by LeBron Hill | Apr 12, 2019 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Childhood is one of the most memorable times in our life — a time where dreams of becoming princesses, astronauts and cowboys are never questioned — when being a superhero was as easy as climbing up the top of the stairs with a blanket tied to your neck, jumping as far as you can, until being defeated by the ultimate super villain. Gravity. Shazam takes those memories, along with action, humor and childhood antics and then wraps it up all in one for a great time for everyone. Zachary Levi (Shazam) was a dark horse for the role of the Great Wizard once the movie was announced in 2017, but his performance captures the warmness and wit that makes Shazam such a great character in all of comic books. Billy Batson (Asher Angel) has been in the foster care system since he was a young child, and he’s only had one person to look out for — himself. That changes when a family takes in the rebellious teen. While reluctantly adjusting to life with a family, he encounters the Great Wizard, Shazam, who champions Batson and bestows his powers to him when Batson says one word, SHAZAM! The highlight of the film is the accuracy of how it would be should a 14-year-old boy actually be granted super powers. The child in everyone relates to Billy with his decisions while being the Great Champion. Again, Levi does an amazing job of harnessing the joy and newness of youth. Angel also gives a wonderful performance as the rebellious teenager creating a sense of understanding from the audience. Originality of Shazam’s...
by LeBron Hill | Mar 12, 2019 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider, Opinion
Transitions can be hard — moving out of your parents’ house and actually paying bills, or when your university changes from Pepsi to Coke. #neverforget With Marvel’s highly anticipated “Avengers: Endgame” premiering late next month, “Captain Marvel” sneaks in as the last superhero introduced in Phase Three, Marvel’s timeline of character storylines, thus transitioning into the next chapter of the Marvel Universe. The movie isn’t anything too spectacular; it doesn’t help that it’s placed in the middle of “Infinity War” and “Endgame,” acting as an appetizer before we devour the main course. Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) finds herself right in the middle of the war between the warmongering Kree and the shapeshifting Skrulls. With her mind swiped of her memories, Carol Danvers must hone her newly-found radioactive powers and regain who she is. The storyline is solid, but the overall ideas and themes are overdone. You enter into “Total Recall“ territory with the lost memory premise and then combine that with an intergalactic war of “Star Wars” proportions and sprinkle in “Star Trek”-like cosmetics. Larson’s supporting cast is a bright spot of the film, which is led by Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes) and Ben Mendelsohn (Rogue One), and you can’t have a Marvel movie without the Kangol-wearing king of box office blockbusters, Samuel L. Jackson. It makes sense that casting for this film would be so strong, considering how importantly the storytelling in this film will lead into more to come. In the comics, Captain Marvel becomes the new leader of the Avengers with Iron Man passing the torch to her. It seems to be the way the movies...
by LeBron Hill | Mar 7, 2019 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
A painting featuring two African American men embracing one another in a kiss in the “Colour Somewhere” exhibit in the Hutcheson gallery will not be taken down, despite initial concerns from Lipscomb administration. Curator Lawrence Matthews III said his decision to choose the piece reflects the overall message of the gallery. “I try to represent all of the different aspects of blackness that are not always highlighted in the forefront — but also the wholeness — black people in love, existing in their own element,” Matthews said. In the piece by D’Angelo Williams entitled “The Lovers,” two black men wearing white tank tops are embracing each other in a kiss while their faces are each covered by Du-Rags. The piece is inspired by the 1928 painting under the same title by Rene Magritte. The original painting features a heterosexual couple with the same concept, faces covered by white cloth in an embrace. The male figure wears a black suit and tie with a solid white shirt. He embraces a woman clad in a red, sleeveless garment with white trim. Matthews said Lipscomb staff contacted him on the day of the event with concerns of “vulgarity” within some of the artwork, but Matthews noted that the actual night of the premiere went smoothly. A couple of weeks after the opening, he received word of negative reactions to Williams’ photo. “I got a text that someone was uncomfortable about that piece and that it had to come down,” Matthews said. “I immediately called the art department, and I’m like, ‘If that piece comes down, I’m taking the whole show down.’” Mike...
by LeBron Hill | Feb 22, 2019 | News Slider, Opinion
Donald Trump has been on a mission to “build that wall” since his 2016 presidential campaign. Flash forward to 2019 and Trump is continuing to make good on his word to create a wall spanning the entire length of the southern border of the United States. Trump’s mission has become yet another wedge into the already divided society in America. The issue is not whether or not we need better defense surrounding the border, but how we go about it. When someone speaks of keeping their family safe, they do not speak of one race or people being the main threat. Their goal is to make sure they’ve taken any measure to keep their family safe from anyone or anything. Everyone can agree on that. A more divisive way to say that would be, “I want to keep every black and brown person away from my home because they’re all criminals.” No one person, race or sexual orientation can be accountable for the actions of a few. However, it’s become a common concern for Trump supporters to believe that immigrants pose a threat. It’s hard to imagine how immigrants and refugees (yes, there is a difference) who are leaving everything behind — friends, family, work, comfort — can be considered more of a threat than the 42 percent of Americans who have access to a gun. There’s no wrong answer when talking about border security. Yes, we need to protect our borders from any threat to our country. Other presidents have tried to do this before him, including President Obama. However, condemning someone for wanting a better life is...
by LeBron Hill | Jan 31, 2019 | Arts and Entertainment, News Slider
Lumination Arts and Entertainment reporter LeBron Hill discussed the recent nominations of the 91st annual Oscars with filmmakers Steve Taylor, Sydney Tooley and Nashville film critic Cory Woodroof. Topics ranged from the quality of this year’s work to nomination snubs and expectations of the year. Watch the full video below: ...
