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Michael Kenneth Williams Was a Master of Blending In While Standing Out
When my friends and I first watched “The Wire,” we’d call each other by the characters’ names. If you said something dumb, you’d be Prezbo. If you were smart enough to guess what happened next, then you got to be Lester. And whenever someone had a few too many sips of whiskey and fell asleep […]
Continue readingSpike Lee, Wendell Pierce, Joel McHale and More Mourn Michael K. Williams: ‘An Actor for the Ages’
As the news broke on Monday that Michael K. Williams had died at age 54 after being found in his Brooklyn residence, stars took to social media to remember the actor who starred in shows like “The Wire” and “Boardwalk Empire.”Director Spike Lee paid tribute to Williams in an Instagram post, featuring a photo of […]
Continue readingMichael K. Williams, Star of ‘The Wire,’ Dies at 54
Michael K. Williams, the enigmatic performer whose work included “The Wire” and a recent Emmy nomination for “Lovecraft Country,” has died at the age of 54. Law enforcement confirmed the news to the media. Representatives for Williams said, “It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy nominated actor Michael Kenneth […]
Continue readingIdris Elba: ‘I used work to exorcise my demons’
The actor was working as a bouncer when he got a small part in a new show called The Wire. Two decades on, he’s a blockbuster fixture. The Suicide Squad star talks about fighting for his big break, losing his dad, and why acting helped him out of a ‘dark, weird junction’“I appreciate my quiet […]
Continue reading‘Equal Standard’ Review: The Ice-t-Backed Film at the Intersection of Racism and Law Enforcement Is Hindered by Uneven Acting and Untidy Priorities
Overlong and erratically paced, Brendan Kyle Cochrane’s New York City-based “Equal Standard” opens with a self-conscious scene that heavy-handedly hints at an impending tragedy. There in the sun-dappled kitchen of the happy Jones family, Detective Chris (Tobias Truvillion), Sergeant Jackie (Syleena Johnson) and their adorable daughter lovingly go about their rosy morning routine, while an […]
Continue readingAnonymous Oscar Ballot 2021: The Executive Who Missed Socializing and Binged TV
With Oscar ballots heading into Academy voters’ hands on April 15, we’re forging ahead with our fourth annual series of interviews with Academy voters from different branches for their candid thoughts on what got picked, overlooked, and overvalued in this strange pandemic year.[The Oscars] did a good thing moving back. I’m catching up.Because my business […]
Continue readingB.B. King Estate Announces Official Biopic, Clears Up Wendell Pierce Confusion (Exclusive)
An official biopic of iconic blues musician B.B. King is going into pre-production in 2021, Vassal Benford, chairman of King’s estate, tells Variety. This is a separate project from “The Thrill Is On,” which is a drama about King’s friendship with drummer Michael Zanetis starring Wendell Pierce as King.Confusion first arose when “The Wire” and […]
Continue readingB.B. King Biopic, Long Dormant, Moves Ahead With ‘Treme’ Star Wendell Pierce
Actor Wendell Pierce — best known for his work on The Wire and Treme — announced that a long-dormant biopic on blues legend B.B. King, The Thrill Is On, is back on in a series of tweets posted Monday night.“We are official,” Pierce wrote. “Preparation has begun on a film where I will be honored […]
Continue readingThe Mediapro Studio Links with Disney, David Simon, Mike Leigh For New Projects
Madrid-based The Mediapro Studio (Tms), one of Europe’s biggest independent film and TV players, had a smashing 2019 with the release of 126 titles. And then the pandemic struck, forcing the company to shut down 56 shows. Months later, the Spanish outfit is slowly getting back on track by enrolling major U.S. players and Spain’s […]
Continue readingLes Misérables review – a simmering tale of two cities
Ladj Ly’s César-winning drama explores life on a poor Paris estate as tensions with the police reach boiling pointThe ghosts of Victor Hugo’s downtrodden 19th-century rebels haunt Ladj Ly’s César-winning contemporary urban drama, a streetwise tale of France’s dispossessed masses, brought once again to the brink of rebellion. Nominated for best international feature at the […]
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