HARRIET Shares the Story of Freedom

Jeri Jacquin

On Bluray/DVD and Digital this week from director Kasi Lemmons and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is a story of the run for freedom with HARRIET.

Minty (Cynthia Erivo) is a young slave woman working on a plantation married to free man John Tubman (Zackary Momoh). Believing their time had come to be set free according to a prior agreement, Minty is upset to learn that the agreement won't be honored by plantation owner Edward Brodess (Mike Marunde). Angry that she even asked, Brodess orders her sold. Looking on is son Gideon (Joe Alwyn) who has known Minty since they were children.

When Minty asks God for answers, Gideon lets it be known that he also has no intention of honoring his grandfather's agreement. Knowing that she has no other choice if she is ever to have a life beyond the fields, Minty plans to make a run north. She also knows that leaving husband John behind will save his life.

She tells her mother and father goodbye and his final father order is to visit Reverend Green (Vondie Curtis-Hall) who gives Minty a mental map to freedom. Not far behind her is Gideon who is not about to let her go. When the two finally meet, it is on a bridge over a rushing river where she makes the ultimate decision.

Making her way north, she meets William Still (Leslie Odom Jr.) who takes notes of slaves who find freedom and asks Minty if she wants to give herself a new name for her new life. Choosing Harriet Tubman she meets Marie Buchanon (Janelle Monae) who helps her settle in safely and a job. For the first time, Harriet is free to come and go while making a wage without fear.

But Harriet can not forget her husband or family left on the plantation. She makes it clear to William that if she made it north, so could they. She proves all the nay-sayers wrong and so begins her effort to go back and forth from south to north taking as many as possible to freedom.

Gideon's father passes and now he is more obsessed with finding the girl he knows as Minty but Harriet isn't about to stop what she is doing or be stopped by anyone.

Erivo as Harriet portrays a woman who trusts in her faith and doesn't let what others think of her get in the way of her goal. Thinking she is being led one way, it becomes quickly clear that her life would be dedicated to helping others. Her speech in the company of Frederick Douglas is what cements the belief that her path is laid out before her with the Underground Railroad.

Alwyn as Gideon is obsessed with keeping Minty on the plantation, so much so that he's willing to promise her anything to make that happen. When she refuses his offer, Gideon starts a mission to do whatever it takes to get her back. Marude as Brodess is a plantation owner who isn't about to let one single person leave and teaches that behavior to his son Gideon.

Odom Jr. as Still is a man who does everything he can to help slaves who manage to get to Philadelphia. Keeping records, he fears for what Harriet is doing but that's not stopping her! Momoh as Tubman is a free man who is married to Minty as a slave. Believing that one day the agreement would be honored, insists that running is the way to go. His life would change as well when Harriet returns to help family.

Monae as Marie is the first woman in Harriet's life who teaches her what freedom means and how to fool anyone stopping her in the south. She is elegant and graceful and, more importantly, an owner of a business. Curtis-Hall is the Harriet's preacher who also becomes important in helping slaves fleeing the south.

Other cast include Daphne Reid as Miz Lucy, Clarke Peters as Ben Ross, Vanessa Calloway as Rit Boss, Omar J. Dorsey as Bigger Long, Henry Hall as Walter, Tim Guinee as Thomas Garrett, Nick Basta as Foxx, Joseph Anderson as Robert Ross, Antonio Bell as Henry Ross, CJ McBath as Junyah Ross, Alexis Louder as Jane, Tory Kittles as Frederick Douglas, and Jennifer Nettles as Eliza Brodess.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us to all experience and re-experience in our own home theaters. There are film of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

MOVIES ANYWHERE gives viewers the ability to download the Movies Anywhere App. With that you can view films by downloading or streaming to your favorite device using a Digital Code. For more information on Movies Anywhere please visit www.MoviesAnywhere.com.

The Bonus Features include Deleted Scenes, Her Story, Becoming Harriet and Feature Commentary with Director and Co-Writer Kasi Lemmons.

HARRIET is a riveting story about a woman who defies the odds of slavery, survival and dangerous trips from south to north to free other slaves. Keeping it simple in the telling allows the viewer to become emotionally invested in understanding the life of Harriet.

This is the genre of film that can be an enormously beneficial teaching tool and hope that teachers will use it. It shows the human spirit and potential to change the wrongs of the society then and what can be accomplished now.

In the end - be free or die.

UGLYDOLLS Arrives on Bluray with a Sing-Along Edition

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray/DVD and currently on Digital from director Kelly Asbury, STX Entertainment and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment are the every so cuddly UGLYDOLLS.

It is another fun filled day in Uglyville and Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) believes it is her day to make it to the big world. Ox (Blake Shelton) tries to tell Moxy that she should be happy where she is but nothing is going to stop her from believing.

That’s when Lucky Bat (Leehom Wang) tries to help Ox but instead gets it a little twisted. Now Moxy believes that she needs to go find her perfect kid in the big world instead of waiting for the big world to come to her.

Moxy, Babo (Gabriel Iglesias), Uglydog (Pitbull) and Wage (Wanda Sykes) find a pipe and the consensus is that it leads to the big world. What they don’t expect is to find the Institute of Perfection for dolls led by Lou (Nick Jonas) who immediately tells the UglyDolls that they basically can’t handle the institute.

The group decides that they are going to stay and find help in Mandy (Janelle Monae), a doll who doesn’t believe she fits in either. She decides to help the UglyDolls by changing the way dress so they can get along easier but Lou makes it clear once again that it isn’t going to help.

Back in Uglyville, Ox realizes that Moxy and her friends are missing and go looking for them. He also discovers the Institute of Perfection but he has a secret of his own that isn’t going to be a secret for long. Lou may be trying to keep the UglyDolls down but when secrets are revealed, nothing will ever be the same.

This group finds their worth in a place that sees them as worthless!

Clarkson as Moxy brings her vocal talents to the character but also a lot of spirit. There is certainly nothing wrong with wanting a kid of her own and Moxy believes that it is her destiny. Patience and happiness go a long way but when the chance presents itself, Clarkson sings and of hope and the possibilities her character longs for.

Shelton as Ox is the leader of Uglyville and he wants everyone who lives there to be happy with who they are. Keeping an eye on Moxy, Ox especially wants her to be happy with where she is and not go looking for anything else.

Wang, Iglesias, Pitbull and Sykes are just the right friends to follow Moxy through the pipe because it is no place to go alone. Their wariness are completely understandable and their humor is absolutely hilarious.

Monae as Mandy is a doll who doesn’t see herself as one of the others at the Institute for Perfection. It doesn’t help that she doesn’t have friends backing her up, that is until the UglyDolls arrived!

Jonas as Lou is a doll unto himself making those around him feel less than they should ever feel. Lending his vocal talents as well, Jonas gets to sing his charming way through the film and when the time comes – reveal the secret between the Institute and Uglyville.

Other cast include Ice-T as Peggy, Emma Roberts as Wedgehead, Jane Lynch as Scanner, Natalie Martinez as Meghan, Stephen Zimpel as Michael, Bebe Rexha as Tuesday, Charli XCX as Kitty, Lizzo as Lydia, and Enrique Santos as Nolan.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has just added an amazing film to their library and making it available for us all to experience and re-experience in our own home theatres. There are films of every genre available from scary to drama to family films. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.uphe.com.

STXFilms and Entertainment is a global next-generation company who has taken on the mission to unlock the value of direct connection stars have with their fans through the development, production and distribution of film, television, VR, digital video, music and live entertainment content. It is the industry leader in transforming beyond traditional platform-driven content to creating talent-driven enterprises. To experience more please visit www.stxfilms.com.

The Bonus Features on Bluray and DVD include Sing-Along Edition, Sing-Along Tease – a small taste of the big fun the Sing-Along Edition provides, Fun with the Cast of UGLYDOLLS- watch the cast of UglyDolls play fun games that showcase their unique talents, Making UGLYDOLLS – a closer look at the music behind the film and the talents voice cast that brings these rich characters to life and Theatrical Trailers.

UGLYDOLLS is a lesson on how we treat one another and the words we use. The split between Uglyville and the Institute only further the misunderstanding between them. Moxy is such a lovely character who believes that she has a destiny and discovers that she isn’t the only one who believes that.

This film is colorful, friendly, inviting, funny and toe tapping with the musical numbers. That is what parents want in films they taken their entire family to see. If it all happens to be wrapped up in life lessons then its all the better.

This is a classic underdoll story!

HIDDEN FIGURES Launches on Bluray/DVD and Digital HD This Week!

Jeri Jacquin

On Bluray/DVD and Digital HD this week from director Theodore Melfi and 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment is a moment in history that finally has come to the surface releasing the HIDDEN FIGURES.

The space race is on as the United States and Russia compete to put a man in space. Becoming frustrated as Russia pulls forward, Al Harrison (Kevin Costner) wants only the very best on his team. That would be Katherine Gobel (Taraji P. Henson), an African-American mathematician who is sent to work in a room full of men who clearly have their own issues with race.

Upset that she is part of the team; roadblocks are put in her way by colleague Paul Stafford (Jim Parsons) who isn’t happy she is there. To make matters worse, there is no restroom close by and the coffee pot seems to be off limits. Determined not to let that stop her, Katherine is joined by friends Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) who wants to be an engineer and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) who decides that she will move up the NASA ladder her way.

Slowly Katherine proves that her methods are spot on and so much so that John Glenn (Glen Powell) supports not only the work but Katherine personally. Harrison sees the tension between Katherine and Paul which calls for serious changes. Her frustration lies in the fact that the computations change daily and all her hard work is for nothing. By standing her ground the group begins to come together.

Dorothy learns through Vivian Mitchell (Kristen Dunst) that something called an IBM computer is the mathematical problem solver of the future. Knowing that means the jobs of she and the other women are in jeopardy, Dorothy takes matters into her own capable and smart hands.

Mary has the dream of becoming an engineer with NASA but knows that further education is something out of her reach. Told by capsule maker Karl Zielinski (Olek Drupa) that she needs to make it happen, Mary takes her dream to court!

When John Glenn prepares to go into space, he calls upon Katherine to give him the go from Mission Control – a place she has earned to be!

Henson as Katherine is smart and sassy working her way through many roadblocks. Believing in herself and her mathematical gift is inspirational as it should be with three young daughters looking to her for guidance. Taking on the larger position of putting a man into space, she puts her head down and pushes forward – until its time to do more than push forward. Henson gives Katherine grit and heart never letting one moment of doubt take her down.

Spencer as Dorothy is a woman who knows she is doing the work without the pay of a supervisor. As a problem solver, Dorothy takes it upon herself to learn about the new technology coming to NASA. Spencer has proven continually to be an actress who takes her roles to heart and Dorothy is no exception.

Monae as Mary is the saucy one of the bunch who has no problem telling it like it is. Telling people their issues is an easy way of hiding her own – which is to find a way to fulfill her dream. Feeling as if NASA is pushing the engineering dream further out of reach, Mary discovers a way to not only get the education she needs but make her mark doing so.

Costner as Harrison doesn’t have time for games or those who play them. Bringing Katherine into the group he makes it clear that he doesn’t have time for anything but the best. Once he is made aware of the conditions Katherine is dealing with, he doesn’t waste any time removing barriers in his department of NASA. Costner leads but in such a way that his character is important but also steps aside for his talented lady costars to tell their part of the story.

Other cast include Mahershala Ali as Col. Jim Johnson, Aldis Hodge as Levi Jackson, Kimberly Quinn as Ruth, Kurt Krause as Sam Turner, Ken Strunk as Jim Webb, and Donna Biscoe as Joylette Coleman.

HIDDEN FIGURES is a film that digs deep into the history of NASA on a project that is hugely historical. What also gives these performances such richness is the set design and costuming. Any time I watch a period piece it is important to transport not only me but all viewers into the, pardon the pun, space and time of the story. HIDDEN FIGURES and director Melfi do just that.

I had the pleasure of speaking with director Ted Melfi about HIDDEN FIGURES and what it took to bring that piece of history to the silver screen.

JJ: Good morning Ted, thank you so much for speaking with me today about your film.

TM: You are so welcome Jeri.

JJ: I had never heard this story before, what inspired you to become involved?

TM: When I first read the proposal by producer Donna Gigliotti and had the same reaction as everyone else of ‘How is this possible? There is no way this is a true story.’ I started to dig into it and understand that it was a true story of how NASA had a team of women putting our guys up into space I was floored. I mean I have two daughters and they are still being told in this day and age ‘don’t worry about learning the math’. I find that shocking especially since we are trying to lift them up and show them that they can do anything a man can. This story inspired me and there way no way I could say no too making this film. 

JJ: Especially since it is part of history, a lot of girls were told even when I was younger that math wasn’t important to learn.

TM: It is a shame that we minimized women in Science, Math and Engineering and the truth is they are as good if not more so having the mind for it.

JJ: I think maybe a little more patience too.

TM: Yes!

JJ: When choosing the cast, what drew you to these three women in particular?

TM: I have been in love with Taraji P. Henson’s work ever since the film BENJAMIN BUTTON and in that film she blew me away. My wife and I saw it together and said ‘who is that actress?’ that was playing Brad Pitt’s mother in the film. I was blown away by her passion, strength and raw power and honestly. Then you watch her in the role of Cookie in the television series Empire and that woman from BEJAMIN BUTTON was now Cookie in Empire. I knew that she had this incredible range in her and I knew she would be the perfect off-beat choice of Katherine Johnson. I wanted to go for it and she was so inspired by the challenge and took it on. She is absolutely amazing and inspiring in this role.

JJ: And Octavia Spencer?

TM: Octavia, I mean there is nothing that I can say enough about her as Dorothy Vaughn.

JJ: I was actually thinking the same thing. I mean what more can you say about her?

TM: I know, Octavia could play absolutely anything you could throw at her and it would be fantastic. She is one of the greatest actresses of our time in my mind. That one was a no brainer. Janelle Monae playing Mary Jackson and we wanted someone different, unique and exciting for this character. Janelle is exciting and passionate and wild and inspired and takes dramatic turns. She always makes wild choices with her work and it shows in this performance as well.

JJ: It’s the beautiful trio to be sure.

TM: Yes, Taraji brings the quiet introverted brain of the group. Octavia is the foreman and the maternal leader of the group and Mary is the wild child who always has to be reminded that it’s 1961.

JJ: You have Kevin Costner in the mix who seems to be the buffer.

TM: Kevin Costner is one of the most unique men I’ve ever met in my life. He brings that integrity and worth ethic into every thing he does. His character, Al Harrison, represents the glue that kind of holds the teetering space program together. He balances the science and the math along with the business and imaginative people. Back in 1961 in the Jim Crow south is dealing with racial tensions in the workplace. It’s not that he is unaware of what is happening as much as he doesn’t care. He is about the mission. In his mind the mission and the math of what they are trying to do trumps race and sex of a person.

JJ: I hope that people get that there are so many issues in this film, not just one specific issue. How was that for you as a director covering it all?

TM: It was exciting to be honest with you. To me the 1960s was an explosive time in history. The space race was happening, the Cold War was happening, Civil Rights issue were happening, the Kennedy assassination was happening, Martin Luther King assassination was happening…

JJ: See, that’s what I mean, so many, many issues!

TM: They are all running parallel to each other as well. The Freedom Riders bus protested to Washington D.C. the day before Alan Shepard launched his first mission into space. That should tell you the parallels between these two races and how they basically started to achieve success together in tandem is mind boggling. To pack all of this in one movie was an enjoyable task and to be able to get to say something about who we were and who we are and what we can become as a country when we work together.

JJ: Did you find that you had to do a lot of your own research to allow yourself to get deeper into the film?

TM: Oh yes, I did endless research. I researched every detail of the movie. I dug into a mass amount of books and documentaries about all of this. The Discovery Channel had a series When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions (2008) and I dug as deeply into Civil Rights as I did NASA. I re-watched the PBS series Eyes on the Prize [A documentary that documents the Civil Rights Movement from 1952 to 1965] about how it all occurred. I did tons of photo research as well. In regards to the math I learned everything from the ground up from like trajectory calculations etc. I kind of became a dangerous expert of it all.

JJ: When you are talking about the mathematical side of it, how did Taraji handle it? I mean she’s writing equations on the board so fast!

TM: Taraji being the mathematician consulted with the same person I did from Rudy Home who received his PhD. out of Morehouse College. He trained Taraji and she memorized the math having so much time with him. Taraji might actually be a genius on her own. What she can do I have not seen that often, memorize something and understand it in a very short period of time. She did it effectively and efficiently in one take.

JJ: I realize there is so much in this film to experience but as the director what would you want viewers to take with them after watching the film?

TM: See the film to be reminded of how great American has always been and how when we work together, regardless of race, sex or creed, there is nothing that this country can not achieve together.

JJ: It’s so very well said and very true, thank you Ted!

This director has a straight vision for this film and with an absolutely stellar cast bringing a story that should be shown in every classroom!

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

The Bluray/DVD and Digital HD include Special Features with It All Adds Up - The Making of Hidden Figures, No Limits – The Life of Katherine Johnson, The Right People for the job, Recreating an Era – The Look of Hidden Figures, A Spiritual Journey – The Music of Hidden Figures, Moving the Decimal – Honoring Katherine Johnson, Deleted Scenes, Hidden Figures: Filming in Georgia, Audio Commentary by Ted Melfi and Taraji P. Henson and a Gallery.

This is a music see that was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer and Best Adapted Screenplay. The Digital HD allows everyone to watch on all devices which is just a great way to see where ever you are.

In the end – meet the women you don’t know behind the mission you do!