Welcome to the 946th Edition of my series. I did quite a focus on Black History Month and an additional segment with a very unoriginal title. Tonight is the Super Bowl and I'm rooting for the Eagles as I'm not ready for an NFL three-peat at this time. I hope everyone is getting through the crazy times we are in. I will shut up now and get on with my selections.
The Underground Railroad (2021): This is part two of my five-part Joel Edgerton series. Barry Jenkins directed this mini-series which was based on the book by Colson Whitehead. Thuso Mbedu stars as Cora who is a slave in the deep south and becomes a runaway. She discovers an underground railroad making an amazing discovery in the process. Edgerton co-stars as Ridgeway who is a slave bounty hunter on the trail of Cora. Aaron Pierre, Sheila Atim, Peter Mullan, William Jackson Harper, Jeff Pope, Lucius Baston, Marcus Gladney Jr., Kraig Dane, Kylee D. Allen, Ryan James, Mychal-Bella Bowman, Luray Cooper, Trevor David, Monique Grant, Lily Rabe, Damon Herriman, Lucy Faust, Will Poulter, and many others co-star in this mini-series. This is a fictional series even with an element of fantasy. This is very graphic at times, and it is full of home at times. This has ten episodes in it with most being around an hour with the exception of a couple episodes that are much shorter. There are also some very strong characters in this series. This is available to watch on Prime and Freevee.
Within Our Gates (1920): Oscar Micheaux wrote and directed this silent film. Evelyn Preer stars as Sylvia Landry who is an educated black woman and abandoned by her fiancé Conrad, played by James D. Ruffin. When this happens, she decides to help run a school for young black kids. Along the way, she is met with prejudice in her efforts. Micheaux is essentially the first black filmmaker of all time. This was apparently a response to Griffith's controversial epic A BIRTH OF A NATION. Another event around this time that is could be in response to was the Chicago Race Riot of 1919. This is a very significant film in the history of motion pictures and was one of the first to really get the black voice out. This is available to watch on MGM+, Fawesome, MUBI, and the Roku Channel.
Porgy and Bess (1959): Otto Preminger and Rouben Mamoulian directed this musical which was written by the Gershwins. This is set in a fishing village in 1912 South Carolina among a group of black residents. Dorothy Dandridge stars as Bess who has had quite a past and turns to the crippled Porgy, played by Sidney Poitier. They form a relationship, but they meet a lot of disapproval from the community including Bess's old love Crown, played by Brock Peters, and her old drug supplier Sportin' Life, played by Sammy Davis Jr. Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll, Ruth Attaway, Claude Akins, Clarence Muse, Joel Fluellen, Ivan Dixon, and many others co-star in this musical. Poitier's singing voice was dubbed by opera singer Robert McFerrin. This has met with a lot of controversy through the years and has never really had an official release. This is highlighted by the soundtrack by the Gershwins including the song SUMMERTIME. I was able to find a copy of this film on Youtube.
Rustin (2023): George C. Wolfe directed this biopic on activist Bayard Rustin. Colman Domingo stars as Rustin who was an activist in the 1960s and friends with Martin Luther King Jr., played by Aml Ameen. He was one of the overlooked organizers of the 1963 March on Washington and was a big help to MLK. In addition to racism, Rustin was also gay which brought him more trouble. Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Gus Halper, Johnny Ramey, CCH Pounder, Michael Potts, Audra McDonald, Jeffrey Wright, Lilli Kay, Jordan-Amanda Hall, Jakeem Powell, Ayana Workman, Grantham Coleman, Jamilah Rosemond, Jules Latimer, Maxwell Whittington-Cooper, and many others co-star in this biopic. Domingo does a really good job as Rustin. I admit I had never heard of him until watching this movie. It was also good to see Rock play a more serious role.
Blackenstein (1973): I decided I needed some Blaxploitation and decided to go the horror route for them. Joe De Sue stars as Vietnam veteran Eddie Turner who loses both arms and legs when stepping on a land mine. His fiancé Winifred Walker, played by Ivory Stone, talks to her friend Dr. Stein, played by John Hart, who has a procedure in mind where he would attach arms and legs. Unfortunately, Stein's assistant Malcomb switches the DNA injections turning Eddie into a monster. Andrea King also co-stars in this horror movie. This is no BLACULA by any means which was their horror film that turned out to be a lot better than it had any right to be. This just turned into a rather entertaining bad movie that Mary Shelley might not have liked. This is available to watch on Prime, Freevee, Tubi, and Plex.
40 Years a Prisoner (2020): Tommy Oliver directed this documentary which takes a look at the revolutionary group MOVE. This shows Mike Africa Jr., and his efforts to get his incarcerated parents to be exonerated. In 1978, this group was protesting police brutality and racism. The police went through very questionable measures where one of their own was killed. This resulted in nine MOVE members being arrested and sentenced to 30 years to life. This is a very unbiased and eye-opening documentary to watch. I had never heard of this group until I saw this documentary. This is available to watch on Max.
The Bingo Long Travelling All-Stars and Motor Kings (1976): John Badham directed this baseball comedy which is based on a novel by William Brashler. Billy Dee Williams stars as Negro League player Bingo Long who is unhappy by his treatment by their owner and decides to form his own traveling team. James Earl Jones, Richard Pryor, Jophery C. Brown, Tony Burton, Stan Shaw, Otis Day, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Sam Laws, Ken Foree, Carl Gordon, and many others co-star in this film. This is a fictional story which is loosely based on Negro league player Satchel Paige. Pryor is very amusing as a player claiming to be Cuban in hopes of making it to the major leagues. I am not for sure what is true and what is not true about this film. The antics of the team resemble that of the Harlem Globetrotters. It does have some very funny scenes and makes some good references for the Negro Leagues and their players.
Good Burger (1997): Brian Robbins directed this comedy featuring the Nickelodeon comedy duo of Kenan and Kel. Kel Mitchell stars as the dim-witted but lovable teen Ed who works for the fast food restaurant Good Burger. When competition opens up across the street, he teams with his new coworker Dexter, played by Kenan Thompson, to save the beloved local restaurant. Sinbad, Abe Vigoda, Shar Jackson, Dan Schneider, Jan Schweiterman, Ron Lester, Josh Server, Linda Cardellini, Robert Wuhl, Lori Beth Denberg, Marques Houston, J. August Richards, Carmen Electra, and many others co-star in this comedy. Alright, I suppose this does not have any historic significance for Black History Month, but there are cameos from NBA legend Shaquille O'Neil and funk singer George Clinton. This came from the title sketch in the Nickolodeon series ALL THAT, and they decided it was time for a feature film. This was directed at kids and does have some pretty funny moments. It still lives on as a cult film and recently had a sequel. It is a good watch for the whole family to enjoy. This is available to watch on Paramount + and Pluto TV.
Song of the South (1946): Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson directed this controversial Disney film which is based on the book by Joel Chandler Harris. James Baskett stars as the iconic Uncle Remus and he does the voice of Br'er Fox. Remus tells stories to a young boy named Johnny, played by Bobby Driscoll, about the adventures of Br'er Rabbit, voiced by Johnny Lee, and how he always manages to outwit Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear. No, I don't know why the animals always have to start with Br'er. Ruth Warrick, Luana Patten, Lucile Watson, Hattie McDaniel, Erik Rolf, Mary Field, and many others co-star in this live-action/animation blend. This has always been very controversial and has never really gotten any sort of release. This does take place post-slavery in the Reconstruction era, so this is one part of controversy is the portrayal of the African Americans and plantation life. This was Baskett's last film, and he was great in this role along with his iconic song ZIP-A-DEE-DOO-DAH. I say it is time to get this movie a DVD release and it would be great to see it on Disney Plus at least. While it is not on Disney Plus, I managed to find it on Internet Archive link https://archive.org/details/Songofthesouth4K.
The Black Cop (2021): I end with this documentary short which was directed by Cherish Oteka. This takes a look at British police officer Gamal Turawa who is interviewed about his times in the force. He speaks on how he was a black man who "wanted to be white" so would do things to fit in with his colleagues. He slowly would learn it was not right to do that and speaks of his evolution through the years. This is a pretty compelling short film which is available to watch on Youtube.
Well, that is it for this week, but I do have an additional section with a very unoriginal name so read on for some more. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for a couple weeks which so far include Laura Linney, Joel Edgerton, Will Ferrell, Christopher Lee, and many others.
BLACK LIVES MATTER- MOVIE EDITION
I decided on an additional segment for Black History Month. I came up with the unoriginal name and added "movie edition" in hopes of avoiding lawsuits. I have both feature and short films so read on and enjoy.
The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992): Karen Arthur directed this mini-series which takes a look at the Jackson family which would become known as the Jackson 5 and later the Jacksons. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Angela Bassett star as the parents Joseph and Katherine Jackson. Joe would become a rather overbearing father unable to live his own dreams and would live vicariously through his own children. Holly Robinson Peete, Margaret Avery, Bumper Robinson, Floyd Rogers Myers Jr., Monica Calhoun, Jason Weaver, Angel Vargas, Terrence Howard, Lanei Chapman, Elizabeth Narvaez, Billy Dee Williams, Vanessa Williams, Monica Allison, Danielle Nicolet, Wylie Draper, and many others co-star in this music biopic. This centers a lot around the patriarch Joe Jackson and later Michael when he would look to go off on his own. I will say I had not heard of Rebbie Jackson which was the older sister of the siblings. I had only known of Latoya and Janet who had less focus. Draper plays Michael when he is older and was remarkable and died of Leukemia the next year. The other Michael Jackson actors Alex Burrall and Jason Weaver also do very well in his younger years. Howard makes his film debut as Jackie Johnson. Jermaine Jackson is portrayed real-life son Jermaine Jackson II from ages 13-17. This is a really good biopic showing the rise of the Jackson brothers aka the Jackson Five.
The Queen of Basketball (2021): This is a documentary short which was directed by Ben Proudfoot. This takes a look at Lusia Harris who is interviewed and talks about her times in basketball. She was a pioneer in women's basketball and holds the honor of scoring the first points in an Olympic basketball game. This is some deserved exposure for someone going overlooked for many years. This is available to watch on Youtube.
Concussion (2015): Peter Landesman directed this film based on GQ article GAME BRAIN by Jeanne Marie Laskas. Will Smith stars as African immigrant Dr. Bennet Omalu who is living in Pittsburgh as a pathologist. When legendary Steeler player Mike Webster, played by David Morse, dies, he uncovers what we now know as CTE. When trying to convey these findings, he is met with a lot of pushbacks, most notably the higher-ups in the National Football League. Alec Baldwin co-stars as Dr. Bailes who had worked in the NFL and agrees to help Omalu in his findings. Albert Brooks, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Arliss Howard, Mike O'Malley, Eddie Marsan, Hill Harper, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Stephen Moyer, Richard T. Jones, Paul Reiser, Luke Wilson, Sara Lindsey, Matthew Willig, Elizabeth Tulloch, Gary Grubbs, L. Scott Caldwell, Holt McAllany, and many others co-star in this film. This was a pretty good look at the start of what is now in the forefront in the way of CTE. Smith was up to the game as Omalu so if you haven't cancelled Smith for his actions on the Oscars, this is really worth a look.
Walk For Me (2016): Elegance Bratton wrote and directed this short film. Aaliyah King stars as Hassan who is exploring their trans identity as a girl named Hanna. Her world is turned upside down when her worlds on each side collide. Akasha Barker, Brenda Holder, Dominique Jackson, and Yolonda Ross co-star in this short film. This is a good coming of age sort of story in trying to understand one's identity. This is available on the Criterion Channel.
Harriet (2019): Kasi Lemmons directed this biopic on the iconic historical figure Harriet Tubman. Cynthia Erivo stars as Tubman who escaped slavery and saved many from it after her escape. Janelle Monae, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, Clarke Peters, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Omar J. Dorsey, Henry Hunter Hall, Tim Guinee, Nick Basta, Joseph Lee Anderson, CJ McBath, Alexis Louder, Aria Brooks, Zachary Momoh, Daphne Reed, and many others co-star in this biopic. I thought this was a pretty moving look at the heroic figure. Erivo does a good job as Tubman and never really took note of Erivo until I saw WICKED. This is available to watch on Hulu.
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020): George C. Wolfe directed this music biopic which is based on the play by August Wilson. This is centered around a recording session which happened in 1927 at a recording studio in Chicago. The band gathered there, but the legendary Ma Rainey, played by Viola Davis, was late and took charge as soon as she got to the studio. Chadwick Boseman co-stars as ambitious trumpeter Levee and has a lot of disagreements with Ma to raise the tension already in the small room. Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, Michael Potts, Jeremy Shamos, Jonny Coyne, Taylour Paige, Dusan Brown, and many others co-star in this movie. I honestly would not have recognized Boseman as he looked a lot different than his most famous role of Black Panther. This is a good look at a pioneering black woman in the music industry and a good performance from Davis. It is also interesting to see how recording was done in this era and how far we have come. This is available to watch on Netflix.
Barbershop (2002): Tim Story directed this comedy about the day in the life of a Chicago barbershop. Ice Cube stars as Calvin who inherited the struggling business from his father and sees it as mostly a burden. He decides to sell it to the local loan shark Lester Wallace, played by Keith David. When selling the shop, Calvin finally understands his father's vision of it being a great place of comradery and does what he can to get it back. Cedric the Entertainer, Eve, Anthony Anderson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Troy Garity, Michael Ealy, Leonard Earl Howze, Jazsmin Lewis, Lahmard J. Tate, Tom Wright, Jason George, DeRay Davis, Sonya Eddy, and many others co-star in this comedy. This delivers a lot of laughs and is a bit relatable in some ways of people having a place to go among friends even if they may disagree a bit. Cedric the Entertainer was amusing as the elderly barber who never really seems to get any business and has some interesting views of historic black figures. This is available to watch on Prime.
One Night in Miami (2020): Regina King makes her directorial feature film debut and is based on the play by Kemp Powers, who also wrote the screenplay. This is a fictional account where Muhammed Ali, played by Eli Goree, Malcolm X, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir, Jim Brown, played by Aldis Hodge, and Sam Cooke, played by Leslie Odom Jr., meet up and have a discussion over their involvement in the civil rights movement in the '60s. Lance Reddick, Christian Magby, Joaquino Kalukango, Nicolette Robinson, Michael Imperioli, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Derek Roberts, Beau Bridges, Emily Bridges, Amondre D. Jackson, Hunter Burke, Robert Stevens Wayne, Randall Newsome, and many others co-star in this film. This gets into some very deep and interesting discussion over their lives in this era. I loved when Ali referenced wrestling legend Gorgeous George as an inspiration for his own persona. This is a great movie to celebrate the month and has some very good performances. This is available to watch on Prime, Freevee, Tubi, and Pluto TV.
First Match (2018): Olivia Newman directed this independent film which centers around high school wrestling but that is far from what this movie is about. Elvire Emanuelle stars as the troubled Mo who has spent years in foster care. She tries to reconnect with her estranged father Darrel, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen, who has just been released from prison. Mo decides the best way for this is to join the boys' wrestling team. Colman Domingo, Jharrel Jerome, Kim Ramirez, Jared Kemp, Mugga, Jimmy Gary Jr., Antonio Ortiz, Travis Raeburn, Allen Maldonado, Jeanette Branch, Eisa Davis, and many others co-star in this film. Emanuelle does well as a young girl with both fatherly issues and anger issues. This is a brutally honest character study on the character Mo. It is not an inspiration formulaic story like it might come off. This is available to watch on Netflix.
Lokoza (2017): I'm ending with this short film which was written and directed by Isabelle Mayor and Zee Ntuli. This takes place in South Africa where a young boy named Themba lives with his father near a local oil refinery. He is secretly in love with his best friend of years Khanya, played by Thuso Mbedu, who has a boyfriend and he goes to extreme measures to get her back. This is about 17 minutes long and a great contemporary story. How fitting that I start this out with a mini-series with Mbedu and end with a short film of hers which was not intentional. This is available to watch on Kanopy so check your local library to see if they use these services.
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