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At first glance, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ new Broadway play Purpose bears a striking resemblance to Appropriate, his subversive take on the white domestic dramas the theater world loves so much. Events in both works are instigated by a reunion and propelled by family feuds that reopen old wounds. Buried secrets resurface. Characters yell confessions and spew insults from across rooms and tables. The texture of the language is smooth, the observations piercing and the delivery cutting. A Jacobs-Jenkins play wouldn’t be complete without a sense of clever and hilarious frenzy.

But instead of revolving around a white family negotiating their legacy within the annals of American history, Purpose centers a powerful Black political dynasty recovering from scandal. The play, deftly directed by Phylicia Rashad, chronicles a weekend with the Jaspers, a legendary family whose patriarch Solomon (Harry Lennix) was an icon of the Civil Rights Movement. Their house, in a...

Latanya Richardson Jackson will return to Broadway in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s new play Purpose.

Jackson, who has previously appeared on Broadway in the 2018 production of To Kill A Mockingbird and the 2014 revival of A Raisin in the Sun, will star alongside Kara Young, who won a Tony Award last season for her role in Purlie Victorious, Harry Lennix (The Blacklist), Jon Michael Hill (Pass Over), Glenn Davis (King James) and Alana Arenas (The Bluest Eye).

Phylicia Rashad directs the new play from Jacobs-Jenkins, who wrote last season’s Tony Award-winning revival Appropriate.

The play follows the Jasper family, which has created a powerful dynasty in Black American politics. However, when the family’s youngest son, Nazareth, comes home with an uninvited friend, the family must contend with faith, their own legacy and the cracks beneath the surface.

Purpose is scheduled to play a limited 19-week run at the Helen Hayes Theater,...

Latanya Richardson Jackson and Kara Young are among the complete cast announced today for the Broadway transfer of Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ play Purpose, directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Phylicia Rashad.

In addition to Richardson (A Raisin in the Sun) and Purlie Victorious Tony-winner Young, the cast will include Harry Lennix (TV’s The Blacklist), Jon Michael Hill (Broadway’s Pass Over), Glenn Davis (Off Broadway’s Downstate), and Alana Arenas (The Bluest Eye).

Arenas, Davis, Hill, and Lennix all appeared in the play’s acclaimed world premiere at Steppenwolf in Chicago in March 2024.

Purpose will play a limited 19-week run at the Helen Hayes Theater with previews beginning February 25, followed by an official opening on March 17. The engagement runs through July 6, 2025.

The official synopsis: “For decades, the influential Jasper family has been a pillar of Black American Politics: civil rights leaders, pastors and congressmen. But like all families,...

Netflix has released the first images of Mary, a biblical drama that will center on Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus Christ. Directed by C.J. Caruso and written by Timothy Michael Hayes, the upcoming Netflix movie explores Mary's life from a personal and spiritual perspective. It offers a nuanced look at Mary's journey, presenting a coming-of-age narrative set during the Nativity and the family's flight to Egypt from King Herod's persecution.

Now, Netflix has released the first images of their 2024 movie, Mary. the cast will feature Noa Cohen as Mary, Anthony Hopkins as King Herod, and Ido Tako as Joseph. The film also includes contributions from producers Mary Aloe and Hannah Leader, with Joshua Harris from PeachTree Media Partners bringing regional connections to the project. New images show a first look at Cohen's Mary and Hopkins' King Herod. Check out the images below:

What This Means for...

A scene from ‘Strange Darling’ (Photo credit: Magenta Light Studios)

The opening crawl of Strange Darling says that the movie is about the last few murders of a prolific 21st Century serial killer whose reign of terror moved from Colorado to Wyoming and ended up in the woods of Oregon.

And that’s pretty much all you should know about the plot of the movie before you go see it.

With Strange Darling, writer/director Jt Mollner (Outlaws and Angels) redefines the cat-and-mouse thriller. What seems like a one-night stand situation goes horribly wrong for the characters, who are known only as The Lady (Willa Fitzgerald from The Fall of the House of Usher) and The Demon (Smile’s Kyle Gallner). Strange Darling is a visceral film that checks off just about every content warning box imaginable – violence, sex, drug use, all of them. And there is a twist at every turn.

Major spoilers for "Strange Darling" follow.

Director J.T. Mollner's indie horror flick "Strange Darling" has finally opened in U.S. theaters with the wind of good publicity at its back. In a fascinating career pivot, "Strange Darling" was shot on 35mm film by actor Giovanni Ribisi making his debut as a cinematographer. Then, there's the promise of a twist in both the film's marketing and reviews.

"Go in blind" is easy criticism when a film anchors itself with a twist but "Strange Darling" earns that rave. The film is introduced as a story told in six chapters, but those chapters are presented out of order. Mollner banks on his audience's genre and gendered expectations as he assembles the movie's puzzle pieces together before their eyes.

So, what does "Strange Darling" appear to be about? A young woman, "The Lady," (Willa Fitzgerald) is fleeing a man, "The Demon" (Kyle Gallner...

If you are unaware that there is a quarterback named Jordan Love on the Green Bay Packers and another named Jalen Hurts on the Philadelphia Eagles, and that together their surnames comprise the title of (and the choral lyrics from) the 1976 power ballad version of “Love Hurts” by Nazareth, and that the two QBs will face each other on Friday, September 6 in a São Paulo, Brazil-based Week 1 NFL game exclusively on Peacock, you must not have streamed much of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

If you did, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. And you would be equally well-aware that NBA all-time great (and now gold-medalist!) Stephen Curry stars in new Peacock sitcom “Mr. Throwback” opposite Adam Pally.

The two Peacock promotions ran incessantly through the Olympics, which included an undefeated run to gold by the U.S. men’s basketball team. LeBron James was named the tournament’s Mvp,...

Teens and hormones. Together, they’re responsible for the realization of any number of worst-case scenarios. Once activated, however, they’re the perfect catalyst for drama in all its permutations, up to and including writer-director Alec Tibaldi’s latest film, Lazareth (a Biblically inspired portmanteau of “Lazarus” and “Nazareth”), an efficient, economical, if somewhat predictable, survival thriller set in a post-pandemic, apocalyptic future. It’s those same pesky hormones that throw a relatively stable household into disarray, conflict, and eventually violence. Lazareth’s main selling point, Ashley Judd, essays the singularly named Lee, a single woman who unofficially adopts her two nieces, Imogen (Katie Douglas) and Maeve (Sarah Pidgeon), just as the outside world goes to the obligatory...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

For millions of people worldwide, this weekend is about solemnity and celebration. Easter Sunday is one of the most important holidays for those practicing Christianity, marking the miracle of Jesus of Nazareth‘s resurrection. For children, this means the Easter Bunny will pay a visit to provide them with a basket full of treats, and for the devout, it’s an essential occasion to go to church or watch a live-streamed service. If you’re looking for what Easter-themed specials and movies are available on TV and streaming, we’re here to help! Here’s a look at the best Easter viewing options for this weekend. ABC The Ten Commandments: The network will air Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 epic. Find out more details at Remind. March 30 at 8 p.m. Et Ewtv This global Catholic network will air Easter weekend masses and other special presentations from the world’s biggest churches.

Finn Wolfhard recently opened up about how he wasn’t exactly the most skilled actor during his early days on Stranger Things — and understandably so, considering he was 12.

During an appearance on Hot Ones, the actor explained he doesn’t watch things from early in the show all that much, but when he does he realizes something.

“I didn’t know what I was doing back then and like, in a lot of ways I think that really helped me and now, like, as you get older you get so much more, like, kind of like self-obsessed,” he said. “You get a little more in your head…and I feel like I learned so much more obviously since then but I wish I had a little bit of that naivete.”

Woflhard portrays main character Mike Wheeler on Netflix’s hit sci-fi series. He is the center of his friend’s group.

Qatar’s Doha Film Institute (Dfi) kicks off the 10th edition of its Qumra project and talent incubator event meeting this Friday.

Running from March 1 to 6 in downtown Doha and the lofty surroundings of the city’s I. M. Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art, the event will welcome the filmmakers and producers of 40 projects across all formats for six days of masterclasses, workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions.

Participants include UK director Ana Naomi de Sousa with Naseem, Fight With Grace about boxing star Naseem Hamed; Moroccan filmmaker Alaa Eddine Aljem with Eldorado, The Taste of the South, his second feature after Cannes Critics’ Week title The Unknown Saint; Tunisian director Mehdi Barsaoui with Aïcha, which follows 2019 drama A Son for which Sami Bouajila won Best Actor in the Venice’s Horizons sidebar, and Palestinian director Saleh Saadi with TV series Dyouf, about a young man who returns to his...

Scorsese's consistent collaboration with talented actors throughout the decades is often praised, from established stars to rising talent. For example, Scorsese's underrated film "The Last Temptation of Christ" showcases David Bowie's empathetic portrayal of Pontius Pilate, adding layers to the character. "After Hours" is a unique comedy in Scorsese's filmography, and Rosanna Arquette's performance as Marcy leaves a strong impression with her hilarious retelling and infectious laugh.

One of the things legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese is best known for is his ability to draw out brilliant performances from some of the industry's top actors. Having started his professional career in 1967 with the independent film, Who's That Knocking at My Door, Scorsese boasts a career that has lasted for over five decades. With this year's Killers of the Flower Moon set for an October 20 release and the reunion of Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Leonardo DiCaprio, the beloved...

Jerry Moss, the Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who co-founded A&m Records with Herb Alpert more than 60 years ago and helped build it into one of the most successful independent record labels in history, died today in Los Angeles. He was 88.

His family shared the news in a statement to the Associated Press.

Nazareth’s Top 10 hit ‘Love Hurts,’ 1975

Named for its co-founders, the artist-focused A&m Records was launched in 1962 and has boasted such hitmaking and influential acts as The Police, Quincy Jones, The Carpenters, Carole King, Styx, Janet Jackson, Peter Frampton, The Go-Go’s, Supertramp, Rita Coolidge, Joe Cocker, Sheryl Crow, Bryan Adams, Humble Pie, The Tubes, Oingo Boingo, Cat Stevens/Yusuf, Nazareth and, of course, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass. Billy Preston had a pair of No. 1 singles for the label with “Will It Go Around in Circles” and “Nothing From Nothing” in the mid-1970s.

Rock fans are mourning.

On Tuesday, Scottish hard rock band Nazareth announced the sad news on Instagram that frontman Dan McCafferty died at age 76.

Read More: Alabama’s Jeff Cook Dead At 73 After Parkinson’s Battle

“This is the saddest announcement I ever had to make,” wrote bassist Pete Agnew. “Maryann and the family have lost a wonderful loving husband and father, I have lost my best friend and the world as lost on of the greatest singers who ever lived.”

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A post shared by Nazareth (@nazarethband)

McCafferty was born in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1946, and was one of the founding members of Nazareth in 1968.

The band had a number of U.K. hits, including “Broken Down Angel”, which McCafferty co-wrote, as well as a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “This Flight Tonight”.

In 1975, they released the album Hair of the Dog, which included their only U.

Dan McCafferty, the lead vocalist for the hard rock band Nazareth and who voiced 1970s rock classics “Love Hurts” and “Hair of the Dog,” died Tuesday, Nov. 8, from unspecified causes. He was 76.

Nazareth bassist Pete Agnew confirmed McCafferty’s death in a post on Instagram. “This is the saddest announcement I ever had to make,” Agnew wrote. “Maryann and the family have lost a wonderful loving husband and father, I have lost my best friend and the world has lost one of the greatest singers who ever lived. Too upset...

Dan McCafferty, the power-voiced founding frontman of Scottish rock band Nazareth, who sang lead on its Top 10 U.S. hit “Love Hurts,” FM staple “Hair of the Dog” and five Top 15 UK hits, died Tuesday. He was 76.

His longtime bandmate, bassist Pete Agnew, revealed the news on social media. “This is the saddest announcement I ever had to make,” he wrote on the group’s Facebook page. “Maryann and the family have lost a wonderful loving husband and father, I have lost my best friend and the world has lost one of the greatest singers of all time.”

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery Related Story Manny Charlton Dies: Nazareth Founding Guitarist Who Played On 'Love Hurts' & Produced Early Guns N' Roses Demos Was 80 Related Story Biggest Spenders Are Winning Battles Over 4 Of California's 7 Ballot Measures

McCafferty co-founded Nazareth in 1968 with Agnew, guitarist Manny Charlton and drummer...

Edinburgh International Film Festival has announced the programme for its fully in-person 75th Anniversary edition this year. The dynamic programme of cinema screenings, live performance and industry dialogues in Edinburgh in the heart of the August festival season welcomes attending UK & international filmmakers to present their work.

Full programme includes 87 new features, 12 short film programmes, and two large scale retrospectives that celebrate the 2022 Theme of the 50th Anniversary of the Women’s Film Festival in new Creative Director Kristy Matheson’s inaugural edition. 10 international feature films with over 50 female Directors or Co-Directors for the brand-new competitive section for ‘The Powell and Pressburger Award for Best Feature Film’.

Eiff 2022 Festival Theme:

In 1972, the Edinburgh International Film Festival presented the first global film event entirely dedicated to the cinematic achievements of female directors, curated by Claire Johnston, Lynda Myles, and Laura Mulvey. Honouring the spirit of this original programme provocation, Eiff’s...

‘Wajib’ took best film and best screenplay.

Palestinian director and Un Certain Regard jury member Annemarie Jacir scooped best film and best screenplay for father-son drama Wajib in the second edition of the Arab Critics Awards, which were announced in Cannes on Saturday.

Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri clinched best director for his Oscar-nominated political drama The Insult.

In other awards for Wajib, Mohamed Bakri clinched best actor for his performance as a father personally delivering invitations for his daughter’s marriage as per Nazareth tradition with his estranged son, who has returned home for the wedding.

Mariam Alferjani, a Screen...

“That’s what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age!”

Dazed And Confused plays this weekend (August 19th and 20th) at the Tivoli as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.

I graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1979 and Dazed And Confused, which I saw at the Shady Oak Theater in Clayton 14 years later, is so spot-on it’s scary. Writer-Director Richard Linklater is one year older than me and his film debut was a nostalgic look back at the final day of school, when the soon-to-be-seniors get drunk and stoned waiting for their first year at the top of the food chain while the incoming freshmen get prepared for a year of getting picked on. A wide range of character drink, smoke pot and have fun talking about what life is about to offer them. I think...

Reviewed by Kevin Scott, MoreHorror.com

Heavy Metal (1981)

Director: Gerald Potterton

Writers: Daniel Goldberg, Len Blum, Dan O’Bannon, Richard Corben, Bernie Wrightson, Angus McKie, Jean Giraud

Voice talents: John Candy, Eugene Levy, Richard Romanus, Al Waxman, John Vernon

Soundtrack artists: Sammy Hagar, Journey, Riggs, Devo, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Don Felder, Donald Fagen, Nazareth, Grand Funk Railroad, Black Sabbath, Trust, Stevie Nicks

If you were a kid in a record store in the early 1980’s, you saw this poster. Our record store was poorly lit with carpet crawling up the walls where you could thumb through albums with provocative covers while your parents ran their errands. Ahh, innocence lost. I couldn’t recall an animated film like this before or since, but the most significant thing that I can remember about “Heavy Metal” is that it taught me that animation can have adult and horrific elements. This movie scared me a little.

Dazed and Confused

Directed by Richard Linklater

Written by Richard Linklater

1993, USA

Richard Linklater’s follow-up to Slacker, Dazed and Confused, flopped at the box office, but Dazed and Confused went on to become a huge cult hit. It’s set somewhere in suburban Middle America (filmed in Texas) on May 28, 1976, on the last day of school, and everyone’s looking for something exciting to do. First, however, the incoming freshmen students must spend the day fleeing from bizarre initiation rituals from paddle-wielding, abusive seniors – while everyone else does their best to get stoned or get laid. Set over the course of 24 hours, Linklater’s observations about the rituals of teenage life, and about small town mentality, is spot on – as is his attention to the smallest details of time and place. The camera swerves between some two dozen youngsters and a handful of stories, but Linklater keeps everything and everyone on the same level.

We’re back with the latest installment of the Indie Spotlight. In today’s feature we have the first two episodes of the Ghost Trek webseries, a trailer for Rites of Passage, a Walking Dead-inspired musical, and much more:

Ghost Trek: The Kinsey Report: “Do you ever watch those ghost hunting shows and scratch your head, thinking to yourself, “These shows are so ridiculous. Why am I watching this?” Well, Ghost Trek creator, Michael Plumides sat through marathon episodes of paranormal reality TV one Christmas and came up with a comic-horror concept called, Ghost Trek, which takes a swipe at the whole genre – with you in mind.

Ghost Trek follows the Paranormal Underworld Detective Society (Puds) as they investigate haunts across the U.S. and abroad between tanning beds, babes, body-building, and bong hits — all the while risking life and limb capturing the undead and unexplained on video.

The team is lead by Dr.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Copywrite is an underground hip-hop artist from Columbus, Ohio. Copywrite emerged onto the independent hip-hop scene in 1998 along with his group “MHz” with a debut single on the legendary Fondle ‘em Records, entitled “World Premier”. Since then he has worked with the High and Mighty, Royce Da 59, Dilated Peoples, Inspecta Deck, Sean Price as well a heavyweight producers like Jay Dee (J Dilla), RJD2, Jake One and J-Zone. He is a talented emcee who has worked with a cadre of UK artists including Mystro, Rhyme Asylum, Loudmouth Melvin, Skillit, Sarah Love and Sam Khan.

This is his first full length since his 2010 release The Life and Times of Peter Nelson and is released on Man Bites Dog records on the 13th of June. Its seventeen tracks long with only one interlude and a whole host of emcees and producers on board. In fact every track...

Mary Evans/Everett Jesus of Nazareth

Was Jesus the Jerry Seinfeld of his day? Not really. His ministry on earth—to announce the Kingdom of God—was more important than being a stand-up comic or poking fun at surly soup vendors. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

On the other hand, the prevailing image of Jesus as the grumpy, dour, depressed prude who spent most of his life suffering is inaccurate. When you look carefully at the Gospels,...

Previously - Mary burned, John disappeared, the wicked curved blade made a solitary appearance (sigh), Dean needed Sam, Jessica burned, John left his journal, Sam wanted revenge, and there were more classic lines in 3 episodes than most shows have in 3 years.

We open to a beautiful beach with vacation music playing in the background. Brothers on vacation? Nope, just an airport ad with an incredibly nervous looking guy in front of it. He heads to the bathroom to wash his face and calm down about flying. A helpful guy tells him the odds of dying in a plane crash "are what? 20,000 to 1." Thanks Helpful Guy, I'm sure he feels much better now. Black smoke pours from the vents and that's never good. Since it enters his eyes, we can rule out fire. Welcome black-eyed demons to Supernatural lore. We're all screwed now. On the plane flight attendant Amanda says hello...

Classic animated fantasy Heavy Metal got its high-definition debut back in January as a Best Buy exclusive, but on June 21, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings out the cult movie on Blu-ray through all retailers.

The 1981 film, which features the voices of John Candy (Planes, Trains and Automobiles), Eugene Levy (American Pie) and Harold Ramis (Stripes), is one of our favorite animated movies for adults — parents, this one is not for your kids. The science-fiction movie is an anthology of short films that tells about the battle between good and evil (personified by a glowing green orb from outer space that’s spreading destruction throughout the universe). Included in the segments are some sexy scenes involving a woman and a robot.

Based on the illustrated magazine by the same name, the R-rated, 90-minute Heavy Metal was produced by Ivan Reitman (No Strings Attached) and includes music by Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult,...

In this plane episode out fly the 'jokes' about the odds of crashing at 20,00 feet. The flight attendant notices the passenger's black eyes, who asks how long they've been in the air, reply being 40 minutes - so he opens the door enabling the plane to crash. We discover Dean (Jensen Ackles) sleeps with a knife under his pillow, just in case he's attacked or ambushed in the night by ghosties and ghoulies. Which reminds me of a comment I made in a season 5 episode - but that'd be jumping the gun on my part. Sam (Jared Padalecki) meanwhile can't sleep. So he's watching an Info-mercial: thought only Dean was into TV, well in the early episodes he was more than Sam... Unknown to Dean, Sam is having nightmares about Jessica (Adrianne Palicki) . He finds the 'job' gets to him. Not so for trusty Dean - who is not afraid of...

Thanks to Guy Lodge over at InContention for the heads up on this story.

47th Annual Accolade to be Presented During the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® Simulcast on TNT and TBS on Sunday, January 30, 2011

Los Angeles, California (August 18, 2010) . Ernest Borgnine, who is exuberantly entering his seventh decade of creating memorable characters and award-winning performances, will receive Screen Actors Guild (SAG).s most prestigious accolade-.the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award for career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Borgnine, who has performed in more than 200 motion pictures, five television series and dozens of television films and guest appearances, will be presented the Award, given annually to an actor who fosters the .finest ideals of the acting profession,. at the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, which premieres live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt, 7 p.m. Ct, 6 p.m. Mt. Nominations will be...

I was recently asked by Horrorblips to chime in on a debate subject that they occasionally ask of their busiest syndicated bloggers. Last time they asked me which of the summer's horror movies I thought would perform best at the box office and I took the opportunity to slag on Rob Zombie's Halloween remake sequel since as much as I dislike Rob Zombie and as awful as I'm sure his movie will be, it's going to kick ass at making money. Yesterday they hit me with yet another opportunity to deal the dirt to Rob Zombie and I just couldn't pass it up. The question was a simple one with only one correct answer. Sure, they thought they were asking a nice open ended question for discussion, but they're just being naive because when they ask whose Michael Myers was scarier, John Carpenter or Rob Zombie, the only logical answer...

Details of "Halloween II - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" have been disclosed. Co-produced by film director Rob Zombie, the soundtrack album for "H2: Halloween 2" is set to be outed in U.S. stores on August 25, three days before the "Halloween" sequel lets out its terror in theaters across the country.

A number of tracks in the album will be filled with dialog from the film, whereas the rest will feature music from such musicians as Motorhead, Moody Blues, Scream, Rod Stewart, MC5, 10cc and Foghat. The named artists take on classic tracks ranging from "Nights in White Satin" and "The Things We Do For Love" to "(I Know) I'm Losing You".

New psychobilly band Captain Clegg and the Night Creatures, who appear in the film, also make contribution to the soundtrack with two fresh recordings titled "Transylvania Terror Train" and "Honky Tonk Halloween". Other new tracks to be found...