January 05, 2017 

LAWT News Service 

Two giants of soul enshrined with bronze plaques on the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame have been awarded the music industry’s highest honor, with the announcement by the Recording Academy that Nina Simone and Thom Bell are among the 2017 Special Merit Award recipients.

 

 Simone, known as the High Priestess of Soul, is receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. Bell, a cornerstone of the Philadelphia Soul legacy in creating the Sound of Philadelphia with his “Mighty Three” partners Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff as a producer/arranger/songwriter, is receiving the Trustees Award.

 

 The Lifetime Achievement Award celebrates performers who have made outstanding contributions of artistic significance to the field of recording, while the Trustees Award honors contributions in areas other than performance. The recipients are determined by vote of The Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees.

 

 “The Philadelphia Music Alliance has been honoring the city’s music legends for 30 years on our Walk of Fame,” said Alan Rubens, the PMA’s Chairman of the Board. “And to see two of our inductees recognized together with music’s highest honor on such an esteemed national stage is incredible validation to the caliber of talent which continues to emanate from the City of Brotherly Love. Congratulations to two of our city’s finest.”

 

 Nina Simone, inducted into the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame in 1994, was a child prodigy whose dreams of becoming a classical musician were deferred by the color of her skin. Her fearlessness and deep commitment to the civil rights movement gave birth to such classics as "Mississippi Goddam," "Four Women," and "To Be Young, Gifted, And Black." Her approach to music was so versatile she labeled her style black classical. From R&B and rock to jazz, gospel, blues, folk, and Broadway, Simone brought her unique style to each genre. Her interpretations of "Feeling Good" and "Sinnerman" are classics that fans around the world still enjoy. Her version of "I Loves You, Porgy" became a Top 20 single in 1959. Her rendition was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2000. She died in 2003.

 

Thom Bell, inducted into the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame a year earlier than Simone, partnered with Gamble & Huff to help create the quintessential Sound of Philadelphia. Gamble & Huff, also inducted into Philadelphia Walk of Fame, received the Trustees Award from the Recording Academy in 1999.

 

Bell was a prime architect in the development of a '70s soul sound that moved beyond the grit of Southern soul and the effervescence of Motown by building complex and sophisticated arrangements around smooth strings, elegant horns and a driving rhythm that anticipated the rise of disco. With the Delfonics, the Stylistics, the Spinners and others, Bell established his trademark sound with sweet strings and muted brass led by the French horn. Hits such as "I’ll Be Around" and "Betcha By Golly, Wow" cemented his stature as one of the all-time great songwriter/producers. In October, with significant help from the Philadelphia Music Alliance, Bell was inducted into The Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum™ in Nashville with the Sigma Sound Studio Rhythm Section and Sigma Sound founder Joe Tarsia, all of whom are on the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame.

 

 

 

December 29, 2016 

Aries   

March 21 – April 19 

An impulsive blend of energies could have you joining forces with someone when it might be wiser to take your time and get to know the person better first. Saturn is part of this alignment, so you'd be wise to hold back and consider whether you're doing the right thing. What you're learning now could have a very productive influence on your life in the coming weeks and months. And with Uranus flipping forward in Aries, your actions may be a little more measured. 

 

Taurus 

May 21 - Jun 20 

With Mercury continuing its retrograde phase, you may be motivated to pick up where you left off regarding a course or the study of a certain subject. You might benefit more than you realize by doing so. While you usually prefer to bypass change, you could embrace it wholeheartedly now and over the coming weeks. Doing so could alter your beliefs and perspective on life, encouraging you to move beyond your limits and live to your full potential.

 

Gemini 

May 21 - Jun 20 

Success with a plan or idea could hinge on paying attention to the advice of someone more experienced. It could have a positive impact on other areas of your life, too. This week's New Moon on December 28 could coincide with a desire to restructure your finances and consider how you can get your money to work harder for you. You may be in the spotlight on New Year's Eve, which could be something to think about if you intend to go wild.

 

Cancer 

Jun 21 - Jul 22 

With a promising influence stirring your sectors of career and lifestyle, avoid taking any shortcuts this week. If someone offers you a get-rich-quick scheme, turn it down. The present blend of energies suggests you'd do far better taking a steady pace toward an inspiring goal that could liberate you from the hard work you've been doing recently. The New Moon in your sector of relating could be an opportunity to take a relationship or romance to the next level.

 

Leo 

Jul 23 - Aug 22 

The Sun's link with retrograde Mercury in your lifestyle sector could see you reconnecting with a health routine that has fallen by the wayside. This could be in response to a week of overindulgence and a desire to clear out your system and enjoy a detox. New ideas that could take your life in an upbeat direction might stir you to act. Nevertheless, avoid cutting corners. Patience is the way ahead if you're preparing for a dynamic new opportunity.

  

Virgo 

Aug 23 - Sep 22 

A hobby or pastime that you once enjoyed may become your new focus if you feel motivated to take it up again. If it brings you pleasure, why not? The December 28 New Moon can be an opportunity to start on a creative project or entrepreneurial plan you've been mulling over. New Year's Eve could be an interesting time when a tie between Mars and Neptune sees you enjoying a romantic evening with your sweetheart or chilling with a good friend

 

Libra 

Sep 23 - Oct 22 

Use common sense this week if a sparkling encounter proves mesmerizing. If you're attracted to someone, don't take this as a sign he or she is "the one." You may find that the person you really click with is someone you've known for a while, someone who's proved to be reliable and steady - and that doesn't necessarily mean boring (as you may be about to find out)! The December 28 New Moon could bring an opportunity for a fresh start at home.

 

Scorpio 

Oct 23 - Nov 21 

Your intuition may be guiding you to an opportunity that transforms your life. It may be linked with your job and the way you earn your income. If you work at this steadily, it could prove very lucrative in the future. If you're looking for instant success, however, that might be a mistake. Patience is key! New Year's Eve could be one time when you decide to let your hair down and completely enjoy yourself - or you might prefer a more romantic activity! 

 

Sagittarius 

Nov 22 - Dec 21 

If you've been looking for a way to liberate yourself from too much responsibility, this is when it might show up for you. With Saturn in your sign and linking to Uranus, a business idea could change your life for the better and bring you the freedom you crave, too. The New Moon on December 28 could be a call to reform your finances and create a structured budget for 2017. If you've been putting this off, now is the time to do it.

  

Capricorn 

Dec 22 - Jan 19 

A change of beliefs could prove liberating to you and may be something you've been thinking about for some time. Opting for a new belief system or inspiring values could leave you feeling as though a burden has been lifted. It could also revolutionize your perspective and see you embracing the future with renewed hope. The New Moon in your sign on December 28 could be the best time to set new plans in motion even if you only take one small step.

  

Aquarius 

Jan 20 - Feb 18 

Working with a trusted team can be better than going solo. However, you might be tempted to blaze a trail with an idea that takes you into new territory. Present influences suggest that working with others is your best bet, as it could lead to outstanding results. A New Moon in your spiritual sector can be a call to take up meditation or another spiritual practice that heightens your awareness. Someone you meet on New Year's Eve may or may not be trustworthy.

  

Pisces 

Feb 19 - Mar 20 

It's best to avoid getting entangled in schemes that promise much and return little. Your chart encourages you to be patient regarding results, as you stand to gain very positively if you take the slower, steadier path to success. Your social life may kick off in a new direction, with the New Moon encouraging you to move in new circles and make other friends. New Year's Eve could see you enjoying a movie-fest or romantic date that sizzles with promise.

December 29, 2016 

By Dwight Brown 

NNPA Newswire Film Critic 

As we go forward, movies guide us.

 

They give us directions. They motivate us. They provide rest stops, comic relief and flashbacks to the past. And they reassure us that we will thrive.

 

It’s a perfect time to reflect on the most inspiring films, performances and artistic achievements of this last year.

 

Check out the best in film in 2016.

 

Best Films

 

 

Arrival — (***1/2) Director Denis Villeneuve (“Sicario,” “Prisoners”), creates a compelling sci-fi movie, based on Eric Heisserer’s thoughtful, feminist screenplay. Aliens arrive in massive floating pods in 12 locations around the world. A linguist (Amy Adams) tries to communicate with them and save humanity. Jeremy Renner and Forrest Whitaker co-star in a film filled with suspense, dread and brain-numbing science.

 

 

 

 

The Birth of a Nation — (****) An uncompromising retelling of the country's most heralded slave rebellion. Actor-turned-director Nate Parker assembles a stellar cast and tech crew that takes viewers back to when Nat Turner led a revolt in Southampton County, Virginia, in the 1800s. Brutal. Uplifting. Inform­ative. Haunting. Gritty performances and superb ensemble acting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deadpool — (***1/2) Actor Ryan Reynolds turns a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick into biting satire that he hurls like a dagger. And director Tim Miller, an animator, creative director and visual effects artist, who marks his feature film debut, orchestrates the madness like a wizard on crystal meth. The petulant mutate and his hijinks are the brilliant concoction of Marvel Comics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fences — (***1/2) Opening up a play just enough to make it a viable film is not an easy task. It helps if Denzel Washington, the lead in August Wilson's Tony Award-winning Broadway play, is the movie's director and reprises his role. A father tries to hold his family together during the 1950s and the strife, friction and daunting social issues are amplified on the silver screen. Washington and Viola Davis, as the wife, excel.

 

 

 

 

 

I, Daniel Blake — (***1/2) Working hard most of your life then becoming disabled and broke is not a pretty picture even in socialist-leaning England. That's the hypothesis of British director Ken Loach and his writing partner Paul Laverty. Their film tracks a weary carpenter, perfectly played by Dave Johns, who can't navigate the welfare system in the town of Newcastle and drifts into despair. So poignant, so touching.

 

 

 

 

Jackie — (****) It must have been two weeks of pure hell. That's the blueprint Noah Oppenheim provides in his woeful screenplay that follows First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (Natalie Portman) as she deals with the aftershock of JFK's assassination. Chilean director Pablo Larraín (“Neruda”) perfectly manages a skillful tech crew. Portman's performance shines brighter than a diamond.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Jungle Book — (***1/2) With a dazzling array of CGI technology, director Jon Favreau (Iron Man), screenwriter Justin Marks, a top notch tech crew and the brilliant voices of Lupita Nyong'o, Giancarlo Esposito, Ben Kingsley and others craft together the ultimate kids' fantasy/adventure film. Mowgli (Neel Sethi), a man-cub raised by wolves, is tasked with protecting the pack and lucky viewers get to watch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loving — (***1/2) Kudos to writer/director Jeff Nichols (Mud) for retelling the true-life story of a black woman (Ruth Negga, World War Z) and a white man (Joel Edgerton, The Gift) who married and were jailed for it in Virginia, in 1958. His approach is low-key and natural: few theatrics, lots of personal drama. The subtle performances by Negga and Edgerton are filled with grace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Manchester by the Sea — (***1/2) Dealing with a death in the family is so much harder when you're a hopeless alcoholic (Casey Affleck, who is brilliant) who's divorced and running away from a tragedy. Screenwriter/director Kenneth Lonergan meticulously sets the blue-collar characters in motion, giving them everyday dialogue that unearths hurt and feelings that run deeper than the sea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moonlight — (***) Writer/ director Barry Jenkins teams up with writer Tarell McCraney to tell a story about sexual repression and ambiguity through the eyes of a young, overly passive and emotionally abused gay boy who becomes a distressed teen and then a circumspect young man in inner city Miami. Mahershala Ali as a warm-hearted drug dealer and father figure steals every scene. Artfully directed and photographed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Directors

 

Barry Jenkins – Moonlight

 

Pablo Larraín – Jackie

 

Nate Parker – The Birth of a Nation

 

Denis Villeneuve – Arrival

 

Kenneth Lonergan – Manchester by the Sea

 

Best First Films

 

Birth of a Nation – Nate Parker

 

Krisha – Trey Edward Shults

 

Deadpool – Tim Miller

 

Southside With You – Richard Tanne

 

The Edge of Seventeen – Kelly Fremon Craig

 

Best Foreign Language Films

 

Land of Mine, The Salesman, Neruda, The Handmaiden, Elle

 

Best Documentaries

 

13th,  I Am Not Your Negro, Gleason, Presenting Princess Shaw, Miss Sharon Jones!

 

Best Actors

 

Denzel Washington – Fences

 

Casey Affleck – Manchester by the Sea

 

Dave Johns – I, Daniel Blake

 

Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool

 

Ethan Hawke – Born to Be Blue

 

Best Actresses

 

Natalie Portman – Jackie

 

Amy Adams – Arrival

 

Ruth Negga – Loving

 

Jessica Chastain – Miss Sloane

 

Rachel Weisz – Denial

 

Best Supporting Actors

 

Mahershala Ali – Moonlight

 

Ben Foster – Hell or High Water

 

Michael Shannon – Nocturnal Animals

 

Stephen Henderson – Fences

 

Gil Birmingham – Hell or High Water

 

Best Supporting Actresses

 

Aja Naomi King – The Birth of a Nation

 

Viola Davis – Fences

 

Michelle Williams – Manchester by the Sea

 

Nicole Kidman – Lion

 

Carmen Ejogo – Born to Be Blue

 

Best Screenplays

 

Manchester by the Sea – Kenneth Lonergan

 

The Birth of a Nation – Nate Parker and Jean McGianni Celestin

 

Deadpool – Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick

 

Miss Sloane – Jonathan Perera

 

Remember – Benjamin August

 

Best Cinematography

 

Arrival – Bradford Young

 

The Birth of a Nation – Elliot Davis

 

Nocturnal Animals – Seamus McGarvey

 

Moonlight – James Laxton

 

Jackie – Stéphane Fontaine

 

Best Animation/CGI

 

The Jungle Book, The Secret Life of Pets, Zootopia,
Sausage Party, Finding Dory

 

 

 

Great Films

 

Being 17, Bleed for This,
Born to Be Blue, Denial, The Edge of Seventeen, Eye in the Sky, Free State of Jones, Hands of Stone, Hidden Figures,
Indignation, La La Land, Lion, Love & Friendship, Miss Sloane, Queen of Katwe, 20th Century Women

 

 

 

Worst Movies

 

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Certain Women, The Dressmaker, The Girl on the Train, The Legend of Tarzan, The Lobster, Nina, Snowden, Suicide Squad

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

 

Dwight Brown is a film critic and travel writer. As a film critic, he regularly attends international film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto and the American Black Film Festival. Read more movie reviews by Dwight Brown here and at DwightBrownInk.com.