Born on Sept. 7, 1979, Thomas McKay Martin Jr. was raised in Seattle and graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in American Cultural Studies. In 2002, T.J. made an auspicious directorial debut with A Day in the Hype of America, which won the Best Documentary award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. […]
Author Archives: Kam Williams
Special to the AFRO
Posted inMovie Reviews
Kam’s Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
BIG BUDGET FILMS Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (PG-13 for profanity, intense violence and disturbing images) 3-D Marvel Comics sequel finds stuntman-turned-demon hunter Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) emerging from his self-imposed exile to protect a woman (Violante Placido) with a young son (Fergus Riordan) from the devil incarnate (Johnny Whitworth). Cast includes Ciaran Hinds, Idris […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Yo! Ne-Yo!
Shaffer Chimere Smith, aka Ne-Yo, was born in Camden, Ark., but raised in Las Vegas, Nev. by his mom, a musician of Chinese and African-American descent. He began making a name for himself as a singer/songwriter in 1999, going on to compose hits for Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Christina Milian, B2K, Mario and others, […]
Posted inBooks
The Cross & the Lynching Tree
“The cross and the lynching tree are separated by nearly 2,000 years. One is the universal symbol of Christian faith; the other is the quintessential symbol of black oppression in America… Despite the obvious similarities between Jesus’ death on a cross and the death of thousands of black men and women strung up to die […]
Posted inBooks
Round & Round Together
“About four months before the March on Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King was arrested during demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama. While in jail, he wrote a letter in which he explained why he protested… ‘When you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year-old daughter why […]
Posted inMovie Reviews
East Meets West in Gritty, NYC Dramedy
Don’t let the political-sounding title mislead you. Watching TV with the Red Chinese is a cross-cultural period piece having precious little to do with the dissemination of propaganda behind the Bamboo Curtain. Set in the U.S. in the summer of 1980, this character-driven romantic dramedy is rather about a trio of transfer students’ awkward adjustment […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
2012 Oscar Nominations
Don’t be deceived by Hugo’s landing the most Oscar nominations, The Artist still remains the heavy favorite to win for Best Picture. The list of nominees doesn’t include much in the way of major surprises other than perhaps the conspicuous absence of Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March and Drive) and Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) in […]
Posted inMovie Reviews
WWII Saga Recounts Heroic Exploits of Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen is the nickname given the 332nd Fighter Group, the first squadron of African-American aviators ever trained by the U.S. Air Force. Formed in 1940, the historic unit had to be stationed at a base on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute in Macon County, Ala., since the Armed Forces were still racially […]
Posted inMovie Reviews
Presidential Race Thriller Arrives on DVD
Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) joined Mike Morris’ (George Clooney) presidential campaign out of a heartfelt conviction that the Pennsylvania governor was “the only one who’s going to make a difference in people’s lives.” And the idealistic press secretary’s bright-eyed enthusiasm has remained apparent even to casual observers like New York Times reporter (Marisa Tomei) who […]
Posted inMovie Reviews
Kam’s Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
BIG BUDGET FILMS Big Miracle (PG for mild epithets) Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski co-star in this romance drama about the resurrected relationship of a reporter and his environmentalist ex-girlfriend in the wake of their joining forces to save a family of gray whales trapped under the ice near the Arctic Circle. Supporting cast includes […]
Posted inARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Oscar-Winner Opines on Playing Tuskegee Airman
Cuba Gooding Jr. was born in the Bronx, New York on Jan. 2, 1968, to Shirley and Cuba Sr., the lead singer of the R&B group The Main Ingredient But after his dad abandoned the family in 1974, Jr. and his siblings were raised in L.A. by his struggling single-mom. He ended up attending four […]
Posted inMovie Reviews
Billy Beane Bio-Pic Released on DVD
Brad Pitt has positioned himself as a serious contender for an Academy Award by virtue of his engaging performance in this delightful bio-pic. For he is simply sensational as Billy Beane here, in an emotionally-uplifting, David vs. Goliath saga revolving around the amazing run of the Oakland Athletics during the 2002 season. The iconoclastic, A’s […]
