Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

We are just a few short days from entering 2024, but I still got a few trailers to share before we leave! While this may be the last week of 2023, remember the trailers never end, they just continue forward. So let’s see what is in store as we finish out these last few days of 2023…

Check them out below:

Self Reliance (Streming on Hulu January 12, 2024)

Origin (In theaters January 19, 2024)

The Kitchen (Streaming on Netflix January 19, 2024)

Expats (Streaming on Prime Video January 26, 2024)

Shōgun (Streaming on FX February 2024)

Argylle (In theaters February 2, 2024)

The Regime (Streaming on Max March 3, 2024)

The American Society Of Magical Negroes (In theaters March 22, 2024)

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (Streaming on Netflix Summer 2024)

Posted in Celebration, Holiday Celebration!!

Dr. G’s Holiday Movie Watchlist-2023 Edition

Now this is not a post about the best Christmas movies (although all my faves are on this list), but more of a celebration of Christmas movies. This is literally my favorite time of year when it comes to movies!! You have your classics that never get old and then the newbies that hopefully become classics! With this list, I made sure to include a good mix for both the kids, the adults, and everyone in between.

Photo by Adriaan Greyling on Pexels.com

So as you continue to celebrate the Holiday Season make sure to take a little time to watch a movie or two with your family and friends, maybe even throw a Holiday Watch Party!! Nothing like starting some new traditions!

See my 25 Must-Watch Holiday Movies below:

  • Candy Cane Lane (Prime Video) [2023]
  • Dashing Through the Snow (Disney+) [2023]
  • The Naughty Nine (Disney+) [2023]
  • Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix) [2020]
  • Klaus [2019]
  • Almost Christmas [2016]
  • The Best Man Holiday [2013]
  • Elf [2003]
  • This Christmas [2007]
  • The Holiday [2006]
  • The Preacher’s Wife [1996]
  • The Santa Clause [1994]
  • The Nightmare Before Christmas [1993]
  • The Muppet Christmas Carol [1992]
  • Home Alone [1990]
  • National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation [1989]
  • Scrooged [1988]
  • Die Hard [1988]
  • Trading Places [1983]
  • A Christmas Story [1983]
  • Frosty the Snowman [1969]
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas! [1966]
  • A Charlie Brown Christmas [1965]
  • Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer [1964]
Posted in Black Joy, Celebration, Feature Spotlight, On The Radar

Highlighting Black Excellence in the 2023-24 Golden Globe Nominees!!

It’s that time of year again…Award Season is upon us!! With the releasing of the Golden Globe nominations on yesterday many of us could not wait to see who was in the running. Considering the lack of content (due to the writers and actors strikes) I was very curious as to who would get a chance at winning the golden statue. This was especially the case regarding Black excellence !!

So let me take a moment to highlight Black Excellence with the 2023-24 Golden Globe nominees, check them out below:

Best Actress in a musical or comedy (Film)

  • Fantasia Barrino, Celie in The Color Purple

Best Supporting Actress (Film)

  • Danielle Brooks, Sofia in The Color Purple
  • Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy (Television)

  • Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Best Actor in a Drama (Film)

  • Colman Domingo, Bayard Rustin in Rustin

Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy

  • Jeffrey Wright, Thelonious “Monk” Ellison in American Fiction

Best Actor (Limited Series, Anthology, or TV Movie)

  • David Oyelowo, Bass Reeves in Lawmen: Bass Reeves

Best Original Song

  • Lenny Kravitz, “Road to Freedom”

Best Musical or Comedy Series (Television)

  • Abbott Elementary

Best Animated Film and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement in Motion Pictures

  • Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

Best Stand-Up Comedian On Television

  • Trevor Noah: “Trevor Noah: Where Was I”
  • Chris Rock: “Selective Outrage”
  • Wanda Sykes: “Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer”

The Golden Globes Ceremony will air live on CBS on January 7th, 2024, 8-11 pm/ET (You can also stream on Paramount+ and the CBS app).

Posted in holiday, New Trailer Alerts!!, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

Playing a little catch-up because I know it has been a minute!! But as you will see 2024 is gonna be a HOT already!! I know I can’t wait!! Check out the trailers below:

Season 2- What If…? (Streaming on Disney+ – December 22nd)

Season 4- The Boys (Streaming on Prime Video-2024)

Fool Me Once (Streaming on Netflix – January 1st, 2024)

The Book of Clarence (In theaters January 12th)

True Detective: Night Country (Streaming on Max-January 14th, 2024)

Masters of the Air (Streaming on Apple TV+ – January 26th, 2024)

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Streaming on Prime Video – February 2nd, 2024)

Fallout (Streaming on Prime Video-April 12th, 2024)

Season 2-House of the Dragon (Streaming on Max-Summer 2024)

Posted in Feature Spotlight, Monthly Book Recommendations, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Dr. G’s Monthly Book Recommendations-November 2023

A Season to be Thankful!! Nothing like being thankful with a good book to read! Check out November’s monthly recommendations!

  • Revolutionary Acts: Love & Brotherhood in Black Gay Britain ~Jason Okundaye
  • Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion ~Mitchell S. Jackson
  • Do Remember! The Golden Era of NYC Hip-Hop Mixtapes ~Evan Auerbach and Daniel Isenberg
  • The Talk ~Darrin Bell
  • The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema From Fodder to Oscar ~Robin R. Means Coleman, PhD and Mark H. Harris
  • My Mother’s Tongues: A Weaving of Languages ~Uma Menon
  • Akim Aliu Dreamer ~Akim Aliu
  • Woman of Light ~Kali Fajarod-Anstine

And remember you can always go back and check out the previous month’s list and past recommendations in the “Resource” section of the website!

I am not going to die, I’m going home like a shooting star. -Sojourner Truth

Posted in Celebration, Holiday Celebration!!, On The Radar

What to Watch on Turkey Day?-TV and Film Watchlist

Whether you have a Thanksgiving routine with your family or want to start some new traditions check out this Turkey Day watch list…

Network Television

  • Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade [8:30 AM- 12:00 PM/ET, on NBC]
  • The 2023 National Dog Show [12:00 PM/ET on NBC]
  • Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions [12:30 PM/ET on FOX]
  • Washington Commanders vs. Dallas Cowboys [4:30 PM/ET on CBS]
  • San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks [8:20 PM/ET on NBC]

Streaming Networks

**Netflix

  • Rustin: Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.
  • Best. Christmas. Ever!: After a twist of fate brings their families together for Christmas, Charlotte sets out to prove her old friend Jackie’s life is too good to be true.
  • The Killer: After a fateful near miss, an assassin battles his employers — and himself — on an international hunt for retribution he insists isn’t personal.
  • Leo: A coming-of-age musical comedy about the last year of elementary school as seen through the eyes of a class pet.

**Hulu

  • The League: The dynamic journey of Negro League baseball’s triumphs and challenges is told through previously unearthed archival footage and interviews with legendary players.
  • Quiz Lady: A hilarious and heartfelt comedy starring Awkwafina and Sandra Oh as estranged sisters forced to cover their mother’s gambling debts, set out to get the cash the only way they know how – by turning Anne (Awkwafina) into a bona-fide gameshow champion.
  • Season 5-Fargo: In this anthology series inspired by the 1996 film, each season follows a mostly new cast of characters who get involved with murder investigations in different Midwestern towns, with seemingly unrelated crimes sometimes being connected in some way.

**Disney+

  • Dashing Through the Snow: After a traumatic experience, Eddie Garrick, a social worker, no longer believes in the magic of Christmas. At the request of his estranged wife, he brings his daughter Charlotte to work where a magical adventure begins for them.
  • The Naughty Nine: Mischievous fifth grader Andy finds himself without a visit or presents from Santa on Christmas morning. Realizing he must have landed on the “naughty list” and feeling unfairly maligned, Andy pulls together a team of eight other “naughty listers” to help him execute an elaborate heist at the North Pole to get the presents they feel they deserve. Along the way, the group comes to realize that the very best way off the naughty list is to redirect their unique talents for good — instead of mischief.
  • Season 2-Loki: The second season of the American television series Loki, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name, sees Loki working with Mobius M. Mobius, Hunter B-15, and other members of the Time Variance Authority (TVA) to navigate the multiverse in order to find Sylvie, Ravonna Renslayer, and Miss Minutes. 

**Max

  • Blue Beetle: Jaime Reyes suddenly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab. When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he’s bestowed with an incredible suit of armor that’s capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.
  • The Gilded Age: The Gilded Age follows a young woman who moves in with her old-money aunts and quickly gets entangled in the social war between them and their new-money neighbors. In a world on the brink of the modern age, will she follow the rules of society or forge her own path?
  • Rebuilding Black Wall Street: A six-part docu-series focusing on the ongoing reconstruction of the Greenwood District of Tulsa, which was destroyed in the 1921 massacre.

**Paramount +

  • Good Burger 2: Dexter Reed and cashier Ed reunite at fast-food restaurant Good Burger with a hilarious new group of employees.
  • Lawmen: Bass Reeves: American Western television series based on the life of the first African American Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi River, Bass Reeves
  • Milli Vanilli: The story of Robert Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan, featuring interviews with the real singers, record executives, the producer mastermind behind the deception and exclusive interviews with Rob and Fab.

Apple TV+

  • A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving: Peppermint Patty invites everyone to Charlie Brown’s for Thanksgiving, even though he’s going to see his grandmother; Snoopy decides to cook his own version of a Thanksgiving meal with help from his friends.
  • Lessons in Chemistry: In the 1950s, Elizabeth Zott’s dream of being a scientist is challenged by a society that says women belong in the domestic sphere; she accepts a job on a TV cooking show and sets out to teach a nation of housewives way more than recipes.

**In Theaters

  • Wish
  • Thanksgiving
  • The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
  • Napoleon
  • The Marvels
Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

We are approaching the Holiday Season and what better time to cuddle up and watch the latest television series or catch an upcoming film! See for yourself!!

Check out the trailers below:

Genie (Streaming on Peacock November 22nd)

The Family Plan (Streaming on Apple TV+ December 15th)

Season 2-Reacher (Streaming on Prime Video December 15th)

Echo (Streaming on Disney+ January 10th, 2024)

The Fall Guy (In theaters March 1st, 2024)

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (In theaters May 27th, 2024)

Avatar: The Last Airbender (Coming soon to Netflix)

Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire (Coming Soon in Theaters)

Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On the Desk..., On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

It’s the last day of October but that does not mean the new trailers stop!! What better way to close the month than to showcase some HOT new trailers!! Check them out below:

Manodrome (In theaters November 10th)

The Killer (Streaming on Netflix November 10th)

Dashing Through The Snow (Streaming on Disney+ November 17th)

Stamped From the Beginning (Streaming on Netflix November 20th)

Season 5-Fargo (Streaming on FX November 21st)

Good Burger 2 (Streaming on Paramount + November 22)

Season 3-Power Book III: Raising Kanan (Streaming on STARZ December 1st)

Posted in A Professor's Thoughts..., Celebration, Feature Spotlight, On The Radar

Dr. G Feature and Top 20 Fave Horror/Thriller Movie List!!

For those preparing to celebrate Halloween, I wanted to share a recent feature that I am included in as well as my Top 20 Fave Horror movies!! Now while I’m not necessarily an active Halloween participant (anymore), I am a fan of a great horror/thriller movie!! On this past Monday I was featured in a VCU News article, “What’s your favorite scary movie? A horror film watch list for October.” The article features recommendations from VCU faculty, staff, and students on their favorite horror movies! I selected the 1992 classic film, Candyman! See an excerpt below:

“Candyman” is a classic example of how a film can and does eloquently have a conversation surrounding racism, Black pain and historical memory. This in many ways is what separates it from other horror films, telling the story of a mysterious Black man who comes back to life after being brutally executed.

Lead character “Daniel Robitaille” (played by Tony Todd) from Candyman (1992)

You can check out the full feature here!!

In addition to the above feature, I wanted to share my Top 20 Fave Horror/Thriller films! You can watch these on Halloween or any other day when you need that horror fix!

Now this list is in no particular order, just simply a feature list:

  • Candyman (1992 and 2021)
  • The Blackening (2023)
  • His House [Netflix] (2020)
  • Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
  • Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2019)
  • Master [Prime Video] (2022)
  • Eve’s Bayou (1997)
  • The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023)
  • Get Out (2017)
  • Night of the Living Dead (1968)
  • Ganja & Hess (1973)
  • Tales from the Hood (1995)
  • Us (2019)
  • Smile (2022)
  • Nosferatu (1922)
  • Midsommar (2019)
  • The Exorcist (1973)
  • Carrie (1976)
  • The Craft (1996)

So many stories to tell, so many viewpoints to share, and plenty of chills to crawl up your spine!! Try one, or try them all, trust me there is at least something for everyone!!

Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts

We have a nice line-up of film and television for you to check out!! The weather is changing, a little more crisp in the air, so why not bundle up and watch something new!! Check out this week’s new trailers, see below:

Season 2-Invincible (Streaming on Prime Video November 3rd)

The Curse (Streaming on Showtime/Paramount+ November 10th)

Squid Game: The Challenge (Streaming on Netflix November 22nd)

Faraway Downs (Streaming on Hulu November 26th)

Candy Cane Lane (Streaming on Prime Video December 1st)

American Fiction (In theaters December 2023)

Occupied City (Coming Soon to Apple TV+)