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FILM REVIEW: John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Keanu Reeves as Wick is 30% a punching bag and 70% an aggressive warrior. Martial arts. Gunplay. Reeves convinces you completely that Wick is the professional all other killers look up to. There is no franchise, as we know it, without him. He dominated The Matrix, and now this.

Published

6 years ago

May 28, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dwight Brown NNPA Newswire Film Critic

Keanu Reeves And Halle Berry In John Wick Chapter 3 Parabellum

Should the glorification of gun violence, as depicted in this action/thriller, become a thing of the past? Is that notion worth a discussion? Think on it.

John Wick is back. In Chapter 3 of this ultra-violent franchise, this assassin digs deeper and deeper into an underworld of hit men and women who are greedy for conquests and money.

Stunt double (The Crow, Matrix) turned director Chad Stahelski (John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2) starts this tale of lawlessness and adjudication with Wick knee-deep in action. He’s running pigeon-toed down rain-soaked streets, across Times Square, through traffic. Before you can take a breath, a hit is put on him with a $14M bounty. What did he do? He knocked off a member of an assassin’s organization, The High Table, in the wrong place.

That kind of loot brings more killers out of the woodwork than roaches scoping out a piece of cake on a kitchen counter. The dude is “excommunicado.” He’s the prey, and the hunters want him dead, not alive.

Hopefully the Stuntman’s Association and Stuntwoman’s Association demanded bonus payments for the 90 body doubles in this movie. Whatever the lead stars can’t do, they do with a verve and athleticism that is astonishing to watch.

Asia Kate Dillon and Lance Reddick in John Wick Chapter 3 Parabellum

The action in this crazed ode to human destruction, whether it’s on horseback or motorcycles or in a hotel or souk, is some of the most mind-boggling and kinetic that’s ever been displayed on-screen. The level of carnage is startling—if not overwhelming. Gunshots pierce bodies, heads, knees and throats. Again, and again.

Keanu Reeves as Wick is 30% a punching bag and 70% an aggressive warrior. Martial arts. Gunplay. Reeves convinces you completely that Wick is the professional all other killers look up to. There is no franchise, as we know it, without him. He dominated The Matrix, and now this.

Ian McShane is back as Winston, the haughty proprietor of the Continental Hotel. He runs his business but is under the thumb of a syndicate that calls the shots and enforces their rules. His right-hand man Charon is played with stern conviction by Lance Reddick (The Wire). Add into the mix: The Adjudicator (Asia Kate Dillon, Orange Is the New Black), who implements consequences. The stealth killer Zero (cult icon Marc Dacascos, lately of Hawaii Five-O) and his deadly ninjas. A local NYC neighborhood leader, Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne). And a Belarusian ballet master named The Director (Anjelica Huston).

Halle Berry in John Wick Chapter 3 Parabellum

The biggest surprise, in a perfectly cast movie, is Halle Berry as Sofia. She plays an old acquaintance of John’s and he needs her help. Initial scenes between the two sitting at a coffee table are dull, like a second-rate acting class. But oh heavens, when the fighting begins Berry pulls out her A-game and is more vicious than a rabid dog. Speaking of which, her performance is enriched greatly by the appearance of two Belgian Malinois. That canine breed was reared to be herders but are now used for policing and protection. Berry and her two four-legged weapons are integral to this chapter and help make it more unique that the other two. In fact, if Sofia gets a spin-off, a legion of fans will follow her.

Tip your hat to: Cinematographer (Dan Laustsen, The Shape of the Water), for his dynamic camerawork, rich lighting and saturated colors. The musical score (Tyler Bates, Joel J. Richard), it punches up the frenzy with every note. Spot-on editing (Evan Schiff, John Wick: Chapter 2), footage is cut so tight it doesn’t give you time to gasp for air. Evocative production design (Kevin Kavanaugh), art direction (Ian Bailie, Teddy Setiawan, Chris Shriver) and set decoration (Letizia Santucci, David Schlesinger) that collectively give the film a masterful look and feel.

Laurence Fishburne And Ian McShane In John WIck Chpater 3 Parabellum

Chad Stahelski creates a world all his own, taking style hints from filmmakers like John Woo (A Better Tomorrow), Chan-wook Park (Oldboy) and Sam Peckinpah (Straw Dogs). Few directors are this deft at creating a wall of violence that intensifies right up to the end. It’s stunning, relentlessly vicious, soulless and well-planned. The script (Derek Kolstad, Shay Hatten, Chris Collins and Marc Abrams) dishes it out, and Stahelski shovels it to the audience, as John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum builds to a chaotic ending. Fight after fight. Gun battles in rapid succession. And more climaxes than a couple on a honeymoon.

You have to admire the spectacle, the rampant, grotesque brutality. If you can’t, at least the target audience of action/thriller/martial arts fans will. They’ll be euphoric.

But questions arise. “Should impressionable tweens and teenagers be allowed to see this mind-numbing violence?” “How will they process it if they do?” “Is an ‘R’ rating (parents must accompany anyone under age 17) appropriate? Would an “NC-17” rating (no one under 17 can see this film) be more fitting?

After weary adult filmgoers stumble out of the theaters, those issues may arise as they chat over a stiff drink, try to calm their frayed nerves and say to themselves: “WTF?”

Visit NNPA Newswire Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com and BlackPressUSA.com.

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

Published

1 week ago

May 30, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.

Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”

The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

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Hoover’s Commutation Divides Chicago as State Sentence Remains

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial.

Published

1 week ago

May 29, 2025

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The federal sentence for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover has been commuted, but he remains incarcerated under a 200-year state sentence in Illinois. The decision by Donald Trump to reduce Hoover’s federal time has reignited longstanding debates over his legacy and whether rehabilitation or continued punishment is warranted. The commutation drew immediate public attention after music executive Jay Prince and artist Chance the Rapper publicly praised Trump’s decision. “I’m glad that Larry Hoover is home,” said Chance the Rapper. “He was a political prisoner set up by the federal government. He created Chicago Votes, mobilized our people, and was targeted for that.”

But Hoover, the founder of the Gangster Disciples, is not home—not yet. Now in federal custody at the Florence Supermax in Colorado, Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial. “There is a divide in the Black community here,” said Chicago journalist Jason Palmer during an appearance on the Let It Be Known morning program. “Some view Hoover as someone who brought structure and leadership. Others remember the violence that came with his organization.” Palmer explained that while Hoover’s gang originally formed for protection, it grew into a criminal network responsible for extensive harm in Chicago. He also noted that Hoover continued to run his organization from state prison using coded messages passed through visitors, prompting his transfer to federal custody.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, has not issued a statement. Palmer suggested that silence is strategic. “Releasing Hoover would create enormous political consequences,” Palmer said. “The governor’s in a difficult spot—he either resists pressure from supporters or risks national backlash if he acts.” According to Palmer, Hoover’s federal commutation does not make him a free man. “The federal sentence may be commuted, but he still has a 200-year state sentence,” he said. “And Illinois officials have already made it clear they don’t want to house him in state facilities again. They prefer he remains in federal custody, just somewhere outside of Colorado.”

Palmer also raised concerns about what Hoover’s case could signal for others. “When R. Kelly was convicted federally, state prosecutors in Illinois and Minnesota dropped their charges. If a president can commute federal sentences based on public pressure or celebrity support, others like R. Kelly or Sean Combs could be next,” Palmer said. “Meanwhile, there are thousands of incarcerated people without fame or access to public platforms who will never get that consideration.” “There are people who are not here today because of the violence connected to these organizations,” Palmer said. “That has to be part of this conversation.”

Stacy M. Brown

Posts by Stacy M. Brown

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WATCH: Five Years After George Floyd: Full Panel Discussion | Tracey’s Keepin’ It Real | Live Podcast Event

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 28, 2025

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=OsNLWTz6jU0&feature=oembed

May 25, 2020. The world stopped and watched as a life was taken.

But what has happened since?

Join us as we return to the city where it happened and speak with a voice from the heart of the community – Tracey Williams-Dillard, CEO/Publisher of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.

She shares reflections, insights, and the story of a community forever changed. What has a year truly meant, and where do we go from here?

This is more than just a date; it’s a moment in history. See what one leader in the Black press has to say about it.

Recorded live at UROC in Minneapolis, this powerful discussion features:

Panelists: