Phels High


Release Date:  6/17/23 – American Black Film Festival; 6/20/23 – VOD
Genre:  Drama
Rating:  NR
Running Time:  85 mins.
Director:  Kevin J. Nelson
Studio(s):  1804 Films, Prowrite Productions

Cast Omari Hardwick (Principal Floyd), Elise Neal (Tina Lloyd), Michael Hyatt (Captain Bailey), T.J. Atoms (Beef), Allen Maldonado (Meat), Marc John Jefferies (Melvin).

Story:  The film is about a bond between four friends which gets destroyed when one of the boys, who gets bullied, takes matters into his own hands by taking the life of the kid that bullied him. The school’s peace is shattered by gunfire and the boys end up barricaded, trying to devise a plan. Beef (the shooter) figures he may have a chance of having a future if he takes the life of his best friend to come out on top of his messed-up situation. He plots to look like a hero instead of the villain that he is, but his plan falls short and an innocent life is taken due to his choices.  Source:  Variety.com.

All In

a/k/a Born In The Game

Release Date:  6/12/19 – 6/16/19; American Black Film Festival
(Original Release:  2018)
Genre:   Drama
Rating:  NR
Director:  Ibrahim Yilla
Studio(s):   Mega Mind Media
Running Time:  105 mins.
Cast:  Niatia ‘Lil Mama’ Kirkland (Keema), Elise Neal (Gina), Robert Christopher Riley (Lance), Dennis L.A. White (Dupree), Lyric Hurd (Treasure), Jim Jones (Assailant), Lena Anthony (Imani).

Story:   A dysfunctional single mother gets pulled back into a life of crime while trying to make a better future for her three children.  Source:  Blackfilm.com.

We Belong Together

Release Date:  7/28/18; BET
Genre:  Thriller
Rating:  Unknown
Director:  Chris Stokes
Studio(s):   Footage Films
Running time:  Unknown

Cast:  Draya Michele (Tracy), Elise Neal (Megan), Charles Malik Whitfield (Thomas), Cassidey Fralin (Brittany).
Story:   After years of separation, Thomas, a loving father and ex-husband, rekindles his relationship with his former wife, Megan, played by Elise Neal. This enrages Tracy (Draya Michele), who is obsessed with making Thomas hers and wants his ex out of the picture. How far will Tracy go to make sure Megan and her family disappear forever?  Source:  BET.

Trailer:

1982

1982Release Date:  3/1/16; DVD (2013)
Genre:  Drama
Rating:  R
Running Time:  90 mins.
Studio(s):  Black Squirrel Films, Confluential Films, Lionsgate.
Director: Tommy Oliver
Cast:  Hill Harper (Tim Brown), Bokeem Woodbine (Scoop), Sharon Leal (Shenae Brown),  La La Anthony (Neecy), Omar Benson Miller (T. K. Williams), Quinton Aaron (Turtle),  Wayne Brady (Alonzo), Elise Neal (Stacy), Ruby Dee (Rose Brown), Troi Zee (Maya).

Story:  When a government assassin is asked to do one last hit before retiring for good, he finds himself befriending the target and falling in love with the target’s wife and sister. When the agency finds out that he may not execute the mission as planned, it becomes a game of cat and mouse as he decides the fate of his new friend and the woman he truly loves…..who also has a dark secret. Sources: IMDB; Amazon.

Trailer:

 

Fright Night Files

Fright Night Files

Release Date:  10/18/14; TV One
Genre:  Horror
Rating:  NR
Running Time:  90 mins.
Studio:  TV One
Director:  Russ Parr

Cast:  Elise Neal, Lynn Whitfield, Victoria Rowell, Harry Lennix, Eva Marcille, Bokeem Woodbine, Sean Blakemore, Davetta Sherwood, Karrueche Tran.

Story:  Fright Night Files is TV One’s first, original horror film — 90 minutes of terror broken into three separate tales that will have you hiding behind your hands. And to scare you through it all is Lynn Whitfield as Madame Mabry, a Jamaican, voodoo expert of the supernatural.

The trilogy event will feature the following stories:

Pillow Talk Channel 187
Late night radio DJ Coffee Black (Elise Neal) has the sultry voice that can seduce any man over the airwaves and in person, she brings them to their knees, in more ways than one. When Coffee begins to receive mysterious calls from past lovers like Isaiah (Bokeem Woodbine) her world is filled with dead air.

For The Love Of Lockwood
Jealousy engulfs Marla Peters (Eva Marcille) just as she is set to marry her fiancé Lockwood Masters (Sean Blakemore) driving him to call off the wedding. Lockwood ultimately forgives Marla and with a little assistance from Madame Mabry (Whitfield) promises to love her… to death.

Mirror, Mirror
Ronald (Harry Lennix) is caught in a love triangle between his new love Alexa (Victoria Rowell) and his live-in girlfriend Jessica (Davetta Sherwood). After coming home to find Jessica and friends including Monique (Karrueche Tran) performing a strange ritual, he breaks the relationship off. As a peace offering, Jessica brings an ornately-decorated mirror that changes his life forever.  Source(s):  TV One; Shadow and Act.

Trailer:

Aaliyah: Princess of R&B

Shipp as AaliyahRelease Date:  11/15/14 (Lifetime TV)
Genre:  Drama/Biography
Rating:  NR
Running Time:  Unknown
Studio:  Aaliyah Productions, Lifetime Television
Director:  Bradley Walsh

Cast:  Alexandra Shipp (Aaliyah Haughton), Elise Neal (Gladys Knight), Christopher Jacot (Ryan Nichols), Lyriq Bent (Barry Hankerson), Rachael Crawford (Diane Haughton), Clé Bennett (R. Kelly), Sterling Jarvis (Michael Haughton), A. J. Saudin (Rashad Haughton), Chattrisse Dolabaille (Missy Elliott), Izaak Smith (Timbaland), Anthony Grant (Damon Dash).

Story:  The two-hour movie event is executive produced by Howard Braunstein, Debra Martin Chase and Wendy Williams, and is based on the bestseller Aaliyah: More Than a Woman by former Time Magazine music editor Christopher John Farley. 

Before Beyoncé and before Rihanna, self-proclaimed “street but sweet” Aaliyah was poised to become a global icon with top-selling albums, a hot movie career and an adoring fan base. The film follows the beautiful and talented performer’s inspirational journey, from her debut on “Star Search” at the age of ten to the challenges she faced during her rise to become the Princess of R&B. On August 25, 2001, at the height of her popularity, her life was tragically cut short when a plane carrying the singer and some of her video crew crashed after takeoff from a Bahamian runway. Although just 22-years-old at the time of her death, Aaliyah continues to lead a legacy as Billboard’s tenth most famous R&B artist of the past 25 years and one of the recording industry’s most successful artists in history. Sources: Lifetime; IMDB.  Photo Source:  Lifetime.

See what the critics are saying about this film at Critics’ Connection.

Trailer:

Teaser: