Posted in Dr. G's Pop Culture Corner (PCC), Feature Spotlight, On the Desk...

Sharing Some Animation Goodies!!-Dr. G’s Pop Culture Corner (PCC)

Good People! Good People!!

So it is nothing like having good friends who keep you posted on new goodies that are dropping within the pop culture arena! While preparing for our weekly writing session, my colleague and friend Michael Hall shared with me a new Disney+ animated anthology series that dropped last week called Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire! Immediately I did a quick Google search and to my delight, I was hooked! Premiering on July 5th Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire is a new series that blends elements of Africanfuturism, Afrofuturism, cyberpunk, sci-fi, and fantasy to tell 10 inclusive stories of African histories and cultures.

“This is Africa as you’ve never seen it before.” Advanced technology, spirits, aliens, and time travel…SIGN ME UP!!

Produced by Triggerfish Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios, executive produced by Oscar-winning director Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Rise of the Guardians) with Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston as supervising producers, Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire is what Ramsey describes as a series with “recognizable genres and recognizable aspects of contemporary culture, but they’re wrapped in African culture.” You got my attention! Plus the representation of the African diaspora is in full effect, with stories from such countries as South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe…GAME CHANGER!!

With a cast that includes Florence Kasumba (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Captain America: Civil War, Wonder Woman, “Emerald City”), Kehinde Bankole (“Desperate Housewives Africa”, Blood Sisters), Nasty C (“Blood & Water”), Mo Ismail (“Star Trek Beyond”, ) and a plethora of up-and-coming African talent, Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire is definitely gonna change the game of how we tell animated stories!!

Now while I have not watched the series as of yet, I am already convinced this is legit greatness right here!! Just going off the trailer, the diverse representation, vibrant animation still shots, the voice cast, and the series direction, I’m willing to put my money on it sight unseen!

Photo Credit: Disney

This is totally in my personal and professional wheelhouse!! I am loving that more diverse African stories are being told and shared!! Cause trust me that content has and is there, the whole world just needs to see it!!

And just in case you need a little more convincing see the trailer below:

I am totally hyped about this series and siked that ALL episodes are available to watch!

I know what I will be binging on tonight!!

Hit me up in the comments and let me know what you think!!

Posted in New Trailer Alerts!!, On The Radar

Weekly Trailer Alerts!!

With one holiday down and two more on the way, film and television is prepping us for what we will be soaking up next! This week I have a few trailers for you to put on the calendar to prep you for your Thanksgiving and Christmas viewing pleasures! Check them out below:

The Santa Clauses (Streaming on Disney + November 16)

Disenchanted (Streaming on Disney+ November 18th)

Fantasy Football (Streaming on Paramount+ November 25)

Season 3-Blood & Water (Streaming on Netflix November 25)

Three Pines (Streaming on Prime Video December 2)

Season 3-His Dark Materials (Streaming on HBO Max December 5)

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

Dr. G’s Pop Culture Faves-A Year in Review

2021 is just about over, but not before I share a few of my pop culture faves!! I wanted to compile a list of few of favorite shows, movies, comic books, documentaries, short films, podcasts, and soundtracks that made an impact on me in a major way this year!!

These are a few of my favorite things from 2021…Check them out below*:

  • Comic Books/Graphic Novels
  • Eve (Victor LaValle, Boom! Studios)
  • Far Sector (N.K. Jemisin/Jamal Campbell, DC Comics)
  • Nubia and the Amazons (Stephanie Williams/Ayala Vita, DC Comics)
  • Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts (Rebecca Hall/Penguin Books)
  • Run: Book One (John Lewis/Andrew Aydin/Nate Powell/L. Fury, Abrams Books)
  • Bitter Root (David Walker/Chuck Brown/Image Comics)
  • Podcasts: True-crime reigned supreme in this category!! Gotta love a good mystery.
  • Jemele Hill is Unbothered
  • Suspect
  • Over My Dead Body
  • Dr. Death
  • Movies
  • The Harder They Fall (Netflix): An ode to Westerns done in style!!
  • No Time To Die: Ahhh where will the Bond legacy go next
  • Candyman: Thank you Nia Dacosta for this beautiful piece of horror!!
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings: 10/10
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home
  • Zola: A movie that offers A LOT of different perspectives regarding one weekend!
  • The Unforgivable (Netflix)
  • Army of the Dead/Army of Thieves (Netflix)
  • Gunpowder Milkshake (Netflix): More action films with women leads especially those of color is definitely needed!!
  • Raya and the Last Dragon
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
  • King Richard
  • Concrete Cowboy (Netflix): I’m a sucker for a good western and some Black history!
  • Cruella: Who says you can’t like villains!
  • Dune
  • The Tomorrow War (Prime Video)
  • Red Notice (Netflix): Ryan Reynolds…That’s all I gotta say!
  • Outside the Wire (Netflix)
  • Short Films
  • Us Again (Disney+)
  • Don’t Go Tellin’ Your Momma
  • Twenty Something (Disney+)
  • Bao (Disney+)
  • For the Birds (Disney+)
  • Loop (Disney+)
  • How to Raise a Black Boy
  • Documentary
  • My Name is Pauli Murray
  • Summer of Soul (Hulu)
  • Pride (Hulu)
  • This is Pop (Netflix)
  • Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali (Netflix)
  • Mary J. Blige’s My Life (Prime Video)
  • Television Shows
  • Insecure (HBO Max): That last episode… (chef’s kiss)….The end of an era…Sunday nights will never be the same… (le sigh) #DayOne
  • The Wonder Years (ABC): Nostalgia, Comedy and the Black Experience
  • The Underground (Prime Video): Powerful, Visual American History Lesson
  • Invincible (Prime Video)
  • Wheel of Time (Prime Video): Definitely up there with Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings
  • The White Lotus (HBO Max): I have never been so drawn into a show that made me laugh, cringe, drop my jaw, and so much more…Everything is not always what it seems…
  • Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu): I do believe what happened actually took place in real life, which is pretty scary if it did…
  • Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
  • Love Life (Season 2) (HBO Max): I LOVE #BLACKLOVE and ALL its many layers!
  • Queen Sugar (OWN Network): Another show that when it comes to a close, I will truly miss this show!! #DayOne
  • Arcane (Netflix): Definitely looking forward to the next season! Fun to watch!
  • The Falcon and Winter Soldier (Disney+): My fave of the Marvel series on Disney+ so far…They pulled out all kinds of surprises!!
  • What If…? (Disney+): Still missing Chadwick Boseman
  • Run the World (Starz): Love seeing Black female friendships and when cities become actors (I see you Harlem!)
  • Succession (HBO Max): All I can say is just watch it!!
  • Reservation Dogs (Hulu): Please more of this!!
  • Evil (Paramount+): Catholicism is a whole different beast (pun intended)
  • Blood and Water (Netflix): Had to represent SA!!
  • Cruel Summer (Hulu): Shout out to my sista-friend Lesley Bonner for this one!! Talk about being drawn in!! It’s all about the little details!
  • Soundtracks (Television and Film) (I did this instead to avoid having to narrow it down to one artist/group or album)
  • The Harder They Fall
  • Insecure (I owe a great deal to this soundtrack, I became aware and a fan of so many new artists because of each seasons soundtrack!!)
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Coming 2 America
  • Cruella
  • BMF
  • Queen Sugar
  • Tom & Jerry (Now this one surprised me!! But trust me on this one!)
  • True Story (A Whole lot of Philly Soul)

*The listings are in no particular order.