Ava DuVernay’s documentary 13th is one of the most masterful documentaries released this year. It compels its viewers to sit upright, and pay close attention to every percentage, statistic and fact handed to them in this in-depth look at the American prison system, and its inextricable ties to racial inequality in the United States. 13th is… Continue reading 13th (2016)
Tag: Ava DuVernay
1/15: North Shore (LI) AAUW
JLH Intro: Way back in August, I received an invitation from the North Shore (Long Island) Branch of AAUW. Would I be their January speaker? I said sure. They said the date was January 15th. I said fine. I put the date on my calendar and promptly forgot about it. Then, sometime in December, I… Continue reading 1/15: North Shore (LI) AAUW
2015: Oscar So Blue
“Women Hold Up Half the Sky,” but as Female Impact on Oscar Nominations falls ever lower, AMPAS–the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences–continues to mock us. Only one year in the 21st Century has had less Female Impact (2.5% in 2005), but even that all-time low was offset by the fact that Julie Delpy was… Continue reading 2015: Oscar So Blue
2014: Penny’s Top Picks
Best Feature Film of 2014: Selma Runner Up: Birdman Best Director of 2014: Ava DuVernay (Selma) Runner Up: Alejandro González Iñárritu (Birdman) Best Documentary of 2014: Gringo Trails Runner Up: Life Itself Best Foreign Language Film of 2014: Aftermath Runner Up: Winter Sleep Best Actress of 2014: Amy Adams (Big Eyes) Runner up: Angelina Jolie (Maleficent) Best… Continue reading 2014: Penny’s Top Picks
SELMA
Superlative film captures the essence of the three marches lead by Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama which lead to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. (JLH: 4.5/5) Directed by Ava DuVernay based on an original screenplay by Paul Webb. Click HERE for our FF2 Haiku. Highly Recommended by both me &… Continue reading SELMA