TOP 10
SINGLES
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TOP 10
ALBUMS
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The Middle
Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
Psycho
Post Malone Feat. Ty Dolla $ign
Nice For What
Drake
Never Be The Same
Camila Cabello
Delicate
Taylor Swift
No Tears Left To Cry
Ariana Grande
In My Blood
Shawn Mendes
Meant To Be
Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line
God’s Plan
Drake
Mine
Bazzi
EVERYTHING IS LOVE
The Carters
Nasir
Nas
Youngblood
5 Seconds Of Summer
Liberation
Christina Aguilera
Post Traumatic
Mike Shinoda
The Greatest Showman
Soundtrack
SQUARE UP (EP)
BLACKPINK
Redemption
Jay Rock
?
XXXTENTACION
KIDS SEE GHOSTS
KIDS SEE GHOSTS
Presented by
wireless
Academy honors son of Jamaican immigrants with ‘Green Book’ Oscar
Dr. Don Shirley, left, was portrayed by actor Mahershala Ali,
right, in the Best Picture-winning fi lm, “Green Book.”
By Kam Williams
Apollo 11 (Unrated) IMAX documentary
revisiting NASA’s historic 1969 mission,
the first spaceflight to land on the moon.
Featuring archival footage of astronauts
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael
Collins.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
(Unrated) Chiwetel Ejiofor makes his
directorial debut with this adaptation of
Malawi’s William Kamkwamba’s memoir
about saving his village from famine at
the age of 13 by building a wind turbine.
Cast includes Ejiofor, Maxwell Simba, Lily
Banda, and Aissa Maiga.
Climax (R for disturbing content including
profanity, graphic nudity and sexuality,
drug use, and violence) Horror musical set
at at an abandoned boarding school where
a dance troupe’s party is sabotaged by a
bowl of sangria-laced with LSD. Ensemble
cast includes Sofia Boutella, Romain
Guillermic, Kiddy Smile, Giselle Palmer,
and Taylor Castle. (In French and English
with subtitles)
Furie (Unrated) Action thriller about an
ex-assassin (Veronica Ngo) who comes out
of retirement to rescue her young daughter
who has been kidnapped by a sex-trafficking
ring. With Hoa Tran, Mai Cat Vi,
and Thanh Nhien Phan. (In Vietnamese
with subtitles)
Saint Judy (Unrated) Michelle Monaghan
Caribbean L 38 ife, March 1–7, 2019 BQ
portrays the title character in this reverential
biopic about immigration attorney
Judy Wood who has single-handedly saved
the lives of thousands of female refugees
by successfully lobbying for changes in the
United States’ asylum laws. Supporting
cast includes Common, Mykelti Williamson,
Alfred Molina, and Alfre Woodard.
Styx (Unrated) Seafaring thriller about
a German ER physician (Susanne Wolff)
sailing solo on the Atlantic Ocean who
diverts her boat to come to the aid of
100 shipwrecked refugees. With Alexander
Beyer, Inga Birkenfeld, and Gedion Oduor
Wekesa. (In English and German with
subtitles)
The Wedding Guest (R for profanity, violence
and brief nudity) Dev Patel is the title
character in this suspense thriller about a
shadowy figure who travels from England
to Pakistan to kidnap a Muslim bride-tobe
(Radhike Apte). With Jim Sarbh, Harish
Khanna and Nish Nathwani.
Wide Releases
Greta (R for violence and disturbing
images) Suspense thriller, set in NYC,
about a naive young woman (Chloe Grace
Moretz) who unwittingly befriends a
widow with an evil agenda (Isabelle Huppert)
whose pocketbook she found on the
subway. With Maika Monroe, Colm Feore
and Stephen Rea.
A Madea Family Funeral (PG-13 for
profanity, crude sexuality and pervasive
drug use) Tyler Perry is back one more
time again in drag as a sassy granny for
this raucous comedy that is set in rural
Georgia, where a joyous family reunion
is unexpectedly marred by tragedy. Costarring
Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely, and
Mike Tyson.
By Vinette K. Pryce
Nowhere in the Oscarwinning
film “Green Book”
is it mentioned that Dr. Don
Shirley, the principal character
of the film, has Jamaican
roots. The story of a Black,
classically-trained pianist and
his Italian chauffeur on a road
tour through the Jim Crow-era
South skirts Shirley’s heritage
and even mimics his tendency
to reject stereotyped affinities
of Black America. Shirley neither
craves fried chicken nor
the “Hit Parade” dominated
by Little Richard and others
revered by American Blacks.
His disdain for jazz musicians
who smoke or drink alcohol
onstage is reprised on celluloid
by actor Mahershala Ali.
Born in Pensacola, Fla., on
Jan. 27, 1927 to Jamaicans
Edwin, an Episcopal priest,
and Stella, a teacher, Shirley
probably was not raised on
flour-battered, grease-soaked
chicken, but instead the kind
of brown-stewed and curried
chicken Jamaicans prefer. And
despite the poularity of Black
American performers at the
time, in his youth Shirley must
have been consumed by the
prowess and artistry of Bach,
Tchaikovsky, and other classical
composers. Shirley was a
child prodigy who started playing
the piano at age 2. By the
age of 18 he was regarded as
an accomplished, professional
playing with the Boston Pops.
The film — which won Best
Supporting Actor Oscar for Ali,
Best Picture, and Best Original
Screenplay — focuses heavily
on the white driver, his Italian
family and friends, and the fact
that the raucous Bronx bouncer
nicknamed “the Lip” was
far more familiar with Black
culture than his “dignified”
employer.
The title is derived from
the compilation of hotels that
welcomed people of color who
stop into racist towns below
the Mason-Dixon line. Despite
the fact that Shirley was
accomplished, in demand, and
revered for his talent, the storyline
cites occasions when he
was denied eating in places he
was applauded in performance.
Throughout the film,
Shirley, who died in 2013, is
portrayed as a refined, articulate
man who lived above Carnegie
Hall. His home reflected
his travels and an appreciation
of Asian and African art.
. . .
Following the Academy and
Grammy Awards, distinguished
Caribbean citizens received
Pinnacle Pathfinder, Chancellor’s,
Luminary, Pelican, and
Legacy awards on Feb. 27.
The 22nd annual Caribbean,
black-tie gala awards event
closed out Black History and
Reggae Month at the Pierre
Hotel with honors and a principal
purpose of boosting scholarship
donations to worthy students
seeking admission to the
University of the West Indies.
Hosted by the American
Foundation for the University
of the West Indies, the annual
affair paid tribute figures
representing politics, banking,
entertainment, and entrepreneurism
with presentations
from Sir Hillary Beckles, Vice
Chancellor at UWI.
One of the most prestigious
is the Legacy Award, which
was handed to Hubert Alexander
Minnis, the Prime Minister
of the Bahamas, and the first
female Premier of the Turks
and Caicos Islands, Sharlene
Cartwright-Robinson.
Both are alums of the highest
institution of learning in
the Caribbean.
The 70-year-old educational
institution maintains campuses
in Barbados, Trinidad
& Tobago, and Jamaica. It
also has satellite facilities in a
number of Eastern Caribbean
countries.
Catch You On The Inside!
Tyler Perry is back in “A Madea Family
Funeral.”
Independent & Foreign Films
Kam’s Kapsules
By Kam Williams