Interview: Director Ernest Dickerson on the 25th Anniversary of 'Juice'

25 years ago, Ernest Dickerson who was then an upcoming cinematographer made his mark on Black cinema with "Juice." With new talent including Omar Epps, Khalil Kahn and then newcomer Tupac Shakur, Dickerson crafted an iconic thriller about four young men from Harlem whose lives change dramatically as a result of one tragic decision. Over two decades later and with everything from "The Wire," to his forthcoming film "Double Play" under his belt, Dickerson took the time to chat with me about making "Juice" while looking back on his profound journey in the entertainment industry.

Aramide Tinubu: Hi Mr. Dickerson, thank you so much for speaking with me today.

Ernest Dickerson: Sure.

AT: Congratulations on the 25th anniversary of "Juice," it's a wonderful thing to celebrate. How did you come up with the film’s narrative, and how did you and Gerard Brown come together to write the film’s screenplay.

ED: Gosh it was so long ago. I remember I wanted to do a film noir through the eyes of a 16 or 17-year-old. We were horrified by how guns were becoming so prevalent among our youth. We first wrote "Juice" in the early 80's. It was almost eight years before we were finally able to make a movie.

AT: Oh Wow!

ED: In the middle of the ‘80s we started seeing the prevalence of guns coming up among kids, and how that seemed to be changing the whole landscape. We wanted to write a story about that. So, that's really how it started. And, you know, I had always wanted to do something about kids. You would see that they were spending all night out, and I said, you know, whatever they were into, there is an idea for a movie there. So, that was another part of the germination. So, it was quite a few things.

AT: Wonderful. Why did you decide to use relatively unknown actors for the four main roles? Juice really introduced Tupac Shakur; he wasn't Tupac as we know him, Khalil Kain, Omar Epps, and Jermaine Hopkins. You chose to grab people who actually weren't well known at the time. Why did you make that decision?

ED: I thought it would be more real. I didn't see any known actors ... any known, young, African-American actors in that age range who would be realistic in those roles. So, you definitely, you want to go out to unknowns. I have been saying that from the very beginning.

AT: Excellent, that makes sense. I know that with Tupac he auditioned with one of his friends, and he read for the role of Q originally, but then you had him come back and read for Bishop. What did you see in Tupac during that audition that made you feel like he could become Bishop?

ED: I think the main thing that got me is, all of the other actors that came in to audition for Bishop, they automatically went ballistic, but there was nothing behind their going ballistic. So, it was that, and you've got vulnerability, you know? There is a deep pain in the character of Bishop that Tupac understood. I mean, he brought that in Bishop.

'Power' Season 4, Episode 2 Recap: "Things Are Going To Get Worse"

Prison looks very rough on Ghost (Omari Hardwick). Injured from his violent encounter with the prison guards at the end of the season premiere, Ghost is now dealing with blood in his urine and a possible broken rib. Gone is the polished and well put together James St. Patrick that we’ve grown accustomed to over the past three seasons of this series. At home, Tasha (Naturi Naughton) is trying to reassure Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.) and Raina (Donshea Hopkins) of their father’s innocence, even though he won’t be home anytime soon. She also warns them to keep their family business to themselves and to NEVER refer to their father as Ghost. Tariq is insolent and rude, and he’s not trying to hear anything that his mother is saying.

Meanwhile, the sexual tension between Keisha (La La Anthony) and Tommy (Joseph Sikora) is building. Disturbed by the fact that Ghost hasn’t been granted bail, Keisha barges into Tommy’s loft to tell him she wants his and Tasha’s hands out of her business. Tommy tells her that he can’t have that, not with all eyes on Ghost and his associates. He assures Keisha that he has her back and that everything will work out in the end.

Back in prison, Proctor (Jerry Ferrara) visits Ghost in jail, he tells Ghost that his hands are tied until the prosecution shows their hand, but he also warns his client to suppress his baser self. Meanwhile, at work, Angela (Lela Loren) should be humiliated since her colleagues are discussing her sex life. In a back and forth split screen Proctor convinces Ghost and AUSA John Mak (Sung Kang) convinces Angela that neither of them can take the stand. The timeline and knowledge of their relationship hurts the Feds’ case and the love triangle between Ghost, Angela, and Greg (Andy Bean) would give Ghost a motive. Instead, John decides that he wants to go for Ghost, Tommy, and their entire drug empire.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

EBONY Magazine July/August 2017 : Oprah's OWN 'Queen Sugar'

Will Ghost Be Able to Pull Off the Performance of His Life? Recapping the ‘Power’ Season 4 Premiere

Ghost is living his worst nightmare. As “When I Get Out” opens, he finds himself being booked in prison. As he disrobes, he reflects back to all of the warnings Tommy and Tasha gave him about Angela. He realizes that every poor decision he’s made regarding her has led him to this moment and yet, he’s almost in disbelief.At the river, Sandoval is preparing to dispose of the gun he used to kill Greg Knox when he gets the call about Ghost’s arrest. This news changes his plans, and walks away from the river, with the gun still in his jacket pocket. Meanwhile, in some deep dungeon somewhere, Tommy goes to retrieve Keisha who has been in hiding since Milan put a hit out on her. The two exchange a look. Could it be something between them?

At her home, Tasha is still reeling from the news of Tariq’s kidnapping. Unable to get in contact with a now imprisoned Ghost she calls Tommy who orders Dre to find out where the boy is. Arriving at Kanan and Jukebox’s hideout, Dre strikes a deal with the volatile duo and their friend. He agrees to pay them $50,000 a week as long as they leave Tariq alone. Dre also tells them about Ghost’s arrest. The news leaves Kanan positively gleeful. When Dre brings Tariq home, he feeds Tasha and Tommy a ridiculous story that Tommy doesn’t believe. If you recall, Tommy and Tasha think Kanan is dead. However, Tariq’s twin sister Rena also knows Kanan’s face. Dre’s gonna die over this; it’s only a matter of time.

In jail, Ghost uses his phone call to contact his attorney Joe Proctor who seems to have his ish to deal with. Proctor tells Tasha about Ghost’s arrest. Proctor visits Ghost in jail, and he tells him he needs to embody James St. Patrick while imprisoned. Ghost has no place there. We also learn that the feds have Ghost's fingerprints and DNA. Though Ghost tries to hold it together as he awaits is the bail hearing, one of the guards played by the late Charlie Murphy has no patience for cop killers, and he begins the antagonization and mind games.

With Ghost’s bail hearing a day away, Tasha goes in search of clean money to bail him out only to learn that Ghost has wiped their accounts. She also finds the necklace that he brought Angela. In the midst of this, the feds appear at Tasha and Ghost’s penthouse with Angela in tow. (Homegirl has a lot of nerve.) Rena arrives home as the search warrant is being carried out and gives Angela a much-deserved dragging.

Out streets, Tommy announces that with Milan out of the picture, he is the new connect. He also informs the crew that Julio is the new distributor. Dre is pissed about the news and confronts Tommy. Tommy tells him Julio has been fam forever, and he also lets Dre know that he doesn't believe a word he was told about Tariq’s friend Slim. Tommy knows Dre isn’t to be trusted.

A Shadow and Act Sit-Down With Oprah Winfrey & the Cast of 'Queen Sugar'

Though we seem to be in what has been termed a new renaissance in Black film and television, some narratives stand above the others. One such series is Ava DuVernay’s “Queen Sugar.” Based on the 2014 novel by Natalie Baszile, “Queen Sugar” follows the previously estranged Bordelon siblings still reeling from their father’s death. Stubborn but ambitious Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner), Black Lives Matter activist and journalist Nova (Rutina Wesley), and single father and recent parolee Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe), must now contend with the immense responsibility of the sugar cane farm that they have inherited. Last season, the Oprah Winfrey-produced series, introduced us to these beloved characters and their home in Saint Josephine, Louisiana. We watched them try to deal with the pressures of their lives while learning to lean on one another. Ahead of the season two premiere, I flew to Los Angeles to chat with the cast and Ms. Winfrey about what’s to come when the Bordelons open their lives to us once again.

There has been nothing on television like “Queen Sugar” in recent years, which is why the audience response has been so astounding. Gardner explained the hunger for a series depicting the richness of Black life. She said, "I’ll never forget being in college at Julliard and one of my friends who was white; we were watching 'The Cosby Show' and I was like, 'God, isn’t 'The Cosby Show' so amazing?' He’s like 'Yeah it is, but I always just felt like aren’t they just tryna be white?' I remember just hearing that and being like, 'What did you just say?!' It was a realization that you don't know what happens in Black families, you don’t know what Black culture includes. And why would you know? Nothing is showing you. So it became this deep feeling of wanting there to be something that shares those truths and shares what is happening."

"Queen Sugar" has done an exemplary job when it comes to showcasing the many facets of Black life. For Ms. Winfrey, there is a lot to be proud of. She stated, “Everything makes me proud about it. First of all to be able to do it, to have a show that reflects so deeply who we are as a race and as a culture. To represent what I call the Southern values from which nearly all of us have come. Even if you are were born in the North or raised in the West, you have some kind of root there. From the moment Ava said, 'I think I found Vi’s house.' The fact that this cast came together the way that it did, it feels like it is of divine design for me. As Ava has said many times, she doesn’t cast just for character; she casts for spirit. So there is a spiritual vibe that is showing up on the screen. I could cry right now just thinking about it, I really could. the second season we go further and deeper; the connection to family and what you see happening with all of them, it’s a beautiful thing to see, it’s just a beautiful thing to accomplish, and I feel grateful for everything. It’s the little things. We are individual and unique and expressive. What the show represents is that we are also whole. We may be flawed, but there is also a depth of wholeness there that keeps us connected and together. It’s everything!"

Still, those intricacies that Ms. Winfrey is so moved by aren’t by accident. Since her breakout film, "Middle of Nowhere," Ava DuVernay has enraptured us with her stories about Black life, and all of the small nuances that composite who we are as human beings. I asked the cast what DuVernay brings to "Queen Sugar" that makes it so unique, and they were all thrilled to sing her praises. Gardner discussed DuVernay's ability to hone into the truth. She explained, “I think that one of Ava’s genius abilities is her absolute ownership of her authenticities. It is really the primary quality that she walks in the world with, and I feel like 'Queen Sugar' is an expression of that. It’s an expression of that primary vein of a culture, or what happens in a backyard, or what happens around a dinner table in a living room. That carries an intention behind that. I know people who have come to me and said that they feel healed by the show. I think that is Ava. That is an intention that she has for every single project that she spearheads. It’s not just for entertainment or fun. It’s absolutely socially driven. It’s absolutely tapping into what the need is and trying to meet it."

Siriboe, the 23-year old breakout star who embodies Ralph Angel explained DuVernay’s storytelling as a kind of call and response. He stated, “I just think Ava is 'Queen Sugar' personified. I feel like just her leadership and her deliberateness, she knows exactly what she wants to say and how she wants to say it. She’s not afraid to be like Nova where she explores, and she receives, and I think that’s what “Queen Sugar” does. It’s a give and take. We talk to the audience, they talk to us back. I meet so many people on the streets who tell me how the show affects them and that’s what I take and think about when I’m working on set. I feel like that’s Ava. She’s talking to the world, and they are talking back, and she’s doing that with 'Queen Sugar.'"

Wesley who portrays the fearless but often conflicted Nova suggested, “Ava knows how to get people talking. And listening too, because she will give you a slightly different perspective or a slightly different reality than something that you thought you knew. Then, you see it a different way, and that's our hope, to spark a dialogue and to speak truth to power, and I feel like Ava really does it in a way that one wants to listen and engage and not feel put upon. Sometimes you can watch a show or even the news and just feel beat over the head. I feel like with 'Queen Sugar' you just go, 'Here you go.' It’s warm, and it’s heartfelt, but it’s also messy and raw. It's in a way that you can really engage and listen, and I think that’s important and that starts with how she is as a person. She’s detailed, and she cares, and she comes from her heart with everything that she does, and that’s why you see heart on the screen. That’s because that’s her. She’s so open and warm, and that’s contagious.”

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Interview: Charles Burnett, Billy Woodberry on The LA Rebellion

In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s just after the Watts Riots in Los Angles and the Civil Rights Movement, a group of Black filmmakers entered school at UCLA. In response to the Blaxploitation films that were saturated in Hollywood, over the course of the next twenty years, these students created a new type of cinema in response to the stereotypes about Black people that were being upheld in Hollywood’s studio system. They worked together as a collective supporting one another and creating stories that had a sense of Black Pride and dignity. Two of these students were Charles Burnett whose films“Killer of Sheep,”and “To Sleep With Anger” have forever changed the cinema landscape and Billy Woodberry whose film,“Bless Their Little Hearts”continues to be culturally and historically relevant. Both “Bless Their Little Hearts” and “Killer of Sheep” have been preserved by the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry.

Recently, at an apartment in Harlem, I sat down to speak with both Mr. Burnett and Mr. Woodberry about their iconic films, the period of the LA Rebellion and the state of cinema today.

Aramide Tinubu: Thank you so much for speaking with me and congratulations to the both of you of the 40th anniversary of “Killer of Sheep” and the digital restoration of “Bless Their Little Hearts.”

Charles Burnett: Thank you.

Billy Woodberry: No problem.

AT: “Killer Of Sheep” and “Bless Their Little Hearts” are part of the LA Rebellion which comes right after the Blaxploitation era in Hollywood. What inspired you both to make your films during this time and to go the independent route?

CB: I was in school just as Blaxploitation began to emerge. We got into film right after the Civil Rights Movement, so that was our motivation. It was to correct all of those strange narratives in Hollywood about our reality. I was at UCLA at the time, and when more Black students came into the department, it opened this dialogue, and we started trying to develop what Black film was a group. Most of us didn’t make our films through grants or anything like that because UCLA gave us all of the equipment. You just had to buy your own film and pay for the processing, and the rest was pretty much your own labor. It wasn’t this relationship between funder and director that you have now where they want to change things. So, we had total freedom in that regard, and now it’s a bit different. We were just trying to tell our stories, and we didn’t have any idea, at least I didn’t about how to market or distribute the films. I just felt that it would happen and that we would get the films out, but I never thought that I would male a living off of it. It was just something you did. I thought I would be working another job while doing this on the side. When other students of color came in, there was a collective idea of what we should be doing. But, it wasn’t until some period later that the idea of the LA Rebellion came about because we were reacting against the Hollywood tradition about Black stories.

BW: LA Rebellion was film scholar Clyde Taylor’s concept. He labeled it during the early ‘80s and it sort of just stuck. It took like twenty more years for it to become current.

AT: I know that you both worked together on “Bless Their Little Hearts,” how did that come about?

BW: It probably started because I was trying to meet Charles and get to know him and I had made a short movie.

AT: “The Pocketbook”?

BW: Yes, and the last scene in the movie, the shooting was not good, so he proposed that we should do it again, so we did that, and that was my first chance to really work with him. After that, we began to spend a lot of time talking, looking at movies, talking about books and driving around looking for locations and things like that. So, when it was time for me to propose my thesis project, I was looking around and trying to adapt books and things like that but then Charles told me he had the story, and that’s how it happened. He knew the things I claimed to be interested in so he challenged me; he wanted to see if I could make these things meaningful and make sense. We just ended up putting it together, but he worked with a lot of people. Usually what would happen is that we worked on each other's films, that’s how we learned. That’s how we gained trust.

AT: That makes sense.

BW: When we first started “Bless Their Little Hearts” we had a lot of crew. But eventually they had to go make their own films, and they had to do other things, but we had a substantial crew to start with.

CB: That’s the only way you can make films by depending on other people.

BW: I’m gonna expose , he didn’t want to ask them. He just didn’t; he felt like it would be challenging. So he did a lot of it by himself. (Laughing)

CB: At UCLA you had to get a few people from the department, so that was an ongoing thing. But, it was a good time. I’m certainly glad we came along at that time versus now.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Interview: Director Stella Meghie, Anika Noni Rose & Amandla Stenberg on 'Everything, Everything'

YA films are all the rage right now. From "Twilight" to "The Hunger Games," millennials head to the theaters in droves to see themselves represented on the big screen. However, unless they are relegated to bit parts or sidekicks, young people of color, specifically Black women are rarely ever seen in these type of films. Stella Meghie's "Everything, Everything" changes all of that. Adapted from the gorgeously written novel by Nicola Yoon, "Everything, Everything" follows Maddy (Amandla Stenberg), an imaginative 18-year-old who is unable to leave the protection of the hermetically-sealed environment within her house and her physician mother (Anika Noni Rose) because of an illness. That all changes when Olly (Nick Robinson) moves into the house next door.

Recently, I got the opportunity to chat with Stella Meghie, Anika Noni Rose and Amandla Stenberg about the film, why it's so important and what we'll see them in next.

Aramide Tinubu: Thanks so much for speaking with me today.

Stella Meghie: Of course, thanks for wanting to talk.

AT: How did find yourself in the director’s chair for this film? Had you read Nicola Yoon’s novel prior to learning about the film adaptation?

SM: No I hadn’t read the book. My agent sent me the script about a month after "Jean of the Joneses" premiered at SXSW. So I really actually didn’t read it very quickly. I was like, “I’m not about to jump into a studio film." I had another independent film that I wanted to do. But, one of my reps was like, “Did you read that script?” I was like, “I’ll do it this weekend.” I finally started reading it, and I was like, “You know what, I love this.” I looked Nicola Yoon up and learned more about her book, and I was really really peaked about everything she stands for. Then I read the book, and I just loved the book because it just had so many layers to it and just so many tones. In a way, I could see my own tone going into it. So, I ended up saying I really would love to pitch for this. A week later I was in LA pitching for it and I got the job two weeks later.

Anika Noni Rose: I had not read the novel actually, which is funny for me because I'm a pretty avid reader and I read a lot of YA, and somehow I missed it, I don't know how. But I got a call from saying we're doing this film, and I had been given the script, and I thought the script was really lovely and a lovely way to see a young Black girl and her mother.

AT: It really is.

ANR: That's so rare, especially in that type of a relationship. And to see her in that type of a life space, that I just thought that was really exciting and moving. That was really what brought me to it. Then she told me Amandla was in it. That was it for me; I really love Amandla.

Amandla Stenberg: I received the script. When I received it, I kind of assumed it was for a white girl just because I saw that it was young adult and a romantic film featuring a male lead who was white, so I assumed it was some kind of mistake or something, that I had gotten it in my inbox. Also, it's very rare for me to receive projects that are specifically written for Black girls. It took me a moment to realize that this was a project that was intentionally made for a biracial girl in the lead. When I saw that it was kind of a no-brainer. I mean it's so rare to see roles like this and just do projects like this on the big screen. I saw how important and powerful it would be to play this character and this representation on screen that I don't think we've really seen before in this way.

AT: Fantastic! I know that young adult stories are really popular right now, but there are no many with young Black girls at the center. So Stella what was you vision coming into this film? I know you had Nicola’s book as a guide, but what did you want people to see on screen?

SM: I think what I found interesting about the book was the tone and for me when I was reading it, it was really this Grimm’s Tale. It was really like this dark fairytale. I really didn't see it as a grounded story. Even though there is no fantasy in Nicola’s book, I thought it had a kind of magical quality to it, and I thought that was interesting because you don’t get to see a young Black actress in that kind of role. I really brought that dark fairytale magic to it that if you see the movie, you get to see more of. It’s a little bit of an unorthodox telling of a YA novel. It was definitely something you haven’t seen someone like Amandla Stenberg in.

AS: These projects don't really exist so when they do come to fruition and are widely distributed across the entire world everyone gets to see a Black girl carrying a film that is not necessarily made just for a target Black audience and is not about race. They get to see a Black girl existing, and I think that's one of the most powerful things, the humanization of Black people, the representation of Black people in media. I think when something like that comes out, it can change people's perspectives on life.

AT: In the story, Maddy and Ollie are able to communicate because of technology. How did you bring technology into the film in the beautiful pop-art way that it’s portrayed in the trailer? How did you decide that was how you wanted to incorporate it?

SM: I thought it was really important to portray technology as somewhat seamless in the film. I think sometimes you see films that weigh a lot on tech and it takes the lead in the film in a way and makes it more of a feature. So, I think if you’re young and you’ve grown up with cell phones and iPads and all of these things, it’s just something that is a part of your life. I wanted it to feel like that in the film; I didn't want it to take away from what they were doing. I wanted it to be seamless in the way that they were getting to know each other. There’s a lot of texting in the book, and I didn’t think that would work onscreen. So, I ended up changing that, and that’s some of the way I brought in the fantasy to the movie. Some of the conversations when they’re texting; they’re in the same room, but I used a lot of sound cues to let you know that they are texting and not actually in the same room together. So for me, that was a way to get these kids in the same room and keep the chemistry brewing and making sure the technology was not an impediment to the viewer of getting to know them.

AT: Like we were saying before there aren’t many YA films or books with people of color at the center, and there also aren’t many love stories. There are the staples like "Love & Basketball" or Gina Prince Bythewood's "Beyond the Lights."

SM: "Love Jones."

AT: Exactly, that’s ’97, so it’s twenty years old at this point. So why is it important to tell stories like this with Black women at the center of them?

SM: It's important to show Black women as whole human beings, and part of that is showing them being loved and loving others and that’s often something that is not shown. Usually, it’s about a larger struggle or not necessarily a romantic story, and for me, that’s paramount because Black women deserve to be loved and we deserve to love others and to be shown doing that.

ANR: I think it's really important for them to know that it's okay to be soft, it's okay to have love in their lives, that it's okay to be imaginative. These are never words that are ascribed to us. This film proves that all those things that are okay, even though the circumstances are different than any child would definitely be dealing with. It's saying that even in the worst circumstances it's okay for you to live in these worlds. I think that is a beautiful thing and a wonderful message, and so many of us did and do, but we would never verify it, you know what I mean?

AT: Of course.

ANR: It was never shown to us as normal, it was never said that it was okay. Generally, if you lived in a whimsical genie world, somebody would be calling you out of your mind somehow. Not necessarily in the past, but as something other than what you are, or questioning who you are, or the veracity of who you are as a Black girl. I think it's very important for us to say that this too is our truth.

AT: Definitely. Stella, how did you get the cast together? Was Amandla already attached to the project? Was Anika already signed on or did you seek out these two women specifically?

SM: Everyone was on my mind. Amandla when we met she’s just so poised and intelligent and insightful, and when she auditioned, it was very obvious that she was bringing a special level of depth to this role. We were all really excited to work with her. Nick, I’d known his work, and I thought he would ground Olly and Anika I was just a huge admirer of, and I wanted to work with her. I thought she would really bring a strength and a warmth to the role in equal measure. So I got lucky with people I really thought would do a great job. I’d just seen Ana on "Narcos" and I thought she was really funny and heartful and she really brought that to the role.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Review: Camilla Hall's 'Copwatch' Is an Incomplete Look at Policing the Police

These days any feelings of hope and promise that seemed to just recently ebb and flow within the Black community particularly in impoverished neighborhoods are long lost. Instead, pain appears to be the constant, pulsing through us all as we hear about new deaths and shootings and as we watch our Constitutional Rights continually get trampled over. We do not live in a time of optimism, but we do live in a time of action. In Camilla Hall’s “Copwatch,” we meet the men who have been policing the police, the ones who continually stand up for their fellow citizens while subjecting themselves to abuses by the boys in blue. Looking at police brutality from a different lens, “Copwatch” moves from Ferguson, Missouri, to Baltimore, Maryland, and Staten Island New York, following Kevin Moore, Ramsey Orta and Dave Whitt, the men who have made cop watching their profession. Brought together by Oakland native Jacob Crawford who has been documenting police incidents for decades, the men form the organization WeCopwatch. By following this group of men, filmmaker Hall explores the aftermaths of the deaths of Eric Garner, Freddie Gray, and Mike Brown in their communities while examining police brutality today.

In 2015, Baltimore native Kevin Moore captured Freddie Gray being beaten, arrested and dragged into police custody. Gray would never be seen alive again. When State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby promised to prosecute and convict the officers who were responsible for Gray's death, Moore was sure that he would be called to testify. He never was. No convictions were obtained, and the charges against the remaining officers were dropped. In the end, Moore was left feeling bamboozled and devastated just like many of us were throughout the country. His fellow cop watcher Dave Whitt lived in the Ferguson neighborhood where Mike Brown was massacred in the street. Though Whitt did not capture Brown’s death, he’s an active community member and pupil of Jacob Crawford who was taught his rights and how to properly cop watch. He has also continually rebuilt Brown’s memorial despite it being burnt to a crisp repeatedly. Hall follows these men as they move about their neighborhoods, documenting police encounters of their fellow citizen, but never really digging below the surface.

Still, perhaps the most engrossing subject of the entire film is Ramsey Orta, the young New Yorker who filmed the death of Eric Garner. It’s clear that Orta is no angel and though I wouldn’t personally put it past the NYPD to throw anything they had at Orta, Hall is not exactly clear about presenting him as he truly is. With quite a few drug related cases against him, partially a case for selling heroin, we never really get a true grasp on who Orta is. He’s vibrant and relatable on screen, and we sympathize with his plight, but Hall is only able to capture one particular facet of his persona.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act. 

'Underground' Season Finale Recap: Either You’re A Citizen Or A “Soldier”

All roads have been leading to the events that occur in the second season finale of Underground. As “Soldier” opens, one of John Brown’s men approaches Harriet Tubman’s hidden cabin. He speaks briefly with Harriet about plans for the attack on Harper’s Ferry which includes arming slaves on surrounding plantations. Though Harriet agrees with the risky but bold endeavor, she is shocked by Brown's invitation to participate.

In Ohio, Daniel sits with Elizabeth, Noah, Georgia and Rosalee asking for aid in rescuing his family in Kentucky. Once they realize that Daniel was blinded with lye as punishment for teaching his fellow enslaved people how to read, everyone is on board with the escape plan. Elizabeth and Noah, in particular, are looking for a fight, while Rosalee and Georgia reluctantly agree.

Getting together a group of abolitionists and some of John Brown’s men, Elizabeth and Noah come up with a plan to attack the plantations surrounding Daniel’s as a distraction in order to covertly steal away his family and friends. It’s going to be a tough rescue because of Daniel’s infant child. The team decides in order for the plan to work; they have to be back across the river in five hours tops.

Meanwhile, Cato seems to have slithered away from Patty Cannon and her gang for a moment. We find him in a room with some random redheaded white woman; it’s clear Cato has been plotting and planning. As he helps the woman get dressed, he coaches her into calling herself, Patty Cannon. What are you up to Cato?

Down South, August and Ernestine have made it back to Georgia. August arrives at his home, and we learn that both his wife and Jay, his trusted slave have died. We can only assume that his son is somewhere still hospitalized. Seeing his despair, Ernestine offers him some of her devil’s potion. He indulges, and after he passes out, Ernestine escapes through the vast cotton fields toward the Macon Plantation. When August finally catches up to her standing in front of the big house, the two look on stunned. There is nothing there, only bits of burnt wood where the commanding structure once stood. Later, Ernestine awakens to see August holding a gun to his head. She tells him it's time that he forgives himself for the horrible things he's done.

Up in Ohio, Rosalee finds James playing solitaire in the front of Georgia’s safe house. He and his big sister have a heart to heart. While James is a realist and doesn’t expect to see his mama again, Rosalee tries to tell him otherwise. They have a quiet moment of comfort while James lays his head on Rosalee's swollen belly, feeling the kicks of her unborn child.

Later in their bedroom, Rosalee and Noah still aren’t talking. Dressed in her nightgown, the heavily pregnant Rosalee helps Noah pack for his mission to get Daniel’s kin. She asks him to please return safely. She tries to explain to him that everything she did once finding out she was pregnant was done out of fear. Noah seems to understand this, but he’s still pissed. He tells Rosalee that he wants to forgive her; he just doesn’t know if he can.

Over the river in Kentucky, Noah, Elizabeth, and the crew are moving quickly between the three plantations. Though Noah gets Daniel's sleeping baby out, one of the plantation masters unties himself and holds a house girl hostage. While the men deliberate about what to do, Elizabeth takes matters into her own hands and blows the master’s head off. Elizabeth is tired y’all, and she’s done playing. Though the group eventually reaches Daniel and his family, they must arm themselves and fight their way back across the river. Many including Noah and Elizabeth do make it back to Ohio, but their victory is not without major bloodshed.

In the midst of all of this, there is trouble at Georgia’s. Patty Cannon has come to collect her Black Rose, and she’s started shooting up the place to work her way in. Though Georgia and the fellas hold her off for some time, she eventually gets in the house. While all of this is occurring, Rosalee who is now in labor grabs James and begins running through the house’s hidden tunnels. However, Cato has mastered the tunnels and finds her. Thinking quickly after seeing Cato, Rosalee and James barricade themselves into the kitchen, and an awestruck James looks on as his sister gives birth.

While Rosalee is laboring, Cato approaches Patty Cannon with evidence of Harriet’s hideout. Leaving her men behind, Patty, Cato and the biographer Mr. Donahue set out to capture Harriet. It’s then that Cato’s plot is revealed. After blowing Patty’s brains out (good riddance), Cato explains to a bewildered Donahue that Patty’s mistake was that she believed in her own legend. He also tells him that he will be leading Patty’s gang from now on. (If you recall, he already has a new Patty.) Cato explains to Donahue that he needs to deliver Black Rose to the men in order to gain their respect. He thinks that most men are just looking for a master anyway.

Continue reading at ESSENCE.com.

Interview: Djimon Hounsou

Since his breakout role in Steven Spielberg's 1997 film "Amistad," Benin-born actor Djimon Hounsou has been a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. With two Academy Award nominations under his belt, a vast and diverse resume that includes everything from "Gladiator" to "Furious 7", Hounsou brings depth and compassion to every role that he's cast in. In his most recent film, "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword," Hounsou stars alongside Charlie Hunnam in Guy Ritchie's take on the Medieval fantasy epic and legend of Excalibur. In the film, Hounsou portrays Bedivere one of Arthur's key advisors who becomes a Knight of the Round Table once Arthur takes the throne.

Recently, at a quiet hotel in downtown New York City over cappuccinos, I chatted with Mr. Hounsou about "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" his career trajectory, returning to Benin, his directorial aspirations, and what's next.

Aramide Tinubu: “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword” is a stunning film to watch. You’ve done a ton of epics prior to this film including “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “The Legend of Tarzan” among others, so why was “King Arthur” different?

Djimon Hounsou: “King Arthur” is everybody’s story. That’s why it’s so different. It’s every man’s story. In essence, this portrayal of King Arthur is even better because we get to see his journey. Nobody does anything by themselves; nobody becomes King by themselves. In the film, we can see how instrumental some of the knights were in helping him achieve that legacy.

AT: What was the most challenging aspect of making this film? Guy Ritchie throws in so may different elements in this movie.

DH: Well I think the most challenging aspect had to be Guy Ritchie himself. He’s a force to be reckoned with, and he’s a dynamic director and storyteller. He’s very animated to the point where he can just give you the scene. He has to know what he wants and where he is going with this story. So, that helped, but it was a complete surrender to his directions. (Laughing) I was obviously confused at times while were making it.

AT: The non-linear timeline in the film insane!

DH: Absolutely. It was foggy, and I didn’t know where I was for the most part but at the same time I completely surrendered to Guy Ritchie. When you hear that Guy Ritchie is attached to a story, you think, “Ooh, that’s going to be an interesting story.” That’s the notion you get when you hear his name.

AT: He’s an auteur.

DH: Yes. He’s becoming such an iconic director because when you see a film, you can say, “That’s Guy Ritchie’s style.” But, at the same time, I’m not sure if he has a style.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act. 

Interview: 'Greenleaf's Deborah Joy Winans

It has been a whirlwind season thus far for the Greenleaf family and their sprawling Memphis megachurch, Calvary. The return of their eldest daughter Grace (Merle Dandridge) last year, turned their world upside down, so much so that the Greenleaf family tree split at the root. Jacob (Lamman Rucker) left the fold to begin his new career with long-time rival church Triumph, while Grace has been steadfast in her desire to seek vengeance against her Uncle Mac (GregAlan Williams). And yet, more than any other character this season, the youngest Greenleaf sibling, Charity Greenleaf-Satterlee has had to find her footing. With the loss of a baby and her marriage coming to a screeching halt, Charity has had to find her inner strength and truly blossom this season. Determined to step into her own, she’s had to make some extremely tough decisions while forging a new path for herself. Recently, I spoke with Deborah Joy Winans who plays Charity about her character's stunning arc. We discussed her character's choices, Winans' apprehension towards singing, that insane mid-season finale and where we’ll find the newly-single Charity once "Greenleaf" returns this summer.

Aramide Tinubu: Let’s talk about the origins of “Greenleaf.” What was that like getting the call that you booked the series?

Deborah Joy Winans: Oh my goodness! I received the call that I got the part while I was walking from Trader Joe's on Vine, between Sunset and Hollywood. I literally was in the middle of the street crying my eyes out. Anytime you've worked so hard for something, and you set a high goal, and then for something to come through in that sort of way, it does something for your soul. I was in tears. My brother, my sister and my husband were there. We just hollered in the street. We danced. We did it all.

AT: How wonderful! Knowing who you family is and your background with gospel music, were you at all apprehensive about "Greenleaf's" subject matter since there are so many different layers to the story surrounding the Black church?

DJW: I think that I knew that I was supposed to do it because of how everything came about. I think anytime we talk about church or talk about people's faith or talk about anything that may seem taboo, everyone is apprehensive. I think everybody is sort of, "How far do we go, how much do we pull back?" There is always a constant checking and re-checking. There is a “What do we write? How does this work?” My hat goes off to the writers for being able to find all these nuances and all of these layered stories for these characters, that the audience can relate to. And, they can also feel the drama that is TV. They can read between the lines. I think that we all care so much about how people receive that we work hard to make sure it comes across as sincere and true and authentic.

AT: Though Charity is a singer, and your family is so huge in the singing world, I read that you have never been passionate about it. Have you grown more fond of singing because of your character or is acting your true passion?

DJW: Oh yeah, I've never loved singing. (Laughing) I have never loved it; I never wanted to do it. I love my family, I love their music, I'm a total fan, but singing was never anything that I loved to do. Acting has been my goal since I was a child. My parents would take us to double feature movies on the weekends, and I would just point at the screen and tell them that that's what I wanted to do. That's what I pursued, I went to college, and I got my BFA at Wayne State University in Detroit where I'm from, “313 stand up!” (Laughing) Then I moved to LA, got my MFA from Cal Arts and just continued to pursue it. There were a lot of times where it seemed like it wouldn't happen or it couldn't happen, a lot of times where I had doubt and wondered, "God is this where you've called me to be?" But, once you prepare, you work hard, and then you surrender the rest to God. I think once I got to that point of surrendering the rest to God and I said: "Look, if this is what you want me to do God, I feel like I've done my part, you have to open the door." That's what he did.

Sparks Fly in Tonight's 'Greenleaf' Mid-Season Finale

The first half of the second season of “Greenleaf” has been a rollercoaster ride, to say that least. Though the series centers around a Black mega church and the family at the heart of it, it also tackles subjects like sexual abuse, infidelity, corruption and sexuality. Unfortunately, these are topics that the Black church has traditionally shied away from discussing, choosing instead to ignore things or sweep them under the rug entirely. As a firm believer of opening up about pain in order to heal it, I believe that OWN and “Greenleaf” have created a platform through art and entertainment for these ideas, thoughts, and values to be expressed and discussed. “Greenleaf” not only gives a holistic representation of the Black church and the people within those communities, but it often portrays people with issues that might prevent them from actually attending church. Grace Greenleaf (Merle Dandridge) anchors the series. Returning home after her sister Faith commits suicide, she tried the to find the proper path to take down her Uncle Mac (Gregory Alan Williams) who sexually abused Faith. Unfortunately, Grace learns that Faith wasn’t the only young girl that Mac abused. Despite the evidence mounted against him, she’s been unable to get any charges to stick. Blinded by rage and revenge, Grace who’d been finding her way back to the pulpit as a head preacher at the family’s Calvary Baptist Church seems to be losing her faith once more. Her anger and lack of belief continues to drive a wedge between herself and her parents, particularly her mother, Lady Mae (Lynn Whitfield).

Despite her outwardly poised disposition, Lady Mae has her own secrets and burdens to carry. Still deeply hurt by her own painful and abusive relationship with her father, Lady Mae can’t seem to see eye to eye with her eldest daughter. We also learned this season, that Lady Mae had an extramarital affair that isn’t as dead and buried as she had hoped. Though she thinks her husband, Bishop James Greenleaf (Keith David) is oblivious, the Greenleaf patriarch sees a lot more than he’s letting on. Things have been particularly precarious for Lady Mae since her ex- flame's son Aaron (William H. Bryant) moved into the Greenleaf mansion and snagged a postion at the church as their new attorney.

Though Bishop James always doted upon and indulged Grace, she has pushed him to his limit this season. As he struggles with a recent Parkinson’s diagnosis, he has yet to repair his deeply fractured relationship with his son Jacob (Lamman Rucker). After Grace’s arrival home, the tension between father and son was too much to bear. As a result, Jacob packed his family up, left the Greenleaf mansion and Calvary for a position at a rival church, Triumph. Since his move, Jacob has found himself in the clutches of fast-talking and conniving head pastor, Basie Skanks (Jason Dirden).

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

'Underground' Recap: Everyone Is Complicit In “Citizen”

In the ninth episode of the second season of Underground, we find ourselves in a sliding timeline of sorts. The episode opens with Elizabeth and Cato who now both dwell in Georgia’s boarding house. Cato and the rest of Patty Cannon’s Black men have infiltrated the safe house on her orders, and Cato spends his time memorizing trap doors, and passageways in the home. What he didn’t expect was to happen upon Harriet Tubman herself. Constantly alert and vigilant, Harriet can sense something just isn’t right with Cato, and she warns Georgia to keep a close eye on him.

Returning to Patty Cannon’s home late in the evening, Cato reports back to her about his findings. Though he only knows Harriet by the name Minty, he tries to tell Patty that he thinks he’s found the most notorious runaway of all time. Impatient and enraged, Patty doesn’t believe Cato. Instead, she tells him that he has three days to make his move. Cato chooses to buy more time and get closer to the women in the house by faking a suicide attempt and cutting his wrists.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s fear and anger has begun to morph into an untamable rage. It’s further ignited when one of the men who kidnapped her and tied her to a tree walks right into the boarding house, masquerading about getting a room. In response, Elizabeth slaps the hell out of him. Later while tending to Cato’s wounds, the two lament about fear, anger, and pain and Cato encourages Elizabeth to become the monster that she fears the most.

Taking Cato’s advice, Elizabeth sets her kidnapper’s home ablaze, not accounting for his son’s presence. Though she saves the boy and Cato saves her (we think), her actions have made her too dangerous in Georgia’s eyes. She tells Georgia, "We are all complicit as long as there is slavery in this country.” Sadden for her friend but having no other choice especially after seeing a badly hurt and burnt little boy, Georgia tells Elizabeth she must leave the boarding house.

Further South, Harriet has met Rosalee, Noah, and James in Virginia. Sadly, Cora did not make it to freedom; slave catchers murdered her on the way. With many miles still ahead of them on their journey, Noah is struggling with both his faith and the secrets that Rosalee has kept from him. Though she seems apprehensive about Rosalee’s man at first, Harriet levels with him. She asks him how he as a humble enslaved blacksmith knew he could lead the Macon 7 and make it 600 treacherous miles to freedom. That’s faith she says.

Interview: Kofi Siriboe Has Arrived

The first time I can recall seeing Kofi Siriboe’s face was when he starred as the menacing Flaco in Justin Tipping’s debut film, "Kicks.” In a narrative about inner city masculinity and the feelings of isolation and loneliness that often plague us during adolescence, Siriboe's Flaco radiated pain and rage. Amongst an entire cast of fresh-faced newcomers, he had clearly announced himself. Just a few months later, his face would be everywhere. Last summer, I was sent preview screeners for Ava DuVernay’s then highly-anticipated “Queen Sugar.” With a stoic gaze encapsulating grief and determination, Siriboe embodied author Natalie Baszile's, Ralph Angel Bordelon. He was transformed into a young father desperate to carve out a future for himself and his young son Blue, amidst the shackles that have choked formerly incarcerated Black men into submission. From the moment OWN began promoting the critically-acclaimed series with images of Siriboe dressed in all- white, seated next to Rutina Wesley and Dawn-Lyen Gardner who play his sisters, Nova and Charley respectively, it was clear that Siriboe had arrived in Hollywood. It’s been a whirlwind year, to say the least.

The second season of “Queen Sugar” is currently filming in New Orleans, Louisiana, but in the midst of a hectic shooting schedule, Kofi Siriboe and I took some time out to chat. For those of us looking from the outside in, it may appear that Siriboe was catapulted into the spotlight out of nowhere, but that's just not the case. The 23-year old chuckled when I referred to him as Oprah’s darling. He told me, “It didn't happen all at once. I didn't meet Oprah and Ava all at once. I met Ava first. A phone call came from Ava, and I got the job. Then I met Oprah at the table read, and we had an instant connection. But she's Oprah; I feel like she has that with everybody."

Still, it’s obvious that Ava DuVernay and Oprah Winfrey saw something magnetic in Siriboe. His Ralph Angel is an even more robust and fleshed out character than the one you’ll find in Baszile’s novel. With the Black Lives Matter Movement and our eroding judicial system in the background, Ralph Angel is trying to manage different facets of himself, while raising a little Black boy in the present-day South. When analyzing his character's struggles Siriboe said, “Ralph Angel in being formerly incarcerated, and him being from New Orleans, him being a father; those are things that don’t actually pertain to me in real life. But wants to be his best self and is dealing with the duality of who he wants to be, and who he feels he has to be, through the eyes of the world and his choices, and through lack of identity. I feel like that's a universal challenge for any human being."

For Siriboe the "Queen Sugar" family has become much more than a workplace, and he speaks warmly of his appreciation for Ms. DuVernay and Ms. Winfrey who have nurtured his talent and taken him under their wings while treating him as a peer and respecting his artistry. “Queen Sugar" is set to return for its sophomore season towards to end of next month and there is bound to be a ton of change within the Bordelon family.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

Tribeca Review: 'Whitney. "Can I Be Me'''

Fame is a fickle friend, especially when you are trying to reconcile your public persona with the person you are inside. Nick Broomfield’s somber and devastating documentary on the late-great Whitney Houston follows the pop icon's meteoric rise and the fame, attention, money and addictions that eventually cost her everything. “Whitney. ‘Can I Be Me’” opens with the fateful 911 call from the Beverly Hilton to the LAPD in 2012. Houston had perished in her hotel bathtub after falling asleep with opioids and cocaine in her system. Flashing back in time, “Can I Be Me” takes us back to 1999, behind the scenes of Houston’s last successful world tour. With tons of never before seen footage shot by German filmmaker Rudi Dolezal, we watch the then-36-year-old star, move through European cities night after night. She plays and reenacts scenes from "What's Love Got To Do With It?" with her rambunctious and often lewd husband Bobby Brown, teases her staff, stuffs herself with pizza and chicken wings and hangs with her dear friend Robyn Crawford. And yet, in the quiet moments when she’s getting her makeup touched up or having her hair curled, Whitney Houston looks exhausted.

A sliding timeline that moves all the way back to Houston’s childhood in Newark and East Orange, New Jersey, we can see how much the image of “The Whitney Houston” was molded and handled by her parents, Clive Davis, Arista Records and the industry as a whole. Though she was a church girl, often under the thumb of her mother Cissy Houston, the “I Will Always Love You” singer was no stranger to the edgier side of life. In the film, her brothers, Gary and Michael emphasize that she often partied with them and did drugs recreationally as a teenager. However, the overwhelming spectacle of her life especially after the premiere of “The Bodyguard: and her high-profile marriage to industry bad boy Bobby Brown aided in her dependency on narcotics. Apparently, she overdosed on cocaine while filming “Waiting to Exhale” in 1995.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

An S&A Sit-Down with the Men of ‘True Conviction’

Christopher Scott, Johnnie Lindsey, and Steven Phillips gave years of their lives to the state of Texas and the penitentiary. After decades of incarceration, the three men were exonerated and thrust back into the world that had turned its back on them. And yet, the years lost have not deterred these men from reaching out to help others. In Jamie Meltzer’s documentary “True Conviction,” we watch as these three men seek justice for other wrongfully convicted people, reading thousands of letters, visiting prisons, and speaking with prosecutors and detectives who have intricate knowledge of these cases. While Melzer’s lens hones in on our eroded judicial system, he also makes sure to shine a light on the men themselves who despite losing so much, have come so far.

During the Tribeca Film Festival, I got the opportunity to sit down with director Meltzer and wrongful conviction detectives, Christopher Scott, Johnnie Lindsey and Steven Phillips to chat about the film, their personal stories, and what they hope for the future.

Aramide Tinubu: Jamie, how were you introduced to Chris, Steven and Johnnie, and what made you decide to pursue this project? 

Jamie Meltzer: I have a friend who is a journalist in Texas, and there were more than thirty exonerees at that time, it was 2012. He told me about these guys in Dallas who had a support group, and I thought that was fascinating. He also told me this idea that a couple of them had to start an investigation team to look into cases of wrongful convictions. I just thought that was such a dramatic and inspirational idea. I knew that it would be fraught with challenges, and I just thought it would make a great documentary. So, I went down to Dallas and sat in one of the support group meetings. Within five minutes, I was in tears. It was a lot to take in. But, the thing that convinced me that there was a film there was the experiences and feelings that they shared, and you immediately saw strength in them; a resilience that was just really surprising. I would think I would be destroyed by this kind of experience, but they’re not. They do not want what happened to them to happen to someone else, and they are just so driven by that.

AT: When Jamie approached you all about this project, what made you decide that you wanted to do it as a collective group? 

Christopher Scott: We’re trying to bring as much awareness as possible to wrongful conviction, and this was a way to do it and to do it. We knew we could go interview people, but Jamie wanted to capture the personal aspects. He didn’t want it to be all about prison. When I saw that he wanted to explore all avenues of the way we were wrongfully convicted, that’s when I was like this is a no-brainer, this is what the world needs to see.

AT: As a filmmaker what was the most daunting aspect of this project for you Jamie?

JM: There were so many difficult aspects of making this film. In production, it was how to follow all of the different threads and all of the different cases. We feature two in the film, but we filmed maybe five or six. We didn’t know if one would result in an exoneration or something dramatic would happen. Then the other thing was I knew that we would have to tell the stories of the detectives, and how to balance that. That was more of an editorial challenge of structuring and editing the film. So the biggest challenge was just getting my head around how to tell this story.

AT: You really give the audience the full spectrum of these men’s full humanity. How did you decide what aspects of their personal lives you would put in the film?

JM: The most difficult and emotional journey as a filmmaker is really gaining the trust of your subjects. They don’t know what the film is going to look like. I know that I’m going to do their stories justice and be respectful, but how would they know that? In this case, it really took years. It took maybe three years of working with them. I spent a lot of time with them to build up that trust, where they felt like they could really let me in. They are very positive and resilient, and they want to affect change, but they are haunted by their experiences, how could they not be? They present themselves as very confident, and they are but there are understandable cracks, and I have to explore that. How could you trust anyone after this, even your family? It turns everyone away from you in a really scary way. I’m really grateful that they did let me in, and it really paid off because they are getting a lot of love now taking around and that’s really beautiful to see.

AT: How do you all find the strength to return to these prisons and look at all these cases that are embedded within a system that failed you?

Steven Phillips: Every time I talk to one of these guys or talk to their families or read their letters, it always strikes me that I was there.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

'Greenleaf' S2/E7 Recap: Everyone Is Unhinged

It's been exactly one year since Faith Greenleaf took her own life and Grace returned to Memphis, her family, and Calvary. Yet, there has been no real healing during this time. All of the suffering and secrets that led to Faith’s tragic end have finally exploded, sweeping everyone in the Greenleaf family away in a tsunami of grief and pain. As the day of Faith’s memorial approaches, Grace is having nightmares about her Uncle Mac. She’s no longer able to keep her composure, and it irks her to no end that her parents aren’t taking action against him. However, everyone grieves differently. Lady Mae and Bishop are at their wit's end as well, not just with trying to process the loss of their youngest daughter but also with Grace who can’t seem to let it go. Like oil and water, Grace and her mother clash, with Lady Mae revealing her terrible secret about her relationship with her abusive father. Too clouded by her own anger, Grace doesn’t pick up on it, but Bishop does.

Meanwhile, Mac has resurfaced. With the time to take any action against him regarding his case running out, he’s attempting to restart his life by bribing Memphis’ Deputy Mayor for a job. He's also trying to weasel his way back into the Greenleaf’s lives. He even has a new boo, Loraine who instead of trusting her gut about Mac, seems too thrilled to have a man. She really needs to get a clue.

With Faith’s memorial closing in on her and her opportunity to get Mac back in jail slipping through her fingers, Grace finally receives her last lifeline from the detective she reached out to earlier this season. If you recall last season while living in his old building, Mac befriended a troubled young girl named, Michaela Reese. In their report, the police noted that Mac seemed to have some sort of relationship with the girl, but they never followed up. Grace does their job for them. Though Michaela is adamant that Mac never laid a hand on her, we know their relationship was still not appropriate. Michaela reaches out to Ma to let him know about Grace’s visit. Expecting the same listening ear that she has grown accustomed to, its obvious that Mac’s brush off hurts her feelings. Michaela might just blow this whole case against Mac wide open.

Trailer + Review: Powerful Documentary 'For Ahkeem'

In the ninth episode of the second season of Underground, we find ourselves in a sliding timeline of sorts. The episode opens with Elizabeth and Cato who now both dwell in Georgia’s boarding house. Cato and the rest of Patty Cannon’s Black men have infiltrated the safe house on her orders, and Cato spends his time memorizing trap doors, and passageways in the home. What he didn’t expect was to happen upon Harriet Tubman herself. Constantly alert and vigilant, Harriet can sense something just isn’t right with Cato, and she warns Georgia to keep a close eye on him.

Returning to Patty Cannon’s home late in the evening, Cato reports back to her about his findings. Though he only knows Harriet by the name Minty, he tries to tell Patty that he thinks he’s found the most notorious runaway of all time. Impatient and enraged, Patty doesn’t believe Cato. Instead, she tells him that he has three days to make his move. Cato chooses to buy more time and get closer to the women in the house by faking a suicide attempt and cutting his wrists.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s fear and anger has begun to morph into an untamable rage. It’s further ignited when one of the men who kidnapped her and tied her to a tree walks right into the boarding house, masquerading about getting a room. In response, Elizabeth slaps the hell out of him. Later while tending to Cato’s wounds, the two lament about fear, anger, and pain and Cato encourages Elizabeth to become the monster that she fears the most.

Taking Cato’s advice, Elizabeth sets her kidnapper’s home ablaze, not accounting for his son’s presence. Though she saves the boy and Cato saves her (we think), her actions have made her too dangerous in Georgia’s eyes. She tells Georgia, "We are all complicit as long as there is slavery in this country.” Sadden for her friend but having no other choice especially after seeing a badly hurt and burnt little boy, Georgia tells Elizabeth she must leave the boarding house.

Further South, Harriet has met Rosalee, Noah, and James in Virginia. Sadly, Cora did not make it to freedom; slave catchers murdered her on the way. With many miles still ahead of them on their journey, Noah is struggling with both his faith and the secrets that Rosalee has kept from him. Though she seems apprehensive about Rosalee’s man at first, Harriet levels with him. She asks him how he as a humble enslaved blacksmith knew he could lead the Macon 7 and make it 600 treacherous miles to freedom. That’s faith she says.

And yet, a reassurance in faith will not heal the wounds in Noah and Rosalee’s relationship. Once they make it back to Ohio and Georgia’s safe house, Noah goes in on Rosalee for her selfishness and secrets. He tells her, you had me following you back South blindly without a choice and you put my child in harm's way. You treated me like a slave. He’s not lying.

Finally, at long last, we get to see how Daniel’s story is interwoven with the rest of the characters on Underground. The newly blinded stonecutter can sense that his time on the plantation is up. Using his young daughter as his eyes, we learn that his master is selling off the families of those who were involved with reading and writing. Though his wife wants him to be more docile and complacent out of fear, Daniel is done with all that. Freedom is calling his name; it’s his only way to salvation. Hired out to work one day, he makes it 300 plus miles from St. Louis, Missouri to Ripley, Ohio where he happens across a cobbler’s shop and asks for John Brown.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

An 'American Gods' Chat w/ Ricky Whittle, Yetide Badaki, Orlando Jones

After many years in limbo, Starz is bringing Neil Gaiman's critically acclaimed novel "American Gods" to life. The gorgeously shot epic, follows Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle), a man who is released from prison early after his wife Laura dies in a car accident. On his way home, Shadow encounters an eclectic man named Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane), who offers him a job as his bodyguard. As Shadow is pulled into Mr. Wednesday's world, we soon learn that he is not, in fact, the con-artist that he is masquerading himself to be. Instead, Mr. Wednesday is the god, Odin, who is making his way across America to try and unite the old Gods who have integrated themselves into American life in a war against the new Gods, Media and Technology who are consuming the world.

As Shadow and Mr. Wednesday move across the country battling for the very soul of America, "American Gods" gives us the immigration stories of various mythical beings in America. Ahead of the series premiere, I had the opportunity to sit down with Ricky Whittle who stars as Shadow Moon, Yetide Badaki who stars as the love goddess Bilquis and Orlando Jones who brings Mr. Nancy aka Anansi to life.

Aramide Tinubu: Ricky, what did you know about Neil Gaiman’s novel prior to signing on to the series?

Ricky Whittle: I didn’t know about “American Gods” until fans started hashtagging me online. That’s why I’ll always have an affinity and a love for my fans because I wouldn’t be here if it weren't for them. I feel very grateful that they introduced this project to my life and allowed to me to audition in the first place.

AT: What was the audition process like for you?

RW: Starz put out a search #CastingShadow. They wanted the fans to have input because it’s a huge book and Neil Gaiman is a rock star. After sixteen years of anticipation, the fans put me forward and feel very blessed and honored to be a part of that. That’s when I took it to my reps. I started reading the book during the audition process, and Bryan and Michael stopped me because it was affecting my auditions. I spoke to Neil about it recently actually. He told me they saw twelve-hundred tapes.

AT: Stop it! Just for Shadow Moon?! That’s incredible.

RW: So to whittle it down, wow that is a terrible pun. I apologize that is awful! (Laughing) But, to whittle it down to the last person that is an incredible honor. They stopped me from reading the book early on in the audition process because I was too much like Shadow in the book; quiet, blasé and too laid back. They needed to adapt him to screen. We wanted the character to be more vocal and charismatic and to have a little bit more about him; to ask more questions and to have anxiety and fears. After we finished filming, I was able to go back and read through it. That’s when I really appreciated the script for what it was because I could see the magic that Bryan and Michael had done with the script and in changing the timeline. It blew my mind. Fans of the book who know it inside and out are still going to watch with fresh eyes because everything they love in the book is in the show, but so much more.

Continue reading at Shadow and Act.

'Underground' Recap: Things Come Full Circle In 'Auld Acquaintance'

Christmas time should be the season of giving, but on Underground, we know there is no such thing. After being caught teaching other slaves to read and write Daniel is back to work, but this time without his eyes to guide him. As a punishment for his perceived crimes, he’s been blinded. As one of the skilled carpenters on his plantation, I was actually astounded that this was done to him. It moves well beyond the realm of cruel and horrific, but then again so is the institution of slavery. During the antebellum period, a slave was worth the equivalent of what a car is worth today, which means that labor would be extremely costly to lose. Knowing this, I’m unable to reconcile why Daniel’s master would choose to blind him when his sight is such an integral part of his work.

Further North, Cato is plotting and planning. After stealing Mr. Donahue’s unfinished biography of Patty Cannon, and giving it to the infamous slave catcher, the two discover that Donahue doesn’t have too many kind things to say about the diabolical red head. He seems specifically perturbed that she has not been able to catch Harriet Tubman. Patty’s blood lust for Harriet is Cato’s way in. He provides her with some information that she did not have previously, the song of freedom. “Heaven’s Door” is actually the opening credits for the series; however, it's not a song from the period (John Legend produces it). Still, songs similar to it are what guided the enslaved on their way to freedom. With the song, Cato is able to find his way into Georgia’s safe house. Unless he’s back in touch with his humanity, things are probably going to get really bad for everyone.

The history books tell us that Patty Cannon was actually a real person. It is said that she lived in a house that straddled the border between Delaware and Maryland, and she made her money by selling free Black people into slavery. This is what she put Cato up to in last week’s episode. However, the real life Patty Cannon would have already been dead during Underground’s timeline. After being arrested for four counts of murder in 1829, the infamous slave catcher hung herself in prison.

In Ohio, white abolitionists have turned their back on Georgia after discovering her Black ancestry. It's amazing how Underground draws parallels to “well-meaning” whites and liberals in the present day. However, Elizabeth is fed up with their treatment. Under Harriet’s guidance, she helps the Sewing Circle devise a plan to steal money from a pro-slavery church on Christmas Day to keep the boarding house up and running. After doing a little sin to help the cause, Elizabeth decides she won’t be stopping there. Determined to do whatever it takes, she blackmails her white comrades into donating to the cause.

Down South on the Macon Plantation, James is preening like a peacock in the Big House. Mistress Suzanna has pitted him against T.R.; a devious plan that I’m certain will play out in years to come. Though he obviously feels guilty about exposing Rosalee, he wants no parts of her escape plan. After all, despite the horrors that surround him, his life is pretty good. He even tells Rosalee that she messed everything up when she ran. Rosalee might be branded and back in her old housedress for the moment, but she and Noah aren’t the same people they were when they first left Macon. They won't be sticking around this time.

Somewhere between South Carolina and the rest of the world, August and another one of Patty’s men have Ernestine tied up in a boat. Though she tries to escape their grasp several times, she and August bond over the memories of their sons. During her last attempt to escape through a thick fog, August kills the other man and he and Stein head back down South. But why though? None of this makes sense, and I still don’t trust August. Perhaps this is his chance to escape Patty Cannon as well.

Continue reading at ESSENCE.com.