This And That....

Okay, just a reminder that posting will be spotty as I make my way back to Cali (yay!)....no disrespect to my Southern blog brothers Yobachi and The Happy Go Lucky Bachelor, who both told me to quit crying in my empty Martini glass and find a moonshiner, haha.

I leave you some random news, movie and otherwise....

First up--I had some high hopes for this movie when I first wrote about it (Notorious), now I'm not so sure. From the looks of this picture, I'm not feeling that Derek Luke can handle his Puffy duties, as well as these other assorted, umm "actors" handling theirs:



Finally some good news! I am hoping this becomes the norm from now on. A subject that comes up here quite frequently is the question why various Black actors and/or athletes don't get together and start funding films. There is hope on the horizon. from AOL:

With most of the cast of Showtime's cancelled show Soul Food now doing films and theater, Rockmond Dunbar is stepping up his game and taking it to another level by producing and making his directorial film debut with the indie film 'Pastor Brown'.

Dunbar is producing with Carol Ann Shine and Re'Shaun Frear. Rock Capital Films' Steve Belser, Shaun Livingston of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers and former NBA player Charles Oakley are on board as executive producers, states the Hollywood Reporter.

Now filming in Atlanta, 'Pastor,' penned by Rhonda Freeman-Baraka, is a twist on the prodigal son story. It follows a wayward pastor's daughter, Jesse Brown, as she returns from a life as an exotic dancer to make amends with her family and teen son and eventually lead her father's parish, becoming Pastor Brown.


From IW: About time! Say what you want about the premise, at least it's a start, and may the independent funding trend flourish and stay well.

While reading AOL I spotted this picture of Kadeem Hardison with news that he is in some random movie.....uhhh...at least he looks healthy.



Also news from one of my blog favorites, Soulbounce:

Oprah Winfrey has confirmed that Alicia Keys is set to play Lena Horne in an upcoming biopic about the legendary entertainer's life. The media mogul chatted about the upcoming project while working the red carpet at the premiere of The Great Debaters. Oprah will produce the Horne bio, and a script has already been written for the movie slated to start filming in '08.

If done right, this Lena Horne role could do for Alicia Keys what playing Dorothy Dandridge did for Halle Berry. Let's just hope that Keys doesn't resort to showing her berries and other assorted goodies on film like the latter.


From IW: Hmmm....I'll reserve judgement on this one for now. I will say that while I think Alicia is a wonderful woman, I find her music a tad boring, and don't really feel she's sassy enough to play curse-like-a sailor (as sometimes yours truly does) Lena. But I can't think of anyone else at the moment who could play her, and at least it's not Halle Berry.


And finally, thank you to my blog folkses Yobachi at blackperspective.net and Ms. Marvelous Opinionated Black Woman for giving me two more "E For Excellence" awards--both of these bloggers are very serious, so it is an honor that they take the time to read and recognize my random indulgences over here...thanks, guys! :-)

I also want to take the time to thank every single person that takes the time to read my blog, and your comments mean a lot to me. Sometimes they make my day, haha. (You lurkers are alright with me too...)

My blog keeps growing every month, and I feel truly blessed that some enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Big love to all y'all!

Gary Parties Like It's 1999...

I don't know if Gary is leaving CSI to make more movies or make more time to party. Either way he better slow his roll. Spotted on D-Listed:

Gary Dourdan of "CSI" was arrested in Palm Springs yesterday on suspicion of possessing heroin, cocaine, ecstasy and prescription drugs. TMZ reports that the cops found him asleep in his car at 5:21 in the morning. He was taken to a Palm Springs jail where he later posted $5,000 bail and was released.

From IW: Damn! At least wait till you get home. What is up with all these celebs flying high while driving? Shenanigans I tell ya.

btw, the pic is gary's mugshot

Weekend B.O.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (Thanks Sergio!)
April 25–27, 2008
Studio Estimates

1) Baby Mama Uni. $18,271,000

2) Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay NL $14,570,000

3) The Forbidden Kingdom LGF $11,230,000 Total: $38,255,000

4) Forgetting Sarah Marshall Uni. $11,014,000 Total: $35,077,000

5) Nim's Island Fox $4,525,000 Total: $38,954,000

6) Prom Night SGem $4,400,000 Total; $38,115,000

7) 21 Sony $4,000,000 Total: $75,775,000

8) 88 Minutes Sony $3,600,000 Total; $12,632,000

9) Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! Fox $2,410,000 Total: $147,883,000

10) Deception Fox $2,225,000

11) Street Kings FoxS $2,125,000 Total: $23,682,000

12) Leatherheads Uni. $1,815,000 Total; $29,276,000

I saw Harold and Kumar (don't judge me!) cause I was very surprised at how much I liked the first one. But just like 99% of all sequels, it was a disappointment. It also seems to lose the magic when you wait too long after the first ones (Rush Hour and Indiana Jones, anyone?)

If anyone saw any of the new releases this weekend, give me a holler and let me know what you thought....

Random Movie News....

Sorry for the light posting as of late--be patient with me....I've been on an extended stay in the South, and am going back home to Cali and have business to tie up for a minute. Let me put it this way, after experiencing life as a Southerner, I never want to be out of arm's reach of a Chambord martini (or beach) or the possibility of one ever again! No liquor on Sunday? GTFOH!
Some things have been piling up; of course Sergio has been sending me Black Cinema news, being the sweetie pie he is. I'll share a few of the film tips he sent over...first up, hopefully Isaiah Washington can recoup his film career (I felt he was too big for TV anyway). From The H'wood Reporter:

Isaiah Washington has booked his first major feature film role since exiting "Grey's Anatomy" in June.Washington will star opposite Forest Whitaker in "Patriots," the Dimension's sports drama being directed by Tim Story. Also joining the cast are Taraji P. Henson, Robbie Jones, Jackie Long, Eric Hill, Bow Wow, Lil' Wayne, Irma Hall, Jarod Einsohn, J.B. Smoove and Chyna McClain.

"Patriots," based on a true story, is set in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when Al Collins, a high school basketball coach in Marrero, La., assembled a team of players who previously attended five different schools and led them on the path to the state championships.

Washington will play an assistant coach at John Ehret High who helps lead the squad.

Robert Eisele ("The Great Debaters") and Greg Allen Howard ("Remember the Titans") wrote the script. Raymond Brothers and Scott Glassgold of IAM Entertainment and Stephanie Allain and Michael Beugg are producing. Shooting begins this week in New Orleans.


From IW: Not really my flavor, but good to see Isaiah working. And me love Jackie Long.

Next up for all of you aspiring filmmakers; here is an interesting way to gain some exposure;--it is also telling about how new media will be working in the millennium. From AOL:

Always the innovative filmmaker, Spike Lee's next project is somewhat unique in its own way.

The Hollywood Reporter states that Spike Lee has linked up with Nokia to direct a movie made with cell phone footage from everyday people in what he calls the democratization of film.

The film by Nokia Productions will consist of three acts. An 'assignment' for each act will be announced online and people will then have four weeks to produce their submission.

'You are seeing first hand the democratization of film," Lee said in a statement on Thursday. "Aspiring filmmakers no longer have to go to film school to make great work. With a simple mobile phone, almost anyone can now become a filmmaker.'

The film's theme will evolve around the way music tells the story of humanity, and people can submit text, music, video or images at certain times between now and August 21.

Nokia will choose 25 submissions, then people can vote online for their favorite for a top 10 from which Spike Lee will then choose the winning submission from each act.

Lee will direct the film through the Web site.

The final film with the three winning submissions and other contributed content will premiere later this year in Los Angeles.


From IW: And finally, a heartfelt thank you to Ms. Marvelous at "Opinionated Black Woman". She graced me with the Red Rose Award and this mini-poem:

A single Red Rose is a wonderful gift

It shows the heart

and gives the spirit a lift

I feel the same about her blog 100%. She puts her pure thoughts and feelings out there, no holds barred, and it is very brave. Kudos to her for making us all know life is universal, whether we care to admit it or hide it. Love ya, MM!

Update: Hey Atlanta fam! There is a free screening tonight of "Neo Ned" with Gabrielle Union that some folks say is very similar to the film that Halle is to star in about a woman with multiple personalities, one a racist. Here is the info:

Event Name: Urban Film Review
DATE: Tonight, Monday, April, 28th
TIME: 7:00pm
LOCATION: Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta, GA 30309

MORE: FREE! Arrive early, limited seating.

Click here to RSVP

Today In B'Days

Giancarlo Esposito is 50. Still sexy as hayell.

Giancarlo has made some great ones, and he has made some clunkers, but he is never, ever boring. I think my favorite performance by him was in "Fresh", as a New York Spanish drug dealer. He always seems to play a detective these days...

There are no clips of "Fresh" online (unfortunately). So here is one of some movie I never heard of until today called "The Box", with him and Gabrielle Union. It is from Code Black, the company that seems to release 2 Black films a week, all straight to DVD material.

It looks perfectly awful; we will add this to Giancarlo's "clunker" category:

Old School Music Friday

This week's meme is Men With Perms, and mine hasn't been without one in three decades. Sure it's mutated, but it is always fresh pressed to death, even in torrential rain (ie. The Superbowl).

This song is from what I consider a very underrated movie, and an even more underrated soundtrack. Almost every song from this album was a wonder; interestingly written and amazingly arranged. Everyone always focuses on Purple Rain, but this movie project, though a vanity one, was straight genius compared to anything coming out of any music artist today. Here is the Purple One at his zesty move finest, with a horrible hammy ending with Jerome from The Time:

The Evolution Of Prince's Perm

Electronic Village Chatting Over Cocktails Ms Grapevine Quick Cassandra Danielle Lisa C Chocl8t DP Kreative Talk MarvalusOne Regina LaShonda AJ Sharon Dee SJP sHaE-sHae songs in the key of life Hagar's Daughter There...Already

They Better Not Ask Him To Act Like Noxema...

Wesley Snipes gets 3 years in the pokey. Damn!

Somethin' In The Milk Ain't Clean...

Okay, somebody is gonna look like a complete and total fool any minute now. Spotted on Bossip:

Allegedly, Chris Tucker is on some dead-beat ish:

“Chris Tucker is facing a legal battle with a woman who claims he is the ‘deadbeat father’ of her two-year-old daughter. Gail Webb is demanding child support payments from the 35-year-old comedian, claiming the pair dated for years before he disappeared as soon as they discovered she was pregnant with little Krista Jane.She says, ‘I just want help with Krista and want her to know her father. If Chris Tucker wants to go to court, I welcome the opportunity to show the world what a big liar - and deadbeat father - he really is.’ But the Rush Hour star maintains he has never even met his accuser.”

Say it isn’t so. Especially with all those stacks, we hope he’s not holding out on his responsibilities. On the other hand, it does sound like that chick is looking for a payday. DNA tests never lie, so we’ll have to wait ‘n’ see on this one.

From IW: What kind of mess is this? She says they dated for years, and he says he never even met her. Jesus be a paternity test. Remember the rumor that he and india.arie were dating? What happened to that?

Today In B'Days

Dijmon Hounsou is 44.

Derek Luke is 34

Cedric The Entertainer is 44.

Hard to believe that Dijmon and Cedric are the same age, yes?

By the way, from what I've read, Derek Luke is going to play one of Tyler Perry's "miracle men" in "Madea Goes To Jail". He does have the right body type for a Tyler Perry movie...

Milk Carton Alert!

I couldn't sleep last night, so at 2am I caught an old episode of "New York Undercover". Yes Malik Yoba's lips were semi-ash free then, but in this particular story was Tyrin Turner. What the eff happened to him?

He broke out in "Menace To Society", which, very coincidentally, happens to be on BET tonight. He was in "Panther" and "Belly", then....nothing. I looked up his profile and saw that he had an uncredited role in "How High". Damn, not only are you in "How High", but you are uncredited too? SMH.

All I know is between Malik Yoba's chap and Tyrin's innertube lips, I could barely concentrate on last night's storyline, haha.

All of the clips from Menace were too long, so here is the trailer:

Ridiculosity At It's Finest...

He's Black. He's Brutal. He's Boss.

LMAO at the theme song "He's boss...they call him Boss....Boss Nigggaaaaaaah!" Worst. Soundtrack. Ever.

He's Not The Second Coming, But....

I've been reading this book on the spiritual laws of prosperity. I was grabbed by one particular passage today....I guess it's because I have been thinking so much about politics lately:

"This is the most enlightened age the world has ever known. It has been stated that more progress has been made on this planet in the past one hundred years than in the past ten thousand years! Jesus promised that, when the Spirit Of Truth is come, it would guide us into all truth. This is the age when the truth about God, man, and the universe is being explored and revealed as never before."

IW: I'm not super religious or anything, but Amen. I think Obama is part of this awakening; he has a consciousness and conscientiousness like no politician I've ever seen. I wish him well on his journey, and no matter how things turn out, he has given politics the much needed shake it has deserved for way too long--and as a result has put many a perpetrator under the microscope for the fools and/or hypocrites that they are.

Dolemite For President And Sh*t....

Speaking of Obama, Undercover Black Man will be live-blogging the Pennsylvania primary tonight (my Philly folkses stand up!).

I found this on his blog the other day.....did you know that Rudy Ray Moore aka Dolemite ran for president in 1972? And you thought Kwame Kilpatrick as a politician was pimpin'. From his site:

I betcha Rudy Ray Moore woulda knew how to handle Hillary Clinton in that debate last night. I ain’t lyin’!

Sheeeeit, that bad muthafucka Dolemite ran for president way back in 1972... before Barack Obama even had fuzz on his nuts.

Click here and listen to Rudy Ray’s campaign speech and press conference (NSFW). It is an artifact of political rhetoric that Sen. Obama would do well to study.

From IW: Too funny. But I must admit, after that heinous debate the other day, Obama seems to have gathered some swagger (ie: the "dust my shoulders" move). I guess he finally realized that he was wasting his time on the sea-hag known as Hillary Rodham.

Random Movie News....

And I mean hecka random. Sergio sent me these tidbits last week, but I've been in slack mode. You might have seen these movie announcements somewhere else, but for those who haven't here they are:

First up, from AOL:

Brett Ratner is in negotiations to direct Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment's remake of 'The Incredible Shrinking Man.' Brian Grazer is producing the project, which has Eddie Murphy attached to star.

The Hollywood Reporter states that an updated version of the best-selling novel and 1957 sci-fi classic starring Grant Williams, 'Man' is taking the comedic approach to the fantastical material, telling the story of a famous Las Vegas magician who is put under a spell that causes him to shrink. He must find a way to reverse the spell before he gets so small that he 'disappears.'

Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant penned the most recent draft of the screenplay for the project, which had previously seen Pete Segal and Keenen Ivory Wayans in the director's chair.

From IW: Dang, even Keenan Wayans moved on from this mess? Eddie is solidifying his morph process into Jerry Lewis.

Next is a film that might be awesome if anyone else was attached to star. From Variety:

Halle Berry will star in and produce psychological drama "Frankie and Alice" for indie shingle Access Motion Pictures in association with Reality Pictures in Motion.

Story follows a young woman struggling with multiple personality disorder and torn between who she is and a racist Caucasian alter-personality that preys upon her mind. No production start date has been set.

"Frankie and Alice" is the second independent production for Toronto-based Access Motion Pictures, which recently completed "Phantom Punch," a Sonny Liston biopic starring Ving Rhames and directed by Robert Townsend.

From IW: If only Angela Bassett or....anyone else could do this role. *sigh* Never mind....


You probably heard this one. Keshia Knight Pulliam is gonna play a prostitute in "Madea Goes To Jail". Everyone seems to be up in arms over this, but I'm sure ol' girl has bills to pay, and what else have we seen her in lately? Besides, truth be told, if you read the gossip blogs she is waaay past Rudy on the Cosby show.

And speeding in on the "Just Why?" train and narrowly missing one of my "WTF Volumes" is this...from Yahoo:

A "Soul Train" movie is on track to arrive in movie theaters next year, the creator of the venerable urban dance television show said on Thursday.

Don Cornelius told Reuters that he has teamed up with Warner Bros. Pictures to develop a buddy comedy that he hopes will spawn multiple sequels.

The project, currently called "Soul Train: The Movie," revolves around two male dancers on the show who get into "a lot of good stuff and some bad stuff as well," said Cornelius, who will serve as a producer.

It features "lots of music, lots of comedy," he added, as well as "a little bit of violence." He also promised it would be "more than slightly sensual."

"'Soul Train' has always been about sexuality," Cornelius said. "It's almost never been about guys, and almost always about girls. It's what has kept us afloat for these three decades or so."

From IW: What? I can't even comment on all that's wrong with Don and his "genius". Might be time for the home for the elderly....

By the way, the picture above is of some of the original "Soul Trainers". Come to think of it, those dudes look as zesty as that story idea sounds...

Did anyone else see "88 Minutes"? I could not figure out for the life of me why Al Pacino never seemed pressed even once that he had like an hour and a half to live. Not once. Didn't even break a sweat. I love thrillers, but save this one for Showtime, straight up.

And finally, thanks to Villager for bestowing on me the "E For Excellence Award" for my blog. It is wonderful to be recognized amongst your peers, and with the work he does over at Electronic Village ....it makes me proud that he took the time to recognize me and mine. Check him out when you have a chance---he always has very important and relevant information about our folkses and our community. He is building something over there that we can all be proud of.

Ummm, OK, If You Say So......

A couple of months ago, I posted this pic of this dude who was supposed to be a Denzel Washington lookalike. He looked about as much like Denzel as my Yorkie. While cruising the internets, I found that he is part of a management company that has a whole string of lookalikes, most of them looking like the stars they are supposed to be as much as he looks like Denzel. They are all described like him, just insert the celebrity name:

This Denzel Washington [or other celebrity] impersonator is excellent for corporate & private events, company picnics, trade shows, clubs, fundraisers, & advertising. This accomplished impersonator not only looks like the performer, he has captured Denzel Washington's mannerisms as well. In addition, you can arrange to provide your audience with photos taken with "Denzel Washington" as souvenirs.

Alrighty then. See if you can guess who these "celebrities" are. Answers at the bottom:


one

two

three (easy)

four (hint: hasn't been in movies)

five

six

seven

eight

nine

1)beyonce 2)janet jackson 3)prince 4)barack obama (?!) 5)halle berry 6)halle berry 7)halle berry 8)oprah winfrey 9)jennifer lopez

Today In B'Days

Shemar Moore is 38.

Ten Films You Should See If You Love Black People

FILM 8

from the Ebony/Jet site by Jacquie Jones

Do The Right Thing

Spike Lee

I am one of the few people in the black world, it seems, who actually does not think Spike Lee’s debut film, She’s Gotta Have It, is essential viewing in this category. It is not as over-hyped as Melvin Van People’s Sweet Sweetback’s Badasss Song, but, let’s say, it’s got issues, in my opinion, that are not explained away by the youth of the filmmaker. That notwithstanding, I’m a big Spike Lee fan and could recommend a few titles for those of you who are too young to have been forced by your black nationalist friends to see these movies when they first appeared – Malcolm X and Four Little Girls, especially – but start with Do the Right Thing. In it, you will get a taste of Spike’s brilliant palate and his unmistakable love of black people, his virtuosity really. (For an even more in-depth look at this film and its moment, also see St. Claire Bourne’s “Making Do the Right Thing.”)

From IW: Okay. Over the years I have learned to keep my mouth shut over this movie, as it seems to be a perennial favorite of both Black and non-black fans. But this is my blog, so I can say what I want, and I have never liked this movie. I found it preachy, shrill, overwrought and heavy-handed. Yeah, I said it. I also found the characters to be loud, cartoonish, and ultimately annoying. All of it was just too much in every way.

But that is just my humble opinion.

Here is a clip kinda from the movie. It is a version of some scenes made with Fisher Price toys set on Sesame Street, with Ernie playing the Spike Lee character. It's pretty ingenious--not to mention freakin' hilarious. Now this I liked:

Random Movie News....

I finished watching "Street Kings" last night. It was aiiight, but a movie with Forest Whitaker, Cedric The Entertainer as a drug dealer, Terry Crews, the Game, and Common as a cop gone very, very bad should have been a bit more attention grabbing. It was serviceable, though; it very much reminded me of a Clint Eastwood cop movie from the 70's. Just replace Keanu Reeves with Clint and you wouldn't know the difference. Come to think of it, that would have made the movie more interesting.

Is this going to be the new trend for Black filmmakers? Since those in our community with pockets deep enough to build an independent film studio/distribution company seem unwilling to do so, it seems the thing to do is go dry-begging overseas. First Spike had to go to Italy, now Danny Glover with this, a project very worthy of American funding:

Venezuelan politicians are donating nearly $30 million to back an independent movie directed by actor Danny Glover, a supporter of the country's President Hugo Chavez. "Toussaint," a film about Haitian rebel leader Toussaint Louverture, will be produced by Glover's Louvertoure Films with support from the Cinema Villa, Venezuela's state film studio. (btn)

It is a shame our great talents have to resort to this, but I am glad they get the money they need to make coon-free films.


I was just saying the other day that someone should make a film about the Negro Baseball League. And guess what? I'm sure someone has, but wasn't able to get the funding. Of course it is up to someone non-black to pick up the slack. From Variety:

ESPN Films has agreed to co-produce the film planned for theatrical release about legendary baseball player Jackie Robinson and Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey and their struggle to break baseball's color barrier in the late 1940s. The untitled project will be produced by Robert Redford and Tracy Falco, Howard and Karen Baldwin (Baldwin Entertainment Group), and Andrew Cohen. The project is being developed by Robert Redford's Wildwood Enterprises and Baldwin/Cohen Productions, with Redford starring in the role of Rickey.

This probably means another Black story will be told from a non-black perspective once again. But at least it's Robert Redford; I always respect that he makes movies for grown-ups.



And finally, there have been a number of pictures floating on the internets this week, and all I have to say is "What Is Really Going On?" as a caption for every one of them.....

what is really going on with Eddie Murphy's birthday cake? Is it even edible?



*sigh* what is really going on?



what is really going on idris? are you out to suck the hot you garnered on 'the wire' down to zero? mission accomplished!



Al, Al , Al....what is really going on with the 70's Robert Evans fake tan and blowdried hair? I never would have expected this from you, of all people....



snoop, what is really going on with this outfit and jheri curl look? I knows you get high, but damn.



100% pure fuckery.

Old School Music Friday

In honor of "Claudine", one of my favorite movies of all time, coming on Saturday AND Sunday on TV One this weekend, this is my selection. I actually posted this in July, but since I had less than 200 readers that month (damn!) you probably didn't see it, haha.

This is by far one of the best soundtracks of all time. Gladys is amazing, as is Curtis Mayfield, once again:




btw, there is no excuse not to see this if you have cable and have never seen it before....see it this weekend! Here is a clip of Claudine hiding her things (and her man) from the "welfare lady":

Electronic Villager Chatting Over Cocktails Ms Grapevine Quick Cassandra Danielle
Lisa C Chocl8t DP Kreative Talk MarvalusOne Regina LaShonda AJ Sharon
Dee SJP sHaE-sHae songs in the key of life

Today In B'Days

Kimberly Elise is 41.

Her birthday was actually yesterday, but I was too lazy to do but one post...

I wanted to say something about her, cause I rewatched "Diary Of a Mad Black" woman the other day (only because I half-watched the first time). When I wasn't distracted by Shemar Moore's ridiculous cornrowed lacefront wig, I kept thinking that she would probably be very good in some romantic comedies. Why is the go-to always Gabrielle Union? I'm so tired of women that look 100% Black not getting any work!

Here is Madea breakin it down to Kimberly about the realities of a woman's worth--hilarious.

And here is Kimberly with my beloved in "Pride"

Really?

In a recent open letter to his fans, Tyler Perry confessed that he has a stalker:

‘I’m trying to be careful how I say this without inciting this person, but I have a stalker,’ he begins. ‘This person sends several hundred emails a day to my office and has planned our wedding and bought rings and such. She has showed up at my house several times. What’s crazy is I’ve never met this woman nor have I even responded to her emails. I’ve had to increase the guards at my house as well as travel with body guards and I hate that. I hate to have big guys following me around.’




from iw: 'i hate to have big guys following me around'....uhm...okay....

Ruh Ro....

PROSECUTORS WANT SNIPES IN JAIL FOR 3 YEARS: U.S. recommends 36 month sentence and $5 million fine in tax case.

U.S. prosecutors have recommended that Wesley Snipes serve a maximum three-year prison sentence and pay a $5 million fine for failing to file his income taxes, according to a tax-season court filing.

U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill of Florida says his goal is to deter other potential tax dodgers by making an example of Snipes, who after years of "brazen defiance" of U.S. tax laws cheated the government of $41 million.

"This case cries out for the statutory maximum term of imprisonment, as well as a substantial fine, because of the seriousness of defendant Snipes' crimes and because of the singular opportunity this case presents to deter tax crime nationwide," O'Neill wrote.

Snipes was convicted in February on three misdemeanor counts of willfully failing to file federal tax returns for 1999-2001. Each count comes with a maximum sentence of one year.

The actor was acquitted on two felony charges of filing false claims and fraud in seeking millions of dollars of refunds in other tax years.

wesley at his aquittal


wesley now

From IW: This might be yo ass Mr. Snipes



(thanks sergio)

Today In B'Days

Martin Lawrence is 43.

I honestly don't know what to say about him and his films anymore--he seems to have veered off and mirrored Eddie Murphy's career. At least he'll never be broke again, yes?

I'll skip the last 10 years of his movies, and go back to when I actually thought he was funny (with the added bonus of hilarious vintage Chris Tucker and Bernie Mac):

Film Festival Alert!

The 6th Annual Spaghetti Junction Urban Film Festival, a leading urban film festival in the Southeast, prepares for a laundry list of intriguing films, world premiere screenings and industry tastemakers. The festival starts today.

As one of the fastest growing American urban film festivals in Southeast US, nationally acclaimed filmmakers are expected in Decatur, Georgia Wednesday, April 16 - Sunday, April 20 for the 6th Annual Spaghetti Film Festival (SJUFF). Hosted at Galaxy FunPlex Center (formally Screenworks) 2801 Candler Road (on premises of The Gallery at South DeKalb), and under the festival's theme Delivering Cinema in True Color. Audiences can again expect to be entertained by the impact of shorts and feature films that showcase a plethora of untold stories that promise a voice from independent filmmakers and award-winning actors.

From drama to comedy to documentary, tickets as low as $6.00, this year's festival goes full circle. For program and festival info, click HERE.

Weekend B.O.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (thanks Sergio!)

April 11–13, 2008 Studio Estimates

1) Prom Night SGem $22,700,000

2) Street Kings FoxS $12,000,000

3) 21 Sony $11,000,000 Total: $62,268,000

4) Nim's Island Fox $9,000,000 Total: $25,280,000

5) Leatherheads Uni. $6,207,000 Total: $21,907,000

6) Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! Fox $6,000,000 Total: $139,628,000

7) Smart People Mira. $4,200,000

8) The Ruins P/DW $3,250,000 Total: $13,413,000

9)Superhero Movie MGM/W $3,114,000 Total: $21,202,000

10) Drillbit Taylor Par. $2,070,000 Total: $28,461,000

11) Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns LGF $1,570,000 Total: $40,113,000

12) 10,000 B.C. WB $1,510,000 Total:$91,785,000

From IW: There used to be a time that I would watch a movie all the way through, no matter how bad it was. Then, all of the sudden, I completely lost patience and can barely stand 15 minutes if a movie isn't bringin' it. I pray for a movie that makes me want to watch full length. To wit; I've seen (or kinda seen) some of the movies on this list. I just couldn't see them through to the end, and quite honestly don't know how I made it through as far as I did on some of them. A breakdown:

Street Kings: 55 minutes

The Ruins: 43 minutes

Superhero Movie: 25 minutes

Drillbit Taylor: 68 minutes

Meet The Browns: I actually watched the whole thing, but I believe it was the novelty of seeing Angela Bassett in the lead. If it were anyone else...I dunno.

Mr. Tambay Obenson summed up the crapfest perfectly on his blog:

Another Week Of Blah

I've been rather uninterested and uninspired to see most of the studio films that have enjoyed theatrical releases thus far this year!

Week after week, I look over the selection of films scheduled for release each week, and more often than not, nothing listed is of any interest to me. The last movie I recall seeing in 2008 is Cloverfield, which I did enjoy, despite a mild headache that accompanied the somewhat dizzying experience, thanks to the extreme shaky-cam cinematography prevalent throughout much of the film.

I know we've been experiencing the usual winter doldrums, a period when studio releases are often less than stellar; but this year's offerings have been rather dull, at least based on the packaging each has been wrapped in, since I haven't seen most of them. However, after looking at box office receipts since January, one can deduce from the results that there are others who feel the same way, because the numbers have been unimpressive, except for 2 or 3 centi-million dollar hits. Also, the averages per theatre help support my argument. Check out Box Office Mojo for stats and such.

And this week's releases don't do anything to alter the trend... although Zombie Strippers excites me a little.

Right!

Opening in Wide Release This Week

The Forbidden Kingdom Jet Li and Jackie Chan team up for the first time as misfit warriors in ancient China on a quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King.

88 Minutes Al Pacino is a forensic psychiatrist in a race against time when he receives a death threat claiming he has only 88 minutes to live.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall After a devastating break-up with his girlfriend, a guy heads to Hawaii to recover... only to run into his ex and her new boyfriend.

Opening in Selected Theaters

The Life Before Her Eyes Uma Thurman is a housewife who questions her perfect life--and her sanity--on the anniversary of a tragic high school shooting.

Pathology A group of medical students devise a deadly scheme to see which one of them can commit the perfect, unsolvable murder.

Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? Director Morgan Spurlock sets off to do what the CIA, FBI and countless bounty hunters have failed to do: find Osama bin Laden.

Zombie Strippers A secret government chemo-virus gets released into a small-town underground strip club... unleashing Super Zombie Strippers.

From IW: Come to think of it, the last new release I really enjoyed was probably Cloverfield too. I'm actually looking forward to some of the new films Tambay spoke about....even Zombie Strippers is better than Superhero Movie!

Pretty Tony "Rapitates"...

I revealed in a tag that I love movies about pimps, one of my semi-guilty pleasures. I was visiting Kiki's blog and she had this clip; Pretty Tony "rapitates" about his pimp philosophy:

Hollywood's 6 Favorite Offensive Stereotypes...

Hello all. Just to make you aware, there will be some very minor changes around here while your girl goes mobile and international...fabulosity always requires change, haha. You'll see what I'm talking about in a minute, but until then, here is something I saw today via cooleyhigh's site, from Cracked. It's a bit long, but true, and funny (at least I thought so):

People think of Hollywood as the most liberal place in the known universe, but really that only goes as far as the drugs and orgies are concerned. When it comes to minorities, Hollywood still seems to have a few shamefully corny and simplistic roles in mind. Here's the six Hollywood stereotypes that can't die soon enough:

#6.
The Magic Negro

As Seen in:
The Green Mile, The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Shawshank Redemption, Bruce Almighty, Song of the South

The Magic Negro is a simple, humble person. Perhaps he is a janitor, or a farmer, and he doesn't know anything about those fancy colleges or them modern sciences, but what he knows, he knows from the heart, and that makes it truer than any of your whitey statistics, facts or pie charts.

He can have actual magical powers (Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile) or simply possess an extraordinary level of earthly wisdom (Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption).

In all cases, the Magic Negro has zero ambitions of his own. His entire existence revolves around the lead white character, whom they help with their simple, rustic wisdom even if it costs them their lives. It's as if they have nothing better to do, which they don't, because the plot is about the white guy achieving his goals.

What's So Bad About That?

Notice that the Magical Negro's powers are not in any way due to his own work or training at all. He's no Batman. And why do they have to be prisoners or janitors again?

Also, notice that they're still acting as the servant here. They only exist in the story to help the lead white character. That's right, black youth of America: even if you discover you have powers that transcend time and space, you'll still wind up serving the white man. Hell, Morgan Freeman's God in Bruce Almighty basically alters the whole fucking universe, just so Jim Carrey can get his priorities straight.

#5.
The Gay/Effeminate Psychopath

As Seen in:
Silence of the Lambs, Stargate, Dune, 3:10 To Yuma, The Powerpuff Girls, Braveheart, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Rob Roy, The Lion King, countless anime.

The Flaming Homo Bad Guy only has one goal in life, to be gayer and more evil than anybody else. If he sees a guy in a salmon-colored shirt and white khakis clubbing a baby seal, the Flaming Homo Bad Guy will put on a pink tutu, gather up some baby seals, kittens and puppies and rent a wood chipper.

He may actually be overtly homosexual (Braveheart) or he may just carry out his evil with a series of effeminate gestures and phrases and show a creepy, semi-erotic fascination with the male hero.

What's So Bad About That?

You may be asking why we included this instead of the "Bad Guy With Foreign Accent" seen in countless action movies--the Die Hard films, just for starters.

The difference there is at least there's usually some sort of reason in the plot why the foreign bad guy is foreign. The movie Red Dawn may have been propaganda, but the bad guys were Russian because it was about a war with Russia, not because Russians are inherently dicks.

The effeminate bad guy, on the other hand, plays right to the insecurities of the young, male audience those movies are aimed at, taking everything they find disgusting about homosexuality and using it to ratchet up the horror.

"Look! A serial killer!"
"Meh."
"And he's dancing around naked in a room full of body parts!"
"That's pretty gross, I guess."
"And he's stuffed his junk between his thighs so he looks like a woman!"
"OH JESUS GET OUT OF MY WAY I'M GOING TO BE SICK."

#4.
The Latina Maid

As Seen in:
Goonies, Maid in Manhattan, Spanglish, Crash, Mad Money, Down and Out in Beverly Hills.

The Latina Maid's role before was usually played by compact Hispanic women between 30 and 60 years old, but now may be played by J.Lo. The entire role has them in the background of the film running around with a vacuum cleaner, or waving a duster around at some vases removing their dust and your dignity at the same time.

But don't worry! The Latina Maid will usually have her time to shine and use her special secret move in the middle of the movie, when she runs into one of the important lead characters doing something "wacky" like cross-dressing, parading in a Hitler costume, or spreading peanut butter on his genitals in front of the family dog.

At this point the Latina maid will do the sign of the cross at lighting speed multiple times and scream "AY, EL DIABLO!" before running away and screaming hysterically, never to be seen in the foreground again.

If you want details you can always ask actress Lupe Ontiveros ...

... Who has been cast as a maid between 150 to 300 times.

What's So Bad About That?

Back in the '50s, Hollywood assumed that by 2000 the American cities would be utopias served by an army of robot servants. So we shouldn't exactly be bursting with pride over the fact that here in the future we've replaced "robots" with "grossly underpaid immigrants."

But why does "Latina Maid" make the list whereas, say, the "Sexy Latino Gardener Who Bangs the Lady of the House" doesn't? The problem is Hollywood has progressed from using the Latina maid as a prop to give those wacky, exaggerated foreigner reactions (i.e., the ending of Goonies) to the more modern, enlightened version where the maid is young and saucy and is the object of lust for the Caucasian male of the house (Maid in Manhattan, Spanglish).

Great job, Hollywood! You've elevated the Latina maid all the way up into "French maid" territory. Can the sexy "Latina maid" Halloween costumes be far behind?

Progress!

#3.
The Mighty Non-Whitey

As Seen in:

The Black Knight, Bringing Down the House, Trading Places, Hairspray, Money Talks, Head of State, Bullworth, Houseguest, Big Momma's House 2.

This is a kind of flip-side to a genre of movie you've seen a hundred times. In those films, the white, American male has to live with a non-white or non-American (or both) culture for some reason. At first, white American doesn't like the other culture, but slowly starts adopting it.

At the end of the movie, the white American saves the day with his whitey know-how and is considered a really awesome member of his new community (see The Last Samurai, Dances With Wolves, City of Joy, etc).

The "Mighty Non-Whitey" takes that idea and turns it around, where the jive-talking black guy winds up in some white-dominated situation and turns their world upside down (see Head of State, where a black man runs for president! Ha!)

What's So Bad About That?

You'll notice that in the white version of this tale, the white man adopts to the other culture and then excels (will not Dances With Wolves' Kevin Costner be remembered as the greatest Sioux of them all?). But with a black actor in the role, suddenly he's the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, a fish out of water, saving the day with dancing, rapping and taking things easy.

At best, the hero is a fast-talking con artist, who's constantly putting one over on the trusting, stuffy whites (Beverly Hills Cop). Usually the tension between cultures is resolved once and for all when the stuffy white man adopts one of his ghetto catchphrases, or, even better, raps a little.

#2.
The Wise, Old, Asian Asshole

As Seen in:

Big Trouble in Little China, Heroes, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Kill Bill, Norbit, any kung fu movie with a training sequence, any movie with a scene inside a dry cleaning shop.

The mean, old, Asian asshole is usually played by old Asians or British actors pretending they are old Asians (more common back in the day when Asians were too Asian to appear in movies, even as Asians).

As its name can attest, the character is mean, old and a gigantic asshole. His entire purpose in life is to hurt and humiliate any person that wanders into his asshole-radius--or, as the scientists call it, the fuckusphere,--with a litany of insults, snappy comebacks or plain kicks and punches delivered with a heavy, vaguely Asian accent and the usual jumbled grammar.

The catch with this one is that often the Asian asshole turns out to be right in the end. Mr. Miyagi goes out of his way to make the Karate Kid's life hell, teaching his skills in the most annoying way possible all while arbitrarily withholding information that would have made the process easier for everyone. But, in the end, he makes the Karate Kid good at karate, which saves him from living a life with an embarrassingly mismatched nickname.

Even a show like Heroes, with its groundbreaking Japanese lead in Hiro, still introduces the stereotypical Old Asian Asshole in Hiro's father. And in the end, wouldn't you know it, it turns out he was right all along! He just felt the need to be a dick about it.

What's So Bad About That?

This one seems to simultaneously play off both our lingering post-World War II nervousness over Japan, and the sense of inferiority Americans have felt since the '80s when we started to realize how much better their cars, TV's and stereos were than ours.

So somehow we wind up with a character who is superior, and who possesses all of the secrets and techniques the white main character needs to succeed, but who for no reason at all will only share them after forcing him to penetrate 13 layers of pure asshole.

#1.
The Cowardly/Incompetent Black Sidekick

As Seen in:
The Fifth Element, Dungeons & Dragons, Die Hard, Superman III, and a lot of movies with Eddie Murphy and Chris Tucker.

A black cop and a white cop teaming up to defeat terrorist drug dealers/baby snuff porn peddlers is a beautiful and totally normal thing. Ebony, ivory, fighting crime together in harmony!

The problem comes when some higher up sees Lethal Weapon, starts messing with the formula and decides that one half of the team should be "funny." Now, there is nothing wrong with being funny, but then what's funnier than a bumbling, incompetent, annoying, cowardly person fighting crime with a serious, hard-as-nails action hero?

Now make a wild guess and tell us which half of the team is the one getting saddled with the non-heroic role?

What's So Bad About That?

If we have to explain why it's bad that the black guy is always the dumb one and the white guy is the invincible action-god, then we probably don't have enough room here to bring you up to speed.

What is interesting is the Bad Boys franchise, where Martin Lawrence plays the cowardly/incompetent black sidekick, but to a partner who is also black, but just in a more acceptable way. Does that still count? If not, why?

We'll leave that to you to figure out. Write a paper on the subject and turn it in by Thursday.

Wrong, But Funny...

Jay and Bey's baby....

spotted on darkchild

Ten Films You Should See If You Love Black People

FILM 7

from the Ebony/Jet site by Jacquie Jones

Handsworth Songs

John Akomfrah

The thing that continues to amaze me about this film is how new it looks, no matter what year you see it. Produced shortly following a period of civil unrest by black citizens of England’s cities in the 80s, Handsworth Song weaves together visual and audio elements that testify on behalf of a community that is depressed and marginalized. The themes are not new – police brutality, poor public facilities and plain-old racism – but the story lays itself out in a style that can only be described as “new media,” even though the film is twenty years old. It will also connect you to the experience of black Europeans in ways most of us never think of.

From IW: I have to admit, even I have never heard of this film--but this is one of the reasons why this blog exists, to seek out the new and/or different. I am always interested to see the perspectives of other Blacks living in non-black countries, which is why I love the blog Charcoal Ink. Our folkses in the UK deal with racism just as intensely as we do here, maybe even more. Sad.

Will Packer Helms Another One...

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Producer Will Packer will tackle the true story of Kemba Smith, who was granted clemency by President Clinton after serving six years on a 24-year sentence for conspiracy to sell crack cocaine.

Packer ("Stomp the Yard") picked up the life rights to Smith's story and will produce the project through his Rainforest Films shingle. He's looking for a writer; production is slated to begin on the untitled drama in 2009.

Smith, who was brought up by middle-class professional parents in Richmond, Va., had no criminal record or problems before attending Hampton University, where she met a man who ended up being the leader of a $4 million crack cocaine ring and one of the FBI's 15 most wanted.

Although the government acknowledged that Smith never sold drugs or took them, she was charged with conspiracy to distribute crack and was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Clinton granted her clemency before he left office in 2000.

Packer is in pre-production on three projects with Screen Gems: The thriller "Obsessed," starring Beyonce Knowles; "Bone Deep," a crime-action drama starring Matt Dillon and Idris Elba; and the basketball drama "Phenom," starring Chris Brown and Vanessa Williams.

From IW: Dang, Will Packer is busy as a mofo. Can a negress get an application? haha

Sergio, (who emailed me this story) seems to think that ol' girl Kemba, while not directly involved, had to have some kind of cognizance about her situation. I have to say, if your man is dealing in those kinds of numbers, you have to know somethin'. No one is that sneaky and no one could be that naive. What do you think?

Old School Music Friday

This week's meme is supposed to be weddings, what you played or would play at yours. I couldn't find one that suited Black Cinema (or at least couldn't think of one), so I chose a song that is ultra sexy. There are 2 versions here; the newer one from the soundtrack of "Love Jones" a reader favorite, and the classic version, that I never get tired of hearing:

Quick -Mrs. Grapevine -Regina -Lisa C-Chocl8t -Kreative Talk-MarvalusOne -LaShonda-aj -Rosemarie -sHaE-sHaE-Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails

Live From L.A.

The Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF) has announced the initial line-up of official selections for the 9th annual competitive festival for Black filmmakers, to be held June 3rd, 8th , 2008 in Beverly Hills, CA. The slate includes 51 shorts, 11 student films, 2 animated films and 2 music videos. The roster of narrative and documentary features will be announced on April 14th.

HPFF, dubbed "The Black Sundance," is an annual, six-day celebration of Black cinema, serving as a forum to showcase the talents of Black filmmakers and enhance appreciation for Black filmmaking. The festival has become a focal point for Hollywood's African-American creative community, attracting producers, executives, screenwriters, film and television personalities, aspiring artists and diverse audiences from Southern California and around the world.

To see the complete list of featured films, click HERE.

Oh Bobby....

Not related to Black Cinema, but I had to share....

Honestly, Is This Really Necessary?

From Black Talent News:

Screen Gems is planning a remixed hip-hop version of Jane Austen's classic novel, "Emma." The film will get a modern-day twist and take place in an urban, inner-city high school and revoles around two step-siblings. Austen's novel also inspired "Clueless," starring Alicia Silverstone, and set in a suburban Southern Cal high school. The retelling will reportedly be titled "Emme."Chris Bender and J.C. Spink will produce via their Benderspink banner. Scott Strauss and Shannon Gaulding will oversee the project for the studio. Tyger Williams ("Menace II Society") penned the screenplay.

The idea originated with Screen Gems topper Clint Culpepperwho told Variety he came up with the idea after watching the music video "Lipgloss" by Lil Mama. The film will include at least 15 song and dance numbers.

Screen Gems scored box office hits with two previous hip-hop films: "Stomp the Yard" (2007) and "You Got Served" (2004).

From IW: 15 song and dance numbers? I know Marques Houston will be in there somewhere....heaven help us.

Today In B'Days

Unique individual Orlando Jones is 40. Where is he hiding out?

Let's forget about the foolishness that was "Double Take" with Eddie Griffin and look at a scene from a movie that got on my good side, "Drumline". It's one of those films that reinforces your pride to be colored:





speaking of eddie griffin, he's seems to be hiding out too. hmmmmm

Four Rappers and A Nerd....

There is a new movie coming out with an eclectic cast called "Days Of Wrath". Here are some of the names:

Laurence Fishburne, David Banner, Wilmer Valderrama, Melyssa Ford, Faizon Love, Kurupt, Rick Ross, Slim Thug, Amber Valletta, and Taye Diggs.

Here is the trailer:



IW: All I wanna know is A) how does Wilmer look so crushable when he is not playing Fez? and B) what is cornballio Taye Diggs doing in the middle of this?

Hello There....

Sorry about the mini-vacay--it was unintentional. While traveling I left my power cord behind for my laptop....so no internets for me until it was sent. I thought about buying one, but--as all bloggers can relate to--sometimes it's good to actually get some sunshine and air instead of being a mouse potato all day. So that's what had happened, haha.

There were some things that I wanted to write about, but Mr. Obenson over at The Obenson Report seems to have them pretty well covered. Things like Thandie Newton (one of my faves) playing Condi "Iron Cooch" Rice in Oliver Stone's new movie about the Bush family. And something about the new film "Medicine For Melancholy" which is creating a great buzz, but I will post about it later too, as it is set in one of my hometowns, San Francisco. And no, I do not want to talk about Beyonce and what is going on with her any more than I usually do, which is not at all.

I also received the "Sexy Blogger Award" from Bygbaby of Byg Baby's Mindspill, and I must say he has exquisite taste, lol. Even though I am supposed to be invisible, game recognize game, yes Bygbaby?

Anyhoo, here is some news about a comeback of sorts that I thought was pretty interesting, purloined from Tambay's blog. I will do some posts and respond to your comments tonight. Ciao!:

How exciting is this? MVP (Melvin Van Peebles) has a new flick on the way, titled... drumroll... Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha.

Yes, you read that correctly folks! Just like Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (SSBS) MVP wore just about every hat for this one, writing, producing, directing and starring. And just like SSBS, it's about a man constantly on the move.

I couldn't find much on this, and everything I did find had the same 3 or 4 sentence write-up, sans video, or any images from the film. So, I gather MVP is being secretive with it.

However, I'm glad to say that Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha will have its world premiere during this month's Tribeca Film Festival, right here in New York City. So, you can guarantee that I'll be making every effort to get tickets for any of the 4 scheduled screenings of the film, with the first one occurring on the 27th, still a few weeks away.

Here's the description as listed in the Tribeca program: "Melvin Van Peebles, still our most playfully inventive filmmaker after nearly 50 years, returns with a boisterous adventure that ranges from Harlem to the high seas, following the exploits of an unforgettable character (MVP, natch) who’s always on the move—but keeps ending up back in New York."

Like I said, not much to go on. But given that it's MVP, and with a title like Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha, how could I not be intrigued!!?!?!? I'll be sure to share my thoughts after I see it.

As an aside, I also read that he's currently working on a double album with Madlib (one of the most prolific and critically acclaimed hip hop producers of this century), to be released on the independent label, Stones Throw Records.

Ten Films You Should See If You Love Black People

FILM 6

from the Ebony/Jet site by Jacquie Jones:

Eve’s Bayou

Kasi Lemons

The first time I saw this movie, I was honestly not too impressed. The second time, however, it got me. And I think this says a lot about the subtle power of this first feature by one of our most talented contemporary black filmmakers. This is one of the rare films that tries to reach into mystical African retentions and our nostalgia for the swampy south and actually succeeds in telling a story that feels very real and complex. It is also one of the rare films that pulls off being black and being Hollywood, albeit low budget.

From IW: This has always been in my personal top ten. For one, I love films about the supernatural---and it's black too? Over.

The clothes, the mood, the set design, the storyline, the beautiful actors...I love everything about this movie. Just wish more were made of it's caliber.

Old School Music Friday

Okay, okay. I was avoiding this one cause it's so very cliche, but the meme for this week's Old School Music Friday is 1971. What is one that's limited to Black Cinema soundtracks to do? haha

It is undeniable that this is probably the most well known song from Black Cinema ever, and with massive good reason. It also won an Oscar. All bow down to "Black Moses" (Issac Hayes) as they called him back in the day, and Gordon Parks who directed, one of my heroes.

This is the opening to the film that started it all:




trivia: did you know the bar-kays were also involved in the score? (also featured in one of my faves, "Wattstax")



Quick -Mrs. Grapevine -Regina -Lisa C-Chocl8t -Kreative Talk-MarvalusOne -LaShonda-aj -Rosemarie -sHaE-sHaE-Electronic Village - Chatting Over Cocktails

Today In B'Days

Eddie Murphy is 47.

Don't worry, it's his day, so I'll be kind.

Here is a clip of when Eddie was funny (remember that?) from his concert film "Raw". It is 20 minutes long, so only watch it at home or if you're lazin' at work. In the opening scene, you'll see several familiar faces that I didn't recall before...

Spike Lee On Hillary...

This from an interview at the Chrysler with the "Behind the Lens" Awards where he was recently honored:

Q: [You said 'your man Obama,'] you're obviously supporting Obama. Can you comment on that?

Spike: I just think that the Çlintons are bad people, they will do anything to win, and they keep demonstrating that. This last thing when she said she was under fire and my man Sinbad straightened that out real quick. That’s not something you just, you know, 'oh I thought it was Tuesday' and its Wednesday. No, that was complete fabrication -- just fabricating stuff.

Then the stuff Bill Clinton has been saying ... Maybe it went to his [Bill Clinton] head when Toni Morrison said he’s the first black president but its been back firing because of the stuff he said about Obama, South Carolina, and all that stuff. And then this whole thing with Florida and Michigan, each one of those democratic nominees understood the rules. Howard Dean laid it out. Florida and Michigan cannot be counted and Hilary Clinton was thinking like the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, 'It’s in the bag. F$%# Florida and Michigan, I’m not gonna need them anyway because by that time I'm rollin.'" But it didn’t work out like that, so now its like, oh this is un-American if the voices of Florida and Michigan are not heard. She wasn’t saying that stuff when she signed the thing. It’s a complete flip flop and I really think that Americans are getting more sophisticated. Some of us are not going for the okey doke.

But I will say this ... my Grandma, she put me through Morehouse and NY Film School. She lived to be 100 years old. She’s died Christmas Eve 2006, the day after James Brown died, both in Atlanta. Her mother was a slave so I’m only four generations from slavery and I think the mistake we make as African Americans is we talk about former years, but to get former years we have to talk about the day it ended, 1865. We talk about history, 1865 was like yesterday. And she [grandma] went to the grave for sure not thinking that a black man would ever be, or have the chance to be, President of the United States. So we living in an amazing exciting time.

When asked if he though Obama was going to win the democratic nomination and the presidency, Spike said yes. He added, "there's gonna be a lot of people who are going to have to explain themselves." He specifically mentioned BET founder Robert L. Johnson and Congressman Charles B. Rangel. Johnson, a Clinton supporter, came under fire for making a reference to Obama's admitted teenage drug use while campaigning for Clinton in South Carolina back in January. He later apologized. While announcing his support for Clinton’s presidential, Rep. Rangel, who represents Harlem, said Obama had no chance and claimed the people who enthusiastically backed him were motivated by “Black pride.” Rangel later reassessed his outlook. "I think its gonna be tight and I think he is gonna win the democratic nomination. But McCain, its not going to be a walk," Spike added.

From IW: Indeed.

Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself....

I was sent this by a couple of people (thanks tambay and sergio), and I'm sure you will read it elsewhere, too. But it is so wonderful, I just had too post it. Beauty incarnate.

Lest We Forget: An open letter to my sisters who are brave.

Alice Walker on Obama

I HAVE COME home from a long stay in Mexico to find – because of the presidential campaign, and especially because of the Obama/Clinton race for the Democratic nomination - a new country existing alongside the old. On any given day we, collectively, become the Goddess of the Three Directions and can look back into the past, look at ourselves just where we are, and take a glance, as well, into the future. It is a space with which I am familiar.

When I was born in 1944 my parents lived on a middle Georgia plantation that was owned by a white distant relative, Miss May Montgomery. (During my childhood it was necessary to address all white girls as "Miss" when they reached the age of twelve.) She would never admit to this relationship, of course, except to mock it. Told by my parents that several of their children would not eat chicken skin she responded that of course they would not. No Montgomerys would.

My parents and older siblings did everything imaginable for Miss May. They planted and raised her cotton and corn, fed and killed and processed her cattle and hogs, painted her house, patched her roof, ran her dairy, and, among countless other duties and responsibilities my father was her chauffeur, taking her anywhere she wanted to go at any hour of the day or night. She lived in a large white house with green shutters and a green, luxuriant lawn: not quite as large as Tara of Gone With the Wind fame, but in the same style.

We lived in a shack without electricity or running water, under a rusty tin roof that let in wind and rain. Miss May went to school as a girl. The school my parents and their neighbors built for us was burned to the ground by local racists who wanted to keep ignorant their competitors in tenant farming. During the Depression, desperate to feed his hardworking family, my father asked for a raise from ten dollars a month to twelve. Miss May responded that she would not pay that amount to a white man and she certainly wouldn't pay it to a nigger. That before she'd pay a nigger that much money she'd milk the dairy cows herself.

Read the rest of the article here: http://www.theroot.com/id/45469

So All We Get AreThe Raiders?

The Wayans brothers have dropped their bid to build a movie studio and shopping center at the former Oakland Army base over conflicts with the nearby port of Oakland.

Wayans business partner Britten Shuford said the brothers failed to get a commitment from the city to preserve the site's San Francisco Bay views.

The port plans to stack storage containers and build a dividing wall that would block views of the bay.Oakland business officials say the Wayans' decision to back out after long-standing negotiations over the 100-acre (40-hectare) parcel clears the path for other proposals on developing the base, which closed in 1999.Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums has released a list of 13 other developers interested in building on the site. (pr-inside)

From IW: Even tho I sometimes have issues with the Wayans, and I love my hometown, I feel that this was a very, very stupid move on Oakland's part.

thanks freshplays for the pic

UPDATE: Ooops, my bad...from "A Better Oakland":

People seem to be upset all of a sudden (or maybe just again) about the fact that the Wayans Brothers are no longer interested in bringing their movie studio to the Oakland Army Base. First of all, I don’t even get why this is news now, since they canceled their ENA last year. Why on earth would anyone then expect them to respond to an RFQ? I also don’t get why people seem to think this is a bad thing. The City didn’t do anything wrong here, except maybe wasting too much time working with the Wayans, who simply could never get their act together. We gave them years to bring a real proposal to the Council, and they never did it. The City Council approved a 12 month exclusive negotiating agreement in June 2005, and it took them 8 months to sign the agreement. By that time, the ENA length had increased to 18 months. During those 18 months, they failed to meet nearly every deadline, or produce a viable proposal for the land. We gave them another 4 months in July 2007, and they pulled out a month later because they apparently hadn’t noticed in the previous 2 years that the land is next to a Port. They’ve totally failed to demonstrate that they’re capable of building anything. It’s time to move on.


From IW: so Wayans = trifling. Come to think of it, this is a bit more believable than the first version....

This And That....

Okay, feeling a bit lazy this week folks, so I'm gonna put a buncha stuff in this one post while I have the energy....

Let's start off with the Negro that is partially responsible for this week's sleepiness with Hollywood:


Ice Cube continues to build on his movie biz dynasty, recently inking a deal with Dimension Films to make "Janky Promoters", Cube's first script since the last installment of his Friday series.

According to Daily Variety, Ice Cube will write and act in the Janky Promoters, which he's also producing alongside Cube Vision partner Matt Alvarez.

Janky Promoters will star Cube and another actor as unprepared music promoters working to book a big-name hip-hop artist at a California venue where everything seems to go wrong.

A director will also soon be attached to the project and with casting expected to begin immediately, Dimension head Bob Weinstein is hoping to cast a marquee level rapper to star in the film.

"This feels a lot like Uptown Saturday Night to me, a caper film where you have these music promoters who are slightly shady but are good enough guys that you root for them," Weinstein told Daily Variety. "This is going to be R-rated, and it appeals right to the core of Cube's audience."

Weinstein also shared details about Cube's deal adding, "He's producing the movie, sharing in the funding, so it's more complicated than previous deals we've made with Cube. He's a brand, like Tyler Perry, and that's the direction he's headed in. We're happy to assist him in that because we believe in him."


From IW: Ummm, excuse me. Mr. Weinstein--can I talk to you for a second? Let's see here, how can I put this...WTF?!

This is wrong on so many levels, but too time consuming to talk about all the reasons why. So I'll start with the top 3:

A) Who keeps giving this Negro money to make these tired Larry, Curly and Moe movies?

B) "He's a brand, like Tyler Perry" Is this really what we need as a people? C'mon folkses!

C) "I see this as an Uptown Saturday Night" You wish! Keep chasing that rainbow, my friend.

Okay, I'm too grouchy for this mess this morning. I also got maximum level April Fool punked by the folks over at O Hell Nawl! They staged a phony corporate buyout of their site, and folks were heated, including me. You guys might want to check it out--it was genius, but I hate them so very, very, much.

love y'all

Let me post something to cheer me up--I wrote a "Milk Carton Alert" a couple months back about Michael Wright. I had a bonus Milk Carton Alert for Tico Wells and Troy Beyer. Well, look what I found in my mailbox:

Dearest Invisible Woman:

I had the great fortune of stumbling upon your website tonight. I want to acknowledge you for your commitment to keeping it current and real. Like you (smile) I have been invisible over the years,transforming my life and truly finding my gift so that I may be a gift to others. Over the last six years, I've earned my degree in Ontology and I've been leading transformational seminars for a global organization. In addition, I've recently completed my first book "Ex-Free", I'm earning my PhD in Psychology and my talk show is scheduled to begin airing in six months, "Troy Talk." I am forever grateful to anyone who cares enough to wonder where I went. I went to the mountain top after ruffling through the valleys but I'm back and again, thank you for wondering. I will bookmark your site and check you out often. Keep on keeping up!

Godspeed!

Troy

From IW: She is the sweetest sweetie-pie....I love to read about people who have done so very many different things in their lives; all of them awesome. If she can go from being an actor, to a screenwriter, to director, to leading seminars on global organization, to getting a Ph.D, to having her own talk show, I think some of us out here can step it up too, yes?

Very inspiring, to say the least. Now you can quit looking for her Thembi and Cassandra :-)

Also, if you guys get a chance, check out some amazing Black Cinema posters here:

http://www.bennettauctions.com/2007/120207_posters2/12.02.07.session2.blax.html

I put some up on here yesterday...thanks for the tip Mike G.

Today In B'Days

Method Man is 37.

Yes, he was in plenty of tomfoolery like How High, Soul Plane, Meet The Spartans, and My Baby's Daddy, but guess what? He was also in films like Garden State, Copland, and Belly (which seems to be a reader favorite).

He also made one of the best rap songs in history; M-E-T-H-O-D. The first time I heard it, I played it over and over again all day. My boyfriend was about ready to kill me! haha