'Good Boys' Opens Nationwide On August 16

(L-R) Lil Rel Howery, Keith L. Williams, and Retta

Just how bad can one day get? The creative minds behind Superbad, Pineapple Express and Sausage Party take on sixth grade hard in the outrageous comedy, Good Boys.

After being invited to his first kissing party, 12-year-old Max (Room’s Jacob Tremblay) is panicking because he doesn’t know how to kiss. Eager for some pointers, Max and his best friends Thor (Brady Noon, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire) and Lucas (Keith Williams, Fox’s The Last Man On Earth) decide to use Max’s dad’s drone – which Max is forbidden to touch – to spy (they think) on a teenage couple making out next door.

But when things go ridiculously wrong, the drone is destroyed. Desperate to replace it before Max’s dad (Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth) gets home, the boys skip school and set off on an odyssey of epically bad decisions involving some accidentally stolen drugs, frat-house paintball, and running from both the cops and terrifying teenage girls (Life of the Party’s Molly Gordon and Ocean’s Eight’s Midori Francis).

From Point Grey producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the writers of Superbad, Pineapple Express and Sausage Party, and James Weaver (Neighbors), Good Boys, from Universal Pictures and Good Universe, is written by the team of Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (NBC’s The Office, Bad Teacher). Eisenberg also produces and Stupnitsky directs.

Genre: Comedy      

Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon, Molly Gordon, Lil Rel Howery, Will Forte, Midori Francis

Director: Gene Stupnitsky

Writers: Lee Eisenberg & Gene Stupnitsky

Producers: Lee Eisenberg, Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen, James Weaver

Executive Producers: Josh Fagen, Brady Fujikawa, John Powers Middleton

POWER Season Six Set For August 25 On STARZ

Season Six Synopsis

POWER season six picks up with James “Ghost” St. Patrick seeking vengeance. His former drug partner and brother in arms must pay for the ultimate betrayal. Rocked to his core by the perfidiousness and cruelties of those he once called his family, Ghost devotes himself to one notion: Success is the best revenge, with all intentions of getting both. 

POWER season six premieres Sunday, August 25, 2019, on STARZ, the STARZ app and STARZ ON DEMAND, and culminates with the Final Betrayal played out across an extended 15-episode season. 

Ghost aims to get even with Tommy, get the Queens Child Project built to consecrate Raina’s legacy, and finally achieve a thriving legitimate lifestyle with no criminal strings attached. Ghost’s need to wrest satisfaction and happiness from this world by any means necessary – is the most dangerous he’s ever faced. As the Feds grow closer to convicting him, Ghost must remain vigilant toward those wanting to take him down for his past criminal enterprises.

Brenna Whitaker To Appear At The Purple Room

Brenna Whitaker

Acclaimed Verve recording artist Brenna Whitaker will be appearing at The Purple Room in Palm Springs on Friday, September 20, at 8 p.m., and at Martinis Above Fourth in San Diego on Saturday, September 21, at 8 p.m., it was announced today by The Purple Room, Martinis Above Fourth, and Chris Isaacson Presents.  In this intimate concert, Whitaker brings her signature sound and performs powerful vocals for an evening of classics from the American Song Book and Jazz Standards including songs made famous by Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and more. She will also perform selections from her self-titled debut album released by Verve Records. Raved the LA Weekly, “Brenna Whitaker takes the stage, takes control, and takes your breath away.” Growing up in Kansas City, Brenna Whitaker fell in love with the music of jazz and blues singers from a long-ago era. "Ruth Brown, Peggy Lee, Cab Calloway, Etta James — those are my people," says the LA-based vocalist. “I don't know how I ended up knowing so many of their songs and standards from back then. It's almost like they found their way to me.” Whitaker landed her first professional theatre gig at age 11, moved to New York City to study with Broadway veterans at age 17, and spent her early 20s leading jazz bands back home in Missouri. She then headed to LA and set up a series of residencies that eventually attracted fans like Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, and Michael Bublé, and caught the attention of Verve Music Group chairman and 16-time Grammy Award-winner David Foster. Whitaker’s debut album for Verve finds her reviving a vast American jukebox of classic songs and revealing the full force of her stunning, soulful voice. Admission at The Purple Room is $25–$30 and tickets may be purchased online atwww.purpleroompalmsprings.com or by phone at (760) 322-4422. Doors open at 6 p.m. for cocktail and dinner service (minimums apply) and showtime is 8 p.m. Admission at Martinis Above Fourth is $30–$35 and tickets may be purchased online atwww.MA4SD.com or by phone at (619) 400-4500. Doors open at 6pm for cocktail and dinner service (minimums apply) and showtime is 8 p.m. The Purple Room is located at 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive (inside Club Trinidad Resort) in Palm Springs, 92264. Martinis Above Fourth is located at 3940 Fourth Avenue in San Diego, 92103.

Jazz Flutist Ragan Whiteside Is Ready To 'Jam It'

The sizzling summer heat. A backyard barbecue filled with food, family, and friends. A tune comes on the radio that instantly sets bodies in motion. As people start moving and grooving, someone exclaims, “That’s my jam!” This scene is what soul-jazz flutist Ragan Whiteside envisioned when creating her latest single, “Jam It.” The hot track became her fourth consecutive Billboard Top 10 single when it hit the ninth spot on the chart for the week of August 3. At No. 9 with a bullet, it’s still rising like the mercury.  

Whiteside wrote, “Jam It” with seminal urban-jazz artist Bob Baldwin, who produced the joint with Dennis Johnson (Marion Meadows, Freddie Jackson, Phil Perry, Melba Moore). The cut previews Whiteside’s forthcoming fifth album, “Five Up Top,” slated to drop this fall from Randis Music, an indie label run by Whiteside and Johnson.  

“Your favorite party song comes on the radio and someone claims it as their jam. I wanted ‘Jam It’ to give you that feeling and get people dancing - whether you're at a backyard barbecue or just driving to work. Wherever you're listening, you should turn up your speakers and JAM IT!” said the Atlanta-based Whiteside.

Whiteside’s hit streak began when her 2017 “Treblemaker” album sent all three singles into the Billboard Top 10. Another collaboration with Baldwin, “Early Arrival” featuring saxophonist Kim Waters, got things started when it checked in at No. 7. She scored her first Billboard No. 1 hit with “Corey’s Bop,” a clubby trek she wrote with Johnson and Baldwin. Her own boisterous party starter, “See You at the Get Down” celebrated at No. 5.

Whiteside’s vibrant and velvety flute leaping amidst jazzy rhythms and funky beats is ushering her instrument back into the centerstage spotlight. She takes pride in being a completely independent artist who is flourishing while releasing her own recordings. A classically trained flautist and vocalist who grew up in Mount Vernon, New York, Whiteside took up the flute after first learning piano, violin, and drums as a child. While studying classical music, she discovered her passion for songwriting and arranging. When Whiteside first became a jazz, funk and R&B mixologist, she won the Capital Jazz New Artist competition. She began collaborating with Baldwin and Johnson for her debut disc, “Class Axe” (2007), pouring splashes of classical into intoxicating jazz, funk, and R&B cocktails. Whiteside incorporated fusion into the branded brew on subsequent sets: 2012’s “Evolve,” 2014’s “Quantum Drive” and “Treblemaker.” Among her honors, Whiteside was named Flutist of the Year at the Black Women in Jazz & Fine Arts Awards.

Either on her recordings or as a guest artist, Whiteside has flanked urban/contemporary jazz cohorts Earl Klugh, Kirk Whalum, Rick Braun, Marion Meadows, Walter Beasley, Patrice Rushen, Chieli Minucci, Frank McComb, Eric Darius, Baldwin, and Waters. Her spirited stage performances have made her a popular draw at festivals and cruises such as the Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Mallorca Smooth Jazz Festival, and the Capital Jazz SuperCruise. Catch Whiteside in the coming weeks at the Derby City Jazz Festival in Louisville, KY on August 10; Fourth Avenue Jazz Festival in Birmingham, AL on August 24; and at the Gulf Coast Jazz Summer Fest in Pensacola, FL on September 1. For more information, please visit http://www.raganwhiteside.com.

'Hair Love' Set To Hit North American Theaters

“Hair Love” is a heartfelt animated short film that centers around the relationship between an African-American father, his daughter Zuri, and the most daunting task a father could ever come across – doing his daughter’s hair. The short, a passion project from Matthew A. Cherry, will be making its theatrical debut in North America on August 14, 2019, playing in front of “The Angry Birds Movie 2,” from Sony Pictures Animation and Rovio Animation.

Directed by Cherry (executive producer, “BlacKkKlansman”), Everett Downing Jr. (animator, "Up," "WALL·E"), and Bruce W. Smith (creator, “The Proud Family,” animator, “The Princess and the Frog”), “Hair Love” is a collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation that was launched as a Kickstarter campaign in 2017 with a fundraising goal of $75,000. Strong support led to the campaign amassing nearly $300,000, making it the most highly-funded short film campaign in Kickstarter history.

“To see this project go from a Kickstarter campaign to the big screen is truly a dream come true,” said Cherry. “I couldn’t be more excited for ‘Hair Love’ to be playing with ‘The Angry Birds Movie 2’ in front of a wide audience and for the world to see our touching story about a black father trying to figure out how to do his daughter's hair for the very first time.”

“Hair Love” features the voice of Issa Rae (“Insecure”) as the young girl’s mother. The short is produced by Karen Rupert Toliver, Stacey Newton, Monica A. Young, Matthew A. Cherry, and Lion Forge Animation’s David Steward II and Carl Reed. Peter Ramsey (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”) and Frank Abney (animator, “Toy Story 4”) serve as executive producers.

“This is such a special story that means so much to us,” added Ramsey, “Matthew has rallied an insanely talented group of people to get this short made, and to be able to share it with the world is a gift. We hope that audiences can feel this team’s dedication up on the big screen, we are incredibly proud of it.”

The short’s co-executive producers include Jordan Peele, Andrew Hawkins, Harrison Barnes, Yara and Keri Shahidi. The short’s associate producers include N’Dambi Gillespie, Gabrielle Union-Wade & Dwayne Wade Jr., Gabourey Sidibe, Stephanie Fredric, and Claude Kelly.

Physical production of “Hair Love” has taken place at the Los Angeles-based animation studio, Six Point Harness (“Guava Island”).

The picture book “Hair Love” was released by Kokila Books/Penguin Random House, released on May 14, 2019, and became a New York Times Bestseller.

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ABOUT THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2

The flightless Angry Birds and the scheming green piggies take their beef to the next level in The Angry Birds Movie 2! When a new threat emerges that puts both Bird and Pig Island in danger, Red (Jason Sudeikis), Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride), and Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage) recruit Chuck’s sister Silver (Rachel Bloom) and team up with pigs Leonard (Bill Hader), his assistant Courtney (Awkwafina), and techpig Garry (Sterling K. Brown) to forge an unsteady truce and form an unlikely superteam to save their homes.

The film is directed by Thurop Van Orman with a screenplay by Peter Ackerman and Eyel Podell & Jonathon E. Stewart. It is produced by John Cohen, and stars Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Eugenio Derbez, Danny McBride, Peter Dinklage, Zach Woods, Pete Davidson, Dove Cameron, Lil Rel Howery, Beck Bennett, Nicki Minaj, Brooklynn Prince, Maya Rudolph, Tony Hale, JoJo Siwa, Gaten Matarazzo, Colleen Ballinger, and David Dobrik.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ANIMATION

Sony Pictures Animation produces a variety of animated entertainment for audiences around the world. The visually groundbreaking and critically acclaimed "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is the studio’s latest release and the winner of the 2019 Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature. The division is also behind hit film series such as "The Smurfs," "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs," and "Hotel Transylvania." Next for Sony Pictures Animation are “The Angry Birds Movie 2,” the original feature comedy "The Mitchells vs. The Machines" produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, and the studio’s first-ever animated musical "Vivo," featuring original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Sony Pictures Animation, which was founded in 2002, is a division of the Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group for Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Tokyo-based Sony Corporation.

Saxophonist Reggie Codrington Sees 'Sunny Skies'

When the burden of caring for aging and ailing parents is added to the daily stresses and strains, sometimes simply seeing sunny skies is enough to help get through the day. That scenario is what inspired urban-jazz saxophonist Reggie Codrington’s new single, “Sunny Skies,” which he wrote with bassist-producer Darryl Williams. The hopeful mid-tempo R&B groove, mixed by hitmaker Euge Groove and going for playlist adds on August 12, features Codrington’s soulful soprano sax expressions and trumpet play from his 82-year-old father who is battling Alzheimer’s.     

Afflicted with Ataxic Cerebral Palsy that required nine major surgeries even before he became a teenager, Codrington is returning the loving care he received from his parents, Joyce and Ray Codrington. The grind is a challenge physically and mentally, but the optimistic artist awakens each day seeking beauty and blessings in his life that put a smile on his face.

“The song (‘Sunny Skies’) makes me feel happy. I find beauty all around me, even in the rain. But seeing sunny skies makes me feel especially peaceful and happy. Blue skies make me feel close to nature. I’m a pretty simple guy. Life is complicated enough and so are all the things going on in life. Sunny skies keep me moving forward,” said Codrington.

After an intro from Codrington’s label, M.A.N.D.A.T.E Records, Codrington and Williams hooked up a few years ago at a jam session. Williams sent a track to the saxman who then wrote the buoyant melodies for “Sunny Skies.” With Williams programming the drum tracks, playing piccolo and synth basses and keyboards, Codrington emotes smilingly on a special curved horn designed to overcome his physical limitations. Guitarist Darrell Crooks, who has recorded with Grammy winners Eric Clapton, Boyz II Men, Ledisi, Gregory Porter and Kirk Whalum, adds rhythmic licks while Rymand Entezari contributes electric piano touches. Codrington gets emotional when talking about his father, who has played with Little Richard, Gladys Knight and Jackie Wilson, making a guest appearance on the single.

“Yeah, man, he’s an inspiration for me. It means a lot (to me) to have him on the record with all that he’s going through with Alzheimer’s. There’s great beauty in that as well as inspiration for me. Taking care of my parents as their health fails, I try to find the bright spots in each day to keep from feeling down. Everyone has got to find their own ways to get through the day. It could be as simple as looking up in the skies. Just seeing beautiful blue skies makes me feel like I can take on the world,” said the Fayetteville, North Carolina-based Codrington who studied music at Howard University.         

Last year, Codrington dropped a single, “Cherry Sweet,” a song that sprang from helping his mother feel better by giving her cherries. It appeared on his “Against The Odds” disc, titled for the improbable story of how he overcome a rare disability and found a home in music. Ataxic Cerebral Palsy is the least common form of the disorder and is a chronic condition that affects movement and muscle coordination, sparking tremors and walking difficulties. Muscles were cut and transferred from his elbow, wrist and triceps to improve the functionality of his fingers. To make walking easier and enhance mobility, muscles were sliced from his legs. The curved sax enables him to play comfortably. Codrington has performed for President Barak Obama, recorded with Jeff Lorber, Paul Jackson Jr. and Nils, and opened for Ramsey Lewis, Charlie Wilson, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Peabo Bryson, Kenny Latimore, Kim Waters and Kevin Toney. He’s too modest to know what an inspiration he himself is for others. For more information, please visit https://www.ReggieCodrington.com.

Hobbs & Shaw & Black Superman Make A Killin'

By Darlene Donloe

The summer box-office is sizzling with the August 2 release of Fast & Furious Presents Hobbs & Shaw, a live-action, shoot ‘em up starring three of Hollywood’s certifiable cinema hunks.

It’s the trifecta of hotness as Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, and Idris Elba, affectionately called the Black Superman by Hobbs, heat up the screen as they wax comedic by injecting loads of off the cuff humor in between, during and after fight scenes and car chases.

Spinning off from the franchise, Hobbs & Shaw pays homage to Fast & Furious with its over-the-top chaos, big action, cool cars, and chill characters.

Elba’s swag engulfs the screen. Although he really feels and looks like a Black Superman, he plays anarchist Brixton Lore who has powers beyond what Hobbs and Shaw have seen. Others crashing the party are franchise newcomers Vanessa Kirby, WWE star Roman Reigns and John Tui, and several other new faces and family.

(l-r) Jason Statham, Idris Elba, and Dwayne Johnson

It’s no secret how this scenario is going to go. Hobbs has to save the world – again!  He has to do it by kickin’ ass and taking names. He has to do it by completing unbelievable stunts. He has to do it while cracking wise with his nemesis, Shaw. He has to do it while looking good. He has to do without getting any bruises. Here’s the suspend disbelief story.  

Ever since lawman Hobbs (Johnson), a loyal agent of America's Diplomatic Security Service, and lawless outcast Shaw (Statham), a former British military elite operative first faced off in 2015’s Furious 7, the duo have swapped smack talk and body blows as they’ve tried to take each other down. But when cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist Brixton (Elba) gains control of an insidious bio-threat that could alter humanity forever — and bests a brilliant and fearless rogue MI6 agent (The Crown’s Vanessa Kirby), who just happens to be Shaw’s sister — these two sworn enemies will have to partner up to bring down the only guy who might be badder than themselves.

There’s so much unbelievable action that it’s hard to keep up.  Most of it is to show off the fighting skills of Statham and Johnson – whose muscles come into frame before they do.

This movie really is just an excuse to put these three superstars together.  It’s an excuse to showcase outrageous stunts, while wrapping a weak narrative around it. But, it’s ok, it works for a summer blockbuster.

Johnson, Statham, Elba and Kirby, who all work well together, turn in favorable performances. Elba is believable as a bad guy. He’s pleasingly evil and menacing.  Kirby holds her own in the action department. She’s completely adept at the art of the beat down. She’s a babe to be reckoned with. You don’t want to come up against her – as several bad guys find out the hard way.

Johnson and Statham are screen magic together. Their comical banter is funny. Their digs at each other seem authentically like sibling rivalry.  They even fight well together.

Helen Mirren, who plays Shaw’s mother, Queenie, only has a couple of scenes, but she makes the most of them. She’s always a welcomed surprise.  Another celebrity also makes a comedic cameo, but no spoiler here.

The big war at the end, that you knew was coming, takes place on the gorgeous island of Samoa. Lori Pelenise Tuisano is a fresh delight as Hobbs’ Samoan mother and Cliff Curtis is fantastic as his brother, Jonah.  Jonah is less than happy with Luke Hobbs, who hasn’t been home in 25 years.  There is a scene where Johnson, who is Samoan, does an authentic and traditional dance that is wondrous and emotional to watch. In fact, all of the “family” scenes are endearing. After the dance is over, it’s time to bring the pain.  

One of the good things about Hobbs & Shaw is that it doesn’t take itself seriously. All the audience has to do is sit back, take in all the action and enjoy the ride.

This is a great popcorn movie.

Fast & Furious Present Hobbs & Shaw stars Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Eiza Gonzalez, Helen Mirren, Cliff Curtis, Eliana Su’a, John Tui, Josh Mauga, Stephanie Vogt, Helena Holmes and Lori Pelenise Tuisano.

Rating:  PG-13 (for prolonged sequences of action and violence, suggestive material and some strong language)

  

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent), Fast & Furious Present Hobbs & Shaw (Universal Pictures) gets an O (oh, yeah).