Video releases
After incurring a substantial debt owed to a loan shark, Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield), a Hebrew man in AD 33, conceives the idea of pretending to be the new messiah in one of his opium-induced hazes. Clarence plans to capitalize on Jesus’s (Nicholas Pinnock) celebrity by performing fake miracles and developing a following to generate donations to free himself of debt. More than anything, Clarence desires to be somebody and to be loved and admired by all. After encountering Jesus himself during his journey and witnessing his compassion and abilities, Clarence’s integrity is tested when he is arrested by Pontius Pilate (James McAvoy), the Roman governor of Judaea responsible for ordering the crucifixion of Jesus.
Director: Jeymes Samuel. Stars: LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, RJ Cyler, Anna Diop, David Oyelowo, Michael Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, Marianne JeanBaptiste, James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicholas Pinnock. 2023. 129 minutes. Dramedy.
“LA HAINE (CRITERION COLLECTION)”
The lives of three men — all hailing from low-income immigrant families — are depicted in the hours following a riot that results in their friend Abdel (Abdel Ahmed Ghili) ending up in intensive care after he is injured in police custody. Vinz (Vincent Cassel) is a young Jewish man with a short temper, Hubert (Hubert Koundé) is an Afro-French boxer who deals drugs on the side, and Said (Said Taghmaoui) is a North African Muslim man who is the most level-headed of the trio. The violent nature of their daily lives comes to a head one evening after encountering antagonistic addicts, short-tempered skinheads and corrupt cops in the surrounding neighborhood of the banlieue where they reside.
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz. Stars: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Said Taghmaoui, Abdel Ahmed Ghili. 1995. 98 minutes. Drama.
Developed in the late 1930s in response to the need for a medium bomber that possessed a two-fold offensive, the Avro Lancaster was capable of carrying a torpedo and performing dive-bombing attacks. The Lancaster became iconic when it was used as the main aircraft for the nighttime bombing campaign as part of the Royal Air Force’s strategic bombing offensive over Europe. Narrated by Charles Dance, this documentary uses interviews and archival footage to revisit wartime history, showing how the Avro Lancaster altered the course of World War II and those who served.
Directors: David Fairhead, Ant Palmer. Stars: Charles Dance. 2022. 110 minutes. Documentary.