Author: blackcinemaconnection

The Reading

Release Date:  2/2/23; BET+
Genre:  Thriller
Rating:   TV-MA
Running Time:  96 mins.
Director:  Courtney Glaude
Studio(s):  Courtney Glaude, AWW Entertainment

Cast:  Mo’Nique (Emma), Chasity Sereal (Sky), Denisha Hardeman (Jessie), Ian Haywood (Gregory), Charnele Brown (Oda Brown), Mcauley Teters (Randy), Maudejanei Alero (Kendell Leeden), Cooper Helm (Mathew Leeden), Lisa Alavi (Ashley Leeden).

Story:  Emma Leeden is an author who recently lost her husband and two children during a home invasion. A year after the incident, Emma is still deeply scarred by the events and keeps away from the public in a fortified home. When she decides to detail the horrific experience in her new book, Invasion, her manager arranges a staged reading to generate press and hires a medium, Sky Brown to lead.  Although Emma doesn’t buy into Sky’s connection with the spirits, she’s quickly proven wrong when the medium is possessed by a dark spirit presenting itself as one of Emma’s daughters. Trapped in the author’s home, the group faces off against a terrifying force that they can’t get away from.  Source:  etonline.com.

Trailer:

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The Assistant

a/k/a Assistant

Release Date:  1/20/23; Tubi

Genre:  Thriller

Rating:   TV-14

Running Time:  104 mins.

Director:  Chris Stokes

Studio(s):   Footage Films

Cast:   Erica Mena (Dr. Raven Fields), Parker McKenna Posey (Annie), Flex Alexander (Shawn Fields), Erica Hubbard (Tiyana).

Story:   Raven hires a new personal assistant, thinking she’s found the perfect fit. But fear sets in when personal organization turns to personal obsession and she risks losing everything, including her life.  Sources:  Tubitv.com; IMDB.

Trailer:

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We Have A Ghost

Release Date:  2/24/23; Netflix
Genre:  Comedy
Rating:  PG-13
Running Time:  126 mins.
Director:  Christopher Landon
Studio(s):  Legendary Entertainment, Temple Hill Entertainment, Netflix.

Cast:  Jahi Winston (Kevin Presley), Anthony Mackie (Frank Presley), Erica Ash (Melanie Presley), Niles Fitch (Fulton Presley), David Harbour (Ernest), Isabella Russo (Joy Yoshino), Tig Notaro (Dr. Leslie Monroe), Steve Coulter (Deputy Director Arnold Schipley).

Story:  Seeking a fresh start in Chicago, the Presley family moves into a dusty fixer-upper but they soon realize the house comes with a catch: a ghost in the attic named Ernest. Despite Ernest’s attempts at scaring teenage son Kevin, the detached, music-obsessed teen soon finds a kindred spirit in this trapped soul from the ’70s and commits to helping him. Meanwhile, Kevin’s affable-yet-harsh father Frank looks to cash in on Ernest by turning him into a social media sensation. When Frank’s video of Ernest goes viral and captures the world’s attention, the family lands on the radar of Dr. Leslie Monroe, a washed-up paranormal scientist who alerts her old boss, the Deputy Director of the CIA, restarting a clandestine program aimed at capturing a ghost. As crowds, reporters, and government agents descend upon the Presley home, it’s up to Kevin and his sharp-witted, fellow outcast neighbor Joy to break Ernest out, uncover the mysteries of his past, and bring him the closure he needs before it’s too late.  Source:  IMDB/Netflix.

Trailer:

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Girl In The Closet

Release Date:  3/11/23; Lifetime
Genre:  Drama
Rating:  TV-14
Director:  Jaira Thomas
Studio(s):  Swirl Films, Lifetime Television

Cast: Remy Ma (Patricia), Tami Roman (Mia), Daijah Peters (Cameron), Danielle LaRoach (Nancy), Stevie Baggs, Jr. (Chris), Teisha Speight (Joanne).

Story:  Based on real-life events.  10-year-old Cameron, who, after her mother Patricia suffered an aneurysm, is adopted by her Aunt Mia, despite having a record as a convicted murderer that was overlooked by overworked social workers. Soon after arriving in her new home, Cameron begins to hear strange voices at night coming from the basement’s locked door. She later discovers what was actually behind that door–people chained to the wall, innocent victims of her aunt’s schemes to enrich herself by cashing their benefit checks. It wasn’t long before Cameron was demoted down into the basement herself, where she would stay for the next ten years while her mother frantically searches for her whereabouts without much help from social services or the authorities. When Cameron finds herself locked in a closet with no food, no water, and no human contact, only her faith keeps her alive before she is rescued.

This is the latest in Lifetime’s “Girl In” movies which showcase harrowing stories of women who survive horrific circumstances, per the network’s news release. The movies include Girl in Room 13, Girl in the Basement, Girl in the Bunker, Girl in the Box and Girl in the Shed.  Source:  mylifetime.com.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB9KSTZld0g&rel=0

 

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Black Girl Missing

Release Date:  3/4/2023; Lifetime
Genre:   Drama
Rating:   TV-14
Director:  Delmar Washington
Studio(s):  Johnson Production Group, Motion Content Group, Lifetime Television.

Cast:  Garcelle Beauvais (Cheryl), Iyana Halley (Lauren), Taylor Mosby (Marley), Linda Park (Elise), Cleo Fraser (Bella).

Story:  When Cheryl gets into an argument with her daughter Lauren over her desire to drop out of college, she initially thinks Lauren is simply ignoring her calls and texts, but Cheryl soon realizes Lauren is missing. While she attempts to get help from authorities and the media, they quickly dismiss the case, labeling Lauren as a runaway while they are all too consumed with another case–that of a missing white girl. Desperate to find Lauren, Cheryl and her 15-year-old daughter Marley enlist the help of a dedicated community of amateur internet sleuths to try to find Lauren. Cheryl also discovers the Black and Missing Foundation and is horrified to discover the disparity in how missing persons of color cases are treated with significant lack of media attention and law enforcement resources.

Black Girl Missing, is Lifetime network’s latest addition in its Stop Violence Against Women campaign, focusing on people of color and the lack of media attention on their stories when they go missing.  Sources:  mylifetime.com; jacksonprogress-argus.com.  Photo Source:  jacksonprogress-argus.com.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3PfA1Bfaz8&rel=0

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House Party

Release Date:  1/13/23; In Theaters
Genre:  Comedy
Rating:   R
Running Time:  100 mins.
Director:  Calmatic
Studio(s):  New Line Cinema, SpringHill Entertainment, The Hideaway Entertainment, Warner Bros.

Cast:  Jacob Latimore as Kevin, Tosin Cole as Damon, DC Young Fly as Vic, Karen Obilom as Venus, Andrew Santino as Peter, LeBron James as himself, Allen Maldonado as Kyle.  Cameo appearances by Lena Waithe, Tinashe, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Bill Bellamy and original cast members, and hip hop duo Kid-N-Play.

Story:  Aspiring club promoters and best buds Damon and Kevin are barely keeping things together. Out of money, down on their luck and about to lose the roofs over their heads—and freshly fired from their jobs as house cleaners—the pair needs a huge windfall to make their problems go away.  In a ‘what the hell?’ move, they decide to host the party of the year at an exclusive mansion, the site of their last cleaning job, which just happens to belong to none other than LeBron James. No permission? No problem. What could go wrong?  How about a time traveling DJ, undependable security, a runaway guest list, one borrowed Lamborghini, angry rival promoters, a stolen championship ring, escalating property damage, an angry koala..?  Reboot of the 1990 film of the same name. Source:  Official site, WarnerBros.com.

Trailer:

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