#lawrencegilliardjr

[cinefast]

#thewire 3 young #actors with incredible talent : #lawrencegilliardjr #jdwilliams #michaelbjordan as #deeangelobarksdale #boadie #wallace (à Calhoun Street) https://www.instagram.com/p/COEOYekBJc1/?igshid=1rom13tbj4212

[doomonfilm]

Review : One Night in Miami (2020)

In terms of modern day actresses, the career and impact of Regina King is one that cannot be ignored.  From her early connection to John Singleton and her debut in Boyz n the Hood, to her numerous award nominations and wins for work up to and including the recent HBO series Watchmen, King has not only impressed on screens, but made sure to bring a sense of dignity, respect and hope to African-American actors and actresses on all levels.  It would make sense that, after a career of television and music video directorial jobs, her feature film directorial debut would further cement her intentions for her creative energies.  These intentions to educate, inspire and entertain all come through loud and clear in the stellar One Night in Miami. 

As 1963 came to a close, four important figures in the African-American community find themselves at individually unique but ideologically similar crossroads : Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) nearly lets his ego and pride cost him a match against Henry Cooper (Sean Monaghan) at Wembley Stadium; Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) receives a less than lukewarm reception at the legendary Copacabana based purely on the color of his skin; Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) returns to his Georgia home to meet longtime friend and mentor Mr. Carlton (Beau Bridges) only to find that even he is capable of direct racism; and Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir) is facing an uncertain and dangerous truth in light of his decision to separate from the Nation of Islam and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad (Jerome A. Wilson).  Despite these (or perhaps due to) these hardships, the four men meet at the Hampton House Hotel in Miami after Clay defeats Sonny Liston (Aaron D. Alexander) to discuss their futures, including Cassius Clay’s decision to convert to the Muslim religion and change his name to Muhammad Ali.  Malcolm X attempts to charge Jim Brown and Sam Cooke with a mission to join the cause, bringing up sore points between the four men as they all take a long and hard look at their respective futures.

Much like Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, One Night in Miami retains the power of its stage presentation while not feeling restrained to a singular location, despite the vast majority of the film’s events taking place in Malcolm X’s hotel room.  The dramatic tension found in each character’s history, as well as their many combinations of energy while occupying the same space, spills outside of the so-called restraints of the stage-to-screen format.  Portraying four individuals of this stature in a film is a large enough task to undertake, but being able to display their range of emotional and intellectual depth, not to mention the vastness of their personal convictions, and all within the confines of a single event, is quite the achievement, especially for a first time director.

One thing that Regina King does well with this film is choosing to present a lack of harmony among the towering figureheads of the African-American community involved in the story.  It would be very easy to take this little-known moment in history and present it as all hand-holding and skipping towards a brighter future, but in reality, the stakes each man faced prior to the meeting would have made it impossible to be anything less than a stormy meeting.  Malcolm X was already feeling the pressure of separating from the Nation of Islam, and had very real reasons to fear for his life... Cassius Clay had just joined the Nation, further polarizing the divide between his supporters and detractors by changing his name to Muhammad Ali (with his eventual betrayal of Malcolm X probably completely unformed at the time)... Jim Brown and Sam Cooke were both considered household names, and yet they faced direct bigotry, prejudice and racism just like any other African-American man or woman in the 1960s.

The look of the film is relatively straightforward, but based on the scale and stature of the story being told, the film does not call for visual flash or flourish.  Diegetic soundtrack is sparse as well, but with Sam Cooke as one of your featured characters, you don’t need much in terms of external tunage, and when songs are used in this manner, they are used to illustrate or reinforce points being made.  King does a great job of capturing the look and feel of the 1960s, particularly in terms of the varying levels of casual, business and formal wardrobe the cast adorns.  It could have been very easy to demonize the Nation of Islam within the realm of this story, especially considering the section of Malcolm X’s life the film covers, but respect is given to the Nation of Islam, the Fruit of Islam and Malcolm X in particular, with all parties given a level playing field of representation.

Casting four leads to play legends requires a delicate balance of talents, but the combination of Kingsley Ben-Adir, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge and Leslie Odom Jr. as Malcolm, Ali, Brown and Cooke (respectively) brings a tangle of personal convictions, deep beliefs and rising aspirations that the group tosses back and forth amongst one another like a hot potato of emotion and passion.  Lance Reddick and Christian Magby provide an air of dignity and humor to help ease some of the edge and tension the main four bring to the table.  Michael Imperioli and Lawrence Gilliard Jr. help bring texture to the world of Ali’s boxing career as the legendary Angelo Dundee and Drew Bundini Brown, while Joaquina Kalukango and Nicolette Robinson help fill out the lives of the Malcolm X and Sam Cooke characters.  Appearances by Beau Bridges, Emily Bridges, Jeremy Pope, Christopher Gorham, Jerome A. Wilson and more help fill out the film’s world.

For a film that arrived without much fanfare, and one that doesn’t beat its own chest in terms of star power or importance, One Night in Miami serves as a small but key slice of the much bigger picture that was the struggle for Civil Rights.  Many films of this nature focus on more well known historical moments, and do so with much bigger pomp and circumstance, but a film that this that cuts right to the truth of the matter is one that will almost certainly stand the test of time and be cherished for years to come.

[film-book]

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (2020) Movie Trailer: What Happens when Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Jim Brown, & Sam Cooke are Alone in a Room? https://tinyurl.com/yykn67kn

[seamonsters22]

The Walking Dead, Volume 11 (“Fear the Hunters”), Issue 65. Cover art. Dale is pictured after getting bitten by a walker. Differences between the comic and the show: TV SHOW: - Dale dies while they are still at Hershel’s farm. - Shortly after arriving at the prison, Hershel is bitten in the leg, forcing Rick to sever the infected limb to save his life. - Bob Stookey, an alcoholic loner, was brought to the prison by Daryl and Glenn after they found him on his own. He quickly integrated himself into the group, and eventually began a relationship with Sasha (Crap; who just brought onions into the room?!). - Bob is bitten in the shoulder while on a supply run. He conceals the bite from the group, preferring to wander off and die alone while no one is looking. He is then kidnapped by Gareth and the remaining Terminus survivors. They tie him up, cut off his leg, and eat it. COMIC: - Dale made it past the farm to the prison. - He was bitten in the leg while at the prison, causing Rick to chop off his leg to save his life. - After the governor’s attack on the prison, Dale makes it out alive with the remaining survivors. His story then unfolds exactly like Bob’s did in the show. The main differences are that despite a big age difference, Dale was with Andrea in the comics, and when the hunters (Terminus in the show) cut his leg off, he was completely legless, having lost the first one in the prison. Other tidbits: - Sasha does not exist in the comics. - Bob Stookey is a regular character in the novel series (“Road To Woodbury”), rather than the main comics. Like the show’s version of Bob, he is an alcoholic and former army medic; however in the GN, he is an older white man. - In the comics, Sasha starts wearing Bob’s jacket after he dies. In the comics, Andrea wears Dale’s hat after he dies. 🎳 . . . . . . . . . . #twdfamily #thewalkingdead #twd #fearthehunters #skybound #imagecomics #robertkirkman #dalehorvath #jeffreydemunn #bobstookey #lawrencegilliardjr #sashawilliams #sonequamartingreen #andreaharrison #laurieholden #jensenackles #comics #coverart #cool

[lcwilli1]

#Alone now! 🙌 S4 Ep14 #TWDFamily #TheWalkingDead #LawrenceGilliardJr #TWDMarathon #BobStookey #TWD100 #TAL99in99 #twd #twdcast #thewalkingdeadfans @amcthewalkingdead

[someone-worth-racing-for]

💛💛💛

[mrstardust2-blog]

#WalkOfShame #VayaResaca #ElizabethBanks #JamesMarsden #GillianJacobs #SarahWright #EthanSuplee #BillBurr #AlphonsoMcAuley #LawrenceGilliardJr #EricEtebari #DavoneMcDonald #OliverHudson #KevinNealon #DavidBortolucci

[erinaferguson]

Happy Birthday Mom & Happy Independence 🇺🇸 🇧🇸 with Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lawrence Gilliard Jr., #sherylleeralph #lawrencegilliardjr (at New York, New York)

[artrotica2000]

Bob Stookey #BobStookey #LawrenceGilliardJr #TWD100episodes #FanArt

[theslaymagazine]

"Slay Birthday Spotlight" Happy Birthday - Shari Belafonte 63, Lawrence Gilliard Jr 46, Katie Lowes 36, Daniella Alonso 39, Teyonah Parris 30, Mystikal 47, Billie Piper 35, and Joan Jett 59! #theslaymagazine #sheslays #heslays #theyslay #slayday #slaybirthdays #happybirthday #famousbirthdays #virgoseason #virgonation #virgo #actress #actor #teyonahparris #joanjett #joanjettandtheblackhearts #katielowes #daniellaalonso #lawrencegilliardjr #billiepiper #mystikal #sharibelafonte @charlynichole

[reelguise]

Happy birthday to Reel Guise #sashacosplayer Ashlyn @ashlynharris90 shown here with real husband and #ReelGuise #BobStookiecosplayer @from_ashescosplay and the #bobstookey actor #lawrencegilliardjr @gilliardl Selfie by: Ashlyn

[jennianasshyessence]

Do you miss Bob? I do! 😢 #basicborder #bokeheffect #thewalkingdead #bobstookey #lawrencegilliardjr #ravenroseedit

[zombiesirens]

The Walking Dead panel but it was only Lawrence Gillard JR, he did amazing though! Loved hearing the stories from behind the scenes on the set! #lawrencegilliardjr #thewalkingdead #bob #panel #Portland #RoseCityComicCon #Oregon #awesomeweekend

[lcwilli1]

🎉 Happy Birthday to one of our favorite peeps!! 🎂🎈🥂 Hope you had a fabulous day & are looking forward to an amazing year ahead. Much ❤️ ~ #LawrenceGilliardjr #TWD #TheWalkingDead #BobStookey #TWDfamily #thewalkingdeadfans #twdcast #HappyBirthday (at Walker Stalker Convention)

[angelaryan216]

It's "Bob!" #TWD #MotorCityComicCon2015 #LawrenceGilliardJr

[bpowell3]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH @gilliardl #lawrencegilliardjr #bobstookey #twd #thewalkingdead #walkingdead