New Category : Movies

Florida Film Showcases Bahamian Talent in Acting, Casting, and Costumes

Wed, Feb 28th 2024, 09:48 AM

Award-winning Deon Gibson Florida Film Showcases Bahamian Talent in Acting, Casting, and Costumes
Arthia Nixon, The Ambassador Agency

A wave of Bahamian talent has taken center stage in the soon to be released film "Pages Of My Heart 2," a Florida production currently making waves on Fox Soul, Peacock, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV. The film boasts a star-studded cast, including Geneva Maccarone, renowned for her role as Sylvia in "A Madea Homecoming," alongside Jaron Webster. Notably, the supporting cast features talented Bahamian comedian, Jaquay Adderley.

The project which has already won Best Actress, Best Director and Best Feature Film at the Sunshine City Film Festival, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival, Best Romance at the Athens International Monthly Art Film, and was a finalist at for Best Feature Film at the Charlotte Black Film Festival.

Deon Gibson, the co-writer, producer and filmmaker behind this A New Vision company venture is excited to be making significant strides with his fourth and fifth feature films. Gibson ventured into photography in 2001 and that opened doors for him to travel to Haiti, Ethiopia, and Mexico as a photojournalist. That eventually led to story writing and filmmaking which has become his focus today. 

“It has been a goal to create family friendly content with books, films, music and television so that we can reach people from all walks of life and inspire them in a unique and inspiring way,” Gibson said. “In the past few years, we have been blessed to have gotten awards and grants and even The St. Pete/Clearwater Film Commission has acknowledged the work we’ve been doing so it is a tremendous blessing.”

For this latest project, Gibson wanted to tie in The Bahamas and thought to bring in talent to the Florida gulf coast to stay within the budget. That’s when he directly reached out to bring in Bahamians.

“We could have created products here or gotten actors in Florida, but I wanted to bring in the best of the best and so we had some costumes in the film by Kache Knowles of I Is A Bahamian Bey and for casting, we had Earlene Camille of Casting Call Bahamas,” said Gibson. “As for acting, we were thrilled to have JaQuay Adderley come on set. He is an amazing talent and we were happy to have him.”

Geneva Maccarone expressed how happy she was with the opportunity to play the lead actress Aaliyah Wilson, noting this was her first lead film role.

"This has been an unforgettable experience,” she said. “I'm so grateful that I got to go on this journey. This film brought me my first award in acting."

Adderley says he was happy to be set with such a professional team and to work with Gibson. 

"It was a blessing for an island boy like me to be discovered and given an opportunity to take my talents to another level,” he said. “I felt super excited when I was contacted to act in Florida. Coming highly recommended from other professionals and entertainment chiefs in the country, it makes me happy to know that my gift and hard work are not only making room for me but expanding them as well. I have the chance to put The Bahamas on the map."

Gibson, who is also known for his tv series Church Folks starring Dorian Wilson also known for his role as Professor Oglevee in The Parkers and Chris Martin of hip-hop duo Kid N Play and House Party films is already got ideas for his other projects which will be released and filmed as early as summer 2024.

“There are certainly plans for more projects and we are working on them already,” said Gibson "Working on these two films back to back has been a life-changing experience. It was challenging, enlightening, and most of all, lots of fun. I'm looking forward to shooting the third installment in my home country, The Bahamas."

For more information visit www.anewvisionfilm.com or www.instagram.com/dgibson242 

Award-winning Deon Gibson Florida Film Showcases Bahamian Talent in Acting, Casting, and Costumes Arthia Nixon, The Ambassador Agency A wave of Bahamian talent has taken center stage in the soon to be released film "Pages Of My Heart 2," a Florida production currently making waves on Fox Soul, Peacock, Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV. The film boasts a star-studded cast, including Geneva Maccarone, renowned for her role as Sylvia in "A Madea Homecoming," alongside Jaron Webster. Notably, the supporting cast features talented Bahamian comedian, Jaquay Adderley. The project which has already won Best Actress, Best Director and Best Feature Film at the Sunshine City Film Festival, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival, Best Romance at the Athens International Monthly Art Film, and was a finalist at for Best Feature Film at the Charlotte Black Film Festival. Deon Gibson, the co-writer, producer and filmmaker behind this A New Vision company venture is excited to be making significant strides with his fourth and fifth feature films. Gibson ventured into photography in 2001 and that opened doors for him to travel to Haiti, Ethiopia, and Mexico as a photojournalist. That eventually led to story writing and filmmaking which has become his focus today.  “It has been a goal to create family friendly content with books, films, music and television so that we can reach people from all walks of life and inspire them in a unique and inspiring way,” Gibson said. “In the past few years, we have been blessed to have gotten awards and grants and even The St. Pete/Clearwater Film Commission has acknowledged the work we’ve been doing so it is a tremendous blessing.” For this latest project, Gibson wanted to tie in The Bahamas and thought to bring in talent to the Florida gulf coast to stay within the budget. That’s when he directly reached out to bring in Bahamians. “We could have created products here or gotten actors in Florida, but I wanted to bring in the best of the best and so we had some costumes in the film by Kache Knowles of I Is A Bahamian Bey and for casting, we had Earlene Camille of Casting Call Bahamas,” said Gibson. “As for acting, we were thrilled to have JaQuay Adderley come on set. He is an amazing talent and we were happy to have him.” Geneva Maccarone expressed how happy she was with the opportunity to play the lead actress Aaliyah Wilson, noting this was her first lead film role. "This has been an unforgettable experience,” she said. “I'm so grateful that I got to go on this journey. This film brought me my first award in acting." Adderley says he was happy to be set with such a professional team and to work with Gibson.  "It was a blessing for an island boy like me to be discovered and given an opportunity to take my talents to another level,” he said. “I felt super excited when I was contacted to act in Florida. Coming highly recommended from other professionals and entertainment chiefs in the country, it makes me happy to know that my gift and hard work are not only making room for me but expanding them as well. I have the chance to put The Bahamas on the map." Gibson, who is also known for his tv series Church Folks starring Dorian Wilson also known for his role as Professor Oglevee in The Parkers and Chris Martin of hip-hop duo Kid N Play and House Party films is already got ideas for his other projects which will be released and filmed as early as summer 2024. “There are certainly plans for more projects and we are working on them already,” said Gibson "Working on these two films back to back has been a life-changing experience. It was challenging, enlightening, and most of all, lots of fun. I'm looking forward to shooting the third installment in my home country, The Bahamas." For more information visit www.anewvisionfilm.com or www.instagram.com/dgibson242 

'Blue Beetle' ... entertaining and a bit different

Fri, Aug 25th 2023, 09:06 AM

"Blue Beetle" (US Rated PG-13)

Cast: Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Susan Sarandon

Genre: Action/Adventure

Where to watch: In Theaters

Dwight's Rating: 2 stars out of 4

In this month's edition of "Comic Book Superhero Monthly", we've got something "new" for our readers.

It's been a busy year for this publication, and a busy one for comic book superhero factories Marvel and DC. They've been see-sawing with their new releases, but between them, they've fully blanketed movie theaters with their presence.

February's issue started off with Marvel's "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" - a franchise that's begging to swallow an entire planet-worth of kryptonite (sorry, that's DC, and an incompatible reference).

Then in March, we featured DC's "Shazam: Fury of the Gods", which while not worse than its predecessor, was certainly not better.

In May's issue, we told you about what will (hopefully) be the final installment of Marvel's once-outstanding "Guardians of the Galaxy" franchise, which went out on an outstandingly mediocre note.

Then in June, we had a big double issue with details about Sony's superb "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" - the animated film which might be better than its fantastic prequel, and is among the best movies of any kind this year.

We also had the solo origin story of "The Flash", which is possibly DC's best film in years. Unfortunately, released just days after "Across the Spider-Verse", and with similar themes to Sony's live-action 2021 "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (and with some potential moviegoers turned off by the off-screen shenanigans of star Ezra Miller), that film is more associated with "flop" than "flash".

For this month, though, DC is back at it, and with yet another origin story. This time, we have "Blue Beetle".

Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) suddenly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology called the Scarab. When the Scarab chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he's bestowed with an incredible suit of armor that's capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero Blue Beetle.

How many superheroes have gained their powers after being unwittingly attacked by or attached to something? Well, we've lost count here at "Comic Book Superhero Monthly", but the number is likely close to the number of months in a century.

This all helps to contribute to a repetitive feeling of familiarity and sameness plaguing this genre. And with the exception of "Across the Spider-Verse", there's a notable dearth of innovative, creative and unique concepts each time one of these films is released (i.e. almost every single blessed month).

However, while "Blue Beetle" doesn't exactly break new ground, it can claim to be a bit "different".

Swap out the child/teen hero family unit of "Shazam" for Jaime Reyes' colorful Mexican-American family, and you get the picture. The featured aspects of the Mexican culture are refreshing and a definite change of pace for a live-action superhero picture (even if Miles Morales in the animated "Spider-Man" franchise traversed similar cultural waters first).

The film's score seems to be '80s inspired. Why? We can't exactly say. But it sounds pretty good. Perhaps the popularity of Netflix's "Stranger Things" is fueling a resurgence in a love for synthesizers.

Maridueña as Jaime Reyes and title character is a charismatic and charming lead. The rest of cast is pretty decent, including comedian George Lopez, and Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon as a wacky villain.

So "Blue Beetle" is entertaining and a bit "different", and certainly better than anything the folks at rival Marvel have unleashed on us so far this year.

But slapping on some cultural references here and there with occasional regional and ethnic music can't stop the "Groundhog Month" perception that these films are all essentially clones of each other.

Nevertheless, coming up in future issues this year, a sequel of sorts to "Captain Marvel" called "The Marvels". And from DC, another sequel: "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" - hopefully, it won't be as waterlogged as its progenitor.

Remember, you can unsubscribe to "Comic Book Superhero Monthly" at any time. But note, this publication will keep chugging along, as the bench of comic book-based superhero movies is apparently multiple universes deep, and will continue to infinity and beyond (Oops! That's a reference from an entirely different set of never-ending sameness!)


• Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of "Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio and station manager. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.

'Fast X' is child's play; 'Air' has got game

'Fast X' is child's play; 'Air' has got game

Fri, May 26th 2023, 10:09 AM

"Fast X" (Rated T)

Cast: Vin Diesel, Jason Momoa, Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena,

Tyrese Gibson

Genre: Action/Adventure

Where to watch: In theaters

Dwight's Rating:

The "sour candy" of film franchises returns with another "off-putting delight"!

We know the kids - and plenty adults - love their sour candy. A few seconds of squirming and grimacing followed by that joyous sweetness. There's apparently a similar sensation (except for the sweetness) with those stupidly-intense tortilla chips (you know the brand!).

If you only eat one or two, you'll likely walk away thinking only the criminally-insane would want to have more of these things. But fans will tell you that if you can muster up to strength to power through a whole bag, the more you eat of this nonsense, the more you can stomach the nonsense. Hmmm!

"The Fast and Furious" franchise actually began as a reasonably tasty meal, but it has devolved into a very unhealthy snack - with nutritional values in the negative digits (you're also accelerating braincell depletion with each new edition).

But like with most unhealthy snacks, boy oh boy, can they be yummy! And while "Fast X" is a ridiculous, preposterous film, it is highly entertaining!

That X is for the Roman numeral 10, as this is the 10th installment in this series, which dates back to 2001 (not including spinoffs like "Hobbs & Shaw").

And I was all prepared to write about how - with the letter F being a common thread in the words "Fast" and "Furious" and the franchise's hilarious obsession with "Family" - the film deserved an actual "F" grade. And that it was perhaps time for this whole thing to go away. But alas. No. This foolishness unbelievably brightened my day. Yes, open another bag of that sour candy, please!

What's the plot this time? Does it really matter?

Well, as you know by now, after more than 20-years, and over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his "family" have outsmarted and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they must confront the most lethal opponent they've ever faced. Fueled by revenge, a terrifying threat emerges from the shadows of the past to shatter Dom's world and destroy everything - and everyone - he loves.

As stated, the X in "Fast X" is for 10. But it possibly also represents the age of the writer. Clearly, a child or a group of preteen children penned this script. Unless, we're all now fully in agreement that in his advancing age, Vin Diesel can only recite lines as if he were always playing that tree limb Groot, which he voices in "The Guardians of Galaxy" franchise.

And it's not just Diesel acting like he's a human form of one of the muscle cars in which these folks are always speeding around. Returning co-stars Michelle Rodriguez, and the very-unfunny Tyrese Gibson and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, deliver performances that would be embarrassing if they were kids in a school recital. Other new cast members are even more robotic (I'm looking at you Alan Ritchson).

Some of the biggest names in entertainment are part of the cast too, including a number of Oscar-winning actresses. But the Academy might want to consider having a discussion with Helen Mirren ("The Queen"), Charlize Theron ("Monster"), Brie Larson ("Room") and Rita Moreno ("West Side Story") about the types of roles they consider. (Unless this is all about the money, well then, "You Go, Girls!")

And perhaps those child-writers can consider naming the next installment (there will be at least two more) "Fast & Furious Days of Our Lives", because like the most ridiculous daytime dramas, none of the characters previously "killed off" can stay dead. They just keep coming back, every single time.

This series has long defied logic, sense and gravity. But we are firmly into sci-fi territory now. Characters (usually the bad ones) are hopping about the globe at beyond supersonic speeds, all while others (our trusty "family" crew, mainly) seem to be moving about at a pace that would frustrate snails.

Nevertheless, there are a few bright spots. John Cena returns after the previous installment, "F9", once again as the estranged brother whom this very close "family" never ever-ever talked about in 20 years. Apparently "Uncle Jakob" is now firmly back in the fold.

Cena's Jakob is uncle to Dom's kid Brian played by another bright light, 10-year-old Leo Abelo Perry (could he have been one of the writers?). Young Perry could teach his onscreen father Vin a thing or two (hundred) about facial expressions and reactions and line delivery.

But the shocking true star and very best thing about "Fast X" is Jason Momoa ("Aquaman") as new villain Dante Reyes. Dante's seeking revenge for his father's death from one the nine previous movies (but this is "Fast & Furious" - is he really dead??), and he's prepared to destroy the entire world, with nuclear weapons. So, yes, he's a complete lunatic!

Momoa plays the role with great relish, even if the character's highly effeminate behavior is unexplained. It is a bizarre and questionable choice, but doesn't take away from the fact that Momoa is one of the few actors really trying here, while most of the others are on cruise control. Thankfully, it looks like we'll get to see more of him in whatever comes next.

There sure is a lot of silly, child-like things happening in "Fast X" - stuff that would make the powers-that-be at Cartoon Network consider canceling their shows if their producers tried some of this wackiness.

But "Fast & Furious" stopped being rooted in reality around the time of the Great Recession. It's all extreme fantasy. So just buckle up, relax, and load up on those squinch-inducing snacks.


"Air" (US- Rated R)

Cast: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker

Genre: Drama, Sports

Where to watch: In theaters, Amazon Prime Video

Dwight's Rating:

Yes, "Air" was released in theaters last month, but if you missed it, it's now on Amazon Prime Video. And you should do yourself a favor - don't miss it!

That's whether or not you like basketball or Michael Jordan or Nike or Air Jordans. "Air" is one of the best movies so far for 2023.

It follows the history of shoe salesman Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) and Nike, as they pursue basketball rookie Michael Jordan, creating a partnership that revolutionizes the world of sports and contemporary culture.

The cast is superb: Damon, Ben Affleck (the film's director) as Nike's co-founder Phil Knight, Oscar-winner Viola Davis as Jordan's mom Deloris, along with the always-wonderful Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina, and many others who simply shine, making the most of Affleck's wonderful (and now almost legendary) directing skills, and a beautiful screenplay by Alex Convery, with witty dialogue in the way adults actually speak.

One questionable choice is that you never really see - and barely hear - Michael Jordan. Everyone reacts and talks to and around him. Affleck says it was intentional, basically so as not to draw unnecessary or unfair comparisons to a larger-than-life superstar.

Perhaps seeing Jordan might make some assume the film is a biography. But while there are parallels between his story and that of Nike - as both "underdogs" ascended to meteoric levels of popularity at about the same time - this is definitely more about Nike and the Air Jordan brand.

What's remarkable is how much this story is inspiring and touching. Tell me why I started to shiver and tear up when the first-ever Nike Air Jordans are unveiled and appear onscreen? And that same reaction repeats itself at various other points in the picture.

Again, basketball lovers, Chicago Bulls fans (and even Los Angeles fans, now that the Losers ... err Lakers are done for the year), fans of all sports, consumers, and lovers of history and pop culture, this movie has something for every-one. Watch it! (And I'm sorry, but I can't help myself ...) "Just Do It!"


• Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of "Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio and station manager. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.

'Shazam! Fury of the Gods' is generic at best but not horrible

Fri, Mar 24th 2023, 08:30 AM

"Shazam! Fury of the Gods" (US Rated PG-13)

Cast: Zachary Levi, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Rachel Zegler, Jack Dylan Grazer, Meagan Good

Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy

Where to watch: In theaters

Dwight's Rating:

Generic done right!

Well, "right" is an interesting word. As is "generic".

In most cases, "generic" is "absolutely wrong". But when generic is all you have - and increasingly, with Hollywood superhero flicks, all some folks seem to know how to do - then, some generics are better than others. Certainly "generic" is better than "horrible".

And "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" features what has to be the most generic of all generic comic book superheroes (and increasingly any supernatural or science fiction) movie plots.

You know the "generic" storyline: Earth invaders from either another planet or another time period (usually the past, but sometimes the future) somehow return to our modern-day world, with all their superhuman strengths (they are usually witches/warlocks or gods or devils/demons and/or aliens), and they seek to reclaim something taken from them or their ancestors, which just happens to be somewhere on Earth.

I've seen that plot in movies about 52 times in just the last two years, between Harry Potter spinoffs, Marvel and even DC, the latter of which has basically done it again here with this sequel to the extremely enjoyable "Shazam!" of 2019.

"Shazam! Fury of the Gods" has most of the cast from the original film, who are back to - you guessed it - deal with a trio of gods, who have a lot of fury. If you saw the original, and if you're like me and liked the original, the new edition will still be a treat, despite its even more generic nature.

Bestowed with the powers of the gods, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) and his fellow foster kids are still learning how to juggle teenage life with their adult superhero alter egos. When a vengeful trio of ancient gods arrives on Earth in search of the magic stolen from them long ago, Bill as Shazam (Zachary Levi) and his allies get thrust into a battle for their superpowers, their lives, and the fate of the world.

A lot of the humor and heart from the original are here again. But the real treat is the cast additions and character tweaks.

Multiple Emmy, Tony, and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren ("The Queen"), Lucy Liu ("Charlie's Angels"), and Rachel Zegler ("West Side Story" 2021) join Djimon Hounsou, who seems reinvigorated as The Wizard, and now has some of the best lines in the movie - even more so than wisecracking stars Levi, and Jack Dylan Grazer, who just like he did in the first film, electrifies and steals nearly every scene in which he appears.

It's fun to see the unlikely Mirren in this sort of film and playing this kind of character, even if the script calls for her and Liu to play generic genre tropes.

The challenge for some folks will be that familiarity - that generic-ness - of the whole production. Like last time, this "Shazam!" franchise, featuring teens and preteens, is so similar in tone to Marvel's "Spider-Man" and even the "Harry Potter" films in some ways that it results in few surprises and lots of predictability.

Nevertheless, it's still one of DC's better series. It's fun and suitable for families, with a decent sense of humor. But this never was nor ever will be something to be taken as seriously as "Black Panther" or last year's interesting "The Batman" reboot.

After one week at the box office, despite opening at number one in the US, the word "flop" is being used, thanks to some disappointing earnings. Perhaps fans are finally getting tired of seeing the same thing over and over.

And while "Fury of the Gods" is nowhere near as braincell-depleting as other recent comic book-based films, the industry seems determined not to heed advice to rest the genre for a decade or two. Thus, we're likely to continue to see dud after mediocre and/or disappointing dud - just an endless stream or sequels, reboots and remakes.

So, if this is what must be - and will be, unless moviegoers reject them wholesale, which is highly unlikely - the most we can hope for is likable generics of the "Shazam! Fury of the Gods" variety (and not of the "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" or "Black Adam" brands).


• Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of "Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio and station manager. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.