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Criterion lavishes a major upgrade to its older box set celebrating the first major rock concert event, the ‘California Dreamin’ idyll that some say marked the beginning of the Summer of Love. Get ready to hear and see some history-making performances from Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and The Who. Plus two more features and a bundle of ‘extra’ music sets . . . including Tiny Tim.

The Complete Monterey Pop Festival

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 167

1968 / Color / 1:33 flat / 79 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date December 12, 2017 / 69.95

Cinematography: James Desmond, Barry Feinstein, Richard Leacock, Albert Maysles, Roger Murphy, D.A. Pennebaker

Film Editor: Nina Schulman

Original Music: The Animals, The Association, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Byrds, Canned Heat, Country Joe and the Fish, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Al Kooper, Hugh Masekela, Jefferson Airplane, The Mamas and the Papas, Laura Nyro, Otis Redding, The Quicksilver Messenger Service,...

Logan director James Mangold has landed another directing gig. He's currently working on a script for a solo X-23 film, and he's also going to direct a feature film adaptation of the children's book Crenshaw.

Now the director is set to helm an untitled Patty Hearst biopic based on the book by Jeffery Toobin which is called American Heiress. The story is said to trace the "audacious, kaleidoscopic and psychologically twisted story of a true-life Alice in Wonderland.”

It will follow Hearst’s capture and two-year detainment by the Symbionese Liberation Army in the mid 1970’s, as well as her transition from hostage to warrior. The kidnapped heiress captured the world’s attention when she was caught on tape participating in armed bank robberies. Her arrest and trial sparked a media frenzy.

According to Variety, Elle Fanning is in talks to take on the role of Hearst. She is a...

You won’t find a sharper contrast in period costume design than the farm life of “Mudbound” vs. the high fashion of “Murder on the Orient Express.” The former, directed by Dee Rees, is a sprawling saga about two families, one black, one white, in the 1940s Mississippi Delta. And the latter, helmed by Kenneth Branagh (who also plays the wildly mustachioed Hercule Poirot), is a stylish, 1934 murder mystery aboard the eponymous luxury locomotive.

Tackling Parallel Settings for “Mudbound”

There were two challenges for costume designer Michael T. Boyd (“Bessie,” “We Were Soldiers,” “Gettysburg”): Authenticating clothing for parallel settings on the Mississippi Delta and in aerial and tank battles during World War II. “It stretches your creativity,” said Boyd, who was working on a small budget for the indie feature distributed by Netflix.

“You’re trying to realistically recreate the atmosphere,” Boyd added. “That was my mission on this show.

Before Charles Manson — who died on Sunday at age 83 — and his murderous “family” of followers embarked on a plan to kill famous people in the ’60s, the group sought out celebrities as friends, roommates and professional connections.

Manson was drawn to the famous and glamorous, biographer Jeff Guinn explains to People: “Manson fully intended to become the most famous rock ’n’ roll star in history” — and he worked to connect with those who he believed could aid his career.

The time period is also important, Guinn says: From the mid- to late-‘60s, many celebrities embraced an egalitarian idea that...

Syria’s first ever submission in the Motion Picture Academy’s Foreign Language category, “Little Gandhi”, is one of a handful of documentaries submitted for Best Foreign Language Film nomination this year.

It comes to the Academy in a most unusual way. It was selected not by the country which is how submissions are always made, but by a committee of artists in exile. If any of these people had actually been in Syria they would likely have been imprisoned, tortured and executed, for this was the fate of Ghiyath Matar, the Syrian activist who became known for giving flowers and roses to army soldiers in his home town of Daraya, leader of the once peaceful Syrian revolution and the Little Gandhi of the title. It premiered at the ongoing Asian World Film Festival.

I have yet to see the documentary submission for Academy Award® nomination entitled Syria Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of Isis...

In the summer of 1969, a group of young people led by Charles Manson sent a wave of terror through the hills of the Los Angeles area, leaving a trail of bodies behind them.

Nearly 50 years later, here’s what you need to know about the cult’s violence, its victims and where the killers are now.

The ‘Family’ Forms

Manson began attracting followers after he was released from prison in March 1967. But before he and his murderous group embarked on a plan to kill famous people, they sought out celebrities as friends, roommates and professional connections.

As Dianne Lake, the...

Layla M, the Dutch film entry for Academy Award Nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film Category is directed by Mijke de Jong and co-written by Mijke and her husband Jan Eilander. It features a compelling young Moroccan actress, (Nora El Koussour) who brings fire and passion to her role as an integrated 18 year old Dutch-Moroccan in Amsterdam who becomes increasingly radicalized along with her new husband, Abdel played by Ilias Addab.

‘Layla M. had its world premiere at Toronto Film Fest 2016 Platform. International sales are by Beta

As soon as the film opens, you understand that Layla is a tough girl in her neighborhood as she fights the football referee on his call and does not back down. She is also fighting for her rights as a Muslim woman wearing a burka and uses social media as only one in her generation knows how. She lives in an assimilated,...

Criterion Reflections is David Blakeslee’s ongoing project to watch all of the films included in the Criterion Collection in chronological order of their original release. Each episode features panel conversations and 1:1 interviews offering insights on movies that premiered in a particular season of a year in the past, which were destined to eventually bear the Criterion imprint. In this episode, David is joined by Jordan Essoe and Trevor Berrett to discuss four titles from the Winter of 1969: Marco Ferreri’s Dillinger is Dead, Nagisa Oshima’s Diary of a Shinjuku Thief, Agnes Varda’s Black Panthers, and Costa-Gavras’s Z.

Episode Time Markers: Introduction: 0:00 – 07:27 Dillinger is Dead: 07:28 – 01:06:05 Black Panthers: 01:06:06 – 01:17:36 Diary of a Shinjuku Thief: 01:17:37 – 01:37:25 Z: 01:37:26 – 02:20:20 Dillinger is Dead (1/23/69):

Just as was the case with Michel Piccoli’s character in this film,...

“In the Envelope: An Awards Podcast” features interviews with award-winning actors and other creatives. Join host and Awards Editor Jack Smart for a front row seat to the industry’s biggest awards races! Brought to you by HBO. Emmy nomination voting ends today, June 26! As we wish good luck to all of this year’s contenders and prep for the big nominations announcement July 13, Backstage completes this run of podcast episodes by interviewing three talented contenders from the 2017 Emmy race. Indian actor Freida Pinto is perhaps best known for her on-screen breakout in the Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire,” an international phenomenon that catapulted her to international superstardom in 2008. After being thrust into the limelight she has sought to challenge both audiences and herself as an actor. Nowhere is this more true than in Showtime’s mini-series “Guerilla,” created by John Ridley and co-produced and co-starring Idris Elba. The politically charged drama...

Babou Ceesay discusses lessons learned from the British Black Panthers movement in Showtime’s brilliant limited series Guerrilla. Showtime’s Guerrilla is a six-part series that looks at the radical...

Marvel Studios unveiled the first Black Panther trailer on Friday, during ABC's Game 4 coverage of the NBA Finals, which started in a way fans weren't expecting, an interrogation between Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) and Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis). A new breakdown of the trailer by director Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studios president and producer Kevin Feige reveals new details, including what Ulysses Klaue will be replacing his missing left arm with, which could spell trouble for Black Panther. But first, director Ryan Coogler explains why he wanted to open the trailer with this interrogation scene.

"One person knows quite a bit about Wakanda and another person who thinks they do, but they don't. But I thought it would be awesome to start with a character who has seen Wakanda in its true light."

Fans were first introduced to Ulysses Klaue in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, where he had...

The dilemma of a film like Stanley Nelson’s sweeping and emotionally-charged new documentary Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities is that any one of its rich stories — the founding of any Hbcu, the role they’ve played in the civil rights era, the role they play now as safe spaces for students of color arriving from high schools without students or teachers of color, the individual narratives of students that had attended or are attending them presently, the challenges faced by HBCUs today — could be its own stand-alone feature film. With that said, Tell Them We Are Rising is superbly crafted and in only 83 minutes provides an introduction to the history of HBCUs in America with interviews from students currently attending thriving schools like Spelman, Morehouse, and Howard.

Along the way, Nelson captures a certain irony as students struggle to liberate their...

Though he was once attached to the long-brewing Scarface remake at Universal, writer-director Antoine Fuqua is beginning to redirect his attention toward The Equalizer 2, an action sequel that will herald a reunion with lead star Denzel Washington after the creative duo made off into the sunset to remake The Magnificent Seven in 2016.

Deadline has the scoop, revealing that Fuqua has not only signed a first-look deal with Sony, but The Equalizer 2 has now set its crosshairs on a September 14th, 2018 release. Production kicks off in the fall, as previously reported, though Antoine Fuqua is also keeping a close eye on a long-brewing passion project of his: a picture revolving around Fred Hampton, the “Black Panthers revolutionary who headed the Illinois chapter of the Bpp and was deputy chairman of the national organization.”

It’s one of several nascent projects that Fuqua plans to usher in at Sony, according to Deadline,...

Antoine Fuqua has set a first-look deal with the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, TheWrap has learned. The deal will start with Fuqua’s “The Equalizer 2,” which is set for release on Sept. 14, 2018 and will begin production in the fall. Films expected under the terms of the deal include a number of high-profile action movies, as well as a passion project of Fuqua’s about Black Panthers leader Fred Hampton, based on Jeffrey Haas’ book “The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther.” It has been adapted by Chris Smith.

A welcome blast of clear thought, Raoul Peck’s documentary represents the point of view and philosophy of James Baldwin, the writer and artist known best as a social critic of the Civil Rights movement. Allowing Baldwin to ‘speak’ thirty years after his passing sheds light and wisdom on the issue that hasn’t gone away.

I Am Not Your Negro

Blu-ray

Magnolia Home Entertainment

2016 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 94 min. / Street Date May 2, 2017 / 29.98

Starring: James Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson (voice).

Cinematography: Henry Adebonojo, Bill Ross, Turner Ross

Film Editor: Alexandra Strauss

Original Music: Alexei Aigui

Written by Raoul Peck from writings by James Baldwin

Produced by Rémi Grellety, Hébert Peck, Raoul Peck

Directed by Raoul Peck

I Am Not Your Negro expresses the writings of an expert who has been gone for thirty years. Writer-director Raoul Peck had full access to all of Baldwin’s work, as well as choice film...

Author: Hannah Woodhead

When Sky Atlantic announced it was producing a miniseries about the 1970s black power movement in the UK, many people were excited. This area of history is largely ignored by the history books, particularly in the British school system, and many Britons will know far more about the American civil right movement than the persecution that Poc faced right on our doorstep. Still, with talent on board in the form of Idris Elba as Executive Producer and 12 Years A Slave’s Oscar-winning scribe John Ridley as director and writer, this Showtime/Sky collaboration promised to shine a light on this fascinating, important, and incredibly current part of British history. It’s unfortunate then that in its first episode, Guerrilla fails to compel in quite the way that it should.

Rather than being a factual depiction of events or a biopic, Guerrilla is a reimagining of history, borrowing...

Oscar winner engages in heated debate about a lack of black women in his new Sky series.

Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years A Slave) faced some tough audience questioning at last night’s premiere of his new Sky Atlantic series Guerrilla, with several attendees upset with what they described as “the erasure of black women” from the show’s story.

The six-part series, which will be on UK broadcaster Sky from April 13 (and Showtime in the Us from April 16), chronicles a group of activists in the British black power movement of the 1970s.

Indian actress Freida Pinto stars as Jas Mitra, an Asian woman at the centre of the conflict who drives much of the narrative, at least in episode one, which was screened last night (April 6).

Her character’s prominence appeared to trouble some of the attendees at a post-screening Q&A with the cast and crew

One questioner addressed Ridley directly with her concerns: “My parents...

Oscar winner engages in heated debate about a lack of black women in his new Sky series.

Oscar-winning screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years A Slave) faced some tough audience questioning at last night’s premiere of his new Sky Atlantic series Guerrilla, with several attendees upset with what they described as “the erasure of black women” from the show’s story.

The six-part series, which will be on British broadcaster Sky from April 16 (and Showtime in the Us from the same date), chronicles a group of activists in the British black power movement of the 1970s.

Indian actress Freida Pinto stars as Jas Mitra, an Asian woman at the centre of the conflict who drives much of the narrative, at least in episode one, which was screened last night (April 6).

Her character’s prominence appeared to trouble some of the attendees at a post-screening Q&A with the cast and crew

One questioner addressed Ridley directly with her...

When does violence become necessary as an answer to violence?

That’s the question that one couple faces in Showtime’s upcoming limited series “Guerrilla.” In the behind-the-scenes video below, star and executive producer Idris Elba explains the series’ roots.

“When you think about civil rights, you think about the Black Panthers, you think about America,” he says. “Well, in England, in the early ‘70s, there was a smaller, similar movement. It was far from easy if you looked Indian or black. And I think ‘Guerrilla’ attempts to show you what that fight was like.”

Read More; ‘Guerrilla’ Trailer: John Ridley and Idris Elba’s Upcoming Series Stars Freida Pinto as a Political Activist

“12 Years a Slave” Oscar winner John Ridley and stars Freida Pinto, Babou Ceesay and Rory Kinnear also weigh in on the series’ significance:

Also, check out the series’ new poster:

Set in London 1971, “Guerrilla” centers on...

… Stan Lee, Jack Kirby & Black Panther take me to lunch!

This article features part one in its entirety. If you’d prefer to skip it scroll down to the paragraph break Core Business- it’s all caps and in bold. If you can I’d like you to read this from the beginning. I’ve made some changes albeit small ones I feel were warranted.

My apologies for the long delay.

The Black Panthers were at one time the number one target of the FBI in the 60s. They were viewed as terrorists and J. Edger Hoover the longtime leader of the most powerful police force in the world was hell bent on getting rid of them by hook or by crook.

Yep, hook or crook.

It’s no secret the United States Government from time to time will ignore the law. It’s fair to say it goes on...

Close-Up is a column that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Jean-Luc Godard's La gai savoir (1969) is showing from January 18 - February 17, 2017 in many countries around the world as part of the retrospective For Ever Godard.Le gai savoir (Joy of Learning, 1969) is a film by Jean-Luc Godard which, unlike classics such as Breathless (1960) or Contempt (1963) is hardly a household name. Godard’s Weekend (1967) gives us an inkling of what is to come in its postscript production credit: What translates to mean “End of story” and then “End of cinema” flashes in blue lettering on a black backdrop; a moment later, we see that this word game has been created using a statement of the film’s visa control number. Of course, Godard had already been engaging in this kind of word play for years in his credits and intertitles. Although these statements could also be taken as being typical,...

by Peter BelsitoTwo years after his documentary on the Black Panthers, filmmaker Stanley Nelson chronicles the evolution of the United States’ historically black colleges and universities.Group of graduated students, men and women at Atlanta University 1900s (Credit: Atlanta University Center)

The story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (aka HBCUs) began before the Civil War and influenced the course of our nation yet remains one of America’s most important untold stories. Until now.

Veteran documentarian Stanley Nelson’s latest work traces the century-and-a-half story of HBCUs in the documentary film “Tell Them We Are Rising” revealing the crucial role of HBCUs not only in the identity of black Americans but in the nation as a whole.

A haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries — and path of promise toward the American dream — Black colleges and universities have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field.

MacArthur Fellow Stanley Nelson has devoted his career to documentary explorations of the African American experience. The 65-year-old director/producer has made films on Marcus Garvey, the Freedom Riders and the Black Panthers. His most recent film is Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities, which premiered this week at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Nelson hired editor Kim Miille to cut the film. Below, Miille shares her thoughts on historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), making archival photos and letters cinematic and her origins as an editor. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the […]...

In the 1960s, the Black Panthers were the number one target of the FBI. They were viewed as terrorists and J. Edgar Hoover, the longtime leader of the most powerful police force in the world, was hell bent on getting rid of them by hook or by crook.

Yep, hook or crook.

It’s no secret the United States Government from time to time will ignore the law. It’s fair to say it goes on often and as far as we know it goes on all the time. When caught, those who swore to uphold the constitution offer apologies for actions that dismissed the law like Trump denies any negative press.

But it’s all bullshit.

If not caught these people may have stopped breaking the law, but it’s doubtful they would have been sorry. I gather few are sorry for wrongdoing that benefits them. How many people...

This past year was rough for a lot of people, but it's in our lowest moments where we get to see who the real heroes are among us.

For better or worse, 2016 gave many opportunities for heroic acts and we're looking back at a few people who rose to the challenge.

Pics: Social Media Posts That Changed the Game in 2016

1. Shannen Doherty

The 45-year-old actress has bravely shared her bout with cancer, documenting her journey for fans on social media and giving strength to those in a similar situation. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2015, Doherty announced this year that the cancer spread to her lymph nodes.

"The unknown is always the scariest part," she told Et. "Is the chemo going to work? Is the radiation going to work? You know, am I going to have to go through this again, or am I going to get secondary cancer? Everything else is...

As Poitier’s 1967 film In the Heat of the Night is re-released in UK cinemas, it’s time to celebrate an actor whose dignity and restraint brought people together at a time of deep racial divisions

Sidney Poitier’s skill was that, more than almost any other actor of his time, he gave to audiences an essential reassurance; Poitier’s problem was that in the era of the Black Panthers, reassurance looked like collusion. He was the Martin Luther King character, entirely dignified, in contrast to Malcolm X, whose very persona was a sharp rebuff to worried whites. It was the paradox of his career that Poitier’s genius should be expressed in a culture that found consensus suspect. Yet the audience he won over was no homogeneous entity, but a crowd suffused with contention.

Related: Sidney Poitier's Mister Tibbs voted best performance by black actor in public poll

Continue reading.

It’s no coincidence that Amazon released its period drama “Good Girls Revolt,” about 1960s-era female employees seeking equality in the newsroom, less than two weeks before Election Day. Although the feminist-friendly series is set over 40 years ago, the issues its characters rally behind are still as relevant today – and, in fact, have been a key part of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign platform.

“[Amazon] immediately knew that they wanted to market it before the election, that it would be the Year of the Woman, that Hillary would be running,” executive producer Lynda Obst told IndieWire earlier this summer.

Read More: ‘Good Girls Review’ Review: A Powerful Story But No Revolution Yet

The series is based on Lynn Povich’s memoir, “Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued Their Bosses and Changed the Workplace,” in which she reveals how she, along with journalist-turned-filmmaker Nora Ephron and about 60 other women,...

Here’s your daily dose of an indie film, web series, TV pilot, what-have-you in progress, as presented by the creators themselves. At the end of the week, you’ll have the chance to vote for your favorite.

In the meantime: Is this a project you’d want to see? Tell us in the comments.

Hitchhiking to the Edge of Sanity

Logline: In the turbulent social upheaval of the early 1970s, an idealistic writer and his soon-to-be-married photographer friend set out to find their purpose via a terrifying hitchhiking trip across the Sahara Desert.

Elevator Pitch:

In 1971 in Accra, Ghana, Steve Ewert woke up in a cold sweat. Bugs crawled out his mouth. Fear gripped his very soul. “I’m losing my mind!” he cried repeatedly to his travel companion Dick Russell.

What started out as two young Kansas kids setting out to find themselves in late 1970, turned to disillusionment and danger.

In this year's Captain America: Civil War, we were introduced to Black Panther, a superhero who serves as protector of Wakanda (not to mention King of Wakanda). Despite his relatively dour attitude -- especially when compared to the rest of the Avengers -- he was an instant hit with fans. The character was even a hit with those unfamiliar with the the comic books, and many became more interested in the mythology behind the character.

Just how much we'll be getting in terms of backstory and Wakandan mythology in the upcoming Black Panther film remains to be seen, but there is one particular question some have had from Civil War. If you noticed, in the film, there was a real focus on the ring that the former king T'Chaka wore before he was killed. Following his death, we saw T'Challa fiddling with the ring before putting it on.

We then...

Woody Allen has shared the trailer for his first venture into television, Crisis in Six Scenes.

The late Sixties-based comedy stars Allen as a television writer and Elaine May as his psychiatrist wife, a couple whose existence gets turned upside down by the arrival of a counterculture-minded guest played by Miley Cyrus. "I don't dislike you. just everything that you stand for," Cyrus' character tells Allen.

In the span of the two-minute trailer, Allen and May's characters go from being protest-adverse – "I'm allergic to tear gas," Allen quips – to hanging...

A new era begins for the Black Panther! MacArthur Genius and National Book Award-winning writer T-Nehisi Coates (Between The World And Me) and artist Brian Stelfreeze take the helm, confronting T'Challa with a dramatic upheaval in Wakanda that will make leading the African nation tougher than ever before. When a superhuman terrorist group that calls itself The People sparks a violent uprising, the land famed for its incredible technology and proud warrior traditions will be thrown into turmoil. If Wakanda is to survive, it must adapt--but can its monarch, one in a long line of Black Panthers, survive the necessary change? Heavy lies the head that wears the cowl!

Don’t miss Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Book 1, available in print & digital wherever books are sold!

Mike Connally Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet Book 1 Video https://t.co/p1sBKr8RAW about 21 hours ago...

The Film Society of Lincoln Center has announced the lineup for the Revivals section, taking place during the 54th New York Film Festival (Nyff). The Revivals section showcases masterpieces from renowned filmmakers whose diverse and eclectic works have been digitally remastered, restored, and preserved with the assistance of generous partners.

Read More: Ava DuVernay’s Netflix Documentary ‘The 13th’ Will Open 54th New York Film Festival

Some of the films in the lineup include plenty of Nyff debuts returning once again: Gillo Pontecorvo’s “The Battle of Algiers,” which was the the Nyff Opening Night selection in 1967, Robert Bresson’s “L’argent,” and Barbara Kopple’s “Harlan County USA.” Also included are a program of Jacques Rivette’s early short films, Edward Yang’s second feature “Taipei Story,” Kenji Mizoguchi’s “Ugetsu,” and Marlon Brando’s solo directorial effort “One-Eyed Jacks.”

The Nyff previously announced three of the films screening...

As much as we’re excited for the already enticing line-up for the 2016 New York Film Festival, their Revivals slate is always a place where one can discover a number of classics or revisit favorite films. This year is no different as they have newly restored films from Robert Bresson, Edward Yang, Jacques Rivette, Marlon Brando, Kenji Mizoguchi, and more. Check out the line-up below and return for our coverage this fall. If you don’t live in New York City, there’s a good chance a number of these restorations will travel in the coming months (or year) as well as get the home video treatment.

L’argent

Directed by Robert Bresson

1983, France, 83m

Robert Bresson’s final film, an adaptation of Tolstoy’s story The Forged Coupon, is simultaneously bleak and luminous, and sharp enough to cut diamonds. The story of a counterfeit bill’s passage from hand...

Innovative Marvel Video Series Bridges Marvel Comics with Top Music Talent

Today, Marvel Comics continues to present this year’s breakout Marvel Super Hero – the Black Panther – through a monthly video series that continues to link the world of comics and hip-hop blending animated comics along with commentary from Black Panther writer, Ta-Nehisi Coates. Additionally, “Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet – Part Three” is launching the brand new track, “What You Came For” by Jean Grae.

This new video series is designed to present the world of Black Panther to a whole new audience and will offer fans a monthly recap of the best-selling comic book series prior to the latest issue being made available and on sale.

Within Marvel Comics’ Black Panther, written by The Atlantic national correspondent and National Book Award winner, Ta-Nehisi Coates, accompanied with outstanding art by Brian Stelfreeze, Black Panther confronts a dramatic upheaval...

"Masters of Sex" is getting some legal advice from David Walton.

The About a Boy actor will recur on Season 4 of the Showtime series as Abe Perlman, Masters and Johnson’s high-powered attorney in a case that pits science against the State, our sister site Deadline reports.

Having represented the Black Panthers and Weathermen, the charming and handsome Perlman loves a highly publicized legal battle. He would be considered cocky if he didn’t have the brains and expertise to back up his reputation.

Season 4 of Masters (premiering Sunday,...

If he had not been killed in a Las Vegas drive-by shooting in 1996, iconic rapper/actor Tupac Shakur would be celebrating his 45th birthday today, June 16. In honor of his birthday, the first teaser trailer has been released for All Eyez on Me, the upcoming Tupac biopic set to hit theaters on November 11. This footage gives us our first look at Demetrius Shipp Jr., who makes his feature film debut portraying Tupac Shakur. And man, you might believe Tupac himself has been resurrected!

All Eyez On Me centers on the life of the charismatic yet controversial artist. Rapper, poet, actor and political activist, Tupac shot to fame with 2Pacalypse Now, lauded for its seminal underground vibe and still an inspiration for major artists today. Tupac's politically charged lyrics, inspired by his parents' activism as Black Panthers in the 60s & early 70s, condemned governmental intrusion in black communities. Tupac's increased participation in the East Coast-West Coast Rap rivalry became well documented and avidly followed by his fans. The trailer debuted on radio personality Big Boy's Neighborhood's Instagram.

On September 7, 1996 he was gunned down on a street corner in Las Vegas, where he died 6 days later. His murder was never solved. The supporting cast includes Danai Gurira as Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, Katerina Graham as actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who grew up with Tupac in Baltimore, Lauren Cohan as Leila Steinberg, Annie Ilonzeh as Kidada Jones, Dominic L. Santana as Death Row Records founder Suge Knight and Jamal Woolard as Notorious B.I.G. The movie will hit theaters November 11, going up against Universal's Almost Christmas, Sony's Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, 20th Century Fox's Rules Don't Apply and EuropaCorp's Shut In.

Benny Boom (Next Day Air) signed on to direct last year, with production forced to get away quickly. If filming hadn't started by the end of 2015, the production company Morgan Creek would lose Tupac Shakur's music rights, which will revert back to his mother, Afeni Shakur. Principal photography got started at the end of December, with Afeni Shakur herself on board as executive producer.

Afeni Shakur was a political activist and an active member of the Black Panther party, who raised her son to be an avid reader and a political mind that influenced his rap music. This past May, Afeni Shakur passed away at the age of 69, unable to see the film completed and in theaters. With this September marking the 20th anniversary of Tupac's death, we'll have to wait and see if this biopic has any plans to honor his life, alongside his mother's, this fall. In related news, Big Boy's Neighborhood reveals that Sprite will continue their "Obey Your Verse" campaign with cans that will feature lyrics from Tupac Shakur. While we wait for more on this biopic, take a look at the first trailer for All Eyez On Me below.

The Final Six

Sony has scored the movie rights to Alexandra Monir's upcoming space thriller novel "The Final Six," a deal made even though only the book proposal and a few chapters were available - in fact the book's publishing rights are about to go up for auction.

The story imagines a present-day world under a first-of-its-kind coalition between the United Nations and the international space agencies, with a plot to send a team of six intrepid teenagers to create the first human settlement on Jupiter's moon, Europa. [Source: Variety]

Deadpool

Following the news about its massive success on Digital HD, Fox has released the full six-minute gag reel for the "Deadpool" film and - understandably - is definitely not safe for work.

Juliet Naked

Jesse Peretz has closed a deal to direct "Juliet, Naked" based on the best-selling novel by "Brooklyn" and "About a Boy" author Nick Hornby. Tamara Jenkins, Jim Taylor,...

Sad news to report this morning. Afeni Shakur Davis, mother of iconic rapper Tupac Shakur, has died at the age of 69. The woman reportedly passed away after suffering from cardiac arrest. Afeni was pronounced dead in Marin County, California on Monday night according to the Marin County Sheriff's Department.

At 9:34 p.m. last night, officers responded to a call about a possible cardiac arrest. Afeni Shakur Davis was picked up at her home. She was then transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead at 10:28 pm. A cause of death has not yet been confirmed at this time. The Sheriff's Coroners Office will lead a full investigation.The Marin County Sheriff Department released the following statement.

"Renown rap artist #Tupac Shakur's mother Afeni Shakur Davis, age 69, died late last night in Marin County. Deps responded to report of poss cardiac arrest @ 9:34Pm last night @ her home in Sausalto,...

Captain America: Civil War is just days away, and while most of the combatants in the upcoming showdown are well-established in the Marvel movies, there is one new addition clawing his way to the forefront. Black Panther, played by Chadwick Boseman, is one of the few major players in Civil War without his own standalone film (a Black Panther film won't hit theaters until 2018). And while the superhero has been around for decades, his origin story and abilities remain largely unknown to casual fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (McU). So ahead of his feature debut on Thursday night, here...

Beyoncé: 1. Haters: 0. The pop star is offering for sale Formation tour merchandise bearing the slogan "Boycott Beyoncé," as seen in photos fans and news outlets posted on social media Wednesday after the first show in Miami. The move comes more than two months after the singer stirred mixed emotions with a political and racially charged "Formation" music video and a performance of the song at the Super Bowl 50 halftime show. Javier Ortiz, chief of Miami's police union, had urged officers to boycott Beyoncé's concert in the city, saying the singer "used this year's Super Bowl to divide Americans by promoting the Black Panthers and her anti-police...

Piers Morgan wasn’t a fan of Beyoncé’s new “visual album,” accusing the pop star of “shameless exploitation.” “I never like it when entertainers go all political,” the talk show host wrote in a Daily Mail column on Monday. “The cynic in me believes it’s rarely done for genuine reasons but for strictly commercial ones.” In the column, titled “Jay-z’s not the only one who needs to be nervous about Beyoncé, the born-again-black woman with a political mission,” Morgan argues that Beyoncé’s politically charged new album “Lemonade,” which samples Malcolm X and borrows imagery from the...

Tomi Lahren, the web anchor who went viral for bashing Beyonce's Super Bowl performance, won't bow down to Queen Bey ... she's refusing to license her clip for Bey's Formation world tour. Beyonce's camp sent a letter to Tomi and TheBlaze, the network that produces Tomi's show, asking for the rights to use the first 30 seconds of her rant. The letter was sent late last month, stating they'd probably only use Tomi's audio but video was a possibility as well.

It's a genuine forgotten gem: American student Jean Seberg's five-year adventure in Paris is mostly a period of romantic frustration. Irwin Shaw and Robert Parrish's look at the problems of an independent woman is remarkably insightful; the chronically miscast and underused Ms. Seberg is luminous. In the French Style Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1963 / B&W / 1:66 widescreen / 105 min. / Ship Date April 12, 2016 / available through Twilight Time Movies / 29.95 Starring Jean Seberg, Stanley Baker, Phillippe Forquet, Addison Powell, Jack Hedley, Maurice Teynac, Claudine Auger, James Leo Herlihy, Ann Lewis, Barbara Sommers. Cinematography Michel Kelber Original Music Joseph Kosma Written by Irwin Shaw from his short stories Produced by Irwin Shaw, Robert Parrish Directed by Robert Parrish

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Talk about elusive movies: on must keep an eye on the TCM logs to catch many of the films of director Robert Parrish. I had to wait for the advent of...

Story By

Ta-Nehisi Coates

Art By

Brian Stelfreeze

Cover By

Brian Stelfreeze, Alex Ross, Olivier Coipel, Stanford Greene , Felipe Smith , Ryan Sook , Skottie Young ,

Publisher

Marvel Comics

Cover Price:

$4.99

Release Date

Apr 6th, 2016

Synopsis:

A new era for the Black Panther starts here!

Written by MacArthur Genius Grant and National Book Award winner, Ta-nehisi Coates (Between the World and Me) and illustrated by living legend Brian Stelfreeze; "A Nation Under Our Feet" is a story about dramatic upheaval in Wakanda and the Black Panther's struggle to do right by his people. The indomitable will of Wakanda -- the famed African nation known for its vast wealth, advanced technology and warrior traditions -- has long been reflected in the will of its monarchs, the Black Panthers. But now the current Black Panther, T'Challa, finds that “will” tested by a superhuman terrorist group called “The People,” who has sparked a violent...

Beyonce has a message for the law-enforcement community: She doesn’t dislike all of you, just the crooked ones. “Single Ladies” chanteuse Beyonce took on the controversy over her song “Formation” in an interview with Elle published on Monday, touting her “admiration and respect for officers.” However, she emphasized, “I am against police brutality and injustice.” Also Read: Beyonce Launches Sexy Athletic Clothing Line, Fans Beat Up Her Competition The singer kicked up a storm with her Super Bowl performance of “Formation.” The performance evoked the Black Panthers movement, with the backup dancers wearing berets and pumping their fists in the air.

[[tmz:video id="0_izflz9iw"]] Balthazar Getty not only sings about the Black Panthers ... he carried the bones of Panther leader Huey Newton in his pocket! Getty, who produced a music video about the black power group with rapper Kev Hicks, says Huey was a family friend ... so close he actually had his cremated bones. As for the music video ... Getty says Beyonce's getting a bad rap and his video is also being misinterpreted ... the hoopla is not against all cops ... just bad ones.

Tonight, Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 9 Pm, Stanley Nelson’s acclaimed new documentary, “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,” premieres on PBS’ independent film series Independent Lens. The first feature-length documentary to explore the Black Panther Party, its significance to the broader American culture, its cultural and political awakening for black people, and the painful lessons wrought when a movement derails, Nelson goes straight to the source, weaving a treasure trove of rare archival footage with the voices of the people who were there: police, FBI informants, journalists, white supporters and detractors, and Black Panthers who remained loyal...

or, Savant picks The Most Impressive Discs of 2015

This is the actual view from Savant Central, looking due North.

What a year! I was able to take one very nice trip back East too see Washington D.C. for the first time, or at least as much as two days' walking in the hot sun and then cool rain would allow. Back home in Los Angeles, we've had a year of extreme drought -- my lawn is looking patriotically ratty -- and we're expecting something called El Niño, that's supposed to be just shy of Old-Testament build-me-an-ark intensity. We withstood heat waves like those in Day the Earth Caught Fire, and now we'll get the storms part. This has been a wild year for DVD Savant, which is still a little unsettled. DVDtalk has been very patient and generous, and so have Stuart Galbraith & Joe Dante; so far everything...

A new documentary following the rise of the Black Panthers movement is a sympathetic primer that misses much of the brutal detail

Stanley Nelson Jr’s The Black Panthers: Vanguard Of The Revolution is a tragedy of squandered promise and political disillusionment, and the perils of the cul-de-sac “revolutionary” mindset of the American left in the late 60s and early 70s. It briskly lays out the history of the Black Panther Party For Self-Defense, founded in Oakland, California in late 1966 by students Bobby Seale and Huey P Newton. The world it vividly depicts – a million afros, lots of leather, tons of funk – seems upside down when compared with the politics of today: back then, all the paranoia about fascist government and enthusiasm for unrestrained gunplay were to be found on the left, not the right, as with today’s Tea Party.

Related: New Black Panthers documentary tells the story behind the berets

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With the Us convulsed by contemporary incidents of racist police brutality, a new documentary charts the rise of the Black Panthers. But what is the true legacy of the revolutionary group once feted by the 1960s left and whose look defined ‘radical chic’?

The right to bear arms that is enshrined in the Us constitution is now most fiercely defended by rightwing libertarians. But it wasn’t always the case. In the mid-1960s, that decade of revolt and turmoil, Huey Newton, a 24-year-old law student in Oakland, California, realised that citizens of that state had the legal right to carry arms openly.

A teenage thug who taught himself to read, Newton had consumed revolutionary literature from Marx to Malcolm X and had become, in his early 20s, a political activist bent on promoting the rights of his fellow African Americans. But he was steeped in violence. After serving a...