Roger Ebert

GTA San Andreas and the Legacy of Playing as a Black Guy in Video Games
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Video game publisher Ubisoft recently revealed the latest entry in their “Assassin’s Creed” franchise, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows,” but not without a bit of controversy in some social media spaces. The game is set in feudal age Japan and features dual...
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Hollywood Continues to Fail Its Black Final Girls
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When one thinks of the perfect definition of a Final Girl, the likes of Sidney Prescott (“Scream”), Nancy Thompson (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”), and Jess Bradford (“Black Christmas”) come to mind. Coined as a term by academic Carol J....
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58th KVIFF Welcomes Viggo Mortensen, Steven Soderbergh, Clive Owen, And More
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Every year, outside the resplendent Grandhotel Pupp, dedicated crowds gather to snap a photo of the glitzy guests gracing the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF). These stars and auteurs often arrive to premiere their film or to receive the Crystal...
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Juneteenth Film Festival Returns For A Powerful Second Year
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Juneteenth is one of the most important days in African American history. It’s a day that represents freedom and new possibilities. And to honor it, the 2nd annual Juneteenth Film Festival returned to Kansas City, Missouri this June. The festival...
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Have An Original Screenplay? Write it as a Novel!
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In the competitive world of entertainment, getting an original screenplay noticed by Hollywood can be a daunting task. That’s if you even have an agent. Granted, studios love a well-written, ready-to-shoot original piece; however, for writers who have not been...
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The Case for a Content Warning for Bad Policing
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We watch with great joy when the police officer pulls over the bad guy, then strolls to the back of their car and smashes the taillight to create probable cause. We don’t flinch when the detective unplugs the camera during...
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Catching a Blackfamous White Whale on Broadway: Purlie Victorious Comes Home
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Purlie Victorious, Ossie Davis’ 1961 satirical play, is an obsession of mine, one I first discovered I had when I saw the 1963 movie version, “Gone are the Days,” 14 years ago. I became instantly fascinated by the idea that...
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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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