Movie Review: MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 07/01/2022
MINIONS THE RISE OF GRU poster | ©2022 Universal Pictures

Rating: PG Stars (voices): Steve Carell, Pierre Coffin, Alan Arkin, Michelle Yeoh, Taraji P. Henson, Julie Andrews Writer: Matthew Fogel, story by Brian Lynch and Matthew Fogel Director: Kyle Balda Distributor: Universal Release Date: July 1, 2022 With their origin story taken care of in 2015’s MINIONS, the little yellow hench-beings (all voiced by Pierre Coffin) first seen in 2010’s DESPICABLE ME and its sequels now get another flashback feature. MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU shows (very briefly) how the Minions came to work for Gru and, at greater length, their early adventures with him. We first met Gru, as […]Read On »


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CITY ON A HILL: Aldis Hodge talks about new Showtime drama and LEVERAGE fans – Exclusive Interview

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 07/01/2019
Aldis Hodge is Decourcy Ward in CITY ON A HILL - Season 1 | ©2019 Showtime/Eric Ogden

The title of Showtime’s new Sunday-night series CITY ON A HILL refers to early ‘90s Boston. “The irony abounds,” as several characters might say. Despite its lofty physical setting, the Boston of CITY ON A HILL is rife with racism, corruption and crime. Aldis Hodge plays Assistant District Attorney DeCourcy Ward, who’s just arrived from Brooklyn. By the end of the first episode, Ward has been so manipulated by both the Boston police and his own office that he’s willing to do just about anything to avoid further abuse. Ward joins forces with crooked FBI agent Jackie Rohr (Kevin Bacon) […]Read On »


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EMPIRE: Director Sanaa Hamri chats Season 3 – Exclusive Interview

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 05/27/2017
Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson in EMPIRE - Season 3 | ©2017 Fox Broadcasting/Michael Lavine

Fox Network’s hit musical drama EMPIRE has been renewed for a fourth season. The series concerns the Lyon clan – often-warring patriarch Lucious (Terrence Howard) and matriarch Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and their sons – who all want to control their own musical destinies and the Lyon music conglomerate. EMPIRE creators Lee Daniels and Danny Strong are executive producers on the series, as is show runner Ilene Chaiken. Another executive producer is director Sanaa Hamri, who has personally helmed ten episodes and is the e.p. who helps other directors on the show find the right tone. A lot of EMPIRE’s […]Read On »


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LUKE CAGE: Mahershala Ali talks Season 1 and playing Cottonmouth – Exclusive Interview

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 12/30/2016
Mahershala Ali is Cottonmouth in LUKE CAGE - Season 1| ©2016 Netflix

Mahershala Ali is having quite a year. The actor from Oakland, California – first name pronounced Mah-HER-shah-lah – has a Golden Globe nomination and Oscar buzz for his performance as a compassionate drug dealer in the film MOONLIGHT. Ali also plays the love interest of Taraji P. Henson’s NASA math genius Katherine Johnson in HIDDEN FIGURES. Earlier this year, Ali appeared in KICKS and THE FREE STATE OF JONES, and he plays Remy Danton in Netflix’s HOUSE OF CARDS. However, Ali is at Netflix’s portion of the Television Critics Association press tour to talk about his role as Cornell “Cottonmouth” […]Read On »


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Movie Review: HIDDEN FIGURES

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 12/24/2016
HIDDEN FIGURES movie poster | ©2016 20th Century Fox

Rating: PG Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Mahershala Ali, Jim Parsons, Aldis Hodge, Glen Powell Writers: Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi, based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly Director: Theodore Melfi Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox Release Date: December 25, 2016 Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson are historical figures whose fame is long overdue. All three were key NASA personnel during the Mercury 7 project and went on to stellar careers. However, both because they are women and because they are black, their contributions have been largely overlooked until now HIDDEN […]Read On »


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EMPIRE: Ilene Chaiken gives the scoop on Season 3 – Exclusive Interview

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 11/23/2016
Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson in EMPIRE - Season 3 | ©2016 Fox/Michael Lavine

Now in its third season Fox Network’s musical drama EMPIRE won the AFI Award for Best Television Program of the Year and a Golden Globe for leading lady Taraji P. Henson as the formidable Cookie Lyon, not to mention a massive quantity of nominations. Created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, EMPIRE follows the Lyon musical dynasty – besides Cookie, there’s her ex, performer/producer Lucious (Terrence Howard), and their three adult sons – along with their lovers, friends and enemies as they try to stay on top of the charts and with one another. Executive producer Ilene Chaiken, who is […]Read On »


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EMPIRE: Danny Strong gives the Scoop on Season 2 – exclusive interview

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 03/31/2016
Terrence Howard stars in the Fox drama EMPIRE | © 2016 Chuck Hodes/FOX

At Fox Network’s party for the Television Critics Association, Danny Strong is mulling over the dessert options. Strong is at a place in his life where most of the choices are sweet. The California native co-created Fox’s epic musical drama hit EMPIRE. Strong got an Emmy nomination for his first produced script, HBO’s RECOUNT, about the 2000 U.S. presidential election, and won an Emmy for his second, HBO’s GAME CHANGE, which starred Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin. Strong wrote LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER, about the intersection of civil rights and the U.S. presidency, which Daniels directed. That collaboration led to […]Read On »


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EMPIRE co-star Bryshere Y. Gray on the season finale – exclusive interview

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 03/18/2015
Bryshere Gray star as Hakeem in the Fox hit series EMPIRE | © 2015 Michael Lavine/FOX

Fox’s new hit EMPIRE has its two-hour first-season finale Wednesday, March 18, but have no fear – it was renewed for a second season almost immediately after it premiered to huge ratings in January. The series, created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, follows the personal and musical (and financial) fortunes of the Lyon recording dynasty, headed by ailing but iron-willed Lucious (Terrence Howard), who clashes with ex-wife Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) now that she’s out from a seventeen-year prison stretch and seeking her own piece of the company. The three Lyon sons are caught in the middle. Bryshere Y. […]Read On »


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Jussie Smollett and Taraji P. Henson on EMPIRE Season Finale – exclusive interview

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 03/15/2015
Taraji P Henson in EMPIRE - Season 1 | © 2015 Fox / Michael Lavine

On Fox’s megahit EMPIRE, Wednesdays at 9 PM and renewed for a second season already, Taraji P. Henson plays Cookie Lyon, ex-wife of hip-hop record mogul Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) and mother of his three sons. Jussie Smollett plays talented and gay middle son Jamal, the only one to visit his mother in jail while Cookie did 17 years in order to protect Lucious for going down with her. Henson, an Oscar-nominated actress who’s a veteran of many films and TV series, has been to a number of parties like the one that Fox and FX are throwing for the […]Read On »


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EMPIRE showrunner Ilene Chaiken gives the scoop on Season 1 – exclusive interview

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN 02/22/2015
Terrence Howard stars as Lucious in Fox's EMPIRE | © 2015 Chuck Hodes/FOX

Fox’s new drama series EMPIRE, Wednesdays at 9 PM, has turned into the kind of popular and ratings hit that would thrill its ultra-ambitious, powerhouse characters. Created by Danny Strong and Lee Daniels, EMPIRE is set in the world of hip-hop music, where terminally ill recording kingpin Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) wants to select one of his three sons – businesslike Andre (Trai Byers), talented, kind, gay Jamal (Jussie Smollett) and gifted but irresponsible Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) – to take over when he’s gone. Lucious’ ex-wife Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) returns from prison and would like to control the […]Read On »


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