Best Posts in Forum: Movies and Shorts

FIRST PHOTOS FROM THE SET OF ‘HIDDEN FIGURES’ HIT THE INTERNET


Photo: AKM-GSI

We’ve been paying attention since the all-star, black women leads of Hidden Figures were cast from Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae. Now we get our first look as the film begins production.
The three leading ladies were all on set, in costume, on March 28th in Atlanta to film scenes for the movie and they are serving 1950s realness.

In Hidden Figures, Henson, Spencer, and Monae play a team of mathematicians given the assignment by NASA to send, John Glenn, the first United States astronaut into orbit around the earth aboard the Friendship 7.

Check out some photos from the set.




Mahershala Ali, who plays Remy on House of Cards, was also on set, cast to play the love interest of Taraji P. Henson’s character Katherine Johnson.

Hidden Figures has a tentative release date for January 13, 2017, in hopes that Martin Luther King weekend will inspire people to go see the film.

 

The Black Boy and The Tree is a cerebral story written & directed by Shikeith, that follows a black man played by Michael Oloyede, into the woods where he attempts to convince a black boy to come down from a dangerous tree he has made his home. Oloyede’s emotional performance examines the boy’s reason for taking up post in the tree; while the narrator’s rustic accent gives a sense you’re listening to an old African proverb.


Shikeith creates photos, installation, sculpture, media art and films. His first solo exhibition ‘Ode to Black’ was held at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center at The Pennsylvania State University, where he studied art and received several awards including The Leslie P. Greenhill scholarship for Photography.

His below sculpture installation titled The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it features a soulful rendition of Over the Rainbow playing in the back ground. This makes for a very haunting and passionate piece.










Read the whole post here.

 

The Teen Titans are about to make their debut in DC's animated movie-verse. TV Insider has revealed the cast for the animated feature "Justice League vs. Teen Titans." Jon Bernthal will voice the demon Trigon; his daughter, Titans member Raven, will be voiced by "American Horror Story's" Taissa Farmiga. Rounding out the cast is Jake T. Austin (Blue Beetle), Brandon Soo Hoo (Beast Boy) and Kari Wahlgren (Starfire).

The Titans voice actors join a cast comprised of DC animated film vets; the Titans team is rounded out by Shemar Moore (Cyborg), Sean Maher (Nightwing) and Stuart Allan (Robin). The Justice Leaguers in the film are Jason O’Mara (Batman), Jerry O’Connell (Superman), Rosario Dawson (Wonder Woman) and Christopher Gorham (Flash).

James Tucker serves as supervising producer for "Justice League vs. Teen Titans," which is directed by Sam Liu. Alan Burnett and Bryan Q. Miller wrote the screenplay, which TV Insider notes is not based on a specific comic book story. The film will find Robin sent to join the Titans following a failure on a Justice League mission. The Titans will then have to band together to face a new threat posed by Trigon.

"Justice League vs. Teen Titans" arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD this spring.

 

YES PLEASE...

 

What I expected from this thread


What actually happened

 

'The Birth of a Nation': Sundance Review
by Todd McCarthy



The Bottom Line
A significant historical story makes it to the screen at a timely moment.


Nate Parker directs and stars in a biopic of Nat Turner, who led an early 19th century slave revolt.
Audaciously appropriating the title of the first blockbuster in Hollywood history a century later to turn its racial agenda upside down, director-writer-lead Nate Parker at last brings the story of Nat Turner’s 1831 slave rebellion to the screen in a potent if also somewhat pokey manner that will nonetheless hit home with many viewers. A labor of love pursued by Parker for seven years, the film vividly captures an assortment of slavery’s brutalities while also emphasizing the religious underpinnings of Turner’s justifications for his assaults on slaveholders. It’s a film very much in tune with the current state of heightened racial friction and one that will assuredly generate a great deal of media attention, and probably controversy — more for cultural and political, rather than artistic, reasons; creatively, it’s a far cry better than Stanley Kramer, but it’s no Son of Saul either. Still, the wide success of 12 Years a Slave, not to mention Django Unchained, augers well for the enterprisingly made film’s commercial future.

Parker refused acting jobs for the time it took to get this project launched, itself a good story. But the real story is Turner’s, a film of which has cried out to be made for decades and once almost was, by Norman Jewison, as an adaptation of William Styron’s Pulitzer Prize-winning but subsequently disparaged 1967 novel The Confessions of Nat Turner.

Recognized as unusually bright at an early age, Nat Turner was taught to read and eventually groomed as a preacher for his fellow slaves in Southampton, Virginia. Even though he had to pick cotton, he didn’t have it as bad as many of his color did, but eventual exposure to the deepest horrors of the “peculiar institution” roused him to action, as did his unusual religious visions and revised interpretations of biblical passages.

In Parker’s script, the story for which he wrote with Jean McGianni Celestin, young Nat Turner (Parker) is largely shielded from the worst depredations by a master roughly his own age, Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer), who’s trying to keep his father’s plantation going through difficult financial times. Nat can even exercise a degree of influence over Samuel, as when he suggests that Samuel buy the attractive teenage slave Cherry (Aja Naomi King) so he, Nat, can marry her. Outsiders sometimes fault Samuel for his relatively light hand, and Nat helps protect his fellow slaves from the worst of the worst.

With careful but arguably undue deliberation, the film offers a succession of vivid (if just briefly gory) set-piece depictions of white-on-black brutality, beginning with the dental torture of a slave on a nearby plantation who’s gone on a hunger strike. Cherry is attacked for no reason and, for his part, Nat is struck for merely preaching to slaves whose owners are more sadistically inclined than his own.

When Nat is discovered to have baptized a white man, it’s simply too much for the local bigots, who have him whipped something fierce. Slowly but decisively, Nat’s personal scales of justice begin to tilt the other way; a man who once dueled another over conflicting interpretations in the Gospel, Nat now takes the edict “smite the oppressor” to heart, using it as grounds to mount a slave insurrection that he intends will spread and deliver his people from tyranny.

The screenplay builds up to this moment with care and even a degree of preciousness. On top of that, the direction has its moments of eloquence and a handful of memorable images, particularly one near the end, a backward tracking shot revealing numerous bodies hanging from trees in a glade. All the same, the deliberate and unvaried sense of pacing becomes monotonous, just as turbulent dramatic undercurrents and a sense of building narrative momentum are increasingly missed.

By the same token, the staging of Nat Turner’s climactic nocturnal raid on white households, during which between 55 and 65 people were killed, mostly with axes and knives, could have been made more sweeping and affecting. Partly, perhaps, it might have been a matter of budget and shooting time, but a master action director could have made this into an amazing sustained sequence that ideally would have swept the viewer up in the horror of it all while provoking profoundly complex reactions due to its underpinnings.

As it is, Parker conveys the basics of what happened but without the more profound sense of what this incident represented morally, politically and historically. He also severely telescopes Turner’s final weeks on Earth, a period that could have been developed into an exceedingly dramatic chapter of its own.

Still, the film offers up more than enough in terms of intelligence, insight, historical research and religious nuance to not at all be considered a missed opportunity. Far more of the essentials made it into the film than not; its makers’ dedication and minute attention are constantly felt, and the subject matter is still rare enough onscreen as to be welcome and needed, as it will be the next time and the time after that.

As he must, Parker dominates the proceedings as Turner in a carefully judged and non-showy performance. He well suggests the man’s early prudence and tact in judging what he can effect and get away with and what he can’t, and also illuminates the man’s emotional and pastoral concern for others. His transformation into a man of action is perhaps less convincingly dramatized, even if his motives are clear.

Beginning with Hammer as a man who here and there suggests that, under different circumstances, he might not necessarily have felt compelled to enforce the prejudices and practices he inherited, the supporting cast is solid, albeit without the array of stellar supporting turns that graced 12 Years a Slave.

Cinematographer Elliot Davis’ shooting on Georgia locations is astutely judged and particularly notable in the night shooting. Henry Jackman’s score is unusually varied and draws upon multiple musical traditions and references to fine effect.

 

I was never a fan of the mohawk on Storm in the comics or on any of my old dates crotches either for that matter!

 

But Nate Parker does look like one of them type dudes who would disown and never speak again to his BEST FRIEND after finding out the dude was gay. Even if the friend NEVER made a move on him or anything...all he did was confide with his friend only to be shunned...Scroll back up and look at his pics and tell me I'm lying....lol

 

I'm Gay and I'm still trying to figure out what is gender nonconformity exactly. I think we need more Moonlight type characters, "regular guys", right now.

 

This is a real reality show that aired on cable television (I downloaded it but only watched half of the first episode)



The entire time it was on I was looking at it like:

 

Plata Quemada (Burnt Money):

Nene & Angel and their accomplice Cuervo participate in a botched bank robbery in 1965 Buenos Aires, then hide out from the police in Uruguay while the gang breaks down.

 

Or they got white boyfriends

 

All the good black nerds are either straight, died, or lost in a Dungeons & Dragons Convention...

 

This just seems weird. Are they gay-straight for pay porn actors? I honestly think most of this gay for pay stuff is classic marketing for the gay porn industry.

 

If this is playing in your city, and you don't BUY a ticket and go see it, I don't wanna hear SHYT abt the lack of diversity and variety in blk, gay content from you on here EVER again!!! That's for everyone!

 

Finally saw the movie, and yes, it was ALL THAT. Loved it as much as CA2. It's just (slowly backs away and ducks behind the sofa to avoid the thrown bottles), I'm just not all that crazy about Black Panther as a character. I've already stated I'm Falcon stan, so admittedly I'm biased. After I went to college and made real friends from the continent, I tend to look at made-up African stuff (cough, cough...Kwanzaa..cough, cough) like Wakanda with a cold eye. I know, I'm thinking WAY too hard about a comic book movie!

Plus, I just hate all kings and monarchies; black, white, African, European, Asian, don't matter. I used to hate those Budweiser posters in college. "We were kings and queens in Africa before slavery!" No, we weren't. ONE person was king, the rest of us were the king's footstool. I guess that's part of my BP lukewarmness. As Eric Idle's peasant character said in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, "How do I know he's a king (Arthur)? He ain't got shiit all over him like we do!" lol

So, all that to say: MORE FALCON SOLO MOVIES DAMMIT!!!

So glad that Anthony Mackie got a great gig these days. Makes up for his having to suffer through Spike Lee's "She Hate Me"!

 

He's only just the lead actor in the all-time highest grossing film ever in the United States.

 

Another random movie I came across on Netflix was Cuatro Lunas (Four Moons). It's anthology film that tells the story of a first crush, reunited friends, a tested relationship and an older mans obsession.

 

OMG OMG OMG so excited!! I love the Teen Titans!!! Raven FTW!!


DC in my opinion makes some of the best animated hero films to date so I'm definitely keeping an eye out for this thanks!

 

It was the first thing I noticed. It's a common trope in Hollywood films.....especially in horror, thrillers, and sci-fi. Another recent example is the most recent Predator flick. Trevante's character sacrifices himself to help the white protagonist. Sterling K Brown's character (who was a complete badass mind you) gets killed, and Keegan Michael Key's character also get killed.

 

Oh Alexis...if only you would have just stayed as the goth boyfriend from Bride of Chucky. Jada Pinkett has had me since Demon Knight so I'm ride or die for her.

 

I usually don't like movie remakes but this actually looks good. I hope they don't do this movie the sam way they did the alien series.

But did yall see my husband Trevante


But @2:45 the CDC would not approve of this

 

I finally got to see the movie. Sorry yall but I really liked it and actually got it. But this could have been because I read and heard all the reviews before I saw it. I guess Im one of the few who got it lol.

 

I didn't know ...they made it over this far into womanhood.Anyway,I think the Academy is one of those instituitons who's racism is so ingrained in its standards that they are almost unaware of ( in powerful denial) about it.

 

Being someone who went through this just recently I thoroughly enjoyed this episode! It had so many layers that I want to break down so I’m warning you now that this will have spoilers. I first want to discuss how if you watched the episode from the beginning, there’s clues that Karl is definitely feeling Danny more than just friends. I saw myself in both characters but Karl was me. After Danny and Theo had a night full of sex, Karl whose is Danny roommate is in the den playing Striking Vipers and encouraging Danny to stay up and hang with him. I wanted to know why Karl wasn’t with the girl he was with at the beginning of the episode. Then after Theo comes out complaining a bit and returns to bed, Karl is seen humping and Thrusting on Danny.

Next time we see both of them together was at Danny Birthday party! Karl is your typical can’t keep a woman. But what raised my eyebrows is when Danny is so intrigued if Karl is shaving his dick and balls. That conversation lasted a little to long for just guys catching up. Throughout the game and virtual affair, you can clearly see that both of the friends are falling in love with each other while neglecting everything else that’s around them. When Theo brings up how they are not having sex that’s when Danny feels like he needs to stop but Karl is not so sure.

Life seems to be going great for Danny and Theo but Karl life turns into a downward spiral. So now flash forward to Danny’s 39th Birthday and Karl returns into the picture. Karl is practically confessing subtlety that it’s more than just the virtual sex, they have a connection. Danny fights with him but still falls victim to the same thing and they continue the fuck fest. But once Karl says he loves Danny that’s when in that moment it got real. So they meet up in real life. When they kiss to see if it was real, I feel both more Danny was holding back just knowing it’s wrong he’s married and should not be feeling this way towards his best friend. Because Karl seemed like if Danny actually said yeah, he would try the relationship thing with him. Like Danny held all the cards in this relationship. It’s almost like alpha Karl became the woman (taken her role in more ways not only in the virtual sense).

When things blew up and Theo finds out, leading to an open relationship, I felt some kind of way. I feel in real life most guys do have a special bond with their best friend but are taught not to show emotion like that because you’re labeled gay! Meaning we are more sexually fluid than we like to lead on!I felt the show was unresolved and I needed more explanation as did Karl breakup with his girlfriend (side note when Karl was on the date with his girl in the beginning, out of all the things he pointed out he finds the male bartender to talk about his looks. I feel like Karl is bisexual)? Overall this was a great episode that is stirring up conversation left and right about relationships, sexuality and even porn/virtual reality. Plus I want to know if Theo actually ok with Danny and Karl “virtual affair!”

 

Im def gonna check the film out, because it's a story Im happy to see brought to life. One more 'we's tiiierd of the fields, but we're gonna sing, and wait for the great white savior' film, and I was gonna lose it.

However, ol boy lost me on that 'no gay' mess. He and Kevin Hart can both suck it, and meet me on the block for a lesson in how gay men WILL have you fooled, AND have them hands!

 

While we're on the subject of HP,I need to leave this here
I'm mad this exists,but can't be too mad cuz it's true.

 

Rosewood. Emmett Till. Nothing changes.

 

I had to ask myself why I was turned on by the second set photo. Maybe it was because it looks like Smith (due to his hand gesture) is trying to explain to dude how he is gonna spread his cheeks for some salad tossin.

 

Very interested in watching this, however so many gay dudes on a huge ship in the middle of the sea MY NIGHTMARE! lol

 

As much as I get what he is saying, entertainment is a business. And like any type business, they are consumers, which we all are on a daily basis. And I'm pretty sure that when he goes to buy products, accessories and personal things, he might not be always thinking the same way. I can probably name at least one things in his home that he pursued that helped someone Non-Black, Black, or otherwise, make a lot of money.

 

This is why you don't have friends. You shall not sully Boseman's name with your lies.

 

*Dwight Howard on Netflix is good

* The Roosevelt bios are great (on Netflix) (People who were racists can still have redeeming qualities and inspirational stories.)

*Neshoba--the story of the 2 white Jewish guys and the black guy for up north that were murdered in MS

*There's Something Wrong With Aunt Diane---a woman drives over a mile northbound on a southbound interstate and kills 8.

*Bayou Blue--a serial killer and rapist targeted over 20 men, mostly black (gay and straight), in Louisiana. I keep up with the news and never heard this story. This is a great travesty that this didn't get hardly any coverage.

*Jessie's Dad--dad in Florida becomes an activist after his daughter is raped and murdered by a registered sex offender

*American Pimp

*The Black Miami--unbeknownst to most people in America, and blacks, black history in America started in Florida and they were not slaves. This documentary talks about the history of black culture in Miami, FL.

*You Belong to Me--a black woman is accused of killing a prominent white doctor in 1952 after years of sexual abuse.

*Thunder Soul--inspirational film about the band and director of the Kashmere High School in Houston. In the 70s, this band was better than most adult professional stage bands of that time.

*The Sixties--the first episode opens with the events around the assassination of Prez Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald, with never seen before footage. Someone made a political decision to allow Lee Harvey Oswald be filmed as he was being transported to jail after initially being arrested--against the wishes of the police, for obvious concerns about his safety. That decision made it easy for Jack Ruby to basically walk up to Oswald and shoot him point blank.

*The Seventies--more political stuff...this starts out focusing on Nixon, wit his ole corrupt behind

*A Ballerina's Tale---Misty Copeland...the first black to be named principal dancer at the American Ballet. She's the president Obama of Ballet, basically. But the barrier she broke is significant because standards of beauty are still an issue black people deal with when swans are literally white. (I'm making a reference to Swan Lake.)