“There are known knowns. There are known unknowns. There are unknown unknowns. But there are also unknown knowns - that is to say, things that you think you know that it turns out you did not.” An intimate and insightful look into Donald Rumsfeld’s controversial political...
“I’m a guy who, fortunately, has good people around me and we just try to make some good music really,” says 23 year-old London native Kaleem Taylor. Quite an humble statement from someone whose immensely powerful voice gives off the feeling that he has wisely...
Films finding inspiration from video games have become synonymous with Hollywood’s current lack of creativity as 80s remakes for better or worse. For every success like Paul Anderson’s 1995 adaptation of Mortal Kombat, viewers have dealt with horrible video game-to-film conversions including 1993’s Super Mario Brothers, the surprisingly...
Director Denis Villeneuve re-teams with Prisoners star Jake Gyllenhaal for the chilling yet sensual thriller Enemy. Based on The Double by Portuguese writer Josè Saramago, there’s an air of confusion that works in the film’s favor. That notion extends to Enemy’s slowly shot opening scene involving some exclusive sex club and...
Before Beyoncé became Mrs. Carter and Kandi Burruss re-emerged as an Atlanta-based reality star, they both essentially represented the peak and unfortunate decline of one particular American musical staple: 90s R&B girl groups. Popular acts including Destiny’s Child, En Vogue, Xscape, SWV and TLC were...
Feeling halfway inspired by Rob Reiner’s cinematic adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery, Repentance is a serviceable psychological thriller that offers enough twist to keep things from turning formulaic. Anthony Mackie (Notorious, She Hate Me) stars as therapist/spiritual advisor Tommy Carter, a man who’s recently turned his brush with death...
It’s been quite a successful time for Isaiah Washington past a particular 2007 controversy that almost derailed his time in Hollywood. Several years later, he’s back better than ever. For this year’s Pan African Film Festival, Washington’s production company CoalHouse Productions is showing off two films: Blue Caprice and BlackBird. Much has been said about Blue Caprice since it made it’s premiere last year at Sundance. A narrative inspired by the true events of the 2002 DC Sniper Attacks orchestrated by John Muhammad and Lee Malvo, Washington has earned critical praise for his role as the twisted father figure.
Then there’s BlackBird. Focused on the trials of an adolescence coming to terms with his homosexuality in the rural south, the film also marks the return of Academy Award winner Mo’Nique (Precious) to the silver screen after a long hiatus. Washington also co-stars. The Houston native hasn’t abandoned television however. Next March has Washington starring in CW Sci-fi drama The 100.
Between the many screenings shown at PAFF, Washington talks with The Script Lab about the reaction toward his performance in Blue Caprice, BlackBird’s message and how he prepared for life behind the scenes as a producer.
Hip-hop purists for decades have considered Jean Grae (real name Tsidi lbrahim) as one of the most underrated MCs the genre has to offer, male or female. The Cape Town, South Africa born, New York transplant began her rap career under mid-90s outlet Natural Resources....
Writer, director and producer Tommy Oliver concerns himself with effect rather than cause in 1982.Those destructive results of crack cocaine’s early 80s infiltration are seen through the eyes of a Philadelphia family headed by Hill Harper’s (CSI and For Colored Girls) stunning portrayal of Tim Brown. Harper captivates as...
“You know it’s not crazy to kill people, they do it everyday,” coldly explains Isaiah Washington’s shocking transformation as one-half of DC sniper John Muhammad in Alexandre Moors excellently directed Blue Caprice. The psychopathic rhetoric doesn’t become as important to the teacher than the student. Listening is...
