Leanna Firestone is no stranger to storytelling, whether throughout her early days as a fanfiction writer or creating deeply personal lyrics, the 23-year-old singer-songwriter has always had a talent for narrating her words into something special. Her latest single, “Keeping Score,” tells the tale of getting revenge on an ex. However, on the track, the Nashville-based artist takes a break from autobiographical songwriting and embraces a playful and fictional story.
01-21-23- Snipes presents Freestyle is the Key Style. An event that showcases the battle element of the dancing world. The event was hosted by Hot 97’s DJ Enuff and DJ Mike Nasty.
As the preliminary rounds commenced, it was clear that the energy from the contestants was transferred throughout the audience. Some of the fan’s favorites jumped to the forefront as the audience was a key part of judging the performances from Davii- A Minnesota native who had wild hair dyed red immediately began feeding off the energy of the audience and the judges which made him a favorite quickly.
After four long years, Marvel Studios has finally blessed us with a Black Panther sequel: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Having been released mere days ago, the film is already the highest grossing theatrical debut for the year and 13th highest opening weekend grossing film of all time. How do we suggest you see this top crossing film? On a Dolby screen, of course. And here’s why…
To begin, much of the film is a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who tragically passed away in 2020 of stage III colon cancer at the age of 43. Dolby’s ultra-vivid colors and sound system make seeing Boseman’s face on the silver screen feel like we never lost the talented actor at all. Beginning with T’Challa’s (Boseman) death, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) is now at the helm, running an empire that is rich in vibranium, a metal used to make weapons and armor. Tensions rise when other nations attempt to procure this scarce resource via taking it by force or tracking missions in the Atlantic Ocean led by the US government.
The Atlantic is populated by the Talokan and led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta), who wishes to keep Talokan secluded. However, the tracking mission threatens exposure to his secret empire. Infuriated, Namor goes to Wakanda, claiming them responsible for the mission and asks for help to kill the lead scientist who built the vibranium tracking device, but Wakanda refuses, thus spurring conflict between the two worlds. What ensues is a complex tale of colonialism, struggle, and loss.
Seeing the world building executed by Ryan Coogler on the Dolby screen enriched the experience for the viewers. The Dolby screen unlocked the emotional impact of every scene and enhanced the costume design that defines each character within their respective communities. And thanks to Dolby’s superior sound capabilities, the audience felt like they were part of the action scenes.
In all, if you want to be one of the millions who have seen Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on the silver screen, our suggestion is to experience the beauty and power of this film on a Dolby screen near you.
Don’t Worry Darling, the highly anticipated Olivia Wilde film starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, about a housewife living in the idyllic community of Victory, can only be seen one way: at Dolby Cinemas.
Pugh, who plays Alice Chambers, a woman wholly devoted to her husband, Jack (Styles), begins to question her surroundings as she experiences vivid dreams and hallucinations. She also starts to challenge the founder of the Victory Project, Frank (played by Chris Pine), who has a stronghold on the residents of this seemingly utopian community.
The film is visually stunning, featuring vibrant colors of a Palm Springs-like atmosphere contrasted with scenes showcasing a vast desert landscape. With Dolby’s high resolution screen, viewers were truly able to see the beauty of the film so viscerally that at times we almost felt as though we were in the desert with Alice. Dolby’s visual experience is further augmented by the sound quality, wherein viewers can hear and feel the complementary music score composed by John Powell.
The film begins by showing the passion between Alice and Jack, who are newlyweds as well as new residents of Victory. Every day, Jack drives to work through the desert and over to a large, ominous dome that sits atop a hill, miles away from Victory’s city center. Alice begins to experience lucid dreams and visions at varying hours of the day and night, which become unsettling to her as she begins to confront Frank and his wife, Shelley (Gemma Chan), about what is really going on at Jack’s workplace and what the purpose of the Victory Project really is.
Between Alice’s visions of black and white synchronized swimmers, being pressed between a wall and a glass door, and surrounding her own head with saran wrap, Don’t Worry Darling creates a visually stunning and yet incredibly tense experience for the viewer with an mind-blowing twist at the end.
Our suggestion? Put aside the off-screen drama and go see this visual masterpiece at a Dolby Cinema near you.
How far into the Land of Luck would you go to find your friend a forever home? This is the question asked by Luck’s protagonist, Sam Greenfield (voiced by Eva Noblezada), as soon as she came upon Bob, a Scottish black cat (voiced by Simon Pegg) with whom she shared a panini in her local neighborhood.
Directed by Peggy Holmes, Luck is a film that follows Sam, an eighteen year old girl who has just aged out of her foster home. As she leaves to embark on her journey into adulthood, Sam makes it her mission to find her friend, Hazel (voiced by Adelynn Spoon), the forever home she was never able to find for herself. Having come upon a lucky penny after her chance encounter with Bob, Sam happens upon the Land of Luck where she must face leprechauns, dragons, and talking pigs to scrounge as much luck as she can for Hazel.
LOS ANGELES, CA – July 30: Eva Noblezada, Adelynn Spoon, John Ratzenberger and Colin O’Donoghue attend the world premiere of Apple Original Films’ “Luck” at The Regency Village Westwood Theater.
Throughout Sam’s journey to turn her bad luck around, screenwriter Kiel Murray doesn’t just communicate a heartfelt message that life is full of random ups and downs that we must embrace, but also uses five-star talent to convey that message. The film features star-studded cast members such as Jane Fonda (voicing Babe the Dragon), Whoopi Goldberg (voicing The Captain) and John Ratzenberger (voicing Rootie).
When Murray was asked what the motivation was to write Luck, she said, “for me the idea that bad luck and [Sam] enduring a lot of bad luck could become a superpower she could turn around” is a powerful theme that resonates in our every day lives. During Sam’s various misadventures to find luck, she finds a lot of bad luck along the way. It is these random ups and downs that allow Sam to help Hazel and herself find the pieces of luck that were sitting right in front of them all along. In short, watching Luck teaches us that with every lucky streak need just as much bad luck to appreciate the good. After all, sometimes a kink in that lucky streak can lead to other fortunes down the line.
Luck is available for streaming on Apple TV+.
Last Sunday night, we really were all in this together.
Actors Vanessa Hudgens and Oliver Trevena hosted a charity event for No Kid Hungry x Cali Cares on behalf of their cactus water brand Caliwater at Spago in Beverly Hills. The star-studded event included brand investor Glen Powell (Top Gun), comedian Dane Cook, Paris Jackson and many more came out to support ending child hunger in America.
Oliver Trevena & Vanessa Hudgens
Hudgens and Trevena emceed the event for their guests, which included a full evening of programming, silent auction, live auction, seated dinner, performances, and cocktail hour. There was certainly no shortage of cocktails as guests enjoyed drinks featured by event sponsor El Cristiano Ultra Premium Tequila, specialty Caliwater cocktails, Thomas Ashbourne Craft Spirits, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, wine from Malibu Rocky Oaks Estates Vineyards, Gancia Sparkling Wine, along with Nue Vodka and Calamity Gin.
At the sit down dinner, attendees enjoyed performances by musical guests such as Jake Wesley Rogers, Alexander 23, Leo Gallo, and Hudgens showed off her pipes backed by a live jazz band with a performance of Billie Holiday’s “All of Me.”
Some hot ticket auction items included were a lunch and workout at Dogpound with Glen Powell, a membership to Artha Wellness Sanctuary, a Hydrow rowing machine, and a painting by artist Oleg Jones.
Glen Powell & Oliver Trevena
All funds went to Caliwater’s official charity partner, No Kid Hungry. Please click HERE if you would like to donate towards eliminating child hunger in America.
Hosted at NeueHouse Hollywood, Hannah Marks screened her new film, Don’t Make Me Go, starring John Cho (Searching) and Mia Isaac in her on-screen debut. The story centers around Max (Cho) and Wally (Isaac) Park as they travel across the country to make contact with Wally’s estranged mother after Max has been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor.
Max decides to keep his diagnosis from his daughter, and although his odds of survival are bleak there is a 20% chance he could survive if he opts to have surgery that could remove the tumor. Deciding not to risk it, Max keeps the prognosis from his daughter as they drive from California to Florida to find her mother.
John Cho, from left, Mia Isaac and Hannah Marks at Amazon Studios “Don’t Make Me Go” Los Angeles Special Screening on Monday, July 11, 2022.
The father-daughter relationship is not often showcased on the big screen. Marks does a wonderful job of illustrating the delicate balance of teachable moments between Max and Wally. “It’s an optimistic version of what we’re capable of being,” said Cho.
Prime Video, who hosted the event, supplied guests with a plethora of hors d’oeuvres and an open bar before guests were ushered upstairs to the rooftop where the screening took place. Notable guests in attendance were Hayley Law (Riverdale), Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), and Isabella Ferreira (Orange is the New Black).
Amazon Studios “Don’t Make Me Go” Los Angeles Special Screening on Monday, July 11, 2022.
Guests were also supplied with additional drinks, snacks, and blankets as they cozied up to watch incredible performances by incredible talents. We can’t wait to see what Cho, Isaac and Marks do next.
Don’t Make Me Go is streaming on Amazon’s Prime Video
It’s not every day you get to sit in a room full of people talking openly about mental health, but that is exactly what arthur gallery’s new short film, Genesis X, prompted dozens of young adults to do. Hosted at the Hippo Factory Studios in Los Angeles, the 15 minute movie was screened in the large photo studio with an open bar and music featured by William Anthony.
The film follows a down-on-her-luck young woman named Xiomara, played by Jalesa Marks. Xiomara is struggling to turn her life around and impress her esteemed father working for an infamous corporation. As she continues to perform tasks for the company, she struggles to break free from her anxiety feeling as though there is no escape.
As many young professionals have seen, the standards of work ethic and face time set by corporations lead to increased anxiety and a diminished sense of self-worth. gallery explores this notion in Genesis X by outlining the pressures Xiomara faces from the corporation while also outlining the parental pressures that come with said performance. Stylistically, gallery also illustrates these tensions through Xiomara’s body language, a strong cinematic color palette, and action scenes. The film’s musical efforts, led by William Anthony, also create a palpable sense of stress as we see Xiomara struggle to reconcile her work and her emotions.
Q&A moderated by Sadé Unique Grandberry
Q&A moderated by Sadé Unique Grandberry
During the Q&A with gallery and the cast, the discussion centered around the anxieties and pressures of corporate life. The open dialogue was refreshing given mental health is still seen as a taboo subject. Take away from the night? There is a little Xiomara in all of us, but perhaps there is an escape if we continue to de-stigmatize mental health.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a New York Times Best Seller, selling over 12 million, is now a film!
Set in North Carolina in the 1960’s the film depicts the story of “Kya” played by Daisy Eager-Jones, as she stands trial for the murder of a handsome man, Chase, played by Harris Dickerson. The murder mystery film tells the story through Kya’s eyes, which is captured with flashbacks.
The Knockturnal spoke with the stars of the film at the premier of Where the Crawdads Sing, and their perspective of the film. Main character Daisy Eager-Jones says her take away from reading the screener was the resilience of her character, “I think I was so incredibly moved by how incredibly resilient Kya is as a character.” Eager-Jones says “She suffers a lot, but she keeps going and she remains hopeful for something better”.
Logan Macre, who plays Jodie, said that his reaction was “hopeful” when he began reading the screener for the film. “You just want everything great to happen to Kya, you know?” says Macre “You feel for this girl the entire time and you’re like ‘please something amazing happen to you’[..] it takes a very long time, but when it finally does, you’re [Kya] so deserving of it because you’re such a resilient individual”.
Where the Crawdads Sing is in theaters now.
Netflix hosted their Open House cocktail party in celebration of their upcoming and returning real estate and home renovation reality titles.