“What Underground Boldly Says About the Consequences of Individual Flight”

If you aren’t watching WGN America’s excellent new show, Underground, I suggest that you remedy that by, uh, watching WGN America’s excellent new show, Underground. This applies even if you are sick to death of slave narratives or if you just don’t have the stomach for another 12 Years a Slave. Underground is kind of like that Steve McQueen … Continue reading →

Whites, Camera, Action

It is pretty to think that all of this year’s Oscars outrage might have been avoided with just a few shifts in nominations. In truth, recognition for some combination of Samuel L. Jackson, Will Smith, Teyonah Parris, Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan, Jason Mitchell, Corey Hawkins, Jada Pinkett Smith, Abraham Attah, Idris Elba, Mya Taylor, Aaron Covington, … Continue reading →

Review: Straight Outta Compton, 2015, dir. F. Gary Gray

“If there’s one question worth asking after the credits roll on F. Gary Gray’s Straight Outta Compton, it’s “Why didn’t he make a series instead of a film?” Next year, Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger will roll out Vinyl, a ten-episode series on HBO that focuses on the developing aural confluence of hip hop, disco … Continue reading →