Halloween Kickback

Release Date:  9/28/21; DVD

Genre:   Comedy

Rating:  NR

Director:  Nelson J. Davis

Studio(s):   Film Architectz, Maverick Entertainment.

Running Time:   70 mins.

Cast:  Nelson J. Davis, Styves Exantus, Shuler King, Tre Williamson, Autumn Read, Rachel Reed, Jalisa McFat.

Story:   Three friends who went through college together find themselves in a financial bind after graduating college. They throw a Halloween party to raise money to get their lives on track.  Source:  Maverick Entertainment.

Trailer:

Colin In Black & White

Release Date:  10/29/21 – Miniseries; Netflix
Genre:  Drama/biography
Rating:  NR
Directors:  Ava DuVernay, Sheldon Candis, Robert Townsend, Angel Kristi Williams, Kenny Leon.
Studio(s):  ARRAY Filmworks, Netflix

Cast:  Colin Kaepernick (Narrator), Jaden Michael (Young Colin Kaepernick), Amarr (Eddie), Mace Coronel (Jake), Howard M. Lockie (Coach Parker), Chris O’Neal (Dwayne), Klarke Pipkin (Crystal).

Story:  The six-episode scripted drama, created by Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick, chronicles Kaepernick’s coming-of-age tackling the obstacles of race, class and culture as the Black adopted child of a white family in Central California. Kaepernick narrates the tale as high school Colin (Jaden Michael) faces adversity on his way to becoming an All-Pro quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and later a cultural icon and activist.  Nick Offerman and Mary-Louise Parker play Colin’s parents Rick and Teresa, while Kaepernick’s voice guides viewers through historical and contemporary contextual moments.  The series is executive produced by DuVernay, Kaepernick and Michael Starrbury, the latter of whom wrote the series.  Source:  Deadline.

Trailer:

Needle In A Timestack


Release Date:
 
10/15/21, In Theaters – Limited & VOD; 10/19/21, DVD
Genre:  Sci-Fi
Rating:  R
Director:  John Ridley
Studio(s):  BRON Studios, Creative Wealth Media Finance, Ember20, Montana North Media, Lionsgate
Cast:  Leslie Odom, Jr., Cynthia Erivo, Orlando Bloom, Freida Pinto

Story:  Love is in the form of a circle, what lines would you cross to be with your soulmate? in this gripping, near-future love story directed by Oscar winner John Ridley, Nick and Janine live in marital bliss, until Janine’s ex-husband warps time to try to tear them apart using Nick’s college girlfriend.  As Nick’s memories and reality disappear, he must decide what he’s willing to sacrifice in order to hold onto — or let go of — everything he loves. Can love endure in a future where time is fluid, and all of life may be just an illusion?

The film was adapted by Ridley from a short story by Robert Silverberg, an author who has been inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame and has won the Hugo and Nebula (awards dedicated to sci-fi literary work) multiple times.  Needle in a Timestack was announced back in 2017, and according to Silverberg, went through a long post-production phase. It is set to premiere on digital, VOD, and in limited theaters on October 15. Blu-ray and DVD editions hit shelves just a few days later, on October 19. Sources:  fangirlish.com; collider.com.

The Young And The Ratchet

Release Date:  9/14/21; Tubi
Genre:   Comedy
Rating:  NR
Directors:  Nigel Gabbidon, Devin S. Jones
Studio(s):  Ritemind Productions, Maverick Entertainment Group
Running Time:  95 mins.

Cast:  Becky Babatunde, James Coley, Matthew Boykin-Derrill, Chyne Okonkwo, Malachi Elias, Trevor Roberts

Story:  But what if it’s all a lie? The lessons they teach, the rules you learned, the people you thought you knew? There is no “Heartbreak 101” or Graduate-level Backstabbing courses on the syllabus. Nothing covered in a classroom course can prepare a young adult for the harsh realities of the real world.

Sources:  IMDB; Maverick Entertainment.

Trailer:

Black as Night

Alternate Title – Welcome to the Blumhouse: Black as Night

Release Date:  10/1/21; Amazon Prime
Genre:  Horror
Rating:   NR
Director:  Maritte Lee Go
Studio(s):  Amazon Studios, Blumhouse Productions, Amazon Prime Video

Cast:  Asjha Cooper, Fabrizio Guido, Mason Beauchamp, Abbie Gayle, Craig Tate, Keith David.

Story:  Part of the Welcome to the Blumhouse series of horror films for Prime Video.  A resourceful teenage girl leaves childhood behind when she battles a group of deadly vampires in Black as Night, an action-horror hybrid with a strong social conscience and a biting sense of humor. Fifteen years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, a new threat leaves its mark on the Big Easy in the form of puncture wounds on the throats of the city’s vulnerable displaced population. When her drug-addicted mom becomes the latest victim of the undead, 15-year old Shawna (Asjha Cooper) vows to even the score. Along with three trusted friends, Shawna hatches a bold plan to infiltrate the vampire’s mansion in the historic French Quarter, destroy their leader, and turn his fanged disciples back to their human form. But killing monsters is no easy task, and soon Shawna and her crew find themselves caught in a centuries-old conflict between warring vampire factions, each fighting to claim New Orleans as their permanent home.  Source:  bloody-disgusting. com.

Teaser:

The Opps


Release Date:
 
9/7/21; DVD (Original Release – 2/10/21)

Genre:  Drama

Rating:  NR

Director:  Helki Jackson

Running Time:  81 mins.

Cast:  Marcus Woods, Young Ra, Iesha Sims, Ian Johnson

Story:   Ain’t no rules to this street game!  Realizing the “Opps” are sometimes closer to you than you thought, who do you trust?  Your devious wife, or childhood friends?  Source:  Maverick Entertainment.