With confidence and integrity, Creed III has been created with outright strategy. This third entry has timed its moment to show that it has reached a maturation point to continue forward without Sylvester Stallone. Making his feature debut as a director, franchise star Michael B. Jordan represents and demonstrates a new level of command and authority. Moreover, rather than re-assembling and relying on more family trees, Creed III finds a very penetrating and personal singular focus for its choice of ominous opposition.
Read MoreFor all intents and purposes in telling the memoir of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dana Canedy, Washington has a movie that encircles patriotism, duty, the War on Terror, gender politics, Black love, colourism, the plight of military spouses, substitute fatherhood, legacies, and more. Each is treated in an ultra-respectful fashion. Even with heavy emotions in play, none of those issues are shouted at with either favoritism or admonishment. In standing firm as it does, there’s a heap of bravery across many people and places to be found in A Journal for Jordan.
Read MoreDue to scheduling hurdles, the usual comic book film roundtable called in by the Kicking the Seat Podcast hosted by Ian Simmons had to merge their voices over the fun for an extended and perky podcast to cover Marvel's record-shattering blockbuster phenomenon, Black Panther! Ian was joined by myself, David Fowlie of Keeping it Reel, and Emmanuel Noisette of Eman's Movie Reviews.
Read MoreAs with any year, there are hot topics being debated immediately stemming from snubs and surprises. Here are my reaction and takeaways, consisting of five snubs and five surprises, coming out of this morning's nominations announcements.
Read MoreThe 88th Academy Award nominations will be announced tomorrow morning, January 14, 2016, hot off of the weekend's 73rd Golden Globe awards. I've been following the full awards season over on my Awards Tracker page. Using that data as the tea leaves and a truckload of hunches, I'm going to attempt to closely predict the Oscar nominations for the "Big 8" categories for the third year in a row.
Read MoreMore and more each year, the Golden Globes have become more an a popularity contest than a true precursor to the Academy Awards. What you're watching on TV is a party thrown by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and hosted by Ricky Gervais in an effort to be loved and share some love. To its credit, the awards show still garners legitimate attention and ratings. The winners do get a pretty positive rub and the marketers gain a few more "Winner of..." graphics to put in the newspapers next to their films.
Read MoreTake away every rooted piece of cheesy disconnect and disdain you have calcified in your hearts and minds for whatever bloated quality you remember or assigned to the six-film "Rocky" series and shelf it immediately. The spin-off film "Creed" is a new tangent that gracefully and respectfully builds from the nostalgic anchor that comes with the "Rocky" territory, but grows to never be bound by that history for a second. Ryan Coogler's film successfully strives to be its own bold and rousing saga fitting of the shared connection.
Read More"The Awkward Moment" is an oasis of fun in a dreary winter cinema landscape. This is one of those rare romantic comedies that can actually appeal to both genders. Set your date night up now. With its wide release coming on January 31st, ladies and gentleman, your Valentine's Day weekend must-see movie has arrived two weeks early.
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