Why Black Panther is the Crown Jewel of the Marvel Franchise

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Why Black Panther is the Crown Jewel of the Marvel Franchise

Black Panther is hands down the best film in the Marvel Franchise!!!  Why?  Black Panther is on the road to do for Marvel what The Lion King did for Disney.  The Lion King had Mufasa, Simba and The Pridelands...Black Panther has Wakanda, King T'Challa, Nakia and Killmonger.  Black Panther also manages to show tender young love between a man and a woman, a man and his parents and unflinching love for one's country no matter what the sacrifice.

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Gary Oldman IS Winston Churchill in the Darkest Hour

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Gary Oldman IS Winston Churchill in the Darkest Hour

Gary Oldman is like the Lon Chaney of our generation. He virtually gets so lost in a character that you believe you are  watching the real deal.  Simply said - Gary Oldman IS Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour.

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Sammy Davis, Jr. : I Gotta Be Me is the Ultimate Tribute to the Ultimate Entertainer

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Sammy Davis, Jr. : I Gotta Be Me is the Ultimate Tribute to the Ultimate Entertainer

Sammy Davis, Jr. was the ultimate entertainer.  He could sing.  He could dance.  He could do a killer celebrity impersonation.  He could act.  He was a member of the Rat Pack.  And...he bridged the racial gap of entertainment like no other.  There will never be another.

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Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water is a Cinematically Stunning

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Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water is a Cinematically Stunning

My love of movies ranges across many genres.  But, I  am a plain old sucker for a love story and that is exactly what director Guillermo del Toro is giving us its his latest cinematic masterpiece The Shape of Water.

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I, Tonya

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I, Tonya

In 1991, Tonya Harding was on top of the world!  Holding titles as the 1991 U.S. Women's Figure Skating Champion and 1991 World Championship Silver medallist. Harding was also a two-time Olympian and a two-time Skate America Champion.  Her achievements in the Women's Figure Skating history books would simultaneously disappear over one incident in 1994.  How can any of us forget that footage of Silver Medalist Nancy Kerrigan at the Olympic Games crying out in pain "Why?' over and over again after being cracked in the knee.  I don't know about you, but I always wondered why that happened and what were the events leading up to it.

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Chadwick Boseman Revisits History in MARSHALL→

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Chadwick Boseman Revisits History in MARSHALL

When Chadwick Boseman utters this line as Thurgood Marshall , it sent chills down my spine.  Especially knowing not a whole lot has changed between this time in American history and the world we wake up to every day in 2017.

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A Question of Faith

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A Question of Faith

"Sometimes when tragedy strikes, instead of running toward God...we can't run away from him fast enough."  These are the words spoken by Paster David Newman in the new film A Question of Faith, the first faith-based film released nationally and produced by African-American women...Lisa Diane Washington and Angela White.

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AMERICAN ASSASSIN→

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AMERICAN ASSASSIN

Based on the mega-bestselling book series by the late Vince Flynn, American Assassin introduces film audiences to one of contemporary fiction's most popular hero working in the shadows:  CIA super-agent Mitch Rapp.  Dylan O'Brien, who portrays Rapp is putting the Bourne franchise and Matt Damon to shame as he ascends into an action star for this millennia.

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DETROIT

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DETROIT

The old adage  - "the more things change...the more they stay the same" have never been more true than during the 21st century.  Living in a time when people of color are being knocked off like a mob hit has sadly become a reality.  A reality that beyond the onset of the Civil Rights movement, we thought our quality of life had improved and a sector of society was well on their way to becoming equals in America. We indeed believed that a change had come.

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GIRLS TRIP→

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GIRLS TRIP

Girls Trip had me laughing so hard that I could hardly catch my breath.  The last time I laughed like that in a movie theatre was when I watched Bridesmaids.  This movie works for one reason and one reason only...Tiffany Haddish.  If the character of Dina doesn't work, the energy of the entire film would be off and you could create less about the characters..  Thankfully, Haddish's take on Dina is right on time.

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OKJA

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OKJA

Okja is a super pig.  Not just any super pig, but one that has been genetically mutated and cloned for the pure purpose of turning into jerky for profit.  Sounds disgusting, right?! The way science has advanced, the possibility of this on the horizon is greater than not.  But, Okja isn't just about a super pig or a contest or even the greed of humanity to make a buck at any cost. It's about bringing attention to the cruelty of animals in slaughter houses and in this case, that bond is unbreakable for Okja and her loyal, beloved caretaker Mija (An Seo Hyun).

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SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING

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SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING

Spidey is back and with a new best friend...Tony Stark!  That's right Robert Downey, Jr. aka Ironman is a mentor for the young Peter Parker, who is trying to figure out how to make good use of his special gifts.  The last time we saw theses two in the Avengers flick, there were rumblings that this relationship would be on the horizon.  Not to mention that we had a teaser of our current Wonder Woman - Gal Godot as well.

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BABY DRIVER

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BABY DRIVER

When I tell you that this is the best action movie I've seen in awhile...I do not exaggerate! The car stunts in this flick make the Fast and Furious franchise look like a movie about bumper cars.

From the first frame to the last, I was riveted by the acting, stunts and overall story line.  It sort of has a little Godfather quality in the respect of "...every time I try to get out...they pull me back in."

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LA FILM FESTIVAL: THE BEGUILDED→

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LA FILM FESTIVAL: THE BEGUILDED

When one thinks of the south in the 1800's, we envision polite, docile porcelain skinned women, whose only job is to serve their men.  More often than not, these women are seen and seldom heard for an opinion or anything else.  Well, in Sofia Coppola's The Beguilded, based on the Thomas Cullinan novel, these women are anything but docile.

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LA FILM FESTIVAL 2017: SHOT CALLER→

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LA FILM FESTIVAL 2017: SHOT CALLER

It's bad enough to be incarcerated, but it's even worse when you realize your life ceases you know it.  The humiliation, the fights, the struggle just to start alive or not be physically violated is a reality many inmates across the country deal with as routinely as brushing one may brush their teeth.  But, here in California gangs in prison make up 1% of the population and are responsible for 30% of the murders.  It's a culture where most of these men (part of a sector called Aryan Brotherhood ) are serving life without parole so they have NOTHING to lose.

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LA FILM FESTIVAL 2017: OUT OF STATE→

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LA FILM FESTIVAL 2017: OUT OF STATE

"The first time I walked into the Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona I cried.  There, in the middle of a dusty prison recreation yard, were 100 men chanting my entrance into the facility.   Prior to arriving, I had reasonable concerns about filming in prison and had been  advised by mentors to love my subjects but to also be cautious given their histories. Every expectation was immediately thrown out the door when I saw these men chanting in varying

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LA FILM FESTIVAL 2017: SKID ROW MARATHON→

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LA FILM FESTIVAL 2017: SKID ROW MARATHON

When one thinks about skid row, the last thing that would come to mind is running through the streets of Los Angeles to prepare for a marathon half way around the world.

The Honorable Judge Craig Matthews spends his entire day sentencing convicted criminals from the Los Angeles Superior Court.  When he invites these skid row felons to join him on Mondays and Thursdays at 5:45am...the results will blow you mind.

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CARS 3→

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CARS 3

I think if I had known about a female race car driver, I could've probably been the 1st African-American chick to blaze NASCAR!!! Naw, not really, but in Disney/Pixar's latest in the Car franchise - Cars 3, there is some serious female empowerment going on!

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LA FILM FESTIVAL 2017: THE BOOK OF HENRY→

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LA FILM FESTIVAL 2017: THE BOOK OF HENRY

How many times do we watch an injustice happen to a compete stranger or even a next door neighbor and run a blind eye?  Better yet, what if a loved one passes on and has a final wish they are insistent be carried out...would you do it?

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