Sharper is a good ole fashioned con flick
The con is on in director Benjamin Caron’s sophomore film Sharper, a joint production with A24. Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka pen the film’s screenplay, which opens with text explaining what a “sharper” is. A “sharper” uses their sharp mind to swindle for a living. We soon meet our first character New York antiquarian bookshop owner Tom (Justice Smith).
Single Review: Jagged Edge, Heaven Help Us
Twenty-six years in the game, Atlanta-based quartet Jagged Edge remains strong. Fans are eagerly awaiting All Original Parts, the group’s eleventh studio album. Thankfully JE stays on the road and recently blessed fans with a new single. This year for Valentine’s Day, JE released a cover of Deon Estus’s “Heaven Help Me.” JE changes things a bit by changing the last phrase to us.
Swallowed is a strong body horror flick
After a brief hiatus, Carter Smith returns to the horror genre in Swallowed. Smith also pens the film’s screenplay. After a drug run turns disastrous, two friends, Benjamin (Cooper Koch) and Dom (Jose Colon), must survive a nightmarish ordeal of drugs, bugs, and horrific intimacy.
Second Listen Sunday :Aaron Hall, Adults Only
While it doesn’t hold a candle to that magical time in the nineties, 2005 was a commendable year for R&B. We were introduced to the talents of Rihanna, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, Bobby Valentino, and Keyshia Cole, who all released their debut albums. Following lukewarm receptions to their previous albums, Mariah Carey and Mary J Blige quickly returned to the top of the charts with their respective projects.
Slow Jam Saturday : Smokey Robinson, If We Don’t Have Each Other
Following the announcement of Smokey Robinson’s 24th album, Gasms, the R&B legend has become a trending topic in recent weeks. When song titles such as “How You Make Me Feel,” “I Wanna Know Your Body,” “Roll Around,” and the two eyebrow raisers, “You Fill Me Up” and “I Fit in There.” were revealed their was a collective mindset of what is Smokey smoking?
Single Review: Lucky Daye, Careful
Former American Idol contestant Lucky Daye may have been eliminated after reaching the Top 20 in Season 4. However, he’s steadily built a name for himself in R&B music. He has released two albums and three EPs and received accolades from Billboard, Complex, and other music publications, making him a notable presence in the music industry.
You Season 4 takes a different approach
One of Netflix’s most significant hits returns for Season 4 in You. Based on Caroline Kepnes’ best-selling novel of the same name, the show has always asked the question, “What would you do for love?”
Second Listen Sunday: Prince, N-E-W-S
Following the lukewarm response to Sisqo’s second album in 2001, Dru Hill returned with a new member Scola in 2002 for the vastly underpromoted Dru World Order. The group would spend the next eight years touring and eventually add new member Tao for its fourth album InDRUpendence Day this week’s Second Listen Sunday pick.
Slow Jam Saturday: Mark Middleton, I Do
Mark Middleton broke into the music industry as a member of Blackstreet, joining the group in 1996 for their sophomore album, Another Level. Middleton’s vocals were prevalent on the massive single “Don’t Leave” and a personal favorite, “Never Gonna Let You Go.”
Sundance Review: To Live Die And Live
With his latest film, To Live and Die and Live, writer and director Qasim Basir returns to filmmaking after a four-year hiatus. In his latest film, Basir introduces us to Muhammad (Amin Joseph), a handsome, strong Hollywood director. Muhammad tries to navigate through a rebuilt Detroit’s gorgeous and alluring landscapes.
Single Review : October London, Back To Your Place
Soul singer October London is steadily making a name for himself in the genre of R&B. By blending classic soul sounds with contemporary R&B, October London is carving out a space for himself in the music industry. A South Bend, Indiana native, he hit the scene in the summer of 2016. The first time I heard his voice was on “Revolution,” the closing song on Snoop Dogg’s Coolaid album.
Sundance Review: A Thousand and One
Singer Teyana Taylor gives an honest and heartfelt lead performance in A Thousand and One from Focus Features. The writer & director of the film, A.V. Rockwell, makes her debut with the film that follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez (Teyana Taylor), who kidnaps six-year-old Terry (Aaron Kingsley Adetola) from the foster care system.