Uncategorized

12-year-old actress Saniyya Sidney has one of the most impressive resumes in Hollywood and her career is just getting started. She’s in the Oscar-nominated films Fences and Hidden Figures. She also appeared in an indie film that made its premiere at SXSW called Fast Color. I had the pleasure of meeting her and interviewing her during the promotion of Fast Color —  a story about three generations of Black women with supernatural powers.

There is one thing about Saniyya Sidney that is evident — don’t let her age fool you — she carries the wisdom of a 70-year-old.

Saniyya has also appeared on the small screen playing the role of young Kizzy in Roots and starring in the hit FX series American Horror Story: Roanoke.

The rising star is now appearing as the lead protagonist in a new series on FOX called The Passage. The story focuses on Project NOAH, a secret medical facility where scientists are experimenting with a dangerous virus that could lead to the cure for all disease, but also carries the potential to wipe out the human race. Sidney plays Amy Bellafonte, a young girl chosen to be a test subject. Federal Agent Brad Wolgast (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) is the man who is tasked with bringing her to Project NOAH. Ultimately, however, Wolgast becomes her surrogate father, trying to protect her at any cost.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Saniyya Sidney again to chat about her latest role on this new series. We chatted about the differences between working in TV over film, hanging out with Zack Morris, and what makes this show so unique?

Can you share with us who Amy Belafonte is, and why she’s being chased after?

Amy Belafonte is an orphan. She’s a girl from nowhere. A city government agency is coming to find her and she’s been trying to cure this big plague that is coming. Some things happen and you just have to watch the series to find out if she can or cannot save the world.

We’ve seen your work in major feature films and indies, like Fences, Hidden Figures, Fast Color, and now you are on TV. And you’ve also been in other TV properties, like American Horror Story. Do you have a preference for movies or TV? Is one more challenging than the other?

I believe that all work is a great challenge for all actors because being able to just play different roles, I think it’s a great experience to do different things that we’ve never tried before. And to play different roles that can be important to the world, but it’s nothing different. I think it’s just fun, and to be able to be on a TV show, and to be on TV it’s great because it’s not so different from movies but it’s just like, a long movie and different episodes, explaining it just a little bit longer.

I saw the pilot episode and it’s an exciting, edge-of-your-seat thriller. The show is based on Justin Cronin’s best-selling trilogy of the same name. Did you read the books?

My dad actually, he read all three. My dad was a big fan of the books. I read some of the first book but not much. I just wanna, you know, go off of what I believe Amy is until I read it, but I definitely look forward to reading it soon. My dad has read all three and he was really excited…he was like, “Oh, my god! You’re playing Amy!”

I know that you worked closely with Mark-Paul Gosselaar in this series, and you two have some really great chemistry. Did you guys hang out at all before filming, to kinda build up on that chemistry?

When we first got together it was kinda just like a rehearsal, so we would hang around the studio. We didn’t hang out much until later on but at first, we would have rehearsals. And I was really shy when I met him.  I did not know that he plays Zack Morris, so it was so funny when I met him, I was so, like, “Um, who are you? And nice to meet you, I guess?”

It was really funny. He was like, “I played Zack Morris in Saved by the Bell.” And I was like, “Zack Morris? Zack? The only Zack I know is Zac Efron which is my husband, so I don’t know who you are,” but I was like, “Oh, okay.” But it was cool because, you know, we talked so much to get to know each other.

I was ten and we talked about how he had kids around my age, and it was great to just communicate and how he understood, ’cause he’s setting an example at this father role, to Amy, because she’s never had a father, so to be able to portray that, you know, I think it was really cool that he understood because he has kids of his own.

Did it feel kind of daunting at all after you realized that he’s such a well-loved and received actor based off of his childhood character?

Mm, yes, he understood, being a child actor in the industry. He kinda reminded me about how to stay being a kid.

I started watching Saved by the Bell, to just see how he grew as a person and being able to be so young, like myself, to do it, I think it was like he understood and he learned about how it is to be in this industry so young, you know? So, for that, I was really honored to be able to just meet someone that started doing this at a young age like myself. It was really cool and I thought it was just nice to be able to just connect with someone that understood.

[The Passage] is a pretty scary and frightening show, and it’s filled with a lot of suspense. I see that there are some moments with Amy where she’s kind of looking at things from the bright side, and she’s got this sort of this sarcastic banter where you have fun with the character and playing alongside Mark-Paul.

Being able to play Amy, it’s fun to just be able to see how whenever I’m playing, I’m like, “Wow, this girl is really strong.” As much as she’s going through, such as losing herself, it made me realize and appreciate so much more in my life, and being able to be a young girl, was just like, “Ooh, I should appreciate more things that are happening in my life.”

What did you draw from? Because [in real life], you have a loving family. You have two adoring parents who are with you by your side when you do these interviews and junkets. But you’re playing an orphan in this role, so what did you pull from to be able to relate to this character?

I connect to all my characters and I just believe that whatever’s going on with that character, I’m going through. So, whatever Amy’s going through, I’m going through. As you said, I’ve never had a parent, thank God, pass. So, to connect to that, it was really something that I had to connect to.

I’ve lost some people in my life and to bring that emotion…what would it be like to lose a parent? And to have something so important in your life to be gone, you know? And someone that has been with you every step of the way and then just, suddenly just leave and vanish from your life? And to go through that process, I think it’s very important and I was respectful for the ones that have lost their parents or to have lost a loved one.

When I was with Mark-Paul, and I saw [Brad] Wolgast, I was like, “Let this guy be your light and your guide and start to trust him,” and when I opened myself up to him, as Saniyya, I let Amy open up to Wolgast.

We see so many of these shows on television, shows with supernatural creatures and vampires that are action/thrillers, but what makes The Passage different from other shows?

[The Passage] has to do with scientists and if you think about our technology that we have today, stuff like this could happen. “Oh, my gosh, this is kinda realistic.” And if we have to really think about it, what if this really did happen? That would be cool but not really because an apocalypse with vampires, yeah, no, I’m out, you’ll never see me in that situation.

But it’s different because it’s scary. It’s a wild ride. It’s a great adventure. It’s fun. And through it all, the heart of it, it’s a father/daughter relationship. The love of a father/daughter relationship. With everything that’s going on, that one thing is so important.

They really believe in each other. If you believe, then you can get through anything. That’s why I was like, “Okay. Through all of this, all of the power and the apocalypse and everything, she still let someone in and feels human.”

The Passage premieres on FOX January 14th, 2019

The post BGN Interview: Saniyya Sidney, Star of ‘The Passage’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.

Steve McQueen’s newest film is a powerful look at the lengths women will go to to make up for the shit their spouses left them with. With the writing help of Gone Girl author Gillian Flynn, Widows starts off with a fury of quick cuts that set the tone and sends bloody ripples that are felt deep into the movie.

Viola Davis leads a dynamic cast that proves everybody can eat as long as your bring your A game. McQueen’s co-written script brings the best out of actors with household names and actresses who start off as newcomers and will send you on a Googling spree to find out their real names by the time the credits roll. Liam Neeson, Michelle Rodriguez, David Tyree Henry and Daniel Kaluuya all deliver top notch performances while Colin Ferrell and Robert Duvall prove they still got it. Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Bernthal and Carrie Coon will leave you impressed as all hell and wondering what else they’ve been crushing it in.

In our openings scenes, we are shown exactly how much this movie will tow the line of love and violence. On one hand we have close up shots of Davis and Neeson embracing each other in bed, that will definitely have closet racists running for the exit 30 seconds in. On the other hand we have Neeson and his crew hightailing it away from a robbery gone wrong. Unfortunately, those men don’t make it back home and they’re wives are left grieving and terrorized by the men who their husbands stole from. Speaking of stolen from, David Tyree Henry (Atlanta, Hotel Artemis) and Daniel Kaluuya (Black Panther , Get Out) are the Manning brothers who are on a mission to retrieve what was once theirs. Henry, who acts his ass off in anything he touches, plays Jamal Manning who has one foot in and one for out the gang bangin’ door, while Kaluuya’s Jatemme Manning is completely content with his gun bussin’, blade wielding lifestyle.

In perhaps one of the greatest scenes in the film, and certainly my favorite, Jatemme locates the two workers that allowed the Manning’s money to be robbed. They were found rapping in the back so he asks them to kick a rhyme right quick, and in the most cool headed, menacing fashion nods his head along with his henchmen’s beat and flow. The camera is circling the three-man cypher as the bars fly, until Jatemme whips out the burner and unloads holy hell upon the unsuspecting lackey at point blank range. The scene is a masterpiece in gripping screen presence drawing the audience in before an explosion of power and tone shift. Daniel Kaluuya is seriously setting himself up to be one of the greatest actors of this generation.

Colin Ferrell plays a local politician looking to be selected alderman of his ward. He is probably the most divisive person in the movie, as he seems to have a genuine beef with his father’s racist ass ways and employs Molly Kunz (Colony) protraying a young woman named Siobhan as his campaign manager. On top of that, he’s got this program called MWOW (Minority Women Owned Work) that provides a opportunity for disenfranchised black women in this ward to own stores, salons and various businesses that put money in their pockets and subsequently back into the community. Thennnnnn you find out about a lot of shady business happening behind closed doors that make you question the authenticity of his initiatives and methods to promote those programs and neighborhoods. Then there’s the boat shoes twist. You find out exactly what kind of man Jack Mulligan really is and will feel all types of ways about it.

With an ensemble cast, I’m always drawn to the sequence of actions that lead up to character introductions and eventual squad formations. What’s done well in Widows is making it very clear these women have little to no prior knowledge of each other, but with their former husband’s going down in a blaze of glory, they’re forced to make the hard ass decision to accept the horrific situation they find themselves in or hop into the driver seat of their future. The decision making progresses naturally, from a luke warm “I don’t know if I can trust this chick” scenario into a ride or die sisterhood.

Behind the camera, McQueen does a lot of things right. There are some phenomenal camera shots that showcase his eye for on point cinematography. Jack Mulligan and his campaign manager leave the ghetto and travel back to campaign HQ while the camera sits on the front hood of the car. The dichotomy of Chicago is on full display as they drive from the hood to the hills.

Somehow McQueen manages to layer this scene even more with the conversation that Jack and Siobhan have in the back that really strikes you while their POC driver, John, chauffeurs them from the PR event. He asks her if she’s ever slept with a black dude and she claps back, like “You need to be worried about getting your ass kicked in the election, not measuring dick sizes. Man the fuck up!” John’s position forces him to endure this conversation but his pay grade doesn’t allow him to have input, despite it being something that would obviously make you feel some type of way as a black man supporting a white politician.

The movie doesn’t come without its flaws: the introductory arc, following the 2 million dollar botched heist opening, gets a little drawn out before the bomb drops. I distinctly remember Viola Davis’ Mrs. Rawlins walking up to the door of one of the widows and thinking I was close to being bored..and then the wild twist happens and everything you’ve seen for the last 40 minutes is thrown on it’s head and you’re left reevaluating everything! With that unexpected surprise, you’re left wondering why Mrs. Rawlins didn’t act on her hunch. Why she didn’t completely switch up her adopted heist plan. She could’ve easily rolled up to the “bad guys” with her new found info like a G and flipped the whole script, but she didn’t or we wouldn’t have the female empowerment flex that we witnessed for the rest of the film. Understandable, but not inexcusable.

*Slight Spoilers Take Shots to The Body in Nice Cars*

It wouldn’t be a Steve McQueen movie if we didn’t have jarring examples of racism scattered throughout. Unfortunately, this time we get shoehorned angles of racism that quite simply feels forced, rather than smoothly incorporated. In interviews Viola Davis makes such a big deal about Mr. and Mrs. Rawlins being two people madly in love, while putting a very clearly emphasis on her status a dark skinned black woman with natural hair happily married to a white man.

"I'm dark, I'm 53, I'm in my natural hair – I'm in bed with Liam Neeson. And he's not my slave owner. I'm not a prostitute. We simply are a couple in love. I've never seen it before." pic.twitter.com/0vtaUM8338

— Diversity School (@DiverseSchool) November 10, 2018

She makes it out as if we we’re finally getting a movie that features a very black and very white married duo that doesn’t need race as a plot device or driving force behind any decision making. But when you see the film, you’re forced to endure the internalized anger and guilt being projected by these two as a result of the death of their Black son killed by a white cop, “because” he moved too quickly to look for his registration (or whatever) in a nice car. In the end, you’re only more disappointed in the grimy results of these racial undertones. It’s as if they decided on this being the great divide between the Rawlins early in the writing process and hoped everything would fall into place from there. Things can look good on paper in the early drafts, but you have to be more nuanced in your finished product if you want to flourish in today’s controversial world of movie making.

With an outstanding cast, and excellent filmmaker at the helm, Widows is definitely worth your money at the box office. Much of the dark crime thriller features supremely talented women making money moves, and if you have a problem with that, well… this one ain’t for you! Flynn, McQueen and their team chose wisely when they selected Chicago as the location of this crime riddled, politics driven, poverty infested heist movie. If you love the planning aspects of any Ocean’s movie, and everything gangsta about Set It Off, you need to go check out Widows.

Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here!

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook,Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube and Google+?

The post ‘Widows’ Is A Thriller That Commands Your Attention And Delivers appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

I have tried several nerd boxes on my search for the one that sends items I can love each month. Unfortunately, each new box subscription comes with about 5 items, of which only one or two are items I truly like. The rest I give away, toss on e-Bay, or just leave on the shelf because there’s not much else to do with it. I must say that the DeonteBox is not one of those boxes.

Full disclosure, the owner of DeonteBox, Wayne Smith Jr. let me try out the service for free. I got one box that he filled with items from my favorite fandoms, movies, shows, and connected to my favorite hobbies. He wanted me to see what the service could do for a fan. Boy, did he deliver!

I told him that I loved American Gods, DC Comics, Fraggle Rock, Dark Crystal, Gremlins, books, and writing. He also gathered a bit more information and set about locating items for my box. I expected maybe a cool item or two and the rest POP figures that would take up space on my shelf. What I got was the greatest fan box ever. If my current geek box wasn’t a prepaid gift, I’d cancel it today and replace it with Smith’s box.

The DeonteBox is white with gold lettering — a festive package that piques the interest right away. I opened it to find golden stuffing and items carefully wrapped in crepe paper. Each a present waiting to be opened. Here is some rough video of the unboxing where I find the best part of the box so far.

You can hear my excitement (and see my two-year-old grabbing for all that gold foil). Here is my haul:

• A reprinted signed script from an episode of American Gods
• A Gremlins themed journal
• A Fraggle POP figure
• A Harley Quinn and Joker figure set
• A novelization of Dark Crystal

All of these items are favorites of mine forever. None of them have been given away (I actually gave a hostile “NOOO!” to my husband when he attempted to us the Gremlins journal for the grocery list). My daughter Quinn recognizes her namesake anywhere, but mommy has made it clear that this one is off-limits.

I highly recommend DeonteBox to anyone who has a nerd in the family. We are notoriously hard to buy for, so this box is the perfect gift. Smith searches far and wide for the gifts that you just won’t find on store shelves. The tailored service makes the box even more valuable because every item is something the subscriber will hold dear.

You can purchase a subscription or get a one-off box. Whatever you decide, I urge you to give this Black owned businessman your dollars this season. His concierge style of subscription boxes needs to catch on. If not anything else, DeonteBox can eliminate these mediocre boxes flooding the market and force them all to step their game up.

Get your box by emailing the company directly for info at deontepro@gmail.com, or visiting their Facebook page.

The post The DeonteBox is the Perfect Subscription Box for a Nerd appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.