Most of us were drawn into Sleepy Hollow with its quirky premise and undeniable chemistry between the two main characters, Ichabod Crane and Abigail “Abbie” Mills. The first season took us on an adventure as they tried to navigate their shared destiny.

It didn’t matter that Ichabod was married to the witch, Katrina. We were told by AppleCare that Katrina wouldn’t be a main focus. She would be more of a supporting character. But that was a lie.

Katrina’s and Henry Noble’s storylines were elevated while Abbie’s, Jenny’s, and Captain Irving’s were drastically reduced. Katrina was supposed to be so powerful but was always in peril. Abbie once had to cast a spell that this so called powerful witch couldn’t cast. The only magic Katrina was able to cast was dying her hair an unnatural color in colonial times. Yet, it was Abbie who was sidelined.

And now Abbie is gone. Her send off was a hot mess. It was anticlimactic. They teased the relationship of Abbie and Ichabod all season long with no payoff. There was no declaration of love. And Abbie is content to give up her life for the advancement Ichabod, even though it was supposed to be their shared destiny. No fight or nothing.

We should’ve known something was up when Abbie got a promotion to the FBI. It was too good to be true. Speaking of the FBI, what’s going to happen to Danny? Jenny? Will they get phased out? Abbie was the glue that held all the characters together. With the exception of Betsy Ross, Abbie was the center of their little web. She was the heart of show, the reason a lot of us stuck around.

When they didn’t ask Orlando Jones back, we should’ve known it was the beginning of the end. And now Nicole Baharie is ready to move on. How bad were things on set that the lead is fine with leaving after only three years?

Nicole Baharie will be fine. She is a talented actor and has her whole career ahead of her. I can’t wait to see what she does next, but my soul is ready. Sleepy Hollow on the other hand won’t be fine. At this point, they’ll be lucky to match their Season Two ratings.

Will you be giving Season Four a shot if it gets renewed?

The post Abbie Mills Does Indeed Deserve Better appeared first on Films of Color.

We’ve already stated that Living Single is one of the best sitcoms of the nineties and really of all time. So it follows that we would want the one thing that’s been denied to us all these years: the ability to watch the episodes any time we want.

Where are the Living Single DVDs? Only Season One is available on DVD. Season One is bomb, no doubt, but it’s not enough.

We need all the seasons available. If we can’t get them on DVD, can we at least get them on Netflix or Amazon Prime? Netflix has both A Different World and Friends. While Living Single is syndicated on a couple of networks, it’s not the same.

If some kind of licensing agreement can’t be reached, can we at least have YouTube? It’s not fair to deny us the chance to obtain Living Single legally and to also snatch the one way we could enjoy that legendary show.

A petition has been started to get our Living Single DVDs. Please, sign it so you don’t have to clog up your DVR.

The post We Need Our Living Single DVDs appeared first on Films of Color.

Mike Epps has been getting consistent work. He might be the Kevin Hart of the older generation. His latest project is the spoof film, Meet the Blacks, a parody of films like The Purge. Take an adventure with the Black family as they try to survive their new neighborhood.

Synopsis:

The Black family is getting out of Chicago in hopes of a better life. After Carl Black recently came into some unexpected fund$. Carl takes his family and leaves the hustling lifestyle behind for something better. Carl, his wife Lorena, son Carl Jr., daughter Allie Black, and cousin Cronut pack up and move to Beverly Hills.

Turns out, Carl couldn’t have picked a worse time to move. They arrive right around the time of the annual purge, when all crime is legal for twelve hours.

Cast:

• Mike Epps – Carl Black
• Gary Owen – Stranger
• Zulay Henao – Lorena
• Lil Duval – Cronut
• Bresha Webb – Allie
• Charlie Murphy – Key Flo
• DeRay Davis – Tyrone
• Lavell Crawford – Parole Officer

Crew:

• Director/Writer/Producer – Deon Taylor
• Writer – Nicole DeMasi

Meet the Blacks is in theaters everywhere. Tickets are available here.

The post ‘Meet the Blacks’ in Theaters appeared first on Films of Color.

I hate to be the one to say it, but it’s time to look at the endgame for Scandal. There’s nothing that can save it. The only thing ABC can do now is to let it die with dignity before it becomes Supernatural. Viewers are fleeing. It’s not a Black Twitter phenomenon anymore.

Shonda Rhimes once said that she saw the ending of Scandal, that it’s not an eight season show. I hope she sticks to her guns and not let ABC pressure her into more seasons. She needs to end it on her terms.

One of the biggest problems of Scandal is B613. It far outlived its usefulness. B613 became so prominent in the show, the premise got lost. Multiple seasons would focus on bringing B613 down, while Olivia and company would go episodes without “fixing,” the premise that drew us in in the first place.

Another hit for Scandal is the fact that Shonda is too loyal to her actors. There are several characters that should’ve been gone. Fitz is at the top of the list. He should’ve died when he was shot. He doesn’t do much except berate the women in his life. And now that Olitz is gone, what is he doing besides spreading his presidential STD?

Papa Pope should also be gone. I love the character and Joe Morton‘s portrayal, but he never needed to be a permanent villain. If he was going to stick around, he should’ve stayed in a recurring role as resource for Olivia, not a enemy. He seems to be on Olivia’s side right now, but that could change at the drop of a hat.

I know many people are going to disagree, but Jake also needs to get the boot. He’s never been Olivia’s main love interest. He doesn’t do anything the other characters don’t do. And it’s sad to see him chase after Olivia, when she’s always had one foot in Fitz’s bedroom. Even with Fitz out the picture, Olivia won’t allow herself to be with him. And I don’t buy him as a villain. He doesn’t pull it off well.

Scandal should end with this election. I would like to see Mellie as president, but I don’t think her presidency can save the show. Scandal has gone beyond the point where they can just go back to case of the week. None of the storylines are captivating, and you can only rely on shock value for so long. The shark they jumped over is far in the rearview mirror.

My preference would be for them to take one last season to wrap everything up, to resolve this election. Let it go out with a bang instead of it just withering.

Do you see an end in sight? When do you think it will end? When should it end?

The post It’s Time for ‘Scandal’ to Ride off into the Sunset appeared first on Films of Color.

Tonight’s the night. The anticipated series Underground premieres tonight. The series about the Underground Railroad stars a talented cast. It was also co-created by a Black woman and produced by John Legend.

Synopsis:

Underground centers on a group of slaves planning a daring 600-mile escape from a Georgia plantation. Along the way, they are aided by a secret abolitionist couple running a station on the Underground Railroad as they attempt to evade the people charged with bringing them back, dead or alive.

Cast:

• Aldis Hodge – Noah
• Jurnee Smollett-Bell – Rosalee
• Alano Miller – Cato
• Amirah Vann – Ernestine
• Renwick Scott – Henry
• Mykelti Williamson – Moses
• Adina Porter – Pearly Mae
• Johnny Ray Gill – Sam
• Theodus Crane – Zeke
• Christopher Meloni – August Pullman

Crew:

• Creator – Misha Green
• Creator – Joe Pokaski
• Executive Producer – Anthony Hemingway
• Executive Producer – John Legend

Underground airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on WGN.

The post ‘Underground’ Premieres Tonight appeared first on Films of Color.

In 2016, people are tired of whitewashed properties. We have gotten a taste of diversity and seen how successful it could be, so we are beyond the days where a white cast is needed to draw viewers. And we specifically want to tell our own stories.

However, Hollywood hasn’t made it there yet. They’re hellbent on this narrative that films starring Black people/people of color don’t do well, despite the abundance of evidence that contradicts it. We tried to tell them that this wasn’t a good idea. What did they do? They sunk $140 million into their little whitewashed film. And their return of investment? $14 million domestically for opening weekend and $5 million for their second weekend. So much for their theory that they needed a white cast to draw an audience.

How much money are they’re going to piss away on films like these before they invest in more diversity?

The post ‘Gods of Egypt’ Falls from Grace appeared first on Films of Color.

I try to keep this a space of positivity, so I haven’t brought up Nina starring Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone. But the trailer and poster came out and I can’t hold my tongue anymore.

Nina should be a precautionary tale about producing biopics. I’m not one of those people who thinks that an actor has to have a strong resemblance to their subject, but if you’re going to go that route, at least make it tasteful.

The poster is atrocious. Zoe Saldana looks like she’s in blackface. It’s painfully obvious that’s she in a lot of makeup. They tried to hard to make her look like Nina, and it just ended in disaster. If the producers wanted someone who looked like Nina, they should’ve gotten someone else.

The trailer is no better. Zoe looks bad in the trailer. The trailer was badly edited. At least I hope it was badly edited. I hope it’s not indicative of the film. It’s hard to discern what happens in the film except for a lot of drinking, smoking, and psychotic episodes.

I don’t know. It’s hard to have high hopes for this film, but it may surprise us. Maybe Zoe gives a masterful performance. What do you think of the poster and trailer?

Nina will be released in theaters April 22. Tickets are available here.

The post ‘Nina’ Trailer – Nina Simone Deserves Better appeared first on Films of Color.

The ceremony was held on Thursday and aired on Saturday on OWN. Those awarded were entertainment lawyer Nina Shaw, actor Tracee Ellis Ross, and jack of all trades Debbie Allen.

The post 2016 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards appeared first on Films of Color.

Beyoncé released a new song, “Formation,” this last Saturday (Saturday before the Super Bowl) and it’s been a whirlwind ever since. The song came with a video and a Super Bowl performance. And with that came all the think pieces and criticisms. But that’s become the life of Beyoncé, one where every move is analyzed and picked apart. 

It got me thinking. I wrote about Serena Williams getting a biopic. But what about Beyoncé? It seems like every singer is getting one, dead or alive, legendary or not. It’s only a matter of time before someone sinks their hooks into Beyoncé’s life story, especially given her immense popularity and accomplishments. 

The Destiny’s Child era alone would provide enough material. It would be fun to see some of her iconic shade recreated, like the infamous luggage incident. But then there’s her meteoric rise to being the Beyoncé we know now, her evolution from “Crazy to Love” to “Drunk in Love.” Dropping surprise albums and selling out concerts in less than hour. Then there are personal stories to tell. There’s the journey she went through to start a family, culminating in the birth of Blue Ivy. You could even include the tabloids suggesting how Blue was born via surrogate. The relationship with her father. They just have to make sure to include how Keri Hilson and Keyshia Cole said something negative about Beyoncé, and their careers ended. 

I’m not sure who should play Beyoncé. It probably wouldn’t have to be a singer because I’m sure no one wants anyone to rerecord her songs, fearing they might not be able to do her justice and incur the wrath of the BeyHive and general public. Someone up and coming would be nice.

Now for someone like Beyoncé, the biopic would have to be released in theaters, if only because the BeyHive would riot otherwise. Lifetime doesn’t want those problems. 

What parts of Beyoncé’s life would you want a biopic to focus on? Who would you want to play her?

The post A Beyoncé Biopic Is Inevitable, Right? appeared first on Films of Color.

Yesterday the 2016 NAACP Image Awards were aired on TVOne. The Oscars may be so white, the Image Awards were live and fully in color. We have a snippet of award winners and photos from the event below.

Outstanding Motion Picture:
Straight Outta Compton

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture:
Michael B. Jordan, Creed

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture:
Sanaa Lathan, The Perfect Guy

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture:
O’Shea Jackson, Jr., Straight Outta Compton

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture:
Phylicia Rashad, Creed

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture:
Beasts of No Nation

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film):
Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington, Creed

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Film):
Ryan Coogler, Creed

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series:
Terrence Howard, Empire

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series:
Taraji P. Henson, Empire

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series:
Anthony Anderson, Black-Ish

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-Ish

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
Mike Epps, Survivor’s Remorse

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
Marsai Martin, Black-Ish

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
Joe Morton, Scandal

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
Regina King, American Crime

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special:
Queen Latifah, Bessie

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special:
David Alan Grier, The Wiz Live!

Outstanding Comedy Series:
Black-Ish

Outstanding Drama Series:
Empire

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special:
The Wiz Live!

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Kenya M. Barris, Black-Ish – “The Word”

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series:
Mara Brack Ali, Jameal Turner, Keli Goff, Being Mary Jane “Sparrow”

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television):
Lawrence Hill, Clement Virgo, The Book of Negroes

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series:
Don Cheadle, House of Lies, “The Urge to Save Humanity is Almost Always a False Front for the Urge to Rule”

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series:
John Ridley, American Crime

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television):
Dee Rees, Bessie

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television or Film):
Loretta Devine, Doc McStuffins

Outstanding Children’s Program:
Doc McStuffins

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Mini-series):
Marcus Scribner, Black-Ish

Congratulations to all the 2016 NAACP Image Award winners. A full list of winners can be found here.

The post 2016 NAACP Image Awards Recap appeared first on Films of Color.