Black Boy Joy, an evening of artistic expression by men of color, is jumping into Austin on April 27. Part celebration, part social commentary, the free event is a joint production of Alliance for Boys and Men of Color Catalyst Fund at Community Partners and the Austin Justice Coalition.
“This event is a way for black youth and adults to find the black boy joy within themselves," explained Gaubrielle Pritchard, AJC board member and show organizer, in a release. "We want to continue the narrative that black men and boys are creative, meaningful, and wonderful.”
In addition to 14 acts, the evening will be hosted by Mike James, and showcase song, dance, art, and spoken word by men of color throughout Central Texas. But more than just celebrating local talent, the evening spotlights the cultural narratives and stereotypes surrounding black men in America.
“If you listen to what the mainstream media says about black boys and men you would think we are thugs who are hyper-masculine, so I want this event to showcase that we too have softer, vulnerable sides to us that can be expressed through dance and song, etc.,” said AJC's executive director Chas Moore in a release.
In addition to the talent showcase, the AJC will also announce the winner of its 2019 Art and Essay Contest, which asked local youngsters, grades third through eighth, to reflect the theme of "black positivity and expression." The winner will receive a $75 cash prize and a book of their choice.
The event runs from 6-9 pm inside Huston-Tillotson University's King Seabrook Chapel. It is free and open to the public.
Screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who wrote the first three John Wickmovies, has essentially had a blank check to do what he wants in the movie landscape since 2014. In recent years that has meant writing the action series Nobody for Bob Odenkirk, who has turned from a comedian into an unlikely action star in his sixties. Kolstad and Odenkirk are teaming up again in Normal.
A film that tries to evoke Fargo in multiple ways, Normal finds Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk) serving as a temporary sheriff for the small town of Normal, Minnesota after the previous sheriff died. Knowing he’s just a steward until a new sheriff is elected, Ulysses takes a live-and-let-live approach to the job, letting the deputies (Ryan Allen and Billy MacLellan) do the grunt work and trying to stay out of everyone’s way, including Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler).
A bank robbery attempt by two non-citizens upsets his best-laid plans in more ways than he can imagine. Not only is he forced to confront a crime not often seen in a town like Normal, but the robbery uncovers secrets that turn the film into an all-out bloodbath. Soon, almost everyone in town becomes involved in what comes to resemble a war, along with — you guessed it — Yakuza henchmen from Japan.
Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Kolstad, the film is a slight twist on the everyman-turned-hero character Odenkirk played in the two Nobody films. While Ulysses is in law enforcement, he prefers to use words instead of weapons, and it’s only when he’s pushed to the brink that he crosses that line. Naturally, his skills are beyond what anyone would expect of him, allowing him to match up well with people half his age.
The film is not a comedy in the traditional sense, but instead aims for laughs by catching the audience off-guard with its ultraviolence. Some characters are dispatched in shockingly unexpected ways, with one of the only natural reactions to the jarring nature of their deaths being laughter. That’s not necessarily the case for other killings, which range from blasé to sadistic, and the only reason they count as entertainment is because the filmmakers have primed the audience to accept them as such.
After a relatively solid setup, where Wheatley and Kolstad seem to take their time getting to know the main characters, the second half of the film is pure action that dispenses with good storytelling. Like many action movies, there are double crosses, surprise revelations, and more, but the filmmakers don’t seem to care about making sense of any character arcs. All they care about is delivering mayhem, and they succeed on that front.
Odenkirk has perfected the mild-yet-intimidating nature of his action characters, and it is satisfying to see him get the better of those who have done him wrong. He doesn’t run or jump like fellow 63-year-old Tom Cruise, but — with the help of fast-paced editing — he still makes for a credible action hero. The only other actors of any note in the film are Winkler, who’s a nice presence with his sardonic personality, and Lena Headey, whose small role doesn't match up with her experience.
You have to have a certain mindset to enjoy a film like Normal, but if you can abide its over-the-top bloodiness, it’s a serviceable action film. Few would have expected Odenkirk to take on these kinds of roles at this late stage of his career, but he’s making the most of his opportunities.
