Tag: Colman Domingo

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS – Review

Although many parts of the country are still in the “deep freeze”, many folks are looking ahead to the big thaw and traveling during Spring Break. And it’s only natural that the multiplex will have a new roadtrip romp to get everyone “in the mood”. Oh, but this film differs from those we’ve seen in previous years. First, it’s set in that far-off land of 1999 (yikes, a quarter century already). And rather than a couple of teenage male buddies (or even a group as in LOSIN’ IT), it’s focused on two twenty-something young women. Perhaps, it’s a riff on WHERE THE BOYS ARE, and you would be very wrong as they don’t care about such a location (ahem). Plus it should be of interest to Cinephiles as this is the first solo directing effort for one half of a much-lauded filmmaking team. He’s actually behind the steering wheel along with these DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS.


It all begins just before Y2K when a quirky guy known as “The Collector” (Pedro Pascal) is relieved of a mysterious silver-metallic carrying case in the dark “mean streets” of Philadelphia. Meanwhile, in another part of town, we meet the two “dolls”. Prim uptight Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan) is meeting up with her best pal Jamie (Margaret Qualley) at their favorite “ladies only” bar. Marian’s planning a road trip to Tallahassee, Florida, and Jamie is in the mood to leave town after a very nasty breakup with girlfriend/policewoman Sukie (Beanie Feldstein). Jamie suggests they go to an auto broker to sign up for a “drive-away”, a “one-way” vehicle to be handed over to the owner at the desired destination. The owner of the shop, Curlie (Bill Camp), is delighted to hear of their trip south and hands over the keys. But then he’s shocked when “the Chief” (Coleman Domingo) and his surly “goons’, Flint (C.J. Wilson) and Arliss (Joey Slotnick) show up for a Tallahassee car a bit later. It seems that Curlie had gotten a “tip off” call before the women came in, and surely nobody else was going to that Florida locale! While Chief runs off to do some “damage control”, the two thugs try to catch up with the car. But why do they want It? Could it involve that stolen case? And how does it connect to the ambitious ultra-right-wing Senator Gary Channel (Matt Damon)? Can the lusty wild Jamie and the shy nervous Marian stay out of trouble and two steps (and many miles) ahead of those violent vicious “leg-breakers”?

A truly talented and very “game” ensemble really makes this zany farce soar. Naturally, we should begin with the “doll duo” themselves. Qualley, so memorable as the “Manson groupie” hitchhiker in ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD, brings a manic playful energy to the untamed Jamie, sort of a human Tazmanian Devil driven by a hunger for pleasure rather than food. And mimicking her mum’s (Andie MacDowell) Southern twang is just a big fun bonus. Fortunately, Qualley shows her softer side, mainly in the story’s final act as her devotion and affection for Marian come to the forefront. As that (somewhat) “straight lady, Viswanathan (who many of us saw as the “randy” promgoer in BLOCKERS) gives a real dignity to what could’ve been a cliche “Debbie Downer” sidekick, becoming the voice of sanity and logic to the impulsive Jamie. She really shines in an early flashback scene as she awkwardly deflects a male co-worker’s advances, which strengthens her eventual “loosening up” before the final fadeout. Popping up just in time to give the film a shot of comic adrenaline is the scene stealer, Ms. Feldstein. As Sukie, she projects complete fearlessness, demanding to be treated with respect, pushing back when shoved (and bringing the “pain”). Current Oscar nominee Domingo is truly a “smooth criminal” even as his patience is stretched to the “limit”. As for his “flunkies”, Slotnick is the more reasonable, thinking he can use his armchair psychology as a way to squeeze out info, while Wilson will have none of that chatty “stuff” and is always the “bull in the china shop”. The always dependable and delightful Mr. Camp is an endearing “sourpuss” as the curmudgeon Curlie. And though his role is a slightly expanded cameo, mainly for the last big “showdown”, Damon is terrific as a guy who’s just not comfortable doing the necessary “dirty work”.

And just who was I referring to as one-half of a celebrated directing duo? Well, it’s none other than Ethan Coen in his first feature film directing gig, after a couple of dozen films working with his brother Joel (who went solo three years ago with THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH). Oh, he also co-wrote the loopy script with long-time collaborator (and spouse) Tricia Cooke. Mr. Coen brings a manic almost cartoony energy to the story making it truly zip and zing throughout its tight and taut 84-minute runtime. While many will make comparisons to “The Dude”, it feels like a gleefully politically incorrect riff on BLOOD SIMPLE (with the main duo unaware of the sinister forces circling them) and RAISING ARIZONA (an LGBT flip on Ed and HI perhaps) along with odyssey themes of O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?. Yes, the bizarre thugs have become an indie staple, but they feel invigorated, perhaps due to the late 90s themes and their interplay. Strange, since those Coen classics are from the 80s (and not dated a bit) and the 60s play a pivotal part of the plot with some eye-popping psychedelic “flashback foreshadowing”. Yes, the laughs are plentiful (for those not easily shocked or offended), but the big surprise is the unique and changing relationship of Jamie and Marian, who start off as a traditional bickering “odd couple” until their bond deepens with unexpected tenderness. It’s a road trip that ends with something much more than a change of venue, though things do get much brighter for them in the “sunshine state”. Filmgoers will be glad to go on a goofy and often glorious getaway with this pair of DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS.

3.5 Out of 4

DRIVE-AWAY DOLLS opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, February 23, 2024

First Look Of Jaafar Jackson As Michael Jackson – MICHAEL Is In Theaters April 18, 2025

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in MICHAEL. Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur

Worldwide audiences received their first look today at Jaafar Jackson in performance as Michael Jackson, bringing to life the “Man in the Mirror” from the legendary 1992-1993 Dangerous Tour.

The iconic photo, captured by renowned photographer Kevin Mazur, was released by Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International, the studios behind the much-anticipated April 18, 2025 film “Michael.”

The choice to have Mazur capture the first-look photograph of Jaafar Jackson is as intentional as so many of the artistic choices the producers have made. As one of the photographers who documented Michael over many years, Mazur captured rehearsals as he prepared to entertain the world with his “This Is It” concerts. He is now also the first to photograph Jaafar Jackson in character as Michael.

“​​When I arrived for my first day on the set of this movie, I was so excited – it was like the first time I went on tour to shoot Michael Jackson,” said Mazur. “When I walked onto the set, I felt like I’d gone back in time and I was walking into the stadium to shoot the tour. Seeing Jaafar perform, I thought, ‘Wow, it is Michael.’ The way he looks and acts, his mannerisms, everything – he’s Michael Jackson. For anyone who didn’t have the chance to see Michael perform live during his lifetime – this is how it was.”

“With Jaafar, every look, every note, every dance move is Michael,” said producer Graham King. “He embodies Michael in a way that no other actor could.”

Director Antoine Fuqua added, “We have assembled an incredible team of artists for this project – hair & makeup, costumes, cinematography, choreography, lighting, everything – and some who knew and worked with Michael are reuniting for this film. But most importantly, it’s Jaafar who embodies Michael. It goes beyond the physical resemblance. It’s Michael’s spirit that comes through in a magical way. You have to experience it to believe it.”

Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International have slated the worldwide release for April 18th 2025. The film is now in production. 

Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson will be introduced to worldwide audiences in the starring role of the beloved musical icon. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer films) will direct the film with Oscar® winner Graham King/GK Films (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Aviator, The Departed) producing, from a script by three-time Oscar® nominee John Logan.

Michael will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became known worldwide as the King of Pop. The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, captured by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known. 

Michael is produced by King and the co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate, John Branca and John McClain. Lionsgate is distributing the film domestically, while Universal Pictures International will handle all territories apart from Japan, which Lionsgate will oversee. 

RUSTIN – Review

(L to R) Michael Potts as Cleve Robinson, Aml Ameen as Martin Luther King Jr., Chris Rock as NAACP Exec. Dir. Roy Wilkins, Glynn Turman as A. Philip Randolph and Kevin Mambo as Whitney Young in RUSTIN. Photo Credit: David Lee/Netflix © 2023

Dr. Martin Luther King gave his famous “I have a dream” speech at the landmark 1963 March on Washington, but that momentous event was organized, and even was conceived, by another Civil Rights figure who is far less well-known: Bayard Rustin. The reason why you may not know Bayard Rustin is that in addition to being a fiery Civil Right organizer he was also a gay Black man, in an earlier homophobic time when even hinting someone was gay could unleashed a firestorm that might end a career, or a movement, or even led to arrest.

Although Rustin was powerhouse in the fight for Black rights but he was rarely in the media spotlight, partly for that very reason and also because of his willingness to challenge the status quo while firmly committed to non-violence. While Rustin’s sexual orientation was known to friends and close colleagues, in that different era, being fully out was extremely risky in many ways.

In director George C. Wolfe’s excellent historic drama RUSTIN, Colman Domingo plays Bayard Rustin in RUSTIN, in an inspiring biopic built around this lesser-known yet significant Civil Rights figure and his organizing of the famous March on Washington. Even then, Rustin received little recognition or credit outside the inner circle of Civil Rights leaders and Black elected officials, due to the stigma of even might associated with a gay person.

It is long past time when Bayard Rustin’s story should have been told, and RUSTIN does a fine job of spotlighting this remarkable, brave man.

The film starts with Bayard Rustin (Domingo) brainstorming the idea the march at a party of fellow Civil Rights activist friends. Rustin had been an assistant as well as a close friend of Martin Luther King (Ami Ameen) but rumors of a gay relationship between the friends, which did not exist, had caused them to part ways. As the idea of a massive march on Washington calling for Civil Rights grew, Rustin found himself reaching out to other Civil Rights leaders, including King, to bring everyone to together for the landmark event.

RUSTIN takes us behind the scenes as the march is organized, and reveals the kind of jockeying for position and credit that took place. Some liked the idea of the massive march, others opposed it, arguing that if it failed to draw the numbers Rustin was predicting, it would harm the movement. There were other issues at work, such as Rustin’s past links to leftist politics and differing ideas about the movement itself. And then there were the personality clashes, as the big-personality Rustin did rub some the wrong way.

There are a number of famous Civil Rights figures portrayed in this film played by some stars, including Chris Rock as NAACP leader Roy Wilkins,and Jeffrey Wright as U.S. Representative Adam Clayton Powell Jr., while Ami Ameen plays MLK. CCH Pounder as political activist and educator Dr. Anna Hedgeman and Audra McDonald plays organizer and co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) which was headed by MLK. The film also spotlights the critical role these women and other women played in organizing the march and in the Civil Right movement, for which they have been underappreciated.

The drama is taut and snappy, unfolding briskly, while offering a look behind to scenes of this moment in history. All the acting is superb but Colman Domingo carries the greatest load as the title character, and he does not once falter in portraying this remarkable man.

RUSTIN is an inspiring, enjoyable and enlightening film about the unjustly-overlooked Bayard Rustin, a giant of a figure in the Civil Rights era, as well as a fascinating look behind the scenes of this famous event. It is also a showcase for the wonderful Colman Domingo, who seems sure to garner awards nominations for his work in this excellent biopic, as is the film itself.

RUSTIN is available streaming on Netflix starting Friday, Nov. 17.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

Win A Family 4-Pack Of Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS

L-r. RHINOX, WHEELJACK, OPTIMUS PRIME, MIRAGE, CHEETOR, ARCEE, OPTIMUS PRIMAL and Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, below, star in PARAMOUNT PICTURES and SKYDANCE Present In Association with HASBRO and NEW REPUBLIC PICTURES A di BONAVENTURA PICTURES Production A TOM DESANTO / DON MURPHY Production A BAY FILMS Production “TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS”

Returning to the action and spectacle that have captured moviegoers around the world, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will take audiences on a ‘90s globetrotting adventure with the Autobots and introduce a whole new faction of Transformers – the Maximals – to join them as allies in the existing battle for earth.

Directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, the film arrives in theatres June 9, 2023. The score is from composer Jongnic “JB” Bontemps (Wedding Season, Redfall).

https://www.transformersmovie.com/

Check out the “New Vision” featurette where director Steven Caple Jr. breaks down his creative process.

Enter at the link below for the chance to win a family-four pack of passes.

The advance screening is Monday, June 5th 7PM at B&B West Olive 10.

Please arrive before 6pm to secure seats. Rated PG 13.

ENTER HERE:  http://gofobo.com/FSMHd55393

TURN YOUR CAR INTO A TRANSFORMER!

Use the new “Transform Your Car” AR Lens on Snapchat to convert your car into a full-size robot!

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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts presents the Transform Your Car AR Lens on Snapchat. For the first time, Transformers fans can experience what they’ve always imagined: seeing their own car convert into a full-size robot. Built on SnapML, Snapchat’s machine learning technology, a user’s phone can scan any car—regardless of make, model, year or color—and watch as it converts into a robot.  

Paramount Pictures is the first brand to utilize CarML (Machine Learning), a new technology created using SnapAR to apply effects to cars everywhere. The Transform Your Car Lens experience brings the blockbuster IP to every fan by giving them a Transformer, created from their own car.

CANDYMAN (2021) – Review

Michael Hargrove as Sherman Fields in Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta.

Hey, is this the end of August and near the end of Summer), or is it October, around mid-Fall? Just wondering since this is the third weekend in a row with the release of a new horror flick to theatres. Hmm, maybe the studios are getting a bit of a “head start” in case our health situation goes ‘sideways” (as if that thought’s not scary enough). Last week’s release was an original idea, while the 8/13 premiere was a sequel to a flick from five years previous. Now the roots for this week’s big shocker go back nearly thirty years, but it’s not really a reboot, remake, or a “re-imagining”. The marketeers are dubbing this a “spiritual sequel” as it harkens back to that 1992 original and ignores its sequels (much as the 2018 HALLOWEEN only references the 1978 classic). And with the recent social injustice movements, today might just be primed for a return of the CANDYMAN. But only say the title once, just to be safe.

Hmmm, a chiller that begins with a puppet show? Oh yes, as paper-cut silhouettes, moved by sticks, play out the story of research student Helen Lyle’s fateful encounter with Cabrini Green’s (the notorious low-rent housing complex in the “Windy City”) avenging spirit, the Candyman. The murdered wraith from the late 1800s eviscerated lots of folks with his hook for a right hand when they repeated his name five times while staring into a reflective surface. After the “recap” (and a brief 1977 sequence at “the Green”), the story shifts to the modern-day as Troy (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) and his new boyfriend attend a dinner party at the swanky Chicago apartment of his art gallery manager sister Brianna (Teyonah Parris) and her beau, up-and-coming fine artist Anthony (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). Over drinks, Troy tells the tale of the Candyman as Brianna scoffs. However, Anthony is curious as the “urban legend” sparks his imagination (he’d gone “dry” preparing new pieces for a fast-approaching gallery showcase). Later he sneaks into the remaining row houses of Cabrini (The towers had been torn down to make space for the trendy gentrified neighborhood long ago) and runs into former resident Burke (Colman Domingo), who runs a nearby laundromat. He tells Anthony of his time there and of a different Candyman. But on his way home the artist is surprisingly stung by an errant bee. Anthony thinks nothing of the nasty welt as he hurriedly prepares his new pieces. He displays the mirrored door at the opening with a paper handout explaining it (basically challenging patrons to repeat “Candyman” five times). Of course, someone takes the dare, and…the local news is soon filled with reports of gruesome bloody killings. Has Anthony helped bring the hooked monster into the new century? Could the two be somehow connected? And why is that bee sting looking so gnarly?

The award-winning cast aids in adding to the film’s tension-filled dark “vibe”. Mateen, so good in the HBO “Watchmen” sequel, expertly balances the complex character shifts in Anthony. He shows us how the artist’s struggle for a defining work is swept away by his all-consuming need to know all about the “silly fairy tale”. And he’s not afraid to show the awful side of Anthony’s persona as too many drinks unleash his verbally abusive id (mostly directed at art rivals). We’re rooting for him, even as he changes mentally and physically while falling deeper into the supernatural “rabbit hole”. It’s a plunge that can’t be slowed by the love of Brianna, played with grit and “street smarts” by the engaging Parris (part of the superb “Wandavision”). She shows Brianna’s devotion to Anthony even as she tries in vain to halt his obsessions. Those are fueled by Burke played with a sinister zeal by Domingo (“Fear the Walking Dead”)., who seems horrified by his own past, but delighted to pass on the nightmares to Anthony. Kudos also to Stewart-Jarrett who’s having a great time as the catty Troy, and Rebecca Spence who happily spews venom as a castigating art critic (ain’t they the worst).

Director Nia DaCosta, fresh off the heart-breaking family drama LITTLE WOODS, proves her talents by entering the horror genre and mixing a familiar horror icon with the current social and political clime. Yet, the film feels a tad sluggish and very disjointed (I have expected to see the “scene missing” title card from GRINDHOUSE). The discoverer of a gory slaying is abruptly seen in bed (quite a narrative jump). Perhaps that can be traced to the screenplay DaCosta contributed to along with producer Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld (using the original characters from Clive Barker and Bernard Rose). Though I never saw the original I could pick up (after a bit of research) the notion that they were playing to the 1992 film’s rabid fans, even using actress Virginia Madsen’s vocal track (and a nice final VFX sequence), the twists are often predictable (another bullying scene in a deserted high school bathroom), and social norms and logic (beyond the usual “suspension of disbelief”) feel ignored (Brianna would certainly insist that Anthony see a doctor, as his bandages pop on and off). Some of the digs at the pretentious “modern art world” are nice, as is the use of those stick paper puppets (watch them during the end credits), but many horror fans will find that this re-visiting more sour than sweet as they consume the brightly re-packaged CANDYMAN. “Talk about your childhood wishes (and nightmares).”

2 Out of 4

CANDYMAN opens in theatres everywhere on August 27, 2021

Nia DaCosta’s Upcoming Horror Movie CANDYMAN Gets A New Trailer – In Theaters August 27

Oscar® winner Jordan Peele unleashes a fresh take on the blood-chilling urban legend: Candyman. Filmmaker Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, upcoming Captain Marvel 2) directs this contemporary incarnation of the cult classic.

Here’s your first look at the brand new trailer.

For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror. In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s Watchmen, Us) and his partner, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris; If Beale Street Could Talk, The Photograph), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials.

With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini-Green old-timer (Colman Domingo; HBO’s Euphoria, Assassination Nation) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.

Candyman, in silhouette, in Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta.

Watch what the director has to say about Juneteenth.

Universal Pictures presents, from Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures and Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld’s Monkeypaw Productions, in association with BRON Creative, Candyman. Candyman is directed by DaCosta, and is produced by Ian Cooper (Us), Rosenfeld and Peele. The screenplay is by Peele & Rosenfeld and DaCosta.

The film is based on the 1992 film Candyman, written by Bernard Rose, and the short story “The Forbidden” by Clive Barker. The film’s executive producers are David Kern, Aaron L. Gilbert and Jason Cloth.

https://www.candymanmovie.com/

Rated “R” for “Bloody horror violence, and language including some sexual references.”

(from left) Teyonah Parris and director Nia DaCosta on the set of Candyman.

©2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. and Bron Creative MG1, LLC. All Rights Reserved. CANDYMAN is a trademark of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE BIRTH OF NATION Trailer Debuts – Directed By And Stars Nate Parker

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Fox Searchlight Pictures has released the first trailer for director Nate Parker’s THE BIRTH OF A NATION.

Set against the antebellum South, THE BIRTH OF A NATION follows Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher, whose financially strained owner, Samuel Turner, accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities – against himself and his fellow slaves – Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.

In his Sundance Film Festival review, The Hollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy says 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.”

The drama is also written and produced by the film’s star Nate Parker.

In March, Mitch Neuhauser, Managing Director of CinemaCon announced that Parker would receive the “CinemaCon® Breakthrough Director of the Year Award”. CinemaCon, the official convention of The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) was held April 11–14, 2016 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

“Following its Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at the 2016 Sundance film festival, Nate Parker’s ‘The Birth of a Nation’ will surely bring movie-going audiences to their feet when it is released October 7th,” noted Neuhauser. “A pure labor of love and a film that shows the true passion necessary to craft it, we are honored to present such an outstanding filmmaker with this years ‘CinemaCon Breakthrough Director of the Year Award.’”

Parker first received critical attention in 2007 for his role in “The Great Debaters” receiving an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He followed that up with such critically acclaimed films as “The Secret Life of Bees,” for which he received a Best Supporting Actor NAACP Image Award nomination, “Red Tails,” “Arbitrage,” and “Red Hook Summer.” He has also appeared in “Pride,” “Dirty,” “Felon,” “1968 Tunnel Rats,” and “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints,” among many others. Most recently Parker received his third NAACP Image Award nomination for his performance in “Beyond the Lights.” In addition to his feature film credits Parker has written and directed multiple shorts including “#AmeriCan,” which won the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Short and has appeared onstage in “American Voices” at the Broad Street Theater.

THE BIRTH OF A NATION’s cast includes Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley, Mark Boone Jr., Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis, Dwight Henry, Aja Naomi King, Esther Scott, Roger Guenveur Smith and Gabrielle Union. The score is from composer Henry Jackman.