End Credits #184 - February 3, 2021(Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)

This week on End Credits, we continue a streak that's now more timely with our first episode for the month of February. In this edition of the show, we will review another Black story featuring a Black cast and a Black director, and it's called Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. And in an effort to further diversity, we will officially kick off Black Heritage Month with a tribute to the directors.

This Wednesday, February 3, at 3 pm, Adam A. Donaldson and Tim Phillips will discuss:

Black Heritage Month: The Directors. Like the headline says, the month is February and that means it's time to reflect on Black History. This week, End Credits does its part by considering great Black directors and their signature films; from Spike Lee and Ryan Coogler, to John Singleton and Kasi Clemmons, and all the incredible talent in-between, we'll give a great list of films and we'll tell you where to find them.

REVIEW: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020). The year is 1927, and Ma Rainey is the Mother of the Blues. One day in Chicago, she and her band record a new album, and the consequences will be felt for years. Viola Davis delivers a powerhouse performance as Ma, but attention also goes to Chadwick Boseman in what would turn out to be his final performance. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a veritable supernova of acting talent, so how does this August Wilson adaptation stand among the year's other great performances?