Roger Ebert

Black Barbie
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“When I think of Barbie, I think of a little white doll with blue eyes, blonde hair, pink lips, and just all in pink.” From this first statement, audiences should brace for an all-encompassing discussion around the most famous doll...
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Orphan Black: Echoes Stumbles Under the Weight of Its Predecessor
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“Orphan Black” was a series that took the television industry by storm. It boasted an ensemble cast of characters, nearly all played by Tatiana Maslany. Although it often went off the rails, it remained an engaging science fiction story throughout...
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You Ready To Be the King?: Fresh Turns 30
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Low-budget, urban-set crime dramas were a pretty prevalent film genre throughout much of the 1990s, particularly during the first half of the decade. Examples of the urban-set crime drama include modern cult classics like Mario Van Peebles' "New Jack City...
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Black Writers Week 2024: Table of Contents
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The following table of contents features all articles published during Black Writers Week 2024 (June 17th through June 23rd). —The Editors REVIEWS Naked Acts by Niani ScottSlave Play. Not a Movie. A Play. by Brandon Towns FEATURES Introduction to Black Writers Week...
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The LightReel Film Festival Finishes Strong
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The 5th Annual LightReel Film Festival concluded on June 8, 2024, after completing its strongest slate of films, panels, and parties in its short five-year history. During a year when concerns were raised about movie attendance's downward trend, LightReel tripled...
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How Women of Color Are Shifting the Narrative
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From Hattie McDaniel to Shonda Rhimes to Debra Martin Chase, Black women have shifted the narrative and broken down barriers where we were never expected, welcomed, or encouraged to succeed.  As women leaders, there has been a tendency for the...
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It’s Physical Work: Barry Jenkins on The Underground Railroad
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When “The Underground Railroad” premiered on Amazon Prime Video during the pandemic, some were worried. At a moment when Black bodies were occupying grisly breaking news and haunting police chest cameras, many wondered if it was the right time for...
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Naked Acts
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Contains language around sexual abuse Bridgett M. Davis’ 1996 film “Naked Acts,” recently rediscovered by Maya S. Cade, presented by Julie Dash, Kino Lorber and Milestone Films, is an independent film that takes its audience through the independent filmmaking process and...
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Slave Play. Not a Movie. A Play.
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“Slave Play. Not A Movie. A Play.,” a film by playwright Jeremy O. Harris, is an in-depth look behind the scenes of the director's controversial play of the same name. Slave Play, the 12-time Tony Award-nominated Broadway sensation, follows three...
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The Watchers
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When it comes to kooky, creative thrillers, Shyamalan is practically a brand. Though M. Night is the present precedent for this surname, his daughter Ishana hopes to carry the torch into the next generation, making a name for herself in...
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