by Alsander Womack “One Night In Miami,” aired Jan. 8, an American drama directed by Regina King. The movie is a fictional account where four icons, Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr), Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Cassius Clay (Eli Goree), and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) got together in a hotel to celebrate, or at least they … Continue reading
Thurgood Marshall, a titan of 20th-century law and a civil rights pioneer, has until now largely eluded Hollywood’s notice. Despite its title, “Marshall,” too, is wary of taking on the Supreme Court justice in full, sticking to a minor case from Marshall’s early career as counsel for the NAACP. That makes, for better and worse, … Continue reading
TIBURON, Calif. (AP) — Apple’s new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are clearly improvements on their predecessors — even if the biggest change is actually an omission (of the traditional headphone jack). But are they improved enough to justify an upgrade? If you’re an iPhone user, it may depend on how long you’ve held onto … Continue reading
LOU KESTEN, Associated Press — Ah, the glamorous life of an international assassin. What other career gives you the chance to hobnob with world leaders, models, fashion designers, chess masters and other celebrities — and then murder them? Such is the lot of Agent 47, the protagonist of “Hitman” (Square Enix, for the PlayStation 4, … Continue reading
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” is as silly as it sounds, and not nearly as fun as it should be. In this adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith’s bestselling genre mashup of Jane Austen’s classic and, well, zombies, the Bennet sisters don’t just have marriage and love and class obstacles to fret about, there’s also the imminent … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — The chills were indeed multiplyin’ during the “Grease: Live!” telecast on Sunday, a show that survived early rain, some tricky costume changes, a mortifying loss of audio and a cast member’s heartbreak. With this hectic, ambitious and hormonal “Grease,” Fox proved it could up the ante in the new mini-industry of … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — A handful of new releases failed to come close to “Spectre” and “The Peanuts Movie,” which easily remained the biggest draws at movie theaters over the weekend. The James Bond film “Spectre” grossed $33.7 million in its second week, while “The Peanuts Movie” followed up its second-place debut with $24 million. … Continue reading
“Vince Flynn The Survivor: a Mitch Rapp Novel” (Atria/Emily Bestler Books), by Kyle Mills The late Vince Flynn’s main hero, covert operative Mitch Rapp, returns for another winner in “The Survivor.” After Flynn died, Kyle Mills was chosen to finish this book, and he has signed on to write at least two more. Fans … Continue reading
Fetty Wap, “Fetty Wap” (RGF Productions/300 Entertainment) Fetty Wap spring-boarded into mainstream success before releasing an album with the Top 10 pop hits “Trap Queen,” ”679″ and “My Way.” With that success, most wondered if the 24-year-old rapper-singer could deliver on a full-length musical project. He certainly steps up to the challenge on his … Continue reading
Brett Eldredge, “Illinois” (Atlantic/Warner Music Nashville) Brett Eldredge’s second album, “Illinois,” is a bold gambit that works. The broad-shouldered country singer achieved three hits on his 2013 debut, “Bring You Back.” But the radio success didn’t translate to huge sales or give him media attention afforded to fellow newcomers Sam Hunt or Maddie & … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — The first sign that things might go a little nutty at “Something Rotten!” is in the second song when William Shakespeare is called, well, a “little turd.” The Bard is mocked as “the poster child for why no one should ever procreate” and “a hack with a knack for stealing … Continue reading
The monsters in “Evolve” (2K Games, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, $59.99) don’t seem that scary at first glance. Ugly, yes, but nothing your arsenal of flamethrowers and rocket launchers can’t handle. Unfortunately, if you leave the critters alone for just a few minutes they mutate into bone-crushing behemoths that can make short work of … Continue reading
“Holy Cow” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), by David Duchovny The actor known for playing Fox Mulder on the TV series “The X-Files” and Hank Moody on the show “Californication” shows his comic side with “Holy Cow,” a tale of Elsie the cow. Elsie enjoys life on the farm, and her day consists of being … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — For some video games, what’s old is new again. Following last year’s re-release of “Halo 2,” ”The Last of Us” and “Grand Theft Auto V,” several other titles — and one hand-held device — are receiving similar resurrections in 2015. A look at recent revivals: — “Grim Fandango Remastered”: The … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 