The Sly Fox Film Reviews

Silver Linings Playbook (DVD REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:13:00 +0000

Silver Linings Playbook

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Jennifer Lawrence Turns in Oscar-Winning Performance in Tenderhearted Tale of Love

Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) completely lost it the day he came home early from work to find his wife (Brea Bee) naked in the shower with one of her colleagues (Ted Barba). In fact, he proceeded to beat up her lover so badly that the only way he avoided a prison sentence was by agreeing to enter a mental hospital.

That was eight months ago and now that he’s being discharged he’s eager to reconcile and reunite with Nikki. But that’s not gonna happen, because she’s so afraid of his temper that she sold their house and got a restraining order issued against him.

And she has good reason to be concerned, since her ex has been diagnosed as bipolar with depression and anger management issues. Consequently, with no wife, job or home to return to, the state releases Pat to the custody of his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), although he considers the move temporary.

While suffering under the delusion that Nikki will come back to him soon, he is introduced to a recently-widowed neighbor (Jennifer Lawrence). As luck would have it, Tiffany happens to afflicted with a very compatible set of weird neuroses.

She confides in him that she’s been very promiscuous as of late, and that she was fired for sleeping with just about everybody in her office. A Platonic friendship is gradually forged between the two, with chivalrous Pat protecting rather than further exploiting the vulnerable young woman. Meanwhile, Tiffany agrees to secretly deliver forbidden letters to his estranged wife so long as he promises to be her dance partner in an upcoming ballroom competition.

Adapted from the Matthew Quick novel of the same name, Silver Linings Playbook is a tenderhearted tale about two terribly wounded souls who survive by grudgingly leaning on each other’s shoulder. Written and directed by David O. Russell (The Fighter), this charming little film landed a Best Actress Oscar for Jennifer Lawrence who exhibited an impressive acting range in service of an emotionally-demanding role.

Her stellar supporting cast was at its best when providing comic relief, especially Anupam Kher as Pat’s eccentric shrink, Chris Tucker as his motor-mouthed pal, and Robert De Niro as his obsessive-compulsive father. Credit director Russell for keeping the audience captivated and in suspense for the duration with the help of a cleverly-concealed script as well as a motley crew of colorful characters.

A slice-of-life romantic romp revolving around a couple of unstable misfits who take forever to wake up and realize they’ve found one another.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated R for profanity, sexuality and nudity

Running time: 122 minutes

Distributor: Starz / Anchor Bay

Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Deleted scenes; Dance Rehearsal; Learn to Dance Like Pat & Tiffany; Going Steadicam with Bradley Cooper; Q&A Highlights; and Silver Linings Playbook: The Movie That Became a Movement.

To see a trailer for Silver Linings Playbook, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj5_FhLaaQQ

Top Ten DVD Releases for 5-28-13

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:27:00 +0000

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Top Ten DVD List for May 28, 2013

The Loving Story

My Dog Tulip

Mind of a Rampage Killer

Aroused

The Numbers Station

The Cold Eyes of Fear

Red Widow: The Complete First Season

Bubble Guppies: Sunny Days!

Suits: Season Two

Dark Skies

Honorable Mention

A Haunting at Silver Falls

The Sinful Nuns of St. Valentine

Battle Earth

Dead Mine

Marsh Mud Madness

http://rogerday.com/

Kam's Movie Kapsules for 5-31-13

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:59:00 +0000

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

by Kam Williams

For movies opening May 31, 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS

After Earth (PG-13 for action violence and disturbing images) M. Night Shyamalan directs this post-apocalyptic, sci-fi saga about a military general (Will Smith) with a teenage son (Jaden Smith) who are the only survivors of a crash landing of an expedition to Earth a millennium after the cataclysmic event that forced humans to abandon the planet. With Sophie Okonedo, Isabelle Fuhrman and Zoe Kravitz.

The Kings of Summer (R for profanity and underage alcohol consumption) Coming-of-age comedy about three teenagers (Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso and Moises Arias) who decide to demonstrate their independence by spending the summer living off the land while building a home in woods. With Nick Offerman, Alison Brie and Megan Mullally.

Now You See Me (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality and violence) Cat-and-mouse thriller about a French Interpol agent (Melanie Laurent) who teams with the FBI to catch a quartet of Robin Hood-style magicians (Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Jesse Eisenberg and Dave Franco) who steal from corrupt businessmen before showering their audiences with money during performances. A-list cast includes Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Mark Ruffalo and Common.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

The East (PG-13 for violence, sexuality, partial nudity, mature themes and disturbing images) Espionage thriller about a private eye (Brit Marling) hired to infiltrate an anti-establishment organization suspected of sabotaging corporations who finds herself falling for the anarchist outfit’s very charismatic leader (Alexander Skarsgard). With Ellen Page, Patricia Clarkson, Toby Kebbell and Shiloh Fernandez.

The History of Future Folk (Unrated) Sci-fi comedy about a couple of aliens (Nils D’Aulaire and Jay Klaitz) sent to earth from a faraway planet who ignore their orders to wipe out humanity and instead form a band after falling in love with bluegrass music.

Shadow Dancer (R for profanity and violence) Turncoat drama, set in Belfast in the Nineties, revolving around a member of the Irish Republican Army (Andrea Riseborough) who becomes a snitch for the British in order to remain free to raise her young son after being caught with a bomb in her possession. With Clive Owen, Gillian Anderson, Aidan Gillen and Brid Brennan.

Triumph of the Wall (Unrated) Buddy documentary that took eight years to complete about a couple of Canadian pals’ two-month road trip.

Raising the Bar (BOOK REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Wed, 22 May 2013 17:59:00 +0000

Raising the Bar

by Gabrielle Douglas

Zondervan Publishing

Hardcover, $19.99

140 pages, Illustrated

ISBN: 978-0-310-74070-4

Book Review by Kam Williams

“Gabrielle Douglas is the first African-American and first woman of color from any nation to win an Olympic gold medal in the individual gymnastics all-around competition… That is a big accomplishment for a 4’11” 16 year-old from Virginia.

But she is still a normal American teen who is figuring out who she is and what’s next in her life. Dive into Gabrielle’s world from her perspective, and get to know this bubbly athlete who stole America’s heart and made an entire country cheer.”

-- Excerpted from the Introduction (pg. 9)

Gold medal gymnast Gabrielle Douglas skyrocketed to fame on the strength of her nonpareil performance at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. And ever since capturing the country’s imagination, she’s been on a whirlwind tour of the TV talk shows and had her face grace millions of boxes of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes.

The talented 17 year-old role model published an autobiography last fall, and has just now released another aimed at impressionable young minds inclined to place her up on a pedestal. Entitled “Raising the Bar,” this coffee table book is more like a fancy, bound fanzine than her longer-winded, anecdote-driven memoir.

Its pages arrive filled with over a hundred, full-color photos of Gabby, both in action on the gymnastics floor and unwinding with family and friends. Betwixt and between, we’re treated to many of her favorite inspirational sayings, especially verses from Biblical scriptures that have served her well in times of trouble.

For instance, from Psalms, she quotes: “Let all that I am praise the Lord,” from Timothy, there’s “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind,” and from Matthew, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.” In fact, we find Gabby praying that “God will keep me humble and grounded” to “be a blessing and give back to the people who have supported me.”

In terms of that support, she freely gives props not only to her mother (“Do you have any idea how many sacrifices she made to pay for my training?”) but to her sisters (“Arielle gave up ballroom dancing and Joyelle stopped ice-skating.”) and big brother (“John has always been so protective.”) She also thanks the Partons, the host family she lived with in Iowa, her coach, Liang Chow, and champions she’s looked up to like Tim Tebow, Dominique Dawes and Carly Patterson.

Besides humbly spreading around credit for her success, Gabby shares some personal info, such as her favorite books (the Twilight series), fast food (McDonald’s), clothing brands (Nike and Miss Me Jeans) and TV show (The Vampire Diaries). A kid-friendly opus which makes it easy to understand why a poised and pretty shining star never let her Olympic glory go to her head.

Side Effects (DVD REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:42:00 +0000

Side Effects

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Twists Abound in Steven Soderbergh Psychological Thriller

Martin Taylor (Channing Tatum) has just been paroled after serving four years in prison for insider trading. His wife, Emily (Rooney Mara), is eagerly anticipating his return, because she’s been depressed since being separated from him and losing the lavish lifestyle to which she’d become accustomed.

However, their long-awaited reunion proves to be bitterly disappointing for her, between the unsatisfying sex and her having to be the family’s breadwinner. After several months, the poor woman is so plunged into the depths of despair that she tries to kill herself by driving her car into a brick wall.

Emily is put on the anti-depressant Zoloft, by Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), a shrink who discharges her from the hospital on the condition that she continues to see him on an outpatient basis. When that medication doesn’t agree with her, at the suggestion of her former psychiatrist (Catherine Zeta-Jones), he decides to switch her over to an experimental drug he will get paid to prescribe.

But Ablixa has even worse side effects, such as causing Emily to sleepwalk. Subsequently, while in somnambulant state, (SPOILER ALERT), she stabs her unsuspecting hubby to death.

Suddenly Dr. Banks finds himself on the griddle, since he got a $50,000 kickback from the pharmaceutical industry to promote Ablixa. It’s not long before his career is hanging in the balance, given that he had good reason to take his patient off the medication.

Not so fast, Kimosabe. For, what at first blush looks like an open and shut case of malpractice turns out to be something far more sinister. Might Martin have had an enemy who wanted him dead? Persons of interest soon emerge from the shadows, from his miffed mother-in-law (Ann Dowd), to the former colleague (David Costabile) suspected of snitching on him, to Dr. Banks’ estranged wife (Vinessa Shaw), with a few other red herrings tossed into the mix for good measure.

So unfolds Side Effects, an over-plotted whodunit directed by Steven Soderbergh. The movie marks the Oscar-winner’s (for Traffic) final film, unless he can be coaxed out of retirement for a future project.

A tad too complicated for its own good, this headache-inducing brainteaser feels more like taking an SAT test than a mere murder mystery. Still, the picture’s worth the investment just to witness Rooney Mara’s spellbinding performance as a beleaguered mental patient struggling to get her meds right.

The Girl with a Dragon of a Depression!

Very Good (3 stars)

R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and violence

Running time: 107 minutes

Distributor: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Behind-the-Scenes of Side effects; Ablixa Commercial; Aliza Website Experience; and an Intenin commercial.

To see a trailer for Side Effects, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jQq6BiT-eI

The Hangover Part III (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:11:00 +0000

The Hangover Part III

Film Review by Kam Williams

The Wolfpack Reunites and Returns to Vegas for Yetta Nudder Nutty Adventure

When we last left The Wolfpack, the boys were over in Thailand for the wedding of Stu (Ed Helms) and Lauren (Jamie Chung).Of course, before the bride and groom could tie the knot (Justin Bartha), the men found themselves separated from Doug and suffering from amnesia following a wild night of partying on the seedy side of Bangkok.

But that was two years ago and now everybody has settled down safely into humdrum, uneventful lives in suburban Los Angeles. Everybody except Alan (Zach Galifiniakis), that is. He went off his meds recently which might explain such bizarre behavior as driving down the freeway with a giraffe in a trailer.

Since the 42 year-old goofball is unlikely to get hitched any time soon, another bawdy bachelor party is not on the horizon. However, when Alan takes a turn for the worse after his father (Jeffrey Tambor) passes away suddenly, his pals stage an intervention and decide to drive him to a mental health facility in Arizona for the help he desperately needs.

But before they arrive, their car is run off the road and Doug is kidnapped for ransom by Chow (Ken Jeong), the modestly-endowed, trash-talking mobster you should remember from Hangover episodes I and II. He and his henchman (Mike Epps) demand that the wolfpack retrieve $21 million in gold stolen from them by Marshall (John Goodman), a ruthless rival who stashed the bars of bullion in the walls of a mansion located somewhere in Tijuana.

That is wacky point of departure of The Hangover Part III, a supposed trilogy finale which is an improvement over the decidedly derivative prior installment yet still pales in comparison to the zany original. At least you don’t develop a nagging sense of déjà vu watching this screwball adventure, even if it isn’t exactly laugh out loud funny.

The madcap antics take Phil (People Magazine’s reigning Sexiest Man Alive Bradley Cooper) and the rest of the road warriors south of the border and then on to Las Vegas, the place where it all started, for another round of raunchy male-bonding rituals. Stu stumbles upon his ex (Heather Graham) and Alan crosses paths with the woman of his dreams (Melissa McCarthy), a big hint that the trilogy is destined to be stretched into a fourple.

A nutty kitchen sink comedy ending on a cliffhanger designed to keep diehard fans of the depraved franchise in suspense about whether yetta nudder sequel might be in the works.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated R for sexuality, drug use, violence, brief nudity and pervasive profanity

Running time: 100 minutes

Distributor: Warner Brothers

To see a trailer for The Hangover III, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUUvJ3jGC4Y

Beautiful Creatures (DVD REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:22:00 +0000

Beautiful Creatures

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Teens Fall Head over Heels in Love in Cross-Species Romantic Fantasy

Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) has lived his whole life in Gatlin, South Carolina, a tiny town in denial about the fact that the South lost the Civil War. The community is so backwards that it has banned books as seemingly innocuous as “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

This frustrating state of affairs has left the curious sophomore determined to attend a college far, far away from the Bible Belt. In the meantime, however, he is secretly reading any of the censored titles he can get his hands on.

For months, Ethan has also been haunted by a recurring nightmare in which he attempts to approach a gorgeous ghost, only to die right before reaching her. Consequently, he wakes up in a cold sweat every morning with a crush on an apparent apparition he thinks doesn’t really exist.

But, as luck would have it, a new transfer student who’s the spitting image of the girl of his dreams shows up in Ethan’s class on the first day of the fall semester. Recently-orphaned Lena (Alice Englert) has just been taken in by her Uncle Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons), the wealthy neighborhood weirdo whose family founded Gatlin generations ago.

Most of the locals know better than to trespass onto the unwelcoming, Gothic Ravenwood Estate, but not Ethan, who’s too smitten with Lena to care. It’s not long before he and Lena are an item, although the flirty 15 year-old does her best to warn her new beau that she’s nothing but trouble.

If only Ethan bothered to consult librarian/seer Amma Treadeau (Viola Davis), he’d know to steer clear of the entire Ravenwood clan. For, truth be told, they’re “Casters,” meaning otherworldly beings whose supernatural powers kick in when they turn 16. And with Lena’s impending 16^th birthday just over the horizon, the burning question is whether she’ll be a good witch or drawn to the dark side by her cousin (Emmy Rossum) and late mother (Emma Thompson).

Thus unfolds Beautiful Creatures, a deliciously naughty adaptation of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s young adult novel of the same name. Directed by Richard LaGravenese, the picture’s plotline is a bit reminiscent of the vampire/human series Twilight, except with the human and non-human protagonists’ genders switched.

Between a talented cast and a compelling script, Beautiful Creatures is bound to do well with the targeted tweener/teen demo with which such cross-species romances seem to resonate nowadays. A viable jumpstart of yetta nudder escapist fantasy franchise.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexuality and scary images

Running time: 118 minutes

Distributor: Warner Home Entertainment Group

Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack extras: Book to Screen; The Casters; Between Two Worlds; Forbidden Romance; Alternate Worlds; Designing the Costumes; Icons book trailer; deleted scenes; and theatrical trailers.

To see a trailer for Beautiful Creatures, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TnL6r8U818

To order a copy of the Beautiful Creatures Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack, visit:

Michelle Rhee (INTERVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:52:00 +0000

Michelle Rhee

The “Radical” Interview

with Kam Williams

Reading, Writing and Rhee

Michelle Rhee was born on Christmas Day, 1969 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. A first-generation Korean-American descended from a long line of educators, she embarked on a career as a teacher in inner-city Baltimore soon after graduating from Cornell University with a BA in government.

However, her star really started to rise after she earned a Masters Degree in Public policy at Harvard University’s prestigious Kennedy School. She was subsequently recruited by NYC School Chancellor Joel Klein to help handle his stalled contract talks with the teachers’ union.

And on the strength of Michelle’s negotiations with UFT president Randi Weingarten, Klein recommended his feisty protégé for the top job in DC. Washington’s public schools were among the worst performing in the nation, and Rhee found a very receptive Mayor in Adrian Fenty, who gave his new hire free reign to overhaul his troubled system in accordance with her controversial reforms.

She would spend a stormy three years in the public eye as the embattled Schools Chancellor of the Washington, DC public schools. Employing a “kids first” philosophy, Michelle chopped heads in the top-heavy administration, firing dozens of dead wood principals, laying off hundreds of extraneous office workers and closing over twenty underperforming schools.

Although students’ test scores improved dramatically during her brief stint in the position, her anti-union stance proved unpopular. Mayor Fenty’s reelection bid was basically a referendum on whether the city wished to continue with Rhee’s scorched earth philosophy. When he lost, her days were numbered, so she handed in her resignation rather than wait around to be fired.

Michelle, a mother of two, is married to former NBA star Kevin Johnson, who is now the Mayor of Sacramento, California. Here, she talks about currently serving as CEO of StudentsFirst, a political advocacy organization she founded in 2010 to advance the cause of educational reform.

Kam Williams: Hi Michelle, thanks for the interview. It’s an honor to have the opportunity.

Michelle Rhee: Thanks so much, Kam. It’s a pleasure for me.

KW: I really enjoyed reading Radical. It humanized you in a way I hadn’t expected, since you came to be presented in the press as such a polarizing figure by the end of your tenure in DC. I found it very informative and moving, especially where you talk about your family, your childhood and your education.

MR: I’m glad.

KW: For instance, I was surprised to learn that you had taken Black Studies courses as an undergrad at Cornell, since that was my major there.

MR: Yes, I took a fair number of courses in the Africana Studies department.

KW: Tell me a little about your new organization, StudentsFirst.

MR: I started StudentsFirst when I left DC, essentially because of what had happened to my boss [Mayor Fenty]. I had very naively taken the job believing that, if we worked hard for the kids and produced results, people would want it to continue. But I learned that that was absolutely not the case, that people were less focused on the results than on the process and the personalities. The problem was that we didn’t have any political muscle through which we could support and defend a person like Fenty. So, that’s why I founded StudentsFirst, to create an environment where we have a powerful political force advocating on behalf of children. We now have two million members across the country who are putting pressure on their elected officials to put the right laws and policies into effect.

KW: Where did you get the confidence that you could create a national organization from nothing?

MR: From a combination of things. Being able to announce the launch on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and saying that we were going to get a million members and raise a billion dollars in a year was huge. People thought I was crazy. But I have long believed that there are many people out there who are incredibly frustrated with the educational system. I felt that if we could capture that sentiment, and mobilize them to take action and organize others in their communities, then this could be a very powerful force.

KW: The cynic in me wonders whether your organization really has widespread grassroots support, or if it is basically being backed by some arch-conservative billionaires like the Koch brothers.

MR: This is driven by everyday people. Our average donation is $84. I get why the other side might try to frame it as a right-wing movement, but the bottom line is I am a life-long Democrat. My husband is a Democratic politician. I was appointed by a Democrat. The vast majority of the goals on our policy agenda are similar to what President Obama and his administration are advocating.

KW: I tried teaching in an inner-city public school after I first graduated from Cornell, but was quickly disillusioned by things like social promotion and low expectations. So, I admire how you took a similar path, but stuck in there, perhaps because you came from a family of educators.

MR: One of the reasons I wrote the book was to tell my story and to talk about my journey with educational reform, so people can understand why I have the views I have today. I have an absolutely unshakable faith in kids, grounded in the fact that I worked for three years in one of the worst public schools in Baltimore, with kids most people would write off because of their backgrounds. But, when I set high expectations, at the end of the day, these kids went from scoring at the bottom on standardized tests, to scoring at the top, despite their unfortunate circumstances. I actually saw what could happen with my own two eyes. That experience set a light bulb off in my head that any kids could do it, if you create the right school environment. That’s what drives me every day. Why wouldn’t we as a country want to do that?

KW: What do you think of school vouchers, charter schools, lotteries and heartbreaking documentaries like Waiting for Superman?

MR: If you lived in a neighborhood with a failing public school, and you had an opportunity to take advantage of a voucher or other program that would allow you to send your child to a better school, there isn’t a single parent who would say “no.” That’s why movies like Waiting for Superman are so helpful. They show things from the perspective of inner-city families who would do anything to ensure a decent education for their kids. That shatters stereotypes in a very powerful way.

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: What was the biggest lesson you learned from your experience in DC?

MR: We were taking the right steps to fix a dysfunctional school system. But I didn’t realize at the time that how you do things is just as important as what you do.

KW: Harriet also asks: How can we empower educational systems on the local level that have such drastic financial concerns that they’re making very round corners?

MR: We are in tough economic times right now, and the first thing we have to do is look at how we’re spending the dollars that we have, and at what kind of return on investment we’re getting. Because I think it will show that spending more money without fixing the fundamental flaws in the system won’t produce anything different in terms of results. In DC, we were spending a whole lot of money on things that had no positive impact on students’ achievement levels.

KW: Kate Newell asks: How committed are you to saving art programs in schools?

MR: Even though we closed 15% of the schools in DC my first year, we were able to put an art teacher, a music teacher, a P.E. teacher, a librarian, a nurse and a guidance counselor or social worker at every school in the district, whereas before, only the wealthy schools had art teachers, because that community could have an auction and hire art teachers on its own. We pooled the resources for all the schools and thereby broadened the resources available to all the students in the district, which I think was critical.

KW: Are you a stereotypical Asian “Tiger Mom”?

MR: [Chuckles] Do I hold high expectations of them? Yeah. But we all have to have more rigorous expectations of our kids in this country.

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

MR: I just see a mom. That’s who I am and what drives my actions and decisions every day.

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

MR: Being in nursery school, and hearing the teachers saying, “She’s slow.” I remember thinking, “You don’t know anything about me.”

KW: Thanks again for the time, Michelle, and best of luck with all your endeavors.

MR: I appreciate it, Kam. Thanks.

To order a copy of Michelle Rhee’s memoir, “Radical,” visit:

To order a copy of the PBS Frontline episode “The Education of Michelle Rhee,” visit:

Cloud Atlas (DVD REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:30:00 +0000

Cloud Atlas

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Halle & Hanks Play Multiple Characters in Adaptation of Sci-Fi Best-Seller

Based on David Mitchell’s groundbreaking novel of the same name, Cloud Atlas offers an intriguing and visually-captivating cinematic experience that’s well worth the investment for its unorthodox narrative alone. Be forewarned, however, that you would be well advised to arrive at the theater already familiar with the cryptic best seller’s inscrutable plot structure, if you hope to have a decent idea about what’s going on.

Since I hadn’t read the British Book Award-winner, I initially found myself quite baffled by the surrealistic saga’s elliptical storyline. Still, I was able to enjoy it immensely after gradually discerning the underlying method to the time-shifting madness.

It essentially consists of a half-dozen insular adventures which ultimately interlock despite unfolding over the course of past, present and future eras. They transpire in locales as far afield as a Pacific atoll in the 1840s, Cambridge, England in the 1930s, San Francisco in the 1970s, current-day London, Korea in the 2140s and a post apocalyptic Hawaii in the 2340s. Meanwhile, their equally-diverse themes range from slavery to gay love to corporate mind control.

It took a collaboration by a trio of noted directors, Tom Twyker (Run Lola Run) and Andy and Lana (formerly Larry) Wachowski (The Matrix), to execute this ambitious, $100 million, big screen adaptation. In addition, the principal cast members, including Oscar-winners Tom Hanks (for Philadelphia and Forest Gump), Halle Berry (for Monster’s Ball), Susan Sarandon (for Dead Man Walking) and Jim Broadbent (for Iris), each play multiple versions of reincarnated characters.

Nonetheless, Cloud Atlas is as much a morality play about human fears, frailties and failings as it is a mind-bending sci-fi mystery. For, while you’re busy deciphering complicated clues, the picture intermittently indulges in pretentious fortune cookie philosophy prompting reflection upon the deeper meaning of life.

Hence, the dialogue is needlessly diminished by preachy poster speak like “Separation is an illusion,” “To know yourself is only possible through the eyes of another,” and “From womb to tomb we are bound to others” designed to hit you over the head with a simplistic New Age message. Another minor flaw is the film’s almost three-hour running time, which can easily be explained by the directors’ desire to remain as faithful to the 544-page source material as possible, rather than conflate characters, condense chapters and make other concessions for the sake of a Hollywood formula.

A cleverly-concealed, centuries-spanning headscratcher constructed with fans of the original sextet of stories in mind.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated R for violence, profanity, sexuality, ethnic slurs, nudity and drug use.

In English and Spanish with subtitles

Running time: 172 minutes

Distributor: Warner Brothers Home Entertainment Group

Cloud Atlas Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack extras: A Film Like No Other; Everything Is Connected; The Impossible Adaptation; The Essence of Acting; Spaceships, Slaves and Sextets; The Bold Science Fiction of Cloud Atlas; and Eternal Recurrence: Love, Life and Longing in Cloud Atlas.

To see a trailer for Cloud Atlas, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8IIxXjtpQk&feature=relmfu

The Central Park Five (DVD REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:01:00 +0000

The Central Park Five

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Heartbreaking Documentary Revisits Shameful Rush to Judgment

Around 9 PM on April 19, 1989, a 28 year-old, female jogger was brutally beaten, sexually assaulted and left for dead in a wooded area of Central Park located off the beaten path. Because she was an investment banker with an Ivy League pedigree, the NYPD felt the pressure to apprehend the perpetrators of the heinous crime ASAP.

Within hours, cops had extracted confessions from Anton McCray, Kevin Richardson, Korey Wise, Yusef Salaam and Raymond Santana, Jr., teenagers who had been denied their right to an attorney. Although none of the five had ever been arrested before, they were all convicted of rape and attempted murder on the strength of those incriminating admissions alone.

Part of the explanation for the legal lynching was that the victim was a wealthy white woman while the accused were poor black kids from Harlem. The press was all too willing to exploit the hot button issues of color and class, and the media sensationalized the case’s lurid details, coining the term “wilding” to describe the alleged behavior of the defendants.

Real estate magnate Donald Trump even took out full-page ads in every New York City daily newspaper, calling for the death penalty and saying that the boys “should be executed for their crimes.” In the face of the vigilante-like demand for vengeance, no one seemed concerned that the suspects’ DNA failed to match the only semen found at the scene.

Sadly, they were only exonerated in 2002 after having completely served sentences ranging from 6 to 13 years when Matias Reyes, a serial rapist whose DNA was a match, confessed to the crime because of his guilty conscience. This gross miscarriage of justice is recounted in The Central Park Five, a riveting documentary co-directed by the father-daughter team of Ken and Sarah Burns, along with her husband, David McMahon.

The film features reams of archival footage, including videotapes of the framed quintet’s coerced confessions. Mixed in are present-day reflections by them, their lawyers, and relatives, as well as by politicians, prosecutors and other pivotal players.

A heartbreaking expose’ about a rush to judgment which ruined five, innocent young lives.

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 119 minutes

Distributor: PBS/Sundance Selects

DVD Extras: A New York Wilding; an interview with the filmmakers; a behind-the-scenes featurette; The Making of featurette; and an update on the five defendants.

To see a trailer for The Central Park Five, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN-qE6-qq60

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise (PBS-TV REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Sun, 19 May 2013 21:14:00 +0000

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise

TV Review by Kam Williams

PBS Biopic Chronicles Career of Legendary Comic Genius

Melvin James Kaminsky was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on June 28, 1926, but found fame under the stage name you know him by, Mel Brooks. He started out in showbiz as a jazz drummer while still in his early teens, but encountered more success on stage alone upon trying his hand at stand-up at the urging of the owner desperately in need of a fill-in comedian at a resort up in the Catskills.

After a stint serving the country in the army during World War II, he returned home and eventually found work as a writer for Sid Caesar’s TV series “Your Show of Shows” alongside such future greats as Carl Reiner, Woody Allen and Neil Simon. Mild-mannered Simon remembers how “He drove some of us crazy,” and even Mel confesses to having been “an arrogant, obnoxious, little [beep]-head who had patience for nothing but his own thoughts” back then.

So, it’s no surprise that after almost a decade in that capacity, he struck out on his own, thus launching a phenomenal career which would ultimately land him on the short list of the eleven entertainers (including Rita Moreno, Whoopi Goldberg, Sir John Gielgud and Audrey Hepburn) in history to win an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy and a Grammy. Mel Brooks: Make a Noise captures the 86 year-young genius in all his irrepressible glory as he reminisces about his many impressive accomplishments as a writer/director/actor/lyricist/composer/producer, ranging from Get Smart to The Producers to Blazing Saddles to Young Frankenstein to High Anxiety and beyond.

Besides the larger-than-life public persona, this engaging documentary devotes equal attention to intimate aspects of Mel’s private life, such as revelations like “I was never religious but always very Jewish.” He also talks about how he met his late wife, actress Anne Bancroft, and how they enlisted a black stranger, Samuel Boone, to be the best man at their City Hall wedding on August 5, 1964.

As for Mel’s more introspective side, he concedes that having his father die when he was still a toddler “was a brushstroke of depression that never left me.” And he shows a surprising vulnerability to criticism in admitting, “Every bad review is a like a knife plunging through your heart,” concluding “I don’t even know if I’m talented. I’m not sure.”

A poignant profile of a bona fide Renaissance Man’s six decades and counting on the cutting edge of show business.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated TV: G

Running time: 90 minutes

Distributor: PBS

Mel Brooks: Make a Noise an American Masters profile is set to premiere nationwide on PBS on Monday, May 20, 2013 at 9 pm (ET/PT).

[Check local listings]

To see a trailer for Mel Brooks: Make a Noise, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2xVjdJNHNk

To order a copy of The Incredible Mel Brooks: An Irresistible Collection of Unhinged Comedy on DVD, visit:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008VIMLXM/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

Star Trek into Darkness (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:29:00 +0000

Star Trek into Darkness
Film Review by Kam Williams

Kirk Matches Wits with Rogue Commander in Intergalactic Showdown

            Star date: 2259. Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) has just been called on the carpet following an expedition to a primitive planet where, in the course of saving Spock’s (Zachary Quinto) life, he violated the Starfleet’s strict sanction against interfering with alien civilizations. Consequently, he is demoted in rank and summarily stripped of the command of the USS Enterprise.
            He is replaced by his predecessor, Rear Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood) who reminds his headstrong protégé about the importance of following the rules. Soon thereafter, however, Pike is slain by friendly fire in a gunship attack launched by John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), a fellow officer ostensibly gone rogue.
            The tragedy affords Kirk a second chance in the captain’s chair, as well as an opportunity to track down the intergalactic menace and to exact a measure of retribution for his late mentor. As it turns out, Harrison isn’t really a disgruntled colleague but, lo and behold, the reincarnation of Khan, a recurring villain who has appeared before in both television and movie Star Trek episodes.
            Here, the slightly tweaked character is the recently-defrosted leader of a race of genetically-enhanced super-beings who’ve been cryogenically frozen for a few hundred years. The pseudo-scientific explanation of his dormancy and revival is of less import than the fact that he’s just fled to Kronos, home of the Klingons, another regular nemesis of Captain Kirk and his crew.
            Thus unfolds Star Trek into Darkness, the twelfth big screen adaptation inspired by the classic, Sixties TV show originally starring William Shatner. It’s also the second installment directed by J.J. Abrams, who oversaw the reboot of the sci-fi series in 2009. Truth be told, Abrams’ semi-autobiographical thriller Super 8, which he shot between Star Treks 11 and 12, proved to be a far more scintillating summer blockbuster than either of those.
            At least he did reunite the principal cast, including the aforementioned Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock, along with Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty John Cho and Sulu and Karl Urban as Bones. Are the special f/x dazzling? Yes. However, the film’s fairly formulaic plot is apt to capture the imagination only of young’uns totally unfamiliar with Khan and the Klingons.
            Still, Diehard Trekkies will probably appreciate all the inside jokes sporadically sprinkled into the dialogue for the benefit of loyal longtime fans. Overall, this safe sequel is certainly engaging and entertaining enough to recommend, though it fails to live up to the franchise’s daring, appointed mission “to explore strange new worlds” and “to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

Very Good (3 stars)
Rated PG-13 for intense violence
Running time: 132 minutes
Distributor: Paramount Pictures

To see a trailer for Star Trek into Darkness, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq7iRPtmjwI

Top Ten DVD Releases for 5-21-13

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:03:00 +0000

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Top Ten DVD List for May 21, 2013

Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters

My Neighbor Totoro

Beautiful Creatures

Howl's Moving Castle

Yossi

Side Effects

True Blood: The Complete Fifth Season

Come Undone

The First 70

Wine, Women & Friends

Honorable Mention

Adventures of Bailey: A Night in Cowtown

Soldiers of Pain

Nature: The Mystery of Eels

Perception: The Complete First Season

Jim Jefferies: Fully Functional

Last Kind Words

Parker

Open Road

Twinkle Toes Music Video Collection

A Common Man

Picture Day

Struck by Lightning

Weird Creatures with Nick Baker

Irving Welsh’s Ecstasy

Nightfall

Kam's Movie Kapsules for 5-24-13

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:56:00 +0000

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

by Kam Williams

For movies opening May 24, 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Epic (PG for mild action, scary images and brief rude humor) Animated fantasy about a headstrong teenager (Amanda Seyfried) who is magically shrunken and transported to a parallel universe where she is called upon to join forces with a band of diminutive warriors in an epic showdown between good and evil. Voice cast includes Beyonce’, Jason Sudeikis, Steven Tyler, Christoph Waltz, Josh Hutcherson, Colin Farrell and Pitbull.

Fast & Furious 6 (PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, mayhem, violence and intense action) Latest edition of the luxury car franchise revolves around the gang’s reuniting to help a Diplomatic Security Service agent (Dwayne Johnson) thwart a conspiracy masterminded by a mercenary (Luke Evans) specializing in vehicular warfare. Ensemble includes Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster and Tyrese.

The Hangover III (R for sexuality, drug use, violence, brief nudity and pervasive profanity) Third offering in the road trip franchise finds the wolf pack (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifiniakis and Justin Bartha) returning to Las Vegas for another raunchy round of male-bonding hijinks. With Melissa McCarthy, Dr. Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Mike Epps and Jeffrey Tambor.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Before Midnight (R for sexuality, nudity and profanity) Minimalist drama directed by Richard Linklater with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy reprising their roles as lovers now on vacation in Greece in this character-driven sequel to Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. With Ariane Labed, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick and Athina Rachel Tsangari. (In English and Greek with subtitles)

Fill the Void (PG for smoking and mature themes) Israeli drama, set in Tel Aviv, about a Hassidic bride-to-be (Hadas Yaron) who is pressured by her mother (Irit Sheleg) to break off her engagement and marry her widowed brother-in-law (Yiftach Klein) after her sister (Renana Paz) dies while giving birth to her nephew. With Hila Feldman, Yael Tal and Ido Samuel. (In Hebrew with subtitles)

A Green Story (Unrated) American Dream biopic about Van Vlahkis (Ed O’Ross), a Greek immigrant who came to the United States in the Fifties with $22 in his pocket and proceeded to build an eco-friendly business into a multimillion-dollar empire. Featuring Shannon Elizabeth, Malcolm McDowell, Roger Bart, Billy Zane and Annabella Sciorra.(In English, Greek and German with subtitles)

We Steal Secrets (R for profanity, sexuality and disturbing images) Whistleblower documentary about Wikileaks, the anti-establishment website created by free-speech firebrand Julian Assange.

Pizza City (BOOK REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:08:00 +0000

Pizza City:

The Ultimate Guide to New York’s Favorite Food

by Peter Genovese

Rutgers University Press

Paperback, $22.95

200 pages, Illustrated

ISBN: 978-0-8135-5868-4

Book Review by Kam Williams

“I love pizza. Who doesn’t? The idea of this book started to form after I completed a six-month journey into true pizza obsessiveness…

From the beginning, I decided this book was not going to be simply a Zagat-like guide to New York pizzerias… It was going to be two books in one--profiles of at least twenty pizza personalities, then honest reviews of as many pizzerias as I could visit.

You’ll learn a lot in this book [like] what kinds of cheese and tomatoes and ovens pizzerias use… If it opens your eyes to the great big pizza world out there, makes you suddenly crave a couple slices, or leads you to embark on your own sleepless search for the city’s best pizza, then I did my job.”

-- Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs. 1-3)

I was lucky enough to be born and raised in New York City, home to some of the best pizzerias around. I’ve loved pizza for as long as I can remember, but have admittedly been bitterly disappointed on many an occasion upon impulsively trying an unfamiliar joint.

. Trouble is, as any connoisseur could tell you, all pizza is not created equal. In fact there is a tremendous range to be found around the Big Apple, with an uninformed patron as likely to be left feeling ripped-off as satisfied after purchasing a slice or two.

I have a couple of personal favorite pizzerias in Manhattan, with Joe’s on Carmine Street in the Village being the best by far, provided money is no object. The other is 99 Cent Fresh Pizza on 9^th Avenue, which still serves slices for under a buck for folks on a tight budget.

Before deciding whether to review this book, I perused its list of restaurants covered to see whether those faves had made the cut. So, when I saw that Peter Genovese had not only included both but recommended them as well, I figured that this was definitely an author who had taken his mission seriously.

You might be surprised to learn that this is the first guide ever devoted solely to New York pizza. Fortunately, it is well worth the wait. Besides assessing the quality of the offerings at hundreds of eateries, Pizza City is chock full of intriguing trivia.

For example, did you know that the first pizzeria opened in Naples, Italy in 1830? Or that Lombardi’s, the initial in the U.S., opened in Greenwich Village in 1905?

Or that Massachusetts has the largest number of pizzerias, per capita, followed by New Hampshire and Connecticut? New York isn’t even in the top ten. Guess it’s very much a New England delicacy, given how high on the list Rhode Island (5) and Maine (7) sit, too.

Genovese takes the time to explain the dough, sauce and cheese on different styles of pizza, which range from the traditional, Neapolitan, to the most popular, New York, to Sicilian to Chicago to Trenton to New Haven to California and beyond. He even talks about the Top Ten pizza movies (including Home Alone, Do the Right Thing and Mystic Pizza) and the Top Ten pizza chains (including Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s and Little Caesar’s).

Still, the author is at his best when eliciting insights from discerning devotees and chefs as to what makes a great pie and why first-rate places like Ray’s, John’s and Joe’s have endured and earn so much respect. The definitive pizza bible deserving to be consulted before you sample your next slice anywhere in New York City.

Mel Brooks (INTERVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Wed, 15 May 2013 03:43:00 +0000

Mel Brooks

The “Mel Brooks: Make a Noise” Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: Delightful Banter with Boundless Brooks

Mel Brooks, director, producer, writer and actor, is in an elite group as one of the few entertainers to earn all four major entertainment prizes – the Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar. His career began in television writing for Your Show of Shows and together with Buck Henry creating the long-running TV series Get Smart.

He then teamed up with Carl Reiner to write and perform the Grammy-winning 2000 Year Old Man comedy albums and books. Mel won his first Oscar in 1964 for writing and narrating the animated short The Critic, and his second for the screenplay of his first feature film, The Producers, in 1968.

Many hit comedies followed, including The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, To Be or Not to Be, Spaceballs, Life Stinks, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. His film company, Brooksfilms Limited, also produced such critically-acclaimed pictures as The Elephant Man, The Fly, Frances, My Favorite Year, and 84 Charring Cross Road.

For three successive seasons, 1997-1999, Mel Brooks won Emmy Awards for his role as “Uncle Phil” on the hit sitcom Mad About You. Brooks received three 2001 Tony Awards and two Grammy Awards for The Producers: the New Mel Brooks Musical, which ran on Broadway from 2001 to 2006.

The Producers still holds the record for the most Tony Awards ever won by a Broadway musical. He followed that success with The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, which ran on Broadway from 2007 to 2009, and both musicals continue to be performed and enjoyed by audiences all over the world.

In 2009 Mel received The Kennedy Center Honors, recognizing a lifetime of extraordinary contributions to American culture. His most recent projects include the Emmy-nominated HBO comedy special Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again, a follow-up HBO special Mel Brooks Strikes Back! and a career retrospective DVD box set titled The Incredible Mel Brooks: An Irresistible Collection Of Unhinged Comedy.

Here, he talks about Mel Brooks: Make a Noise, an American Masters profile chronicling his illustrious career. The PBS special is set to premiere nationwide on Monday, May 20, 2013 at 9 pm (ET/PT). [Check local listings] And in June, Mel will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Film Institute (AFI) at a gala tribute airing on TNT.

Kam Williams: Hello, Mr. Brooks. I’m honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.

Mel Brooks: Thank you, Kam. Hey, what the hell is Kam short for?

KW: It’s short for Kamau, an African name.

MB: I’m so sorry to hear that. I thought it might be short for my last name, Kaminsky. I was hoping you just took my last name and shortened it to become part of the family.

KW: [Chuckles] No, I took the name back in the Seventies during my brief career as a jazz musician. You started out as a jazz musician, too, right?

MB: I did, I did. We were both jazz musicians, so it’s like we already know each other. In the early Forties, before I went off to World War II, I was in a little five-piece group that played at those Borscht Belt resorts in the Catskill Mountains. One night, the comic at the Butler Lodge got sick, and his boss, Pincus Cohen, begged me to perform in his place. I told him, “That name is redundant. Pincus and Cohen, you don’t need ‘em both. We know you’re a Jew.” [Laughs] He said, “I’ve watched you doing rehearsals. I can tell you’re a funny guy.“ I knew all those dopey jokes, so I went up on stage, and that’s how I got into comedy. I was only about 15 at the time.

KW: I’ve been to the Catskills a couple times. Do you remember the Nevele?

MB: The Nevele! It’s still there. That was a big place, a real hotel, not like the bungalows that Jews rented for the whole summer. In Yiddish, those cottages were called “kuchalein,” which translates to “cook alone,” meaning you do your own cooking. Those places always had a little playhouse that would seat about two hundred people. So, I’d get booked to play them for around fifty bucks, which was a pretty good salary for one night.

KW: Speaking of hotels, the first time I saw Blazing Saddles was soon after it was released at a hotel where you could rent first run movies. I was so captivated by it I had to watch it four times in a row, practically ignoring the woman I was supposed to be sharing a romantic evening with. True story.

MB: That’s crazy! But it does sound like a true story.

KW: I have a million questions for you from fans, but let’s see how many we can get through.

MB: Sure, sure.

KW: These two people have related questions. Editor/legist Patricia Turnier asks: Where did you get the inspiration to make a musical comedy about Adolf Hitler? And Bobby Shenker asks: How did you manage to get backing for a picture as bold as The Producers?

MB: Those are two good questions. I kinda backed into the number “Springtime for Hitler.” I worked for a guy who lived in his office. He wasn’t supposed to. But he had laundry hanging, a hotplate to make coffee, and he slept on the couch. I can’t tell you his name because he has grandchildren. But he was a great guy. I was like [the character] Leo Bloom. I had a job working fifteen hours a day for him, doing anything he needed. For instance, I put cards in barbershop and other store windows advertising Tito Guizar, a Mexican balladeer, who periodically played Town Hall. That’s where I got this story. He would raise more money than he needed to put on Off-Off Broadway plays, and he’d keep some of it to live on. Let’s say the play cost $2,500 to produce. He’d raise $3,000 and, if it did okay, he’d skim the difference off the top for living expenses. I once asked him, “Why don’t you put on a $100,000 play and raise a $1,000,000? You know every little old lady in New York. You could get the money?” He used to screw wealthy widows on the cracked leather couch in his office. True story. He was just like Zero Mostel’s character. You know what he said to me? “You’re going to go places. I don’t think that big.” But that was the seed of an idea for a play. And then I backed into Hitler after I asked myself, “What if somebody did do that, raised a million for a $100,000 play?” It would have to be a flop, because if it were a hit, they could never pay all those backers off. There came the idea that you can make more money with a flop than with a hit. Then I had to figure out what would be a surefire flop, and I brainstormed for days and days until I came with Hitler. I thought, nobody’s going to stand up and cheer for Hitler, especially not in New York with so many Jews. When I realized a scene of just him with his generals wouldn’t be festive enough, I decided it had to be a musical. And that’s when I wrote the song “Springtime for Hitler.”

KW: Bobby also says: You married on of the most brilliant actresses of the 20^th Century, Anne Bancroft. Is there a biopic in the works? Or at least a behind-the-scenes documentary about her outstanding performances in The Miracle Worker and The Graduate?

MB: So far, no. To be honest, Bobby, it’s certainly still too painful for me to be involved with it at all.

KW: Ray Hirschman says: Hey Mel, how did you land such a beautiful wife? Was it your charm or your humor?

MB: I don’t know. I once asked her that. She said, “I never encountered anybody with so much energy. It’s daunting just to be with you.” When we were first married, she was a star and I was nobody.” I had been writing for Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” which became “Caesar’s Hour.” Lawrence Welk was on at the same time and, strangely enough, he got the ratings, and we went off the air in 1959. So, I was basically out of work for a couple of years when I met Anne on February 5, 1961. She was on The Perry Como Show, and I was collaborating on a Broadway musical called All American with Charles Strouse, the great composer who wrote the music for Bye Bye Birdie, Annie and All in the Family. I wrote the book, and he wrote the score. I thought it was a pretty good show but it never really made it. Anyway, he was playing piano for Anne at The Actors’ Studio where she was presenting a song as Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady, and he invited me to accompany him to a dress rehearsal. She came out onstage in a beautiful, white dress. She was gorgeous! My tongue was hanging out. When she finished, I shouted out, “Hey Anne Bancroft! I’m Mel Brooks. I think I love you.” Everybody stopped and looked, and I ran over to her and we talked. She said, “I have your new record. You’re a genius!” referring to the 2,000 Year-Old Man comedy album Carl Reiner and I had just released. Afterwards, she said she had to go somewhere, and I made believe I had to go there, too. For the next week, I would find out from friends what restaurants, clubs and theaters she’d be frequenting, and I’d show up, and ask, “What is this, Kismet?” until she finally said, “Okay, you can stop the B.S. Let’s hang out together.” It was all good. We were literally in love and together from that day until she passed away on June 6^th in 2005. We had a nice, long run.

KW: Film student Jamaal Green says: Hi Mel! I am a huge fan of your work from Blazing Saddles to Young Frankenstein to Space Balls. But I would like to know, if you have any plans to do some new 2,000 Year-Old Man skits?

MB: Thank you for that question, Jamaal. However, I’ve become the 2,000 Year-Old Man now, and I have a 2,000 Year-Old Man brain. When I originally wrote it, I was in my thirties. I was young, and hip, and smart, and could think fast. I’m no longer there. Things have slowed-up incredibly. Synaptic connections are taking me to strange places in my brain. I think I probably could eke out one more. Carl, who recently turned 91 is hot to trot, but I’m not sure.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What was the hardest film to shoot because of laughing breaking out on the set?

MB: Blazing Saddles was pretty damn funny. The crew was constantly cracking-up and ruining takes. So, finally, I sent my assistant to Woolworths to buy a thousand white handkerchiefs. I gave one to everybody on the set. I told them, “If you feel like laughing at something, you stick one of these in your mouth, bite on it, and laugh through it.” Anytime I wasn’t sure whether a scene was working or not, I’d look over my shoulder, and if I saw a lot of white handkerchiefs, I’d know it was funny. That became my litmus test. The crew’s laughing could’ve ruined the picture, Bernadette, but we saved it with the white handkerchiefs. It also turned out to be a great way to test to see if something was funny.

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: Thank you, and Ann, for that incredible performance of “Sweet Georgian Brown” in Polish to open your re-do of “To Be or Not to Be.” On the NBC Today show, you said “Annie is funnier than I am,” and I remember that side-splitting, incredible thing with her eyes. How did she speak to and influence your projects?

MB: Harriet, she was incredible right from the first time I met her. I was writing The Producers. She immediately became my sounding board. I didn’t trust anybody else. I’d write something and show it to her. Then she’d mark it up with “This is brilliant!” or “Never let this go!” and once in awhile she’d say “This stinks!” [Chuckles] She was really responsible for getting the best out of me, like the trainer of a racehorse.

KW: Hollywood Hills realtor Jimmy Bayan says: Mel, you once said you and Anne were glued together from the day you met until the day she died. She obviously really "got you." Can you tell me, what made your marriage sizzle for so many years?

MB: I can’t, Jimmy. What is it, magic? Magnetism? Meant to be? Who the hell knows! We were very lucky. Fate may have had a hand in it.

KW: Roger Klein says: You are a great filmmaker. You are to movies what the Rolling Stones are to Rock & Roll.

MB: I was never recognized as a movie director, Roger. Never! They always talk about my being a great writer and comic, and an important producer, But I’ve never been saluted as a filmmaker, except by a few colleagues like Alfred Hitchcock. He once said to me, “Nobody appreciates your directing skills. High Anxiety is brilliant! The back lighting!” He thought of me as a wonderful director, but no one else did.

KW: Did it bother you?

MB: I never really got that upset about it because I was doing what I wanted to do. If you can do what you want to do in this life, the rest is gravy. Instead of going to work, you’re going to joy every day.

KW: And he was just as snubbed.

MB: [Laughs] Yeah, he was nominated for an Academy Award a number of times, but he never won one. And he might have been the best director who ever lived.

KW: Roger would like you to name some comedies that really make you laugh.

MB: Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot, Preston Sturges’ The Palm Beach Story, Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights, and Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last. Those are really my favorites. I thought The Hangover was really funny. But the sequel just exploited the first.

KW: I gotta tell you, Mel, Get Smart is still my all-time favorite TV show. Was there ever a funnier sitcom?

MB: I don’t know. Buck Henry was very, very talented, and together we came up with some incredible ideas. He invented the Cone of Silence. And I think I invented the cell phone, because I dreamed up having Maxwell Smart talking on a shoe telephone.

KW: Harriet says: You set a very high standard for revamping old films, with To Be or Not to Be, Young Frankenstein, and The Producers. Do you have your sights on another old classic that you care to discuss?

MB: There’s a good-looking old lady who lives in Cincinnati that I have my eye on, but I’m not sure as far as show business. [Chuckles] Maybe musicalizing The Twelve Chairs, one of my overlooked films, for Broadway.

Or Blazing Saddles. They both cry out for music, and they both have good stories.

KW: Why do you think Blazing Saddles remains as fresh as ever?

MB: What makes it last so long is that there’s a black sheriff that everyone in that world of 1874 wants to see dead right away. But he endures and gains the respect of the townsfolk, especially the Waco Kid [played by Gene Wilder]. That’s the engine that drives it, and that’s why it’s still around. It’s around because there’s a tremendous amount of focused emotion in that movie.

KW: When I interviewed Quentin Tarantino about Django Unchained he attributed the demise of the Western to blazing Saddles. He said that you had parodied the genre so effectively that no one could take them seriously anymore.

MB: [Laughs] I don’t know. Maybe he’s right. But I wouldn’t take credit for that.

KW: What’d you think of his movies?

MB: I love Quentin for what he does. He doesn’t give a [bleep]. Freedom… fantasy moviemaking. In Inglourious Bastards, he’s got Hitler and Goering and Goebbels all in a theater in France and he kills them all. With Django, I would have been a little upset if Abraham Lincoln was run over by a Buick on 43^rd Street. But coming from Tarantino, I accepted it. He’s a genius who should be respected for his work.

KW: Harriet also says: The Critic is one my favorite works of art by you. How about getting it back out there so people who didn’t see it in 1963 can get a look at it on its 50th anniversary?

MB: Ooh, well thank you Harriet for being aware of it, for enjoying it, for getting it, and for understanding it. And, as a matter of fact, The Critic is in The Incredible Mel Brooks box set.

KW: Harriet says: Remember the rock Dr. Haldanish put his hand on and said, “I’m a psychiatrist?” Well, I put my hand on that same rock and said, “I’m a life-long fan of yours!”

MB: That’s very funny! Harriet, I love you! I really appreciate it.

KW: Kate Newell asks: Have you ever considered working with Monty Python alumni? I think that would trigger a comedic cosmic shift!

MB: We should’ve gotten together because Blazing Saddles and Life of Brian were on the same bill at the Baker St. Theater in London for three years straight. And they actually sent me a check. I couldn’t believe it.

KW: Larry Greenberg asks: How does playing yourself on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" compare to some of the amazing characters you’ve played like Moses and President Skroob?

MB: I have no judgment and no perspective. When I’m playing myself, I dissolve into the character as a person, so I can’t really criticize my performance. I don’t know whether I’m good or bad. But when I’m playing Tikon, the Russian servant in The Twelve Chairs, I would say, yes, that’s a fine performance. And when I was Goddard Bolt in Life Stinks, I think I was pretty good. It was close to me, but not me, in the performance. I also think I was wonderful singing “The Inquisition” in History of the World.

KW: In preparing for this interview, I went back and watched a lot of your appearances on Johnny Carson. They were phenomenal!

MB: He was a great catalyst. He’d get the best out of you. And he was a great audience, too. Carson was the best.

KW: Patricia says: I have a passion for tap dancing that I did for almost 15 years. You have been influenced by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. How can tap regain the status in movies that it once enjoyed?

MB: That’s a very good question, Patricia. When people ask me, what’s your favorite movie, I’d like to say Jean Renoir’s La Grande Illusion to make myself sound like such an intellectual. But my favorite movie is actually Swing Time with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and then maybe Singin’ in the Rain. My very favorites are American musical comedies of the Thirties, and tap dancing was my favorite dance form. To see Astaire tap like a maniac with such grace and charm was very magical. It was very balletic. How can you forget the Nicholas Brothers? They’re very hard to beat. Or Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Shirley Temple’s duet up and down the steps. So, I agree with you Patricia. Tap is a glorious aspect of show business, and I’ll see what I can do about bringing it back.

KW: Patricia also asks: What prepared you the most for your career in showbiz?

MB: I think the Show of Shows, because I didn’t spread my wings and do my movies until I had nine years of seeing the best comedy of its day with Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Imogene Coca, Howie Morris and Nanette Fabray under my belt, and, and of working with writers like Neil Simon, Woody Allen and Larry Gelbart. That set the stage for my going out on my own.

KW: Wow, what a group! I’d have to say Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple was my second favorite TV show of all time.

MB: Neil was one of my best friends.

KW: What is the best advice you can give to young people who would like to follow in your footsteps as a filmmaker?

MB: I have no advice for anybody. Something impels you, and you have to keep going. Something mysterious drives you, and you’ll have to take a thousand no’s before you get your first yes, and they let you do your stuff.

KW: Bobby says: One of my favorite comedies is Young Frankenstein. The casting was sheer inspiration. What could you tell us about your collaboration with Gene Wilder? With such a brilliant cast, was it a collaborative effort, or primarily carved out by you and Wilder?

MB: It actually came from Gene Wilder’s head. One day when we broke for lunch out in the desert during the shooting of Blazing Saddles, I saw him scribbling on a legal pad and on the top it says “Young Frankenstein.” And I said, “What the hell is that? What’re you doing?” And he explained to me his idea and asked me if I’d collaborate with him on it. I said, “Sure.” As far as the casting, there was a guy named Mike Medavoy who had in his stable of actors Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle and Marty Feldman. The only ones he didn’t have were Madeline Kahn and Teri Garr.

KW: Wesley Derbyshire asks: For better or worse, how do you see comedy changing on the screen over the past half-century?

MB: That’s a good question, Wesley. I wish could answer it. Comedy is too vast a subject. I don’t know what it is. It’s reaching a place in us that is unrestrained. That place where we can no longer be a proper part of society, and just have to laugh. If you have the ability to reach it in yourself, you’ll reach it in others. But how it’s changed, I don’t know. All the sitcoms have gotten very sexual, but not necessarily funnier.

KW: I agree wholeheartedly, Mel. Thanks for being so generous with your time, and for sharing so many anecdotes, insights and remembrances.

MB: It was my pleasure, Kam. Nice talking to you.

To order a copy of The Incredible Mel Brooks: An Irresistible Collection of Unhinged Comedy on DVD, visit:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008VIMLXM/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

Bidder 70 (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:41:00 +0000

Bidder 70

Film Review by Kam Williams

Eco-Documentary Chronicles Trials and Tribulations of Selfless Planetary Patriot

The Bush administration’s announcement in 2008 of its intention to auction-off the mining rights to many square miles of virgin land located in national forests ignited waves of protests by environmental activists. But when picketing, petitioning and the lobbying of politicians failed, the government proceeded with its plan to grant oil and gas mega-corporations access to the pristine parcels.

Crashing the auction was Tim DeChristopher, a frustrated college student who had participated in the pro-nature preservation demonstrations. He impulsively joined in the bidding and by the end of the day had purchased the rights to 22,000 acres of real estate in the Utah wilderness for $1.7 million with the hope of somehow saving some soil from fracking.

Trouble is, he had neither funds nor the wherewithal to extract any minerals, which was a technical violation of federal law. And since the energy industry doesn’t cotton to tree-huggers interfering its their profit margins and inclination to “Drill, baby drill!” it prevailed upon the government to throw the book at Mr. DeChristopher.

By the time the dust settled several years later, the outspoken economics major was convicted and carted off to prison to serve a two-year sentence. While Tim’s trials and tribulations are the front story of Bidder 70, this eye-opening documentary co-directed by Beth and George Gage simultaneously issues an urgent call for non-violent civil disobedience on the part of citizens truly concerned about global warming and the unchecked consumption of non-renewable carbon.

A powerful, empathetic portrait of a selfless, planetary patriot willing to sacrifice his liberty for the sake of Mother Earth‘s long-term prospects.

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 73 minutes

Distributor: First Run Features

To see a trailer for Bidder 70, visit: http://firstrunfeatures.com/trailers_bidder70.html

Top Ten DVD Releases for 5-14-2013

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:48:00 +0000

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Top Ten DVD List for May 14, 2013

Save the Farm

Of Two Minds

Bink & Gollie and More Stories about Friendship

Yossi

Face 2 Face

Barrymore

The Bletchley Circle: Cracking a Killer’s Code

Cloud Atlas

Word Girl vs. The Energy Monster

Frontline: Raising Adam Lanza

Honorable Mention

10 Buildings That Changed America

Stripped

Superman: Unbound

Taz-Mania: Taz on the Loose - Season One, Part One

Back to 1942

Team Umizoomi: Animal Heroes

Dance Academy – Season One, Volume One

Dance Academy – Season One, Volume Two

Leonie

Frankie Go Boom

The Oranges

Safe Haven

Escape

A Glimpse into the Mind of Charles Swan III

Tomorrow You’re Gone

Bunohan: Return to Murder

The Custom Mary

Venus & Serena (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Sat, 11 May 2013 19:47:00 +0000

Venus & Serena

Film Review by Kam Williams

Revealing Biopic Examines Roots and Rise of World-Class Williams Sisters

Richard Williams was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana where he was left traumatized by having a railroad spike driven through his leg for refusing to behave deferentially towards a gang of white racists. Understandably, that experience played a significant role in shaping the youngster into the highly-ambitious and fiercely-overprotective father he would later become.

In fact, well before his daughters Venus and Serena were even born, he hand wrote a 78-page game plan for their lives. Its foundation was laid in childhood, where they would not only be homeschooled but forged into professional tennis players.

Achieving that dream would be no small feat, given that the girls were to grow up poor in Compton, an L.A. ghetto far removed from the privileged background considered necessary to compete on the championship level. Sadly, upon turning pro, rather than being immediately embraced by California crowds, elder sister Venus was called the “N-word” by local fans who preferred to root for her European counterparts.

Nevertheless, having been prepared by their dad for just such a reaction to the presence on center court, both young ladies miraculously managed to rise in stature on the circuit. All of the above is chronicled in captivating fashion in Venus and Serena, an intimate biopic co-directed by Michelle Major and Maiken Baird who were allowed to follow the pair around with a camera for over a year.

Besides detailing the ups-and-downs of the turbulent, 2011 tennis season, this riveting and revealing documentary treats the audience to an intimate look at the close-knit sisters with the help of home movies from their adolescence. Featuring appearances by Chris Rock, Bill Clinton and Serena’s ex-boyfriend Common, this flick is at its best when Richard Williams is given the floor in archival footage to make audacious predictions about turning not one but two of his daughters into world-class tennis players.

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 99 minutes

Distributor: Magnolia Pictures

To see a trailer for Venus and Serena, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvMWjtQN5HU

Kam's Movie Kapsules for 5-17-13

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:27:00 +0000

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

by Kam Williams

For movies opening May 17, 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Star Trek: Into Darkness (PG-13 for intense violence) Twelfth installment in the futuristic, sci-fi franchise finds Captain Kirk (Chris Pinne) and the crew of the Starship Enterprise summoned back to Earth to confront a seemingly-unstoppable evil force which has left the planet on the brink of extinction. Ensemble cast includes Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty and Karl Urban as Bones.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Augustine (Unrated) Doctor-patient drama, set in the 19^th Century, examining the bedside manner of a leading neurologist (Vincent Lindon) treating a malingering teenager (Soko) left partially paralyzed after suffering a seizure. With Chiara Mastroianni, Olivier Rabourdin and Roxane Duran. (In French with subtitles)

Bidder 70 (Unrated) Eco-documentary about a nature-loving college student sentenced to a couple of years in prison for successfully acquiring the drilling rights to 22,000 acres of federal land at auction in order to prevent a pristine national park from being spoiled by gas industry fracking.

Black Rock (R for sexual references, graphic nudity, grisly violence and pervasive profanity) Survival saga about the harrowing ordeal of three childhood friends (Kate Bosworth, Katie Aselton and Lake Bell) whose vacation on a remote island off the coast of Maine is rudely interrupted by the arrival of recently-discharged army vets hunting for humans. With Jay Paulson, Will Bouvier, Anslem Richardson and Carl Aselton.

The English Teacher (Unrated) Julianne Moore handles the titular role as a spinster with a pair of Siamese cats whose life is disrupted by the return to town of a former student (Michael Angarano) after failing as a playwright in the Big Apple. With Greg Kinnear, Nathan Lane and Lily Collins.

Erased (R for violence) Cat-and-mouse thriller about a former CIA agent (Aaron Eckhart) who ends up on the run with his estranged daughter (Liana Liberato) after they are both marked for termination as part of a wide-ranging international conspiracy. With Olga Kurylenko, Kate Linder and Neil Napier.

Frances Ha (R for profanity and sexual references) Greta Gerwig stars as the title character in this New York City dramedy about a homeless, aspiring dancer dealing with diminished dreams and an estranged BFF (Mickey Sumner) who won’t speak to her anymore. Supporting cast includes Adam Driver, Michael Zegen and Patrick Heusinger.

Pieta (Unrated) Korean tale of redemption about a loan shark (Jeong-jin Lee) forced to reconsider his line of work by a mysterious woman who claims to be his long-lost mother (Min-soo Jo). With Ki-Hong Woo, Eunjin Kang and Jae-ryong Cho. (In Korean with subtitles)

Stories We Tell (PG-13 for mature themes, smoking and brief profanity) Out of the closet documentary dissecting a dysfunctional family’s skeletons by interrogating each member of the clan in order to get to the truth.

The Great Gatsby (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:35:00 +0000

The Great Gatsby

Film Review by Kam Williams

DiCaprio Handles Title Role in 3-D Adaptation of Literary Classic

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is an era-defining, literary masterpiece convincingly capturing the decadence, debauchery and self-destruction of privileged elites living in the lap of luxury at the height of the Roaring Twenties. Set out on Long Island over the course of a very eventful summer, the tragic tale of love and betrayal unfolds from the point-of-view of social-climber Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), a nondescript bond salesman who fancies himself a celebrated writer someday.

At the point of departure, we find him renting a modest cottage sitting in the shadow of a sprawling waterfront mansion owned by Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio), a self-made man given to throwing extravagant parties for fellow members of high society. Despite having his pick of a glittery litter of gold-digging flappers, the mysterious millionaire remains obsessed with Daisy (Carey Mulligan), an attractive young woman he had dated as a soldier before leaving the country to fight in World War I.

While he was overseas, she met and married Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton), an abusive adulterer from an old money family whose own mammoth estate is located on the other side of the bay. Nick comes to play a critical role in the proceedings once Gatsby learns that he just happens to be a distant cousin of Daisy’s.

Soon, the lovelorn tycoon prevails upon his new, next-door neighbor to serve as a go-between by inviting her over for what she doesn’t know is a secret rendezvous with an ex-boyfriend. Sparks fly afresh, and it’s not long before all the morally-corrupted central characters end up taking a ride aboard an ill-fated, emotional roller coaster.

Perhaps more pertinent than recounting further the familiar plotline of a novel we all remember from high school is addressing its reimagining as a visually-captivating, ethereal fantasy by Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge). The bodacious director not only shot the New York story in his native Australia, but infused the soundtrack with hip-hop tunes by the film’s executive producer, Jay-Z, and wife, Beyonce’.

Before you join the rush to indict the anachronistic inclusion of rap as blasphemous in a movie supposedly recreating the Jazz Age, consider the fact that historical costume dramas generally tend to tell us more about the period in which they were made than about the one in which they transpire. Why else would anyone see fit to mount a fifth version of Gatsby?

Reflecting the influences of both its producer and director, this riveting reinterpretation for the Hip-Hop Generation is apt to be best appreciated by fans of mind-numbing gangsta’ rap weaned on shallow videos featuring materialistic misogynists enjoying free-flowing champagne while surrounded by a bevy of gyrating beauties. Bravo to Baz for effectively lending his trademark lush and lurid touch to a cautionary classic chronicling the downside of the American Dream!

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG-13 for sexuality, smoking, violent images, partying and brief profanity

Running time: 143 minutes

Distributor: Warner Brothers

To see a trailer for The Great Gatsby, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaBVLhcHcc0

Craig Robinson (INTERVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:12:00 +0000

Craig Robinson

The “Peeples” Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: Craig Is Good “Peeples”

Born in Chicago on October 25, 1971, Craig Robinson is currently appearing in the final season of “The Office” on NBC, where he portrays acerbic Dunder-Mifflin employee Darryl Philbin. He is definitely a world away from his original career intentions; before deciding to pursue a comedy career full-time, Robinson was a K-8 teacher in the Chicago Public Schools.

He had earned his undergraduate degree from Illinois State University and a Master’s in Education from St. Xavier University. It was while studying education that he discovered his love of acting and comedy upon joining the famed Second City Theatre.

Craig made his mark on the comedy circuit at the 1998 Montreal “Just for Laughs” Festival. That year, he also won the Oakland Comedy Festival Awards and the Miller Genuine Draft 1996 Comedy Search. He soon went on to perform his act on “The Jimmy Kimmel Show” and on “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

His rise to success with “The Office” and his stand-up prowess quickly brought him to the attention of comedy maven Judd Apatow. Robinson made audiences question their notions of vanity, playing the sensitive bouncer in Knocked Up. He then kept audiences glued to their seats as one of the henchman hunting Seth Rogen and James Franco’s bumbling stoner characters in Pineapple Express, and made fans squirm when he co-starred with Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks in Zack and Miri Make A Porno.

In 2010, Craig starred alongside Rob Corddry and John Cusack in Hot Tub Time Machine. The story follows three men as they visit the hot tub where they once partied, accidentally discover it is now a time machine, and travel back to their raunchy heyday in the mid-1980s. Fans’ voices spoke loudly, and early negotiations are currently in progress for a sequel.

Here, he talks about his first leading man role as Wade Walker in Peeples, a comedy co-starring Kerry Washington.

Kam Williams: Hi Craig, thanks for the interview.

Craig Robinson: Thank you for getting the word out. I appreciate it, Kam.

KW: What interested you in Peeples?

CR: When I met with [director] Tina Gordon Chism, I was impressed with her passion about the project. She had lived this experience of dating someone from a family with so many secrets, and watching them unravel. So, she knew what she was talking about. And when she let me know that Kerry Washington was playing the love interest, I went, “Okay, I’m in! Let’s go ahead and do it.”

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: You’ve done some great cameo and support roles, but now landed a lead role here. Congratulations! So, in Peeples, your fans will see more of you. How was it playing a main character and working with [producer] Tyler Perry?

CR: I worked with Tyler before on Daddy’s Little Girls. He couldn’t be smarter or more laid back and cool. He’s always throwing out lines and is funny as hell. And he was shining his light on Peeples, too, lending his name to showcase Tina as a first-time director, and me as a first-time lead. I’m humbled and honored to work with him. He’s great!

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier would like to know what was it like to on the set with legendary actors like Diahann Carroll and Melvin Van Peebles?

CR: Diahann Carroll delivered a very moving speech at the start of the whole project, and Melvin pulled me aside on the set and told me to, “Stay strong!” in a way that carried considerable heft. These people are legends, and we couldn’t have been more thrilled about their participation in the movie and blessing it. It was superb.

KW: Patricia also says: Given that you are a singer, are you interested in recording an album one day?

CR: Yes I am. I have a sound. It’s called funk mixed with stank. That’s what I do.

KW: What’s it like having the same name as First Lady Michelle Obama’s brother?

CR: I was once dating a woman who got very upset after confusing the two of us when she found my picture next to his bio which indicated that he’s divorced with kids, and remarried. So, if you can imagine, that’s what it’s like.

KW: Larry Greenberg says: I'm just crazy about films with time travel. Where there any special issues or tricky scenes when you played Nick in Hot Tub Time Machine?

CR: Yes, there was a special issue. Her name was Jessica Paré. She was topless with me in the hot tub. So, yes, that was a very special moment, and I watch the movie every night because of that scene.

KW: Dinesh Sharma asks: Do you think that your role describes a challenge most black men face today, of trying to fit into upper-class black society? Or was the movie just Meet the Parents with an African-American twist?

CR: Peeples is definitely not Meet the Parents. It’s more a movie about family secrets. It does explore class issues somewhat, but it’s mostly about living your own truth.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

CR: I can bake the hell out of some chicken, my friend.

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

CR: Celestine Prophecies.

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

CR: Butterflies by Michael Jackson.

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

CR: JSLV, Just Live, it’s a company in California.

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

CR: Craig Robinson… I see growth.

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

CR: To be able hug my deceased family members, friends and godfather.

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

CR: Banging on the piano while my grandmother was watching me. I’d run up to her and ask: “How was that, Grandma?” And she’d say, “That was beautiful, baby!” And I’d run back to the piano and play some more. I’m sure that’s why I still play today, because I was encouraged from such a young age, 2 or 3.

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

CR: Determination!

KW: The Mike Pittman question” asks: What was your best career move?

CR: Choosing my manager, Mark Schulman.

KW: PBS President Neal Shapiro asks: If you could really time travel and live in another period, which one would you choose?

CR: The Sixties, because it was the beginning of Rock & Roll. All the songs sounded alike, since they were using the same three chords, which would make it easy to hop out and rock.

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

CR: That’s a great question. I can’t think of one.

KW: The Viola Davis question: Who do you really believe you are when you go home as opposed to the person you pretend to be on the red carpet?

CR: The red carpet is weird because, when they don’t know who you are, you’re standing there posing and nobody’s taking pictures of you. And when they do know you, they’re calling your name from every which way and you don’t know in which direction to turn. For me, I’m more in control at home. On the carpet, I want to be in control, but it can be overwhelming.

KW: The Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what would it be?

CR: Rock star! Singing songs that the whole world knows, like my favorite band, Earth, Wind and Fire.

KW: The Anthony Mackie question: Is there something that you promised to do if you became famous, that you still haven’t done yet?

CR: No, because I don’t make promises unless I know I’m gonna keep ‘em.

KW: The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?

CR: Invisibility!

KW: The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do? Would you do the bad stuff, you never got a chance to do, or would you do good stuff to make sure you make it into heaven?

CR: I would live like I’m already living. If I couldn’t get to my family, I’d hit my favorite restaurant. I’d seize the moment.

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

CR: A whale.

KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?

CR: The little things that let me know I’m on the right path, like running into an old friend, or getting into the car and catching an awesome song from the beginning.

KW: The Melissa Harris-Perry question: How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?

CR: I don’t get too close in relationships. I kinda have my arm out, like the Heisman trophy, because I don’t want to hurt somebody the way I was hurt.

KW: The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you'd like to star in with an eye toward a particular role.

CR: Yeah, Cannonball Run.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: Do you have a favorite charity?

CR: No, I don’t.

KW: The Nancy Lovell Question: Why do you love doing what you do?

CR: Because it brings me closer to people, and it lets me explore who I am. It’s a chance for me to be connected. Whenever I’m performing live, the first thing I look for is to make a connection.

KW: What is your favorite way of performing?

CR: I’m in my element when I’m alone on stage with a microphone and a keyboard.

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

CR: Be yourself, because you’re special. There’s only one of you. Second, be tenacious, visualize success, and then live it. And remember everything you learned in kindergarten.

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

CR: As a joy!

KW: Thanks again, Craig. I really appreciate having this opportunity, brother, and best of luck with Peeples.

CR: Thank you. You are phenomenal, Kam.

To see the trailer for Peeples, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMEzaXX0xnU

Iron Man 3 (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Tue, 07 May 2013 02:36:00 +0000

Iron Man 3

Film Review by Kam Williams

Downey Back as Bon Vivant Billionaire/Smart Aleck Superhero

This film represents the seventh installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series kickstarted by Iron Man 1 in 2008, and since followed in succession by The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers. The sensible question I suppose you’re probably interested in having answered is whether the franchise is showing any signs of running out of steam or if it’s worth investing in yet another episode.

Great news! The movie more than lives up to its billing as the first blockbuster of this summer season. Yes, the plot remains true to the basic comic book adaptation formula in that it pits a superhero against a diabolical villain bent on world domination.

However, Iron Man adds a little more to the trademark mix of derring-do and visually-captivating special f/x thanks to Robert Downey, Jr.’s bringing so much charm to the title character. Downey again delights, delivering a plethora of pithy comments, whether playing bon vivant billionaire Tony Stark or his intrepid alter ego.

Also reprising their roles are People Magazine’s reigning Most Beautiful Woman in the World Gwyneth Paltrow as Iron Man’s love interest Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle as his best friend Rhodey, and Jon Favreau (the director of episodes 1 and 2) as chauffeur-turned-obsessive chief of security Happy Hogan. And critical additions include Ty Simpkins as Harley, Iron Man’s prepubescent, new sidekick and Sir Ben Kingsley as The Mandarin, the maniacal spokesman for an international terrorist organization.

The point of departure is Bern, Switzerland on New Year’s 2000 which is where we find Tony Stark declining an offer to go into business being made by Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), a disabled scientist who ostensibly covets an experimental drug being developed by Stark Industries botanist Dr. Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall). The storyline immediately fast-forwards from Y2K to the present as a string of bombings are being ostensibly orchestrated by The Mandarin.

Against his better judgment, Tony dares the madman to a fight, and no sooner is his oceanfront home leveled by a barrage of incoming rockets. Fortunately, a number of Iron Man outfits were left unscathed and, with the help of precocious Harley and pal Rhodey (aka Iron Patriot), he proceeds to get to the bottom of who is really behind the attacks bombings.

Far be it from me to spoil the surprising developments which ensue en route to the big showdown, suffice to say brace yourself for an array of visually-captivating stunt work interrupted intermittently by comical, tongue-in-cheek comments courtesy of our smart aleck protagonist. Patient audience members willing to sit through the long (and I mean long) closing credits will be duly rewarded with a brief session of Iron Man decompressing on the shrink’s couch with Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo).

In sum, a worthy addition to the vaunted Marvel franchise.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG-13 for intense violence and brief sensuality.

Running time: 130 minutes

Distributor: Walt Disney Studios

To see a trailer for Iron Man 3, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aV8H7kszXqo

Peeples (FILM REVIEW)

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:16:00 +0000

Peeples

Film Review by Kam Williams

Blue-Collar Beau Meets Bourgie Fiancee's Family in Fish-Out-of-Water Comedy

After dating for over a year, Wade Walker (Craig Robinson) is head-over-heels in love with his girlfriend, Grace (Kerry Washington). He’s ready to pop the question, and has even purchased a ring, but there’s a slight problem: he still hasn’t met her parents yet.

Because of her background, Grace is a little ashamed of her beau’s modest background. After all, she’s a high-powered Manhattan attorney with a proven pedigree, while he hails from the ‘hood and makes a living by performing at children’s birthday parties.

Concern about their class differences has Grace taking off alone to the tip of Long Island for a weekend getaway at her family’s waterfront mansion. Rather than sit at home licking his wounds, Wade decides to force the issue by crashing the gathering.

His unexplained presence gets under the skin of Grace’s father, Judge Virgil Peeples (David Alan Grier), an overbearing patriarch with a need to control. Furthermore, Grace is afraid to tell him the truth about the nature of her relationship with Wade, which serves to establish the familiar, sitcom scenario revolving around a big lie that must be kept hidden at all costs.

Written and directed by Tyler Perry protégé Tina Gordon Chism, Peeples is a fish-out-of-water comedy whose stock-in-trade is making fun of the contrast between po’ and bourgie black folks. Ala popular Perry TV programs like House of Payne and Meet the Browns, the production is littered with colorful, two-dimensional characters bordering on caricatures.

There’s Wade’s embarrassingly-ghetto brother (Malcolm Barrett) who also shows up announced. He’s an oaf who puts his foot in his own mouth by suggesting that Grace’s lipstick lesbian sister (Kali Kawk) “looks too good to be gay.” Wade conveniently loses his wallet upon arriving which means he looks like a total loser when he can’t pay for anything.

You get the idea. Is it funny? I suppose, provided you’re in the target demo and haven’t seen Jumping the Broom, another comedy set at a beachfront estate (on Martha’s Vineyard in that case) and pitting crass blacks from the wrong side of the tracks against the others with their noses in the air. From shoplifting to lip-synching to skinny-dipping to a sweat lodge to skeletons-in-the-closet, Peeples throws everything at the screen but the kitchen sink, and just enough sticks.

An amusing, if not exactly side-splitting, African-American-oriented variation on Meet the Parents.

Good (2 stars)

Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexuality and drug use)

Running time: 95 minutes

Distributor: Lionsgate Films

To see a trailer for Peeples, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axnKLjkHlBg

Top Ten DVD Releases for 5-7-13

noreply@blogger.com (Kam) — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:54:00 +0000

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Headline: Top Ten DVD List for May 7, 2013

Doc Martin Special Collection: Complete Series [Seasons 1- 5, Plus the Movies]

The Rabbi’s Cat

Upstream Color

Witness: A World in Conflict through a Lens

Steel Magnolias

Deep in the Heart

Marley Africa Road Trip

Jack Reacher

Clandestine Childhood

Mama

Honorable Mention

Elmo: The Musical

What Plants Talk about

30 Rock: The Complete Seventh and Final Season

Fringe: The Complete Fifth and Final Season

Revenge for Jolly

Private Practice: The Complete Sixth and Final Season

Mixed Kebar

The Condemned