Year: 2018

“Black Panther” (2018). Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Sterling K. Brown, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis, Martin Freeman, John Kani, Atandwa Kani, Ashton Tyler, Denzel Whitaker. Director: Ryan Coogler. Screenplay: Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole. Source Material: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Web site. Trailer. Can a good man truly lead without being corrupted by the power that comes with it? History is certainly replete with plenty of examples to the contrary, and, in an age where widespread greed and self-serving attitudes sometimes seem ubiquitous, the question takes on added significance. That’s why it’s so important to have role models who seek to live up to that ideal, an example of which provides a central theme in the new action-adventure, “Black Panther.” In the latest offering from Marvel Studios, audiences witness the adventures of T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), king of the mythical African nation of Wakanda, a technologically advanced society shrouded from the outside world, a kind of high-tech Shangri-La. When T’Challa unexpectedly assumes the throne after the untimely assassination of his father, T’Chaka (John Kani), the young monarch must grow up fast. But, as an idealistic leader, ...

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, tomorrow, March 7, at 12:45 pm ET, available by clicking here. And, if you don’t hear it live, catch it later on demand!  ...

Reviews of “Annihilation,” “The Party” and “Loveless,” as well as an Oscar wrap-up, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here.       ...

With this year’s Academy Awards ceremony behind us, it’s time to take a look at how I did on my predictions for the winners in this annual competition, as first outlined in my previous blog, “Who Will Win This Year’s Oscars?”, posted on February 23. And the result? Five out of six correct calls, with one miss. Here are the details: Best Picture Projected Winner:  “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” Actual Winner:  “The Shape of Water” Result:  Missed call (sort of) This has become the most difficult category to call in recent years, largely because it’s been hard to discern the mind of the Academy voters. In years when it seems they’re going to play it safe, they go with something edgy and vice versa. This year, given all of the recent game-changing upheavals in the movie industry, and based on the results of many of this year’s previous awards competitions, it seemed as though voters were in a scrappy mood, which accounts for the many prior wins by “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” an outcome I believed would carry over into the Oscars. However, much to my surprise, on awards night, the statue went to “The Shape of Water,” a ...

“The Insult” (“L’insulte”) (2017). Cast: Adel Karam, Kamel El Basha, Camille Salameh, Diamond Bou Abboud, Rita Hayek, Talal Jurdi, Christine Choueiri, Julia Kassar, Carlos Chahine, Georges Daoud, Elie Njeim, Rifaat Torbey. Director: Ziad Doueiri. Screenplay: Ziad Doueiri and Joëlle Touma. Web site. Trailer. Oftentimes, when people quarrel, they’re not really debating about what they claim they’re arguing about. In many instances, there are issues beneath the surface that are the actual source of the conflict, most of which are far removed from the problem at hand. These proxy disputes provide a buffer against the real issue coming out, either because we don’t recognize the true root of the disagreement or because we’re not ready to deal with it. However, if genuine resolution is to come about, it’s imperative to cut through the clutter to get to the heart of the matter, an undertaking explored in the new Lebanese drama, “The Insult” (“L’insulte”). In a Lebanese Christian neighborhood of Beirut, a dispute arises when Yasser Salameh (Kamel El Basha), a Palestinian refugee contractor hired to fix building code violations, runs afoul of Toni Hanna (Adel Karam), a local resident, by repairing a faulty drain pipe extending from the occupant’s balcony. With ...

What were the best and worst movies of 2017? And which pictures will take home Academy Awards this weekend? Find out by listening to the latest edition of Choose Positive Living radio with Sara Troy and yours truly, available by clicking here ...