Black in Period Films

Based on the 2013 James McBride novel, The Good Lord Bird follows a young enslaved boy as he joins John Brown in Brown's abolitionist mission during Bleeding Kansas. Newcomer Joshua Caleb Johnson plays Onion (who is a fictional character) and can be heard narrating the trailer. Just like in the award winning novel, the series will be told from the point of view of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson). You will also spot Daveed Diggs (of Hamilton fame) as abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass. The seven part miniseries will premier August 9th on Showtime. 

Four African American Vietnam veterans return to Vietnam. They are in search of the remains of their fallen squad leader and the promise of buried treasure. Cast Chadwick Boseman Delroy Lindo  Clarke Peters   Jonathan Majors Isiah Whitlock Jr. Norm Lewis  Giancarlo Esposito Crew Director: Spike Lee Music composed by: Terence Blanchard Screenplay: Spike Lee, Kevin Willmott, Danny Bilson, Paul De Meo Producers: Spike Lee, Lloyd Levin Netflix will release the film globally on Friday June 12th.

Here is the newest teaser trailer for the upcoming HBO series. Lovecraft Country. "HBO’s new drama series, based on the 2016 novel by Matt Ruff of the same name, debuts this August. The series follows Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) as he joins up with his friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) to embark on a road trip across 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father (Michael Kenneth Williams). This begins a struggle to survive and overcome both the racist terrors of white America and the terrifying monsters that could be ripped from a Lovecraft paperback."  Lovecraft Country is executive produced by Misha Green (of Underground fame), J.J Abrams, Jordan Peele, Bill Carraro, Yann Demange, Daniel Sackheim and David Knoller. The first three names of the behind the camera creative team are enough to have me tuning in. The actors and actresses cast were equally compelling. Although horror isn't always my t...

Today, we have unfortunately learned that celebrity hairstylist Charles Gregory Ross has passed away of Coronavirus. Hollywood heavy hitters like Tyler Perry, Viola Davis, Ava DuVernay and Lee Daniels wrote heartfelt messages to their friend and colleague.  View this post on Instagram I was fortunate to finally work with @charlesgregorytherenowned. He was a BRILLIANT hairstylist and did his MAGIC on @usvsbillieholiday ..Whenever l complained about anyone’s hair he’d say “lemme just slap some grease on it.. it’ll be ok”! 😂.. and it was!!! .. the virus took him today. Please say a prayer for this wonderful man and his family. 💔💔💔 A post shared by Lee Daniels (@leedaniels) on Apr 8, 2020 at 4:27pm PDT Charles Gregory Ross showed his amazing artistry on numerous films. So often the people behind the screen don't get the praise they deserve. They work that Ross did was crucial to the viewing experience. This is...

A group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood try to make it big - no matter the cost. The series features Broadway darling Jeremy Pope, in his first television role. As well as BlacKkKlansman's Laura Harrier.  Laura Harrier as Camille Washington with Michelle Krusiec as Anna May Wong. Laura Harrier as Camille Washington with Darren Criss as Raymond Ansley. Jeremy Pope as Archie Coleman with Darren Criss as Raymond Ansley, David Corenswet as Jack Castello, and Jake Picking as Rock Hudson. Laura Harrier as Camille Washington with Samara Weaving as Claire Wood. Jeremy Pope as Archie Coleman with Darren Criss as Raymond Ansley. Laura Harrier as Camille Washington. Executive Producer, Writer and Director Janet Mock : “With the present so fraught and the future uncertain, we turned to the past for direction, uncovering buried history to spin an aspirational tale of what ifs. What if a band of outsiders were given a chance to t...

I gave the limited series two scores. One for history lovers and one for more casual period film fans. I participated in the watch party that was going on. Viewers watched and tweeted using the hashtag #selfmadenetflix. It was an interesting experience and I really enjoyed watching along with people. It reminded me of how it was during the Roots 2016 premier. Tons of people watching the same thing and having a great time watching period films which is something I love. I had to talk about the series, because I felt a lot of things while watching it and I’ll start with the good. The Good A major part of the period film experience is the costumes and set decorations. These are absolutely amazing. It isn’t very often that we get to see black characters in Edwardian era clothing. The series started in St. Louis in 1908 and ended around 1918. So that is 10 years that are represented in costume. We can see the change in characters through their change in clothing. This is especially i...

Based on true events,  Radium Girls  follows teen sisters, Bessie and Jo Cavallo, who dream of Hollywood and Egyptian pyramids as they paint luminous watch dials at the American Radium factory in New Jersey. When Jo loses a tooth, Bessie’s world is turned upside down as a mystery slowly unravels.  She discovers a corporate cover-up and, in a radical coming of age story, Bessie and the Radium Girls decide to take on American Radium. Based on historical events, the national sensation following the notorious case of the Radium Girls in 1928 ultimately led to significant and lasting impact in the area of workplace health and safety and the study of radioactivity.   Susan Heyward plays a photographer named Etta.