The Sly Fox Film Reviews

Why Do Black People Love Fried Chicken? (BOOK REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:26:00 +0000

Why Do Black People Love Fried Chicken?
And Other Questions You’ve Wondered but Didn’t Dare Ask
by Nashieqa Washington, MBA
MoreMindful Publishing
Paperback, $13.95
100 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9777921-0-2

Book Review by Kam Williams

“The primary purpose of this book is to provide information about black folks… Please read with the understanding that neither the publisher nor author is engaged in race-baiting, rendering sociological, psychological, or any professional advice. The overall goal is to educate and entertain…
As a non-angry black woman, I’ve been able to compile these questions because of the level of comfort people felt approaching me and asking them… The questioners have ranged from those who have little or no contact with blacks to those in intimate relationships (some marital) with a black person.
I have received questions so regularly that I am convinced that the publication of answers provides a much-needed service. So with the hope of improving relations and in order to spare other black folks, within these pages you will fid the answers to many of your questions.”
 Excerpted from the Message to the Reader (pages 1-2)

Over the years, many an unscrupulous author has assumed an alibi in order to pass as a member of another ethnic group. Perhaps the most infamous of these so-called “slippery characters” was Ku Klux Klansman Asa Carter who faked a Native American background to publish “The Education of Little Tree,” a critically-acclaimed memoir about growing up Cherokee which not only topped the NY Times Bestseller List back in the Seventies but won the Book of the Year Award as well.
Truth be told, Carter was an inveterate segregationist and white supremacist who attacked Nat King Cole when he came to Alabama to perform in 1956, and who castrated a black janitor a year later, before being hired by Alabama Governor George Wallace as his speechwriter. So excuse me for being a little skeptical about Why Do Black People Love Fried Chicken, and wondering whether the person posing as the suspicious-sounding Nashieqa Washington was an opportunist or actually African-American.
As it turns out, Nashieqa is, in fact, a sister, although her real name is Pam Moore. Furthermore, the asterisked MBA after her name on the cover came not from her earning a business degree but rather from her being a “Member of Black America.” She does, however, have a BA in Political Science from Cal State, which I guess is more than enough to set yourself up as an expert on black folks nowadays.
Basically, her book is designed to address 66 of the most common questions that curious white people have repeatedly asked her about African-Americans, ranging from “What is CPT?” (The true black ETA at an affair) to “Why don’t black people get wrinkles?” (Because black don’t crack) to “Do blacks deserve reparations? (Yes, past due wages, plus interest) to “Can black people be racist?” (No.).
Nashieqa doesn’t presume to speak for all black people, instead stipulating that her conclusions were arrived at based upon anecdotal evidence and her own personal observations, not anything scientific. Thus, her responses are intended to entertain as much as they elucidate. Sometimes, she even admits to being stumped, like by the query, “Why do black people talk to the movie screen?”
Some of the answers will inflame African-American readers (See: “Why are blacks so lazy?”) while others are just as apt to annoy whites, (See: “Is everything related to slavery?”) especially since the author is earnest in her endeavor to generate frank conversation across the color line’s cross-cultural divide.
Overall, I found the book to be both fun and thought-provoking, if not at all dispositive or the last word on any particular topic. Ultimately, it probably proved more revealing of the author’s mindset than of any monolithic African-American cultural traits. For who would bother to give such serious as opposed to tongue-in-cheek answers to questions reflecting underlying racist assumptions such as “Why are blacks so paranoid?” “Why do black people speak improper English?” and “Why are black women always angry?”
Nashieqa Washington would that’s who. I say now it’s Pam Moore’s turn to emerge from the shadow of her alter ego and make herself vulnerable by writing an intimate autobiography tackling similar subject-matter. For it’s easy to read between the lines, here, to sense that Ms. Moore has played her cards close to the vest and might be ready to share a brutally-honest tell-all about what it really feels like to be a black woman in America.

Zane: The ”Sex Chronicles” Interview

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:24:00 +0000

with Kam Williams

Headline: Valentine’s Zane!

Zane (not her real name) is the best-selling author of a plethora of African-American-oriented erotica, including Dear G Spot, Afterburn, Gettin' Buck Wild, The Heat Seekers, Addicted and The Sex Chronicles, to name a few. This iconoclastic phenom has also edited and/or contributed to such other titles as Love is Never Painless, Caramel Flava, Chocolate Flava, Best Black Women's Erotica, Brown Sugar 2, Twilight Moods, Dark Dreams, and Becoming Myself. Besides writing, Zane is the publisher of Strebor Books International for which she is responsible for acquiring dozens of titles per year and currently has nearly 50 authors signed to her imprint.
She serves as the moderator of PlanetZane.net, where thousands of her fans who call themselves "Zaniacs" converge on a daily basis to discuss her work, as well as love and relationships. Zane has more than 35,000 MySpace friends and nearly 400,000 friends at BlackPlanet.com. Here, she talks about "Zane's Sex Chronicles" the daring Cinemax television series loosely based on her own real life sexploits, which premiered on Cinemax in October of 2008 and whose first season was recently released on DVD.

Kam Williams: Hi, Zane, I don’t know whether you remember me, but we met last year in Manhattan at the boat party thrown by Troy Johnson on the Hudson River during the Book Expo America Convention.
Zane: Yes, Absolutely!
KW: How have you been?
Z: I’m fine, how are you?
KW: Everything’s great! Thanks for the interview. You are one of the most ambitious people around. Where does that drive come from?
Z: I have always had it. I guess I got it naturally, from my parents. [Chuckles]
KW: You have so many projects in the pipeline besides your erotica, like a line of cosmetics. How’s that coming?
Z: I actually have it all laid out. I have the logos done and am getting ready to place the first order. So, that’s pretty much done.
KW: What about your plans to launch a line of sexual devices?
Z: With anything I do, I feel that if I’m going to be a bear, I want to be a Grizzly. [Laughs] So, while I definitely could launch that today, I want to make sure it’s branded as my line of toys, and that takes a little bit longer. I don’t want to just jump out and start selling adult toys. There’s no challenge in that, honestly.
KW: I read that you’re also planning to produce several movies.
Z: That, I’m definitely working on. I already have the script for “Addicted” done, and it’s being line-budgeted. I’m working on another script now, and also on some more television series.
KW: Congratulations on the release of the first season of Zane’s Sex Chronicles on DVD. Did you like the way the book was adapted to the screen?
Z: I was very, very happy with it. From the beginning, my goal was to have the highest-rated show in Cinemax history. We laugh about that now because it was kind of bold when I said it, but we actually achieved it. So, I couldn’t be more pleased.
KW: Is the show presently on hiatus?
Z: The second season will start airing on Cinemax on March 5th. But there will be a sneak preview of the first episode on February 13th for Valentine’s Day.
KW: What was the source of our inspiration for this steamy series?
Z: I had led a double-life for more than five years. So, it’s really about me and how I led a double-life that my friends and family knew nothing about. In fact, my parents didn’t have a clue that I was Zane.
KW: With your father being a minister and your mother being a schoolmarm, how did they react to learning the truth that you were the best-selling author of all this popular, graphic erotica?
Z: Their reaction was nothing like I expected. More than anything else, they were interested in understanding why I felt like I couldn’t talk to them about it. They really had raised us to self-explore and to do anything we wanted to do, so they were very open about it. My father understood how he had raised me and, in his opinion, sex is a very natural part of life, and how everybody got here. And he definitely understands the basic purpose behind what I do. It’s not just writing about sex.
KW: Do you take credit for creating this whole movement of black erotica?
Z: There was already an underground movement of black erotica. And I didn’t start out to write erotica. This wasn’t anything that was planned. I just started writing short stories for self-entertainment when I was living in this little hick town in North Carolina. One night, one of my friends handed me a story to read that was being circulated around at the factory where she worked. It turned out to be one of mine somehow. That was when I realized I was kinda on to something.
KW: Why did you start out self-publishing?
Z: Several publishers offered me book deals, but all of them wanted me to change my writing style. In fact, I never even intended to put out a book. By the time I published The Sex Chronicles in May of 2000, I couldn’t even print them fast enough. The same thing happened with Addicted in August of 2000, which is when the New York Times called it the hottest paperback in the country. After that, Simon and Schuster came back and agreed to sign me as is.
KW: How would you describe your books? As erotica? As romance? Are they aimed at a specific audience?
Z: A common misconception is that my books are about sex. I think my books are really about life. The sex is literally the last thing I write when composing a book. I write the rest of it first, and then go back and fill in the sex scenes. Even with the TV series, I believe my readers appreciate and really get into the character development. So, my stories are really about life and different issues people are dealing with. And they aren’t aimed at a specific audience.
KW: You’re a single woman, I suppose that when you’re dating a guy who knows you’re Zane, he must feel a certain amount of performance anxiety.
Z: Frankly, yes. [Laughs]
KW: Children’s book author, Irene Smalls who also attended the same party where we met says, “You have certainly taken Black erotica to a whole new level. What are your goals when you write a new story, characters, morals or making the story sexier?”
Z: The first two are my priority. The sex scenes are very easy. To me, sexuality is just a part of normal everyday life. I concentrate much more on the morals and character development than anything else. Getting my message across is what really matters to me. I get letters from women who express that they realize that there are good men who exist, and that they don’t have to just settle, and that maybe they should expand their options and what they define as a good man.
KW: Irene also asks, given your success as an author, having your own imprint, and with the TV series, where do you want to go next as an entrepreneur?
Z: My goal for this year is to delve deeper into movies and television. In addition to that, I’ll be starting a Zane-branded music label, because music has always been an important part of my life, and I like to do things I’m passionate about. Music in many ways defines who I am today. Prince is almost single-handedly responsible for my being sexually uninhibited. [LOL] And I write to music. So, music, in many ways, has defined me.
KW: Reverend Florine Thompson asks, does Tiger Woods have a sexual addiction, because he allegedly had multiple sexual partners outside of his marriage, or do you think the rehab is a ploy to repair his previously pristine image?
Z: Technically, I have no idea. But I have noticed that a lot of cheaters automatically claim to be a sex addict as an excuse. In his case, I really don’t know. Without knowing him, I couldn’t possibly respond to that question. If he were single, it wouldn’t be a big deal.
KW: Reverend Thompson also asks, why do you think so many professional athletes are perpetrators of domestic violence and how do we overcome domestic violence in the African-American community?
Z: One thing we have to do is face it head-on, and it’s interesting she should bring that up because one of my offices is just publishing a powerful book called My Darkest Hours, written from the perspective of a man who admits to being an abuser.
KW: The good Rev was wondering whether there’s always price of pain to pay for love.
Z: I think there is. Love does require a degree of sacrifice on the part of both people.
KW: Finally, she asks, who or what do you credit for your success?
Z: Wow! Well, other than God who obviously is the source of my talents and blessings, I would say my parents.
KW: Larry Greenberg asks, when Zane's Sex Chronicles came to life on Cinemax, whether the characters were portrayed as you had visualized them originally in your mind’s eye?
Z: Yes. And that resulted from my being very hands-on from the casting to the script.
KW: Laz Lyles was wondering whether your writing about the black body and black sexuality carries any political implications.
Z: I don’t feel that my writing is really political. I believe that women are still very much undervalued by today’s society. My whole point overall is to empower women of all races to understand that we only get one shot at life, and that we are entitled to be just as satisfied as men are. We shouldn’t have to sacrifice our happiness because we think we’re less worthy. I believe that a woman should feel empowered to make her own choices when it comes to her sexuality.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
Z: Nobody’s ever asked me if I have any regrets.
KW: Do you have any regrets?
Z: Yes, I do have many, many regrets. But at the same time, I do understand that everything I’ve done was for a reason, and I’ve accepted and learned from my mistakes. And as I’ve matured, I’ve learned how to have fewer and fewer regrets by simply doing what I want to do regardless of the consequences. For instance, if I have feelings for someone, I will tell them. So, at least I’ll know that I expressed them.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
Z: Very!
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
Z: No.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
Z: Last night.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
Z: Daddy by Default which is a book that I’m about to publish. The last published book I read was The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?
Z: One of my favorite songs right now is “Sex Therapy” by Robin Thicke. I also like “It's the God in Me” by Mary Mary, but Prince is still my all-time favorite. I listen to him all the time.
KW: What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?
Z: The minds of repressed people who prejudge me without knowing anything about me. Most of my harshest critics are people who have never read any of my work.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
Z: Someone who just enjoys life, and knows that every day is a gift. Someone who tries to be the best mother that she can be, because that’s my biggest job in life. I believe that the best judge of my character, and the only thing that matters to me, is what my children say about me to their friends when I’m not around.
KW: How old are your children, and do they know that you’re Zane
Z: Yes, they do. They’re 6, 15 and 22. But nobody at my daughter’s high school knows that I’m Zane. And until recently, when I did The Mo’Nique Show, nobody at my daughter’s school knew. But a secretary recognized me.
KW: The Boris Kodjoe question: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?
Z: My children.
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
Z: Probably spaghetti.
KW: The Flex Alexander question: How do you get through the tough times?
Z: Prayer. I also cry, and I do what I call an emotional clearinghouse. I’ll take however much time I need to pray, to cry and to let go. To accept the things I can’t change, and to release the people out off my life who aren’t good for me.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
Z: When I was 3 years-old, my uncle brought over a puppy Labrador retriever to give to me as a pet. I was terrified of it at first. But my brother made me pet it on the porch for hours, until I wasn’t scared anymore. And I ended up having that dog for 16 years.
KW: The Mike Pittman question: Who was your best friend as a child?
Z: Pam, Cornelia and Don were my best friends in high school, and I’m still close to all of them.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
Z: To find their own voice, and not to try to emulate anyone else. To do it for the right reasons. I write because it’s a cleansing and an entertaining experience for me. Too many people get caught up in how much money they can make, ignoring the fact that the readers don’t care about that.
KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can your fans help you?
Z: By living and appreciating life to the fullest. So, what people can do for me is to really be themselves.
KW: How do you want to be remembered?
Z: As someone who made her own path in life, and left her own trail.
KW: Thanks again for the interview Zane, and I hope to see you at the book convention in the Spring.
Z: Thank you very much.

Couples Retreat DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:24:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Mandatory Marriage Counseling Ruins Vacation in Battle-of-the-Sexes Sitcom

Jason (Jason Bateman) and Cynthia (Kristen Bell) are on the brink of separating. She hears her biological clock ticking, but their visits to a fertility clinic have been futile due to a low sperm count caused by testicular cancer. Before throwing in the towel, they agree to go for marriage counseling at Eden, an idyllic retreat on Bora Bora billing itself on the internet as the ultimate playground for adults. Besides couples’ therapy, the Polynesian getaway also offers jet skiing, snorkeling, windsurfing, drinking, dancing and all the rest of the amenities one would expect to enjoy at a tropical resort.

However, when Jason notices on its website that the group-rate is half the price, he decides to try to talk his buddies into coming along for an impromptu vacation, even though their relationships aren’t in crisis. After being assured that they won’t have to do any therapy sessions at the spa, three other couples book the trip, fully expecting to unwind during a relaxing week of partying and fun in the sun. Only upon their arrival, do they learn that the island is divided in half, with Eden East catering to the sort of hedonistic delights they were anticipating while Eden West has a mandatory daily regimen with activities designed with troubled relationships in mind.

Consequently, they all end up under the thumb of Monsieur Marcel (Jean Reno), a “Couples Whisperer” who claims he can cure any ailing marriage. Unfortunately, instead of bringing these folks closer together, his probing tends to create problems where there were none before. Couples Retreat is a breezy sitcom that takes a lighthearted look at the state of male-female relating. To its credit, this refreshingly-tame chucklefest figured out how to elicit lots of laughs without having to resort to the sort of meanspirited insults which have become the staple of the battle-of-the-sexes genre.

Just don’t expect much in the way of plot development, since this is essentially a series of disconnected skits, most of which are funny, even if they don’t ultimately mesh together in a meaningful way. A pleasant romantic romp likely to delight, provided you’re willing to put your brain on pause for a couple of hours.

Very Good (3 stars)
PG-13 for profanity and sexuality.
Running time: 114 minutes
Studio: Universal Studio Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Alternate ending, gag reel, commentary with the director and Vince Vaughn, and three featurettes.

From Paris with Love

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:59:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Travolta Takes No Prisoners as Trigger-Happy Spy in High Body-Count Espionage Thriller

A movie with a title like From Paris with Love automatically invites invidious comparisons with From Russia with Love, the James Bond classic based on the Ian Fleming intriguing spy novel of the same name. From Paris is not an adaptation of another Fleming best-seller, but a relatively-bombastic remake which brazenly lifts a few of From Russia’s pivotal plot points though only crediting Luc Besson and Adi Hasak for crafting the screenplay instead of also including the original’s scriptwriters.

For instance, in From Russia, 007 traveled from London to the Soviet embassy in Istanbul to team with a low-level clerk who was unwittingly being played by a duplicitous villainess with a top secret, Cold War agenda. In this suspiciously-similar political potboiler, though it relies on a 21st Century terrorist theme, the CIA dispatches crack Agent Charlie Wax (John Travolta) from D.C. to the American embassy in Paris where he buddies-up with James Reece (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), an ambitious clerk who has previously only been assigned menial tasks like changing diplomats’ license plates. The aspiring spy has just accepted a marriage proposal from his beautiful girlfriend Caroline (Kasia Smutniak), being blissfully unaware of the fey femme fatale’s mysterious link to the Middle East.

Before the cozy couple barely has a chance toast their engagement, the grateful groom-to-be finds himself deputized by his new partner and drawn away to participate in a sting operation ostensibly aimed at the cocaine dealer responsible for the drug overdose of the Secretary of Defense’s daughter. During the ensuing, ever-escalating series of bloody stakeouts, trigger-happy Charlie exhibits none of the charm, subtlety or elegance we’ve come to associate with sophisticated espionage work.

A plausible explanation is revealed by the fact that From Paris with Love was directed by Pierre Morel, a purveyor of such riveting, over-the-top, high body-count adventures as Taken and District B-13. To the extent that you are a big fan of that sort of splatter fare, your bloodlust is apt to be satiated by the reliably-grisly goings-on he serves up again here. However, because of Travolta’s tendency towards supercilious bravado, again and again his cartoonish antics undercut any tension the production endeavors to generate.

An almost infantile Ugly American with access to an infinite supply of live ammo, misbehaving like the proverbial bull in a china closet.

Very Good (3 stars)
Rated R for graphic violence, pervasive profanity, drug use and brief sexuality.
In English and French with subtitles.
Running time: 92 Minutes
Distributor: Lionsgate Films

Life's Passing Me By

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 04:51:00 +0000

Headline: Psychic Friend Shares Sage Advice in Serendipitous NYC Drama

Dora Allen (Paula Wilson) is blessed with a special talent, namely, the ability to offer anybody just the right relationship advice they’re looking for. Even strangers, like a bus driver or another passenger, can sense that she’s a human whisperer of sorts, so they are prompted to dump their personal problems on her lap impulsively.

This state of affairs might be all well and good if only Dora’s own relationships were simultaneously flourishing. But she’s been so busy attending to the emotional needs of others that she’s neglected the disaster that her life has become.

First of all, she’s not on speaking terms with her sister, Karen (Julienne Irons), perhaps because of the incestuous mess she created by dating her ex-boyfriend, Kevin (Booker T. Washington). A product of a broken mixed-marriage, Dora doesn’t get along with her black mother (Sydney Chase) who’d like to bury the hatchet, or with her white dad (Clyde Baldo) who has a bad habit of making inappropriate comments. For example, he made her very uncomfortable to have to watch him and her best friend, Myra (Antonia Marrero), flirting with each other at Karen’s surprise birthday party.

So unfolds Life's Passing Me By, a delightful, character-driven sit-dram set all around New York City. The movie marks the feature-length directorial debut of School of Visual Arts grad Mark Cabaroy, who somehow shot his movie on a shoestring budget of just $700. Cabaroy coaxed a number of inspired performances out of a cast of virtual unknowns, starting with Paula Wilson who is nothing short of brilliant in the pivotal role of Dora.

The story is unpredictable and so engaging that you quickly forget the low production values as you become immersed in the plight of the members of the motley ensemble. Good enough to earn the #3 spot on my annual Blacktrospective’s Best Independent Films list last year, Life's Passing Me By is a flick well-deserving of a distributor for a theatrical run in 2010.

An alternately entertaining and thought-provoking, irreverent romp ultimately revealed as the sort of rare cinematic jewel which makes my job a joy.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 88 Minutes
Studio: iMarkFilms
Distributor: NewFilmmakers

Endgame DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:09:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: DVD Features Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Golden Globe-Nominated Performance in Drama about Demise of Apartheid

While most people are well aware of the years of civil unrest which led to the demise of Apartheid in 1994, not as many know about the secret talks that simultaneously transpired for almost a decade between the South African government and the African National Congress (ANC), the political party spearheading the independence movement. Since the racist regime officially opposed the notion of negotiating with terrorists, President P.W. Botha (Timothy West) couldn’t let the white minority know that he had, in fact, dispatched an emissary to England to meet with a representative of the outlawed ANC.
A series of clandestine meetings were set up by Michael Young (Jonny Lee Miller) an executive with Consolidated Goldfields, a British mining company with financial interests in the region and thus a big stake in a smooth transition to majority rule. So, Young enlisted Professor Will Esterhuyse (William Hurt) to serve as an intermediary between the two warring factions. Esterhuyse reluctantly accepted the assignment and would play a pivotal role in getting ANC leader Thabo Mbeki (Chiwetel Ejiofor) to speak on behalf of imprisoned Nelson Mandela (Clarke Peters) while Dr. Niel Barnard (Mark Strong) did the same for the Boer-Afrikaners.
The ensuing intellectual confrontation is the focus of Endgame, a powerful docudrama directed by Pete Travis (Omagh) and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor in a golden Globe-nominated performance. Given that the movie revolves mostly around discussions, don’t expect much n the way of action and you won’t be disappointed. The picture is nonetheless fairly intriguing, especially when presenting the contrast of what politicians were saying in public at a time when they were simultaneously so desperate to cut a deal.
For instance, F.W. de Klerk (Matthew Marsh) is shown arrogantly dismissing Mandela’s words as “existential ramblings about universal suffrage,” despite being frightened by the escalation of attacks on whites, such as the bombing of a shopping center in Johannesburg which claimed the lives of a number of civilians.
But Mbeki kept his pedal to the medal, making no concessions on equality, insisting that “only when we can fully participate in a democratic process will armed struggle become obsolete.” The popular movement ultimately prevailed, of course, which proved to be no mean feat, given that Apartheid enjoyed the military backing of the United States, particularly over the course of the Reagan administration.
Yet, Mbeki, who would later follow Mandela as President, sought reconciliation rather than revenge once the hostilities ceased, saying “If we are to truly win our freedom, we must first banish bitterness,” An inspirational tale chronicling the contributions of a few unseen players in the South African struggle for independence.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for violence, profanity and disturbing images.
In English, Afrikaans and Xhosa with subtitles.
Running time: 101 minutes
Studio: Monterey Video
DVD Extras: Interviews with William Hurt and Jonny Lee Miller, interview with director Peter Travis, interview with producer David Austin and interview with scriptwriter Paula Milne.

I Hate Valentine's Day DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:52:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Vardalos’ Disappointing Directorial Debut Due on DVD

If there ever were the cinematic equivalent of a one-hit wonder, it’s Nia Vardalos. In 2002, she won the world’s heart when she co-starred in the charming screen adaptation of her play, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. But judging by the junk she’s served up since then, you have to wonder how so much potential could have possibly vanished into thin air.
First, she wrote, produced and starred in the TV version of Big Fat which was so unwatchable it was canceled after only seven episodes. Then, she took credit for writing and co-starred in a thinly-veiled remake of Some Like It Hot called Connie and Carla which failed to measure up to the Marilyn Monroe classic.
After five years of ostensibly self-imposed exile, Nia has returned to make a couple of poorly-received romantic comedies, My Life in Ruins and I Hate Valentine's Day, dreadful disasters likely to alienate what’s left of her disillusioned fan base. The latter marks not only Ms. Vardalos’ directorial debut but her screen reunion with John Corbett, who was her love interest in Big Fat. But don’t expect to see them regenerate any of that magic up, even though he’s again playing the object of her affection.
Set in NYC, the plot unfolds promisingly enough. Genevieve Gernier (Vardalos) is the owner of Roses for Romance, a flower shop located in lower Manhattan. At the point of departure, Greg Gatlin (Corbett), a bachelor from Georgia, is in the process of renovating a restaurant on the same block.
Sparks fly, yet Genevieve is reluctant to date the dapper Southern gentleman, because she thinks romance is overrated, the name of her store notwithstanding. But egged on by a gay Greek chorus comprised of her two equally-effeminate employees, she decides to give it a go.
The plentiful problems with I Hate Valentine's Day rest not only in the leads’ lackluster liaison but in the insulting stereotypes served up as support characters. From Genevieve’s annoyingly-flamboyant assistants to a sassy sister who tells Greg to “Make that booty call!” to a deferential Asian woman who meekly puts up with being treated like a piece of meat by Greg’s best friend, you wonder how the same woman responsible for Greek Wedding could have written such a cringe-inducing mess.
My big fat Greek flop.

Poor (½ star)
Rated PG-13 for sexuality.
Running time: 89 minutes
Studio: MPI Home Video
DVD Extras: audio commentary by the director, the producers and star Nia Vardalos, and a theatrical trailer.

A Serious Man DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:52:00 +0000

Blu-Ray Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Coen Brothers’ Modern Morality Play Arrives on Blu-Ray

Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, A Serious Man is a modern morality play revolving around a latter-day Job burdened by a host of woes of Biblical proportions. After a pre-opening credits tableau in a 19th C. Europe, the setting shifts to Minnesota in 1967 where are introduced to the protagonist, Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg).
The mild-mannered economics professor resides in a modest, middle-class home on a nondescript, suburban tract typical of the era, a defoliated landscape dotted with rows of identical houses devoid of personality. The members of his dysfunctional family, however, bear little resemblance to their sterile environment, as each is a colorfully-comical character with a skeleton in his or her respective closet.
There’s Larry’s wife, Judith (Sari Lennick), who wants a divorce so she can remarry unctuous, recently-widowed Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed). Meanwhile, their spoiled teenage daughter, Sarah (Jessica McManus), has been stealing money to pay for a nose job, and their son, Danny (Aaron Wolff), is hooked on Marijuana at the age of 12. Finally, we have unemployed Uncle Arthur (Richard Kind), a slacker who keeps landing on the wrong side of the law.
Things aren’t any better for Larry at work where someone’s been anonymously sending letters to his department suggesting that he be denied tenure on the grounds of moral turpitude. Plus, a desperate Korean student (David Kang) who failed an exam has been trying to bribe him for a passing grade.
All of the above trials and tribulations leave Larry overwhelmed, both financially and emotionally. So, he requests an audience with sage Rabbi Marshak (Alan Mandell), only to be told he has to work his way up the spiritual ladder by meeting first with assistant Rabbi Scott (Simon Helberg), and then with Rabbi Nachtner (George Wyner). Neither, of course, is able to resolve the dilemma, thus leaving it up to Larry, like Job, to be buoyed by faith alone.
Its religious pretensions notwithstanding, A Serious Man isn’t as heavy in tone as it might sound. In fact, the film is first and foremost a sublime comedy given to poking fun at mid-western Jewish mores at the time the Coen Brothers themselves were raised in Minnesota. Perhaps because of their intimate familiarity with the subject-matter, this picture proves to be their most mature, coherent and satisfying offering yet.
A sumptuous cinematic feast, and kosher to boot!

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and brief violence.
In English, Hebrew and Yiddish with subtitles.
Running time: 106 minutes
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Blu-Ray Extras: Featurettes entitled “Becoming Serious,” “Creating 1967” and “Hebrew and Yiddish for Goys,” and also access to “BD-Live” which offers an opportunity to download exclusive content through an internet-connected player.

District 13: Ultimatum (FRENCH)

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 01:51:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Disappointing Sequel Fails to Measure up to Original

In 2006, District B-13 arrived from France riding a wave of well-deserved critical acclaim. In fact, I was so impressed that I named that action-oriented directorial debut by Pierre Morel the #1 foreign film of the year. So excuse me for anticipating more of the same from this eagerly-anticipated sequel, especially since it was based on another script by Luc Besson and because co-stars David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli would both be reprising their roles.
However, Morel, who proved that District B-13 was no fluke when he followed it up with the equally-riveting Taken, was not signed to shoot the sequel. Instead, he was replaced here by Patrick Allesandrin who may have four prior feature films under his belt, but none in the high-impact thriller genre. And it shows.
The best thing about the original was its acrobatic fight sequences, starting with that eye-popping, opening chase scene. So, as District 2 unfolds, you’re naturally expecting another spectacular series of stunts right after the credits. But we’re forced to wait so long that by the time it finally arrives it feels a tad anticlimactic.
The story is set in Paris in 2013, in a slum area deeply divided along ethnic lines, with African, white and Asian gangs vying for control of the local narcotics trade. Soon after the point of departure, Police Captain Damien Tomaso (Raffaelli) is seemingly inexplicably framed by crooked colleagues and winds up behind bars. So, it falls to anti-drug crusader Leito (Belle) to spring the honest cop from jail; so the two can clean up the district by employing a combination of martial arts and parkour moves, the latter being a ballet-like, flight discipline emanating from France.
However, the plot thickens considerably when our heroes catch wind of a diabolical government plan to bomb the ghetto and turn the land over to avaricious real estate developers with gentrification in mind. At that juncture, Damien and Leito enter an unholy alliance with the local hoodlums to save the dilapidated district.
The rabid rainbow coalition proceeds to take on the corrupt politicians and gendarmes behind the evil scheme. Finally the action picks up, especially with the help of Tao (Elodie Yung), a ravenous beauty capable of dispatching dudes with a twirl of her deadly, waist-length mane.
Is District 13: Ultimatum bad? Not by a long shot. Just disappointing if you’re expecting this adventure to measure up to the original.

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity, violence and drug use.
In French with subtitles.
Running time: 101 Minutes
Distributor: Magnet Releasing

Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:35:00 +0000

OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening February 12, 2010

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (PG for violence, peril, scary images, suggestive images and mild epithets) screen adaptation of Rick Riordan’s children’s best-seller about a troubled, NYC teenager (Logan Lerman) who embarks on the odyssey of a lifetime to Mount Olympus after learning that he’s a Greek demigod and the son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd). Cast includes Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Katherine Keener, Rosario Dawson and Joe Pantoliano.

Valentine’s Day (PG-13 for sexuality and brief nudity) Garry Marshall (Pretty Woman) directed this serendipitously-interlocking series of romantic vignettes unfolding over the course of one very eventful holiday in Los Angeles during which couples confront a variety of relationship issues ranging from infidelity to a teen crush to loneliness to coming out of the closet. Ensemble includes Bradley Cooper, Jessica Alba, Jamie Foxx, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel, Ashton Kutcher, George Lopez, Kathy Bates, Topher Grace, Emma Roberts and Grammy Award-winner Taylor Swift.

The Wolfman (R for gore and graphic horror violence) Benicio Del Toro takes on the title role in this revival of the horror classic as a brooding, British aristocrat living in America lured back to his ancestral homeland only to be transformed into a primal beast whenever the moon is full in accordance with a family curse. With Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving and Geraldine Chaplin.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

American Radical (Unrated) Bio-pic chronicling the career of controversial professor Norman Finkelstein, an outspoken critic of Israel, as revealed both by his own words and as seen through the eyes of his supporters, such as Noam Chomsky, and his detractors, like Alan Dershowitz.

My Name Is Khan (Unrated) Post-9/11 bigotry in America is the subject of this Bollywood production about the miserable ordeal of a Muslim immigrant (Shahrukh Khan) from Mumbai who travels to Washington, DC to try to meet the president in order to clear his name after being mistaken for a terrorist. (In Hindi and English with subtitles) with Kajol, Tanay Chheda and Christopher B. Duncan as Barack Obama.

October Country (Unrated) Jerry Springer-style documentary paining a poignant portrait of an impoverished, family, living in upstate New York, left traumatized by the toll exacted by the patriarch’s military service, ensuing post-traumatic stress syndrome and chronic unemployment, as well as by teen pregnancy, substance abuse, domestic violence, child molestation and just plain bad luck.

Videocracy (Unrated) Orwellian expose’ examining the media empire of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a masterful manipulator enriched by the titillating, reality-TV shows which keep his transfixed nation mesmerized and docile. (In English and Italian with subtitles)

2010 Oscar Nominations

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:45:00 +0000

by Kam Williams

Headline: The Hurt Locker and Avatar Land 9 Nominations Each: Ex-Spouses Cameron and Bigelow Brace for Big Showdown

Everyone expected James Cameron’s Avatar to land a bunch of Academy Award nominations. After all, the billion-dollar movie is on the brink of breaking the box office record as the best money-maker in screen history. But that 3D, sci-fi spectacular’s 9 nominations has been matched by The Hurt Locker, a super-realistic, Iraq War saga which barely made back its $11 million budget.
What’s equally interesting is the fact that The Hurt Locker’s director, Kathryn Bigelow, is Cameron’s ex-wife, so the former spouses’ films will be pitted up against each other in not only the Best Picture, Cinematography, Film Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Original Score categories, but head-to-head for Best Director as well.
Among the other multiple nominees are Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds (8), Lee Daniels’ Precious (6), Jason Reitman’s Up in the Air (6) and the endearing Disney cartoon Up (6). A welcomed surprise was newcomer Gabby Sidibe’s being recognized for her compelling portrayal of the title character in Precious, especially since in earning the spot she had to beat out some stiff competition like Tilda Swinton (Julia), Gwyneth Paltrow (Two Lovers), Zooey Deschanel (500 Days of Summer) and Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist).
The 82nd Academy Awards will air on ABC on Sunday, March 7th at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, and will be co-hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

COMPLETE LIST OF ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEES

BEST PICTURE
• "Avatar"
• "The Blind Side"
• "District 9"
• "An Education"
• "The Hurt Locker"
• "Inglourious Basterds"
• "Precious"
• "A Serious Man"
• "Up"
• "Up in the Air"

BEST DIRECTOR
• James Cameron, "Avatar"
• Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker"
• Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
• Lee Daniels, "Precious"
• Jason Reitman, "Up in the Air"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
• Penelope Cruz, "Nine"
• Vera Farmiga, "Up in the Air"
• Maggie Gyllenhaal, "Crazy Heart"
• Anna Kendrick, "Up in the Air"
• Mo'Nique, "Precious"

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
• Matt Damon, "Invictus"
• Woody Harrleson, "The Messenger"
• Christopher Plummer, "The Last Station"
• Stanley Tucci, "The Lovely Bones"
• Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"

BEST ACTRESS
• Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"
• Helen Mirren, "The Last Station"
• Carey Mulligan, "An Education"
• Gabourey Sidibe, "Precious"
• Meryl Streep, "Julie and Julia"

BEST ACTOR
• Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"
• George Clooney, "Up in the Air"
• Colin Firth, "A Single Man"
• Morgan Freeman, "Invictus"
• Jeremy Renner, "The Hurt Locker"

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
• Mark Boal, "The Hurt Locker"
• Quentin Tarantino, "Inglourious Basterds"
• Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman, "The Messenger"
• Joel and Ethan Coen, "A Serious Man"
• Pete Docter, Bob Peterson and Tom McCarthy, "Up"

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
• Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, "District 9"
• Nick Hornby, "An Education"
• Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, "In the Loop"
• Geoffrey Fletcher, "Precious"
• Jason Retiman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE
• "Coraline"
• "The Fantastic Mr. Fox"
• "The Princess and the Frog"
• "The Secret of Kells"
• "Up"

ART DIRECTION
• "Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Art Direction: Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg, Set Decoration: Kim Sinclair
• "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (Sony Pictures Classics), Art Direction: Dave Warren and Anastasia Masaro, Set Decoration: Caroline Smith
• "Nine" (The Weinstein Company), Art Direction: John Myhre, Set Decoration: Gordon Sim
• "Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood, Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
• "The Young Victoria" (Apparition), Art Direction: Patrice Vermette, Set Decoration: Maggie Gray

CINEMATOGRPAHY
• "Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Mauro Fiore
• "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (Warner Bros.), Bruno Delbonnel
• "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment), Barry Ackroyd
• "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company), Robert Richardson
• "The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures Classics), Christian Berger

COSTUME DESIGN
• "Bright Star" (Apparition), Janet Patterson
• "Coco before Chanel" (Sony Pictures Classics), Catherine Leterrier
• "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (Sony Pictures Classics), Monique Prudhomme
• "Nine" (The Weinstein Company), Colleen Atwood
• "The Young Victoria" (Apparition), Sandy Powell

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
• "Burma VJ" (Oscilloscope Laboratories), A Magic Hour Films Production, Anders Ostergaard and Lise Lense-Moller
• "The Cove" (Roadside Attractions), An Oceanic Preservation Society Production, Nominees to be determined
• "Food, Inc." (Magnolia Pictures), A Robert Kenner Films Production, Robert Kenner and Elise Pearlstein
• "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers", A Kovno Communications Production, Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith
• "Which Way Home", A Mr. Mudd Production, Rebecca Cammisa

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
• "China's Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan, Province", A Downtown Community Television Center Production, Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill
• "The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner", A Just Media Production, Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher
• "The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant", A Community Media Production, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
• "Music by Prudence", An iThemba Production, Roger Ross Williams and Elinor Burkett
• "Rabbit Ã la Berlin" (Deckert Distribution), An MS Films Production, Bartek Konopka and Anna Wydra

BEST FILM EDITING
• "Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Stephen Rivkin, John Refoua and James Cameron
• "District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing), Julian Clarke
• "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment), Bob Murawski and Chris Innis
• "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company), Sally Menke
• "Precious" (Lionsgate), Joe Klotz
BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
• "Ajami" (Kino International), An Inosan Production, Israel
• "El Secreto de Sus Ojos" (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haddock Films Production, Argentina
• "The Milk of Sorrow", A Wanda Vision/Oberon Cinematografica/Vela Productions, Peru
• "Un Prophete" (Sony Pictures Classics), A Why Not/Page 114/Chic Films Production, France
• "The White Ribbon" (Sony Pictures Classics), An X-Filme Creative Pool/Wega Film/Les Films du Losange/Lucky Red Production, Germany

BEST MAKEUP
• "Il Divo" (MPI Media Group through Music Box), Aldo Signoretti and Vittorio Sodano
• "Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Barney Burman, Mindy Hall and Joel Harlow
• "The Young Victoria" (Apparition), Jon Henry Gordon and Jenny Shircore

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
• "Avatar" (20th Century Fox), James Horner
• "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (20th Century Fox), Alexandre Desplat
• "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment), Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders
• "Sherlock Holmes" (Warner Bros.), Hans Zimmer
• "Up" (Walt Disney), Michael Giacchino

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
• "Almost There" from "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• "Down in New Orleans" from "The Princess and the Frog" (Walt Disney), Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
• "Loin de Paname" from "Paris 36" (Sony Pictures Classics), Music by Reinhardt Wagner, Lyric by Frank Thomas
• "Take It All" from "Nine" (The Weinstein Company), Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
• "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from "Crazy Heart" (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
• "French Roast" , A Pumpkin Factory/Bibo Films Production, Fabrice O. Joubert
• "Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" (Brown Bag Films), A Brown Bag Films Production, Nicky Phelan and Darragh O'Connell
• "The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)", A Kandor Graphics and Green Moon Production, Javier Recio Gracia
• "Logorama" (Autour de Minuit), An Autour de Minuit Production, Nicolas Schmerkin
• "A Matter of Loaf and Death" (Aardman Animations), An Aardman Animations Production, Nick Park

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
• "The Door" (Network Ireland Television)
• "Instead of Abracadabra", (The Swedish Film Institute)
• "Kavi", A Gregg Helvey Production, Gregg Helvey
• "Miracle Fish", (Premium Films)
• "The New Tenants", A Park Pictures and M & M Production, Joachim Back and Tivi Magnusson

BEST SOUND EDITING
• "Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Christopher Boyes and Gwendolyn Yates Whittle
• "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment), Paul N.J. Ottosson
• "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company), Wylie Stateman
• "Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Mark Stoeckinger and Alan Rankin
• "Up" (Walt Disney), Michael Silvers and Tom Myers

BEST SOUND MIXING
• "Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers, Andy Nelson and Tony Johnson
• "The Hurt Locker" (Summit Entertainment), Paul N.J. Ottosson and Ray Beckett
• "Inglourious Basterds" (The Weinstein Company), Michael Minkler, Tony Lamberti and Mark Ulano
• "Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Anna Behlmer, Andy Nelson and Peter J. Devlin
• "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro, Distributed by Paramount), Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers and Geoffrey Patterson

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
• "Avatar" (20th Century Fox), Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Richard Baneham and Andrew R. Jones
• "District 9" (Sony Pictures Releasing) , Dan Kaufman, Peter Muyzers, Robert Habros and Matt Aitken
• "Star Trek" (Paramount and Spyglass Entertainment), Roger Guyett, Russell Earl, Paul Kavanagh and Burt Dalton

The Entrepreneur Guide: 2010 Edition (BOOK REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:37:00 +0000

by Owen O. Daniels
Edited by Latasia D. Brown
The Small Business Zone, Inc.
Paperback, $29.95
204 pages, illustrated
ISBN: 978-0-615-32297-1

Book Review by Kam Williams

“Are you someone seeking to start your own business and frustrated with the lack of straightforward answers to your countless questions? Or are you a business owner whose time is too consumed with researching how to spark growth instead of actually performing the right actions that will and success? Or is there an entrepreneur inside of you that isn’t [doesn’t] know where to start?
…The Entrepreneur Guide will walk you through the entire journey of building your own business from the ground up… This guide breaks down the most difficult tasks and possible future obstacles so that producing success from scratch becomes simply simple.
Now don’t get us wrong, there will be blood sweat and tears involved—more tears than anything else. Bu now you have the best tools and the right answers at your fingertips.”
-Excerpted from the Introduction (pg. 1)

There’s been a bumper crop of books published lately by black authors offering all sorts of relationship advice. But in order to be able to afford to do all that dating, you might want to make a little money first. And for folks so inclined, The Entrepreneur Guide arrives like a refreshing and worthwhile change of pace.
The book is the brainchild of Owen O. Daniels, who recently returned to the States after serving his second tour of duty over in Iraq. Besides rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, the author has also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from John Jay College in New York, and a Master’s in Computer Science with a minor in Business Administration from Webster College in St. Louis.
This unique combination of skills obviously came in very handy in enabling Daniels to craft a sensible step-by-step resource designed to address any question which might arise in the mind of a budding entrepreneur en route to making that first million. Succinctly written in layman’s terms the average educated person can understand, the user-friendly text virtually takes you by the hand and walks you through the typical start-up process in sequential fashion.
Thus, it starts by having you assess your basic business idea before coming up with a plan and then picking and registering a name, if warranted. It subsequently helps you decide whether you might need to incorporate or protect any intellectual property via patent trademark or copyright.
From there, the guide moves on to a variety of marketing concerns, and pertinent issues involving insurance, taxes and employees. Detailed-oriented Daniels even devotes attention to such minutiae as internet access, domain names, office furniture and barcodes for your products. As an attorney/MBA and small businessman myself, I was quite impressed overall, and can guarantee that The Entrepreneur Guide arrives stocked with some solid advice.
That being said, however, as the author states in his intro, your success ultimately will still be contingent on your work ethic and willingness to spill some blood, sweat and tears.

Originally published at AALBC.com

Joumana Kidd: The “Let’s Talk about Pep” Interview

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:43:00 +0000

with Kam Williams

Headline: Jason’s Ex Expounds on Life and Love Post-Divorce

Born in Beirut, Lebanon on September 28, 1972, Joumana Kidd is a graduate of San Francisco State University with a degree in Speech Communications. She launched her career as a model while still in college, making appearances as a Bud girl for Anheuser-Busch.
After graduation, she joined the company as a marketing representative, an opportunity which paved the way for her entry into the field of broadcasting. Ms. Kidd’s resume’ includes stints as a television correspondent for both Extra and NBA Entertainment.
Joumana has consistently been active in many non-profit organizations, such as the International Children’s Foundation, which raises money to help children with medical needs in impoverished countries. With her then-husband, NBA All-Star Jason Kidd, she founded the Jason Kidd Foundation, an organization which focuses on improving the welfare of youth in the community.
She is also the national spokesperson for the North Shore Animal League, and is active on several boards including the Yogi Berra Museum, the Nets/Devils Foundation, the Arizona Heart Ball and Crisis Nursery.
In the wake of the tabloid attention devoted to both her very rocky marriage and her messy divorce, Joumana devoted herself to raising her three children: son TJ, and twin girls Miah and Jazelle. Here, she talks about the delicate balance of her home and love lives, now that she’s decided to date again and to let the cameras chronicle her every intimate moment on the new VH1 reality show “Let’s Talk about Pep.”

Kam Williams: Hi, Joumana. How are you?
Joumana Kidd: Good, how are you?
KW: Thanks so much for the time.
JK: Sure!
KW: What interested you in doing Let’s Talk about Pep?
JK: Well, first, I got to know Salt [of the hip-hop group Salt-n-Pepa], we became close friends, and I did a couple of cameos on the Salt-n-Pepa Show for fun. Then, I got to know Pep, and we became so close, too, and had so much fun that this wasn’t even a decision when she said, “VH1’s interested in this. Are you in?” I was like, “Yeah, totally!” I felt that it’d be worth it, if I could inspire just one woman out there who’s been divorced. Divorce is so painful. You go through stages where you feel like you’ve failed yourself, you’ve failed your kids, your life is over and everything’s coming to an end. It was enough for me to be able to inspire other women to embrace the moment and to get back out there to date and to have fun with their girlfriends. That was my main reason for doing it, because it is a little scary when you know you’re getting into a reality show.
KW: Salt’s not on the show, right?
JK: No, it’s Jacque, Kittie, Pep and myself. But Salt is one of the show’s producers.
KW: Did you see the film Good Hair? Pepa was featured in it.
JK: I did. I attended the premiere with her. I thought it was hilarious.
KW: In terms of Let’s Talk about Pep, do you feel pressured by the producers to behave differently from how you naturally are? Do you feel they’re editing you to create a certain TV persona?
JK: That’s a tricky question. I know that in terms of my personal situation, I was wondering, where do I fit in? Because the others are so black and white. Pep has been celibate, and is looking for Mr. Right. Jacque wants a child, while Kittie is off the chain, and you never know what to expect from her. I would go to the producers and tell them I felt so lost, but they said, “You’re great. Just be you.” I think my innocence, especially in the dating world, is really what intrigued them, and they wanted to capture that. And also the fact that I tend to see the good in everybody, and that I can be comedic as well. At the premiere party, the executive producer said, “Thank you, Joumana, for always making us laugh.”
KW: Did you even see the good in that guy that goad the police into arresting him during your date on Episode 2?
JK: Oh, totally! I’m not one to completely write someone off. I’m optimistic to a fault. That’s a trait of mine I wouldn’t change, even though it’s definitely brought some negativity into my life.
KW: On the show, you said you just started drinking alcohol for the first time a year ago. Did you have a very religious upbringing?
JK: No, not at all. There was no real reason. I just never liked the taste of alcohol. I preferred root beer or something yummy. And I never felt like I needed a drink to relax myself. That’s why you see me in that episode going for the shots. I did it to get a buzz while partying and having fun. But it’s not a big part of my life. I might never have another drink.
KW: Did you do a lot of dating before you married Jason?
JK: No, because I had had the same boyfriend since high school for about 6 years. When we broke up, Jason swept me off my feet like my knight in shining armor, and we got married. Now, 11 years later, I’m single for the first time in my life, really. It feels very weird. Very frozen.
KW: Reverend Florine Thompson says that when you were married, you and Jason used to attend services together at her church, CCC, in NYC.
JK: Yeah, that’s where I met Jacque.
KW: She’d like to know how the church affected your spiritual life.
JK: I don’t know how much you know about the way in which my divorce went down, but that was so devastating, and shocking. I experienced a media slaughter due to the PR team that Jason hired. Ugh! My friends were amazed that I didn’t lose it. And honestly, if it weren’t for my faith, and my church, I don’t know whether I would have made it. God kept me in a safe space in the center of the storm where I could be at peace and stay strong for my kids. I did my best to make light of the situation and to stay positive about their father. I owe that all, 100%, to God and the wonderful support I received at church. It’s far away, a good hour and a half drive for me, so I don’t make it out there as often as I should. But I do go to some local churches, and we also have a prayer room in the house that my kids and I go into when we feel the need to be closer to the Lord.
KW: Going through a messy divorce is bad enough, but having it splashed across the papers has got to make it even worse.
JK: Yeah, divorce is a painful thing to begin with. But having to be in the public eye on top of it makes it all the more awful. It’s like a death.
KW: Plus, given the adversarial nature of the legal system, the parties are encouraged by their attorneys to make outrageous allegations about each other. What percentage of them about you were true?
JK: Honestly? None! I don’t want to sound too negative here, but when I started reading his claims, I realized that they didn’t even have to be partially true. They could be total fabrications. It was crazy. It wouldn’t even matter if I was born yet when something supposedly happened. What was worst was how it affected my son, TJ, who was 8 or 9 at the time. I’d keep the newspapers out of the house, but he’d still hear things from friends or come across stuff on the internet. For instance, he asked, “Mom, when did you send me into the locker room to get dad’s phone?” I told him this was a great learning opportunity not to believe everything he hears, especially since he knew the truth.
KW: Why did Jason go along with making stuff up about the mother of his children?
JK: I don’t even believe that Jason really intended for things to get that bad. It’s kind of like the way you described divorce. Jason had suggested we try mediation. So, I was sitting home with no attorney, meanwhile this sneaky smear campaign was being planned. In the press, the divorce suddenly had a personality of its own that probably even took him by surprise. But he didn’t step up and put a stop to it, because he was following their advice. So, when they created a media storm, he had to back it up. He called me, after getting a restraining order, which I thought it was a trap. I wouldn’t talk to him, so he told my best friend that I should take the kids to Mexico until it all blows over. I couldn’t believe that he would do all this to us and then suggest that we leave town so we wouldn’t have to experience the wrath. You live and you learn.
KW: Have you ever asked Jason what was the point of all that?
JK: Yeah, but he just very abruptly tells me to get over it, and to move on with my life.
KW: How much does he see the kids?
JK: He does visit, when he can.
KW: Did you lose the support of a lot of people you thought were your friends because of the divorce?
JK: One thing I learned, and so did my kids, is that more people than not, have their price. They’d give me that “I’m sorry, but he’s the breadwinner” look. The experience has really filtered my life. I still have a handful of players and players’ wives that I’m closed to. It really revealed some people’s character. For instance, my assistant who I actually had felt very close to, and had arranged to get pay raises for, she was the mastermind lining everything up for Jason’s big kill. Overnight, I went from having a support team around me to nothing. That was scary, and a lot to deal with, which is why I am so grateful for my faith and the handful of real people in my life. Here I am now, still standing. It made much stronger.
KW: Reverend Thompson asks, how are your children doing since the divorce?
JK: To be honest, my son has struggled quite a bit. We’re best friends. He cries on my shoulder, and we have journals that we write in to help him get his feelings out. My girls are definitely handling it better.
KW: Rev also asks, how are you able to balance your career and family?
JK: I’m not going to lie. That’s been tough, because I have a hard time delegating. When I’m off, I make my BJ’s Wholesale run to stock up. I cook and I freeze food for my babysitter.
KW: Larry Greenberg says, that was a pretty tough divorce you went through. Do you have any advice for ladies who are dreaming about marriage with a sports star?
JK: I’m so optimistic to a fault that I hate to throw anybody under the bus. I will say, get to know the person really well first, their character, their family and their upbringing. Base your decision on that.
KW: When I watch you on Let’s Talk about Pep, I found myself wondering whether you are really looking for love, or just using it as a career move.
JK: It’s not about replacing Jason. It was an alternative to sitting home and watching TV with the kids and a bowl of popcorn every night. Why not have some fun going out on a date once in a while that you know is never going to amount to anything? There will never be a guy that would step foot into my house unless he’s good enough to meet my children. I would never have a revolving door, so I want to know in my heart that this is who I’m going to be with for the rest of my life before I introduce them. Plus, this series is really about Pep.
KW: Well, I’d say you’re the most magnetic person on the show, judging from the first few episodes.
JK: That’s such a compliment, thank you. That’s sweet, but I’m so impressed by the rest of the cast that I’m always wondering why I’m even on the show.
KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks, are you living the life you envisioned?
JK: Yes, 100%, even though I had never envisioned going through a divorce or having a broken family. But the storm calmed, I was able to focus on the right things, and it all fell into place.
KW: Mark Bershad asks, what are you doing Friday night?
JK: Hmm…. It depends! I need more details, Mark. [Laughs]
KW: Jimmy Bayan asks, what message do you want to convey to the viewer?
JK: There are several messages. I want those people who have already formed an opinion about me due to the media slaughter to get to know me for who I really am, although you don’t get to see the mom part of it. That’s not so sexy. I also want to let people who are down in the dumps because they have to start over to know that God has a plan for you. And I want to encourage people to embrace good friends, and to be there for each other.
KW: Jimmy also asks, how do you prepare for dates on the show?
JK: I’m going to be really honest about this, and I hope I don’t get in trouble with the network. Normally, you’d take a bath and take you’re time getting ready. But here, there was a lot of pressure, because we working around Pep’s dates and VH1’s schedules. But overall, it was still just like a date. Most of the time, I’d get a hotel room in New York, so I could get TV-ready with my make-up artist, because that’s a little different. In the end, I’d be just as nervous as if it were a real date.
KW: Tommy Russell, a Yale grad, would like to know, what you think about the Obama Administration’s granting temporary protection status to the Haitian refugees who have immigrated after the earthquake?
JK: Personally, I think he did the right thing. But I think that Obama’s generally under so much pressure because everybody’s so closely scrutinizing and evaluating his first year in office. That makes me think about how tough it must be for him at this point to try to make decisions based on what he truly believes. That’s where my heart has been with Obama.
KW: Tommy follows that up with, what have you learned is the most important thing about keeping a relationship healthy?
JK: Communication, friendship and honesty. Gosh, honesty is probably the number one thing.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? If so, please answer it.
JK: I’ve been asked a lot of questions, but usually it’s the ones about my kids that I love answering, because they’re my heart and my passion.
KW: So, tell me a little about the kids.
JK: The twins are 8 and TJ’s 11. He’s into basketball, golf, you name it. Speaking of the devil, here he comes. Hold on [Greets him and tells him she loves him] And the girls love dancing and playing piano.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
JK: Oh yeah, tons. But then, it doesn’t take me very long to remind myself that God is not fear. Also, as a mom dealing with your children’s fears and problems, you don’t really have the luxury of being afraid for very long. That keeps you strong.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
JK: Yes, I’m very happy! It’s almost a guilty pleasure because, when I started feeling better, at first I kinda thought it was wrong to feel happy because I was divorced. But I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
JK: Oh, like today. I was on the phone with Jacque Reid all morning, and we were busting up. [Laughs]
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
JK: Oh, do you have to embarrass me like this? It’s totally teen reading. [Chuckles] I’m going through my vampire stage. Of course, first I read the Twilight series. Now I’m reading Charlaine Harris’ True Blood series. The last one I read was Club Dead.

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?
JK: I’m the most random person. I’m really in love with Owl City. I have all their music downloaded. They have a hit that out on the radio, “Fireflies,” but my favorite song right now is called “The Saltwater Room.”
KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can your fans help you?
JK: Just by being supportive and by watching theshow. My website’s up, www.joumanakidd.com, so they can help by getting on there and giving me feedback, constructive criticism. There’s nothing like getting a message from an intelligent person who’s articulate.
KW: Looking at your website, I saw that you work with a lot of different charities.
JK: Yeah, it’s very personal. They’re all my friends’ charities. We’re very involved, and very into it.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
JK: Oh Gosh, let me see… [pauses to look in a mirror] I see a mom. That’s totally what I see.
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
JK: I have a very yummy lasagna that I made up, called Mexicali-sagna. It’s lasagna with a South of the Border twist to it. My kids love it. And I make a salad bar for them every night. And they love that, too. That’s sort of my signature dish.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
JK: Sitting in front of the TV in Cairo, Egypt, listening to Anwar Sadat speak. He was the leader at the time. I was fascinated by him.
KW: So where did you grow up?
JK: My dad worked for the American embassy. He had us travel everywhere with him. I didn’t move to Foster City in Northern California until I was 5.
KW: The Boris Kodjoe question: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?
JK: My kids… My children…
KW: The Mike Pittman question: Who was your best friend as a child?
JK: Jessica Roberts. There’s an E! True Hollywood Story airing on February 10th and she’s the one they interview on it.
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: How do you think Africa will affect America in the 21st Century?
JK: Unfortunately, people tend to embrace whatever images the media disseminates. My dad was stationed in Africa for years, so I grew up surrounded by nothing but African artifacts and photos. The average American attitude towards Africa was foreign to us. My mom traveled the world and she said Zaire was the most gorgeous place on the face of the Earth. I just hope the media will broaden how it covers and ortrays Africa.
KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
JK: To have the ultimate man walk in the front door, who would be the most amazing dad to TJ and the twins, and also my best friend and life-long partner. My new husband!
KW: Well, I think that’s the perfect note to end on. Thanks again for the interview Joumana, and best of luck with the show and in your quest to find Mr. Right.
JK: Thank you, bye.

Life's Passing Me By

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 19:11:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Single Girl Shares Sage Advice in Serendipitous NYC Drama

Dora Allen (Paula Wilson) is blessed with a special talent, namely, the ability to offer anybody just the right relationship advice they’re looking for. Even strangers, like a bus driver or another passenger, can sense that she’s a human whisperer of sorts, so they are prompted to dump their personal problems on her lap impulsively.

This state of affairs might be all well and good if only Dora’s own relationships were simultaneously flourishing. But she’s been so busy attending to the emotional needs of others that she’s neglected the disaster that her life has become.

First of all, she’s not on speaking terms with her sister, Karen (Julienne Irons), perhaps because of the incestuous mess she created by dating her ex-boyfriend, Kevin (Booker T. Washington). A product of a broken mixed-marriage, Dora doesn’t get along with her black mother (Sydney Chase) who’d like to bury the hatchet, or with her white dad (Clyde Baldo) who has a bad habit of making inappropriate comments. For example, he made her very uncomfortable to have to watch him and her best friend, Myra (Antonia Marrero), flirting with each other at Karen’s surprise birthday party.

So unfolds Life's Passing Me By, a delightful, character-driven sit-dram set all around New York City. The movie marks the feature-length directorial debut of School of Visual Arts grad Mark Cabaroy, who somehow shot his movie on a shoestring budget of just $700. Cabaroy coaxed a number of inspired performances out of a cast of virtual unknowns, starting with Paula Wilson who is nothing short of brilliant in the pivotal role of Dora.

The story is unpredictable and so engaging that you quickly forget the low production values as you become immersed in the plight of the members of the motley ensemble. Good enough to earn the #3 spot on my annual Blacktrospective’s Best Independent Films list last year, Life's Passing Me By is a flick well-deserving of a distributor for a theatrical run in 2010.

An alternately entertaining and thought-provoking, irreverent romp ultimately revealed as the sort of rare cinematic jewel which makes my job a joy.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 88 Minutes
Studio: iMarkFilms
Distributor: NewFilmmakers

Preacher's Kid

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:49:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Prodigal Daughter Learns Valuable Life Lessons in Moralizing Melodrama

As the only child of an overprotective, widowed father, Angie King (Letoya Luckett) almost couldn’t help but feel smothered. But when you factor in her dad’s being both a preacher and a pillar of the community in their tight-knit community in Augusta, Georgia, you’ve got a serious recipe for rebellion. Thus far, the 23 year-old virgin has devoted herself to the needs of her asthmatic father, between singing in the choir, ministering around the ‘hood and attending services several times a week.
However, everything changes the day Angie decides to run away not to join the circus but a Tyler Perry-esque travelling troupe passing through town, a supposedly spiritually-oriented outfit putting on a faith-based fable featuring Aunt Bebe, a trash-talking character played by a big dude (Carlos Davis) in a dress. For she has developed an instant crush on the show’s suave star, Devlin (Durrell Tank Babbs), a Romeo well versed in the art of seduction.
When informed of this sudden development, disapproving Bishop King (Gregalan Williams) disowns his disappointed daughter on the spot. Yet, she still leaves town with dreams of not only winning Devlin’s heart but of landing a role in the theater group’s next musical production.
Needless to say, a very rocky road lies ahead of Angie, starting with her initially being denied an audition by an impatient director who calls her deaf, dumb and stupid. And just when the promoter (Clifton Powell) is about to send her packing on the proverbial midnight train back to Georgia, Devlin intervenes on her behalf like a knight in shining armor.
Given a second chance, Angie impresses the producers sufficiently to be retained as an understudy to the female lead. While this might give the aspiring Gospel singer’s career a much-needed boost, it also makes her beholden to devilish Devlin, who soon proves to be a two-timing, physically-abusive creep.
So, unfolds Preacher's Kid, a cautionary tale written and directed by Stan Foster. It’s not very hard to anticipate the arc of this Christian-oriented message movie which tends to telegraph most of its punches. Nonetheless, it’s well-enough executed, especially for a flick on a modest budget, to forgive the low production values and a tendency towards melodrama.
The payoff arrives after Prodigal Daughter Angie has learned some tough lessons and returns to ask her father for forgiveness, allowing for a moving moment of mutual redemption.

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated PG-13 for mature themes, sexuality, violence and brief drug use.
Running time: 110 Minutes
Distributor: Warner Premiere/Gener8xion Entertainment

The Edge of Darkness

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 19:02:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Mel Gibson Resurrects Career in Remake of BBC Mini-Series

Mel Gibson might be looking a little long in the tooth, but he hasn’t lost a step in terms of his acting chops, judging by The Edge of Darkness, a remake of the 6-hour BBC mini-series of the same name first broadcast in 1985. The setting has been shifted from Britain to Boston, where the film unfolds in a fashion similar to such samples of the emerging gritty, Beantown-based crime genre as Mystic River (2003), The Departed (2006), Gone Baby Gone (2007) and What Doesn’t Kill You (2008).

This saga starts with the murder of a veteran homicide detective’s daughter right in front of her father. 24 year-old Emma Craven (Bojana Novakovic) was a recent MIT grad with a promising career doing scientific research for a company called Northmoor when she was shot to death in the doorway of her dad’s home.

Initially, everyone assumes that Thomas Craven (Gibson) was the intended target, since he was standing next to Emma at the time of the drive-by. And, in true Dirty Harry style, Tom opts to go rogue when his boss tries to take him off the case.

Craven soon discovers that something is suspicious when a lock he saved of his late daughter’s hair sets off a Geiger counter. The search for more clues about how she might have become exposed to highly radioactive material,leads to her job at Northmoor Corporation which was secretly involved in some shady nuclear defense contracts with the U.S. government.

As it turns out, Emma is just the latest in a string of activist whistleblowers to end up the unfortunate victim of a state-sanctioned hit. But with a U.S. Senator (Damian Young), a CIA Agent (Ray Winstone) and Northmoor’s CEO (Danny Huston) all collaborating to cover-up the killings, it looks unlikely that Craven will be able to crack the conspiracy.

Directed by Martin Campbell who also handed the original TV version, The Edge of Darkness is a political potboiler/revenge flick featuring an uneven mix of hokey sentiment (ala the ghost of Emma intermittently appearing to daddy) and two-fisted fare (ala Gibson kicking butt). Not surprisingly, the latter works, the former doesn’t, although it never gets so sappy as to undermine the overall effort.

A cross of The Lovely Bones and No Way Out, only in Bostonese!

Very Good (2.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity and graphic violence.
Running time: 117 Minutes
Distributor: Warner Brothers

Obama’s State of the Union Speech: An Oscar-Worthy Performance

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:22:00 +0000

by Kam Williams

“No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."
--George Orwell, Animal Farm

The novel Animal Farm was crafted by George Orwell as a dire warning about the potential abuse of power through the manipulation of language as a subtle means of mind control. The cautionary tale’s prophetic message was that the masses might be very gullible to the seductive rhetoric of a charismatic visionary capable of masking more Machiavellian intentions. Listening to President Obama’s soporific double-speak during his State of the Union address the other night reminded me of the climax of Orwell’s chilling morality play, when the animals belatedly wised up too late to differentiate between their newly-elected leaders and the evil exploiters they had sought to replace.
In the case of Obama, there had been many telling signs from the very beginning that he was a conservative in progressive’s clothing. When he praised Ronald Reagan and criticized Affirmative Action in his best-seller…When he said he could no more disown Reverend Wright than his racist grandmother only to distance himself from the controversial minister a month later when it became politically expedient to do so... When he opted out of the public campaign finance system after pledging to abide by the federal spending limits...
The worst was when, shortly before the Presidential election, he supported the billion-dollar bank bailout based on outgoing Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson still unsubstantiated claim that otherwise Western Civilization would collapse. There was never really a question of liquidity but one of greed, entitlement, and a lack of faith in the free market.
Nonetheless, Obama’s yea vote rewarding failure and subsidizing mistakes exposed him as a useful idiot, a corporate tool more concerned about the plight of Wall St. than Main Street, his stern talk about passing stricter banking regulations notwithstanding. (Where are they?) Since his supposedly heartfelt determination to come to the rescue of working-class people was never accompanied by his taking steps to implement any tangible relief measures, then his true intention ostensibly was never to do so. After all, he had no problem handing the banking, automotive and insurance industries additional taxpayer funds as his first order of business as Chief Executive.
Thus, the actual Obama economic philosophy can best be described as the privatizing of profit and the socializing of risk. Yet, with his approval rating sinking to a new low, the black community remains his most staunchly loyal constituency. Can anyone explain to me why, when this is the demographic he takes most for granted?
We urgently need help from the White House, not another speech from a smooth-talking snake-oil salesman, a year after Wall St. got theirs. I suspect that African-Americans continue to sit patiently because he’s black and can mimic Martin Luther King’s incantation when delivering false assurances that health care, education, housing and jobs are high on his agenda.
There is little hope, if we are so naïve as to allow Obama’s ethnicity to trump the cold, hard truth that he’s simply decided to throw the poor under the bus. What is the purpose of authentic human interaction if we are willing to reinforce the color line even to our own detriment?
What’s the State of the Union? It’s in the hands of an unprincipled, drive-by president who’s playing the black community so well that he deserves an Oscar, not a Nobel Peace Prize.

Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic, and a member of the NJ, NY, CT, PA, MA & US Supreme Court bars.

The End of Poverty?

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:40:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Globalization Documentary Discusses Paradox of Poverty in Era of Unparalleled Wealth

Why have so many Third World countries remained impoverished and underdeveloped even after gaining their independence from the European nations which had conquered and colonized them? This is the basic question addressed by The End of Poverty, an incendiary expose’ directed by Philippe Diaz. In essence, this damning documentary is a history lesson about the ugly underbelly of Western Civilization from 1492 up to the present.

For not long after Columbus “discovered” America, European countries began descending on the so-called New World, using both the bullet and the Bible to bend assorted indigenous peoples to their will. The Dutch focused primarily on Asia while the English assured themselves that the sun would never set on the ever-expanding British Empire. Even the Pope got into the act, awarding Africa to Portugal and South America to Spain by papal decree.

The basic thesis of the luminaries lending their insights to this thought-provoking project is that for 500+ years, white people have extracted the resources and oppressed the natives living in lands located in the planet’s Southern hemisphere. And that unfair economic relationship never changed substantially at the end of the era of colonization, since in most countries a handful of families continued to own the bulk of the business interests and the majority of productive real estate.

Former CIA consultant Chalmers Johnson indicts that Agency for serving as the private army of a succession of American presidents. He specifically alleges that the CIA was behind the assassination of a long list of populist leaders, like Lumumba in the Congo, Arbenz in Guatemala, Roldos in Ecuador, Torrijos in Panama, Qasim in Iraq and Mossadek in Iran. Similarly, John Perkins, author of “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man,” owns up to his role in the overthrow of numerous Third World rulers in order to replace them with corrupt puppets handpicked by the U.S.

The situation has degenerated to the point where over a billion people around the world are currently trying to survive on less than a dollar a day, and their prospects are only getting worse, given that the ownership of natural resources has become increasingly concentrated in fewer and fewer hands. In concluding, the picture suggests that this imbalance can only be corrected if the poor rise up and insist on reforms like the nationalization of land, mineral and water rights, and the taxation of the $11.5 trillion hidden by the rich in offshore accounts.

Solutions seemingly incompatible with capitalism, an economic system dependent on escalating expansionism and the incessant exploitation of cheap labor. So, why does poverty persist in the midst of unparalleled wealth? In a word, greed!

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

In English, Spanish, Portuguese and French with subtitles.

Running time: 106 minutes

Studio: Cinema Libre Studio

Zombieland DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:10:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Amusement Park Horror Comedy Arriving on DVD

With Mad Cow disease having turned most of humanity into a cannibalistic race of mutant zombies, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) opts to travel from Texas to Ohio to check on his parents. The only reason the neurotic college student is among the few people still uninfected is because he’s so neurotic he never left his dorm room while the epidemic swept across campus. Now, as the nerdy weakling begins the dangerous trek home, it doesn’t look like he’s likely to last long battling the bloodthirsty marauders, even though he has prepared a helpful list of dos and don’ts.

Lucky for him, he soon crosses paths with his polar opposite on the macho scale, Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), an alpha male with a muscle car and no qualms about killing to survive. Tallahassee has quite an arsenal at his disposal, weapons ranging from guns to bats to hedge clippers for snapping off the heads of the walking dead. However, since he’s starving and craving Hostess’ Twinkies, his first order of business is to raid an abandoned supermarket.

There, the two encounter Wichita (Emma Stone) and her younger sister, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), streetwise teens who steal the guys’ auto. But a little further up the road, conceding that there’s strength in numbers, the girls have a change of heart and pick the boys back up. Then, the quartet decides to drive westward to Hollywood where an abandoned amusement park is rumored to be zombie-free.

This is the engaging-enough premise of Zombieland, a splatter screamfest which generates far more mirth than tension. For, never do you get the sense that the picture’s motley crew might not survive their harrowing ordeal. Instead, you tend to focus on the comically creative variety of ways in which the four fight the swarming hordes of carnivorous creatures.

Zombies as good clean fun, I mean, good messy fun!

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated R for profanity and gory violence.

Running time: 88 minutes

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, commentary by the director, the scriptwriters and actors Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg, visual f/x progression scenes, a “Behind-the-Scenes” featurette and theatrical trailers.

Law Abiding Citizen DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 17:34:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Jamie Foxx Cat-and-Mouse Thriller Comes to DVD

Burglars Clarence James Darby (Christian Stolte) and Rupert Ames (Josh Stewart) both broke into the suburban Philadelphia home of Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) and forced him to sit and watch helplessly as they brutally murdered his wife (Brooke Mills) and daughter (Ksenia Hulayev). However, only one of the perps had to pay for the crime, since the former was permitted to turn state’s evidence and testify against the latter under the terms of a plea deal which let him off with a slap on the wrist.

Consequently, Clarence was set free while his co-conspirator was sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection. This outcome made perfect sense to most of the people in the courtroom, such as the Judge (Annie Corley), the District Attorney (Bruce McGill), Prosecutor Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) and his assistant, Sarah (Leslie Bibb), but it never sat well with Clyde, the victim of the crime.

So, he set about methodically planning to exact a measure of retribution. For, what nobody suspected was that this mild-mannered family man secretly happened to be a retired CIA Agent/assassin/genius inventor/mad scientist all rolled into one, which means he’s the wrong guy to make into an enemy.

Thus, this “Law Abiding Citizen” has morphed into a bloodthirsty vigilante with a hit list containing the names of Clarence and everyone he considers responsible for a guilty man still being able to walk the streets. What ensues is a gruesome splatter flick ostensibly designed to up the ante in terms of the revenge genre’s generous helpings of gratuitous gore.

As suavely played by Gerard Butler, Clyde proves to be an increasingly-unsympathetic cross of Hannibal Lecter and Paul Kersey, the obsessed protagonist played by Charles Bronson in the Death Wish franchise. It is easy to understand why he might want to behead Clarence after first castrating the creep with a scalpel, but he begins to lose my support when he subsequently sets his sights on the legal community.

A high-octane, high body-count thriller posing the question, how do you stop a psycho vigilante on a killing spree? Apparently, by any means necessary.

Very Good (2.5 stars)

Rated R for graphic violence, rape, torture and pervasive profanity.

Running time: 109 minutes

Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment

DVD Extras: Audi commentary and a “Behind-the-Scenes” featurette.

More Than a Game DVD

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:28:00 +0000

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: DVD Revisits LeBron’s Formative Years

Most people only know LeBron James the basketball phenom who went straight from high school to the NBA and became the youngest MVP in the history of the league. However, few are aware of how challenging a childhood he had to overcome en route to the pros, being raised by a young single-mom.

In fact, Lebron moved about a dozen times between the ages of 5 and 8, living in some of the worst projects around Akron, Ohio. Fortunately, his financially-struggling mother, Gloria, had the good sense to let her son stay with his coach’s family until she was able to provide him with a stable home situation.

LeBron ended up forming what would prove to be lifelong bonds during his formative years, first while playing in an AAU league and later while attending St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. For over that period, he had the same teammates: Dru Joyce III, Romeo Travis, Willie McGee and Sian Cotton. Consequently, as LeBron reminisces, “It was basketball, but it was more like friendship than anything.”

Furthermore, they were coached by Dru’s father, a practical role model who impressed upon them from the outset that basketball was “more than a game.” LeBron and company took that message to heart, cultivating not only character, individually, but a chemistry and cohesiveness, collectively, which would stand the test of time.

That tight-knit squad enjoyed unparalleled success on the court, including the national championship title. Yet, this moving documentary focuses as much on their achievements away from the sport to drive home more important points about the value of loyalty, persistence and integrity in overcoming any adversity.

And although LeBron was obviously the star of the team, the picture devotes equal time to all the members, each of whom had his own cross to bear. Along the way, we learn that Willie was raised by his big brother, because both of his parents were drug addicts; that diminutive Dru had a short kid’s complex; that Romeo had anger management issues; and that Gentle Giant Sian struggled to outgrow his clumsiness.

At heart, an inspirational bio-pic about the transcendent magic of friendship forged in pursuit of hoop dreams.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG for mild epithets and smoking.

Running time: 100 minutes

Studio: Lions Gate Home Entertainment

DVD Extras: Featurettes entitled “More Than a Film, “Behind the Music” and “Winning Ways: A Look inside Sports Psychology.”

For My Father (ISRAELI)

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:56:00 +0000

(Sof Shavua B’Tel Aviv)
Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Terrorist and Jew as Starcrossed Lovers in Tel Aviv’s Answer to Romeo and Juliet

Tarek (Shredi Jabarin) is a celebrated star on a Palestinian soccer team. But because his father has brought disgrace upon the family by collaborating with the Israelis, the young man has reluctantly decided to serve as a suicide bomber to show their neighbor-haters in Nazarene that everything is copacetic, at least in terms of being bona fide, radical Muslims.
So, after having enough plastic explosives strapped to his chest to blow himself and all the shoppers at an outdoor market to smithereens, he sets out for the city of Tel Aviv. En route, he is reminded by his unconvinced chauffeur, Abed (Jony Arbid), that the vest will detonate, if he tries to remove it. Furthermore, he is informed that his parents will be killed if the mission is aborted. And just in case he gets cold feet, Abed even has a cell phone which can set off the device via remote control.
After bidding Abed adieu, Tarek finds a plaza packed with Jews, but only ends up frustrated when he squeezes the trigger and nothing happens. Following several attempts, he ventures to a repair shop where he is befriended by Katz (Shlomo Vishinsky), its cantankerous, but soft-hearted proprietor. Katz, obviously unaware of the planned use for the malfunctioning switch, offers to order the part, and tells Tarek to come back in a couple days.
To kill time before his date with destiny and 77 virgins, the walking IED saunters over to the kiosk of Keren (Hili Yalon), a 17 year-old rebel who’s been disowned by her Hassidic family. She’s being shunned for refusing to dress modestly, wear a wig and generally abide by the dictates of their orthodox traditions.
By coincidence, a couple of creepy thugs, Avinoam (Amir Yerushalmi) and Shlomi (Michael Moshonov), show up at the shop simultaneously to pressure her to accompany them to a synagogue for a meeting with her parents. But despite having not made any friends or much money since running away, Keren refuses. And when the toughs try to twist her arm, Tarek intervenes physically like a knight in shining armor. The goons retreat with their tails between their legs, leaving Keren smitten with Tarek and eager to get better acquainted.
As they start spending some quality time together, he hides the truth about why he’s in town. Sparks fly, and a lazy bike ride through the countryside leads to the proverbial long walk along the shore at sunset. However, just when romance is on the verge of blossoming, Tarek is reminded by increasingly urgent phone calls from Abed that he’s there to wreak havoc not to make whoopee.
Will these star-crossed lovers ditch their respective repressive religions and intolerant associates to prove to the world that Jews and Palestinians are capable of not merely coexisting but of copulating as well? This is the question which For My Father urgently attempts to address with the specter of an imminent blast always hanging over our shamelessly-flirtatious protagonists’ heads.
Kudos to director Drod Zahavi for managing to present what undoubtedly reads like a patently preposterous plotline in a plausible fashion. A melodramatic morality play which sends the sobering message that suicide bombing does not pay, especially when you could just as easily seduce as splatter the sexy object of your detonation.

Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
In Hebrew and Arabic with subtitles.
Running time: 100 Minutes
Distributor: Film Movement

Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:07:00 +0000

OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by Kam Williams
For movies opening February 5, 2010

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Dear John (PG-13 for sensuality and violence) Channing Tatum stars in the title role of this bittersweet romance drama about a soldier who comes to regret reenlisting after 9-11 when the high school sweetheart (Amanda Seyfried) who promised to wait for him instead sends him a letter informing him that she’s engaged to another guy (Henry Thomas). With Richard Jenkins, Luke Benward and Scott Porter.

From Paris with Love (R for graphic violence, pervasive profanity, drug use and brief sexuality) Political potboiler about an American spy (John Travolta) who joins forces with a low-level employee (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) of the U.S. embassy to prevent a terrorist attack in Paris. (In English and French with subtitles)

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Ajami (Unrated) Ethnic tensions abound in this “Crash”-like, slice-of-life ensemble drama examining around the deteriorating state of Palestinian-Jewish relations in the ancient, Israeli seacoast city of Jaffa. Cast includes Fouad Habash, Nisrine Haban and Elias Saba. (In Arabic and Hebrew with subtitles)

District 13: Ultimatum (R for profanity, violence and drug use) David Belle and Cyril Raffaelli buddy-up for another futuristic adventure featuring action-packed, acrobatic hijinks in an impoverished Parisian ‘hood. This installment revolves around the pair’s attempt to breakup a heroin ring being protected by corrupt cops and high powered politicians. (In French with subtitles)

Falling Awake (R for violence, pervasive profanity and brief sexuality) Romantic musical about an ambitious, young guitarist (Andrew Cisneros) determined to play his way out of his crime-infested Bronx ‘hood with the help of his beautiful girlfiend from Brooklyn (Jenna Dewan). With Nestor Serrano, Julie Carmen and Chris “Kazi” Rolle.

Frozen (R for profanity and disturbing images) Bone-chilling thriller about three desperate snowboarders (Kevin Zegers, Emma Bell and Shawn Ashmore) facing the specter of frostbite and freezing to death after they’re accidentally stranded on a ski lift during frigid weather at a resort that’s just closed for a week.

Terribly Happy (Unrated) Crime thriller about a Copenhagen cop (Jakob Cedergren) who is reassigned after suffering a nervous breakdown to a small town only to end up at odds with the local bully (Kim Bodnia), a wife beater with a flirtatious wife (Lena Maria Christensen). (In Danish with subtitles)

Off and Running

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:58:00 +0000

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Adoptees Identity Issues Examined by Blended-Family Documentary

When Tovah Klein emigrated from Israel to the United States, she met and fell in love with Midwesterner Travis Cloud. The smitten lesbians subsequently settled in a trendy section of Brooklyn together where they would raise their three adopted children as Jews, sending them to Hebrew school.
What might strike some as strange about this arrangement is that none of the kids had a Jewish background. Rafi, of mixed-ethnicity, was born drug-addicted and with an STD, while his slightly younger sister Avery’s parents were African-Americans from Texas, and little Zay-Zay was a cuddly, Korean orphan.
As visually-diverse as the models in a United Colors of Benetton ad, this blended family is the subject of Off and Running, a daring documentary marking the directorial debut of Nicole Opper. It doesn’t take long for the viewer to get past their striking superficial differences and to appreciate the fact that the Klein-Clouds are nonetheless a very close, considerate and loving clan.
Then, just when you’re starting to think of the household as being as
picture-perfect as Leave It to Beaver, the camera starts to reveal some rather emotionally gut-wrenching goings-on. For although Avery is a high school track star with a promising future, she has trouble keeping her nose to the proverbial grindstone, between being boy crazy and curious about the possibility of meeting her birth mother.
After all, she’s begun to struggle with her identity, since most people see her as black, not white and Jewish, even though she’s never been exposed to African-American culture. The dilemma leads to an existential crisis, which puts a severe strain on the whole family.
Rafi, by contrast, seems to have made peace with his lot in life, and is focused more on his future than in piecing together any mysteries about his past. The 6 foot tall, green-eyed senior is applying to college and hopes to study molecular biology and play guitar at Princeton. Zay-Zay is spared much in the way of microscopic emotional inspection, serving more as a frustrated observer of his big sister’s self-destructive antics.
Ultimately uplifting, this endearing bio-pic offers a wonderful warts-and-all look from the inside out at both the blessings and challenges of trans-cultural adoption.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 76 Minutes
Distributor: First Run Features

The New Jim Crow (BOOK REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (The Sly Fox) — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:22:00 +0000

The New Jim Crow:
Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
By Michelle Alexander
The New Press
Hardcover, $27.95
304 pages
ISBN: 978-1-59558-103-7

Book Review by Kam Williams

“Precisely how the system of mass incarceration works to trap African-Americans in a virtual (and literal) cage can best be understood by viewing the system as a whole… The first stage is the roundup [when] vast numbers of people are swept into the criminal justice system by the police, who conduct drug operations primarily in poor communities of color…
Once arrested, defendants are generally denied meaningful legal representation and pressured to plead guilty, whether they are or not. Once convicted… virtually every aspect of one’s life is regulated and monitored by the system.
The final stage… often [has] a greater impact on one’s life course than the months or years one actually spends behind bars. [Parolees] will be discriminated against, legally, for the rest of their lives—denied employment, housing, education, and public benefits. Unable to surmount these obstacles, most will eventually return to prison and then be released again, caught in a closed circuit of perpetual marginality.”
-- Excerpted from Chapter 5 (pgs. 180-181)

Now that bloom has fallen off the rose of the Obama Administration, most black folks are beginning to wake up to the fact that his election isn’t about to turn the country into a post-racial utopia any time soon. To the contrary, attorney Michelle Alexander argues that in recent decades America has increasingly, and ever so subtly, adopted a color-coded caste system where minorities are targeted, stigmatized and marginalized by the criminal justice system.
Alexander, a Professor of Law at Ohio State University, makes her very persuasive case in The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, a scathing indictment of the widespread practice of selective enforcement of draconian drug laws. Ostensibly, the aim of the U.S. government has been not only to warehouse masses of African-American males behind bars, but to relegate them permanently to a subordinate stratum of society even after they’re paroled.
For the author explains that upon release, a person convicted of a petty narcotics violation “may be ineligible for many federally-funded health and welfare benefits, food stamps, public housing, and federal assistance.” Furthermore, “His driver’s license may be automatically suspended, and… he will not be permitted to enlist in the military… or obtain a federal security clearance. If a citizen, he may lose the right to vote; if not, he becomes immediately deportable.”
Although there’s a black man in the White House, Ms. Alexander expects her call for prison reform to fall on deaf ears. After all, she cites as “disturbing, to say the least,” Obama’s famous Father’s Day speech in which he in which he indicted AWOL baby-daddies “without ever acknowledging that the majority of young black men in large urban areas are currently under the control of the criminal justice system.”
This sister obviously has some serious issues with the President, since she also reminds her readers about his confessing to snorting coke all the coke he could afford and to smoking pot frequently during his wayward youth. She does s because she feels he ought to be more empathetic about the plight of the millions of African-Americans whose lives were ruined after being found guilty only of the same sort of transgressions he freely owned up to in his autobiography.
If Alexander holds any hope for our future, it rests in raising the country’s collective consciousness about the role the Apartheid-like legal system plays in perpetuating oppression along the color line. Her goal is to achieve this by generating some frank dialogue which might lead to a social movement on behalf of the vast underclass of unfairly-criminalized social pariahs.