Number One on the Call Sheet

Just saw the leading men doc; the profound and varied insight shared by all is inspiring, grounding, and provides solid guidance for actors whether they're just starting their career or are seasoned professionals. The history and evolution of Black film in America is clearly explained by the film's creator and guests, highlighting not only its contributions globally, but its possible trajectory. Looking forward to watching the leading ladies version, which I imagine will shed light on the particular challenges faced by women in the industry (age, body image, etc.) This documentary is a gem and an absolute must watch for actors, directors, and film buffs alike.

It covers plenty of ground without overrelying on too much stock footage clips or any predictable scripting while not being flawless.

The first episode on the Black actors is a solid gamechanger bit the Black Actresses finale hits it out of the park harder. The Black filmmakers, lawyers and casting agents also add more layers to the 30 plus years of the everchanging film industry and how there will always be ethical lessons to learn from this evolution.

Pros: Tight filming by director Hudlin (this isn't his first rodeo!), non-distracting yet era appropriate soundtrack and engaging edits. The interviews with Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Michael B. Jordan, Laurence Fishburne and John Boyega were extravagant. The biggest stand-out was when Eddie Murphy notes how he planned his career based on advice that Sidney Poitier gave him.

Cons: Not sure about the budget available but given how some of the stars were shown in archive footage/photos, it did make me wish they could've interviewed Samuel L. Jackson, Aisha Tyler, Forest Whitaker, CCH Pounder, David Oyelowo, Ernie Hudson, Danny Glover, Joe Morton, Shemar Moore, LeVar Burton, Dennis Haysbert, Donald Glover, Michael Jai White, Mario Van Peebles, Wesley Snipes and even Ice-T.

Some of the interviews with Jamie Foxx and The Rock felt like them stroking their ego instead of getting too deep with the material and complimenting the concept. The Marlon Wayans interviews also didn't contribute much and Kevin Hart's segmeny could've been two scenes and dragged a bit.

An overall solid two part documentary for fans of film and the Hollywood celebrity scene but make sure you got 90 minutes to spare for both episodes.