MOVIE PREVIEWS
NOPE
Rated: R
Release Date: 07/22/2022
Production Company: Universal Pictures

Cast:
Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun, Keith David and Donna Mills.

Crew:
Director: Jordan Peele. Producers: Jordan Peele and Ian Cooper. Executive Producer: Robert Graf. Screenwriter: Jordan Peele. Cinematographer: Hoyte Van Hoytema.
Plot:
By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

No, "Nope," the new sci-fi/horror movie from director/writer/co-producer Jordan Peele is nothing like "Get Out" or "Us," but it is every bit as ambitious, bizarre, and wholly entertaining.

"Nope," is set during the 1970s and reunites Peele with Daniel Kaluuya ("Get Out" and "Judas and The Black Messiah") who plays a horse trainer named OJ Haywood.

His father, Otis Sr. (Keith David, "Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story") has made an extremely comfortable living for OJ and his headstrong daughter Emerald (a sensational KeKe Palmer, ("Lightyear") raising horses on their large, California ranch.

The Haywood's are tied to the film industry. They are direct descendants of the first Black jockey featured in Eadweard Muybridge's 1878 motion picture project, "The Horse in Motion.”
Otis Sr. has worked tirelessly and expanded the business by training his stable of horses and others for Hollywood movies.

However, when he is suddenly and mysteriously killed by a showering of odd things reigning down from the sky, OJ and Emerald are forced to try and keep the business up and running despite financial challenges. They also want to know what really killed their father.

Things get crazier when they reach out to Ricky "Jupe" Park (a terrific Steven Yeun, "Minari" and TV's "Invincible"). He's a former child TV star, who you would think would still be in therapy after a near death experience he was involved in with a crazed chimpanzee who went bonkers during a taping of his show. Ricky seems just fine now and operates a fun amusement park. He's even capitalized on the horrific ordeal.

Just as Ricky plans to unveil a new attraction at the park, more strange things begin to happen. For starters, OJ's horses run away, and there is a cloud in the sky that doesn't move and a sleek, disc like figure keeps darting in and out of it.

Have aliens come to take over this small remote town? It sure seems like some otherworldly stuff is about to go down. When OJ and Emerald experience power outages and a series of creepy events, they decide to act fast.

They seek out a Fry's store technician named Angel Torres (a fantastic and funny Brandon Perea, TV's Doom Patrol") who has some pretty wild thoughts on the whole Alien/UFO thing. They also manage to convince semi-retired filmmaker Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott, "Veni Vidi Vici") to capture the Alien activity with hopes it will be a lucrative venture for everyone involved.

"Nope" isn't a particularly scary movie, but Peele sure has a knack for making your heart race in anticipation of those big moments whether they come or not.

There is also an eeriness surrounding "Nope" courtesy of cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema's ("Dunkirk" and "Tenet") arresting visuals.

"Nope" is dark, demented, funny, poignant, and another bold oddity that showcases Peele's unique and clever style of filmmaking. And yep, that "Buck and the Preacher" poster is a nice touch to boot.

Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 6:20 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.

Watch This Trailer For NOPE"

Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.

OLD SCHOOL VIDEO PICK OF THE MONTH

<b>MAHOGANY</b> Title: MAHOGANY
Year Released: 1975
Running Time: 109
Production Company: Paramount Pictures
Director: Berry Gordy, Tony Richardson and Jack Wormser
Director of Photography: David Watkin
Screenwriter: John Byrum and Toni Amber
Author: Lana K. Wilson-Combs

REVIEW: DIANA ROSS AND BILLY DEE WILLIAMS DAZZLE IN "MAHOGANY"

Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to?
Do you know?
Do you get what you're hoping for? When you look behind you, there's no open doors. What are you hoping for? Do you know? "Theme from Mahogany...
  MOVIE TRIVIA
 
The "Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" was sung by Diana Ross in the 1975 movie "Mahogany." But, who initially recorded the song in 1973?
"Roberta Flack"
"Natalie Cole"
"Deniece Williams"
"Thelma Houston"