The Sly Fox Film Reviews

Top Ten DVD Releases for 6-5-12

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 12:54:00 +0000

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Top Ten DVD List for June 5^th

Up All Night with Robert Downey, Sr.

Curb Your Enthusiasm – The Complete Eighth Season

Safe House

Raw Faith

The Sting [Blu-ray]

Yellow Submarine [Blu-ray]

Journey 2

The Three Stooges: The Ultimate Collection

New York Giants – Road to XLVI

Titanic at 100: Mystery Solved

Honorable Mention

Phineas and Ferb: The Perry Files

Erin Brockovich [Blu-ray]

Desire

Babar – The Complete First Season

Smokey and the Bandit [Blu-ray]

Pawn Stars – Season Four

Bear Nation

Pretty Little Liars – The Complete Second Season

The Woodmans

Fairly Legal – Season One

Team Umizoomi: Umigames

John Carter

Falling Skies: The Complete First Season

Act of Valor

ThunderCats – Season 1, Book 2

The Collapsed

Machine Gun Preacher

Bad Ass

Journey 2 (DVD REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Thu, 31 May 2012 14:22:00 +0000

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

DVD Review by Kam Williams

The Rock & Company Back for Worthy Sequel Set in South Pacific

We were first introduced to Sean Anderson (Josh Hutcherson) about four years ago when he embarked on a very eventful “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” courtesy of Jules Verne. Now, although he’s matured from a wide-eyed adolescent into a handsome, headstrong teenager with raging hormones, the lustful lad remains game for another exciting adventure.

At the point of departure of Journey 2, we find him decoding a cryptic distress signal being relayed via satellite from parts unknown. By locating the longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates, he determines that the S.O.S. is being broadcast from the middle of the South Pacific.

Next, he convinces himself that the message must be coming from his long-lost grandfather, Alexander (Michael Caine), an intrepid explorer who disappeared in the same area. Only by cobbling together maps printed on the pages of three literary classics: Verne’s Mysterious Island, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and Jonathan Swifts’ Gulliver’s Travels, is Sean able to figure out that his grandpa might have discovered the Lost City of Atlantis.

When Sean insists on immediately mounting a rescue mission, his mom (Kristin Davis) gives permission on the condition that he be accompanied by his hunky stepdad, Hank (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson). The two soon depart for the exotic island of Palau, where they hire a cowardly pilot (Luis Guzman) with a gorgeous daughter (Vanessa Hudgens) to fly them to an uncharted destination.

En route, they encounter a severe hurricane which has skittish Gabato struggling to control the chopper while Sean and Kailani make eyes at each other. The helicopter ends up crashing on the shore of an upside-down land of enchantment where small animals are large and vice-versa.

Hence, our heroes are as amused by a pride of miniature elephants as by enormous butterflies and bees big enough for a person to ride. Hopping aboard accommodating yellow jackets, the motley quartet proceeds to look for grandpa while simultaneously soaking in an array of visually-captivating sights ranging from ancient ruins to an active volcano which spews lava of pure gold.

Seamlessly blending elements of all three aforementioned novels, Journey 2 is a thrill-a-minute roller coaster ride guaranteed to keep the tyke and ‘tweener demos on the edge of their seats. The kid-friendly fantasy is breathtaking and frenetically paced but not frightening, and it even has its share of hilarious moments of comic relief, plus a heartwarming message to boot.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG for action adventure and a mild epithet.

Running time: 94 minutes

Distributor: Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Group

Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Interactive adventure; gag reel; and deleted scenes.

Safe House (DVD REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:40:00 +0000

Safe House

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Denzel and Reynolds’ Spy Thriller Released on DVD

Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) is a veteran CIA Agent who has been on the run since being suspected of selling military secrets to America’s enemies. By contrast, straitlaced Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) is a newcomer to the Agency itching for action. Unfortunately, the latter’s been stationed in South Africa for months where he’s only had to maintain a backwater safe house that’s never been needed.

Until now. The pair’s paths cross soon after Frost decides to come in from the proverbial cold in Cape Town because an army of assassins is closing in on him. The renegade spy surrenders at the U.S. Consulate and is left in Weston’s custody.

However, all hell breaks loose right after a team of CIA interrogators arrives at the safe house, when the place unexpectedly comes under attack by a bunch of gun-toting, bloodthirsty mercenaries. Frost and West barely escape with their lives while all the other agents perish during the assault.

With no idea why the supposedly-secure location had been compromised or whether there’s anybody whose word they can trust, the rookie and the rogue suddenly realize their survival depends on mutual cooperation. That is the intriguing point of departure of Safe House, a riveting, espionage thriller featuring non-stop action and an ever-escalating, high body count.

The movie marks the English-language directorial debut of Sweden’s Daniel Espinosa, who must be credited for coaxing yet another vintage performance from two-time, Academy Award-winner Denzel Washington (for Glory and Training Day). In addition, he allowed romantic comedy regular Ryan Reynolds to prove himself capable of playing more the handsome hunk opposite the blonde-of-the-moment.

The talented co-stars not only acquit themselves well in the convincingly-choreographed fight sequences, but their credible chemistry cultivated during downtime enables the audience to forgive the periodic holes in the picture’s Swiss cheese script. A pair of likable unlikely buddies you just love rooting for in a pyrotechnics-driven, political potboiler with more twists than a Chubby Checker concert.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated R for profanity and pervasive graphic violence.

In English, Afrikaans and Spanish with subtitles.

Running time: 115 minutes

Distributor: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Making Safe House; Hand-to-Hand Action; Building the Rooftop Chase; Inside the CIA; Behind the Action; Safe Harbor: Cape Town; Shooting the Safe House Attack; digital copy of the film; pocket Blu App; and BD-Live.

Kam's Movie Kapsules for 6-8-12

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:51:00 +0000

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

by Kam Williams

For movies opening June 8, 2012

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (PG for mild action and rude humor) Latest adventure in the animated franchise finds the anthropomorphic menagerie joining the circus in Monte Carlo to evade capture by a mean, animal control officer (Frances McDormand). Voice cast includes Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer and Cedric the Entertainer.

Prometheus (R for intense violence and brief profanity) Ridley Scott directed this sci-fi thriller, set in the late 21^st Century, about a team of scientists whose research expedition to outer space turns into a desperate struggle for survival when they encounter a bloodthirsty race of aliens bent on exterminating all of humanity. Starring Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Guy Perace.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Bel Ami (R for nudity, graphic sexuality and brief profanity) Romance drama, set in Paris in the 1890s, about an ambitious young politician (Robert Pattinson) who rises to power by seducing the city’s wealthiest and most-influential women. With Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Corpo Celeste (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama about a 13 year-old (Yle Vianello) who resists the pressure to practice Catholicism when her family moves back to Italy after living in Switzerland for a decade. With Salvatore Cantalupo, Anita Caprioli and Paola Lavini. (In Italian with subtitles)

Dark Horse (Unrated) Todd Solondz directed this romance drama about the love which blossoms between a couple of dysfunctional adults still living with their parents, one (Jordan Gelber), a toy collector, the other (Selma Blair), a clinically-depressed, aspiring writer. Supporting cast includes Christopher Walken, Mia Farrow and Jusin Bartha.

Knockdown (Unrated) Two-fisted tale of redemption about a disgraced boxer (Casey T. Evans), betrayed by a bookie, who moves from St. Louis to Bangkok where he secretly returns to the ring on the underground circuit until his past catches up with him when he’s recognized by a mysterious fight fan from his hometown. With Tom Arnold, Bai Ling, Alex Veadov and Nick Faltas.

Lola Versus (R for profanity, sexuality and drug use) Greta Gerwig stars in the title role of this romantic comedy about a jilted bride-to-be’s promiscuity in the wake of being dumped by her fiancé (Joel Kinnaman) just three weeks before their wedding day. Cast includes Hamish Linklater, Zoe Lister-Jones, Debra Winger and Bill Pullman.

Patagonia Rising (Unrated) Eco-documentary chronicling the battle between conservationists and an insensitive, multi-national corporation planning to build five dams on free-flowing rivers in Chile’s pristine Patagonia region. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

Paul Williams: Still Alive (PG-13 for drug references and brief profanity) Reverential biopic about the legendary singer/songwriter and talk show staple best known as the composer of a string of hits in the Seventies, including “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Just an Old Fashioned Love Song” and “Rainy Days and Mondays.”

Peace, Love & Misunderstanding (R for drug use and sexual references)

Dysfunctional family dramedy about a tightly-wound, Manhattan attorney (Katherine Keener) in a failing marriage who takes her teenage kids (Nate Wolff and Elizabeth Olsen) upstate to Woodstock to meet their estranged grandmother (Jane Fonda) for the first time in their lives. With Kyle MacLachlan, Rosanna Arquette and Chace Crawford.

Safety Not Guaranteed (R for profanity and sexual references) Sci-fi comedy about a magazine reporter (Aubrey Plaza) who, much to the chagrin of coworkers (Karan Soni and Jake M. Johnson) also covering the story, falls head over heels for the weirdo (Mark Duplass) looking for a companion to travel back in time with him. With Basil Harris, Jeff Garlin and Lauren Carlos.

19 Years Old & 19 Men Later

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:23:00 +0000

19 Years Old & 19 Men Later

A Memoir

by Tenisha Gainey

Piners Press

Paperback, $20.00

140 pages, Illustrated

ISBN: 978-0-578-05536-7

Book Review by Kam Williams

“I wrote this book as a guide for young women so that they won’t make the same mistakes I’ve made… I really needed someone to step in and show me that I could be so much more…

Because I have been in the bottom of the barrel… I thought to myself, ‘You can’t just sit around and do nothing when so many of your home girls are getting pregnant, chasing these no-good guys, and going down that same road you were headed.’

As I hear the latest statistics about young people—getting pregnant, contracting STDs and AIDS, losing their lives, going back to jail time and time again, and just living lives that were not meant for them—I know why they are there, because I have been in many of those places.

By the end of this book, I hope you will have learned the easy way what I learned the hard way. ”

-- Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs. 1-2)

Although billed as a relationship advice book, this jaw-dropping memoir really reads more like the cautionary confessions of a wanton party girl gone wild who’s done it all and was lucky enough to live to tell the tale. Tenisha Gainey’s uncensored autobiography actually reminds me of the Jack Kerouac classic “On the Road,” between the relentless joy ride and the surreal, stream of consciousness writing style.

Yes, the author is ultimately Born Again by the end, but one can only wonder whether this belated convert to Christianity will be able to resist the temptation to revert to her hedonistic patterns. After all, Tenisha’s horrible taste in men and admitted weakness for alcohol (especially a mixed drink called The Incredible Hulk) led her to rack up a lot of road miles on her body before she had turned 20. That self-destructive path was marked by substance abuse, abortion, STDs, prostitution, rape, incarceration and involuntary commitment to a mental institution.

A sucker for any guy with a flashy automobile, again and again the author made the worst dating choices imaginable. For example, she describes the night she impulsively agreed to be gangbanged in a motel by some middle-aged, white men on the way to a poker game who propositioned her at a traffic light. She even felt flattered by a pimp who told her she was pretty enough to add to his stable since she’d attract a lot of business.

The tragedy is how she’d squandered her considerable potential, flunking out of Fairleigh Dickinson University, after having been seduced by the lure of making easy money. But the thrill of giving lap dances in seedy strip clubs, sponging-off losers for fifty bucks a pop in the boom-boom room, and sleeping with old dudes oozing AIDS sores down in Florida wore off after awhile.

Before you start pointing fingers, try walking a mile in Tenisha’s hot pants and high heels. Well, on second thought, maybe you should only think about it. She was clearly a victim of circumstances during her formative years, being born to a 16 year-old single-mom and an absentee career criminal who was always out on the street or behind bars.

How do you think you’d fare in similar circumstances? Fortunately, Tenisha’s doing fine now (cross your fingers), and the sky’s the limit with God as her co-pilot. The icing on the cake will be when Oprah options her life story for an inspirational, overcoming-the-odds biopic.

Nyambi Nyambi (INTERVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Tue, 29 May 2012 03:55:00 +0000

Nyambi Nyambi

The “Mike & Molly” Interview

with Kam Williams

Nyambi Dextrous

Versatile Shakespearean thespian and television comedy sensation Nyambi Nyambi stars on the television sitcom “Mike & Molly” airing Mondays at 9:30pm (8:30 Central) on CBS. The show’s title characters are played by Billy Gardell and Emmy Award-winner Melissa McCarthy as a working class couple from Chicago who met at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting.

Nyambi handles the hilarious breakout role of “Samuel,” a Senegalese waiter working in a diner to whom dieting is a foreign concept. Earlier in his career, he shared the stage with Hollywood legend Al Pacino in productions of “The Merchant of Venice” and “The Winter’s Tale” for the New York City Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park.

As a member of both the LAByrinth Theater Company and the Classical Theater of Harlem, Nyambi’s other theater credits include the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” “The Tempest” opposite Mandy Patinkin for the Classic Stage Company, and “Coming Home.”

The Oklahoma native was born on April 26, 1979 to Nigerian parents but was raised in Houston and Dallas, Texas as well as in Fairfax, Virginia. He attended Bucknell University on a basketball scholarship, and subsequently earned his MFA from the Graduate Acting Program at NYU.

A self-proclaimed basketball junky, Nyambi collects vintage basketball jerseys and plays for charity alongside stars like Jamie Foxx, Dean Cain, Joel McHale, Adam Sandler and Zac Efron in Hollywood’s Entertainment League Productions. In addition, he enjoys donating his free time to coaching at teen camps.

A true film buff, Nyambi watched 365 movies in 365 days last year. Here, he talks about life and about what it’s like to be on “Mike & Molly.”

Kam Williams: Hi, Nyambi, thanks for the interview.
Nyambi Nyambi: No doubt. Let’s have fun.

KW: What interested you in Mike & Molly?
NN: What interested me in Mike & Molly was the hilarious script and the idea of playing a West African character that was the smartest guy in the room…and I was broke.

KW: Tell me a little about the show?
NN: Mike & Molly is a show about two people in love and the work it takes to keep it that way.

KW: What would you say is the show’s message?
NN: The message of the show is that love is out there and, if you want the baggage it comes with, it’s yours.

KW: How would you describe your character, Samuel?
NN: Samuel is a dry-humored, highly-educated immigrant from Senegal, who speaks five languages, studies English Literature at The University of Illinois and is a waiter at Abe’s Hot Beef. Nothing gets past him. He's family.

KW: How did you prepare to play a Senegalese waiter?
NN: I ate in a lot of diners and spent some time in Senegal.

KW: Marilyn Marshall, who’s a fan of the show notes that Mike & Molly has one of the most racially-diverse casts on prime-time network TV. She asks: Who is responsible for that diversity?
NN: Hello, Marilyn. Mark Roberts, the creator of our show, and the writers have done an incredible job of creating and writing for these amazing actors.

KW: Marilyn is also wondering how has a series about two overweight people managed to become a hit in our weight-conscious society where most TV and movie stars are thin?
NN: The truth reigns supreme and the love that all of these characters share is what people ultimately connect to. They see themselves in these characters or in their dilemmas. Plus, the hearts of Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy are deeply genuine and infectious. It begins with their genius together.

KW: Finally, Marilyn asks: What are the similarities and differences between you and your character, Samuel?
NN: We both have a dry sense of humor and an appreciation for classic literature. Samuel is Senegalese and my family is Nigerian. I hope to one day speak five languages like Samuel. Right now, I know English, a lot of French, a little bit of Efik and a few words in Wolof.

KW: Were you surprised when Melissa McCarthy was nominated for an Oscar for Bridesmaids?
NN: [Cast member] Reno Wilson called it immediately after we saw the premiere of Bridesmaids and [cast member] Katy Mixon had a dream about it not too long after that. So, when it came time for the nominations, I wasn’t surprised. She was that good! Melissa McCarthy is a character acting genius.

KW: How did you develop an interest in acting while playing Division I basketball in college?
NN: I have always had an interest in acting for as long as I can remember. I just never called it acting. It was celebrating the nuance of the people I met. So I constantly was entertaining my family and friends with some character they knew – an uncle, an aunt, a cousin, a family friend or a character from a television show or film. When I was a college senior, I was a Business major and uncertain about my future. The dream was always professional basketball, which was fading with each dribble, and I just did not feel Wall Street or any other desk job was in the cards for me. I was at a loss. So I decided to do what I do when I want to be happy and that is play a character. There was a Martin Luther King gala at Bucknell University, so I offered to recite a speech I used to compete with in high school for the forensics club, the art of speechmaking forensics not CSI forensics. I sensed doubt in the coordinator of the event about my skills, because those who knew me from afar knew me as a quiet shy type. To have fun and prove the coordinator wrong, I decided to memorize the speech, study his cadence, his suits, his walk, the speeches behind the speech, his inspirations and never once did I call any of that acting or what an actor does. So, the night I performed the speech, something new was happening within me that was electrifying. For ten minutes I actually thought I was Martin Luther King and afterwards, Professor Glyne Griffiths who, along with me, I’m sure, wondered what I was going to do with my life, with joy, put a name to the very thing I loved to do, “Nyambi, you’re an actor.” And I haven’t looked back since.

KW: Why did you decide to get a Master’s in theater, and how did you come to pick NYU over the Yale Drama School?
NN: I got my Master’s in Acting from NYU because I wanted to explore the great roles in the great plays and be given the arena to fail triumphantly. My father so eloquently stated, “Well, in Nigeria we know Yale.” Choosing NYU was a heart decision. I wanted that playground of New York to draw characters from.

KW: I see that you’re a junior. Is Nyambi Nyambi both you and your dad’s real name? Did you ever wish you had two names?
NN: Yes, my father and I share the same name. Our names mean a lot in my family. I love my name because of the level of confusion it brings to people’s faces. I wonder sometimes what life would be like if my name were Clint or Wally.

KW: You watched a movie a day last year. What were a few of your favorites? What was the worst one you saw?
NN: A few of my favorites were Diner, Midnight in Paris, Citizen Kane, Unforgiven and Sounder. The worst, but still entertaining, was The Terror of Tiny Town.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
NN: You are a superhero. What is your one super power and why?

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
NN: I am always afraid, which I have decided to be a good thing, because I’m in the face of the very thing I need to conquer. And when I conquer that fear, it is the most awesome feeling.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
NN: Yes.

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
NN: Today. Something gets me everyday.

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?
NN: Australian licorice.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
NN: Richard Pryor’s autobiography, “Pryor Convictions.”

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?
NN: Isaac Hayes’ “Walk On By” from the Hot Buttered Soul album.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
NN: Rice with stew.

KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?
NN: Any art form from the soul excites me.

KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
NN: Right now, John Varvatos.

KW: Dante Lee, author of "Black Business Secrets,” asks: What was the best business decision you ever made, and what was the worst?
NN: Best business decision I ever made was becoming an actor. Worst business decision I ever made was the belief that ignorance was bliss.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
NN: Joy and promise…and a stain on the right corner of the glass.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
NN: For more wishes.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
NN: Running through a courtyard in Oklahoma being chased by a dog that eventually bites the back of my right leg.

KW: The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
NN: I would be a hyena disguised as a lion.

KW: The Pastor Alex Kendrick question: When do you feel the most content?
NN: When I am travelling.

KW: The Toure question: Who is the person who led you to become the person you are today?
NN: My parents and sisters as a unit led me to become the person I am today. All love.

KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?
NN: The audacity to fail gloriously again and again.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
NN: Joy. Find it. Seek it, and hold on to it. It will get you through the pain.

KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
NN: He celebrated life and all of its flaws.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Nyambi, best of luck with the show.
NN: Thank you for having me, Kam.

Twitter: @NyambiNyambi
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NyambiNyambi

To see Nyambi being interviewed at the Emmys, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWrpczaf_m4

Changing the Game (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:20:00 +0000

Changing the Game
Film Review by Kam Williams

Ambitious Ghetto Orphan Tested in All Ways in Sobering Coming-of-Age Saga

Darrell Barnes (Sean Riggs) was dealt a horrible hand as a baby, having been abandoned by his mother after his father was shot dead on the rough streets of North Philly. At least he was lucky enough to be taken in by his paternal grandmother (Irma P. Hall), a Bible-quoting Christian who did her best to insulate the boy from the host of evils permeating their crime-infested neighborhood.

Heeding her admonition to trust in the Lord, Darrell stuck to the straight and narrow as a child. He did his best to keep out of trouble, excelling in school, where he cut a sharp contrast to his best friend, Dre (Dennis L.A. White), a clueless victim of social promotion allowed to slip through the academic cracks at an early age.

So, it’s no surprise that juvenile delinquent Dre would eventually drop out to become a drug kingpin, and rationalize operating such a reprehensible enterprise by liberally quoting misanthropic lines from Machiavelli like, “Kill enemies before they kill you.” Meanwhile, Darrell did good and Grandma Barnes proud by gaining admission to the prestigious Wharton Business School.

In most coming-of-age sagas, the empathetic underdog’s making his way out of the ghetto would herald a proverbial “happily ever after” ending. But in the more nuanced and multilayered world of Changing the Game, entre to the Ivy League merely signals the start of a new set of challenges to be faced by this naive inner-city refugee.

After graduating, as warned by his wise, rapidly-expiring grandma, Darrell finds himself still tempted by the Devil and having to negotiate his way through a different gauntlet of wickedness. With both Jesus and Machiavelli’s teachings competing for control of his mind, he goes into business with a corrupt classmate (Brandon Ruckdashel) against his better judgment.

The tension builds as Darrell lets greed get the better of him to a point of no return where it’s gonna take a miracle for the ambitious brother to escape with his soul intact. Touching on a litany of timely themes, this modern morality play of Shakespearean proportions packs an emotional punch while sending a sobering message about what really matters most.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for sexuality, nudity, violence, ethnic slurs, drug use and pervasive profanity.
Running time: 103 minutes
Distributor: Barnholtz Entertainment

Men in Black III (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Sun, 27 May 2012 21:55:00 +0000

Men in Black III

Film Review by Kam Williams

Alien-Fighting Franchise Revived for Time-Travel Finale

One sign that scriptwriters have run out of fresh ideas is when they lazily recycle the shopworn, time-travel theme in order to extend an expiring film series. This ill-advised approach has been employed over the years in service of such sorry sequels as The Three Stooges Meet Hercules (1962), Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) and Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time (1991), to name a few.

Even Back to the Future III (1990) doubled-down on the dubious cinematic device when it had Michael J. Fox teleported back to the Wild, Wild West instead of to the Fifties like the earlier installments. Industry insiders use the Happy Days-inspired catchphrase “Jumping the Shark” to mark the moment a farfetched episode plunges a franchise headlong into an irreversible tailspin.

Fortunately, the relatively-captivating Men in Black III is more than just another, idea-bereft take-the-money-and-run rip-off. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (MIB & MIB II), the picture reunites Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as alien-hunting Agents J and K, respectively.

However, don’t expect to see much of Jones this go-round, since he only makes what really amounts to a couple of cameo appearances during the flick’s wraparound opening and closing sequences. Otherwise, Josh Brolin plays K for the balance of the story which unfolds in the summer of 1969.

At the picture’s point of departure, we find a one-armed convict called Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement) sitting behind bars inside Lunar Max, a maximum security prison located on the Moon. The evil alien soon escapes with the help of his cake-bearing girlfriend (Nicole Scherzinger), his first visitor in over 40 years.

Next, Agent J catches wind of the missing fugitive’s plans to venture backwards in time to exact a measure of revenge on Agent K for having shot off his limb. The vindictive Boris also intends to spearhead an intergalactic invasion of Earth by the Boglodites, a bloodthirsty race of his rogue relatives. Naturally, J decides to return to the past, too, to keep the world safe for humanity and to make sure his partner survives any attempted rewrite of history.

Courtesy of some preposterous, pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo, J learns how to time travel and that he must accomplish all of the above and return to the present in less than 24 hours, before a breach in the temporal fracture closes. (What?) Anyhow, upon arriving on July 16, 1969, Agent J introduces himself to the 29 year-old incarnation of already-humorless Agent K, and does his darndest to loosen up that trademark, Type-A personality.

What ensues is an engaging enough mix of special effects-driven mirth and mayhem, with the tension being wound around the imperiled launch of Apollo 11 at Cape Canaveral. But since there’s never a doubt that Boris and the Boglodites are destined to be subdued, the true payoff arrives after the action subsides by way of an emotional revelation that it would be unfair to spoil.

A fitting franchise finale featuring all the fixins for a satisfying sendoff!

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG-13 for violence and suggestive content.

Running time: 103 minutes

Distributor: Columbia Pictures

A Beautiful Soul (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Sat, 26 May 2012 19:19:00 +0000

For photos, visit: https://www.facebook.com/BeautifulSoulMovie

Or: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_beautiful_soul/pictures/1/

A Beautiful Soul

Film Review by Kam Williams

Shades of 'It's a Wonderful Life' Abound in Faith-Based Morality Play

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) is a much-beloved fable about a depressed businessman who decides not to commit suicide after an angel intervenes and shows him how much worse off the world would be without him. Shades of that Frank Capra classic abound in A Beautiful Soul, a faith-based variation on the theme, but in blackface.

Directed by Jeffrey W. Byrd (King’s Ransom), this music-driven, hip-hop opera stars Dietrick Haddon as Andre “Dre” Stephens, a booty and bling-obsessed pop icon who has turned his back on the Lord. We witness his misbehavior firsthand when the shallow singing sensation only goes to church grudgingly, and then proceeds to insult the deacon (Jeris Poindexter) by trying to pick up female parishioners and by failing to encourage a promising young soloist (Trevor Jackson) in the choir.

Such repugnant behavior invariably forecasts doom in your typical, transparent morality play that tends to telegraphs its punches. And in this case, the day of reckoning arrives when Dre is shot during an ambush of his entourage staged by a disgruntled bodyguard (Vincent Ward).

With his mortally-wounded best friend (Robert Ri’chard) slowly expiring, Dre is lucky to be left floating in a limbo somewhere between Heaven and Earth. While in that suspended state, the sinner’s technologically-advance Guardian Angel (Vanessa Bell Calloway) appears and helps him, via iPad, see the error of his ways.

Dre simultaneously spends four months in a coma in the care of Angela (Lesley-Ann Brandt), a gorgeous groupie-turned-nurse-turned-soon to be-love interest. By the time he’s rehabilitated and fully revived, the world is waiting with baited breath to see whether their favorite bad boy will be Born Again or remain a materialistic misogynist.

An inner-city tale of redemption which proves that miracles don’t only happen to orphans in the Midwest at Christmastime!

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG-13 for violence and sensuality.

Running time: 90 minutes

Distributor: Tyscot/Manhaddon Films and Mission Pictures International

OC87 (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Sat, 26 May 2012 14:06:00 +0000

OC87

Film Review by Kam Williams

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Illustrated in Auto-Biopic

Thirty years ago, Bud Clayman was an aspiring filmmaker with a promising future when he headed to Hollywood after graduating from college in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, his career was instead derailed by a breakdown brought on by a number of previously-undiagnosed mental illnesses.

Turns out Bud was not only Bipolar, but suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Depression and Asperger’s Syndrome. On the advice of his doctors, he put his lifelong dreams on hold to enter a therapeutic community for extended treatment.

In a classic case of “Better late than never,” Mr. Clayman has finally recovered sufficiently to make an impressive, if delayed, directorial debut with himself serving as the subject. This revealing documentary offers an unusually frank examination of his assorted afflictions, showing, for instance, how his mind plays tricks on him after driving over a bump in the road, so that he feels the need to double-back to make sure he hasn’t hit a pedestrian.

Given Bud’s mix of bizarre tics, it’s no surprise that he’s had a hard time finding a wife. But that doesn’t stop him from trying, and he takes along a camera here to record some of his disastrous dates.

Although he’s terribly eccentric, it’s also clear that he’s very likable, sensitive and intelligent, too. After all, he’s bright enough to have crafted OC87, a poignant portrait of himself designed to encourage tolerance for any outpatient struggling with similar symptoms.

A warts-and-all biopic about a cautious, creative genius burdened by a vivid imagination apt to take superstitions like “Step on a crack and you break your mother’s back” very seriously.

Very Good (3 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 91 minutes

Distributor: Fisher Klingenstein

96 Minutes (DVD REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Thu, 24 May 2012 21:48:00 +0000

96 Minutes
DVD Review by Kam Williams

DVD Features “Crash”-Like Crime Drama

    Carley (Brittany Snow) is a sheltered college senior who’s torn between roaming around the country after getting her degree and going to law school primarily to please her parents. She’s caught up in an animated conversation about the future with her best friend, Lena (Christian Serratos), who is concerned about a boyfriend and about making a smooth transition from campus to the real world.
    As the carefree coeds drive around Los Angeles, they’re blissfully unaware that their world is on the verge of suddenly colliding with that of a couple of teens from the other side of the tracks. One, Dre (Evan Ross), is fast approaching a milestone of his own, having just ordered a cap-and-gown for his impending high school graduation. He hopes to be one of the few kids from his block to overcome the odds and actually make it out of the ghetto.
    Sadly, the same can’t be said about Kevin (Jonathan Michael Trautmann), a dropout desperate to be embraced by the local gang. To prove himself worthy, he impulsively decides to carjack Carley and Lena’s car at gunpoint.
    Dre reluctantly joins Kevin in this felonious endeavor, more to talk some sense into his young cousin than as an accomplice, only to have grand theft auto escalate to kidnapping and attempted murder when the kid shoots a resistant Lena in the head. With all four subsequently cooped-up together in the car, what ensues is a harrowing ordeal marked by mutual misunderstandings borne of a culture clash.
    Like a claustrophobic variation of the Oscar-winning Best Picture Crash, 96 Minutes is a serendipitous slice-of-life tale unfolding in L.A. over the course of one very eventful evening. The compelling crime drama marks the impressive writing and directorial debut of Aimee Lagos, who exhibits quite a knack for both character-development and for generating edge of your seat urgency.
    Listen, whenever vapid Valley girls cross paths with wanton boys ‘n the hood, you know something’s gotta give. And when the dust settles, it ain’t going to look pretty.

Very Good (3 stars)
Rated R for violence and pervasive profanity.
Running time: 95 minutes
Distributor: Arc Entertainment

Top Ten DVD Releases for 5-29-12

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Thu, 24 May 2012 19:57:00 +0000

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Headline: Top Ten DVD List for May 29^th

Sing Your Song

Coriolanus

Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston

True Blood – The Complete Fourth Season

We Need to Talk about Kevin

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies

Maverick - The Complete First Season

Memorial Day

Hell on Wheels

The Jungle Bunch: The Movie

Honorable Mention

House of Boys

Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island

Kam's Movie Kapsules for 6-1-12

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:10:00 +0000

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

by Kam Williams

For movies opening June 1, 2012

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Battlefield America (PG-13 for profanity, drug use and mature themes) Overcoming-the-odds drama, set in L.A., about a charismatic businessman (Marques Houston) who hires a choreographer to help a rag-tag team of inner-city kids prepare for an underground, hip-hop dance competition. With Lynn Whitfield, Valarie Pettiford and Mekia Cox.

Piranha 3DD (R for sexuality, profanity, drug use, graphic nudity and gory violence) High body-count, horror sequel set at the grand opening of an adult-themed water park whose patrons are blissfully unaware of an impending attack by a swarm of man-eating fish. Starring Danielle Panabaker, Matt Bush, Ving Rhames, Christopher Lloyd, Gary Busey, David Hasselhoff and Elise Neal.

Snow White and the Huntsman (PG-13 for intense violence and brief sensuality) Medieval variation on the classic fairytale finds the fair princess (Kristen Stewart) banished to the forest where she plots revenge against the evil queen (Charlize Theron) with the help of 8 dwarfs and the swordsman (Chris Hemsworth) ordered to kill her. Cast includes Bob Hoskins, Ian McShane, Ray Winstone and Toby Jones.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

5 Broken Cameras (Unrated) Middle East documentary chronicling a family of Palestinian farmers’ non-violent protest against the Israeli government’s confiscating land in their tiny, West Bank town for the benefit of profit and politically-motivated, real estate developers. (In Hebrew and Arabic with subtitles)

6 Month Rule (R for profanity and sexuality) Battle-of-the-sexes comedy, set in Shreveport, Louisiana, revolving around a confirmed bachelor (Blayne Weaver) who finally decides to settle down when he unexpectedly falls head-over-heels for a woman (Natalie Morales) he can’t just seduce and abandon as usual. With Jamie Pressley, Martin Starr and Vanessa Branch.

Apartment 143 (R for profanity and terror) Found-footage horror flick about a team of parapsychologists’ investigation of strange phenomena occurring inside of a haunted house. Starring Francesc Garrido, Fiona Glascott and Rick Gonzalez.

A Cat in Paris (PG for action, violence and mature themes) Animated crime caper about a cat who leads a double life, living with a grieving, 7 year-old orphan (Oriane Zani) by day, and working with a kindhearted burglar (Bruno Salomone) by night. Voice cast includes Dominique Blanc, Bernadette Lafont and Jean Benguigui. (In French with subtitles)

Cellmates (Unrated) Unlikely-buddy comedy about the friendship which blossoms behind bars between the grand dragon of the Ku Klux Klan (Tom Sizemore) and a Mexican farm worker/community organizer (Hector Jimenez), when the two are forced to share a tiny prison cell. With Stacy Keach, Kevin P. Farley and Olga Segura.

Chely Wright: Wish Me Away (Unrated) Out-of-the-closet documentary about the blowback felt by country singer Chely Wright after making the difficult decision to inform her family and fans that she’s a lesbian.

Crooked Arrows (PG-13 for suggestive language) David vs. Goliath sports flick featuring a team of Iroquois underdogs competing against better-equipped rivals in a prep school league lacrosse tournament. With Brandon Routh, Michael Hudson and Gil Birmingham.

For Greater Glory (R for graphic violence and disturbing images) Faith-based historical drama revisiting the events surrounding the Cristeros War (1926-1929), an insurrection ignited by the Mexican government’s decision to secularize the country by outlawing Catholicism. Starring Eva Longoria, Andy Garcia, Ruben Blades, Peter O’Toole and Bruce McGill. (In Spanish and English with subtitles)

Hide Away (PG-13 for sensuality, mature themes and brief profanity) Bittersweet tale of redemption about a regretful businessman (Josh Lucas) who tries to recover from an unspeakable tragedy by restoring a fixer-upper sailboat on a remote island off the coast of Michigan where he’s befriended by a waitress (Ayelet Zurer), a cashier (Casey LaBow) and an ancient mariner (James Cromwell). With Jon Tenney, Anne Faba and Taylor Nichols.

High School (R for nudity, sexuality, crude humor, pervasive profanity and incessant drug use) Misery-likes-company comedy about a high school valedictorian (Matt Bush) who tries to get the entire senior class stoned after he’s suspended for failing a drug test just before graduation. Cast includes Adrien Brody, Michael Chiklis, Colin Hanks and Mikelti Williamson.

The Loved Ones (Unrated) Gruesome horror thriller about a jilted, high school coed (Robin McLeavy) who plots revenge with the help of her father (John Brumpton) against the hunky classmate (Xavier Samuel) who turned her down as his prom date. With Victoria Thaine, Jessica McNamee and Richard Wilson.

Pink Ribbons, Inc. (Unrated) Non-profit expose’ investigating what happens to the millions of dollars raised in the name of breast cancer, the corporate charity that Madison Avenue marketing experts have dubbed “The Dream Cause.”

U.N. Me (PG-13 for disturbing images and mature themes involving genocide and rape) Incendiary documentary indicting the United Nations as a corrupt, bribe-taking outfit of fake peacekeepers who frequently fail to intervene while witnessing crimes against humanity and who have even participated in murders at the scene of international hotspots.

Better Than Alright (BOOK REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Wed, 23 May 2012 01:56:00 +0000

Better Than Alright:

Finding Peace, Love & Power

by Ledisi

Essence Books

Hardcover, $16.95

176 pages, Illustrated

ISBN: 978-1-60320-182-7

Book Review by Kam Williams

“I can’t believe someone found my journey interesting enough to want to put it in a book…Being on display as an artist is never comfortable for me.

Behind my songs and my words lies a very shy little girl who has become a strong woman. Luckily, there are people around me who push and lift me to be open and transparent…

So here I am, and in every chapter of this book are fragments of my life between the lines and spaces of music. Pivotal moments that are filled with ups and downs, challenges and triumphs. Experiences that shaped the woman and singer you have come to know as Ledisi…

I hope you will be inspired by my journey.”

-- Excerpted from Chapter One – The Journey (pg. 7)

In recent years, hip-hop icons from Eminem (The Way I Am) to Jay-Z (“Decoded) have written memoirs in which they ruminate about their private lives while deconstructing the deeper meaning of their poetry and song lyrics. R&B diva Ledisi is the latest star to take just such an approach in terms of an autobiography.

Ledisi Anibade Young was born in New Orleans on July 9, 1978 to Nyra Dynese and Larry Sanders, a musician who abandoned the family when his daughter was still an infant. The name Ledisi, which means “to bring forth” in Yoruba, was picked because of the spunk she exhibited during her valiant struggle to survive a host of life-threatening ailments as a premature baby.

In the book, Ledisi lets us know that she admires First Lady Michelle Obama (“I love her!”), Nina Simone (“Reminded me to be proud of my skin”), Malcolm X (“A class act”) and Miles Davis (“My muse”). However, she credits another role model, her beloved Aunt Gussie, a choir member who only performed for the Lord, with helping her cultivate that soulful singing voice, a blessing she had to learn the hard way not to take for granted.

Overall, Ledisi paints a stylish self-portrait, here, via a vibrant mix of artistically-illustrated rhymes, proverbs, photographs, personal anecdotes and introspective journal entries. Wearing her heart on her sleeve, the unguarded author tackles such subjects as love, forgiveness and faith with an enviable vulnerability.

For example, in the chapter on Beauty, she suggests that “When you don’t know how beautiful you are, you will always be in search of happiness.” By opus’ end, expect to feel oh so nurtured by the practical pearls of wisdom reflecting the essence of the insightful and likable lady who goes by Ledisi.

And that’s better than alright.

President Jimmy Carter

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:58:00 +0000

President Jimmy Carter

The “NIV Lessons from Life Bible” Interview

with Kam Williams

President, Peanut Farmer and Sunday School Teacher

James Earl Carter, Jr., the 39th President of the United States, was born on October 1, 1924 in the tiny town of Plains, Georgia. His father, James, Sr., was a farmer and businessman, and his mother, Lillian Gordy Carter, was a registered nurse.
Jimmy was educated in the public school of Plains, attended Georgia Southwestern College and the Georgia Institute of Technology, and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1946. On July 7^th of that year, he married his childhood sweetheart, Rosalynn Smith of Plains.

In the Navy, he became a submariner, serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets and rising to the rank of lieutenant. Chosen by Admiral Hyman Rickover for the nuclear submarine program, he was assigned to Schenectady, New York, where he did graduate work at Union College in reactor technology and nuclear physics while serving as senior officer of the pre-commissioning crew of the Seawolf.
When his father died in 1953, he resigned his naval commission and returned with his family to Georgia. He took over the Carter farms, and he and Rosalynn operated Carter's Warehouse, a general-purpose seed and farm supply company located in Plains.

He soon became a leader of the community, serving on county boards supervising education, the hospital authority, and the library. In 1962 he entered politics, winning election to the Georgia Senate, before becoming Georgia's 76th governor on January 12, 1971.

Jimmy Carter was inaugurated President of the United States on January 20, 1977. Significant foreign policy accomplishments of his administration included the Panama Canal treaties, the Camp David Accords, the treaty of peace between Egypt and Israel, the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union, and the establishment of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.

On the domestic side, the administration's achievements included a comprehensive energy program conducted by a new Department of Energy; deregulation in energy, transportation, communications, and finance; major educational programs under a new Department of Education; and major environmental protection legislation, including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. While in office, he also championed human rights throughout the world.
In 1982, he became University Distinguished Professor at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and founded The Carter Center to engage in conflict mediation all over the world. In addition, the Center has monitored 83 elections in the Americas, Africa, and Asia.

The permanent facilities of The Carter Presidential Center include the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, administered by the National Archives. The Jimmy Carter National Historic Site in Plains, administered by the National Park Service, is open to visitors, too.
Jimmy and Rosalynn volunteer for Habitat for Humanity annually, helping needy people renovate and build homes. And on the Sabbath, they teach Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church of Plains.

For relaxation, President Carter enjoys fly-fishing, woodworking and swimming. The Carters have three sons, one daughter, nine grandsons, three granddaughters, two great-grandsons, and four great-granddaughters.
In 2002, President Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development." The author of 25 books, here, he talks about his latest,
NIV Lessons from Life Bible.

Kam Williams: Hi President Carter, I’m really honored to have another opportunity to speak with you.

President Carter: It’s a pleasure for me, too, Kam. Thank you!

KW: Editor/legist Patricia Turnier asks: What message do you think people will take away from the Lessons from Life Bible?

JC: I think that what people will get out of these comments in the Bible, and also out of my previous book [Through the Year with Jimmy Carter: 366 Daily Meditations from the 39^th President] is how pertinent, how important and how applicable the ancient texts are to our modern-day life. That’s what I try to emphasize in all my Sunday school lessons when I teach at Maranatha Baptist Church. So, I think the main message to remember is that we must accommodate changing times while clinging to unchanging moral values. That’s why I say the aim is to apply the text to modern-day life.

KW: Patricia also asks: Are you interested in writing a memoir focusing on your more recent accomplishments?

JC: I’ve already written a book about my more recent accomplishments. It’s called Beyond the White House.

KW: Leon Marquis says: You have done more good after leaving office than any other United States President, from traveling the world, to certifying free and open elections, to working with Habitat for Humanity, to traveling to North Korea. You have become the "Soul of American Diplomacy." My question is: Why can't the other ex-presidents get it right?

JC: Well, I wouldn’t say they’re wrong, Leon, because each one of us is an individual, just like talk show hosts are different from one another, and newspaper columnists are different from each other. So, former presidents are different from each other, too. Some have gone into relative seclusion. Some have decided to teach. In fact, I’m finishing my 30^th year as a professor at Emory University. I’ve found it very enjoyable and very beneficial to me to keep active. But I wouldn’t criticize any president who has chosen to take a different route.

KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles asks: Is there a personal moral tension between being a good Christian and being a good Commander of a nuclear submarine?

How can an officer--especially one of great faith—reconcile being asked to lead troops into battle with the Fifth Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Kill?

JC: The most important Bible teaching that I remembered when I was in the Navy and when I was Commander-in-Chief, was that we worshipped The Prince of Peace. Jesus Christ is The Prince of Peace. So, I considered myself, as a submarine officer, as helping to preserve the peace. And I felt the same way when I was president. As a matter of fact, although we had some terrible challenges and temptations when I was in office, we never dropped a bomb… we never launched a missile… and we never fired a bullet. I think that one of the main requirements for a strong military, like a strong submarine force, is to prevent war, not to cause war.

KW: Larry Greenberg says: It seems like we are at a point now where books are moving from bound paper to digital media. How will this impact the study and reverence for the Bible?

JC: You can already download any of the religious texts onto electronic mechanisms like a Kindle. But I think many people prefer to hold a book in their hands. We recently gave my daughter Amy a new electronic device, but since she used to work in a library, she still insists on reading exclusively from books. I take my Bible with me to church every Sunday to teach the Bible lesson. I do that whenever I’m in Plains, oh, about 35 to 40 times a year. So, I think that for many people, particularly when reading Holy Scriptures, a Bible you can hold in your hands is most appropriate.

KW: I still prefer the touch of paper. I still haven’t made the jump to reading books electronically.

JC: [Chuckles] I can understand that.

KW: Troy Johnson asks: Do you see any parallels between the lead-up to the 1980 Presidential Election and the 2012 campaign?

JC: Not really. Back in those days, we didn’t have massive sums of money pouring in. We never ran any negative advertisements. I always referred to President Ford during the 1976 campaign as “my distinguished opponent.” That was all. And I behaved the same way as an incumbent, when Ronald Reagan ran against me in 1980. And the amount of money we raised against each other from special interest groups and from lobbyists for the general election was zero. Neither President Ford, nor Governor Reagan nor I ever raised a single dollar from them to run against each other in the general election. Sadly, all of that has changed. What this massive infusion of more money into the political campaign has caused is a mammoth increase in negative ads. That’s a tragedy, in my opinion, and a step backwards for the political system of our country.

KW: Troy also says that he read in the Wall Street Journal that not since Herbert Hoover has a party out of power had such an opportunity to run against everything that troubles the American family—prices, interest rates, unemployment, taxes, fear of the future, etcetera. Do you think the Republican Party will employ that strategy against an Obama administration which seems vulnerable in terms of both foreign and domestic policy?

JC: Well, I’m not a political strategist, and I’m certainly not one for the Republican Party. [Chuckles] I will say that any incumbent president has to run on his record, and President Obama has had a very limited number of accomplishments so far. But he’s been handicapped by the lack of any cooperation on the part of the Republicans who serve in the House and Senate. So, Congress has been an obstacle to President Obama. I think the American people will be able to ascertain as the election approaches who is to blame for the stalemate and who deserves credit for the best proposals for the future.

KW: Lisa Loving asks: How should we as Americans and as voters work to overcome the sometimes hateful tone of our politics today?

JC: Unfortunately, every American citizen takes the same position as you do, Lisa, that we don’t like negative advertisements. But they work! And, as you see, many a candidate has prevailed by tearing down the reputation of an opponent in a more advantageous position. I think that the best approach would be if the American people ever insist that we cut down on the massive amounts of money that moves into the campaigns from special interest groups, and if we resist publicly by saying “No more negative advertisements that destroy the reputations of one’s opponents.” In the meantime, just don’t pay any attention to negative ads, if you can avoid them, and try to focus on the issues.

KW: Tracy Ertl, Publisher of TitleTown Publishing, says: I love Jimmy Carter! I was barely a teen when you took office. You were truly the first President that I recognized as such with any true understanding. Mr. President, what is something that every God-believing American could do this year to bring more stability and safety to the youth of the country?

JC: I think all of us could insist on preserving the truth and preserving the peace. We could insist that political candidates tell the truth about controversial issues. And secondly, we should be sure to encourage our political leaders, after they’re elected, to preserve the peace. My latest book, of course, is about the Bible. I worship as a Christian. I worship The Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. He’s not The Prince of War. That’s why it really aggrieves me when I sometimes see fellow believers lobbying to start a war over something minimal when the peaceful approach might be the best. I was lucky enough to get through four years in office under very trying circumstances. We never dropped a bomb, we never launched a missile, and we never fired a bullet in anger. And we not only resolved our problems peacefully, but we promoted peace between adversarial nations. For instance, Egypt and Israel had been at war four times in the quarter-century before I became president, and I was able to negotiate a peace treaty between them that has held up for over 33 years. So, I think peace and telling the truth are the keys.

KW: Reverend Florine Thompson asks: Based on your Biblical worldview, should the US support Israel, militarily, at any cost?

JC: I tried to eliminate the need for Israel to strike out, militarily, by removing its major threat and attacker, and that was Egypt. I’ve written a few books on the subject. There’s no doubt that the best way to resolve Israel’s problems is to negotiate peace between Israel and its immediate neighbors, particularly the Palestinians. And that’s something that’s not going to be achieved, in my opinion, without the strong involvement of the American president. I hope that President Obama, during his second term, will insist upon a peaceful resolution of the issues that divide the Israelis from their neighbors, and bring about a two-state solution with the ’67 borders as modified by a common agreement that would let the Palestinians and the Israelis and the Jordanians and the Lebanese and the Egyptians live in peace.

KW: Reverend Thompson also asks: What is your favorite bible verse and why?

JC: As a Christian, like a lot of other Christians, my favorite is John 3:16, where it explains in the Bible that God loves us all so much that He gave His only son to die and save us from our sins. Another favorite verse of mine is the one that says, “Be ye kind one to another.” As I’ve already mentioned, I also like the ones that refer to Jesus promoting peace. And I like the one that Paul described to the Galatians which says that everybody is equal in the eyes of God: servants and masters… men and women… Jews and Gentiles… That every human being is equal to each other in the eyes of God.

KW: Cynique, a retired postal employee, and frequent contributor to AALBC.com’s Discussion Forum, says she really admires you and feels Ronald Reagan was a better actor than politician. She asks: Do you agree?

JC: [Chuckles] I’m pretty, highly prejudiced about that. I think that the way I ran the American government was good, and I’m not going to comment on the other presidents.

KW: Filmmaker Kevin Williams says: Mr. President, thank you for coming to visit my hometown of Trenton, NJ as you did back in the 1970s. I was 8 years-old when you were elected, so you were the first president I had ever really known. My question: How did your faith help you adjust to life after your Presidency?

JC: My faith has helped me to adjust to life whether I was a small farm boy, a submarine officer, governor, president or an ex-president. I’ve tried to remember the teaching that we have to accommodate change we can’t control in our lives, whether it’s disappointment, sorrow, loss or failure, while simultaneously clinging to principles that never change. And that’s what I try to emphasize in my writings and in my teaching of the Bible every week. There are moral values that are most important in life which never change and which enable us to handle setbacks and challenges in a much more equitable, peaceful and happy way.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks: What words of wisdom might you have for President Obama?

JC: Tell the truth and promote the peace.

KW: Thanks again for the time, President Carter. I really appreciate it.

JC: Thank you, Kam, I really enjoyed talking to you again.

Battleship (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Sun, 20 May 2012 19:25:00 +0000

Battleship

Film Review by Kam Williams

International Armada Defends Earth from Aliens in Epic Naval Showdown

Though ostensibly inspired by the Hasbro board game of the same name, Battleship is a special f/x-driven, sci-fi adventure that actually has much more in common with bombastic blockbusters like Armageddon (1998), Transformers (2007) and Independence Day (1996). To its credit, this variation on the theme does devote considerable attention to developing a back story before letting all hell break loose.

That gives the audience a reason to care about the characters upon the breakout of war with bloodthirsty invaders from outer space. Another positive is director Peter Berg’s capable cast, led by veteran thespian Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgard and Brooklyn Decker. Along for the roller coaster ride is pop icon Rihanna, who more than holds her own in an auspicious acting debut as Petty Officer Cora Raikes.

However, the diva’s diehard fans might be disappointed that she doesn’t get to sing here, unless whispering a few bars of “Sentimental Journey” counts. Furthermore, her curvy physique is kept camouflaged for most of the movie under unflattering military fatigues.

The picture’s point of departure is 2005, which is when we meet Stone (Skarsgard) and Alex Hopper (Kitsch), two brothers seemingly headed in opposite directions. The former is serving his country as captain of the destroyer USS Sampson, while his ne’er-do-well sibling lands in jail over an attractive blonde (Decker) whose father (Neeson) is in charge of the entire Pacific fleet.

Fast forward to the present where we learn that Alex has not only enlisted in the Navy, but that he’s already risen to the rank of Lieutenant. He is also dating Samantha over the objections of her disapproving dad who doesn’t 100% trust that her hot-headed suitor has turned a new leaf.

Alex is in the process of summoning up the courage to ask Admiral Shane for permission to marry his daughter when five vessels arrive from planet G and proceed, without provocation, to decimate an international armada on maneuvers in the middle of the ocean. Suddenly, wedding plans have to take a back seat to defending the planet.

Furthermore, as the most senior officer aboard his ship to survive the initial attack, Alex assumes command of the USS John Paul Jones. This affords the former bad boy an opportunity to exhibit his bravery (in the tradition of Revolutionary War hero Jones’ “I have not yet begun to fight!”) as well as a much-needed chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his future father-in-law.

The epitome of a summer blockbuster: a dizzying display of derring-do, patriotism and fearlessness in the face of an overwhelming alien invasion on the high seas. And the guy even gets the girl.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG-13 for profanity and intense violence.

Running time: 131 minutes

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Never Stand Still (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Fri, 18 May 2012 21:30:00 +0000

Never Stand Still

Film Review by Kam Williams

Modern Dance Documentary Pays Tribute to Jacob’s Pillow Festival

The Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival traces its roots back to the Thirties when it was founded on a farm nestled in the Berkshire Mountains by the legendary Ted Shawn (1891-1972). He envisioned the retreat as an oasis where modern dance might be practiced, choreographed and performed as a legitimate art form independent of classical ballet.

Other than being derailed by a temporary setback during The Depression, the festival’s stature grew steadily over the ensuing years. In 1942, Shawn built a theater in a converted barn so that patrons could enjoy modern for modern’s sake, independent of the distracting trappings of a big city opera house.

Now celebrating its 80^th anniversary, Jacob’s Pillow is a veritable mecca recognized as America’s longest-running dance festival. Directed by Ron Honsa, Never Stand Still is an enchanting tribute destined to delight both modern dance devotees and the curious alike.

Narrated by Bill T. Jones, this alternately educational and entertaining documentary divides its time between concert footage and informative interviews with industry icons like Merce Cunningham, Bill Irwin, Paul Taylor, Judith Jamison and Suzanne Farrell. We learn that dance is definitely a calling and not a life for anyone who wants a secure career path, since you’re always just an ingénue or an injury away from losing the limelight forever.

Jamison reminds us, however, that to reach the top, you have to be more than merely technically adept. You need to be among those rarest of talents also capable of touching the human spirit.

Modern dance appreciated as a sacred endeavor enabling one to fly above the fray, if not literally, vicariously, at the very least.

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 74 minutes

Distributor: First Run Features

Red Tails (DVD REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:37:00 +0000

Red Tails

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Black Pilots Belatedly Get Their Due in WWII Adventure

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American aviators ever trained by the U.S. Air Force. Formed in 1940, the historic squadron was stationed on the campus of the Tuskegee Institute in Macon County, Alabama, since the Armed Forces were still racially segregated at the time of its creation.

Even after America entered World War II, the government initially remained reluctant to deploy these pioneering pilots overseas, out of a concern that the presence of black officers in the midst of white soldiers might have a negative effect on military morale. Consequently, the Tuskegee Airmen languished stateside for several years, seeing no action until they were finally cleared for combat in the European theater of operations.

Upon arriving in Italy, their 2^nd rate aircraft were upgraded from junky jalopies to state-of-the-art, P-51 Mustang fighter planes, thereby enabling them to escort B-17 bombers on dangerous raids behind enemy lines deep into Germany territory. The untested pilots proceeded to perform admirably on over 1,500 successful missions, demonstrating an unexpected combination of competence and valor in the process.

Red Tails is a special-f/x driven adventure which recreates their daring exploits in the skies while simultaneously chronicling their quest for dignity in the face of the humiliation mandated by Jim Crow. The movie marks the feature film debut of Anthony Hemingway and was produced by the legendary George Lucas. The film features an ensemble cast topped by Academy Award-winner Cuba “Show me the money!” Gooding (for Jerry Maguire) and Oscar-nominee Terrence Howard (for Hustle & Flow).

Aside from raising the question of the arbitrary color line, the plot reads like your typical, cliché-ridden war flick revolving around a tight-knit, motley crew of colorful characters. Each is based on a simplistically-drawn archetype, like the ill-fated pilot you know isn’t long for this world the moment he’s shown sitting in his cockpit gazing fondly at a picture of his fiancée right before takeoff.

Another familiar figure is the cigar-chomping Major (Gooding), a paternalistic pontificator given to delivering inspirational speeches about God, mom and apple pie. He cares about each of the men under his command, including alcoholic “Easy” Julian (Parker); daredevil “Lightning” Little (David Oyelowo); class clown “Joker” George (Elijah Kelley); and “Junior” Gannon (Tristan Wilds), a youngster who yearns to be taken seriously by his teasing colleagues.

Meanwhile, back at the Pentagon, we find exasperated Colonel A.J. Bullard (Howard) tirelessly lobbying the military brass to put an end to racial discrimination in the ranks. Ultimately, the film proves more memorable for its eye-popping, action sequences than for its corny dialogue which ranges from preachy (“We’re on the side of God Almighty!”) to trite poster-speak (Let’s give those newspapers something to write about!).

Nonetheless, Red Tails amounts to a worthy, overdue tribute to a group of intrepid, World War II heroes who never let their second-class status diminish their patriotism even one iota.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG-13 for violence and profanity.

Running time: 125 minutes

Distributor: 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Blu-ray/DVD combo pack extras: A profile of producer George Lucas; interview with director Anthony Hemingway; documentary about film score composer Terrence Blanchard; a behind-the-scenes peek at Red Tails’ special f/x; an introduction to the real Tuskegee Airmen; and more.

Top Ten DVD List for 5-22-12

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Fri, 18 May 2012 04:24:00 +0000

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Top Ten DVD List for May 22^nd

The Secret World of Arrietty

Chronicle

The Tenants

Red Tails

Newlyweds

95 Miles to Go

Street Days

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Alpha

My Babysitter's a Vampire- Season One

Beyond

The Dictator (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Thu, 17 May 2012 22:13:00 +0000

The Dictator

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Sacha Baron Cohen Back as Ruthless Tyrant in Another Irreverent Shockumentary

Admiral General Aladeen (Sacha Baron Cohen) is a Middle Eastern megalomaniac who rules the mythical Republic of Wadiya with an iron fist. The ruthless tyrant has been in power since the age of 7, much to the chagrin of his envious, Uncle Tamir (Ben Kingsley), who secretly covets seizing control of the oil-rich kingdom.

However, Aladeen is well aware that he has any number of enemies who might want him dead, given his anti-Semitic, anti-Western and anti-democratic attitudes. Therefore, he often employs a look-a-like to pose as a militaristic Muslim monarch in public, while he hypocritically pursues the decadent private life of a materialistic playboy, dating pop icons like Megan Fox, Katy Perry and Halle Berry.

But a rude awakening awaits Aladeen in New York City where he is kidnapped by a hit man (John C. Reilly) hired by his uncle and replaced by an impersonator before he has a chance to deliver an address to the United Nations. After escaping, he soon discovers that no one in Manhattan believes that he’s really the Mad Dog of Wadiya.

So, he ironically, he ends up dependent on the charity of Zoey (Anna Faris), a human rights activist who was part of a demonstration protesting his arrival in the Big Apple. The plot thickens when Aladeen is forced to see how the other half lives. The question then arises whether he will finally develop empathy for the common people he so despises.

That is the deliberately-preposterous premise of The Dictator, the latest mockumentary starring the terminally-irreverent Sacha Baron Cohen. To give you an idea of how this flick stacks up against the naughty bad boy’s earlier offerings, it is far funnier than the abysmal Bruno (2009), yet fails to match the incessant hilarity of the brilliant Borat (2006).

Nonetheless, the movie has no shortage of memorable moments, from the opening credits dedication ”In loving memory of Kim Jong-il” clear through the closing credits scene where the patrilineal protagonist asks his pregnant wife whether she’s “having a boy or an abortion.” The picture’s politically-incorrect brand of tomfoolery is typified by the skit in the trailer, where Aladeen shoots his competitors to prevent them from passing him on the track while running a 100 yard-dash.

As long as you’re open-minded enough to stomach shocking displays of ethnic intolerance and stereotyping like Asians being teased about confusing the letter ‘l’ with the letter ‘r’, Arabs being referred to as sand monkeys, and Jews having urine poured on their heads, you’re apt to get a kick out of this equal-opportunity offender.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated R for profanity, violent images, crude humor, ethnic slurs, graphic sexuality and full-frontal male nudity.

Running time: 83 minutes

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Kam's Movie Kapsules for 5-25-12

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:40:00 +0000

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

by Kam Williams

For movies opening May 25, 2012

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Chernobyl Diaries (R for violence, bloody images and pervasive profanity) Grisly horror flick about a half-dozen tourists who venture to the ghost town created by the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant meltdown where they end-up on the run from a race of radioactive mutants. Starring Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Dimitri Diatchenko, Olivia Dudley and Jesse McCarthy.

Men in Black III (PG-13 for violence and suggestive content) Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones reprise their roles as Agents J and K in a sci-fi sequel which finds the former traveling through a time portal back to 1969 where he has just 24 hours to save both his partner and the planet from an alien assassin (Jemaine Clement) bent on world domination. Support cast includes Josh Brolin, Tim Burton, Alice Eve, Emma Thompson and Bill Hader, with cameos by Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Cowgirls N’ Angels (PG for mature themes and mild epithets) Uplifting road flick about a rebellious tomboy (Bailee Madison) looking for her long-lost father who finds herself instead adopted by a team of female rodeo trick riders. Cast includes James Cromwell, Alicia Witt and Frankie Faison.

The Intouchables (Unrated) Inspirational buddy dramedy about the improbable bond which blossoms between a wealthy quadriplegic (Francois Cluzet) and the Senegalese street criminal (Omar Sy) he hires as his live-in caretaker. With Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot and Clotilde Mollet. (In French with subtitles)

Mighty Fine (R for profanity and brief nudity) Diminished dreams dramedy, set in the Seventies, about a Brooklyn businessman’s (Chazz Palminteri) bitter disappointment after moving his family (Andie MacDowell, Jodelle Ferland and Rainey Qualley) and factory to New Orleans. With Paul Ben-Victor, Richard Kohnke, Arthur J. Nascarella and Kent Jude Bernard.

Moonrise Kingdom (PG-13 for smoking and sexuality) Wes Anderson directed this romance drama, set in the Sixties on an island off the coast of New England, revolving around a sheriff’s (Bruce Willis) search party for a pair of runaway young lovers (Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman). A-list ensemble cast includes Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton and Harvey Keitel.

OC87 (Unrated) Autobiographical documentary, written by, directed by and starring Bud Clayman, chronicling his lifelong battle with depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome.

Oslo, August 31^st (Unrated) Day-in-the-life drama about a recovering drug addict (Anders Danielsen Lie) who checks out of residential rehab only to roam the rough streets of the city again after being discouraged by a disastrous job interview. With Hans Olav Brenner and Ingrid Olava. (In Norwegian with subtitles)

HIV/AIDS: The Fact & The Fiction (BOOK REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:00:00 +0000

HIV/AIDS: The Facts and The Fiction

by Chris Jennings

Health Alert Communications

Paperback, $45.00

212 pages

ISBN: 978-0-936571-11--9

Book Review by Kam Williams

“Unfortunately, a series of interlocking misconceptions have distorted scientific and public perceptions of HIV and the AIDS epidemic… Given a sober review, the scientific literature is clear: (1) New York City is the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic; (2) the theory that HIV came from monkeys is a fallacy; and (3) the African AIDS epidemic-as-holocaust never manifested.

The goal of this work is to reconfigure the conceptual paradigm of the HIV/AIDS epidemic such that resource allocations and healthcare interventions work to serve the benefit, and not the detriment, of the populations at need.”

-- Excerpted from the Preface (pg. xiii)

A few years ago, I saw a documentary about AIDS which began by asking which of a number of places had the highest HIV infection rate. I was shocked to learn that the correct answer to the question was the only American city on the list, Washington, DC, since all the other choices were either in Africa or the Caribbean.

I had unwittingly fallen prey to the conventional wisdom which has led most people to believe that AIDS originally started in Africa where it had infected millions of victims for decades prior to crossing the Atlantic and arriving on these shores around 1980. That piece of propaganda simply isn’t true, according to Chris Jennings, a Harvard-educated medical writer who has staked his career in the field of HIV research.

He has devoted much of the last 20 years in quest of the truth about the AIDS epidemic. The upshot of that herculean effort is HIV/AIDS: The Facts and The Fiction, a seminal work which does an excellent job of dispelling myths in the hope of educating the populace and encouraging politicians and the medical community to reorder their priorities.

For example, the author argues that because of the widespread belief that Africa is the epicenter of AIDS, a disproportionate amount of resources are wasted on circumcisions and/or anti-retroviral drugs on patients there who aren’t apt to be infected. Meanwhile, the readily-winnable fights against more lethal diseases on the continent, like pneumonia and diarrhea, go underfunded.

Such surprising revelations abound in Jennings’ informative reference text. Though academic in nature, his encyclopedic treatise nevertheless arrives augmented by a helpful glossary which makes it all accessible to the layman by explaining the meanings of dozens of such obscure terms as “cytotoxic,” ”immunoglobulin” and “neurotropic”.

A priceless primer which corrects plenty of prevailing misconceptions about AIDS merely by accurately reporting medical evidence rather than re-circulating false rumors.

Kel Mitchell (INTERVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Tue, 15 May 2012 01:03:00 +0000

Kel Mitchell

The “Motorcity” Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: Mellow Kel

Born in the Windy City on August 25, 1978, Kel Mitchell began his acting career at the tender age of 12 with the ETA Creative Arts Foundation. A couple years later, he got the opportunity of a lifetime when he flew to Florida to be a part of a new children’s television network that would later become Nickelodeon.

Kel was an original cast member on Nickelodeon’s “All That” which enjoyed a successful run from 1994 to 1999. He and Kenan Thompson also co-starred in the spin-off series “Kenan & Kel,” as well as in the hit film Good Burger.

Kel’s resume includes appearances on such sitcoms as “Sister Sister,” “The Steve Harvey Show” and “One on One,” and roles in movies like “Mystery Men,” “Honeydipper” and “The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.” Kel has done a lot of voice work on children’s cartoon series, too, from playing the mild-mannered “T-Bone” on “Clifford the Big Red Dog” to the delightful “Ant” on “The Ant and the Aardvark.”

A versatile talent, Kel recently stepped behind the camera to write and direct “She Is Not My Sister,” an upcoming, faith-based feature film about bullying and forgiveness. Here, he talks both about that movie and about providing the voice of “Dutch” on the new Disney XD animated series “Motorcity.”

Kam Williams: Hi, Kel, thanks for the interview.

Kel Mitchell: No, thank you, Kam. I really appreciate it.

KW: What interested you in Motorcity?

KM: I had worked with the director and creator, Chris Prynoski, before on a Cartoon Network project. He had shown me some artwork from Motorcity when it was at the beginning stages, and I thought it was visually amazing. So when I heard the project got picked up at Disney XD, and he wanted me to be a part of the show, I was totally down!

KW: What would you say is the show’s theme?

KM: It’s like the Terminator meets Fast and Furious. It’s set in the future. There is this man named Abraham Kane who built a city of tomorrow above the city of Detroit. He controls the people still living in underground Detroit with robotic soldiers, ‘droids and tanks. However, one thing stands in his way of total domination. And that is a group of teens with tricked-out cars who call themselves “The Burners.”

KW: Tell me a little about your character, Dutch?

KM: He is the brains behind “The Burners,” their cars, and all of their cool, hi-tech weapons. I have a lot of fun playing Dutch. He uses tons of technical words and gadgets with names that are fun to say. Plus, it’s fun to know my character is the one making the cars, because the cars in the cartoon are so awesome.

KW: How is acting in a cartoon different from acting in a live-action adventure?

KM: If all the actors are in the recording session at the same time, you can record all voices for one episode in an hour. Of course, the animation takes longer but the voice acting is done very quickly. It’s a lot of action in Motorcity so, for example, a lot of times we’re jumping up and down and screaming in the studio. Consequently, it sounds believable when they animate our characters driving up a ramp shooting at robots. I love seeing what the animators do with my voice acting.

KW: What interested you in directing?

KM: I created and wrote “She Is Not My Sister” with the intention of directing it. This film is the first of many films that I plan to direct.

KW: Tell me a little about the movie?

KM: "She Is Not My Sister" is the story of how a high school senior’s life takes a turn for the worse when her father returns home from a business trip married to the mother of her high school arch enemy. It’s a fun, teen dramedy with a great cast.

KW: How did you enjoy writing and directing your first feature film?

KM: I enjoyed every minute of it. Hopefully, I will be doing it many, many more times in the future.

KW: What message do you think people will take away from the movie?

KM: How to forgive your enemies which in and of itself is a very hard thing to do. Often, when you are upset and allowing your emotions to control you, forgiveness seems so out of reach. But once you let go and let God take control, you begin to realize that forgiveness is the only way to really win. True forgiveness is the only real key to happiness in your life. Also, sometimes it’s not always an enemy you need to forgive, sometimes it’s yourself.

KW: How big a role did your faith play in the production?

KM: Faith is what drove this film. Faith is what I live by in everything that I do. I strive to give glory to God in every aspect of my life, even my films.

KW: When I think of you, what immediately comes to mind are your Nickelodeon collaborations with Kenan Thompson on All That, Kenan and Kel and Good Burger? Are you still in touch with Kenan?

KM: No, we have not seen each other in awhile.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

KM: Nope, no lingering question comes immediately to mind.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

KM: God does not give us the spirit of fear, so I do not chose to give in to fear because I know that the creator designed us to win no matter what we face. When I am faced with a circumstance that in the past I would have been fearful about I turn it over immediately to Christ. When I learned this principle as a Christian, I became fearless.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

KM: Very happy! I treat anger, grief and strife as a sin, so I let all that go and I am no longer living a sinful life. Today, I command my days by confessing that every minute will be blessed and perfect. My confession then has no other choice but to confer blessings upon my life.

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

KM: My wife and I have so many private jokes, and we share the same taste in humor, so we laugh constantly. It is one of our favorite things. We love to laugh!

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

KM: [LOL] Comic book stores.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

KM: Dr. Kenneth E. Hagin’s “How to Turn Your Faith Loose.”

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?

KM: “Battery” by V. Rose.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

KM: Kam, man, there are just too many to choose from, I love to cook.

KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?

KM: The word of God and my wife.

KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?

KM: I’m really into fashion, and this is another question where I’m going to have to say that there are too many to choose. I really can’t pick just one.

KW: Dante Lee, author of "Black Business Secrets,” asks: What was the best business decision you ever made, and what was the worst?

KM: Worst: Not putting in place a viable plan for my future vision. Best: Writing the vision and making it plain.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

KM: A conqueror!

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

KM: That everyone I meet would give their life to Christ.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

KM: One that immediately comes to mind is the day my dog “Busy” pulled me out of a deep pond that I fell into in winter.

KW: The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

KM: A Lion!

KW: The Pastor Alex Kendrick question: When do you feel the most content?

KM: When I’m in the arms of my wife.

KW: The Toure question: Who is the person who led you to become the person you are today?

KM: Every pastor, evangelist and teacher that the Holy Spirit used to speak the word of God to me, and every person that has prayed me through.

KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

KM: Faith.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

KM: Change the way you speak about yourself and others. Words have power. Speak positively and positive things will happen to you. Speak negatively and negative things will happen to you. Choose positive words.

KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?

KM: As a God fearing man, led by the Holy Spirit, who showed love to others and served as an effective ambassador for Christ.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Kel, and best of luck with the movie and the new show.

KM: Thank you so much for the interview, Kam. It was good speaking with you. God bless.

Follow Me (ISRAELI FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:16:00 +0000

Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story

Film Review by Kam Williams

Bittersweet Biopic Recounts Life of Israeli Commando Who Died Leading Daring Rescue

On June 27, 1976, Air France Flight #139 from Tel Aviv to Athens was commandeered by terrorists en route and allowed to land in Libya to refuel before being diverted to Entebbe, Uganda. There, the hijackers were not only joined by waiting comrades, but supported by the army operating on orders from the country’s pro-Palestinian President, Idi Amin.

After freeing all the non-Jews, the hijackers demanded the release of 53 imprisoned comrades as ransom for the 106 remaining hostages. However, that solution was never considered an option, because of Israel’s longstanding policy of not negotiating with terrorists.

Instead, while stalling for time by feigning cooperation, Israel secretly planned a daring rescue. Because the Entebbe airport had been built by an Israeli construction company, its architects were enlisted to help build an exact replica of the terminal where the prisoners were being held.

Meanwhile, the former hostages gave Mossad agents a precise description of the location of their former captors. Success of the raid would rely heavily on the element of surprise, because the kidnapped passengers were surrounded by heavily-armed abductors with their fingers on the trigger.

Operation Thunderbolt, which was executed on July 4, 1976, assembled a team of 200 of Israel’s best Special Forces commandos to be led by Yoni Netanyahu (1946-1976), the older brother of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The brave Lieutenant Colonel would be the only member of the mission to perish in the assault, which also claimed the lives of all the hijackers, 45 Ugandan soldiers and 3 passengers caught in the crossfire.

Co-directed by Jonathan Gruber and Ari Daniel Pinchot, Follow Me is a bittersweet biopic about Yoni which reconstructs the events of the remarkable rescue via a combination of actual walkie-talkie transmissions and eyewitness accounts of some participants. More importantly, half the documentary is devoted to heartfelt remembrances of Yoni by his family, friends and colleagues.

Much of the film’s moving narration is even in the subject’s own words, since he was the introspective type given to sharing his feelings in poetry, diaries and love letters. After all, the Israeli patriot had studied philosophy at Harvard between serving his country in the ’67 and Yom Kippur Wars.

Although a proud career soldier, Yoni concedes that the experience of hand-to-hand combat “adds a whole dimension of sadness to a man’s being.” A poignant portrait revealing the sensitive soul of a revered military hero.

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

In English and Hebrew with subtitles

Running time: 87 Minutes

Distributor: International Film Circuit

Man on a Mission (DVD REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:33:00 +0000

Man on a Mission
DVD Review by Kam Williams

DVD Chronicles Computer Game Inventor’s Outer Space Adventure

Ever since he was a child, Richard Garriott’s dream was to follow in his astronaut father’s footsteps by becoming an astronaut. After all, during his formative years he got to watch his dad, Owen, rocket into orbit aboard NASA Skylab and Space Shuttle missions.

But Richard was ruled ineligible because of his poor vision, so he had to pursue another line of work entirely. And he went on to enjoy astounding success as a computer programmer, most notably as the inventor of the successful series of Ultima fantasy games.

Still wanting to experience space travel, he eventually approached Russia about becoming a cosmonaut, and was allowed to purchase a ticket aboard a Soyuz launch for $30 million. So, at the age of 47, he was finally able to fulfill his elusive lifelong dream.

The long road to that unlikely achievement is carefully recounted in Man on a Mission, an inspirational biopic chronicling the extra-terrestrial exploits of a nearsighted nerd-turned-21st century Buck Rogers. Provided you can get past the specter of a self-indulgent rich guy spending so much money to become the first father and son in history to escape the Earth’s gravity, the picture is actually fairly fascinating.

The film reveals some rather intimate details about life aboard the International Space Station, from how the crew members go to the bathroom to how they stay in shape to how they entertain each other by juggling and doing card tricks. They also conduct scientific experiments, even Richard, who documented exactly what happens when ice melts in outer space.

The movie has its funny moments, too, like when a couple of astronauts floating opposite head-to-toe keep accusing each other of being the one who’s upside-down. Plus, there is the sobering interlude when Richard expresses his apprehension about the danger of immolation during the capsule’s fiery reentry into the atmosphere at the end of the 12-day trip.

Revenge of the computer geek!

Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 83 minutes
Distributor: First Run Features
DVD Extras: Apogee of Fear; Post-Flight Wrap Up; After Touchdown; Richard’s 30 Year Exploration Plan; and Magic Time.