Film Features

On This Day: "Training Day" Captured the Reality of Law Enforcement

Antoine Fuqua's cult classic is a reflection of today's policing.

Training Day

YouTube.com

On October 5, 2001, Training Day was released in theaters in the United States.

The David Ayer film follows two LAPD narcotics cops played by Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. Detective Sergeant Alonzo Harris (Washington) evaluates beat cop Officer Jake Hoyt (Hawke) for 12 hours to see if he has what it takes to survive in his unit (and on the streets) as a detective.

This crash course in Narc 101 leaves Hoyt at the mercy of Harris dishing out his brand of "justice." What starts as an evaluation becomes a firsthand look at police corruption, with Hoyt unsuspectingly (and unwillingly) going from pupil to accomplice. Alonzo serves as judge, jury, and executioner of the people he's appointed to protect, manipulating Jake's perspective on what law and order really mean.

Training Day | Modern Trailer | HBO Maxyoutu.be


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We're bombarded with photographs of celebrities on a daily basis from all corners of media.

The more fascinating snapshots are of celebrities enjoying themselves, being human outside of the ability to walk to and from their cars. The intersection of the sports and entertainment industries is the apex of celebrity culture: they're two of America's greatest exports. As such, NBA games are the go-to place for celebrities to see and be seen. They sit courtside and often interact with the States' greatest players. It's a celebrated celebrity crossover. From viral moments to costing championships, the appeal of this kind of content reminds us how much we love seeing our celebs being truly human, in a way that can't be masked on the carpet or scripted in interviews.

Spike Lee

Many forget Spike Lee is the NBA's GOAT nuisance. The 1994 Eastern Conference Finals became a historic, frustrating moment for NBA stars. In Game 5, Lee's sideline antics had Reggie Miller dropping 25 points in a quarter, almost costing the Knicks their place in the finals. In Game 6, Chicago Bulls' Scottie Pippen was fed up with the director's commentary. After dunking on Ewing, Pippen walked straight up to Lee and directed him to sit down. The power move birthed an inadvertent player vs. fan feud.

Spike Lee's basketball interference didn't end there. The long-time fan called out the Heat back in 2012, claiming on behalf of The Knicks, "We're gonna kick LeBron's ass." Lee may have trolled and attempted to bait the star from the sidelines but didn't manage to faze him. Really, Spike Lee walked so Drake could run.

Rihanna

Speaking of Drake, Rihanna has also become a notable presence in arenas across the country. She may not have an allegiance to a particular team, but she's definitely LeBron's A-List groupie. Wherever he goes, she's there.

Also, who can forget the phenomenal moment Ethan Hawke made his son switch seats with him to mack on the singer. He really was all of us.

Beyoncé and Jay-Z

Anytime Beyoncé shows up, someone is going to write about it. Whether it's LeBron getting a little too close to Beyoncé for Jay's comfort or Nicole Curran (wife of Warrior's owner, Jacob Lacob) talking across Beyoncé, it's always entertaining to watch.

Sophie Turner

Across the sports spectrum, Sophie Turner has taken over the sideline, chugging wine and juuling up a storm. Her fun-loving, no-fucks-given personality is everything we could want and we hope to get more of it soon.

Drake

Oh, the reason we're all here. Think-pieces aside, the "appointed" Toronto Raptors' Global Ambassador was a great marketing strategy. Unfortunately, the Spike Lee impersonation isn't as genuine or inviting as the original. The rapper covered up several of his Warriors' tattoos in favor of Canada pride, rubbing everyone the wrong way. His enthusiasm is so notable, Barack Obama asked NBA commissioner, Adam Silver if Drake was behaving himself.

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend

Everyone loves when a celebrity get dunked on, but we love it even more when they embrace it. Teigen did just that when Dwayne Wade crashed into the pair, causing their drinks to splatter.

Welcome back to "Now in Theaters: 5 New Movies for the Weekend."

This week sees the release of the Marvel's latest blockbuster and, oh man, angry internet dudes are raging.

WIDE RELEASE:

Captain Marvel

As the first female-centered superhero movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain Marvel's success or failure will likely influence the priorities of Disney's future output. This is probably a positive thing, as the movie is likely to do very well at the box office and it's about time we have more superhero movies that star people other than white guys. But does that mean Captain Marvel will actually be a good movie? Judging from the trailers, it's hard to say––it looks just like every other MCU movie from the past decade. If you like everything else Marvel puts out, you're probably going to like this. Otherwise, it looks as generic as always, albeit with the very talented Brie Larson in the leading role.

LIMITED RELEASE:

An Elephant Sitting Still

AN ELEPHANT SITTING STILL Trailer | TIFF 2018www.youtube.com

Deeply human and incredibly depressing, An Elephant Sitting Still follows four people in China as they travel to the city of Manzhouli to visit an elephant who is said to sit completely still and ignore the outside world. Each of the four protagonists, ranging from a schoolboy to a pensioner, are trying to escape their morbid realities––the repercussions of severely injuring a bully, parental disputes, an illicit affair leading to a friend's suicide, being offloaded into a nursing home against one's will. It's not a feel-good movie (the writer/director killed himself shortly after finishing), but it's an honest, empathetic glimpse of humanity.

The Kid

The Kid (2019 Movie) Official Trailer – Ethan Hawke, Dane DeHaan, Jake Schurwww.youtube.com

A semi-biographical Western about a young kid who befriends famous lawman Pat Garrett (Ethan Hawke) and legendary outlaw Billy the Kid (Dane Dehaan) as he tries to save his kidnapped sister from the clutches of his evil uncle (Chris Pratt). The cast is pretty great and the action looks decent, but the dialogue seems a bit too on the nose judging from the trailer. That being said, Westerns don't come to theaters very often, so if you have an itch for gunslinging, this might scratch it.

Babylon

BABYLON • Official Trailer HD • Kino Lorber Repertory & Seventy-Sevenwww.youtube.com

A British film made in 1980 but never before released in the US, Babylon tells the story of a black, working-class reggae musician named Blue. The movie explores the Jamaican "sound system" culture, along with police racism, poverty, and violence against young black men. Watching it now in theaters is an interesting experience, as the movie works as an 80s cultural time capsule while remaining politically relevant today.

Gloria Bell

Gloria Bell | Official Trailer HD | A24www.youtube.com

A reimagining of the 2013 Chilean-Spanish drama Gloria from the same director (Sebastián Leilo), Gloria Bell stars Julianne Moore as a divorcee living it up on the Los Angeles club scene. Not too many movies out there focus on the dating experiences of middle-aged women, making Gloria Bell a rarity, and a good one at that. John Turturro co-stars as Gloria's love interest, but the movie's heart lies entirely with Julianne Moore and her phenomenal performance.


Dan Kahan is a writer & screenwriter from Brooklyn, usually rocking a man bun. Find more at dankahanwriter.com



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