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Silent and Early Film:
Kino Lorber has the terrific collection, Pioneers of African American Cinema, a collection of nearly 30 short and feature-length films from 1915 to 1978. These "race films" (as they were then known) were made outside of the studio system and feature generally lower budgets, but have held up every bit as well as their expensive counterparts.
Blaxploitation:
Shaft and Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song heralded a revolution in American cinema and genre filmmaking. Throughout the 1970s, black audiences could see themselves on the silver screen as heroes, as well as realities they lived daily. The era marked the point at which black audiences were acknowledged and represented. Cult hits like Blacula, Boss, and The Last Dragon were all produced in this time period.
Mainstream:
The 1980s and 1990s saw Spike Lee's frank depictions of black life in his extensive filmography and John Singleton and Mario van Peebles (son of director/writer/star of Sweet Sweetback's Melvin van Peebles) shined a light on the criminal issues faced by modern youth in Boyz N the Hood and New Jack City, respectively. The first black, female filmmaker to have a film shown in US cinemas was only in 1991, with Julie Dash's Daughters of the Dust, paving the way for the likes of Debbie Allen, Kasi Lemmons, and Ava Duvernay. The Wesley Snipes-starring Blade saved the superhero genre the year after the disastrous Batman & Robin and convinced a near-bankrupt Marvel Comics to re-evaluate their film division and eventually led to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the 2010s, postmodern hits like Get Out from Jordan Peele and Sorry to Bother You by Boots Riley garnered critical acclaim in their explorations of racial dynamics, while Barry Jenkins' back-to-back Oscar winners Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk (the former being the first Best Picture winner with an all-black cast and/or LGBT theme) helped to finally get the recognition black cinema deserves.
From being forced outside of the studios to billion-dollar superhero blockbusters, there have been innumerable black filmmakers, writers, producers, actors like Whoopi Goldberg, Sidney Poitier, Shonda Rhimes, Ryan Coogler, Tyler Perry, Angela Bassett, Idris Elba, Dorothy Dandridge, and too many more to list, who blazed trails, set standards, and continue to push forward.
If you need a little culture in your life, check out these fantastic Criterion Collection releases!
Paris is Burning - dive into the New York drag scene, shining a light on LGBT culture 30 years ahead of its time. If you've ever spilled the tea, thrown shade, or looked fierce, you've been influenced by this film; Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman's Three Fantastic Journeys takes you on a travel through time, through the mind of Jules Verne, and along for the ride with Baron Munchausen in this triple feature; The Cranes Are Flying is a Soviet impressionist feature following the young woman Veronika as she experiences the suffering and loss of World War II in Russia.
Check out our forums to stay up-to-date on entertainment news as it develops!
Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.
Need to MOVE? The fastest, spikiest mammal in the world is here to help!
Sonic the Hedgehog - Jim Carrey leads the cast of this adaptation of Sega's little blue mascot (voiced by Ben Schwartz); Adam Sandler gives a tour de force performance as a gambling-addicted jeweler in deep with a loan shark in the Safdie Brothers' Uncut Gems; A Hidden Life is Terrence Malick's latest film follows the tribulations of a devout man who refuses to pledge allegiance to the Third Reich; and Bad Boys for Life is the third outing for the Will Smith/Martin Lawrence buddy cop action series.
Finally, who could forget the controversial final (for now) installment of Star Wars? The Rise of Skywalker has been kicking up a stir with critics and fans alike, so see what all the hubbub is about! And frankly, the 4K cover is pretty cool, regardless of the film quality. Check out our forums to stay up-to-date on entertainment news as it develops!
Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.
If you feel like you've got cabin fever, check out some new releases to help you make it through the pandemic:
The Twilight Zone - Jordan Peele takes the reins from Rod Serling in this re-launch of the classic, mind-bending show full of twists, social commentary, and great guest stars; Kino Lorber started off 2020 with a slew of Spike Lee releases, covering much of his early filmography. Check out our reviews for Mo' Better Blues, Jungle Fever, and Crooklyn.
Finally, Universal has released first run films still in theaters to digital platforms, in order to encourage moviegoers to avoid physical contact. You'll be able to rent films like Trolls 2: World Tour, The Hunt, and Emma on Comcast and Sky. Disney joined in too, releasing Frozen 2 early on Disney+. Check out our forums to stay up-to-date on entertainment news as it develops!
Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.
Films are not made by an auteur, but by a dedicated team of specialists and artists who design all aspects of the work.
Superstar costumer Kelly Cercone sat down with us to talk about her work in the biggest franchises of all time: The Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars. How do you tell a story with clothing? What separates the design of Loki from Kylo Ren? What's a tableperson? All this and more!
Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Interview Database for all the in-depth talks with leading entertainment figures. And don't forget our review section!
 Halloween and geekdom collide as DVD Talk takes a look at the best cosplay from LACC 2019, with Game of Thrones, Princess Mononoke, Judge Dredd, and more! See our feature here!
It's that season again, so get ready for skellingtons, ghosts, and plumpkins:
John Carpenter's Vampires - while not the legendary director's greatest work, Carpenter nonetheless crafts an entertaining romp about vampire hunters in the American Southwest; The Dead Don't Die - Jim Jarmusch directs Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, Danny Glover, Selena Gomez, and more against zombies. What more needs to be said?; and if your horror tastes trend more visceral, check out our reviews for Arrow Video's releases of Hellraiser I & II
Be sure to check out our DVD Talk Review Database for all the latest reviews including an entire section devoted to reviews of DVDs out this week.
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