ARISE TV Lifted My Spirits

Arise TV resurrected my spirit this year.  Thank you, Arise TV, for the invites to be a guest film reviewer on Arise On Screen.  That fresh, new weekend film review and entertainment news show is hosted by Mike Sargent.  Mike is a movie critic, an indie filmmaker and a New York City radio host.  I've posted one of my favorite episodes.  So, if you need a half-hour of some background entertainment as your wrapping presents or putting final decorations on the Christmas tree, play this video.  Being in the Arise On Screen mix has been one of the best, most fulfilling experiences of my TV career.

The New York City-based show is fresh and new because TV --- network TV morning news programs or syndicated shows -- rarely, if ever, presented or present black film critics on a regular basis.  You must admit that movie critics on television has been predominantly a Caucasian boys club.  Mike's show kicks open a door with black male film critics and women of all colors.  I wish TV columnists would take note of the racial and sexual diversity Arise On Screen presents every weekend.  I've been proud to be on the show.  I totally dig the entire crew.  This program proves that black folks can indeed join the conversation about big new Hollywood releases, indie films, foreign films and we can discuss old Hollywood classics.  The show is more groundbreaking than folks realize.

In this episode, we kick it off by discussing the entertainment news of this year's Oscars.  I talked about Whoopi Goldberg who, for about 20 years, was the only black actress in Academy Awards history who had two Oscar nominations to her credit.  She was a Best Actress nominee for 1985's The Color Purple...

...and she won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 1990's Ghost.

Today, Viola Davis now also has two nominations on her resumé -- for Best Supporting Actress in Doubt (2008) and Best Actress for The Help (2011).

Screen newcomer Jennifer Lawrence has three Oscar nominations to her credit.  Amy Adams has five.  Only one Oscar nomination for the late Ruby Dee, Cicely Tyson, Rita Moreno, Rosie Perez and Angela Bassett.  That's a deep statement on Hollywood's good script opportunities for black and Hispanic actresses.

Mike Sargent, the fascinating Justine Browning and I will also talk about non-hairy ancient Greeks and take a visit to The Grand Bupadest Hotel.

Enjoy this episode of Arise On Screen.

If you live in New York's Tri-State area, you can watch Arise On Screen Saturdays at 5:30pm Eastern time on Time Warner Ch. 92 or Verizon Ch. 481.

The show repeats Sundays at 5:00pm and 7:30pm Eastern.

If you're in Europe, you TV viewers can watch the show on SKYY.

For folks here in the States who don't have Time Warner or Verizon, the show streams online at the times I listed.  Just log on to www.Arise.TV.

Merry Christmas and thank you so much for your attention.