This N' That

Okay, I wanted to leave you with something better than my bitterness over HRC and a tired Saphyri/"Lip Chap" video (that girl is seriously touched).

I'll start off with reader emails....the first is from Sergio, tho darkbrotha posted it on his blog. It is the alternate original ending of "I Am Legend"...darkbrotha prefers this version, while I much, much prefer the theatre version. To me it made more sense with the tone of the film. If I recall, it is also faithful to the book it was based on.

For those of you that have seen it, I'd like to know which one you like better:


Legend from DB on Vimeo.


Next is an email I received from the sweet Tayo at alltayo. I love Robert Downey Junior, but he better step carefully after the Shirley Q. Liquor fiascoes:

In "Tropic Thunder," one of three summer films featuring
Robert Downey Jr., the actor appears on screen as a black man.

Downey Jr. plays overly committed actor Kirk Lazarus, a white man cast to
play a black soldier in a satire of the performing profession. The film
also stars Jack Black and Ben Stiller, who co-wrote, directed and produced
it.

"If it's done right, it could be the type of role you called Peter Sellers
to do 35 years ago," Downey told Entertainment Weekly magazine. "If you
don't do it right, we're going to hell."

Stiller said he was "trying to push it as far as you can within reality,"
with the intent of satirizing over-the-top actors, not African-Americans.

"I had no idea how people would respond to it," Stiller told the magazine.
But at a recent screening, black viewers liked the film, he said.

Downey explained that he kept the character from becoming a caricature
because he "dove in with both feet."

"If I didn't feel it was morally sound," he said, "or that it would be
easily misinterpreted that I'm just C. Thomas Howell in ("Soul Man"), I
would've stayed home."

Paramount is set to release "Tropic Thunder" Aug. 15.

From IW: Veeerrry thin ice, RDJ. You said you remember this dude, so take it slow. I think it ruined what little career he had, and what was left of Rae Dawn Chong's:

C. Thomas Howell in "Soul Man"

Speaking of the blackface, check out my blogging sisters' viewpoint on Ms. Shirley Q. Liquor:

Bohemian Hippie Chick from Bohemian Abstractions

Bria from You Better Recognize

Ms. Marvelous from Opinionated Black Woman

To sign the protest, click HERE. It is very easy and takes like 2 minutes. It is from banshirleyqliquor.com

I know I haven't written about the Pan African Film Festival, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why I drop the ball about it either. But until I do write about it, Slaus from OHN sent me this link:

Black Film Festivals Showcasing the Diaspora

News & Notes , February 28, 2008 · Each year, more than 20 black film festivals across the country highlight cinematic achievement — many of them with a global focus. Two of the biggest are in New York and Los Angeles.

Farai Chideya discusses the global popularity of these festivals with Asantewa Olatunji — program director of the Los Angeles Pan African Film and Arts Festival — and Reinaldo Barroso-Spech, cofounder of New York's African Diaspora Film Festival.

From IW: Here is the link to listen: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87767407&ft=1&f=11

I almost forgot...Rita Marley wants Lauren Hill to play her in her biopic "No Woman No Cry".

Hmmm...this might have been a good choice 5-8 years ago. Now? Not so much.



For some reason there has been an outbreak of bloggers going on hiatus. I know that I am not helping, but I'll be back in a couple of days...be blessed!

UPDATE: Sergio sent over this pic of Robert Downey Jr. (middle) in that movie...hmmmmm.