News

Jada Smith has endured a rough phase of her life growing up. Her recent memoir Worthy, released last October, is the reminiscence of her that phase of life when she had to sell drugs in her teens. The actor has been vocal about the recognition of Black artists on global platforms.

Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney

While speaking with NPR, the Girls Trip actor meticulously discussed Black Gen X women celebrities, and her stance on this matter is prevalent in movies like A Different World, Jason’s Lyric, Menace II Society, and Set It Off. The actor said that she wanted to connect to those who have experienced the same as her early days because she thinks they were really invisible.

SUGGESTEDTwo Burglars Reportedly Broke into Jada Smith’s LA Home, She Scared Them So Bad Even the Cops Couldn’t Find Them Jada Smith Speaks on the Strength of...

There’ll be some happy holidays on Prime Video in December, as the streamer’s seasonal offerings hope to keep the fires warm in your home this month!

As such, there are quite a few new original holiday movies coming to the service. At the beginning of the month, Eddie Murphy stars in Candy Cane Lane. In this film, the Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America star plays a determined man who is willing to go above and beyond to win the annual Christmas home decoration contest in his neighborhood – even if it means making a very magical deal.

The DC universe will also be getting festive in December thanks to Merry Little Batman, an animated feature that sees Batman’s son, Damian Wayne, stumble upon a villainous plot on Christmas eve, one that may give him a chance to save the day when his dad isn’t around.

With its list of new releases for July 2023, Prime Video is going to help you stay safe from the oppressive July sun.

Highlighting the Amazon Originals on the TV side this month are two heavy hitters. The first is The Horror of Dolores Roach on July 7. Based on a podcast of the same name, this series could best be described as a modern day Sweeney Todd? Why, you ask? Well you know why. Think about it. Then season 2 of Neil Gaiman adaptation Good Omens premieres on July 28. This season will follow angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tenant) as they seek to keep the Archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) away from both heaven and hell.

There aren’t any Amazon Original movies of note this month and that’s alright as the influx of library titles is more than enough. July 1 sees the arrival of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, No Country for Old Men,...

While summer starts in June, things truly heat up in July, and that includes all the hot new drops on streamers. Amazon’s Prime Video has refreshed its slate of content with over 60 new movies, like Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born” and the 1973 animated adaption of the children’s book “Charlotte’s Web.”

Prime Video kicks off the start of the month with Doug McHenry’s “Jason’s Lyric,” “Father of the Bride,” and “Little Nicky.”

Plus, if you’re a Reese Witherspoon fan, Prime Video sets you up with her very first film and her breakout role as Dani in “Man in the Moon.” And the entire “Legally Blonde” trilogy is also available, for those who bend and snap.

Prime Video is also giving watchers some ultimate film classics like “Free Willy,” ”Gladiator,” and “Dances With Wolves.”

Last but absolutely not least, Season 2 of “Good Omens” will land on...

Prime Video has adapted the one-woman podcast “Empanada Loca” into a new series. “The Horror of Dolores Roach” will begin streaming on the service on July 7. Buckle up, because this one is gruesome. Roach (Justina Machado) returns to a gentrified Washington Heights after a long prison sentence and works as a masseuse in the basement of a friend’s empanada shop. But when her security is threatened, Roach is driven to extremes to survive.

Watch “The Horror of Dolores Roach” trailer:

Season 2 of “Good Omens” also will premiere on Prime Video in July. Arriving July 28, the series focuses on the friendship between Aziraphale (Michael Sheen), a fussy angel and rare-book dealer, and the snarky demon Crowley (David Tennant). While the Apocalypse has been averted, the pair are back living their lives in London, until the archangel Gabriel shows up. The series is based on the novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

Exclusive: Hollywood is littered with great scripts that never made it to the screen.

But a new podcast is offering writers a fresh chance for their story to be discovered. Table Read will give listeners the chance to discover never-before-heard scripts from industry players and award-winning talent.

Each episode features actors, comedians, musicians and influencers performing scripts from established writers and producers including The Vampire Diaries writer Sonny Postiglione, Bobby Smith Jr., writer of Jada Pinkett Smith-fronted film Jason’s Lyric, Peter Lefcourt, who wrote on Desperate Housewives and Pearse Lehane, who wrote on HBO’s Spanish drama series The Head.

The scripts, previously accessible only to studio heads and top agents, are brought to life each week by these showrunners, engineers and directors.

Table Read comes from exec producers Jack Levy, who produced iHeartMedia’s Kelsey Grammer-voiced series The Lower Bottoms, former MTV exec Mark Knell and Shaan Sharma,...

Prime Video has no shortage of shows or movies arriving in September. The biggest new show on the block for Amazon Studios is “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” which is a prequel based on the work of J.R.R. Tolkien that’s set thousands of years before the events of “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings.” Several new 2022 films will be available on the streamer as well: including Channing Tatum’s “Dog,” Michael Bay’s “Ambulance,” Zac Efron’s “Firestarter,” Dylan O’Brien’s “The Outfit,” and more.

Noteworthy library titles arriving this month include “Fight Club” (1999), “Legally Blonde” (2001) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991).

Here’s everything new on Amazon Prime Video and Freevee in September.

Also Read:

Here’s What’s Leaving Netflix in September 2022 September 1

American Ninja Warriors S12-13 (2022)

Friday Night Lights S1-5 (2007)

Texicanas (2019)

Wags Miami S1-2 (2022)

21 Grams (2004)

23:59 (2011)

A Family Thing...

With its list of new releases for September 2022, Prime Video is finally unveiling the most anticipated (and expensive) series in the streamer’s history.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will arrive to Prime Video’s servers on Sept. 2, 2022. This Lord of the Rings prequel, set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Second Age, is in many ways the kind of TV property that Prime Video must have always wanted. It’s certainly the TV property most fitting with the company’s largesse and riches. The Rings of Power will cover the creation of the titular rings and many important events from Tolkien’s lore (condensed into a more TV-appropriate timeframe).

Middle-earth is going to be the happening spot on Amazon and the streaming world at large this month, but Prime Video does have a handful of other originals for the fantasy-phobic. Flight/Risk, a documentary about the Boeing 737 Max design disasters,...

Jussie Smollett acknowledged his legal difficulties Thursday at a Harlem premiere screening for his gay romantic drama “B-Boy Blues,” expressing gratitude for finishing his feature directorial debut despite his personal issues.

“Sometimes we all go through things, you know, but what I know for sure is I am so… if I don’t know nothin’, I know how blessed I am,” Smollett said in his first major public appearance since receiving a five-month prison sentence in March for lying to Chicago cops about a racist and homophobic 2019 attack. “I know how grateful I must be. It is not up for debate. I must be grateful. To the universe, to God, to our ancestors, whoever you want to believe it is.”

The former “Empire” acknowledged the challenges of making the film — based on the bestselling 1994 novel of the same name from author James Earl Hardy, who co-wrote the script along with Smollett.

All products and services featured by IndieWire are independently selected by IndieWire editors. However, IndieWire may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Black romance in movies has evolved since the days of “Porgy and Bess,” “Carmen Jones,” or “Claudine,” but it’s safe to say that the ’90s and 2000s marked a particularly sweet spot for the genre. To celebrate romance movies that helped shape the perception of Black love onscreen in the last 25 years, we put together a list of seven essential films that you can stream on Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Hulu.

See our roster of Black romance movies below, and for more recommendations be sure to read our monthly Criterion Collection picks and Spike Lee movies to watch.

“Love Jones”

Where to Stream: Amazon Prime

“Love Jones” is quintessential viewing for lovers of Black romance films.

Suzzanne Douglas has died at the age of 64. On July 6, The Parent 'Hood star's cousin, Angie Tee, confirmed the news in a statement on Facebook. "Suzzanne Douglas a beautiful and talented actress made her transition today. She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all over the world. This beautiful soul was my cousin," she said. "I can remember growing up, there weren't very many black actresses who had starring roles but there was my cousin with the lead role in Tap starring alongside great dancers such as Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. She also performed with Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg in How Stella Got Her Groove Back. The Inkwell, Jason's Lyric and so much more the list goes on."

While Suzzanne got her start in the 1981 TV film Purlie, it was her NAACP Image Award-winning role as Amy Simms in 1989's Tap that served as a breakout in her career.

Suzzanne Douglas, best known to TV audiences for her starring role as Jerri Peterson on the 1990s sitcom The Parent ‘Hood, has died at the age of 64, TVLine has confirmed.

Douglas’ death was first announced Tuesday in a Facebook post by her cousin, Angie Tee. “A beautiful and talented actress made her transition today,” she said. “She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all over the world… The world will miss your talent but your soul will live on forever.”

More from TVLineNAACP Image Awards 2020: black-ish, When They See Us, Greenleaf and Power Are Among TV WinnersCritics' Choice 2020: Fleabag,...

Suzzanne Douglas, best known for starring in the WB sitcom “The Parent ‘Hood” and in the 1989 dance drama “Tap,” died on Tuesday. She was 64.

“Suzzanne Douglas, a beautiful and talented actress, made her transition today,” her cousin Angie Tee wrote on Facebook on Tuesday. “She warmed our hearts on movie screens and television sets all over the world. This beautiful soul was my cousin. I can remember growing up, there weren’t very many Black actresses who had starring roles but there was my cousin with the lead role in ‘Tap’ starring alongside great dancers such as Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. She also performed with Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg in ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back.’ ‘The Inkwell,’ ‘Jason’s Lyric’ and so much more, the list goes on. The world will miss your talent but your soul will live on forever. Rest in Paradise, my beautiful cousin Suzzane,...

Bokeem Woodbine is not an actor you'd necessarily expect to see on Fargo, a very good FX series that happens to be rural and midwestern and therefore very white. And the role is not one you'd expect Woodbine to fill. He plays an Afro'd Kansas City mob enforcer with a stereotypically Irish name, Mike Milligan, who travels with two mute henchmen known as the Kitchen Brothers. Starting with his breakout performances in films like Jason's Lyric and HBO's Strapped, Woodbine often played brooding or hot-tempered men who carry guns — mostly criminals, some cops — so that aspect of his Fargo performance isn't new. But everything else is. Mike Milligan is not merely a criminal, but a Coen-esque eccentric who happens to be involved in criminal activities. He has a singsong way of speaking that Woodbine has termed "Milliganese.""Isn't that a minor miracle, given the state of the world today...

40 Actors And Actresses We Love40 Actors and Actresses We LoveWith the Academy Awards announced this morning, all eyes are fixed on Hollywood. Even though no Black actors and actresses were nominated this year, we take a moment to honor 40 actresses and actors we love. Their work has made us laugh, made us cry, allowed us to step away from the pressures of our day-to-day lives, and taught us more about ourselves and our culture. Check out who made our list. Who would you add?Jennifer HudsonFavorite role: Effie White in "Dreamgirls." Won Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in 2007.Halle BerryFavorite role: Leticia Musgrove in "Monster's Ball." Won Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2002.Jamie FoxxFavorite role: Ray Charles in "Ray." Won Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in 2005.Nia LongFavorite role: Nina Mosley in "Love Jones.

"I look for someone who is calm, someone who is strong enough to not have to win every argument, someone who allows a woman to be her crazy self and someone with a conscience not to feel less of a man. You know, someone who is able to honor his woman but also bring out the freak in his woman. Just being super aggressive when the time is right."

-Hip-hop Rookie of the Year and MTV News Woman of the Year Finalist Nicki Minaj, explaining what she considers her perfect man. In a deep and revealing cover interview with King magazine, Minaj talked about her background, her personal life and her future career aspirations. In fact, Minaj told the magazine that she is hoping to get into acting eventually — but only if the roles are right. "I'd like to just play a regular girl who, you know, is facing the world,...

It's the start of Week 3 of shooting on Vampire Diaries Renfield in Houston, Texas, and Renfield himself, Phil Nichols, sent over a batch of new stills -- and a pretty cool lobby card -- for the film.

Along with Nichols (who also wrote the screenplay), the stars include Julin (Boggy Creek, Cherry Bomb), Denise Williamson (Boggy Creek, Cherry Bomb), Cory Hart (Boggy Creek, Stop Loss), Shelley Boozer (Bloodsucking Babes from Burbank, Toxic), Mel House (writer/director of Walking Distance, Possum Walk), Paul Damon (Walking Distance), Joe Grisaffi (Zombiefied, Walking Distance, Pirates of the Caribbean), Tyler Tackett (Possum Walk), and Keli Wolfe (Possum Walk).

Creature and make-up FX are being handled by Nichols (talk about multi-tasking!) and Facades FX (Boggy Creek, Walking Distance, Ace Ventura II, Powder, Jason's Lyric, S.I.C.K.: Serial Insane Clown Killer), and the director is Bob Willems (S.I.C.K.: Serial Insane Clown Killer).

Synopsis:

R.

It's been over a year since we've heard anything about the indie vampire film Vampire Diaries Renfield (whose title used to be Bram Stoker’s Vampire Diaries), but Poison Apple Films just sent over the full cast list and the news that principal photography is beginning on February 18th in Houston, TX.

The stars include Julin (Boggy Creek, Cherry Bomb), Denise Williamson (Boggy Creek, Cherry Bomb), Cory Hart (Boggy Creek, Stop Loss), Shelley Boozer (Bloodsucking Babes from Burbank, Toxic), Mel House (writer/director of Walking Distance, Possum Walk), Paul Damon (Walking Distance), Joe Grisaffi (Zombiefied, Walking Distance, Pirates of the Caribbean), Tyler Tackett (Possum Walk), Keli Wolfe (Possum Walk), and Renfield's screenwriter Phil Nichols (Powder, Walking Distance, Boggy Creek, S.I.C.K.: Serial Insane Clown Killer).

Creature and make-up FX will be handled by Phil Nichols and Facades FX (Boggy Creek, Walking Distance, Ace Ventura II, Powder, Jason's Lyric,...

"Urban" cinema tends to mean black cinema or cinema reflecting a "Ghetto" experience often from a youthful perspective. So I will that as a rough guide and then narrowing it down to crime related and violent features I'm going to look at some of the best from this "Genre", if it can really be called a genre.

1. La Haine (1995) Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz

La Haine is arguably the best "Urban" film ever made, certainly the most politically charged and the one with the most impacting ending. French Jewish director Mathieu Kassovitz may have gone on to make the crappy Gothica, but in 1995 he made the best film of the year. So the top film on my list is not American as you would expect, but French. In fact as far as I am aware, a decade after its release the film which took won best director and was nominated for...