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Dark Phoenix
(2019)
|
Clay Cane
|
The 'X-Men' franchise may need to retire. The ideas have been sucked dry and just like Dark Phoenix, they are no longer able to control themselves.
Posted Jun 06, 2019
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A
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Bolden
(2019)
|
Clay Cane
|
Considering how so many Black biopics are botched and exploitative, this film was a proper salute to the late, great Buddy Bolden.
Posted May 02, 2019
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B+
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Mudbound
(2017)
|
Clay Cane
|
If you had any doubts Mary J. Blige was an actress, 'Mudbound' proves you wrong.
Posted Oct 18, 2017
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B
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For Ahkeem
(2017)
|
Clay Cane
|
The movie isn't explicitly message heavy but by telling the story of Daje without reality show-type finagling, there is a clear message to see people beyond their stats, voting demographics and segments on cable news.
Posted Oct 13, 2017
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B
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Copwatch
(2017)
|
Clay Cane
|
Not only timely, but important.
Posted Sep 29, 2017
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D
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It
(2017)
|
Clay Cane
|
An overly CGI-ed killer clown who looks like a drag queen in need of a solid lace front just isn't scary in 2017. Many critics are praising 'It,' but I doubt audiences will feel the same punch. 'It' is one of the biggest disappointments of the year.
Posted Sep 07, 2017
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A
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Whose Streets?
(2017)
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Clay Cane
|
Hearing their fears and hopes fleshed out their identity of 'activists' beyond clips on cable news channels. Frame after frame, Folayan and Davis aimed for the heart and hit the bullseye.
Posted Aug 11, 2017
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|
B
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Kidnap
(2017)
|
Clay Cane
|
The movie is fitting for its genre: a nail-biting thriller that will certainly require a post-show cocktail to calm your nerves. Hold on to your wig, 'Kidnap' is a hell of a ride.
Posted Aug 03, 2017
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D
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Atomic Blonde
(2017)
|
Clay Cane
|
Atomically underwhelming.
Posted Jul 28, 2017
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|
B
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Wonder Woman
(2017)
|
Clay Cane
|
Far from flawless, but 'Wonder Woman' is arguably the best DC comic book film since 'The Dark Knight.' So, bow down to the Princess.
Posted May 31, 2017
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|
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A Suitable Girl
(2017)
|
Clay Cane
|
Regardless of your background, it's impossible to not be moved by A Suitable Girl.
Posted May 17, 2017
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|
D
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Alien: Covenant
(2017)
|
Clay Cane
|
An intergalactic dud, but will loyal fans care?
Posted May 12, 2017
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|
B+
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Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives
(2017)
|
Clay Cane
|
From Miles Davis to Janis Joplin to The Notorious B.I.G. to Whitney Houston, if you love music, you will love this documentary.
Posted Apr 20, 2017
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B+
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Get Out
(2017)
|
Clay Cane
|
The first must-see film of the year.
Posted Feb 23, 2017
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|
A
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I am not your negro
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
Each frame is so relevant, it's terrifying. It's as if James Baldwin rose from the grave, warning us of the horrors we've ignored and the horrors that might be ahead.
Posted Dec 16, 2016
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B+
|
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
As we rebels prepare to fight the empire of Trump, the film is more pertinent than ever.
Posted Dec 15, 2016
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|
B+
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Hidden Figures
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
This is the movie America needs right now.
Posted Dec 12, 2016
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|
C-
|
Nocturnal Animals
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
The Tom Ford film is stylistic confusion with no payoff. After the final frame you'll ask yourself, "Is that it?" But hey, sometimes it's about style over substance. Right?
Posted Dec 09, 2016
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|
B+
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Fences
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
Give Viola Davis her Oscar!
Posted Dec 09, 2016
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|
B+
|
Loving
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
One of the best films of 2016.
Posted Dec 06, 2016
|
|
D
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The Girl on the Train
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
#GirlBye.
Posted Oct 07, 2016
|
|
C
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Suicide Squad
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
Not a complete disaster, but inexcusably mediocre. To be fair, the audience I saw the film with appeared to love every frame: big laughter, cheers for the action and clapping as the credits rolled. Is there a disconnect between critics and audiences?
Posted Aug 04, 2016
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B-
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Star Trek Beyond
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
Is Beyond better than the previous two versions? Not at all. Is Beyond a solid action film with the franchise's signature wit and social relevance? Absolutely. Is Beyond terribly predictable? Without a doubt. Will anyone care? Nope!
Posted Jul 22, 2016
|
|
D
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Ghostbusters
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
I appreciated the girl power element of the film, but Ghostbusters is a stellar cast in a bland movie.
Posted Jul 15, 2016
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|
C+
|
The Purge: Election Year
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
Considering the possible horror of President Trump, terrorist attacks and mass shootings, The Purge: Election Year arrives at a complex time, requiring more wit and nuance than just bloodshed.
Posted Jun 30, 2016
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|
C
|
X-Men: Apocalypse
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
While not the worst version of the X-Men franchise (I'm still wounded by X-Men: First Class), it certainly proves the apocalypse might be near for X-Men.
Posted May 27, 2016
|
|
B-
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Captain America: Civil War
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
Lower your expectations and enjoy the CGI ride with characters who can do no cinematic wrong.
Posted May 05, 2016
|
|
D
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Nina
(2016)
|
Clay Cane
|
Any solid acting moments from Saldana or David Oyelowo are ruined whenever a blotchy, darkened, clay-ish face pops on screen. Zoe Saldana looks more like an X-Men character than the High Priestess of Soul.
Posted Apr 20, 2016
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|
A
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Tangerine
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
Raw, original and timely, please be sure to treat yourself to Tangerine.
Posted Nov 30, 2015
|
|
B-
|
Creed
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
It's fascinating to see Stallone hand over his franchise to a Black director and Black lead, especially in an era where films are being whitewashed and movie studios still refusing to accept the buying power of African-American audiences.
Posted Nov 25, 2015
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|
A
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A Ballerina's Tale
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
A nuanced, polished presentation of one of the hardest working women in her field - or any field.
Posted Oct 14, 2015
|
|
B+
|
Straight Outta Compton
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
A superb film despite the group's problematic history, but N.W.A's past cannot be rewritten, for better or for worse.
Posted Aug 13, 2015
|
|
D
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Fantastic Four
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
Fantastic Four will rest in the crowded grave of superhero films that sucked. I am sure we'll have a new crop next summer.
Posted Aug 07, 2015
|
|
A
|
3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
Tightly executed, 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets is tragic but profound. Silver smartly presented both sides, highlighting America's epic war of cultural and ideology.
Posted Jun 19, 2015
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A
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Dope
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
Without CGI, superheroes or recycled dinosaurs, thus far, Dope is the best film of the year.
Posted Jun 17, 2015
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C+
|
Jurassic World
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
The characters are secondary to the CGI dinosaurs, which is the root of Jurassic's problem. But if you enjoyed the CGI'ed wasteland of Godzilla and Planet of the Apes, Jurassic World will not disappoint.
Posted Jun 12, 2015
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|
A
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Amy
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
We lost Amy four years ago next month. In 27 years, she, for better or for worse, became the jazz singers she worshiped, like Billie Holiday. The movie is a respectful homage to the late, great jazz diva and, thus far, the best doc of 2015.
Posted Jun 09, 2015
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B
|
Run All Night
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
The film may not be a critical favorite, but it will be an audience favorite. Run All Night is the first must-see action film of the year.
Posted Mar 13, 2015
|
|
C-
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Chappie
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
Movies about human-like robots are plentiful and director Neill Blomkamp, who is known for his dystopian stories of the future, adds nothing new to the narrative - except a killer mullet from Hugh Jackman.
Posted Mar 06, 2015
|
|
D
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Fifty Shades of Grey
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
The movie is simply a profitable pop culture movement with the only good thing coming out of it is Beyoncé's remix of 'Crazy in Love.'
Posted Feb 17, 2015
|
|
B
|
American Sniper
(2014)
|
Clay Cane
|
Politics, commentators and nationalism aside, American Sniper is a damn good film.
Posted Jan 30, 2015
|
|
D-
|
The Boy Next Door
(2015)
|
Clay Cane
|
The Boy Next Door is even worse than J.Lo's last album, which is a hard feat.
Posted Jan 22, 2015
|
|
D
|
Taken 3
(2014)
|
Clay Cane
|
Taken with no one taken? That would be like The Exorcist with no exorcist. Cabin in the Woods with no cabin in the woods. Nightmare on Elm Street with no nightmares.
Posted Jan 09, 2015
|
|
B+
|
Death Metal Angola
(2012)
|
Clay Cane
|
Death Metal Angola is not another doc that depicts Africans as unruly or uncivilized. Instead, Xida highlighted their gifts, poetry and honesty. This isn't a film about war in an African country, it is a story of how music saves anyone, anywhere.
Posted Dec 29, 2014
|
|
C
|
The Babadook
(2014)
|
Clay Cane
|
The film strives for horror in the way of The Shining or Silence of the Lambs, but it's more like Annabelle with better cinematography, which isn't a compliment.
Posted Dec 26, 2014
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|
B-
|
Boyhood
(2014)
|
Clay Cane
|
Less of a movie and more of an experiment. Arguably, an experiment that ultimately works. But I would never sit through it again.
Posted Dec 08, 2014
|
|
A
|
Life Itself
(2014)
|
Clay Cane
|
One of the best documentaries of the year.
Posted Nov 09, 2014
|
|
C+
|
Gone Girl
(2014)
|
Clay Cane
|
A laborious Dateline ID episode with a ridiculously disappointing ending.
Posted Oct 03, 2014
|
|
B+
|
Time Is Illmatic
(2014)
|
Clay Cane
|
Time Is Illmatic transcends hip hop, the doc is an all-American story, peeling back the beauty and grit of America's roots.
Posted Sep 29, 2014
|
|
D
|
Into the Storm
(2014)
|
Clay Cane
|
Final Destination meets Twister, but not nearly as entertaining.
Posted Aug 08, 2014
|
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