Monthly Archives: June 2020

Free Movies and Shows About Racial Injustice You Need to Watch

Coinciding with the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, a number of excellent films and documentaries that tackle and address racial injustice and/or highlight the black experience are now available to stream for free - including Selma, Just Mercy, and more. So if you're looking to amplify black voices and check out a handful of acclaimed films created by and starring black artists, here's a quick rundown of what's currently available for you to watch free of charge.

SELMA

SELMAAfter actor David Oyelowo recently revealed that Oscar voters told the studio they would not support the film after the cast wore "I Can't Breathe" T-shirts in protest of the killing of Eric Garner, Paramount Pictures has removed the paywall for rentals of Ava DuVernay’s Selma for the rest of the month. Selma follows the 1965 voting rights marches led by Martin Luther King Jr., Hosea Williams, and John Lewis. You can check out our Selma review. Selma is free to rent in June on all digital platforms, including Amazon, Vudu, and Google Play.

JUST MERCY

3dfcd2fa7bb7d8daa084e797a604fe72Based on the the true story of Walter McMillian, who, with the help of defense attorney Bryan Stevenson, appeals his murder conviction, Just Mercy is a compelling, fact-based legal drama starring Michael B. Jordan and Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx. Brie Larson, Tim Blake Nelson, and O'Shea Jackson Jr. co-star. Check out our Just Mercy review. Just Mercy is free to rent in June on all digital platforms, including Amazon, Vudu, and Google Play. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/02/just-mercy-official-trailer-2"]

CRITERION COLLECTION BLACK CINEMA

al_freeman_jr_1998_01_01After committing to making monthly donations to organizations supporting Black Lives Matter, The Criterion Collection announced that it’s lifting the paywall on select titles from black filmmakers and white filmmakers who’ve captured the black experience through documentary. Some of the films streaming free right now on Criterion Channel are:
  • Down in the Delta, by Maya Angelou
  • My Brother's Wedding, from Charles Burnett
  • Black Mother, by Khalik Allah
  • Portrait of Jason, by Shirley Clarke
  • Cane River, by Horace Jenkins

STARZ ESSENTIAL BLACK VOICES COLLECTION

America To Me 2018Lionsgate has now made available a collection of programming that amplifies black voices across STARZ platforms -- including the app and On-Demand -- without a subscription. You can freely stream the following:
  • America to Me – Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Steve James (Hoop Dreams, Life Itself) examines racial, economic and class issues in contemporary American education in this multipart unscripted documentary series.
  • A Huey P. Newton Story - A Starz Original Production, Huey P. Newton, charismatic co-founder of the revolutionary Black Panther Party, tells the riveting story of his life and times in this one-man show. Directed by Spike Lee.
  • Emanuel – After a 21-year-old white supremacist opened fire in Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, nine African Americans lay dead, leaving their families and the nation to grapple with this senseless act of terror. Featuring intimate interviews with survivors and family members, Emanuel, from executive producers Stephen Curry and Viola Davis, is a poignant story of justice and faith, love and hate, examining the healing power of forgiveness.
  • For Ahkeem –  For Ahkeem follows Daje Shelton, a 17-year-old black girl from North St. Louis, as she strives to graduate from the nation’s only court-supervised public high school. Daje fights for her future as close friends are killed, her sixteen-year-old boyfriend is pulled into the prison system, and nearby Ferguson erupts after the police shooting of Michael Brown.
  • Out of Omaha – An intimate portrait of twin brothers Darcell and Darrell Trotter, two young black men coming of age in the racially and economically-divided Midwestern town of Omaha, Nebraska. From executive producer J. Cole.
  • Scandalize My Name – This potent documentary, narrated by Morgan Freeman, examines several prominent African-American performers in the American film and television industries during the 1950s Communist witch-hunting McCarthy era.
  • Stranger Fruit – What really happened on August 9th, 2014 in Ferguson Missouri.  That afternoon, officer Darren Wilson killed 18-year-old Michael Brown.  Stranger Fruit is the unraveling of what took place, told through the eyes of Mike Brown’s family.
  • The Rape of Recy Taylor – A documentary about Recy Taylor, who was gang raped by six white boys in 1944 Alabama. Unbroken, Mrs. Taylor spoke up and fought for justice with help from Rosa Parks and countless women.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=7-milestones-for-black-superheroes-on-screen&captions=true"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

The Last of Us HBO Series Finds First Episode Director

This past March, HBO confirmed that it's teaming up with Naughty Dog to make a Last of Us TV show - which will replace the long-planned film adaptation. Creator of HBO's Chernobyl (and writer of the upcoming Borderlands movie, directed by Eli Roth and starring Cate Blanchett), Craig Mazin, is executive producing and writing the series alongside Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann and recently, in an interview with Discussing Film, Johan Renck, who won an Emmy for directing all five episode of Chernobyl, confirmed he is on board to executive produce The Last of Us and direct "at least" the pilot episode. Renck has also directed episode of Breaking Bad, Vikings, The Walking Dead, and Bates Motel. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-last-of-us-hbo-series-8-actors-who-could-play-joel-and-ellie&captions=true"] Shortly after the series was announced, Mazin gave his word that the character of Ellie would still be gay on the TV series and explained why the story, overall, worked better as an ongoing series than as a movie. The HBO series isn't expected to enter production until The Last of Us Part II releases on June 19. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/13/the-last-of-us-part-ii-inside-the-story-video"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

The Last of Us HBO Series Finds First Episode Director

This past March, HBO confirmed that it's teaming up with Naughty Dog to make a Last of Us TV show - which will replace the long-planned film adaptation. Creator of HBO's Chernobyl (and writer of the upcoming Borderlands movie, directed by Eli Roth and starring Cate Blanchett), Craig Mazin, is executive producing and writing the series alongside Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann and recently, in an interview with Discussing Film, Johan Renck, who won an Emmy for directing all five episode of Chernobyl, confirmed he is on board to executive produce The Last of Us and direct "at least" the pilot episode. Renck has also directed episode of Breaking Bad, Vikings, The Walking Dead, and Bates Motel. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-last-of-us-hbo-series-8-actors-who-could-play-joel-and-ellie&captions=true"] Shortly after the series was announced, Mazin gave his word that the character of Ellie would still be gay on the TV series and explained why the story, overall, worked better as an ongoing series than as a movie. The HBO series isn't expected to enter production until The Last of Us Part II releases on June 19. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/13/the-last-of-us-part-ii-inside-the-story-video"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Batwoman Showrunner Explains the Decision to Not Recast Kate Kane Character

Following the news that Batwoman lead Ruby Rose is leaving the series, The CW is reportedly looking to replace Kate Kane with an entirely new character for Season 2. After a (now deleted) casting call leaked on Reddit -- a search for a "Ryan Wilder" (though it is not clear whether this is a placeholder name), who is "likeable, messy, a little goofy and untamed" and "nothing like Kate Kane, the woman who wore the batsuit before her" -- Batwoman showrunner/EP Caroline Dries spoke to Give Me My Remote about the decision to go forward with a new character instead of recasting the lead. "I did consider the soap opera version for a hot minute, selfishly, because we had a couple episodes already written, and transition-wise, it would be seamless [since] we already started breaking season 2," Dries said. "But upon further reflection, and [EP] Greg [Berlanti] helped me make this call -- and he’s way smarter than me about this sort of stuff -- he’s like ‘You know, I think we should just reboot the character in terms of reboot Batwoman as a different character.’ Just to also respect everything that Ruby [Rose] put into the Kate Kane character." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tv-shows-that-killed-off-a-main-character&captions=true"] Dries also stated that she hopes "Ryan Wilder" will help fans accept that it's someone else in Batwoman's costume. "I just think it helps the audience a little bit, too," she said, "that we’re not asking them to not address the elephant in the room. I’m inventing a whole new character. In her past, she was inspired by Batwoman. She is going to take on the mantle and is completely maybe not be the right person at the time to be doing it. That’s what makes it fun." The "Ryan Wilder" character description went on to read "With no one in her life to keep her on track, Ryan spent years as a drug-runner, dodging the GCPD and masking her pain with bad habits. A girl who would steal milk for an alley cat could also kill you with her bare hands, Ryan is the most dangerous type of fighter: highly skilled and wildly undisciplined. An out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical All-American hero." Check out our recent review of Batwoman's season finale as well as our full review of Season 1. Plus, here's a closer look at all the ways the Batwoman might change in Season 2. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/24/batwoman-explained-how-the-batman-love-interest-became-a-lgbtq-icon"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Batwoman Showrunner Explains the Decision to Not Recast Kate Kane Character

Following the news that Batwoman lead Ruby Rose is leaving the series, The CW is reportedly looking to replace Kate Kane with an entirely new character for Season 2. After a (now deleted) casting call leaked on Reddit -- a search for a "Ryan Wilder" (though it is not clear whether this is a placeholder name), who is "likeable, messy, a little goofy and untamed" and "nothing like Kate Kane, the woman who wore the batsuit before her" -- Batwoman showrunner/EP Caroline Dries spoke to Give Me My Remote about the decision to go forward with a new character instead of recasting the lead. "I did consider the soap opera version for a hot minute, selfishly, because we had a couple episodes already written, and transition-wise, it would be seamless [since] we already started breaking season 2," Dries said. "But upon further reflection, and [EP] Greg [Berlanti] helped me make this call -- and he’s way smarter than me about this sort of stuff -- he’s like ‘You know, I think we should just reboot the character in terms of reboot Batwoman as a different character.’ Just to also respect everything that Ruby [Rose] put into the Kate Kane character." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tv-shows-that-killed-off-a-main-character&captions=true"] Dries also stated that she hopes "Ryan Wilder" will help fans accept that it's someone else in Batwoman's costume. "I just think it helps the audience a little bit, too," she said, "that we’re not asking them to not address the elephant in the room. I’m inventing a whole new character. In her past, she was inspired by Batwoman. She is going to take on the mantle and is completely maybe not be the right person at the time to be doing it. That’s what makes it fun." The "Ryan Wilder" character description went on to read "With no one in her life to keep her on track, Ryan spent years as a drug-runner, dodging the GCPD and masking her pain with bad habits. A girl who would steal milk for an alley cat could also kill you with her bare hands, Ryan is the most dangerous type of fighter: highly skilled and wildly undisciplined. An out lesbian. Athletic. Raw. Passionate. Fallible. And very much not your stereotypical All-American hero." Check out our recent review of Batwoman's season finale as well as our full review of Season 1. Plus, here's a closer look at all the ways the Batwoman might change in Season 2. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/24/batwoman-explained-how-the-batman-love-interest-became-a-lgbtq-icon"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

EA Sports Takes Stronger Stance Against Racist Usernames, Especially in NHL Games

EA Sports has announced that it will take a more active stance against racism in its various sports titles, particularly in the EA NHL series. EA was one of many game companies to come out in support of the Black community this week but some viewed the company’s statement as being hypocritical. This is because of the rampant racism present in its sports games, particularly the NHL series. The r/EA_NHL subreddit has been filled with users highlighting instances of racist usernames that appear to have only grown in numbers these past weeks. Especially concerning are the racist usernames that directly reference the death of George Floyd.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-nhl-review-ever&captions=true"]

NHL 20 might be one of the most racist communities I’ve ever been apart of,” wrote one Reddit user in a now-locked thread published almost a month ago. The user reported facing off against user-created teams with blatantly racist team names and bemoaned EA’s lack of a meaningful reporting tool. “Nobody laughs at them, it’s just next to impossible to report this stuff,” responded one user. “EA doesn’t have the systems in place to properly do so.” Now EA appears to be in the process of developing those tools. In a statement published on its official EA Sports Twitter account, the company wrote: “We’re constantly taking action to maintain a culture of inclusion. Toxic behavior changes and evolves rapidly and we recognize that we need to do more to actively monitor and remove those individuals who perpetuate racist, xenophobic, homophobic or sexist behaviors in our games.” The company promises to review its term list to ensure filters are “comprehensive and accounts for various languages, dialects and slang. This is something we will review and expand upon regularly.” EA also says it’s “adding more tools in-game to increase the reporting functionality to make it easier and more seamless for players to report toxic behavior as it occurs and for our teams to remove the content and offenders,” as well as increase the “frequency of reviewing offenses with the goal of acting more quickly to remove it from our games.” The company also made a special announcement to the EA NHL community, which appears to be the only EA Sports game to receive its own dedicated message. “Chel shouldn’t be a place for any form of hatred, bigotry or racism. We have manually actioned on thousands of accounts to date, but it hasn’t been enough, and that’s on us.” EA says it will deliver “harsher penalties to anyone with offensive content,” bolster “resources to monitor and action on more accounts,” strengthen its profanity filters and create “new in-game functionality for future titles that will allow players to report and send any abusive material directly to our team.” “This is only the beginning. We want to be a force in promoting inclusive and equal hockey culture and we will continue to take the proper steps towards achieving that.” The move follows Infinity Ward which announced that it too will strengthen its policies against racist and hateful usernames players create for online matches. These actions follow an industry-wide stance against racism following the death of George Floyd. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

EA Sports Takes Stronger Stance Against Racist Usernames, Especially in NHL Games

EA Sports has announced that it will take a more active stance against racism in its various sports titles, particularly in the EA NHL series. EA was one of many game companies to come out in support of the Black community this week but some viewed the company’s statement as being hypocritical. This is because of the rampant racism present in its sports games, particularly the NHL series. The r/EA_NHL subreddit has been filled with users highlighting instances of racist usernames that appear to have only grown in numbers these past weeks. Especially concerning are the racist usernames that directly reference the death of George Floyd.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-nhl-review-ever&captions=true"]

NHL 20 might be one of the most racist communities I’ve ever been apart of,” wrote one Reddit user in a now-locked thread published almost a month ago. The user reported facing off against user-created teams with blatantly racist team names and bemoaned EA’s lack of a meaningful reporting tool. “Nobody laughs at them, it’s just next to impossible to report this stuff,” responded one user. “EA doesn’t have the systems in place to properly do so.” Now EA appears to be in the process of developing those tools. In a statement published on its official EA Sports Twitter account, the company wrote: “We’re constantly taking action to maintain a culture of inclusion. Toxic behavior changes and evolves rapidly and we recognize that we need to do more to actively monitor and remove those individuals who perpetuate racist, xenophobic, homophobic or sexist behaviors in our games.” The company promises to review its term list to ensure filters are “comprehensive and accounts for various languages, dialects and slang. This is something we will review and expand upon regularly.” EA also says it’s “adding more tools in-game to increase the reporting functionality to make it easier and more seamless for players to report toxic behavior as it occurs and for our teams to remove the content and offenders,” as well as increase the “frequency of reviewing offenses with the goal of acting more quickly to remove it from our games.” The company also made a special announcement to the EA NHL community, which appears to be the only EA Sports game to receive its own dedicated message. “Chel shouldn’t be a place for any form of hatred, bigotry or racism. We have manually actioned on thousands of accounts to date, but it hasn’t been enough, and that’s on us.” EA says it will deliver “harsher penalties to anyone with offensive content,” bolster “resources to monitor and action on more accounts,” strengthen its profanity filters and create “new in-game functionality for future titles that will allow players to report and send any abusive material directly to our team.” “This is only the beginning. We want to be a force in promoting inclusive and equal hockey culture and we will continue to take the proper steps towards achieving that.” The move follows Infinity Ward which announced that it too will strengthen its policies against racist and hateful usernames players create for online matches. These actions follow an industry-wide stance against racism following the death of George Floyd. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Valorant Review – For Your Tactical Consideration

Think Counter-Strike with hero elements. That's the elevator pitch for Valorant, Riot Games' debut on the competitive first-person shooter scene. I say that not to disparage Valorant, though. In fact, that's what I love most about it, especially since it executes on the formula extremely well. Valorant thrives because of tight, tactical gameplay and a mix of character-based abilities that provide a necessary strategic layer. Although it's a slim package with limited features and barren presentation, Valorant has the potential to be great.

The core mode of Valorant revolves around five-on-five matches in a best of 25 rounds with two teams of attackers and defenders of bomb sites, switching sides about halfway through. The stakes are high as everyone gets only one life per round, and the focus on precise gunplay with low time-to-kill leaves little margin for error. Teams must account for buying guns, armor, and ability charges based on money allocated (depending on performance) on a per-round basis. In turn, each round maintains a high level of intensity as the tide of advantage can shift at any moment.

Agents introduce an essential X-factor to the mix with their unique abilities as well. While it's easy to compare them to heroes/classes from other games, Valorant's Agent abilities function more like gear in a loadout. Two are subject to limited uses per round (but thankfully carry over even if you're killed) while a default ability subject to cooldown or replenish upon kills. Knowing how and when to execute these abilities, including Ultimates that can come in clutch, is key especially for highly competitive matches.

Continue Reading at GameSpot

Valorant Review – For Your Tactical Consideration

Think Counter-Strike with hero elements. That's the elevator pitch for Valorant, Riot Games' debut on the competitive first-person shooter scene. I say that not to disparage Valorant, though. In fact, that's what I love most about it, especially since it executes on the formula extremely well. Valorant thrives because of tight, tactical gameplay and a mix of character-based abilities that provide a necessary strategic layer. Although it's a slim package with limited features and barren presentation, Valorant has the potential to be great.

The core mode of Valorant revolves around five-on-five matches in a best of 25 rounds with two teams of attackers and defenders of bomb sites, switching sides about halfway through. The stakes are high as everyone gets only one life per round, and the focus on precise gunplay with low time-to-kill leaves little margin for error. Teams must account for buying guns, armor, and ability charges based on money allocated (depending on performance) on a per-round basis. In turn, each round maintains a high level of intensity as the tide of advantage can shift at any moment.

Agents introduce an essential X-factor to the mix with their unique abilities as well. While it's easy to compare them to heroes/classes from other games, Valorant's Agent abilities function more like gear in a loadout. Two are subject to limited uses per round (but thankfully carry over even if you're killed) while a default ability subject to cooldown or replenish upon kills. Knowing how and when to execute these abilities, including Ultimates that can come in clutch, is key especially for highly competitive matches.

Continue Reading at GameSpot