July 2023 – Destiny Delights

Showrunner Prentice Penny Finds Security in HBO’S ‘Insecure’: Interview

July 11, 2023July 11, 2023Posted in Home Page Posts, TVTagged HBO, Insecure, Issa Rae, Prentice Penny, USCLeave a comment

Though it’s been 8-months and several hundred COVID-19 variants since the ending of HBO’s iconic Issa Rae series Insecure, it still feels like just yesterday that the intertwining lives of four hilarious and complex Black women debuted on our screens. Insecure was not only groundbreaking at the time of its premiere in 2016, but it will also stand the test of time as a cultural reset for narratives about Black women living their well-rounded lives on screen. Insecure helmed by seasoned industry producer and first-time showrunner, Prentice Penny, unabashedly followed the casual sex lives, messy drama, and existential crises that come with living in such a visceral way. The Black Cape talks to Prentice about his time at Insecure, Emmys season, and what inspires him as a filmmaker.

Continue reading →

Jub Clerc’s ‘Sweet As’ Is a Candy-Coated Coming-of-Age Tale

July 11, 2023Posted in Film, Home Page PostsTagged Indigenous Peoples, Jub Clerc, Shantae Barnes Cowan, TIFF, Toronto International Film FestivalLeave a comment

When all hope is lost, sometimes all it takes is to jump on a minibus with five complete strangers and trust the journey. Sweet As, written and directed by debut filmmaker Jub Clerc, is an endearing coming-of-age story about navigating hardship, maintaining resilience, and foraging human connections.

Continue reading →

Master of All Trades: An Interview with ‘I Love My Dad’ Director, Writer, and Star James Morosini

July 11, 2023Posted in Film, Home Page PostsTagged I Love My Dad, James Morosini, Patton OswaldLeave a comment

From a sexy and seductive conniving soccer coach in HBO’s The Sex Lives of College Girls to an awkward and suicidal young adult on the outs with his father, writer-director-actor James Morosini is out to prove that he’s got range. I Love My Dad is a heartwarming cringe-comedy tale based on a true story from Morosini’s life involving his father (played by Patton Oswalt) catfishing him out of concern for his wellbeing.

Continue reading →

How ‘Accepted’ Director Dan Chen Shines A Light On Students Amidst A Broken System: Interview

July 11, 2023Posted in Film, Home Page PostsTagged Accepted, Dan Chen, Documentary, TM Landry CollegeLeave a comment

Accepted directed by Dan Chen is an educational and heartfelt documentary that focuses on the nearly perfect success rate of the Louisana-based T.M. Landry College Preparatory, which boasts of closing the educational inequality gap faced by minority students in search of higher education past high school. Despite not having proper teaching credentials, the school’s namesake founder Mike Landry, alongside his wife (the T stands for Tracey, Mike’s wife), was able to get kids into top-tier colleges such as Cornell University, Harvard University, and New York University.

Continue reading →

Of Fireflies and Friends: An Interview With the Creators Behind ‘Triple Threat’ A Queer Millenial Musical

July 11, 2023Posted in Film, Home Page PostsTagged LGBTQ, Margarita Zhitnikova, Musical, Stacey Maltin, Thriple ThreatLeave a comment

“It was really important to us to present diversity and queer characters out there without making any of those things an issue,” says Stacey Maltin, who co-wrote, directed, and starred in Triple Threat, a progressive musical romance drama. “These are people who are living their lives, who are falling in love—or out of love—and who have dreams just like everybody else.”

Triple Threat is a heartwarming story that follows the tireless journey of three vivacious best friends, Chloe (Maltin), Maggie (Margarita Zhitnikova), and Gus (co-writer Jay DeYoker) who have dreams to make it big on Broadway. Now in their 30s, when the trio’s Broadway show Firefly becomes a smash hit 10 years later, they suddenly find themselves at a crossroads between fame or putting their careers on hold to try and start a family. It’s an inspirational movie that could ring true for many aspiring artists who think they might have to proverbially throw in the towel and put their biological clocks on hold in lieu of their careers, or vice versa.

Continue reading →

‘Raymond and Ray’ Thoughtfully Explores the Bonds Between Humor and Trauma

July 11, 2023Posted in Film, Home Page PostsTagged Apple TV+, Ethan Hawke, Ewan McGregor, Rodrigo Garcia, TIFF, Toronto International Film FestivalLeave a comment

Director Rodrigo Garcia has nearly perfected the balance between tragedy and humor in his latest film Raymond and Ray. Equal parts grim, chaotic, and laugh-out-loud funny, Raymond and Ray is a wonderful dark comedy-drama about coping with trauma passed down to us from our parents.

Continue reading →

‘Only Virgins Left Alive’: Boys Love Manhwa Review

July 10, 2023Posted in Books, Home Page Posts, MangaTagged BL, Boys Love, Lezhin, Manhwa, Only Virgins Left Alive, Sanzang, YaoiLeave a comment

Lovelorn pining, playful fighting, and sensual biting take center stage in Korean Boys Love Manhwa Only Virgins Left Alive by Sanzang. It’s a short, raunchy comical romp through the lives of two males that certainly stretch the boundaries on whether or not opposites attract.

Continue reading →