Politics and entertainment have always been entangled. Sometimes, it’s mockery with a message (Charlie Chaplin clowning on Adolph Hitler in The Great Dictator). Other times, it’s an attempt to expose a local cause to a larger public (the striking miners … Continue reading Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time
One of the most terrible things is that in fact, whether I like it or not, I am an American. —James Baldwin That line comes from the 1968 documentary from Horace Ové, Baldwin’s Ni**er, a provocatively titled conversation featuring one … Continue reading James Baldwin On-Screen
Taken as a whole, 2017 at the movies has left me somewhat dismayed. This is at least partly due, I think, to the overlong award season. With each passing year, this toxic notion of competition clouds the waters and does … Continue reading 2017: The Best So Far…
“The story of the Negro in America is the story of America. It is not a pretty story.” —James Baldwin By the time James Baldwin penned those words in 1979, the revolution had been lost. Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and … Continue reading I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO
Michael J. Cinema 