We are halfway through July, and the television and film train is full steam ahead! Summer is upon us and there is much to dive into!! Check out this week’s new trailers below:
Untamed (Streaming on Netflix July 17th)
Billy Joel: And So It Goes (Streaming on HBO Max July 18th and 25th)
Chief of War (Streaming on Apple TV+ August 1st)
Weapons (In theaters August 8th)
Season 2-Gen V (Streaming on Prime Video September 17th)
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (In theaters November 14th)
Now I know it has been quite a few months since I have posted… life has been life-ing!! 2025 has been moving and shaking, and I cannot wait to share more with you!! However, I could not this chance pass me by to share a recent article in which I was interviewed about the smashing cinematic hit, “Sinners”!
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Saturday, May 3rd, 2025
Shout out to the AMAZING Michael Paul Williams for his invitation to share some of my thoughts, I truly enjoyed the movie!!
While these are just a few snapshots of my thoughts, let me just say that Ryan Coogler is a GENIUS!! I have seen the movie twice already and will probably catch it again!!
Run, tell your friends to check it out, and then make sure you go with them too :-)!!
Season’s Greetings!! We are officially in the Christmas Holiday Season!! A wonderful time of the year to sing Christmas carols, light a candle for Hanukkah, bake some gingerbread cookies, check out the neighborhood Christmas decorations, or even travel with family and friends! While you are doing these fun things make sure you add a couple of literary treats in the mix too!!
Check out these December Book Recommendations below:
The Color of Family ~Jerry McGill
Joy and Pain: A Story of Black Life and Liberation in Five Albums ~ Damien Sojoyner
A Quick Ting on Crime ~Franklyn Adoo
The Changeling ~Victor Lavalle
The New Brownies Book: A Love Letter to Black Families ~Karida L. Brown
The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation ~Raquel Willis
Like Thunder ~ Nnedi Okorafor
The Spite House ~ Johnny Compton
As an extra bonus, here’s a Holiday Book List to get you further in the spirit!!
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]
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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 Agefollows 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
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)
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!!