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Ken Burns’ documentary, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION , was an interesting watch. I highly anticipated it and can honestly say it was worth every minute. I learned more about the American Revolution from this six-part series than I ever did in grade school or college. I especially appreciated how the first two or three episodes focus heavily on the perspectives of Indigenous peoples of North America and enslaved Africans who were kidnapped and forced into labor on this land. I also liked the reminders that slavery was not confined to the American South, but existed throughout the Midwest and the North as well. Many Americans tend to forget that the largest slave plantation in the country was once located in what is now Brooklyn, New York. While the North abolished slavery earlier than the South, life for Native Americans and Black people in those regions was still extremely difficult, as they were viewed as lower-class citizens or peasants. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new p...
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Gladiator II

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I’m always intrigued by sequels that have 20 year gaps, like this one. Gladiator came out in May 2000 and Gladiator II came out November 2024 but the alignment was pretty accurate. I feel like they had to go out of their way to make the movies connect but they ultimately did it. The character-importance was fairly confusing in the end because it seemed Hanno’s wife, Arishat was relevant to the story but she in fact was not. They also set the seen for the character of Jugurtha (played by Peter Mensah) to be relevant to the movie almost in the same sense of Juba’s character in the first Gladiator, but he in fact was not either. I think the movie was written out of excitement and maybe a little force. It doesn’t seem to have been an organic process… which could also be the reason it took 24 years for the sequel to come out. Personally, as a writer, I’ve been there before. At the time this review is being released I currently have 4 published books and I definitely rushed two of them. The ...
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The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey

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  Let me start by saying…What a phenomenal series! Apple TV+ doesn’t have the most expansive selection of original content but they did the DAMN thing with this one. Samuel L. Jackson played Mr. Grey so well I thought he was a real person at first. I had to Google whether or not this person existed. I think the writers put in some Easter Eggs and deeper messages reminding us of how important it is to take care of our own and how important it is to love on one another. As Mr. Grey had a foggy mind over the years, all it took was some love and curiously to help heal him. I love that he chose to (mostly) do good while his mind was clear, versus going on a revenge tour. I was so into this one that my heart broke when he when Hilly took Mr. Grey, his uncle, to his family’s house for a funeral. His family was really messed up, minus Reggie—Reggie was a great man! Dominique Fishback who plays Robyn aka Bird, also killed her role. Her instant chemistry and TLC with her “uncle” aka Mr. Grey...
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REUNION

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Hollywood, are you okay? I was hesitant to watch this movie because it’s a blend of comedy and mystery—two genres that don’t typically mesh well. The movie stars Lil Rel Howery, who’s perfected the art of stealing the show. However, I have to ask:  Hollywood, what’s going on? The script was predictable, and there wasn’t a genuine mystery in the plot. Within the first ten minutes, the writers practically hand us the answer to the “whodunit.” Besides Howery, the only other recognizable face for me was Jillian Bell, who plays her usual quirky character. I’m not trying to be funny, but it felt like this was the casting team’s first rodeo; there wasn’t any real on-screen chemistry among the actors. Now, don’t get me wrong—everyone deserves a chance to showcase their talents, update their reels, and get their paycheck. But this movie just wasn’t it. It was predictable to the point that I almost felt the stars were in it more for the check than out of passion for their craft. One detail I...
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City of God: The Fight Rages On

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I’ve waited 22 years for something to happen that I never knew was possible! A television spinoff of the greatest international movie ever, CITY OF GOD! I do understand that they made a City of Men tv show in Brazil and there was a 10-year anniversary of The City of God but The Fight Rages on is direct and special. I’m writing this review in full excitement although it’s a bummer that the first season is only six episodes. I’m not completely shocked because that seems to be the way the TV industry is headed as streaming becomes bigger and bigger. I’ve noticed a lot of shows only have 6 to 10 episodes per season, which sucks to see because a lot of of us grew up on sitcoms and television shows from the 70s, 80s, 90s and early 2000s and these shows would have 24-to-28-episode seasons, the TV Studios were pushing out episodes for dang near half a year at times. HBO/MAX did a really good job with the scenarios in the script for season one the way they were able to recast a lot of the origi...
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Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage

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At the time of writing this critique, only the first two episodes of this show have been released. I’m reviewing it this early because I don’t see it lasting much longer. It’s very rare to see a spinoff of a spinoff, and Georgie and Mandy’s first wedding shows us why that’s so rare. I’m not sure if this show looked good on paper or whose idea it was to bring a grandchild of  The Big Bang Theory  into existence, but it’s simply not working. The reason I call it the “grandchild” of  The Big Bang Theory  rather than the “child” of  Young Sheldon  is because this show is filmed in front of a live studio audience, much like  The Big Bang Theory , while  Young Sheldon  is a traditional sitcom without an audience. Simply put, this show just isn’t funny. Before I dive deeper, I have to say—and I’m probably not the only one who thought this—that Mandy’s mom looks noticeably different on  Young Sheldon  compared to this show. I’m not sure if ...
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Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

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  First and foremost, Edward Regan Murphy is an ICON. The new *Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F* stays true to the spirit of the franchise. The movie deserves two ratings: within the context of the previous three films, it’s an 8/10. However, by modern film standards, it gets a 5.5/10. I considered adding a *Spoiler Alert Warning*, but the movie is so predictable that it feels unnecessary. The plot revolves around corrupt cops mingling with notorious criminals, a character the protagonist cares about being kidnapped and used as leverage for an electronic chip or disk, and a young cop who goes rogue after being suspended. The predictability extends to knowing who the bad guys are and what’s going to happen next. One highlight is the director and editing crew’s excellent work in making Detroit look like it did in the 80s: cold, miserable, and tough. Unless, of course, things haven’t changed much in the city. The film almost gave off *Scooby Doo* vibes, where every episode is the same and pr...
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