‘Is That Black Enough For You?!?’ Trailer: Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya & More Help Elvis Mitchell Tell The Story Of The ’70s Black Film Revolution

William Earl “Death of a Salesman” actor Wendell Pierce, “The Piano Lesson” director LaTanya Richardson Jackson and “Till” star John Douglas Thompson are among the honorees set for the inaugural Salute to Broadway presented by the African American Film Critics Association. The event is set for Oct. 17 at The Lambs Club in the heart of Midtown’s theater district. “It’s no secret that some of our greatest actors have come from the stage or have tested their chops on it,” said Gil Robertson, co-founder of AAFCA. “Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis are just a handful of our beloved icons for which this was true, with Tony winners Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Audra McDonald, Adrienne Warren and Myles Frost among those continuing that legacy. As a reliable pipeline for outstanding Black talent in front of the camera as well as behind it, Hollywood has benefited greatly from this esteemed training ground and AAFCA Salutes Broadway celebrates that rich heritage.”

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalogue titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This twice-monthly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

“Fuck you. I’m going to Paris,” the unflinching words spoken by screen legend Harry Belafonte, is just one of the many telling soundbites in Elvis Mitchell’s directorial debut “Is That Black Enough For You?!?” Mitchell, a film critic by trade, is entering the filmmaking space to bring a fascinating documentary that blends his personal filmgoing memories with the game-changing history of Blaxploitation cinema for an astute survey of the latter’s form and function.

BBC EastEnders' actress Emma Barton, who plays Honey Mitchell in the soap, is set to appear in a magical new role. Emma, 45, can be seen dressed in a sparkling ballgown as she prepares to star in panto this Christmas.The actress looked stunning in the promotional shot for the stage production of Beauty and the Beast.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic In “Is That Black Enough for You?!?,” Elvis Mitchell’s highly pleasurable and eye-opening movie-love documentary about the American Black cinema revolution of the late ’60s and ’70s, Billy Dee Williams, now 85 but still spry, tells a funny story about what it was like to play Louis McKay, the dapper love object and would-be savior of Billie Holiday in “Lady Sings the Blues.” The year was 1972, and African-American audiences had rarely (if ever) been given the chance to gawk at a movie star of color who was not just this sexy but this showcased for his sexiness. Louis was like Clark Gable with a dash of Marvin Gaye; when he was on that promenade stairway, Williams says that he just about fell in love with himself. That’s how unprecedented the whole thing was. The actor recalls how the lighting was fussed over (we see a shot in which Louis appears bathed in an old-movie glow), and how unreal that was to him on the set. At the time, Black actors didn’t get lighting like that. But Black audiences drank it in with a better-late-than-never swoon, even as they knew that this was a representation they’d been denied for more than half a century.

For over two decades, Elvis Mitchell, a film critic for LA Weekly and The New York Times, has wanted to put Blaxploitation in its proper historical place. While the results of his desire would prototypically arrive from Mitchell in the form of a book, sadly, those plans went for naught.

When is it time to revisit our past? Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black explores his own story in “Mama’s Boy.” The HBO documentary looks at Black’s experience of being a young gay man in the American south and the close connection that shaped his entire life. ‘Boy’ is based on the writer’s memoir “Mama’s Boy: A Story from our Americas.” Black speaks directly about a mother whose life was far from easy – their bonds would only strengthen when he came out at 21.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic Although a news report went out Friday morning — and then was pulled — that Joni Mitchell had died, the story was published in error, and the singer-songwriter remains alive and well. “I can confirm all is well so this was done in error,” says a representative for Rhino, which is involved with Mitchell in an ongoing reissue series of her catalog material. The faux report went out from People magazine, with tell-tale signs of a “pre-write” obituary that was published accidentally — every major news organization’s worst nightmare. “Joni Mitchell Dies at TK AGE,” read the headline that was seen on the magazine’s website as well as in a tweet, the “TK” meaning “to come” in journalistic parlance. The story itself also included editorial notes indicating details that needed to be filled in.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Samuel L. Jackson, Laurence Fishburne, Whoopi Goldberg and Zendaya are just some of the stars who appear in Elvis Mitchell’s “Is That Black Enough for You?” Netflix documentary. Mitchell’s doc bows this weekend at the New York Film Festival. Mitchell, a film critic who has written for LA Weekly and The New York Times takes on the role of writer, director and narrator as he traces the history of Black representation in cinema. The documentary examines Black cultural achievement in the 1960s and ’70s and debunks the notion that Black cinema in that period only meant Blaxploitation films.

Chris Pratt could be the hero of the mushroom kingdom.

William Earl Variety has announced the lineup for its annual Business of Broadway breakfast presented by City National Bank in New York on Oct. 17. Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson will join the event for a keynote conversation about their collaboration on the revival of August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson,” currently playing on Broadway. The programming will also include a Broadway producers panel moderated by Erik Piecuch, senior vice president and entertainment banking leader of City National Bank. The panel will feature Lee Daniels (“Ain’t No Mo’”), Cindy Tolan (“Death of a Salesman”), LaChanze (“Kimberly Akimbo” and “Topdog/Underdog”) and Ken Davenport (“A Beautiful Noise”). The producers will speak about their experiences premiering new productions on Broadway this season and how the business has changed since Broadway’s return.

Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman have had a Pulp Fiction reunion backstage on Broadway.The actors, who played Jules Winnfield and Mia Wallace respectively in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film alongside John Travolta, met up last Saturday (October 1) at the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson.The play is currently being performed in previews at the Barrymore Theatre in New York.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Academy Award nominees Andrea Berloff and John Gatins have formed a creative partnership with Netflix to write feature films for the streaming service. “From gripping dramas based on true stories to spectacle action adventure and comedies, Andrea Berloff and John Gatins have created stories that deeply connect with audiences across genres,” Kira Goldberg and Ori Marmur, Vice Presidents of Netflix Studio Film, said in a joint statement. “We’re thrilled to start this creative partnership with these two acclaimed and versatile writing talents.” Berloff is best known for co-writing the script to “Straight Outta Compton,” the hit film about NWA’s rise and dissolution. She earned an Academy Award nomination for her work. Her other credits include “World Trade Center,” a drama about 9/11 that was directed by Oliver Stone,” and “Blood Father,” a crime thriller that was directed by Jean-Francois Richet. For Netflix, she co-wrote the soon-to-be-released “The Mother,” which will star Jennifer Lopez.

Yassir Lester, who was hired as showrunner for the series, will stay on as screenwriter for the film. The film is still in search of a director.First announced during Disney’s Investor Day presentation in late 2020, “Armor Wars” will star Don Cheadle as Tony Stark’s closest friend, Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes, a.k.a.

Marking another major merger in the representation world, sources tell Deadline that Anonymous Content is in exclusive negotiations to acquire management And production firm Grandview/Automatik. The two companies have had discussions about a potential merger going all the way back to the spring with nothing serious ever coming of it but over the past couple weeks talks have ramped up and sources close to the situation say they are now exclusive.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Anonymous Content is currently an exploring an acquisition of Grandview/Automatik, Variety has learned from sources. Should the deal go forward, it would merge the two management and production companies into a single entity. Sources say that the two companies had previously had limited discussions about a potential merger, but nothing was serious until recently. Reps for both Anonymous and Grandview/Automatik declined to comment. Grandview/Automatik was originally founded in 2014 by former CAA agent Matt Rosen, manager Jeff Silver, and producer Brian Kavanaugh-Jones. On the management side, Grandview currently has 20 managers handling over 500 clients. Among their top clients are “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski, “House of the Dragon” co-creator Ryan Condal as well as series star Olivia Cooke, “Atlanta” executive producer and director Hiro Murai, “Prey” director Dan Trachtenberg, and “Maid” creator Molly Smith Metzler.