Romance, the 80’s and crime fill the enjoyable Love Lies Bleeding
Director Rose Maud has switched genres, trading horror for a romantic crime drama in her second film, “Love Lies Bleeding.” Glass and Weronika Tofilska wrote the script, and A24 produced the movie. The story takes place in 1989 and revolves around Lou (played by Kristen Stewart), a reclusive gym manager, who falls in love with Jackie (played by Katy O’Brian), an ambitious bodybuilder heading to Las Vegas to chase her dreams. However, their passion ignites violence, and they get pulled into the web of Lou’s criminal family, led by her father, Lou Sr. (played by Ed Harris).
Second Listen Sunday: Night And Day
I have previously mentioned the perks of growing up in the nineties, particularly discovering a great R&B gem on a movie soundtrack. Often, artists would release a track on a soundtrack, building anticipation for an album that might not even be released. This week’s Second Listen Sunday featured artist Night & Day falls into the former group.
Slow Jam Saturday: 702, Get It Together
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give some flowers to R&B trio 702 and their ballad “Get It Together.” In the spring of 1995, I was introduced to the group as they joined label mates Subway for the “This Lil Game We Play” ballad. The group gained popularity a year later with their single, “Steelo.” However, it was their second single, “Get It Together,” that I was eagerly looking forward to hearing live when I saw them open up for New Edition on the 1997 Home Again tour.
Light on the debauchery “Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told” is still an engrossing documentary
After months of memes and anticipation, the Mass Appeal and Swirl Films documentary “Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told” finally arrives on Hulu. P Frank Williams directs the documentary, while Hip Hop Luminaries Luther “Uncle Luke Campbell,” Jermaine Dupri, and 21 Savage serve as executive producers.
Arthur The King is a royally entreating crowd pleaser
Following last year’s action comedy “The Family Plan,” Mark Wahlberg is teaming up again with director Simon Cellan Jones for a heartwarming true story titled “Arthur The King.” Lionsgate is releasing the movie with Michael Brandt as the screenwriter. The screenplay is based on the book “Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home” by Mikael Lindnord.
Mean Girls is a fetch remake
Paramount Pictures has given a new twist to the classic high school comedy in the form of “Mean Girls,” which coincides with the movie’s twentieth anniversary. This story was previously adapted into a same-titled stage musical. The latest version of the story has the original writer, Tina Fey, returning to write the script while Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. direct the movie.
Donnie Yen swaps his martial arts skills for his dramatic talent in “Polar Rescue”
Donnie Yen, the legendary martial artist, breaks his usual butt-kicking role and showcases his dramatic talent in “Polar Rescue,” a film by Well GO USA, directed and written by Lo Chi-Leung. In this movie, Yen plays Ah De, a man with a seemingly idyllic life with his wife, Xuan (Cecilia Han), and their two children. However, after a minor argument with his son, the boy goes missing, and the situation escalates as local authorities are called to search for him.
Single Review: Musiq Soulchild – Just Friends (Sunny) (DJ Soulchild Remix)
DJ Soulchild, a talented Remix Phenom from Switzerland delivers another remix for 2024 perfect for the dance floor. He added his unique style to Musiq Soulchild’s debut single, “Just Friends,” which was initially released in 2000 as the third single from the “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).” DJ Soulchild has returned to the City of Brotherly Love to bless his fans with this fantastic new track.
Second Listen Sunday : Marc Nelson, I Want You
For this week’s Second Listen Sunday pick, I’m taking you back to 1991 to highlight the debut solo album by premier vocalist Marc Nelson, “I Want You.” It’s often forgotten, but it deserves recognition. As R&B experts know, Nelson was born into music as he is the son of Phyllis Nelson, best known for the dance hit “I Like You.”
Nelson was one of the founding members of Boyz II Men while still a student at Philadelphia’s renowned High School of Performing Arts. However, due to personality conflicts and impatience, Nelson left the group before they hit the big time. Nelson would end up signing with Capital Records, and his solo album, I Want You, was released only a few months after his former group’s debut “Cooleyhighharmony” in the fall of 1991.
Slow Jam Saturday: Profyle, Whispers in the Dark
Male R&B groups ruled the airwaves in the early to mid-nineties, but as the 20th century started to close out, while groups were still around, they no longer dominated the charts. While we still had mainstays like Dru Hill, 112, Jagged Edge, and four guys from Philly, newer groups would come and go.
Robot Dreams is a beautiful film about the power of friendship
The 96th Academy Awards ceremony, a highly anticipated event, has garnered significant attention across the globe. In this context, I would like to highlight a lesser-known film titled “Robot Dreams,” which was nominated for the Best Animated Feature category. The film, written and directed by Pablo Berger, is an adaptation of Sara Varon’s 2007 comic of the same name. Despite its nomination, this film may have yet to receive widespread recognition among mainstream film enthusiasts, as it has only been released in France and Spain. However, NEON Film Studio acquired the distribution rights to release the film in North America during the summer.
Second Listen Sunday: Gerald LeVert, Love & Consequences
R&B singer Gerald LeVert released his third solo album, “Love & Consequences,” in the summer of 1998, following his super group project LSG. In addition to collaborating with his longtime associate, Edwin “Tony” Nicholas, LeVert also engaged in fruitful partnerships with a broader array of writers and producers. These include notable individuals such as R. Kelly, Joe Little III from The Rude Boys, and Darrell “Delite” Allamby.