Movies and Film

Bud is allowed to go on more hunting missions, but only if the dorky union rep (Dave Franco) accompanies him. He has to take the deal—he’s desperate. His ex-wife (Meagan Good) says they need $10K for their daughter’s (Zion Broadnax) school tuition and braces. If he doesn’t cough up the coin by Monday, she and the kid will move to Florida and live with her mom. Pressure. Lots of pressure.

The basis for this cutthroat railroad trip is a book by the very popular Japanese novelist Kôtarô Isaka. Hence the setting and situation. Ladybug (Brad Pitt) is an operative who’ll steal or kill whatever you will. Dogged by a sense of terminal bad luck and negativity, he’s seen the light and wants to start afresh.

The 2022 American Black Film Festival featured in-theater screenings and a virtual component too. Issa Rae (Insecure) reigned as the festival ambassador and introduced her new HBO Max series “Rap Sh!t.” Crowds watched feature films, docs and shorts and participated in talk events, networking and of course partied hard.

Tribeca At Home Thru Sunday June 26 at tribecafilm.com   We Might As Well Be Dead wins Jury Award for Best Cinematography   By Dwight Casimere   Best Cinematography in an International Narrative Feature went to Jan Mayntz for We Might As Well Be Dead...

By Dwight Casimere     Two films that caught my attention, because they deal with the issues of mental illness and depression among the elderly are Pink Moon from Director Floor van der Meulen and screenwriter Bastiaan Kroeger. Winner of the Special...

For a movie that runs a hair under two hours, the pacing (editor Vincent Tabaillon, Taken 2 and Clash of the Titans) only lags in a few parts. The beauty of the region is well documented and action scenes are nicely captured (cinematographer Thomas Hardmeier, Yves Saint Laurent). Precincts, warehouses and strip joints look fine (production design Françoise Dupertuis, Molière). Sy’s blue collar clothes and Lafitte’s natty attire make sense (costume designer Camille Janbon, Lupin). Add in an appropriately dramatic musical score (Guillaume Roussel, Black Beauty) and you’re pulled into the investigation for the duration.

In her Best Documentary Feature Oscar nominated film, ‘Ascension,’ Chinese-American director Jessica Kingdon puts a laser focus on China’s conflicting cultures of runaway consumerism and that country’s reputation as the world’s factory. In just under two hours the film...

Comcast NBCUniversal celebrates the one-year anniversary of Black Experience on Xfinity by announcing plans to offer $1M in the form of ten $100K grants to emerging Black filmmakers. Home to the largest curated collection of independent Black film on demand, Black Experience...

You’ll suspend disbelief for James Bond and all his improbable stunts. You’re perfectly OK with Shang-Chi fighting a dozen men at time when that’s really impossible. So, show some respect for the five petite women in this adrenaline-rush who kick ass like MMA champs. Is it plausible? No. Fun to watch? Yes.

  By Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D, NNPA Newswire Culture and Entertainment Editor 5-4-3-2-1. The countdown has begun to the premiere of the Lifetime/A&E documentary of the life of pop superstar Janet Jackson. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Janet Jackson’s...