News

The Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra and his band the Guantanamo School of Medicine recently shared a scorching anti-Trump track, “Satan’s Combover, from their new album, Tea Party Revenge Porn.

“Satan’s Combover” is an obvious nod to the president’s singular hairstyle, and the epic six-and-a-half-minute punk salvo (which was actually written a little bit before Trump won in 2016) finds Biafra in expertly biting form: “Don’t fight the banks/Fight those worse off than you/We wipe out your jobs/Blame the immigrants too/Shot through the back...

Black Hollywood Education and Resource Center has launched Black Carpet Speaker Series, a free series providing Black filmmakers a platform to discuss their careers, influences, latest works, and filmmaking insights. Bherc has tapped powerhouse directors Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Old Guard) and Kasi Lemmons (Harriet) to host the first live virtual speaker series where they’ll be discussing the urgency to tell stories of black women and disrupting the status quo. Following the Black Carpet Speaker Series, which kicks off July 31, is Bherc’s annual Reel Black Men Film Festival that runs from August 1 – August 8. The fest spotlights shorts created by African-American male filmmakers. Reel Black Men provides an opportunity to screen these shorts and showcase the directors’ skills, talent and vision through film screenings while giving the audience a chance to view and discuss the artistry, passion, and sacrifice involved in the independent filmmaker process.

***

Orange Is the New Black...

Mexico City — TV producer Aaron Norris, showrunner of “Walker, Texas Ranger,” is teaming with Buffalo 8, producer of Spike Lee’s Netflix original “Rodney King,” to produce “Peace River,” a one-hour drama series set on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Norris (“I Love You Phillip Morris”), created the series with Sheree J. Wilson – “Dallas’” April Stevens Ewing and star with Chuck Norris on the entire eight-year run of “Walker, Texas Ranger” – and writer-producer Ani Kyd Wolf, CEO of Canadian production company Sugar Skull.

Described by Buffalo 8 as “timely” in a press statement, “Peace River” turns on a former big city vice cop who, after her husband is killed, packs up her kids and returns to her childhood home, the small border town of Peace River. But going back home is not as simple as she imagined.

Norris, Wolf and Wilson executive produce, along with Matthew Helderman and Peabody Award winner...