Review – BlacKkKlansman (2018)

by Armando Vanegas

It’s a been a bittersweet time in this country that’s been mostly bitter in ways thanks to the current political state here in America. However, part of what’s been sweet about this year is that whether it’s coincidence or not, a lot of black voices have been able to get a chance to express themselves in such original ways as Black Panther, Sorry to Bother You, Atlanta, and now Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman. For the most part, Lee succeeds with what he attempts to put on the screen. It’s a Spike Lee movie so you can definitely say that it’s not boring. The plot of the movie concerning Colorado Springs’ first black police officer in the 1970’s posing as a prospective KKK member who then recruits a Jewish officer to pose as the member in person to infiltrate the Klan. This is pretty unusual and to the movie’s credit, it does a lot with it by using it as a springboard to comment on recent political issues or social commentary that concerns the black community that may have been said before, but needs to reiterated for those who still aren’t able to get the message. For the most part, it never bothered me because it seems to come from a genuine place. While Lee is still Lee, this seem to be more mature and relatively calm to his other movies in its approach to its many ideas. It’s still very ambitious and maybe has too much to say. But it’s at least got some verve to it that I admire for bringing something to the table that will inspire some great food for thought, while simultaneously being an entertaining time at the movies.

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Review – Headshot (2016)

‘The Raid: Redemption’ and ‘Mile 22’ star Iko Uwais is a knockout in 2016’s ‘Headshot’!

by Nile Fortner

Star of the action-packed Indonesian flick The Raid: Redemption and The Raid 2, Iko Uwais now stars in the new Mark Walberg and John Malkovich film, Mile 22. The new action thriller directed by Peter Berg (Lone Survivor) once again brings Uwais to the hard-hitting action cinema that has made him a well-known worldwide action-star. While Mile 22 is expected to be a hit at the box-office due to the leading performances, I have decided to go back and think of Uwais as a leading man. Uwais is known for one of the best action films in years, The Raid: Redemption and the sequel The Raid 2, is without a doubt a great leading man in action movies. On the other hand, one film that seems to not have gotten as much praise as ‘The Raid’ films is the 2016 Indonesian film, Headshot.

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Review – The African Doctor (2016)

The French Film ‘The African Doctor’ is a Satire of Cultural Acceptance

by Nile Fortner

The French film originally titled, Bienvenue à Marly-Gomont (Welcome to Marly Gomont) a.k.a. The African Doctor, tells the true story of Seyolo Zantoko, a French doctor, who struggles to serve as a doctor in a small French village and obtain French nationality in order to expose his family to a wider world. The comedy-drama film is based on the real-life father of French musician Kamini Zantoko, who is also one of the co-writers, and the movie is directed by Julien Rambaldi.

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Review – Hereditary (2018)

by Old King Clancy

I’ve mentioned before that every year there seems to be one breakout horror film that critics rave about. Over the last five years, we’ve had The Babadook, It Follows, The Witch, Get Out, and now with Hereditary standing out as 2018’s  landmark horror movie. Another connection between the films is that I’ve ended up loving them all and Hereditary is one of the best to date.

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Steven Tyler: Out on a Limb – Interview with Casey Tebo

Director Casey Tebo Talks Inspiration, the Rebirth of Steven Tyler, and Out on a Limb

Director Casey Tebo (left) and Steven Tyler (right) at the 2018 Nashville Film Festival

By Christopher M. Rzigalinski

A 45 year-old male audience member once asked English writer and actor Quentin Crisp what he should do about his thinning hair. “Shave your head. This is the principle on which [style] works. You are losing your hair. So you embrace the loss of your hair. You swim with the tide, but faster,” Crisp responded. “Embrace what you alone have.” I’ve always considered this argument to be the most effective defense against aging. Director Casey Tebo’s film called Steven Tyler: Out on a Limb (2018) proves that, at the age of 70, the Aerosmith frontman is just beginning to find his greatest inspiration.

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Review – Everything Sucks! (2018)

By Armando Vanegas

I don’t usually review TV shows, but I wanted to try something different and Netflix’s Everything Sucks! was something that really stuck with me, so much that I was inspired to write about it and hopefully those of you who read this might want to give it a shot. Everything Sucks!, in a lot of ways, is the show that the trailer sells you with its very 90’s aesthetic, due to the fact that it’s set in 1996. It’s evident in the first two episodes, which are also its weakest. However, they do a good job setting up for the tone, the characters, and the story. But once it figures itself out, it becomes quite an engaging and charming show. The show is about a group of high school kids in Boring, Oregon and how they’re dealing with growing up.

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