Every Performance We Loved On Screen In 2020
We re thankful these funny, fearless and fierce Black actresses kept us sane with good screen time. THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION: RADHA BLANK | Netflix
For Black women in Hollywood this year, we might not have seen many of their great performances on the big screen but that didn’t stop their work from being impactful. Take for instance Nicole Beharie as a former beauty queen desperate for her daughter to break their family’s generational cycle in
Miss Juneteenth. Or KiKi Layne as a soldier-turned-reluctant-mercenary in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s
The Old Guard. Both projects, and a few others, played in limited theaters as well as on demand as many studios and streaming services adjusted their releases due to the pandemic.
The Emmy winner, known for his work on films such as Star Wars, gave Playbill an inside look at the process of turning imagination into reality, designing musical theatre on film, and more. Justin Cornwell and cast of
Jingle Jangle Gareth Gatrell/Netflix
Turning a two decade old concept of a musical fantasy into a reality is a tall order, but production designer Gavin Bocquet was up for the challenge. Inspired by films such as
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, director and writer David E. Talbert sought to create a new holiday classic, one made to help ignite the imaginations of a new generation the same way his had been as a kid. The result was
Netflix
The holidays are upon us, which means it s time to listen to Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber s All I Want for Christmas Is You on repeat, deck yourself out in tinsel, and, of course, settle down with some Netflix. The streaming giant is a go-to destination for anyone itching to have a holiday movie night, thanks to its growing stable of Christmas #content. From family-friendly fare like
The Christmas Chronicles and
A Christmas Prince (and its sequels,
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding and
A Christmas Prince: The Royal Baby, of course), the platform has something amazing for everyone
3.5 stars
Starring: Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Madalen Mills, Ricky Martin, Anika Noni Rose, Phylicia Rashad, Hugh Bonneville, Justin Cornwell and Lisa Davina Phillip
Rating: PG, for no particular reason
Opulent musical fantasy is laden with seasonal charm
By Derrick Bang
This is an impressive slice of holiday razzle-dazzle.
The tag line for writer/director David E. Talbert’s opulent fantasy promises that viewers will “discover a world of wishes and wonder,” and that’s an understatement. This often breathtaking blend of “Alice in Wonderland,” “Babes in Toyland” and “Hugo” also seems to be gunning for the seasonal crown long worn by “The Wizard of Oz.”
Lisa Davina Phillip Says Netflix s Jingle Jangle Is Historical and a Story of Hope 136 Shares
Netflix s new Christmas film,
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story, has taken the nation by storm since its release in November, and for good reason. It s one of the first-ever Christmas films to feature an almost all-Black cast, and the cast itself is pretty star-studded. With appearances and songs from Keegan-Michael Key, Ricky Martin, and Forest Whitaker, the film is a truly special affair. Based on a toy maker who gets betrayed by his apprentice,
Jingle Jangle is a tale of hope and compassion.
Lisa Davina Phillip plays Ms. Johnston, an impassioned postwoman who won t take no for an answer we caught up with her discuss her role in the film, her acting career in general, and her thoughts on this year s Christmas adverts.