Rodney King
The 1991 assault of LA resident Rodney King by the LAPD became a defining moment in US history, setting off decades of simmering racial tensions and sparking riots across the city. Caught on camera and widely shared, video of the attack turned King into the world's first 'reality TV' star. In a new special for Netflix director Spike Lee revisits the incident through spoken-word artist Roger Guenveur Smith's one-man show. It's a slow, searing look at the life of King and feels painfully relevant today. The film premieres on April 28, 25 years after the officers responsible for the beating were first acquitted.
The 1991 assault of LA resident Rodney King by the LAPD became a defining moment in US history, setting off decades of simmering racial tensions and sparking riots across the city. Caught on camera and widely shared, video of the attack turned King into the world's first 'reality TV' star. In a new special for Netflix director Spike Lee revisits the incident through spoken-word artist Roger Guenveur Smith's one-man show. It's a slow, searing look at the life of King and feels painfully relevant today. The film premieres on April 28, 25 years after the officers responsible for the beating were first acquitted.
Advertisement
I Am Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger's untimely death in 2008 sent shockwaves through the film industry. The 28-year-old actor was an electrifying figure on-screen and on the cusp of critical acclaim for his role as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. This new documentary by Derik Murray explores Ledger's charismatic personality on and off-screen through interviews with close friends and colleagues like director Ang Lee and musician Ben Harper.Ingrid Goes West
If you've never gone down an Instagram rabbithole at least once in your life then well, you're probably lying. The social photo app's power is luring you in with heavily curated and filtered images representing the glossiest version of what life could be, if only you were the kind of person who ate acai bowls. In this new indie, Aubrey Plaza plays a mentally unbalanced woman named Ingrid who becomes obsessed with a social media influencer and heads to California to befriend her. Things get real weird, real quick and Ingrid inevitably spirals out of control. Aubrey Plaza campaigned hard to get this role after seeing the script and even enlisted co-stars Elizabeth Olsen and O'Shea Jackson Jr to join the cast.
Nasty Gal founder and "Girlboss" author Sophia Amoruso is the inspiration behind this new Netflix series executive produced by Charlize Theron. It's a cloying look at the origins of her online retail business which had its heyday in the early days of e-commerce. Following its success Amoruso became a media darling praised for her unique leadership style but more recently was forced to step down as CEO of the now bankrupt company and faced lawsuits from upset former employees. Starring Britt Robertson as Amoruso this show looks every bit as facile and boring as the term Girlboss itself.Follow Amil on Twitter
Heath Ledger's untimely death in 2008 sent shockwaves through the film industry. The 28-year-old actor was an electrifying figure on-screen and on the cusp of critical acclaim for his role as the Joker in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. This new documentary by Derik Murray explores Ledger's charismatic personality on and off-screen through interviews with close friends and colleagues like director Ang Lee and musician Ben Harper.Ingrid Goes West
If you've never gone down an Instagram rabbithole at least once in your life then well, you're probably lying. The social photo app's power is luring you in with heavily curated and filtered images representing the glossiest version of what life could be, if only you were the kind of person who ate acai bowls. In this new indie, Aubrey Plaza plays a mentally unbalanced woman named Ingrid who becomes obsessed with a social media influencer and heads to California to befriend her. Things get real weird, real quick and Ingrid inevitably spirals out of control. Aubrey Plaza campaigned hard to get this role after seeing the script and even enlisted co-stars Elizabeth Olsen and O'Shea Jackson Jr to join the cast.
Girlboss
Nasty Gal founder and "Girlboss" author Sophia Amoruso is the inspiration behind this new Netflix series executive produced by Charlize Theron. It's a cloying look at the origins of her online retail business which had its heyday in the early days of e-commerce. Following its success Amoruso became a media darling praised for her unique leadership style but more recently was forced to step down as CEO of the now bankrupt company and faced lawsuits from upset former employees. Starring Britt Robertson as Amoruso this show looks every bit as facile and boring as the term Girlboss itself.Follow Amil on Twitter