HO L LY W OOD SPOT LIGHT Chez Hadley “The Underground Railroad” A grippingly brutal account of slavery and the treatment of slaves, Amazon’s The Underground Railroad, is not for the faint of heart. While oftimes hard to watch, this masterful interpretation and compelling drama from Oscar winning filmmaker Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight”, “If Beale Street Could Talk”), is just as frequently hard to stop watching. The scene of whites dancing as a black man is tied to a platform, whipped and tortured and then burned alive is one of those moments. But just as surely there are moving moments of grace, beauty, humanity, determination and triumph in this tenpart cinematic telling of the story of
catcher named Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton). Based on the 2016 Pulitzer Prizewinning novel by Colson Whitehead, “The Underground Railroad” represents breakout roles for South African actress Thuso Mbedu and the UK born Pierre. Jenkins’ Underground Railroad is a surreal interpretation of Whitehead’s fictional story with a real life train that can at times go off the rails with its twists and turns marked by dreamlike sequences and flashbacks that provide both backstory and revelation. With its alternate reality and surreal interpretations, it’s a lot to take in, but well worth the watch.
Cora (Thuso Mbedu), a slave on a Georgia plantation in the mid-1800s who escapes harsh plantation life with another slave named Caesar (Aaron Pierre) by way to the Underground Railroad, despite being tracked by a relentless and stone-hearted slave
OUT THIS MONTH
HOLLYWOOD BUZZ
Under the Stadium Lights June 4
Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard June 16
Taraji P Henson’s Unspoken Curriculum
L.A. Focus/June 2021
Last month, actress/mental health activist Taraji P. Henson expanded her mission to change the perception of mental illness in the Black community–and encourage those who suffer anxiety and mental health trauma– with the launch of its latest initiative, The Unspoken Curriculum. The six-week program, designed to shape how Black youth view themselves, addresses racial bias in the classroom and other negative experiences that become part of those life experiences that weren’t part of the lesson plan, but have handicapped Black children. “There’s implicit bias in the education system that clearly disadvantages Black students,” Henson posted of the program that is part of Boris L. H e n s o n
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Fatherhood June 18
Foundation, which she established in 2018 in the name of her late father. Henson says she’s still affected by things that were done to her and biases that happened to her when she was in school. She believes the Unspoken Curriculum will advocate for meaningful change in the classroom by rethinking and reforming the lessons Black students learn in school and inspiring youth to feel confident and empowered to talk about their personal experiences publicly in the classroom and privately with mental health experts, while also seeking additional support when they need it. For more information about The Unspoken Curriculum visit borislhensonfoundation.org.
Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown have teamed up to produce and star in Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul, a short film that has been developed into a movie. A satirical look at megachurches, the movie keys in on Trinity Childs, the first lady of a prominent and respected Southern Baptist Mega Church in the aftermath of a scandal who attempts to help her pastor-husband, Lee-Curtis Childs, rebuild their now borderline non-existent congregation. They must however, reconcile their faith with their personal demons in order to make the biggest comeback that commodified religion has ever seen. Meanwhile, on June 15, Brown is set to exec produce and cohost the OWN television special Honoring Our Kings: OWN Honors Black Fatherhood, with Oprah Winfrey. “The greatest role of my life happened 10 years ago when I became a father for the first time,” said Sterling K Brown, co-host and Executive Producer. “I am honored to celebrate these exceptional men who are my ‘Brothers in Fatherhood’, and continue to shift the national percep-
F9: The Fast Saga June 25
tion of Black fathers.” In other casting news, everybody needs a supergirl and for Ava DuVernay it’s Kaci Walfall. At least, that’s who she’s tapped to star in her new superhero drama for the CW Network, Naomi. The show follows a teen girl’s journey from her small northwestern town to the heights of the multiverse after a supernatural event shakes her hometown to the core and she sets out to uncover its origins.
On the Home Front: Empire star Bryshere Gray will have to do ten days in jail after pleading guilty to aggravated assault in a domestic violence incident. The deal is part of a plea the made by the 27-year old actor who was initially charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and kidnapping. In addition to his jail stay, Gray will be required to complete three years of probation, participate in a domestic violence offender treatment program and pay restitution.
Briefly: Howard University has announced that it will honor Chadwick Boseman, one of its more famed alumni–by renaming its College of Fine Arts after him…Ironically, Boseman mentor Phylicia Rashad was recently named as the dean…Omari Hardwick will join Halle Berry in “The Mothership”, a project will star in and exec produce. Berry stars as Sara Morse, who one year after her husband mysteriously vanishes from their rural farm discovers a strange, extraterrestrial object underneath their home, setting her and her kids off on a race to find their husband, father and the truth…Finally, just weeks after announcing her engagement to Nigerian businessman Simon Guobadia (after just one month of dating), Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Porsha Williams is planning not one or two, but three wedding ceremonies.
Q&A
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges Hometown: Champaign, Illinois Big Break: Back for the First Time Upcoming Projects: “F9: The Fast Saga” Ludacris is a Grammy award winning rapper, actor and successful entrepreneur who began rapping at the age of nine and would later go on to release nine studio albums. He turned to acting in 2003 with 2 Fast 2 Furious and has become a staple of the successful franchise in addition to other acting projects. The happily married father of three girls also owns a record label, a restaurant, a cooking show, a Netflix TV series and is developing a line of toys for Mattel. On how he came to be part of the Fast & Furious: I was on tour with Eminem. I believe Ja Rule was supposed to get this part and they couldn't come to an agreement. At the last minute they had to hurry up and fill this role. I remember right before getting on stage, I was in my dressing room and someone told me, 'You have to try out for this part. They only have one day so you've got to put it on tape now, and here's the sides and you've got to do it.' I'm like 15, 20 minutes from going on stage... And I did it, and the rest is history. On Fatherhood: Having daughters has made me to be more aware of the world, its current state and how things are shaping up. It’s made me more of a protector. I’ve always been a provider, but I want to be more in their lives, teaching them game for the time that boys do come into their lives, because I know every trick in the book, so I have to pass on the knowledge. It’s impacted me so much to have daughters that I have created businesses centered by and around them. On legacy: I’ve had a lot of accomplishments in my life, but everything I’ve experienced seems to have led up to this point to where I can leave a legacy for all my daughters. “Karma’s World” is one of those legacies. I hope this series will show kids that there are many ways to overcome difficult situations. This show is going to move hip hop culture forward and show young girls that they have the power to change the world. On Kid Nation, the media platform he created to help kids learn about current events through music: I just feel like the landscape is very dated, in terms of what is out for children’s music at the moment. Because we are in the height of not only COVID-19, but we’re also in the height of a racial divide that is starting to make small, positive change, and we want to help with that change. We’re trying to ensure the future of children everywhere. On the Fast & Furious franchise coming to an end: They just announced that we're going to end on 10 and 11. Personally I thought we were going to end on 10 but I'm not at all sad about it because you got to think about, I came out in 2 Fast 2 Furious. We never knew we would get a callback from 5, now I've been in 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. And now they're telling me there's going to be two more? I'm happy! To hell with being sad! On Persistence: There are 2 types of people in this world–those that make things happen and those that let things happen to Them. When I set out to accomplish a goal, I stop at nothing to make it happen.
