributed by Lionsgate

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance
Tessa Thompson - For Colored Girls

Outstanding Feature Documentary
Waiting for Superman

Outstanding Independent
Preacher’s Kid, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures

Outstanding Independent Short
Katrina’s Son - Ya’ke

Outstanding Independent Documentary
For the Best and For the Onion

Outstanding Television Documentary
If God is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise


http://blackreelawards.wordpress.com/

Review: "For Colored Girls" is Sho Enuf Good

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

For Colored Girls (2010)
Running time: 134 minutes (2 hours, 14 minutes)
MPAA – R for some disturbing violence including a rape, sexual content and language
DIRECTOR: Tyler Perry
WRITER: Tyler Perry (based upon the play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange)
PRODUCERS: Roger M. Bobb, Paul Hall, and Tyler Perry
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Alexander Gruszynski
EDITOR: Maysie Hoy

DRAMA

Starring: Kimberly Elise, Janet Jackson, Loretta Devine, Thandie Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Kerry Washington, Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Whoopi Goldberg, Macy Gray, Michael Ealy, Omari Hardwick, Richard Lawson, Hill Harper, and Khalil Kain

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf is a 1975 stage play written by American playwright and poet, Ntozake Shange. It is my understanding that the Obie Award-winning play is a series of 20 poems or poetic monologues that express the struggles and obstacles that African-American women face throughout their lives.

Tyler Perry, the playwright turned prolific film director, adapted Shange’s play into the 2010 film, For Colored Girls. The film explores the lives of nine modern African American women, interconnected by one way or another, and uses poetic vignettes to illuminate their struggles, suffering, and conflicts (abuse, rape, and abortion, among others).

Among the characters is Joanne “Jo” Bradmore (Janet Jackson), a magazine publisher whose husband, Carl Bradmore (Omari Hardwick), is unfaithful. Promiscuous Tangie Adrose (Thandie Newton) and troubled teenager, Nyla (Tessa Thompson), are estranged sisters who find their mother, Alice Adrose (Whoopi Goldberg), to be the thing between them. Crystal Wallace (Kimberly Elise), who works for Jo, fails to see the true danger her abusive boyfriend, war veteran Beau Willie Brown (Michael Ealy), poses to her and her children. Meanwhile, watching everything and hoping to bring everyone together is apartment manager, Gilda (Phylicia Rashad).

I’ve always thought that Tyler Perry is as capable of directing moving film dramas as he is at staging broad comedies, and For Colored Girls affirms that, although 2009’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself already proved Perry could do drama. I’m surprised that this film has gotten such negative reviews, especially because Perry has taken the black social pathologies this story depicts and has transformed them into riveting tales of human pathology with a universal appeal.

Perry’s nuanced staging and graceful directing of the camera transform what could have been downbeat into a mesmerizing panorama of compelling character dramas. Seriously, if For Colored Girls looked exactly the same and a white filmmaker like Stephen Daldry, David Fincher, or Christopher Nolan was credited as the director, film critics would be turning verbal cartwheels to praise this film. Perry’s work here as a director can be described as, at least, occasionally virtuoso, and while his screenwriting here is weaker than his directing, Perry, as both writer and director, has done a superb job turning these poetic vignettes into a powerful film.

Perry gets some fantastic performances from his cast, especially the actresses, who all hit strong emotional notes. I hate to single out any, but if I had to pick favorites, I would go with Kimberly Elise, Thandie Newton, and Phylicia Rashad. Every moment she is onscreen, Elise delivers magic; her every move and glance makes you believe that Crystal Wallace is real. Thandie Newton is effortless in her brilliance (as usual), and Rashad shows colors, shades, and textures in a performance that certainly surprised me. I never knew she was that good.

However, all the women in this film shine, giving stirring performances that help For Colored Girls to ring true. Even if Tyler Perry doesn’t get his due from critics and haters, he has given us our due – a great African-American drama about Black women.

9 of 10
A+

Friday, February 18, 2011

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Lionsgate Releases First Image from Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls"

This is the first image from Tyler Perry's upcoming film, For Colored Girls.

Pictured are from left to right: Anika Noni Rose (as Yasmine), Kerry Washington (as Kelly), Janet Jackson (as Joanna), Kimberly Elise (as Crystal), Phylicia Rashad (as Gilda), Loretta Devine (as Juanita), Tessa Thompson (Nyla) and Thandie Newton (Tangie) in "For Colored Girls." Photo credit: Patrick Harbron

Lionsgate recently announced that the film's release date has been moved up from the Martin Luther King holiday weekend in 2011 to November 5 2010.
 
To see this image at a larger size, go here.

As Ever, Queen Latifah is "Just Wright"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 34 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


Just Wright (2010)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some suggestive material and brief language
DIRECTOR: Sanaa Hamri
WRITER: Michael Elliot
PRODUCERS: Shakim Compere and Queen Latifah
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Terry Stacey
EDITOR: Melissa Kent
COMPOSERS: Lisa Coleman and Wendy Melvoin

ROMANCE/DRAMA/SPORTS

Starring: Queen Latifah, Common, Paula Patten, James Pickens Jr., Phylicia Rashad, Pam Grier, Laz Alonzo, Mechad Brooks, Michael Landes, Dwight Howard, Dwayne Wade, Jalen Rose, Kenny Smith, Mike Fratello, and Marv Albert

At first glance, the romantic sports drama, Just Wright, is special because it is a screen romance in which both the female and male leads are African-American actors. What makes Just Wright extra special is that it is a Queen Latifah movie. The Queen, with her lovely, open, and joyous film persona, always delivers a good time – even if she has to carry the movie, and she is indeed the leading scorer in this basketball love story.

The film focuses on Leslie Wright (Queen Latifah), a straight-shooting physical therapist; with her, what you see is what you get. Everyone thinks that Leslie is just the bee’s knees, even the men Leslie dates, but none of them will commit to her beyond just being a friend. A diehard fan of the professional basketball team, the New Jersey Nets, Leslie has a chance encounter with the Nets’ NBA All-Star, Scott McKnight (Common). The two surprisingly strike up a friendship, and Scott invites Leslie to his birthday party. At the party, however, Scott is immediately attracted to Leslie’s gorgeous cousin, Morgan Alexander (Paul Patten), who has her sights set on being an NBA trophy wife.

Then, Scott tears ligaments in his knee, threatening the future of his NBA career, and Scott becomes frustrated and withdrawn. Leslie eventually takes the job of helping Scott rehab his knee, but it is a full time job. Leslie begins to have strong feelings for Scott and he for her, but is Leslie destined to be a “best friend” or Scott’s true love?

Just Wright is a formulaic romantic drama. It is kind of a Cinderella story with Queen Latifah’s Leslie Wright as Cinderella, and Paul Patten’s Morgan as Cinderella’s stepsisters wrapped into one radiantly beautiful body. In this scenario, Cinderella is everybody’s best friend, but no one’s true love. The handsome prince is the rich, basketball star, Scott McKnight, who is dazzled by the beauty of the conniving Morgan.

Of course, Just Wright is selling Leslie Wright as being “just right” for Scott, and the film’s script, written by Michael Elliot (Brown Sugar), does everything to make Leslie look better and better as the narrative unfurls and to make Morgan look like a vacuous gold-digger who seems almost sociopathic. Morgan’s character would be a joke except for the fact that the underrated Paula Patten gives the kind of high-quality performance that will make the audience want to see more of Morgan. On the other hand, the script doesn’t do much with Scott McKnight other than make him a good catch as a husband – rich, loyal, and kind-hearted. Even Common, in an awkward and uneven performance, doesn’t make McKnight seem like much more than something nice for a girl to have.

Maybe it is Queen Latifah’s fault. Compared to many rapper-turned-actors, Common is usually good in the movies in which he appears, but screen presence of Queen Latifah (another rapper-turned-actor) often overwhelms her costars’ presence. Whenever she is on television or the big screen, Latifah seems to have a natural sunniness about her, and in comedies, she radiates cheer and poise. She carries herself with confidence and projects that she is comfortable in her own skin. Latifah is Just Wright; the movie clearly exists for her to entertain us. Even Paula Patten and appearances from two wonderful sisters like Phylicia Rashad and Pam Grier cannot change the fact that this is all Latifah, all the time.

When a formula works, it reminds us of why it is a formula; we can rely on it. Just Wright uses the romantic formula with decent if not always good results. But in the end, the lovable Queen Latifah makes it all right.

6 of 10
B

Monday, May 17, 2010