As usual….these aren’t necessarily recommendations. The following are five Netflix streaming options for your viewing this weekend. These are films that we’ve talked about, covered and/or reviewed on the site and you may want to check them out.
1 – Detropia – A documentary film exploring Detroit’s economic decay, which isn’t just Detroit’s problem, but an American problem.
Below is an excerpt from Tambay’s review of the film back in September of last year:
Natives of Detroit, co-directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, are more interested in those who remain in that diminishing city – once a vibrant metropolis with almost 2 million inhabitants not-so-long ago, as workers (including many African Americans escaping the Jim Crow south) migrated north in search of jobs within all those then flourishing auto manufacturing plants, leading to a rise in the middle class; but now a city with around 700,000 people, a ghost of its former self, littered with abandoned buildings (skyscrapers and homes), empty lots and streets, that make it look as if a war broke out, or, as one person noted in the film, as if a bomb was dropped in the middle of the city.
You can also check out an interesting piece by contributing writer Andre Seawood titled “What’s Wrong with Detropia – a Detroit’s Resident Perspective” HERE.
Now you can see it for yourself. Watch the trailer below:
2 – The Pruitt Igoe Myth – Here’s another documentary; this time it chronicles the tragic fall of the notorious Pruitt-Igoe housing project in St. Louis, MO.
3 – Miss Dial – Written and directed by David H. Steinberg, the Iron Triangle Productions Miss Dial stars Robinne Lee, Sam Jaeger, Jon Huertas, Sara Rue, Dule Hill, Gabrielle Union and Hill Harper, among others.
Robinne plays the lead role of Erica, described as “a consumer affairs rep who deals with irate customers calling about everything from the availability period of the “limited edition” cheddar cheese to whether it’s safe for dogs to drink the blue toilet water.“
And further… “One day she decides to play hooky from work by calling random strangers in order to reconnect with the world outside her apartment. And that’s how she meets Kyle.“
4 – The Tested – The drama is based on the award-winning 2005 short film of the same name is directed by Russell Costanzo, and it stars Aunjanue Ellis, Armando Riesco, Tobias Truvillion and Michael Morris Jr. The film explores the complex relationship between mother and son grieving a family member.
The Tested, which won Grand Jury Prizes for Best Film and Best Narrative feature at the 2011 American Black Film Festival, is described by Sam Pollard, its Award-winning producer and editor, as a “real” film that will provoke audiences to debate “from a social and racial perspective long after the credits roll.”
5 – Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day – Directed by Neema Barnette, this is the second film in Pastor TD Jakes‘ Woman Thou Art Loosed! series. The thriller drama stars Blair Underwood, Sharon Leal, Nicole Beharie, and Pam Grier.
The film had a limited theatrical release in April, via CodeBlack Entertainment and its partnership with AMC theaters, grossing around $1.2 million domestically.
On the 7th Day centers on a husband and wife who find themselves in the midst of a crisis, when their young daughter is kidnapped. The kidnapper is supposedly a serial killer who murders his victims “On the 7th Day,” hence the title. As you’d expect, during their search for their daughter, secrets are revealed that put the marriage and their daughter’s life in jeopardy.
