‘61st Street’ series premiere review: The gritty crime drama disrespects the Windy City

Why do television dramas insist on portraying Chicago, my hometown, as a city full of violence and decay? Like any major city in America, the metropolitan area has crime, drugs, and police corruption problems. Yet, its sense of community and…

HBO’s Lovecraft Country Touches on Themes Relevant for Black Americans Today

On Saturday, Comic-Con@Home brought together the cast members of HBO’s brand new series, Lovecraft Country. The panel featured Jurnee Smollett, Jonathan Majors, Michael Kenneth Williams, Aunjanue Ellis, Wunmi Mosaku, Abbey Lee, and Courtney B. Vance. Sarah Rodman, executive editor of Entertainment Weekly,…

Ben is Back Movie Review: Strong performances anchor an otherwise unbalanced film

Rock bottom, recovery, relapse, rinse and repeat. This is the formula for your typical sympathetic tale about the crippling cycle of addiction. Add to that a promising, affluential white youth for palatability and you essentially have a good majority of…