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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Truth The job of the stand-up, it seems, is that of a surgeon. They dissect, examine, and expose the faults, flaws, and foibles of the public, the powerful, and themselves. In 1960, a Life critic observed this about Nichols and May’s humor: “They hold the human race on a pin and make it laugh at itself while it squirms.” That legacy carried forward- through George Carlin’s blistering social commentary and Richard Pryor’s raw, autobiographical confessions. We’ve since crowned the comedian as the modern philosopher. But even that idea- noble as it sounds- has been dismantled by comedians themselves. Norm Macdonald, never known for intellectual posturing, worked more in the tradition of Bob Hope: clear-cut, joke-first, unpretentious. However, in what was sadly his final Netflix special, Macdonald deadpanned, “[The public] expect [comedians] to know things nowadays.” And when “they say comedians are the modern-day philosophers.

Sly Stone, the virtuosic performer and pioneering bandleader of Sly and the Family Stone, has died at the age of 82.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone,” according to a statement released by his family on Monday, June 9th. “After a prolonged battle with Copd and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family. While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.”

Stone was born Sylvester Stewart on March 15th, 1943, in Denton, Texas, and moved with his family to Vallejo, California, when he was a child. Growing up in the Bay Area, he and his siblings began performing together at an early age. In 1952, Stone, his brother Freddie,...

Rashaad Newsome in his studio. (Photograph by Keenan Newman.)The robot is voguing and reciting poetry. It moves the limbs of its humanoid body around the screen, fluttering its hands, spreading and swooping its legs. “Dip into your mind,” it says. “Welcome to your insides.” Its face looks like an African mask, with a mouth that lights up when it speaks. “To rest is to refresh. … Have some chamomile tea, skip the wine.” At this I chuckle loudly, as do other members of the audience. The robot is funny, with a physique—tight, curvy breasts and butt, rendered in wood paneling over circuitry and wires—that also makes it kind of sexy? It speaks directly to the crowd now, telling us, “You have done enough. … I am here to listen and provide you with a new beginning for your journey.” It’s giving hot therapist.The robot, named Being, is...

Timothée Chalamet may be known for Dune and its successful follow-up, but the Oscar nominee also has some sequel work on Saturday Night Live worth noting. He could complete two different trilogies when he hosts tonight.

Chalamet already has his plate full when he returns to Studio 8H to host for the third time. He's also serving as musical guest as many believe he'll show off the musical talents he developed to portray Bob Dylan in the biopic A Complete Unknown.

The actor twice proved he's one of the best SNL hosts of his generation. For proof, look no further than the recurring sketches he helped popularize. Tonight, Chalamet could finish off the rare trilogy of sketches for a host with not one, but two different bits.

Will Timothée Chalamet serenade another horse on Saturday Night Live?

As Tracy Morgan so accurately put it in the documentary SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night,...

Since Joe Rogan left reality TV and sitcoms behind, he has become so rich that fans want to know how much he pays his staff. The way Joe did that was by launching his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," interviewing stars like Post Malone, and gaining millions of listeners.

Many of Joe's fans still loved him after he called out The Big Bang Theory and criticized Taylor Swift in ways that outraged her fans. However, even though Howard Stern defended Joe and Jon Stewart had his back, he has also lost and angered some of his followers. For proof of that, all anyone has to do is look at the fact that some of Joe's fans questioned whether he was "insincere" on his podcast.

Some Joe Rogan Fans Think He Is Being "Insincere" Because He "Panders" To His Guests

Throughout the history of "The Joe Rogan Experience," people have listened...

For the past year, Cornell University PhD student Momodou Taal, 30, has taken part in various pro-Palestine demonstrations on campus, with many calling for the school to divest from weapons manufacturers selling products to Israel during its bombardment of Gaza (and now Lebanon). But unlike thousands who have supported such grassroots actions in public spaces across the U.S., Taal now faces the prospect of being expelled from the country for it.

“They want to make an example out of me, to then crush any other students thinking about being advocate for Palestine,...

When Robert Kennedy Jr. announced he would be suspending his campaign — while still encouraging people to vote for him — he claimed that he would be removing his name from the ballot in swing states where his candidacy might sway the election against Donald Trump. But with less than 70 days until the election, and ballots already in print, Kennedy’s zombie campaign may yet play a role in deciding competitive states.

The issue is slightly ironic given the amount of energy expended by Kennedy’s campaign to secure ballot access as...

On the first day of the Democratic National Convention, there was a display of energy and optimism over the course correction, even if the proceedings itself have had to grapple with a crush of attendees, long security lines and an overly packed lineup that resulted in President Joe Biden getting pushed out of primetime.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-md), who got one of the choice earlier speaking slots, was unfazed as he walked out of the United Center just after 11 p.m.

“What a night,” he told Deadline. “I couldn’t imagine it going any better.”

Privately, some Hollywood boosters wondered if the first night would have been better had an hour been shaved off the lineup — a message that seems to have gotten through to the convention planners, who were making adjustments today.

Related: Democratic National Convention: What To Expect During A Week Of Political Stars, Protests And Kamala Harris...

On TV, the Democratic National Convention is being set up to be a flawless, well-produced and compelling primetime infotainment.

In person, just getting to the United Center, on the near west side of Chicago, is a logistical adventure, even for those who have long attended these gatherings.

Following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump last month, and the anticipation of large scale Gaza protests, the security presence is intense, with temporary fencing placed in multiblock areas surrounding convention sites.

“We are expecting large protests throughout the city for the rest of the week,” Larry Snelling, superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, told reporters on Monday. “We are prepared for that. We hope for the exact same outcome for every protest, that everyone gets to express their First Amendment rights…If we don’t have any incidents, if that occurs, then we have had the successful Democratic National Convention we can imagine.

“Israelism,” a timely documentary exploring changing Jewish attitudes toward Israel, has been acquired by newly-launched distributor Watermelon Pictures for North America.

The film, the directorial debut of Erin Axelman and Sam Eilertsen, premiered at the 2023 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and went on to win multiple awards, including an audience award at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. It will be released in theaters and on digital platforms nationwide early this summer.

As per the synopsis, “Israelism” is an “eye-opening and essential exploration of the dramatic shift in Jewish attitudes toward Israel, informed by Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, revealing a deepening generational divide over modern Jewish identity.”

The film centers on two young American Jews, Simone Zimmerman and Eitan, who are raised to defend the state of Israel at all costs. Eitan joins the Israeli military, while Zimmerman supports Israel on “the other battlefield:” America’s college campuses. When...

Former President Donald Trump is ramping up his attacks on Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the complex presidential campaign heats up.

On Truth Social, Trump wrote Kennedy is “far more Liberal than anyone running as a Democrat, including West and Stein,” referencing other third-party candidates Cornel West and Jill Stein.

Without any evidence, Trump claimed that Kennedy was pushed out of the Democratic Party “because he was taking primary votes away” from President Joe Biden.

“Rfk Jr. is a Democrat’ Plant,’ a Radical Left Liberal who’s been put in place in order to help Crooked Joe Biden, the Worst President in the History of the United States, get Re-Elected,” Trump wrote. “A Vote for Junior’ would essentially be a Wasted Protest Vote that could swing either way but would only swing against the Democrats if Republicans knew the true story about him. Junior’ is totally Anti-Gun, an Extreme Environmentalist...

Rita Palma, a campaign consultant for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stated that her top priority is to prevent Joe Biden from winning this year’s presidential election.

“Things, I guess, will change overtime because you do only pick one candidate at the end of the day,” Palma stated during a meeting with Republicans in New York.

“But the Kennedy voter and the [Donald Trump] voter – the enemy – our mutual enemy – is Biden,” she added. “Since Biden is counting on us with [Kennedy] in the mix, my – my thought is for the Republicans.”

“See Bobby – right now – he’s pulling from both sides,” she continued. “Right now, he’s actually pulling a bit more from Biden, which explains why the DNC [Democratic National Committee] is kind of ganging up on him. They have a special committee to go after independent candidates.”

#Spoiler4Trump

Rita Palma, Nys director for Rfk Jr’s campaign, gives away the...

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has selected Silicon Valley attorney turned philanthropist Nicole Shanahan as his running mate in an early-announcement move as the independent presidential hopeful seeks to get his name on ballots in all 50 states for his White House bid.

Kennedy, son of the former U.S. attorney general and senator from New York who was assassinated in 1968, announced that Shanahan would join his campaign at a rally in Oakland on Tuesday. The announcement of a running mate decision this early is a strategic move that looks to assuage some of the concerns around his ballot access in half of the country.

“Nicole has put her interest aside and made the momentous and very, very difficult decision to embark with me on this extraordinary crusade to win back our country,” Kennedy said while introducing Shanahan as his running mate. The White House hopeful, who has a voice condition called spasmodic dysphonia,...

This article is being published in partnership with the watchdog group Documented.

An organized and well-funded network of right-wing groups is spending countless millions attacking a bipartisan election reform that could threaten the Maga political project.

Ranked-choice voting — which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, rather than just selecting one — has been used in state and federal elections in Alaska and Maine, and it has been gaining momentum in dozens of other states and municipalities, often with bipartisan support. Voters in Nevada and Oregon will hold referendums...

Exclusive: As George Clinton is preparing to get his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a new documentary about the Parliament-Funkadelic founder is in the works.

Clinton, a funk pioneer, is the subject of Mommy, What’s a Funkadelic?.

The documentary is written by Ishmael Reed, the author behind novels including Mumbo, Jumbo and known as the father of Afrofuturism, and co-directed by Alan Elliott, director of Aretha Franklin film Amazing Grace, and Christopher Harris, director of films including Reckless Eyeballing and Still/Here.

CAA and 3Arts are helping the filmmakers find financing. You can watch a trailer, narrated by Harry Lennix and introduced by Presidential candidate Dr. Cornel West, below.

Mommy, What’s a Funkadelic? tells the story of Clinton, his alter egos and friends. It is a somewhat absurdist take on the history of Parliament-Funkadelic featuring never-before-granted access to his archive.

It comes as...

Former President Donald Trump said that he hoped a financial crash would occur this year, as he believed it would give him a chance to win a second term as president.

“When there’s a crash, I hope it’s going to be during this next 12 months because I don’t want to be Herbert Hoover. The one president – I just don’t want to be Herbert Hoover,” Trump told conservative commentator Lou Dobbs in an interview on the right-wing platform Lindell TV.

Hoover was president during the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the beginning of the Great Depression.

President Joe Biden‘s reelection campaign slammed Trump for harming the middle class for his political benefit.

“Donald Trump should just say he doesn’t give a d— about people, because that’s exactly what he’s telling the American people when he says he hopes the economy crashes,” Biden campaign...

Cornel West has made a career teaching at Ivy League schools, delivering speeches, writing books and even appearing in movies. During his 30-year career, West is estimated to have earned at least $15 million.

His career started in the 1990s with his book Race Matters, which sold 500,000 copies. The book helped cement his status as a preeminent black intellectual.

West would also travel worldwide to deliver speeches and make $500,000 annually. Meanwhile, he would also lecture students at elite schools such as Princeton, Harvard and Union Theological Seminary.

At Harvard alone, West made about $220,000 per year.

Despite his substantial earnings over the years, West’s net worth is now close to zero. Federal filings and property records have confirmed this.

In 2002, West opened up about his financial struggles and blamed most of it on his, at the time, soon-to-be ex-wife’s spending habits. During that time, he was married to his third wife,...

Independent presidential candidate Cornel West believes Joe Biden won’t be able to make it to the general election.

“I’m not even sure whether I’ll be running against Biden,” West told Politico. “Biden — I think he’s going to have an Lbj moment [and] pull back.”

West doesn’t think Biden can take the criticism from his more left-wing critics on how he’s handling the Israel-Hamas war and the economy.

He suggested he’s running against a “B” team opponents such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will run against him

“I’m just saying that I’m open to those possibilities, given the fluidity of the situation. He’s running out of gas,” West added.

He slammed Biden’s foreign policy, calling him a “milquetoast neoliberal with military adventurism, possibly leading the world toward World War III.”

West also said he had...

In 2020, young voters broke turnout records — more than half of 18 to 29 year olds cast ballots, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — and those young voters broke, overwhelmingly, for Joe Biden. The question haunting Biden’s reelection campaign is whether that critical cohort of voters will show up again in 2024. According to a new survey from the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, the campaign is right to be concerned.

The Harvard poll shows President Biden has a 15 point lead over Trump among likely voters under...

In 2020, campaigning at the height of the global pandemic, the Biden campaign leaned heavily on influencers to reach young voters. Republican rivals called it a cop out — they said Biden was “hiding in his basement” — but it was hard to argue with the results of that social media-intensive strategy: Biden won voters under the age of 29 by a 26-point margin.

In 2024, the Biden campaign is doubling down, with plans to add even more than the roughly two dozen staffers who worked on the campaign’s influencer program in 2020. But this time around,...

It's great to have "Saturday Night Live" back in the swing of things, especially now that the Screen Actors Guild strike is over, and the show can have big name hosts arrive in Studio 8H with the ability to parody (and promote) their upcoming movies. This week, "Dune" star Timothée Chalamet was the first host to take full advantage of the Hollywood strikes being over, and he even musically celebrated with a little bit of Willy Wonka thrown in there for good measure. 

The first time Timothée Chalamet hosted "SNL," it was a delightful holiday romp, where he had a blast with Pete Davidson. But with Davidson not part of the "SNL" cast, was it just as much of a good time? Chalamet certainly had fun without Davidson, but this episode wasn't quite as consistently funny as his hosting debut. Having said that, Chalamet brought back two of his beloved...

Saturday Night Live brought us Timothée Chalamet as host with musical guest boygenius and what a show it was. Off to the races right at the start, one of Chalamet's more iconic characters from his first time hosting the show made a reappearance, this time as a solo artist SmokeCheddaDaAssGetta. Nunya Bizness (Ego Nwodim) hosts a Museum of Hip-Hop panel celebrating 50 years of Hip-Hop — iconic stars like Mary J. Blige (Punkie Johnson), Rick Rubin (James Austin Johnson), and Dr. Cornel West (Kenan Thompson) showed up to talk about music.

Timothee Chalamet’s second turn as guest host of Saturday Night Live gives us not one, but two recurring characters from his first stint on the show. One is a bonkers expansion of the Tiny Horse Cinematic Universe and the other is the return of the most successful hip hop artist of all time: SmokeCheddaDaAssGetta.

As every good Chalamaniac knows, Chalamet went under the moniker Li’l Timmy Tim during his high school career as a rapper. That early love of hip hop led to an SNL sketch back in 2020 with Pete Davidson where he plays a SoundCloud rapper named SmokeCheddaThaAssGetta.

Two years ago, Timothée Chalamet and Pete Davidson went viral for their Saturday Night Live sketch portraying a pair of clueless SoundCloud rappers — Smoke Chedda Tha A$$ Getta and Guap Lord, respectively — otherwise known as Xan Mob, who perform their unbearable song “Yeet” during the show “Rap Roundtable” hosted by Ego Nwodim.

And, with Davidson no longer part of the SNL cast, Chalamet’s rapper returned for a “Rap Roundtable” panel honoring the 50th anniversary of hip hop that also included Mary J. Blige (Punkie Johnson), Rick Rubin (James Austin Johnson), and Dr.

Republican megadonor Harlan Crow gave a maxed-out individual campaign contribution to progressive independent candidate Cornel West. Crow, who in recent months has been under scrutiny over his longtime financial relationship with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, has also donated to Republican candidates, including Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis.

According to Federal Election Commission filings reviewed by NBC News, West received $3,300 from Crow in August, the maximum donation allowed by an individual to a campaign. At the time, West was running as a candidate for the Green Party, he has since switched to an independent run.

Between the bongo drums and saxophone, the guy hawking buttons featuring a shirtless Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (“Fit to Be President!”), the men darting around in dark suits and sunglasses (stand-ins for the Secret Service detail Kennedy has still not received), the throngs of jubilant supporters, and the giant tour buses bearing the candidate’s grinning countenance, the entire spectacle would have made a convenient diversion for anyone planning an elaborate heist of the Declaration of Independence.

Unfortunately, Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center was selected for a different reason: to serve as a corny metaphor.

As The Global Exchange prepares to bring an electrifying mix of empowerment, education, and inspiration to Orlando, Florida, this fall, Exchange Events is proud to announce a new headliner who embodies it all: Demi Lovato, the multi-talented Grammy-nominated musician, actor, advocate, and New York Times best-selling author.

Lovato’s authenticity and vulnerability will take center stage during the four-day event at Orlando’s Walt DisneyWorld Resort as she joins Exchange Events founder Jerry Schwab for the “Not So Late Show” event on November 14. She promises to offer an engaging and enlightening conversation to inspire self-discovery, growth, and transformation — delivered directly and in-person to all audience members.

“Perhaps no one better embodies this year’s theme — Discover Who You Are Meant to Be — than Demi,” Schwab says. “She has been fearless and unapologetic in her own journey of self-discovery, and I can’t wait for our audience to learn more about...

A new presidential election cycle is heating up, and Bernie Sanders finds himself in an unfamiliar position: on the sidelines.

The independent senator from Vermont, who rallied millions of progressive supporters behind his bids in 2016 and 2020, is not making a run for the White House in 2024. Instead, he is now talking up his former rival Joe Biden — as well as the dire threat to democracy posed by another Trump term.

Sanders sings Biden’s praises as president, insisting he has plenty to be “proud” of from his first term. But...

In retrospect, it’s downright weird that after roughly a half-dozen reboots and reimaginings, not a single film, cartoon, or video game based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise prior to 2023 asked the deceptively simple question: “What if the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were actually teenagers?” Not cooler-than-thou, aspirational teens of the focus-tested variety, but awkward, 21st-century teenage boys who film dumb stunts with their siblings on a quest for TikTok glory and infodump about anime at the drop of a dime.

And here we are. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is a film that feels ripped right out of a high school art-class notebook, and sounds like a Twitch stream—thanks, in part, to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s deliberately chiptune-infused soundtrack. As such, it’s appropriate that the titular turtles are voiced by a quartet of relatively unknown teen actors who sound like they recorded...

For the second day in a week, The View is making headlines over their heated debates on the ABC talk show as the presidential elections inch closer.

Alyssa Farah Griffin and Sunny Hostin sparred during the “Hot Topics” segment that led Whoopi Goldberg to cut to a commercial break to ease the tension.

It all started when the co-hosts were talking about the Republican primaries and the candidates running for president including Chris Christie and Mike Pence, Griffin’s former boss when he was Vice President of the U.S. under the Trump administration.

At one moment during the debate, Griffin mentioned that she wasn’t sure who she would be voting for and wanted to hear more about Pence. Later on, Hostin would bring up this point saying, “What scares me, Alyssa, is that you are incapable of defending a man that you worked for, that you know of.

"The Chris Rock Show" was one of the edgiest, most uproarious variety shows on television. Powered by the pop cultural shockwave of his 1996 HBO stand-up special "Bring the Pain," Rock had attained the inconvenient-truth-telling stature of greats like Richard Pryor and George Carlin. He excoriated the white media for its condescending praise of the "well-spoken" Colin Powell and expressed hilarious disbelief that the crack-smoking Marion Barry could get re-elected Mayor of Washington D.C.. Suddenly, my mom knew that "salad tossing" was a prison euphemism for analingus.

HBO wisely snagged the comic for "The Chris Rock Show," which premiered on February 7, 1997, with the clear intent of pissing people off. His first guest was Johnnie Cochran nearing the end of his O.J. Simpson trial victory lap. I'll never forget Rock's reaction to the attorney's savvy quip that he prefers to defend "No Jays" instead of "O.J.s." He shot a...

As The Eighties began winding down, Bootsy Collins was in his element during nights on the town in Washington, D.C. Flashing his signature star-shaped shades, according to one report, he was chilling with fellow musicians — including some who’d played with Miles Davis — and sharing stories about his former boss and colleague George Clinton from their Parliament-Funkadelic days. Every so often he’d slip into one of the giddy, over-the-top voices heard on Bootsy stompers like “Bootzilla.” And he was living as large as one would expect: “We’re...

In the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo and Texas, many people are crying out for someone to “do something.” Yet some of the loudest voices in that chorus are among the biggest hypocrites when it comes to creating an atmosphere that promulgates violence among the feeble minded.

Bill Maher gave Hollywood a shot across the bow in his Friday Real Time on HBO, calling on the entertainment industry to look at its own culture of violence as a stimulant that creates justification for violent actions in some minds.

Maher noted how the average American kid sees an estimated 200,000 acts of violence before age 18. “Hollywood is the wokest place on earth,” Maher said, pointing out the good done under those principles. “But when it comes to romanticizing gun violence, crickets.”

Hollywood loves extolling vengeance, as noted by the dozens of films with that word in the title. “Because no impressionable...

“Blood Brothers” floats on perceptive interviews, rich archival photos and pointed newsreel footage. It stings, too, with its exploration of two iconic, uncompromising figures who were friends for (the film persuasively argues) too short a spell. Director Marcus A. Clarke used Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith’s “Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X” as a touchstone for this documentary — available on Netflix — but also brought his own insights as a Black man in America to the work. The result is thought-provoking, resonant, often touching.

The duo envisioned by “One Night in Miami” were nearing the end of their deep bond when they celebrated Cassius Clay’s victory over Sonny Liston in the 1964 heavyweight title bout. Although Malcolm X was 16 years older, there were similarities. Each embodied curiosity. Each met white racism with gloves off. Both were verbal stylists. Ali waxed poetic. Malcolm X lit fires...

Titans of influence from their individual trenches, Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali were instrumental in carving a prideful and revolutionary vision for the future of Black people stateside and abroad over the course of some of their most media-hectic years. That the two of them were connected not solely by being contemporaries, but through an intimate, if short-lived, friendship, resonates as a sonic boom of fateful proportions.

But as the documentary “Blood Brothers” from director Marcus A. Clarke examines, the schism that ended their fraternal bond was just as thunderous. Using the same-title book by researches Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith, both talking heads in the film, as a guide, Clarke first maps out in broad strokes their separate ascents to prominence: one as a radical speaker for Black liberation and the other displaying his towering prowess in sport.

briefly traces Malcolm X’s affinity for the ideals of activist Marcus Garvey,...

A glum arthouse market may be entering a gateway weekend into happier days after months of distributors — with rare exceptions — pulling out their hair at dismal per-screens averages. That’s because festival buzz is mounting for film after film – from Card Counter, Dune and Spencer, to King Richard and Cyrano.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Dear Evan Hansen open in theaters on Sept, 17 and Sept. 24 after Toronto premieres. Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch from Cannes rolls out Oct. 22. Warner Bros’ Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark has an Oct. 1 release date. Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast has a Nov. 12 theatrical date after a world premiere in Toronto (and a glimpse at Telluride.)

It’s like the Marvel Cinematic Universe of arthouses, films set to give a bump to a specialty...

Fascination with Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali’s complex friendship got a boost from pop culture over the last year or so: Theirs was a central relationship in Regina King’s debut feature “One Night In Miami,” and it was also highlighted in the Epix series “The Godfather of Harlem,” starring Forest Whitaker. As interesting as these portrayals are, truth is often more compelling than fiction, which is exactly what Netflix’s provocative documentary “Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali” illustrates.

The film is driven by the book “Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X” from Purdue professor Randy Roberts and Georgia Tech’s Johnny Smith, both of whom are consistent presences throughout the documentary. Directed by Marcus A. Clarke (“Around the Way”) and produced by “black-ish” creator Kenya Barris, “Blood Brothers” brilliantly outlines the historical context in which these two powerhouses emerged.

The documentary...

"They had the student / teacher relationship." Netflix has debuted an official trailer for a highly anticipated documentary film titled Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali, from filmmaker Marcus A. Clarke. Inspired by the book "Blood Brothers" written by Randy Roberts & Johnny Smith, the film examines the relationship and connections between these two legendary, iconic African-Americans. From a chance meeting to a tragic fallout, Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali's extraordinary bond cracks under the weight of distrust and shifting ideals. Through interviews with those closest to them — Malcolm X's daughter Ilyasah Shabazz, Ali’s brother Rahman and daughters Maryum and Hana — and cultural luminaries such as Cornel West and Al Sharpton, the docu illuminates their meeting, bonding, and eventual falling out over discord within the leadership of the Nation of Islam. Their evening in Miami was the inspiration for the excellent film One Night in Miami from last year, but...

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“Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union,” a three-part HBO documentary series offering a behind-the-scenes look at President Barack Obama, arrives on HBO Max on August 4, coinciding with the former commander in chief’s 60th birthday.

Directed by Emmy-winner Peter Kunhardt, “Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union” will premiere on HBO on August 3, before hitting the streaming service. HBO described the documentary as detailing the “personal and political journey of President Obama as the country grapples with its racial history.” The documentary shares a cohesive portrait of America under its first Black president, beginning with Obama’s childhood. The series takes viewers inside his perspective of being the son of...

Documentary filmmaker Peter Kunhardt began working on HBO’s “Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union” in 2014, while the former president was still in the White House. The director-exec producer and Jelani Cobb, a writer for the New Yorker and exec producer on this three-part docuseries, spent four years researching and discovering rare and never-before-seen archival footage of Obama before filming commenced in 2018. Kunhardt conducted 39 interviews with a wide range of people including Cobb, late Congressman John Lewis, Valerie Jarrett, David Axelrod, Rev. Al Sharpton as well as Rev. Jeremiah Wright during the course of production.

The diverse voices allowed Kunhardt, who previously directed “John McCain: From Whom the Bell Tolls” for HBO, to examine and critique the former president’s personal and political journey, as well as the United States’ fraught racial history. The goal: to look at Obama “through a critical eye, but not get bogged down...

The key to Barack Obama’s electoral success — and to the ways his post-presidency will continue to evolve — could be his talent as a writer.

It’s not simply his eloquence, his ability to convey his beliefs to a sprawling and fractious electorate. It’s also his gift at packaging his experiences and image of himself. Before he was a politician, Obama was a memoirist, and, fittingly, he has made a career of using accessibly plain English to convert life’s complications into a forward-moving narrative.

What Obama has lately lacked, though, is a meaningful mission onto which to pin his talents: His first presidential memoir was blandly written and rote, suggesting he’d rather be looking ahead than back. And Obama’s multimedia projects, like his frequent book and music recommendations and the podcast he co-hosted with Bruce Springsteen, suggest an eagerness to stay in the conversation without a...

HBO has released a new trailer for its upcoming three-part docuseries on Barack Obama, Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union. It will premiere August 3rd, with additional episodes airing on the 4th and 5th.

Directed by Peter Kunhardt, the series will chronicle Obama’s personal and political journey, particularly through the lens of race. The trailer touches on Obama’s childhood, where he was one of just a handful of black kids in his school class, his early political efforts and how he built the unique coalition that...

“Born 2 Die,” the second single off Prince’s upcoming posthumous album Welcome 2 America, premiered Thursday. It follows the album’s title track, released earlier this year.

On the sultry tune, Prince is joined by bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, drummer Chris Coleman, and vocalists Shelby J., Liv Warfield and Elisa Fiorillo. The singer’s longtime music director Morris Hayes added the final production to the song.

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“Born 2 Die” was originally recorded “during a flurry of studio activity” in the...

Bootsy Collins has dropped a new music video for “Slide Eazy,” his collaboration with Ellis Hall, Rod Castro, and Brennan Johns from his most recent album, The Power of One.

Directed by Jameson Mangan, the clip is an eye-popping kaleidoscopic collage that finds Bootsy and his collaborators breezing through the upbeat funk jam. The psychedelic visuals are put to particularly perfect effect when Castro appears to unleash his dazzling guitar solo.

In an email to Rolling Stone, Bootsy explained how he built “Slide Eazy” with his three key collaborators. It...

Exclusive: Greenwich Entertainment announced Thursday it has acquired North American distribution rights to The Big Scary “S” Word, a feature documentary that “explores the rich history of the American socialist movement.”

The company plans a theatrical release on Friday, September 3—Labor Day Weekend—an auspicious date given the holiday’s historical ties to workers’ rights. The documentary marks the feature directorial debut of Yael Bridge, whose credits include producing the Emmy-nominated Saving Capitalism (2017).

“I feel so lucky to team up with Greenwich Entertainment with their incredible track record of bringing powerful films to the public,” Bridge remarked. “The timing of this release couldn’t be better, as we’re seeing a fundamental realignment in political thinking about the role of government and the need to work collectively, not just in order to thrive but literally to survive.”

Democratic socialism as a political philosophy has gained traction in the U.S.

Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy spoke with CBS This Morning about his decision to pledge five percent of his songwriting royalties to social justice causes. Tweedy announced the pledge last summer in the midst of the George Floyd Protests.

In an interview with CBS’ Anthony Mason, Tweedy pointed out that he hoped his decision would create a domino effect in the industry. “In all honesty, [it] isn’t a whole lot of money!” he said of his royalties. “The point would be that, that would be multiplied by thousands of people at my level.

The Black church has been, and continues to be, one of the most influential institutions created by Africans in the Americas. PBS’ two-part documentary series, “The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song,” preaches about the role of the church in the post-civil rights era, from the African continent to North America.

The role of the Black church continues to be the subject of lively debate even among those who consider themselves “unaffiliated.” Some argue that it has lost its oracular voice and its ability to mobilize for reform. Others say that the church is very much alive, pointing to the 2008 presidential election, when then-leading Democratic contender Barack Obama from Chicago’s Trinity Church had to publicly denounce what was perceived to be inflammatory language from parishioner Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose now infamous “God damn America!” speech genuinely shocked voters. (Although African Americans were especially less bothered.

“The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song” is a soul-stirring two-part, four-hour documentary series from executive producer, host and writer Henry Louis Gates Jr. It traces the centuries old story of the Black church in America, all the way down to its foundational role as the site of African American survival, freedom, solidarity and speaking truth to power.

The upcoming PBS documentary reveals how Black people have worshipped and, through their spiritual journeys, improvised ways to bring their faith traditions from the African continent to the New World while interpreting them into a form of Christianity that was truly their own, in a nation whose original sin was the enslavement of their ancestors across the Middle Passage.

“The Black church is the oldest, the most continuous and most important institution created in the history of Black people in this country, and I’m honored that we have made this series,...

Bootsy Collins has released a video for his funked-out slow jam, “Lips Turn Blue,” featuring vocals from Cincinnati singer Emmaline.

Directed by Oscar Arce, the eye-popping clip finds Bootsy and Emmaline delivering their parts against a kaleidoscopic backdrop of puckering neon lips. The video also features singer Olvido Ruiz as an extra back-up dancer.

“Lips Turn Blue” notably marks Bootsy’s first bilingual track, with Emmaline singing part of the chorus in Spanish. “It’s pretty exciting to introduce something we have never done together as a team to the world,...

“Crip Camp,” “Gunda” and “Time” are among the films that have made Doc NYC’s 2020 “Short List,” an annual attempt by the New York-based festival to identify the nonfiction films most likely to play a significant part in awards season.

Those three films were also included in the Critics Choice Documentary Awards nominations for Best Documentary Feature, and on the International Documentary Association’s shortlist from which the Ida chooses nominees for the Ida Documentary Awards. They are the only three movies to land on all three lists.

Nine additional films on the Doc NYC list were also singled out either by the Ida or Critics Choice: “Boys State,” “Collective,” “Dick Johnson Is Dead,” “The Fight,” “MLK/FBI,” “76 Days,” “The Social Dilemma,” “The Truffle Hunters” and “Welcome to Chechnya.”

Other films on the Doc NYC list, which is made up of 15 documentaries, are “I Am Greta,” “On the Record” and “A Thousand Cuts.