The host family for the next 83 minutes is introduced in a rather unique way. As Jean (Oluniké Adeliyi) heads home for what has to be her 2nd job caring for the hygiene of the elderly, we see her son, Tristan (Micah Mensah-Jatoe) as the lookout. He signals to sister, Tamika (Zahra Bentham) to wrap up the mobile salon she’s created (and she’s good!) and to head home. Tamika ties up her loose ends quickly, rescheduling waiting clients on the fly and taking time to flirt with Javion (Ethan Burnett) her crush from the neighborhood). 

Finally we meet Granny (Maxine Simpson) who appears agoraphobic but seems to have shame around her missing teeth. She’s a graceful and gorgeous woman who contemplates her missing youth, innocence and what she considers to be beauty. It’s the effect of shame and guilt and plays a very important role in the film. Through it all she manages to keep her spirits about her in the way someone wearied by the world does and she tries to instill a sense of hope into her grandchildren that their mother just can’t seem to muster. She puts on music where Jean now hates the sound of music. 

We learn Jean used to be a dancer, specifically for Carnival. Tamika tells Javion this as she does his hair for an upcoming interview. When she talks it’s easy to hear both the admiration and the fear in her voice. Jean has a hardness about her that’s masked as denial. She’s concerned for the safety of her children, but perhaps overly concerned with the idea of shielding them from the trauma that – though she tries to avoid it – she keeps running into head on. 

The young family was evicted from their last home and have moved in with Granny who has welcomed them gladly despite her own fledgling finances and lack of room. Jean insists she’ll be out soon, but it’s been months and she still uses a room for storage of a past she refuses to let her children fully see or talk about. At its heart Village Keeper is about community, whether it’s getting to know the new one you’ve joined, maintaining the one you’re in, or creating a new one. In the case of the film all three of these themes come into play with some very interesting caveats to test whether Jean will be successful. 

Jean is a dreamer, but mother is also hurt, and pain can manifest itself in so many nuanced ways.

Chapman is an experienced cinematographer and you can see it in her work on the film. There are scenes that are shot uncomfortably close but it’s a clear example of the claustrophobia that Jean deals with. She’s not immune to her stress or unaware that something is wrong, but instead of caring for herself, she tries to care for her “village”. After a long wait on a therapist list there’s finally an opening and she goes, insisting she’s there to vet the therapist for her children. She doesn’t even consider that she may be the one most in need, or even that helping herself first will make her able to help others. No, she’s fallen into the trap before and it doesn’t work, she only wants what’s best for her children. 

This could be admirable if she were 85 and on her last legs of life, but she’s a relatively young woman with a lot of life to live. Giving up should not be an option. However, Jean seems stuck between trying to reach an enviable future for her family, and trying to ensure their peace in the present. It’s an understandable take when games of “gunshots or firecrackers” are played with far too much frequency. Where bloody remnants remain behind after a Black or brown body is removed and the ones in charge of cleaning up are not the health department, or the rental company, but the tenants themselves. 

Jean especially had made it her mission, donning a kit with cleaning solution, gloves and a bucket she tackles at the stain as though cursing it for ruining her children when in her mind, she was doing a good enough job of that herself. In Jean’s mind, being the “keeper” in Village Keeper appears to be a kind of penance to remove the guilt she feels for the decisions she’s made in her life that have led to her family’s current predicament. However, it’s not just her decisions she mourns, it’s her mothers, her late husband’s and to an extent her children’s.

It’s somber yet not without purpose and it dampens any charging the family has tried to do to the atmosphere in Jean’s absence. Village Keeper is a loving story that’s beautifully layered with an incredible amount of nuance. This is why it’s a shame when the film sort of wraps up a bit too quickly. 

There are passages of time, but time does not always heal all wounds. We’re sure Jean has been doing the work and we see how her mother’s influence has rubbed off on her and vice versa, but one important thing about depression and the cycle of abuse is that oftentimes cyclical. It can have interruptions, setbacks and delays. In my opinion, I would have rather the film be set within a day and we see the family working on that foundation so the audience knows for certain that any work done has a chance of sticking. While I was happy at the end, it left me wondering about things to come. 

At the same time, that’s hardly a criticism. Director Karen Chapman has a lot of experience behind the camera creating shorts, but Village Keeper is her first feature debut and a strong one at that. The Canadian filmmaker has strong roots in Caribbean culture and always makes sure to celebrate it on film when she can. Village Keeper is no exception and it’s a beautiful and earned moment of joy and pride. Chapman has a deft eye and knows how to use every inch of the frame to her advantage. And she works with her performers to give understated yet lasting and poignant performances. Additionally she’s an artist with Fela.tv, production company that is Black-owned, woman-owned and dedicated to preserving the Culture on-screen and beyond. 

It’s a mission that seems dear to Chapman and something that’s woven thoughtfully into her feature debut. Village Keeper is a wonderful film that you won’t be able to stop thinking about for long after you watch, and that’s always the promise of a great filmmaker. 

Village Keeper is a selection at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

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That’s right — their powers cause them all to switch relative positions, forcing each woman into a fight she’s not wholly ready for. This time around, the big bad is Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), a Kree warrior who is trying to save her homeland of Hala. Unfortunately, saving her planet means nearly destroying the entire universe. It’s up to Kamala, Monica, and Carol to save the day. If only there weren’t some interpersonal conflicts that need to be worked out first. 

While it’s not necessary that you watch all of the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel or WandaVision, there are some small things the film expects you to know or remember. The good news is even if you haven’t watched these (though they are highly recommended), you’ll be able to follow along. There’s an ease to the script that really elevates this film from standard Marvel fare. When DaCosta was announced as director, there was a lot of hope that she would bring a certain invigoration to the franchise, and The Marvels proves she was up to the task. 

I went into this film with no information, not having watched a trailer or even read the wiki. I wanted to be completely immersed. As it went on, there were small and important things that clued me into the fact that the film was not only directed by a woman but a Black woman at that, from Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) telling Monica to use her “Black Girl Magic” to shots of shapely brown thighs and backside showcasing an unabashed womanhood and strength. Another tip-off was the training montage scene. 

When the women switch positions, they are placed in another environment where sometimes their powers are the most useful or seemingly useless. Kamala, Monica, and Carol need to work together to make sure no one is caught off guard if they’re zapped away. They organize a list of activities to show themselves completely in sync. Normal training montages can include sweaty running, punching a bag, doing extreme push-ups and more manly-manly pursuits. In The Marvels, balance is obtained by jumping rope, juggling, and balancing books on each other’s heads. There’s something so refreshing about seeing a group of women not resort to masculine conceits just to prove they are strong. The women in the film are strong and kick butt, but they are also cunning and clever and able to adjust when needed. 

During the training, Monica asks what Carol is doing. Kamala replies, “She’s matching your energy.” In something akin to a vibe check, Carol Danvers slowly learns to appreciate having a team and more importantly, someone besides just herself to lean on. And what better team besides the gleesome threesome?

Monica Rambeau was introduced in WandaVision, and her inclusion in this Captain Marvel sequel is well received. She’s not ready to forgive Carol, and Carol is not ready to explain what happened. Despite this they work together well, reigniting sparks of the aunt/niece, mentor/mentee relationship the two almost had. Kamala is a bit clueless as to the exact family dynamics, but she is just geeked to be there and does what she can to keep the peace. We also get the return of Goose, the cat that blinded Fury in one eye. He plays an important role in the film and one you will not want to miss. 

For a while, Carol Danvers was a tough nut to crack. She was too stoic to be empathetic, too serious to be personable. She’s always needed someone to round out her mostly uneven tones. Enter Kamala Khan, whose unbridled enthusiasm both overwhelms and seems to sooth Carol, who has never thought of herself as being a person with a “bestie.” The closest thing was Monica’s mother, Maria (Lashana Lynch), and Carol has never been the same since she died. 

In The Marvels, Carol’s outer layer gets picked at like a tricky organic label on an apple and finally slips away, revealing a fighter worthy of the name Captain Marvel. This also helps her relationship with Monica, and it helps Monica feel more secure in her own power. A big theme of the film is each woman finding a new limit to break through in regards to their abilities. At one point Monica needs to fly, and she thinks she can’t. Carol has to fly into the sun, and she’s more than a little concerned. But with their combined powers, the women become a powerhouse of justice. 

And they are sorely needed against the likes of Dar-Benn. Ashton (who is coincidentally the real-life love interest of Loki’s Tom Hiddleston) is that one actor you were absolutely sure was in an episode of Black Mirror, but then you later realize it was The Handmaid’s Tale. She’s unfearing and uncaring and carries a darkness that can be accessed on a dime. She’s delightfully campy and many times just plain wrong, but she’s also very entertaining. The megalomaniacal Marvel villains of late seem to be of the heavily accented, nonsensical alien traits variety. Gorr (Christian Bale) in Thor: Love and Thunder and High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) fit this bill. It’s an interesting tactic that thrives in movies where the villains are besides the point. 

Dar-Benn is wreaking havoc, but the true story of The Marvels is watching this group of women learn about each other. And again, as a Captain Marvel official sequel, the film goes a long way to humanize Carol Danvers. On this journey we meet Prince Yan (Park Seo-joon), who provides us with an opening into Danvers that few have seen before. It was a lovely and welcome surprise. Prince Yan lives on Aladna, where they speak the language of song. No, literally. Their language is literally singing, and they won’t understand you if you don’t sing. 

Yes, the film is full of shenanigans! It’s funny, it’s silly, it’s corny, and it’s very cool. DaCosta and co-scriptwriter Megan McDonnell (known for her work on WandaVision) really understood how to make these women from different generations truly get along. They talk, they listen, and they rule as a group, regardless of Kamala being 16 and Carol technically being a senior citizen.

The film has been laden with doubtful opinions and low projections since it was announced. And now we’re in a culture where despite constantly being on the list of top yearly earners, it’s assumed that Marvel and the MCU are in trouble. If The Marvels can withstand the rumors and build word of mouth for its engaging, fun, and exciting production, then hopefully it can signify the beginning of the next phase of Marvel fun. 

Also, make sure to stay after the credits for a scene that had the audience cheering!

The Marvels open in US theaters on Friday, November 10, 2023.

The post Review: ‘The Marvels’ Passes the Vibe Check appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

BGN was invited to an edit bay visit to get an inside look at the series’ development and a first look at the trailer.

Many are familiar with Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner, as he experiences diminished hearing. Another ally in Hawkeye’s world is Daredevil (Charlie Cox) who is blind and manages to fight the law in addition to bad guys. Coming in 2024, a new villain will make her debut in the form of a prosthetic legged, deaf badass named Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox). 

Personally I wasn’t as solid on the Daredevil side of Marvel lore. I didn’t watch the Marvel Netflix series which included Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron First. When Echo popped up on the Hawkeye series along with Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), I knew she was important, but missed a big part of how. The series Echo will explore her origins along with her unique skill and necessary presentation. Alaqua Cox is the first disabled actress to play a titled leading character in a Marvel Studios production and the first Native actress to do so. 

The series is primarily directed and led by Sydney Freeland, a Navajo filmmaker who made it a priority to show proper Native representation. When we meet Maya Lopez, she’s living on a reservation in Oklahoma until a tragic accident causes her to move to New York. Part of Maya’s journey will be returning home and reconnecting with her Native American roots and embracing her family and community. It won’t be easy though. In the meantime, she’s become a henchman of Kingpin and carries out his gruesome commands. It’s not exactly the news you want making it back to the family reunion. 

Echo fans are in for a treat. The series also marks one of the first Disney+/Marvel collaborations with a TV-MA rating and they truly earn it with blood and violence. It’s not all blood for blood sake though, it’s used to highlight the gritty realness and the danger of Maya’s situation. 

In a trailer presentation, Marvel’s Head of Streaming, Brad Winderbaum said that Maya Lopez was “an indigenous, motorcycle riding, gun-toting, deaf woman with a prosthetic leg. She’s an amazing martial artist and she has an incredible history. Our team has brought a lot of depth to her character in this series.” Maya is the epitome of someone with so much potential who was knocked off course by trauma. If it sounds typical for a Marvel villain, it’s because she’s not alone. But who needs therapy when you can break a man’s spine in 27 different ways? 

Although Maya’s journey is very connected to her Native heritage, it’s still extremely relatable. Freeland grew up on a reservation in New Mexico and grew up reading Marvel comics. It was mostly X-Men, but once she saw Hawkeye and learned about the Echo project, she read the comics and became a fast fan, already inundated with ideas of how to bring Maya’s story to screen. She especially wanted to show the community building awesomeness of powwows. For Freeland, powwows were like going to Disneyland if you lived in Anaheim. It was a fun spectacle, and common but no less magical. Having grown up attending man, Freeland was excited to integrate these events along with her personality and experience into the series. 

Also starring is the always wonderful Zahn McClarnon who has starred in shows like West World and Dark Winds. He’s joined by another recognizable Native actress, Tonto Cardinal (most recently seen in Killers of the Flower Moon) and many other Native actors and filmmakers participate in front of and behind the camera. 

Along with Native representation, Freeland really wanted to explore Maya’s trauma. The way she deals or doesn’t deal with her, how she copes or doesn’t cope. Every action she takes has a dramatic effect on whether or not she’ll be able to survive the seismic event that happens to her family. One thing that’s unique about Echo is that it’s not necessarily the fate of the world at stake, nor are there supernatural inclinations at play. The series is about the fate of the family and the fracturing event that puts the family into turmoil. 

The series will pick up directly after the events in Hawkeye so if you feel up to it, definitely take time to catch up. However, Freeland’s hope is that you’ll be able to watch the series as a stand alone and still be able to fully understand and enjoy the series. Judging from the exciting and engaging trailer, I think she’s on to something. 

In the trailer we get glimpses of Maya’s home life, both on the reservation in Oklahoma and on the mean streets of New York where she only falls back on her wits to help her survive. The juxtaposition of scenes where she’s smiling, in one, and then frowning deeply covered in blood, in others, is both heartbreaking and extremely exciting. It lets you know that you’re not just in for a run of the mill show where fights are the narrative. This is a fully fleshed out show that will take us to the heart of Maya, no matter how broken it is. There’s even a new character introduced that’s not in the comic books. Her name is Bonnie (Devery Jacobs) and she’s a younger cousin who Maya was separated from as a young girl. She acts as sort of a representation of Maya’s lost youth and innocence and their eventual reunion is completely unexpected and nothing like either woman could have imagined. 

In the age of Marvel anti heroes like Loki or Nebula, it’s hard to tell whether Maya is headed for a brighter future or doomed to stay on the side of no good forever. It’s a question that runs through the series and one that while it may not be answered by the end of the first season, it’s going to be extremely fun trying to figure her out. 

You can now watch the trailer here:

Echo will air on Disney+ as well as Hulu beginning in January 2024. 

The post Marvel’s ‘Echo’ Presentation Depicts a Fully Fleshed Out Show Taking Us to the Heart of Maya Lopez appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

This extremely comprehensive and meticulously researched National Book Award recipient explores not only the state of race, but also its true origins and how the construct has shaped the way people view Black people through the country. The book does a deep dive into the lives of five American abolitionists and free thinkers from Cotton Mather to Angela Davis. Well received and extremely successful, the tome spawned two remixes, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You and Stamped (For Teens): A Graphic Novel Version. Now it’s getting another interpolation in the form of a documentary by Netflix. 

The name of the documentary comes from a quote by Jefferson Davis while he argued that funding education for Black Americans was a bad idea. The future president of the Confederacy maintained that, “This government was not founded by negroes nor for negros,” and “the inequality of the white and black races has been stamped from the beginning.” It really does give another meaning to the idea of “Home of the free, land of the brave.”

Directed by Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams, the documentary debuted at TIFF in 2023. The film explores not only the racist tropes that brainwashed America for centuries, but also the origins that are rooted in sustaining and keeping ownership of power. Outside of Kendi, all of the talking heads are women academics. Including Angela Davis, Autumn Womack, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Brittney Cooper, Carol Anderson, Dorothy Robers, Elizabeth Hinton, Honorée Jeffers, Imani Perry, Jennifer L. Morgan, Kellie Carter-Jackson, Lynae Vanee, Ruha Benjamin, and Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers. 

These women are activists, political figures, professors, scientists, historians, sociologists, and more. At the beginning of Stamped from the Beginning, a question is asked: What’s wrong with being Black? It’s met with the type of incredulity that is masked in knowledge as to why the question exists. It’s not “What’s wrong with Black people?” but instead “What does everyone else think is wrong with Black people?” Over a brisk but well appointed 85-minute runtime, these talking heads along with inventive storytelling devices, seek to offer an answer. 

Rogers is well known for producing projects that elevate Black history. From The 1619 Project to High on the Hog, both docs change the way viewers understood Black contributions to American culture. He decided to approach Stamped from the Beginning in two unique ways. The first is the use of music and culture throughout. The music ranged from spirituals to modern day hip hop and neo soul. There was no code switching to be found. The enigmatic Honorée Jeffers told a story about how she was chastised for the way she talked. She was told she was too brusque and at times even vulgar. She simply laughed and told them to look at her “mothaf*&%ing resume!” 

That type of boldness is present throughout and backed with the same sort of academic knowledge and experience that all of the women possess. The other convention used was the animation styles. As a story was told, it was shown through typical animation styles. The original telling of the shift from indentured servanthood to Black chattel slavery is told in the style of animated, pencil sketches. The story of Phyllis Wheatley is told through sepia tones and caricatures. Each style subtly authenticates the time period and transports the viewers. 

Stamped from the Beginning highlights multitudinous struggles, again primarily focusing on women and the unique (often more demanding and detrimental) ways that slavery affected Black women. Phyllis Wheatley was a poet whose skill perplexed white men so much, they demanded she stand before a council of eight men and prove that she did the writing herself. While she eventually convinced the panel that it was her words in her voice, it also set a dangerous precedent of Black women having to prove themselves along with white people believing they are entitled to proof. 

Each section exposed a cycle in which Black people would excel, and white fright would cause retaliation. The section on Harriet Jacobs spoke of the sexual assault women would endure at the hand of their masters. NAACP co-founder Ida B. Wells documented lynchings throughout the south and made them known to citizens across the country. The actions of these women changed the course of history for Black Americans, but still have yet to fully break the construct of racism. 

One of the biggest lessons taught in Stamped from the Beginning is the fact that racism is a construct, meaning it was created. There’s no scientific basis to race, or that being one race over another causes inferiority or superiority. The film goes as far back as King Richard and how he commissioned Gomes de Zurara to pen a biography. One that portrayed Africans as savages in need of saving by the good King Richard. It also spoke about how the word “slave” liverally means “Slav” or someone having Slavic origins, indicating the status of many indentured servants. These forced laborers worked alongside Black slaves. It was discovered that Black slaves were more valuable because it was harder for them to run away and fit among everyone else. The film speaks about Bacon’s Rebellion when Indentured servants and Black slaves fought together going all the way to Virginia’s capital. 

Throughout a course of events beautifully told in the documentary, Black slaves were separated and the process of devaluation and dehumanization properly began. The rollercoaster the film takes you through is filled with laughter, shock, and tears. Each representative drives the point home that if racism is truly a construct (while offering the many ways in which it certainly is), then it can be dismantled. 

Ultimately the desire is for the film to be shown in schools where kids can understand the ramifications of discrimination and the long term negative effects of racial supremacy. It’s a heady task and one worth taking as the truth of the myth of slavery is long overdue. 

Stamped from the Beginning will premiere in select theaters November 10th and on Netflix, November 20th. 

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If you’re a fan of Adult Swim, then you’ll be familiar with Archer creator Adam Reed’s Sealab 2021 and a personal fave, Frisky Dingo. Reed has a distinctive style and voice that permeates each project. His humor is irreverent, biting, oftentimes politically incorrect, and always a whole lot of fun. 

Entering its 14th season, Archer has always put a lot of action into its bite-sized episodes. Most weigh in at just under 24 minutes, and each season ranges between 8 and 13, but it doesn’t mean the good stuff is in short supply. Archer scripts typically come in at 2 pages per minute, which is double that of an ordinary sitcom. The quick-paced banter and action only justify this need for more, more, more!

Archer follows the lives of the ISIS agency members in what resembles a slightly “turnt-up” office place comedy. There’s Malory Archer (the late, great Jessica Walter), Sterling Archer (H. Jon Benjamin), Lana Kane (Aisha Tyler), Pam Poovey (Amber Nash), Cheryl/Carol/Cherlyne Tunt (Judy Greer), Cyril Figgis (Chris Parnell), mad scientist Algernop Krieger (Lucky Yates), and Ray Gillette (Adam Reed). We also get into the lives of popular and enduring side characters like Barry Dylan (Dave Willis), Trinette McGoon (Maggie Wheeler), Woodhouse (the late and also great George Coe), and of course Ron Cadillac (Walter’s real-life husband Ron Liebman). 

Archer is so popular that it’s drawn celebrity cameos like Christian Slater, Burt Reynolds, and Kenny Loggins. The consistent quality and surprises have led to winning several Critics Choice TV Awards for Best Animated Series and multiple Emmys for Outstanding Animated Program.

It’s hard to master not only the art of animation but the balance needed for adult animation. You have to be clever, just profane enough, and cognizant of how much swearing you can get away with. Archer has mastered the tone during its storied run.

Each season has built creatively on the original premise — a spy who can solve the world’s problems better than he can solve his own. Saying Archer is a man-child is an obvious understatement, but something about the show is able to show him as more than just a womanizing cad. When he thinks no one is looking, he can be caring and even progressive. But he fights between being “Sterling Archer: World’s Greatest Spy” and Sterling Archer, the man, the son, and the father (at times, the husband).

While we watch his journey, we become entangled in the increasingly chaotic lives of the side characters. Whether it’s relating to Cyril’s self confidence issues or even Carol’s desire to watch the world burn, there is something in every character that acts as an elevated flaw — something that makes the character uniquely them, but also maybe a menace to society. 

Walter’s final appearance was Season 12, where she was given a lovely send-off along with her husband. You may know Walter from her stint as Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development. While Malory carries the unabashed privilege of Lucille, she’s got an iron heart that makes her distinctively herself, and the dry, almost always annoyed, wizened drawl that Walter delivers makes Malory completely irreplaceable. 

Archer creates a great balance of tolerance with period appropriate bigotry. Often disguised as homophobia, racism, misogyny, fatphobia, etc., the intolerance of Archer really does exist in a “tell, don’t show” state. They say wild things, but they rarely if ever act on them.  This serves to make the show accessible for people that inhabit those identities and have to live in a world full of microaggressions daily. 

It’s not perfect, but the show goes a long way to be diverse, inviting in characters of color and actors of color to voice them. Stars like Kumail Nanjiani, Coby Bell (as the irascible mensch, Conway Stern) , Nicole Byer, Natasha Rothwell, and Keith David, and, in Season 14, actress Natalia Dew will join the team as new field agent (and Archer unraveler) Zara Khan. For a while it seemed like Aisha Tyler (the patron saint of Black nerds and girl nerds) was doing all of the heavy lifting with Kane, but now she’s able to share the duties. 

Season 14 appears to be the last chance for Archer to face his mortal body and the ravages of aging. It also may be the last chance for him to mature. There are small things sprinkled in that signal the continuation of this journey. When speaking of Lana and their daughter AJ (rising voice actor Kimberly Woods), Archer mentions them as a “family.” Archer and Lana aren’t romantically involved yet, but they also seem like the expected end-game that a lot of fans are waiting for. In fact, I expect a lot of fanservice (in a good way) as we wrap up characters and storylines from 14 seasons.

Reed created a masterpiece that the actors and writers made into a work of art. The show has become one of the most entertaining and respected shows in animation and I’m looking forward to seeing it all wrapped up. 

Season 14 of Archer premiered August 30, 2023, with two episodes on FX and next day on Hulu.

The post ‘Archer’ Gears Up for a Goodbye appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

To supplement these stories, Parsons has written books about figures like Bessie Coleman and Garrett Morgan. However, her writing doesn’t just stop at historical figures, it also includes narrative fiction with relatable characters and lessons of self-acceptance. 

Through it all, Parsons seeks to quench the thirst for knowledge in young Black children. Her latest offering is Clouds over California, where we follow a young girl named Stevie as she navigates life changes. She’s a biracial girl who has recently moved, which means a new school and new classmates. Also her older cousin is traveling across the country to stay with her family. At the same time, her mom is carrying a secret. Stevie finds herself having to keep other secrets, not just her own.

Clouds over California is a lovely coming-of-age book that shows life against the backdrop of the groundbreaking 1970s. I had the pleasure of corresponding with Parsons and asking her questions about the work. 

How High the Moon and now Clouds over California are both semi-autobiographical works that use a lot of details from your childhood and family. What’s something new that you’ve learned about yourself with these projects?

It’s been so interesting for me to enter the worlds of these children and journey with them, processing so much of my own childhood, reflecting, realizing things, and facing truths. A lot of people push a lot of things aside as a kid — for survival’s sake and in order to fit in. Revisiting events or similar situations to the ones I experienced, I see how much I didn’t allow myself to take up much space with my discomfort or hurt. I’d write most things off as “no big deal.” 

Were there any revelations about your mother and father that surfaced while putting together these projects? 

In an early draft of Clouds, I received a note that the father came across as unlikeable. My editors couldn’t understand this man at all or his relationship with his daughter, Stevie. To address the note, I had to try to make my own father — who Coop is based on — a little more understandable, if not relatable. I didn’t expect anyone to agree with his views; I didn’t agree with many of my father’s views. But since I always loved him in spite of him being difficult, I think I forgot how he might come off to others. 

I went deeper into all aspects of my life as a kid with him and uncovered many memories of him as a loving and jovial man. He was fun and funny, and he did care for his family.  Remembering these things vividly and feeling them fully came to me as my dad was — in real life — in rapid cognitive decline. It was truly a gift to have these memories restored before he passed. I was able to look into his eyes and remember him as a young father who was a great — if difficult — man in my life. 

I found the narrative on the Black Panthers to be particularly interesting. Currently we see them as unsung heroes, but at the time they were sometimes seen as thugs. Tell me about the decision to include the different perspectives of the Black Panthers. Do you see any parallels with civil rights groups of today? 

When I was growing up, I knew little to nothing about the Panthers. All I saw was the image of defiant Black men carrying large guns. All I heard was that they were trouble, “angry,” “militant”; they were vilified. As I got older I learned so much more about the truth of their mission and their contributions to the community. Public schools to this day use the Free Breakfast Program. 

I wanted to share that perspective. As for parallels, I definitely see people doing their best to vilify the Black Lives Matter movement and twist their intentions, very much like what was done with the Panthers. And in a time of catchy sound bites and quick news, most of us ingest what our algorithms feed us and don’t ask a lot of questions, only causing a greater divide. 

I’d love to know more about the microaggressions that Stevie faces — everyone touching her hair, her well-meaning teacher insisting she has a “boy’s” name, etc. They were sad in their relatability. Can you speak to sprinkling these situations in and how they affect Stevie’s point of view? 

As I wrote the story, I touched on many incidents from my childhood. I also found myself unpacking a lot of hurts I still hadn’t dealt with directly, like having people play in my hair and talk about how “weird” it was. It was something I kind of excused away. For Stevie, I think it helped set the stage for Naomi’s entrance into her life and for being introduced to new ideas of beauty and acceptance — for being able to see how beautiful and cool she was just by being herself. 

Stevie talks about never seeing her mother without her “face” and wig. This affects her ability to see herself in her mother. Had you experienced this as a child? 

Growing up, I thought my mom was the sun and the moon. She was the most beautiful woman there was, and she was often made up. But even through that, I fought to see myself in her. Any little resemblance, I held onto like gold. 

Aunt Florence tells Stevie that some people just aren’t good with change. Stevie thinks this is about her dad, but it can also apply to her. Tell us about her journey from resistance to being ultimately accepting. 

Change can be hard for everyone, but it’s constant. How do we accept change? Do we move with it, do we resist it, fight it? Coop [Stevie’s dad] is stuck. He likes things just the way they are and sees no need for change. But resisting it doesn’t make it stop or go away. As long as he fights against it, he will be miserable. Kitty [Stevie’s mom] approaches change a little like diving into the deep end of the pool. It’s terrifying, but exhilarating, and she finds she can swim. 

Stevie has been so happy in her life as it’s been, but she really has been taking most of her cues from her mom — what she likes, finds beautiful, what she sees as the “proper” way to behave. Naomi [Stevie’s cousin] shows up and ushers in the change that was just outside their door. The country — especially for women and Black people — was shifting incredibly in the ’70s. Kitty’s change forces Stevie to face change. But as she finally begins to accept her new world, she starts to recognize her own value, beauty and strength in it. 

Clouds over California is currently available at your favorite book store. 

The post Karyn Parsons Soars with ‘Clouds over California’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

I first encountered Sinqua Walls as the young Vernon Boyd III on MTV’s Teen Wolf. He was handsome, and he was Black on a show that inhabited an extremely white genre. As a gigantic nerd for the show, I had the opportunity to meet Sinqua Walls at the fan-run Howlercon. I was stepping up for a photo op and had my hands full of a tea set I’d brought for a prop. I stumbled a bit coming in, and Walls lunged forward to make sure I didn’t spill anything. 

I was instantly enchanted. He was tall, dark and handsome and willing to nerd out with me about Teen Wolf or working with Naturi Naughton on Power. I’d have the pleasure of running into him several more times, and each time was a delight. 

The meaning of the name Sinqua is “one who is desirable and has focus.” The name couldn’t be more apt for the seasoned actor. “Acting was my thing,” he tells me (you can hear the joy even through the phone). “Acting is the thing that I wake up every day finding joy from. It’s the thing that brings me back to myself; it’s my peace.” He loved sports and was a gifted athlete, but he knew that basketball was risky and had an expiration date to it. Walls decided to concentrate on acting, and he was ready to go all in. 

It was easy to see that he loved the craft, but I wanted to know why performing? He was thoughtful and dove a little deeper. “I watched this movie called Radio Flyer as a kid so much.” I was familiar with the 1992 classic starring Elijah Wood and the idea of movies being your sitter when Mom had to work. 

“Shoutout to my Mom. I was raised by a single mother, and when she worked she had very strict rules,” Walls explains with the annoyance and appreciation of any kid who actually did understand once they grew up. “I couldn’t leave the house when she was gone or I’d get in trouble. After a while I would start to watch the movie and just start acting out the scenes to entertain myself. I would do all of the parts and the blocking. It was my first acting game. It was interesting walking into theater, and we’d actually do those exercises!” 

After Teen Wolf and Power, Walls went on to play in a variety of roles. He was the first major Black character on Once Upon a Time as Lancelot, and he also appeared in The Breaks. In 2019 he secured his first series starring role as Don Cornelius in American Soul. 

The series was short lived, likely due to the pandemic, but without the delay he wouldn’t have received critical acclaim for his role as Kwame in Nikyatu Jusu’s Nanny or had a chance to play alongside Succession’s Brian Cox in Mending the Line. I ask Walls what his ratio of hard work to raw talent was. He chuckles a little before his answer, then sighs a sigh of relief because a good actor knows it’s a combination of both, with a little luck thrown in. 

“That’s where I’m so grateful for the foundation of athletics in my life,” he says. “My coach would always say, ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.’ So the reality is that I don’t know if I’ve ever been focused on how talented I was; I was more interested in the process. I think that every great creative has to fall in love with the process of getting better.” It’s a lesson that’s worked well for Walls, garnering him roles that people want to see. 

Through it all, Walls has never forgotten his roots. During the convention where we met, Walls spoke about a cookbook he was doing with his grandmother — his biggest cheerleader and greatest influence. He was curating her recipes to share with the world. When I ask about the status, he replies gleefully. “It’s still in the works! I’m in the testing stage now, and I’m hoping to present some on social media to see how people feel and respond to them. That’s my heart! I talk to her every week, and even when I call her late at night she still picks up. She and my mother always made sure my environment was shifting and I could feel comfortable around all types of people.”

Walls can flit seamlessly between urban roles like Power to mainstream films like Otherhood, and his family’s influence can be seen on screen where he appears comfortable and confident. He tells me about taking more of a leadership role on the set of The Blackening.

“[Director] Tim Story goes on my iconic wall. He was one of the first Black filmmakers I saw do something high level when he directed Fantastic Four. He was already such a hero in my eyes and when I walked in he created so much ease.I felt like I was at a family reunion.” He tells me about his role. ““Nnamdi is a leader, and it’s one thing Tim and I really talked about a lot. You know that idea of when there’s something going wrong, there’s always that one person that steps up and says, ‘Alright, I’m going to get us to the finish line’? That’s “Nnamdi. It was funny because Tim said he instinctively felt like I would be that person.”

In Hulu’s White Men Can’t Jump, Walls had a chance to combine his loves of basketball and acting. “From top to bottom it was one of my most favorite experiences of all time!” he says excitedly. “I was grateful to be a part of the reimagining. I felt a huge responsibility to make sure I lived every day in the present and gave it my all. I wanted to make sure I was a teammate and asset on set to my cast, my crew, the production, the studio, all of it.”

You can also keep your eyes peeled for Walls this winter in the Netflix film Carry On, where he’ll star alongside Taron Edgerton. It’s not unusual to want the best for such a hard worker. He’s strong and proud, as well as kind and relatable. When you sometimes hear about actors having tantrums, it’s nice to see someone succeed who has their head on right. 

White Men Can’t Jump is streaming now on Hulu, and The Blackening opened in theaters on Friday, June 16, 2023.  

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Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid may be the first time the live-action concept has worked. Previous entries included The Lion King, Dumbo and Aladdin, both ’90s Disney animated hits that many felt should have stayed that way. The emotional depth was nonexistent in The Lion King and the technology still had some advancing to do, but in The Little Mermaid, it’s a true case of Disney perhaps learning from its mistakes. 

If you’re not familiar with the earlier Disney animated feature of the same title that starred Jodie Benson, then you’re in luck because the live-action version is a faithful and forward homage. The story of King Triton’s youngest and most free-spirited daughter Ariel is one that many carry in their hearts. Her love for humanity and desire to fall in love with a dashing prince is truly the fodder that fairy tales are made of. 

The live-action adaptation stays true to the 1989 classic, with some scenes shot for shot are breathtaking in both skill and beauty. Unlike later Disney features like Aladdin, Pocahontas, or The Lion King, the original Little Mermaid didn’t promote itself using big name talent. In fact, that push would only start in 1992 with the release of Aladdin starring the late Robin Williams. 

This live action version does have some names, but you’ll soon find it’s not about the names at all — it’s about the voice: “Thee” voice of our dear Ariel, projected to the absolute rafters by Halle Bailey. Bailey is a remarkable singer/songwriter on her own, but there’s a depth and an air of drama she gives to Ariel that just works. She sings like she’s on stage, and with the visual wonder the film offers, she’s not far off. Even the soft moments are filled with such longing and gravitas, it’s hard to pay attention to anything else. 

And yet Bailey doesn’t steal scenes, she doesn’t force her talents, instead choosing to simply lay them bare for the audience to decide. Any past controversy is quickly forgotten as she handles the reins with care. 

Now that I have said what enjoyed about the film, here are some of my gripes. My first complaint was her hair. I was expecting red dreads. While we get a version of that, when she goes on land suddenly there’s this blonde weave in there? It felt a bit out of place. I think the red on its own would have sufficed, but I wasn’t taken out of the film and I only remembered because I took note of it. 

King Triton is played by Javier Bardem, who does a nice job — though there’s little to do except look fabulous, and he already does that so well. Then there’s Melissa McCarthy who understood the assignment and didn’t rely on special effects to make her character soar. That woman is a powerhouse and she knew exactly what the role called for. The trailer doesn’t do her justice; she’s truly magnetic on screen. I know Lizzo wanted the part badly, and I would have liked to see the effort, but McCarthy made sure the opportunity was not wasted. She was just fabulous. We also have Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina (Eric’s adoptive mother), and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian. 

While Disney fixed a lot of things from its previous two attempts at converting animation to live action, there are still a few things worth noting for next time. First off, though this is live action, there’s no need to be overly verite. Under the sea is dark and dank and gray with shimmering silvers that still read as muted. Ariel looks washed out; I get it, she’s under the sea, but because this is live action, I think the use of more color that was consistent would not have hurt the film. When it’s successful we get Sebastian, a Jamaican crustacean with two misshapen claws and reddish skin. His eyes are clearly animated and thank goodness for it. Otherwise you get the least successful result, which we saw in Flounder (Jacob Tremblay). Tremblay does a fine job voicing him, but he’s unappealing to look at, seems to change sizes, and goes for swaths of time saying nothing. It’s oddly disconcerting. 

Speaking of disconcerting, as long as Cree Summer is alive and available, there is no reason to cast Awkwafina as a voice actor. The character was hardly Scuttle but rather Awkwafina as a bird. Scuttle is supposed to be lovingly obtuse, and it takes Awkwafina way too long to find her stride. I find she runs into the same issue as some other actors who can’t understand how to form their voices for animated projects. Scuttle is a character who is already known, and while it’s fine to make it your own, it feels lazy to make it you. I know she’s done other voice roles, but everytime (after I sadly realize it’s not Cree Summer) I stop picturing the character and all I can see is Awkwafina. And she’s fine, but this didn’t work for me. I will say, however, as much as I didn’t like her in that role, the “Scuttlebutt” song was fantastic! In fact, all of the songs were great. 

From the instantly recognizable Part of Your World to the upbeat and audacious Under the Sea, the movie felt like a bit of a sing-along with a few new additions to keep it interesting. There are several new songs, including a surprising ballad by Prince Eric. It’s a bit wild and feels like it starts in the middle, but Hauer-King performs the song beautifully. His version of Eric is privileged but also curious and in awe of the beauty and mysteries of the sea. When we see him fall for Ariel, you can tell it’s what’s inside and not what’s outside that counts to him. 

At a hefty 2 hours and 15 minutes, The Little Mermaid delivers more than enough content to fill it wisely, using just enough nostalgia to hook the adults and adding just enough new to entertain the kids. The themes are there — believing in yourself, finding your voice, etc., but in the live action version they are stronger, bolder, and said with more confidence, which is befitting of the time. 

Overall the film is lush, larger than life, and a true adventure. It’s easy to get swept away in the story, scenery, and characters, and you won’t be out of place if you sing along or engage in some mild chair dancing. I highly recommend this film and encourage you to watch both versions. 

Disney’s The Little Mermaid will swim into theaters on May 26, 2023.

The post Review: ‘The Little Mermaid’ Brings Magic to Live Action appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

For those intimately familiar with the Fast saga, you know that while cars are the point, they’re also besides the point. The true star is “Family” with a capital F. This family consists of the Torettos and the allies and loved ones that make up our Fast crew. By surrounding these characters with beloved stars, both domestic and international, Fast saga has created a feast for our senses, and Fast X carries the torch beautifully. 

We have our normal band of bros, Dom (Vin Diesel), Lettie (Michelle Rodriguez who is fantastic in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), an older Little B (Leo Abelo Perry) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) as well as the welcome return of Sung Kang as Han. We also see our lovable scamp Hobbs Shaw (Jason Statham). And what group would be complete without Roman (Tyrese), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuelle) and Tej (Ludacris)? 

In Fast 9 we met Dom and Mia’s estranged brother Jakob (John Cena), and he’s returned, tasked with carting Little B to safety. There are even more cameos by legend Rita Moreno, Brie Larson, Scott Eastwood, Dame Helen Mirren, and the incomparable Charlize Theron to help (or hinder) Dom on his latest mission, this time with the addition of Jason Momoa as the bad guy Dante. 

So what’s Dante’s damage? Turns out that back in Rio, when the Fast gang liberated a safe and sent it flying down the freeway, one of the unintentional casualties was Dante’s father, Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida). Dante and his father were close, and Hernan passed down a very important message: “Do not allow death when suffering is owed.” Dante has taken this message to heart and has vowed to hunt down the one he holds responsible: one Dominic Toretto. 

This film may be the best one of the Fast saga (though I’ll save my judgment until the final two films come out). It still manages to top itself stunt-wise, even when calling back to previous stunts. Reality no longer exists; physics is but a concept, gravity an option, and anything is possible — especially if you have a car like Dom’s. 

The franchise entry shows three significant changes from Fast 9 that help elevate it and the series. 

First off, Dom and Lettie are separated and allowed to do their own thing. I’m not the biggest fan of the romance between these two, but they are excellent partners. Being able to escape the one-sided hero worship for a while was healthy and a relief. 

The second thing they did was allow John Cena to be funny. When we met Jakob in Fast 9, he was mean and angry, but you could see the heart underneath. There was some speculation that Cena’s humor was toned down to not upstage Diesel, but whatever the reason, the film suffered for it. We know John Cena to be extremely funny and his humor was sorely lacking. Now that he’s firmly inserted back into the family, he’s able to loosen his tie a little bit. The scenes between him and Little B are some of the best of the film. 

Finally, they hired Jason Momoa! Jason Momoa really said, “Category is Villainous Glam” and showed up and showed out. How do you convey utter terror with man-bun pigtails? Ask Momoa; he could teach a masterclass. At first I thought maybe he was doing a bit much, but there’s so much to be said for commitment. Momoa creates one of the most evil, dynamic and engaging villains in the Fast universe. Cypher (Charlize Theron) is awesomely bad in her own way, but she’s more about self-preservation. Dante has absolutely no effs to give, and it’s glorious. He paints his nails cotton candy pink and has pedicure parties with corpses. The man is over the top, and it’s thrilling to watch the Family reason with someone so gleefully unreasonable. 

The runtime is significant, but the time is filled well with very little lag. Another thing I realized is that while I hadn’t actually seen Fast saga films 5–8, the exposition of this film — though heavy handed — is easy to digest and extremely helpful. As with any Fast movie, there are a ton of characters, a lot going on, and each storyline fits into the next well. And the way they set up the next movie isn’t cheap, but it is extremely exciting. 

Of course, you do have to manage your expectations. Fast X is an action film through and through. Vin Diesel aims and misses for emotional depth consistently and there are some overly schmaltzy sentiments, but these small flaws can easily be swept under the run the second Lettie basically plays Double Dutch with her motorcycle. It’s a feast for the eyes and a perfect option when you want to shut your brain off and watch two beefy men go at it. 

I was able to attend a 4DX screening, which introduces immersive elements into the movie watching experience. We were flung around in our seats, and it even snowed and rained. But even without these accouterments the film was a thrillride and must be seen on a large screen. 

Fast X comes out May 19, 2023.

The post Review: ‘Fast X’ Goes Bigger and Faster appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Even Dr. Payne (Kevin Michael Richardson) knows something is wrong and refers the family to Dr. Lord, who is a behavioral psychologist. Dr. Lord mentions that CeCe performed above average but she has concerns about BeBe. Immediately Oscar becomes edgy and Trudy becomes anxious. Dr. Lord explains that BeBe appears to be on the autism spectrum and is currently “low support” (the amount of support the individual needs due to the condition). She says that can fluctuate throughout his life, but for now they just need to know that he may need a different kind of support. 

Though this is the episode that focuses on BeBe’s autism diagnoses, there have been hints dropped throughout the season. And having Holly Robinson Peete voice Dr. Lord was no coincidence. In the credits she’s listed as “consultant.” That’s due in part to her son RJ who was diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. 

“If I saw a family with this journey after my son’s diagnosis, I would have had so much more hope!” Robinson Peete told TV Insider. She and her family star in the Peacock unscripted series Meet the Peetes. In many ways the show puts a humanizing face on those dealing with autism and their caretakers. It’s even more impactful because the family is Black. 

Did you know that Black children are on average diagnosed three years after their parents have expressed concerns? And one and a half years later than white children after several more visits. Some suggest a “cultural divide” between African Americans and mainstream healthcare providers, others allege racism, and others attribute it to the stigma mental health has, especially in African American families. Regardless of the issue, it points to a need for more accurate representation of people of color on the autism spectrum. 

It appears to be starting first with children. Characters like AJ Gadgets from Hero Elementary, Max on Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and of course BeBe are making their mark on young minds and their families. While it’s important to note that very few of these characters are girls, it is nice and refreshing to see it at all. BeBe’s voice actor, Aiden Dodson, is on the spectrum himself. It’s a great path to seeing opportunities for young actors who are autistic. 

Not that long ago these characters would be hidden, or just written off as being “weird” or “different.” Knowledge is power, and giving these children a voice to say what they may not be able to points to a goodness that can be easily overlooked. Let’s face it, autism isn’t going anywhere, and more and more families are dealing with members on the spectrum. Yes, even in Black families!

Tisha Campbell’s son Xen was diagnosed early. Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men has a son, Micah, who is autistic, and Toni Braxton’s son Diesel was diagnosed as a toddler. It’s not necessarily that more people are autistic, but rather more people are finally able to put a name to understanding the way they learn. 

In The Proud Family, BeBe processed pain differently than expected. But he still became hurt. Simply ignoring the problem or, worse, refusing to see it, ends up causing more trouble and offers no real solution. 

In more adult shows, we’re also seeing a rise of autistic characters though again, the number of Black characters is small. There was Dean (Harrold Perrineau) on the beloved series, Claws. There was some criticism of him playing the character and the choices he made, but overall many were happy to see the representation. There are even characters who are diagnosed after the fact like Maurice Moss (Richard Ayoade) on The IT Crowd, who exhibited enough autistic qualities that the neurodivergent community embraced him readily. 

Given that the other examples are Crazy Eyes from Orange Is the New Black and Kanye West, I think it’s more than safe to say that representation is needed before we slip back into the caricature we’ve seen employed in other projects. Today’s characters are not without their flaws, but that’s what makes them human and relatable. 

During Autism Awareness Month, take some time to appreciate these characters that champion for diversity, representation and inclusion. 

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