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Headline Synopsis Date Published
Pieces of April It’s a film that will you have laughing and crying and leaves you feeling good in the end. 10/17/2003
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre I am happy to report that this film lives up to the original and it delivers. It’s also sporting something horror films these days are seriously lacking, SCARES. It is a gift to the horror fan who is all “Scream-ed” out. 10/17/2003
Veronica Guerin Not only does Cate Blanchett looks like the murdered journalist, but she captures the essence of who she was and what she accomplished with a breathtaking performance. 10/17/2003
Kill Bill (Volume 1) Kill Bill is an incomplete tale of bloodthirsty revenge that’s sure to satiate those of you who revel in sick and twisted cinema. Die-hard Quentin Tarantino fans and action junkies will love this. 10/10/2003
Bus 174 The film is more than just a documentary. It is a thorough, detail oriented portrayal of a young man living with nothing but desperation, the victims he brings down with him and the society that shaped him. 10/10/2003
Mystic River Eastwood has put together a great murder mystery film without it having any clichéd moments from the genre. 10/10/2003
Out of Time “Out of Time” is a colorful and energetic film that suffers from clichéd scenes from other movies. 10/03/2003
School of Rock Jack Black is going to get Jim Carrey money after this film is released. People will watch this film and he will be put into Hollywood’s twenty million-dollar club. 10/03/2003
Underworld Underworld is a mediocre film that could have been much better, but it suffers from its laborious plot. 09/26/2003
Under the Tuscan Sun In a cynical world and a barrage of violent and mindless entertainment its nice to see a cute little film that sets out to entertain and never wears out its welcome. 09/26/2003
The Rundown THE ROCK is a must see in this movie, delivering as he describes “a character with some mystique while injecting humor without losing the spirit of the character. 09/26/2003
The Fighting Temptations Sans a poorly written script, “The Fighting Temptations” is an appealing film with some outstanding musical numbers led Beyonce, Melba Moore, and many more. 09/19/2003
Secondhard Lions see this if you’re a Duvall or Caine fan. They’re great to watch and are an example of what actors should aspire to be. 09/19/2003
So Close (Chik Yeung Tin Sai) What the director Mr. Yuen has done is simply turn a story of two sisters driven to a life of crime into a sleek music video and turned what could have been an enjoyable action movie into something very similar to last week's number one movie. 09/12/2003
Matchstick Men Matchstick Men 09/12/2003
Civil Brand It’s been done before but what I did like about CIVIL BRAND is the fact that it’s a women prison. We rarely see anything on these penal colonies, period, let alone a movie that tries to take such a dramatic course. 08/29/2003
Jeepers Creepers 2 In JC2, many of the scenes are quite thrilling and Victor Salva (director/writer) does a good job of building thrilling scariness to otherwise a basic premise. 08/29/2003
Freddy vs. Jason If you are a fan of either the Nightmare on Elm Street Film Series or of Friday the 13th Series, you will love Freddy Vs. Jason. The film is full of all its schlock, a touch of suspense, inane plot, dim witted but pretty teens and plenty of gratuitous violence and blood. 08/15/2003
S.W.A.T. After a summer of underwhelming, poorly performing sequels, S.W.A.T. indulges in its uniqueness as a film that adds spunk to the summer season. 08/08/2003
Seabiscuit Seabiscuit is more than just the story about a horse who overcame major odds to be successful. It’s an old fashioned story of triumph that’s well-scripted and filled with excellent performances by the cast. 07/25/2003
Bad Boys II “Bad Boys II” is action-packed and filled with excitement. Besides the reunion of Smith & Lawrence, who bring in their “A” game, the car chase scenes alone are worth the price of admission. 07/18/2003
Swimming Pool “Swimming Pool” is a sexually charged film filled with enough intrigue to keep you guessing its outcome after it’s over. 07/11/2003
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl “Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl” has enough wit, action scenes, horror moments, and dazzling special effects and fight scenes that would place it amongst the best Pirate films ever. Not to mention one of funniest performances given by Johnny Depp. 07/11/2003
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen All in all, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ranks as one of the better comic book movies and a solidly enjoyable summer flick. 07/11/2003
T3 : Rise of the Machines Directed by Jonathan Mostow, “T3: RISE OF THE MACHINES”, lives up to expectations with more action, less dialogue, and more special effects, that although unoriginal, is still captivating. It's a fast paced film that will ensure the fans that Arnold’s back. 07/04/2003
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” is filled with a mindless plot, Matrix-like stunts and enough girl power that improves on the first film. It’s the one film this summer you know not to take serious because the girls just wanna have fun. 06/27/2003
The Hulk For over a decade if not more the comic book character “The Hulk” formerly known as The Incredible Hulk found its way into the minds of children as well as adults as Bruce Banner’s alter ego. Older generation knew him as the muscle bound weight lifter dipped in green paint played by ex- wrestler Lou Ferrigno. However, for today’s generation he is new and improved. 06/20/2003
Manito Manito is a magnificent film that is expressive of the challenges, struggles, and decisions facing both the African-American and the Latino community. 06/13/2003
Hollywood Homocide The pairing of Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett is cute but the chemistry I found wanting along with the numerous plot holes that continuously open up in the movie. 06/13/2003
2 Fast 2 Furious With all the hype surrounding the can’t miss films of the summer (X-Men 2, Matrix Reloaded), a film like 2 Fast 2 Furious may do well because it there’s no heavy expectation in terms of plot. The film is about the cars, period, and Paul Walker, Tyrese, and Eva Mendes, are good backdrops that create enough flavor to bring in the same fans that made the original, The Fast and the Furious, a blockbuster. 06/13/2003
Bruce Almighty The production team that made “Liar Liar” a few years ago with the “What if” concept have come up with a similar theme to the God complex. Jim Carrey, who starred in “Liar Liar”, gets to play God in Bruce Almighty, a pleasurable film that that loses some steam down the stretch but is ultimately fun for a period of time. 05/23/2003
The Matrix Unloaded THE MATRIX RELOADED is packed with more action scenes, more characters, and DEFINITELY more intrigue as one will leave the theater confused as hell STILL trying out what they just saw after being mesmerized by the film. 05/16/2003
Down With Love During the 1960s, Doris Day and Rock Hudson were the best of friends on and off the set. Together, they made a couple of films that were funny and whimsical. In a throwback to the era, Director Peyton Reed has crafted a fanciful yet different film in “Down With Love”, a fluff film that sparkles despite its main leads having no chemistry. 05/16/2003
Daddy Day Care Daddy Day Care is a very funny film that will cater to all families. Predictable from start to finish, the film has a fine execution. 05/09/2003
X2 (X-Men United) X2 (X-Men United) is here with a better story, more characters, fantastic action scenes, a pulsating score, and enough material that will have you salivating for a continuation in the blockbuster franchise. 05/02/2003
Confidence Director James Foley has taken the heist genre to new heist with his latest film, CONFIDENCE, a slick film that has twist and turns that will leave you enthusiastic at the end. 04/25/2003
The Real Cancun While some may find the film off-putting like the other TV reality shows, the film itself is quite appealing and funny and should make a boatload of money from individuals who want to venture into someone else’s world. 04/25/2003
City of Ghosts It been over 20 years since Matt Dillon made his mark as an actor in “The Outsiders” and now it’s his turn to do the same as a writer-director with directorial debut, “City of Ghosts.” While his visionary aspects to the film are impressive due to its location, the story itself is jaded with so many plot holes, comprehension is lost. 04/25/2003
Holes Disney, known for its family oriented films, has put a wholesome winning film in Holes. Adapted by Louis Sachar from his award winning novel, the film comes with many positive messages that will bring fans of all ages and be quite entertained. 04/18/2003
Bulletproof Monk Music video director Paul Hunter makes his feature debut this week with the kung fu action film BULLETPROOF MONK starring Chow Yun-Fat. Though Hunter's direction if formidable and he brings a rarely seen humor to Yun-Fat's monk, it is the story and character development whereBULLETPROOF MONK fails. 04/18/2003
Chasing Papi While not perfect, I thoroughly enjoyed the film mainly because of the uniqueness of such a film. The film had a hammering Latino flavor from the bouncy soundtrack to cultural standpoints like Walter Mercado. 04/18/2003
Phone Booth This slick thriller about a slimy agent type who picks up a phone and is told he will die if he hangs up is about as high concept as it gets. However, Director Joel Schumacher flips the script when the story becomes a predictable and tedious tale of truth and redemption. 04/11/2003
Better Luck Tomorrow For Asian-Americans, the perception of their culture takes a new turn in “Better Luck Tomorrow”, Director Justin Lin’s wonderful bold new film that is well acted by an amazing ensemble. 04/11/2003
A Man Apart "A Man Apart,” the latest Vin Diesel vehicle, falls delving into a tedious game of menacing stares , vapid confrontations and nonsensical dead-end plot lines. 04/04/2003
DysFUNKtional Family DysFUNKtional Family tries to combine the stand-up of Eddie Griffin with the outrageousness of his close family members. The problem, however, is that outside of a few jokes, it is terribly unfunny. 04/04/2003
Head of State In his latest film, Head of State, Chris not only stars in the film, but directed himself, which is where he made a mistake. What started out with some good jokes soon fell flat and too preachy. 03/28/2003
The Core Some science fiction films are supposed to be fun. These are throw away films; films to take to your mind away from the things we face in real life. Go with this thought and you will enjoy The Core. If not, then this film is a complete mess with no hope. 03/28/2003
Basic As convoluted the plot is, I found this film to be totally engaging and fun and very thrilling to watch. . Basic is a thrilling mystery that will have you mind boggled until repeat viewings makes your head straight again. 03/28/2003
Boat Trip If you ever woke up one morning with the inclination to be entertained by a film boldly filled with sexual innuendo and jokes of every sexual orientation, see the lighthearted Boat Trip 03/21/2003
Bend It Like Beckham Already a hit in England and other parts of the world, BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM is a charming, upbeat comedic film that should please all. A definite must see. 03/14/2003
Short Eyes (Re-Issue) Based on the award-winning play by Miguel Pinero, and directed by Robert M. Young, the film is well-acted with a frightening view of prison life. 03/07/2003
Bringing Down the House This film may be a comic relief for some and not for others. It all depends on the style of humor that appeals to you. The authentic chemistry between Steve Martin and Latifah will keep the audience engaged in this corky storyline. 03/07/2003
Nowhere In Africa While the film is well done with beautiful cinematography of the Kenyan landscape and excellent character development, there is a part of me that was averse to watching a film in which, once again, the black folks are the strange “other”. 03/07/2003
Tears of the Sun Although the early stages of the film seems stiff with no place to go, Director Fuqua has taken a clichéd film and added some realism to make you think about the atrocities that occur in Africa but never spoken or read about. 03/07/2003
Foreign Sister In Dan Wolman’s new film, FOREIGN SISTER, he examines the complexities faced by illegal immigrants as they struggle to live comfortably in a new environment while opening the eyes of someone who has already has it, but struggles with it. 02/28/2003
Cradle 2 the Grave Though some scenes might seem near fantasy, I think viewers will love this one. This action pack flick keeps you on the edge of your seat. 02/28/2003
Dark Blue In Ron Shelton’s new film Dark Blue, Kurt Russell shines as a latest of bad cops who tries to make right what he consciously knows is wrong in the eyes of the law. 02/21/2003
Old School Unfortunately, some of the best jokes in the movie have been revealed in the movie trailers. But despite its flaws, Old School will have “New School” audiences cracking up in the aisles. 02/21/2003
Amandla! : A Revolution in Four Part Harmony Directed by Lee Hirsch, Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony is one of the best documentaries that focus on the grass roots of the music that told everyone and educated them about apartheid. 02/21/2003
Daredevil In Mark Steven Johnson’s film DAREDEVIL, Ben Affleck may have the look to play the character but lacks the charm and the strength to carry the film. 02/14/2003
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days In Donald Petrie’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the setup to the inevitable is contrived to highest level that although you may want to dismiss the film, the performances by the leads are appealing enough for you to have good time enjoying this film. 02/07/2003
Deliver Us From Eva The latest installment in the Black romantic comedy genre employs the same formulaic and over-the-top storytelling tactics that unfortunately are becoming more and more commonplace from Hollywood… not at all what you’d expect from an independent shingle. 02/07/2003
Biker Boyz Biker Boyz is based on an article that appeared in the Los Angeles New Times in 1999. It detailed the rarely heard of world of black motorcycle clubs that fraternize and compete in races up and down southern California. Despite its soft ending, Biker Boyz is highly entertaining and also intriguing because of its insider view on another aspect of black life. 01/31/2003
City of God (Cidade de Deus) City of God is a heady experience of violence, notoriety and damn good storytelling. Regardless of the chaotic filmmaking, the viewer is held in place by the knowledge that this story is real. 01/31/2003
The Recruit If there was ever a time you thought about being James Bond and wondered about the training process, this is the film for you. Starring Al Pacino and Colin Farrell as the teacher and the student, the film gives you a jolt of suspense as the plot is not what is seems. 01/31/2003
National Security In National Security, Martin Lawrence is Earl Montgomery, a police academy eject with comedic violent tendencies and the stereotypical Black man’s e-Against-The Man angst. Although the whole production seems to be the same joke told a thousand different ways, the film is good for a couple of hee-haws at the very least.. 01/17/2003
Kangaroo Jack Kangaroo Jack follows two best friends, played by Jerry O’Connell and Anthony Anderson on an adventure through the Australian outback. Families will surely love the film, as there is something for everyone. 01/17/2003
Chicago The brilliance of the film is not only in the extreme escapism and entertainment factor already inherent in a musical, but also in the complex reworking of structure, cinematography and logistics to reincarnate the musical as a cinematic venture. 12/27/2002
Antwone Fisher Denzel Washington offers us a Black man’s coming of age story with the grace and honesty that any of his peers would be hard pressed to match. For his directorial debut, Washington chose the heartwarming story of Navy Seaman Antwone Fisher (played by Derek Luke) who, as an adult, faces the demons that haunt him from his childhood. 12/20/2002
Narc Director Joe Carnahan’s tale of a narcotics officer’s struggle to keep his distance from the dangerous trappings of life undercover. 12/20/2002
25th Hour The 25th HOUR is based on a book by David Benioff, and Director Lee has done a brilliant job of bringing this story to the big screen using elements of New York City as secondary characters to go along with the amazing acting by the entire cast, specifically Edward Norton. It is clearly one of the best films of 2002. 12/20/2002
Star Trek : Nemesis For those who want to see Capt. Picard at the helm for one last fight, “Nemesis” offers the most adventurous and emotional scenes ever displayed since Capt. Kirk fought Khan in “The Wrath of Khan.” 12/13/2002
Maid in Manhattan Maid in Manhattan is a delightful film that will remind all that dreams can be played out, onscreen of course. 12/13/2002
Drumline : The Pulse of the Band If you have ever attended college, know how to spell “college,” love music, or enjoy great cinema, you will find the movie Drumline irresistible. 12/13/2002
Empire In Frank Reyes’s first feature film Empire, he shows an unoriginal portrayal of how illegal money leads to a road of misery, but John Leguizamo’s captivating portrayal is enough to lead the film to past most of the cliche scenes we come to expect. 12/06/2002
Equilibrium Well, in “Equilibrium”, the story is not so new, but the action scenes are electrifying and some of the dialogues are thought-proving enough to see this film. 12/06/2002
Pandora's Box As I sat in my chair eager to watch another film directed by professionals of color, I thought to myself “I am ready for something different” and different is what I got. 12/06/2002
Rabbit-Proof Fence Based on the biographical book by Doris Pilkington, and directed by Phillip Noyce, RABBIT-PROOF FENCE is an amazing story of intelligence, strength, and conviction that will tug at your heart. 11/27/2002
Die Another Day If there was ever a film that we could count on to entertain us and take our minds away from the real world, it’s a Bond film. For over 20 years the franchise has never stopped giving the audience what they expect from an action film. 11/22/2002
Friday After Next The opening animated credit sequence of “Friday After Next” is quite impressive. Ghetto-swank and clever, it sets a tone of comedic savvy that unfortunately never pays off. It falls very short of funny, as do most of the film’s jokes. 11/22/2002
Standing in the Shadows of Motown Standing in the Shadows of Motown puts the Funk Brothers where they should be - out in the forefront of our memories of Motown and definitely in the spotlight of music history. 11/15/2002
Half Past Dead Considering the genre, Half Past Dead ain't half bad. Anymore, and I'd be ruining the movie-going experience for you. 11/15/2002
Far From Heaven There are a number of issues raised in this film that a few people may recall, and Haynes was able to reinvigorate those feelings thorough the characters. 11/08/2002
8 Mile Many rap artists talked about their upbringing in their music and in 8 MILE, the film shows that embracing and fighting your personal issues works in your favor. 11/08/2002
Frida The film is a homage to both Frida Kahlo, the temperamental, full of life-in the face of death woman; and Frida Kahlo, the dark, mythically surreal artist. 11/08/2002
I Spy I SPY is an outrageous action comedy that would make Bill Cosby and Robert Culp proud of Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson. 11/01/2002
The Debut In writer/director Gene Cajayon’s film, The Debut, he captures the essence of an individual torn between being cool amongst the white society he hangs with and trying to live up to family expectations. 11/01/2002
Real Women Have Curves Real Women Have Curves is a beautifully written and directed coming-of-age story set within the environment of a colorful, diverse Los Angeles. 10/25/2002
Formula 51 The only climatic moment is seeing Jackson bare-assed, which some folks would be willing to pay for. 10/18/2002
Brown Sugar Brown Sugar is a beautifully rendered ode to hip hop and the joy that was had back in the day of innocence, expression and art. 10/11/2002
Snipes: Some Real Rap Drama Foe Ya! This film is a jolting reality check for the ignorant and a sign of identity and understandingfor those who live daily with passion, challenging economical situations and the heart of hip hop. 09/20/2002
The Four Feathers Now comes another version of A.E. W Mason’s novel, “The Four Feathers.” The difference that comes out in this film is that it’s been politically corrected for today’s audience. 09/20/2002
Barbershop Barbershop, the newest offering from Ice Cube’s Cube Vision shingle, in conjunction with MGM, is a pleasurable viewing experience if a little too long on some storylines and stereotypical with its characters. 09/13/2002
Satin Rouge In Raja Amari’s Satin Rouge, belly dancing is the key that unlocks the talents of a repressed widow while also releasing a sensual desire within her. It’s a film that smoothly moves from one plot to another and leaving all with a satisfying ending. 09/13/2002
Little Secrets In Blair Treu’s “Little Secrets,” the keeper of secrets has so much on her plate that it begins to spill over to her own life. 09/13/2002
Undisputed What’s interesting about this story is that some may think this resembles the situation of a well-known real life boxer. It doesn’t, but some wonder. 08/23/2002
Serving Sara Serving Sara makes for an comical journey pairing two opposites Matthew Perry and Elizabeth Hurley, taking the audience on a fun filled adventure in the seemingly foreign territory of Texas. 08/23/2002
Full Frontal Billed as the unofficial sequel to “Sex, lies and videotape,” his latest film FULL FRONTAL is a pretentious convoluted film that has no real meaning. 08/09/2002
Runteldat! It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Martin Lawrence perform stand up. In the interim, he’s tickled us with his hilarious film and television characters as well as baffled us by his antics off the screen. 08/02/2002
Signs With his latest feature “SIGNS”, M. Night Shyamalan has brought back the fear genre back with an exceptional performance by Mel Gibson and the rest of the cast. 08/02/2002
Read my Lips (Sur Mes Levres) Nominated for nine Cesars (the equivalent of an Oscar), this film is thrilling and romantic that should please an audience looking for a good film without checking their brain at the door. 07/26/2002
Eight Legged Freaks ...the moral of “Eight Legged Freaks” is, uh … “All it takes is one small accident to turn an itsy-bisty spider into a bloodthirsty beast!” … or, how about - “Spiders and toxic waste don’t mix”. 07/26/2002
Men in Black II After a 5 year wait, Men in Black II is back but with less pizzazz than the first one. Adding more artistic style than substance, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are in it for the ride and our money. 07/19/2002
Never Again This film is a good romantic comedy-drama that mixes humor with pathos and passion and takes the audience on a ride that never fails to please. 07/12/2002
Lovely & Amazing In Nicole Holofcener's latest film “Lovely & Amazing”, Holofcener once again explores the dynamics of female insecurity but this time from a personal and bodily aspect. 06/28/2002
Zigzag In his first directed feature, Goyer has written a film that’s quite a departure from previous trade. “Zigzag” is a heartwarming film about being independent and surviving in the midst of domestic abuse and abandonment. 06/28/2002
Hey Arnold! - The Movie Now comes another film from the cable channel that will be a pleasure to its hard core fans as well as bring in a new audience. “Hey Arnold” is filled with wit, suspense, and a little bit of romance that should delight fans of all ages. 06/28/2002
Like Mike - Okay, I Can Deal with That BOW-BOW…Let me here you holler, BOW-BOW. In “Like Mike,” BOW-BOW, formerly known as Lil Bow Wow steps off the mic and stars as the undersized Calvin Cambridge, an orphan hoping to find a family that will adopt him to start a new beginning. 06/28/2002
Juwanna Mann - Tootsie Goes to the WNBA Nunez portrays Jamal Jeffries, a professional basketball star with a funky attitude who gets booted out of the league when his antics get way out of control. In order to continue playing the game he loves, he hooks up with the only league that will take him, the Women’s United Basketball Association (WUBA). 06/21/2002
Bad Company Buddy films tend to do well such as Mel Gibson & Danny Glover, Will Smith & Tommy Lee Jones. But with Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins, the connection is missing even though the story action is tailor made for their personas. 06/07/2002
Sia : The Dream of the Python As part of the 25 years of DanceAfrica Celebration at BAM Rose Cinemas, BAMcinematek presents a film that is cinematically amazing as well as its story. 05/31/2002
The Sum of All Fears Although The Sum of All Fears was based on the popular novel by Tom Clancy and written years ago, the film serves as a reminder that although we are facing tough times, we can still go out and enjoy a fast paced thriller without letting our emotions get the best of us. 05/31/2002
Enough It goes without saying that “Enough” will be heavily compared to the film Julia Roberts made a decade ago, “Sleeping with the Enemy”. 05/31/2002
Undercover Brother In Malcolm D. Lee’s second feature since “The Best Man”, he has brought a film that is extremely funny and presented with a torrent of insightful gags at breakneck pace. 05/31/2002
For Da Love of Money Whathappens if you were able to win the lotto? As the public gets wind of this, it's only a matter of time before family members and friends come out of the woods asking for money. Any excuse would do. 04/26/2002
The Scorpion King Derived from the blockbuster hit, “The Mummy Returns,” The Scorpion King is destined to begin another string of cult films for Universal Pictures. 04/19/2002
Changing Lanes In “Changing Lanes”, the characters played by Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson do a convincing job of trying to destroy one another that in the end their morality is questioned. 04/12/2002
Panic Room At a time when security plays a factor in our lives as we go inside and outside of our homes, here comes a film where the need for security inside is greatly stressed. 03/29/2002
Showtime Looking at the trailer for this film, it’s fairly easy to assume “another buddy cop movie”. Your assumption would be correct. How many times have we seen this formula before and hasn’t Eddie Murphy done this before (48 Hours)? 03/15/2002
All About the Benjamins For those not in the know, “Benjamins” refer to $100 bills engraved with a portrait of Benjamin Franklin, and everyone is chasing the Benjamins in this latest pairing of Ice Cube and Mike Epps. 03/08/2002
John Q. After receiving great acclaim for his work in “Training Day”, followed by an Oscar nomination for that role, one would think that everything Denzel does now is golden. Sadly, that is not the case. 02/22/2002
Queen of the Damned With “Romeo Must Die” a success, her singing voice in “Anastasia”, and her future appearances in Matrix 2 & 3, Aaliyah’s film career was definitely on the rise. 02/22/2002
Cuba Gooding, Jr.’s SNOW DOGS - Disney, Colorized! First, Notre Dame hires an African-American as head coach of their football team. Then, The Walt Disney Company releases a live-action film with a black man in the lead role. Will wonders never cease? 01/25/2002
Monster's Ball Life is never an easy game to play with. Where you are, where you live, and what you do determines your outcome. For some, it may be filled with happiness, and for others, despair sets the tone. In Monster's Ball, the consequence of one brings together the lives of two tormented souls. 12/28/2001
Ocean's Eleven The 2001 version of “Ocean’s Eleven” is considerably more coherent than the original 1960’s brat pack flick with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr., and the presence of Cheadle and Mac gives “Ocean’s Eleven” a splash of flava that rejuvenates a sometimes sluggish plot. 12/07/2001
Black Knight Putting a brother in this setting was definitely a spark in the right direction. This is the first time we’ve seen medieval England with an African-American twist. 11/30/2001
Have your cake and steal it too - Mamet’s “Heist” takes the gold and the laughs “Heist” centers on a circle of career criminals who are always plotting and planning the next big score. They are masters of diversion, and utterly superior at the art of misdirection. 11/02/2001
Training Day Is In Session Denzel Washington. What does that name mean to you? To me it means a man that has defined the fine art of film & stage acting for more than a decade. It is also no secret amongst my friends that I am still peeved that he didn’t win an Oscar for his gut- wrenching performance in “Hurricane.” 10/05/2001
Two Can Play That Game Mark Brown’s “Two Can Play That Game” in many ways could be dubbed the African American Cats versus Dogs or Battle of the Sexes. The fact is, in many ways this blanket statement highlights the next installment into the middle-class, bourgeoisie (bougie) African-American world. 09/07/2001
O The latest Shakespeare play to be adapted to the screen is “O,” short for Othello. The film is set in today’s era in a high school environment. Because of the horrific incident that occurred a few years ago at Columbine High School in Colorado, the powers-that-be held the film back for two years. 08/31/2001
John Carpenter’s “Ghosts of Mars” - Is there a Ghostbuster in the House? I have seen an hour and 45 minute glimpse of the future and it ain’t pretty. For those of you concerned that there might not be any black folk in 2176 AD, fear not brothers like Ice Cube and sisters like Pam Grier are all part of the population on the now human inhabited Mars. 08/24/2001
Love Relations - Deep Soul Michael Hoffman's “Love Relations,” a film that addresses a family's struggle to mend old mistakes, avoid new ones and fortify their love along the way. 08/17/2001
Rush Hour 2 Three years ago, Los Angeles detectives Carter (Chris Tucker) and Lee (Jackie Chan) propelled us through a comedic joy ride in Rush Hour. Now, the crime- fighting duo is back again. This time around, the kicks are higher and the stunts are even more thrilling as Chan and Tucker keep us rolling with laughter in Rush Hour 2. 08/03/2001
Planet of the Apes : Too Much Monkey Business... “Planet of The Apes,”…wow…wow…wow…!” It’s almost impossible not to be excited about this film. With scientist constantly discovering new theories on why apes are probably our forefathers, this film comes along at the right time to shed some possible theories on the issue... 07/27/2001
The Score “The Score” is a film where the acting is solid and the story is simple, with a twist. 07/27/2001
Made "Made" is a dark comedy about two losers who take a job that turns out to be more dangerous than they expected. The film isn't as clever as "Swingers" but it boast enough witty dialogue to make it entertaining. 07/13/2001
Baby Boy For every player out there who has numerous kids, but still lives at home, this film serves as a wake up call. 06/29/2001
The Bone Collector This is a very entertaining and intriguing film. Much of its appeal for me is the focus on police forensics. 03/03/2001
The Brothers Gary Hardwick's feature film is a joyous and entertaining romantic comedy offering some serious questions about the major theme of commitment. At what point do we find true love? Are we afraid of it when we are young or do we challenge it and see where it leads us? 03/01/2001
Caveman's Valentine The scenes are visually stunning but they fail to convey a reason for their appearance. A background to the beginning of Jackson's craziness is never fully established, which is essential in knowing his character. 03/01/2001
Love and Basketball This film is special. Basketball films have been entertaining us for years. There was Hoosiers, He Got Game, Above The Rim and many more, but rarely have we seen a film that investigates the lives of African-American teenagers from the burbs who've got game just like the kids from the streets. Just like The Wood and The Best Man, it delivered truly refreshing images of African-Americans. 05/01/2000
Any Given Sunday The point of the flick is to bring the "stuff" up, to open the can of worms and see what happens. You know, that thing that Spike Lee does all the time when he brings up all the tough issues without pointing you toward any resolution. 05/01/2000
Gladiator - Honor And Strength This film will definitely be remembered. Not that the story Strength 05/01/2000
The Hurricane The fact that Carter spent his best years in jail is an absolute travesty, and for Blacks it is one round in a 400-year struggle for justice. I am sure that Mr. Carter is absolutely pleased that anyone helped him, but why are these credit seekers unhappy? 05/01/2000
Next Friday The real treat of this film besides the quick-hitting humor is that the filmmakers did not deal "too much" in trying to use many of the gimmicks and tricks of the original. 02/01/2000
The Hurricane The Hurricane is virtually bursting with historical inaccuracies, which makes Washington's performance all the more remarkable. The movie downplays the negative aspects of Carter's personality; his drinking and womanizing, and his history of criminal conduct. 02/01/2000
Girl Interrupted Anticipation. I have to come clean about the fact that I have been waiting to see this movie for quite some time. Intrigued by the source material, and a fan of both director James Mangold (Copland) and actress Angelina Jolie (Gia), I wondered whether the movie would be another formulaic Hollywood treatment of the mentally ill. 02/01/2000
The Green Mile Mile is an excellent movie primarily because director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) has a remarkable gift for creating intimacy between the viewer and the film setting. Darabont's visual skills, as well as his taut writing, transport the viewer directly into the setting of the film. 02/01/2000
The Wood More often than not, classic teenage films like Animal House, Clueless and Fast Times at Ridgemont High rarely tell the story from a black teenager's perspective. It was great to see our teenage foibles and embarrassments on screen. 08/01/1999
In Too Deep Although visually appealing from a cinematic perspective, the themes surrounding the film were incredibly disturbing. While enthralled by the creative use of gels and lighting in some scenes, the content often pushed the envelope too far. 08/01/1999
Summer of Sam Hollywood should take notice that Lee utilizes the cast very well and spurs them to deliver fantastic performances. This is a film that truly takes you to the "Summer of Sam". 07/01/1999
Why Do Fools Fall In Love A compelling, true story of an African American musical legend and the three women who loved him, Fools is a well-acted and entertaining film. 07/01/1999
Life But Life isn't that kind of movie. It's not fully a comedy, which is fitting enough considering the subject matter, but neither is it a serious movie. 07/01/1999

 

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