Review: Judas and the Black Messiah

by Lynn Lee

The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.  That isn’t Fred Hampton’s epitaph, but it could well be.  Only in his case, it wasn’t even half – more like a quarter.  At the age of 21, Hampton was already one of the brightest lights in the Black Panther Party when he was assassinated in his own home by the Chicago police, with help from the FBI, in 1969.  The most tragic aspect of his premature demise wasn’t that he was just getting started; it was that he had accomplished so much in such a short time and gave every indication he could have done so much more had he lived.  The second most tragic aspect was the identity of his betrayer: an African American FBI informant who had embedded himself in Hampton’s inner circle.

Both of these aspects get their due in Judas and the Black Messiah, the first non-documentary film to focus on Hampton and the man (and Man) who brought him down...

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Review: Golden Globes surprise "Music"

By Abe Friedtanzer

Surely the biggest shock from any awards announcement last week was the inclusion of Music at the Golden Globes. I hadn’t heard of it at that point, and its unexpected appearance will definitely lead to far more people seeking it out than otherwise would have when it arrives on VOD this Friday after a one-night-only IMAX release today. What to make of Sia’s directorial debut? Well, that’s a complicated question.

Music (Maddie Ziegler) is the name of a teenage girl on the autism spectrum who is mostly nonverbal. The steady routines she has established are upended by the death of her caring grandmother (Mary Kay Place), which brings Music’s half-sister, Zu (Kate Hudson), back into the picture after considerable struggles with the law and addiction. Her kindly neighbor Ebo (Leslie Odom Jr.) and building super George (Hector Elizondo) look after Music as well as they can, but the premise here is clear: much as she seems unsuited for the task, Zu has no choice but to step up...

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Sundance: The Best Way to Go Out in “How It Ends”

By Abe Friedtanzer

It’s been quite revealing to see how the film and television industries have responded to the limitations imposed by stringent regulations during the pandemic. We saw a few shows like Connecting… and Social Distance, the Coastal Elites special, and radically different release strategies from studios and streamers. What excites me most is the way that filmmakers have used new approaches to create stories that don’t directly reference what’s going on now in the world but try something innovative instead. To best illustrate this, let’s look at How It Ends, the new collaboration between Zoe Lister-Jones and Daryl Wein, who were last at Sundance with White Rabbit in 2018.

It’s the end of the world – a comet is headed towards Earth and so there’s literally going to be no tomorrow...

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Sundance: Robin Wright Directs “Land”

By Abe Friedtanzer 

Self-imposed exile is a common cinematic device used to frame narratives, with a variety of motivations for that lifestyle change. Venturing out solo into harsh or unknown conditions has been the premise of a range of films, including Wild and Into the Wild. Watching such a journey can be most poignant for what it reveals about its protagonist, and the beauty (or misery) they find along the way. Robin Wright makes her directorial debut with Land, a Focus Features production premiering at Sundance and slated for release on February 12th... 

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Sundance Review: Summer of Soul (...Or When The Revolution Could No Be Televised)

by Murtada Elfadl

1969 is remembered for many events, among them Woodstock. But that same year another concert event just as momentous took place in New York City, The Harlem Cultural Festival. It had a killer set of performers -  Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & The Family Stone to name just a few. Yet until a few days ago I bet you didn't even know it had happened. I certainly didn’t until I saw Summer of Soul (...Or When The Revolution Could No Be Televised), Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s joyous documentary which premiered on the opening night of Sundance 2021.

A good music documentary needs good music and Summer of Soul has that in spades...

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