Let’s throw it back to the classic, Boyz n the Hood. Boyz n the Hood is a critically acclaimed film released in 1991. It’s the story about a boy with a dream, a dream to make it out of the hood. It earned director John Singleton several accolades and jumpstarted the acting careers of Ice Cube and Morris Chestnut.

Synopsis:

Boyz n the Hood is the critically acclaimed story of three friends growing up in a South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. It is a place where harmony co-exists with adversity, especially for three young men growing up there: Doughboy, an unambitious drug dealer; his brother Ricky, a college-bound teenage father; and Ricky’s best friend Tre, who aspires to a brighter future beyond “The Hood.” In a world where a trip to the store can end in death, the friends have diverse reactions to their bleak surroundings. Tre’s resolve is strengthened by a strong father who keeps him on the right track. But the lessons Tre learns are put to the ultimate test when tragedy strikes close to home, and violence seems the only recourse.

Cast:

Cuba Gooding Jr. – Tre Styles

Ice Cube – Darrin “Doughboy” Baker

Lawrence Fishburne – Jason “Furious” Styles

Morris Chestnut – Ricky Baker

Nia Long – Brandi

Angela Bassett – Reva Devereaux

Regina King – Shalika

Crew:

Director/Writer – John Singleton

Cinematographer – Charles Mills

Boyz n the Hood is available here.

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The Book of Negroes is a miniseries that debut on CBC in Canada and BET in the United States. It is based on Lawrence Hill’s Someone Knows My Name (The Book of Negroes in Canada). It tells the story of a girl forcibly taken from her homeland in West Africa to South Carolina. She discovers love and lost that pushes her to find a way back home.

Synopsis:

A universal story of loss, courage and triumph, The Book of Negroes recounts the extraordinary journey of Aminata Diallo, an indomitable African woman who survives in a world in which everything seems to be against her. Kidnapped by slave traders in West Africa then sold into slavery in South Carolina, Aminata navigates her way through the American Revolution in New York, the isolated refuge of Nova Scotia, and the treacherous jungles of Sierra Leone, before finally securing her freedom in England at the dawn of the 19th century.

Cast:

Aunjanue Ellis – Aminata

Lyriq Bent – Chekura

Cuba Gooding Jr. – Samuel Fraunces

Louis Gossett, Jr. – Daddy Moses

Ben Chaplin – Cpt. John Clarkson

Crew:

Director – Clement Virgo

Writer – Clement Virgo

Writer – Lawrence Hill

The Book of Negroes is available here.

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Since I’ve come to terms with Courtney B. Vance being married to Angela Bassett, I’m excited for his new role in American Crime Story: The People Vs O.J. Simpson (American Horror Story redux?). He was cast as the infamous defense attorney Johnny Cochran.

Vance will join Cuba Gooding Jr. who will be playing O.J. Simpson. With Ryan Murphy’s involvement, this could be either really good or really bad. I hope for the latter. Anyone who watches Glee or American Horror Story knows his track record for burning out. We should at least get one good season out of it.

The post Courtney B. Vance Must’ve Fit, Lands New Role appeared first on Films of Color.

The pushback to this film only proves how great it must be. Publications are popping up everywhere trying to fact check the film. Out of all the historical films out there, most wrought with errors, fact checking arises at the same time as Selma‘s release. I just take it as the inability to find anything else wrong with it, a testament to the cast and the brilliant director, Ava DuVernay. Selma has already won numerous awards and is nominated for numerous more. Let’s start out 2015 right with a strong showing. It’s a must see for adults and children alike.

Synopsis:

The unforgettable true story chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Director Ava DuVernay’s “Selma” tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.

Cast:

David Oyelowo – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Carmen Ejogo – Coretta Scott King

Common – James Bevel

Cuba Gooding, Jr – Fred Gray

Lorraine Toussaint – Amelia Boynton Robinson

Oprah Winfrey – Annie Lee Cooper

Niecy Nash – Richie Jean Jackson

Wendell Pierce – Hosea Williams

Crew:

Director/Executive Producer – Ava DuVernay

Writer – Paul Webb

Cinematographer – Bradford Young

Opens in theaters everywhere January 9, 2015. Get your tickets here.

Source: IMDB

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