Tag: Regina King

AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION RETEAMS WITH TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) continues its partnership with Turner Classic Movies (TCM) with a special celebration of the films of Motown. Last year the two teamed up to present The Black Experience on Film, putting diversity and inclusion in cinema at the forefront with a month of programming on TCM curated and hosted by AAFCA members. This year, the two have rejoined forces for AAFCA Presents: Motown Productions on October 22, featuring AAFCA member Christopher Witherspoon, who joins TCM host Alicia Malone to screen and discuss the classic Motown films THE LAST DRAGON, LADY SINGS THE BLUES and MAHOGANY. “We are thrilled to extend our relationship with Turner Classic Movies showcasing the cinematic universe of Motown,” said AAFCA President/CEO Gil Robertson. “Motown chairman Berry Gordy is a visionary known for creating the soundtrack to American life, but his cinematic contributions are largely unsung, and they shouldn’t be. Fueled by Gordy’s creative genius and bold vision, Motown Productions offered the world a chance to see images of Black life that had never been seen before: a Black Kung Fu master, a Black female model and designer and a timeless biopic of the legendary Billie Holiday that earned Diana Ross an Oscar® nomination. It’s just incredible.” “TCM’s mission is to showcase films with context and curation, and we are so pleased the experts at AAFCA are joining us again this year to highlight the importance and originality of Motown Productions, the extension of Gordon’s Motown Records music label,” said Charles Tabesh, senior vice president of programming & production, TCM. “We are proud that this partnership will continue to bring both important programming and a critical perspective to our audiences.” The provocative collaboration between AAFCA and TCM will continue into 2020 with AAFCA member KJ Matthews joining Malone for a focus on social documentaries, shared Robertson. “The members of AAFCA really enjoy working with TCM to curate innovative programming that showcase cinema’s contributions to inclusion and diversity. Our hope is that our success with the network will lead to similar showcases that focus on films from other underserved communities.” This fall AAFCA will also unveil season two of The AAFCA Podcast sponsored by Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s Global Sports and Entertainment division. Produced by AAFCA member Ed Adams, who also hosts, the second season will feature interviews with Debra Martin Chase, producer of the upcoming bio-pic HARRIET and historic Oscar® winners Ruth E. Carter in Costume Design and Hannah Beachler in Production Design, among others. In its first season, The AAFCA Podcast included interviews with producer Will Packer and actress Regina King, who went on to win an Oscar® for Best Supporting Actress in Barry Jenkins’s IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK. “The purpose of The AAFCA Podcast,” said Robertson, “is to give audiences insight into the entertainment community, helping to foster a better appreciation for these creatives and their gifts. In fact, that is the goal of all we do, be it with TCM, The AAFCA Podcast or our tentpole event, The AAFCA Awards -- we celebrate excellence and hopefully inspire others to pursue their own dreams.” “We look forward to another season sponsoring the AAFCA podcast and helping expose more people to movies that examine the African- American experience,” said Morgan Stanley Managing Director Sandra Richards, head of the Global Sports and Entertainment division.

STARS PARTY AT "THE MUSEUM OF MISSY ELLIOTT" WITH THE MICHAEL JACKSON VIDEO VANGUARD AWARD RECIPIENT

Superstar recipient of this year's Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, Missy Elliott, may have set the VMA's and social media on fire with her show-stopping performance this week, but the post-show celebration in her honor was nothing short of spectacular. Elliott's long-time manager, Mona Scott-Young, along with nightlife entrepreneur Unik Ernest curated the star-studded event which hosted an impressive list of guests: Queen Latifah, Cardi B, Lizzo, Lil' Kim, Oscar winner Regina King, tennis star Novak Djokovic, Victoria's Secret model Adriana Lima, Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger (world champion US Women's soccer team), Ice-T and Coco, Blac Chyna, Lil' Mama, Dave East, Victor Cruz, Naturi Naughton, Winnie Harlow and Myx Fusions CEO Peter Reaske were among the elite who came out to celebrate with Elliott. Celebrity DJ Mary Mac 5 Star kept the energy high as guests partied into the wee hours. "We wanted to celebrate Missy, and honor her success and contributions to the culture, so where better to do that than a place inspired by her genius and creativity," says Scott-Young. "Words can't express how proud I am of Missy. She is an icon and truly deserves to be celebrated." The event was held at "The Museum of Missy Elliott," an interactive pop-up playground that allowed guests to engage in the most memorable and iconic moments from Elliott's music videos. The concept boasted a live hologram experience where guests could record a gif of themselves performing to Elliott's hit classic "The Rain," while virtually wearing her signature inflated trash bag. The immersive activation was powered by VNTANA. Special thanks to Marilyn Van Alstyne of EMVE Management Group and event supporters Pepsi, MTV VMA's, Myx Fusions, Bartenura, Cîroc, Courvoisier, Quay, Picsart and Monami Entertainment. Elliott's latest project, Iconology, is available now on all streaming platforms. Photos by Shareif Ziyadat and Michelle Lawton. [caption id="attachment_237489" align="alignnone" width="2048"] NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 26: Missy Elliott and Lizzo attend MTV VMAs, Pepsi & Monami Entertainment celebrate the Video Vanguard Award honoree Missy Elliott at her after-party celebration on August 26, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** Missy Elliott; Lizzo[/caption] [caption id="attachment_237490" align="alignnone" width="1272"] NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 26: Cardi B attends MTV VMAs, Pepsi & Monami Entertainment celebrate the Video Vanguard Award honoree Missy Elliott at her after-party celebration on August 26, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** Cardi B[/caption] [caption id="attachment_237491" align="alignnone" width="1365"] NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 26: Star Brim and Cardi B attend MTV VMAs, Pepsi & Monami Entertainment celebrate the Video Vanguard Award honoree Missy Elliott at her after-party celebration on August 26, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** Star Brim; Cardi B[/caption] [caption id="attachment_237493" align="alignnone" width="1428"] NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 26: Regina King attends MTV VMAs, Pepsi & Monami Entertainment celebrate the Video Vanguard Award honoree Missy Elliott at her after-party celebration on August 26, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** Regina King[/caption] [caption id="attachment_237494" align="alignnone" width="1552"] NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 26: Queen Latifah attends MTV VMAs, Pepsi & Monami Entertainment celebrate the Video Vanguard Award honoree Missy Elliott at her after-party celebration on August 26, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** Queen Latifah[/caption] [caption id="attachment_237495" align="alignnone" width="2048"] NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 26: Missy Elliott and Lizzo attend MTV VMAs, Pepsi & Monami Entertainment celebrate the Video Vanguard Award honoree Missy Elliott at her after-party celebration on August 26, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** Missy Elliott; Lizzo[/caption] [caption id="attachment_237498" align="alignnone" width="2048"] NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 26: Queen Latifah, Jason Lee and Missy Elliott attend MTV VMAs, Pepsi & Monami Entertainment celebrate the Video Vanguard Award honoree Missy Elliott at her after-party celebration on August 26, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** Queen Latifah; Jason Lee; Missy Elliott[/caption] [caption id="attachment_237499" align="alignnone" width="2048"] NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 26: Naturi Naughton, Regina King, Cardi B and Star Brim attend MTV VMAs, Pepsi & Monami Entertainment celebrate the Video Vanguard Award honoree Missy Elliott at her after-party celebration on August 26, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/WireImage) *** Local Caption *** Naturi Naughton; Regina King; Cardi B; Star Brim[/caption]  

Seven Seconds Review: Netflix Original Series Delivers, Captivating Script, and Acting.

Dives Deeper into Relationship Between Police and the Black Community

Seven Seconds Review: If there's one thing that I truly love about digital media, it is to have the option to watch the kind of TV that I want to watch, when I want to watch it how I want to watch it. Being a hardcore non-conformist, I truly love the buffet concept of life. A life where you can walk up and choose what you want and not have it brought to you. This is why I turned cable off a couple of years ago. Recently I made the mistake of turning it back on when it was offered to me almost free of charge but I almost immediately turned it back off when I saw the programming and the barrage of commercials that irritated me to no end. Free or variety doesn't mean worthy if you are not getting what you want and It's very difficult to go back to regular TV once you truly appreciate the advantages of digital. When people get what they really want they will pay for it and even pay EXTRA for it if they have to. Every now and then when I have time to watch TV,  I'll find a great series on one of the digital networks. This time it was Netflix, one on my favorite digital networks. They never fail to deliver. There is a certain hunger and drive to deliver quality in original programming that is absent in commercial TV. This week, I came across a really great series called Seven Seconds. I've always liked Regina King and I used to see her at the gym all the time. I have a very interesting story to tell about her at the end of this review. Tensions run very high in Jersey City after a white police officer accidentally hits and critically injures a black teenager who lies in a ditch bleeding to death after he is hit. The teenager is in a known gang den/park in the city and all the prejudices of our society come into play during the series. Dangerous assumptions and stereotypes that are anything but the truth. [caption id="attachment_190007" align="alignnone" width="600"] Regina King in a scene from Netflix original series "Seven Seconds"[/caption] At the scene, one of the other crooked police officers convinces the rookie police officer, that killed the boy, to leave and act like nothing ever happened. They will cover it up for him. The irony of the story is that Regina King's character is a very concerned teacher who looks out for other people's children which brings on and conveys an enormous guilt that she was not there for her only son. I don't want to give away all the twists and turns that come along as the movie progresses but it's got all the elements of the black community in it and the black community's often soured relationship with the police is prevalent. In the black community, there are several things we never like to discuss or deal with especially when WE are at fault. Perhaps because of our history in this country, we are often more comfortable pointing the finger than looking in the mirror at the wrong that we do (especially to each other) but in this movie, many of those things are blatantly pointed out along with our refusal to accept and deal with them head-on. These things are exceptionally portrayed by the man who plays Regina's husband Russell Hornsby. The journey to responsibility, acceptance, and self-acceptance is probably the most admirable and obvious element in this series. Something that ALL the characters face in the series which is what makes this such a great effort. [caption id="attachment_190009" align="alignnone" width="600"] Cast members from the Netflix original series "Seven Seconds"[/caption] I was unable to get my work done as I constantly got sucked back into the Vortex of watching this amazing series back to back to back. I have to give credit to the great actors in the series who played very convincing roles first and foremost Regina King who is an amazing actress Clair-Hope Ashley who at first I wasn't convinced on but then I realized that she actually did a great job as well playing and living up to the enormous pressures and guilt of being a Black prosecuting attorney. Russell Hornsby who did a great job as Regina's husband and father to the boy who was killed. David Lyons did a great job and was very convincing in his role as the crooked cop, I truly did not like him, and Beau Knapp who did an excellent job in the role of the rookie cop who ran over the boy but felt guilty and wanted to take responsibility for what he had done before being adopted by the older corrupt police officers in the series system. The thing I wanted to tell you about Regina King is it about 10 years ago and I came back to LA from Atlanta, one of the worst mistakes of my life, I was climbing up from the gutters of rock bottom. I was fresh off the lowest point on my life and I went to an industry event and I felt like the odd man out. I was lost. Being away from LA for just a month is drastic as things rapidly change and it's easy for people to forget about you. Regina King was the nicest person in the room to me. She has a great heart and she made me feel welcome. She was very kind at a time when I needed people most and I will never forget that. I never brought it up to her when I saw her at the gym several times after that but you never know what people are going through and how your kindness can lift someone who may really need it. Thank God I'm back on track and all is well now but I learned a great lesson from her. Selfishness is the root of all evil. It takes very little effort to be kind to people, you never know what they are dealing with.  Watch this movie and let me know what you think. The great thing about this series is ... there's more to come but the first season was excellent.