Tupac transformed rap from a simple street trend into an elite art form. He laid the foundation for the present iteration of the hip-hop movement and continued its evolution as a poet whose tales of alienation captivated young people of all races and backgrounds. From the beginning, he was aware of his very short window of time to live and his desire to create a body of work. He was always writing, always making something, and always in the studio. Even in prison, he was writing a screenplay. Knowing that he would not be on this earth for any length of time, he came with a specific purpose - contradictions, complexities and all - and he left behind something that has touched a generation of people. How he died has never been resolved. The exact details of Tupac's death might never be proved beyond a reasonable doubt in court, given that most of the key players are currently either dead or serving lengthy prison terms. However, that won't stop people from seeking answers.
Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion is a fan-favorite, as are some of the more science fiction angled movies like 28 Days Later or World War Z. I recently watched the 1995 Wolfgang Peterson-directed movie, Outbreak for the first time, which is currently available on Netflix.
Court TV shows offer uncritical eyes on the systemic inequalities of the legal world.
Dead Poets Society brilliantly combines defeat and optimism, rejection and love, craziness and daring, fear and freedom.
Netflix’s Shadow and Bone has a complicated relationship with race. It has a diverse cast, but not without its problems. Based on Leigh Bardugo’s two book series, the show features characters from the Shadow and Bone trilogy, which is very straight and white, and the Six of Crows duology, which is much more diverse. When bringing together a cast and writing about these characters, the team behind the show expanded upon some of the representation missing from the first trilogy, then seemed to take away representation from the duology. Shadow and Bone seems to play a bit of a push and pull game when it comes to portraying diversity onscreen.
Overall, 18 Presents feels more like a soap opera than a drama, and I feel bad for saying that since the concept is based off a tragic story (even though it’s loosely). I’m sure other people will find this film emotional for them, but as for me, it’s bland and forgettable.
