America cemented its idea of modern-day masculinity in a short window of time, somewhere between Grandpa's return from World War II and the end of the 1960s. He was a precise kind of “real man,” with square shoulders and an unwavering love of country; he could throw a football, kill his dinner, and make love to a woman. There were different models for the new manhood: Some would point to Clint Eastwood in any of his spaghetti Westerns, while for others it was Jim Brown plowing down the football field. There's even an entire political party that's pretty sure Ronald Reagan was the last great American man. It is, of course, a silly notion, and one that was thankfully dying until Parks and Recreation — now in its final season — made its debut a few months after President Obama was sworn in. America was introduced to a character who both lampooned...
- 2/3/2015
- by Jason Diamond
- Vulture
Intense music drama Whiplash, already a big winner at Sundance and the Deauville American Film Festival earlier this year, should drum up plenty of audience interest in its debut this weekend, even though it faces a crowded specialty market that also features several other notable newcomers, including the Bill Murray comedy St. Vincent, Hilary Swank‘s You’re Not You and Jeremy Renner‘s Kill the Messenger. All are what I’d call “big” specialty releases, with big names attached that should attract big attention.
The weekend also includes what I’d call some “small” releases, including documentaries The Overnighters (another Sundance winner) and I Am Ali, about the former heavyweight boxing champion, alongside the Mormon Church-backed Meet the Mormons. All will be clawing for attention in a market that’s seen more than 30 films debut in the past three weeks.
That said, Whiplash should be a real career turner...
The weekend also includes what I’d call some “small” releases, including documentaries The Overnighters (another Sundance winner) and I Am Ali, about the former heavyweight boxing champion, alongside the Mormon Church-backed Meet the Mormons. All will be clawing for attention in a market that’s seen more than 30 films debut in the past three weeks.
That said, Whiplash should be a real career turner...
- 10/10/2014
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline
Every movie has to have its signature song and that certainly goes for the action-oriented males in film that are fortunate to have these finger-snapping tunes represent them on the big screen. The movie theme song indulges the audience and delivers a whole new kind of intrigue and feeling that we invest in the roguish ruffians on the big screen that some men would like to emulate and the ladies would love to cozy up to intimately.
There are music selections that do bring to mind the euphoria of the male action-packed characters we regard highly despite their moral compass. Maybe one can get excitable when hearing Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” tune for the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name? Perhaps any of the musical themes for the countless James Bond films tickle your fancy? (there are two included in this article incidentally). Your preference might be in...
There are music selections that do bring to mind the euphoria of the male action-packed characters we regard highly despite their moral compass. Maybe one can get excitable when hearing Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man” tune for the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name? Perhaps any of the musical themes for the countless James Bond films tickle your fancy? (there are two included in this article incidentally). Your preference might be in...
- 6/19/2014
- by Frank Ochieng
- SoundOnSight
If you're going to be near the Chinese Theaters in Hollywood this week, be sure to pop in on Wednesday to enjoy Mad Monster's screening of Blacula featuring a Q&A with cast members Denise Nicholas and Bob Minor. Sounds like a blast!
You can purchase tickets for Blacula at the Chinese Theaters here, and once you do, RSVP at the official Blacula event Facebook page for a free gift. Read on for all the details.
From the Press Release
Celebrate Black History Month with Mad Monster and Blacula, Dracula's 70’s Soul Brotha’, at the Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, Wednesday, February 13th at 9:00pm! The event will include a special Q&A with cast members Denise Nicholas who played "Michelle" and Blacula's stuntman, Bob Minor, moderated by author and film historian, Pat Jankiewicz, the last person to interview Blacula himself, William Marshall!
As always, there will be prize giveaways,...
You can purchase tickets for Blacula at the Chinese Theaters here, and once you do, RSVP at the official Blacula event Facebook page for a free gift. Read on for all the details.
From the Press Release
Celebrate Black History Month with Mad Monster and Blacula, Dracula's 70’s Soul Brotha’, at the Chinese Theatres in Hollywood, Wednesday, February 13th at 9:00pm! The event will include a special Q&A with cast members Denise Nicholas who played "Michelle" and Blacula's stuntman, Bob Minor, moderated by author and film historian, Pat Jankiewicz, the last person to interview Blacula himself, William Marshall!
As always, there will be prize giveaways,...
- 2/12/2013
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
The Visual Effects Society has announced the nominees for their 11th Annual Ves Awards. From film to animation to television to commercials and video games, the Ves Awards honor the outstanding visual effects artistry.
"Life of Pi's" Ang Lee will be honored with the Visionary Award. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 5, at the Beverly Hilton.
Here's the complete list of nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Joe Letteri
Eileen Moran
Eric Saindon
Kevin L. Sherwood
Prometheus
Paul Butterworth
Charley Henley
Allen Maris
Richard Stammers
Life of Pi
Thomas Fisher
Susan Macleod
Guillaume Rocheron
Bill Westenhofer
The Avengers
Susan Pickett
Janek Sirrs
Jeff White
Guy Williams
Battleship
Grady Cofer
Pablo Helman
Jeanie King
Glen Mcintosh
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
Rust and Bone
Béatrice Bauwens...
"Life of Pi's" Ang Lee will be honored with the Visionary Award. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 5, at the Beverly Hilton.
Here's the complete list of nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Joe Letteri
Eileen Moran
Eric Saindon
Kevin L. Sherwood
Prometheus
Paul Butterworth
Charley Henley
Allen Maris
Richard Stammers
Life of Pi
Thomas Fisher
Susan Macleod
Guillaume Rocheron
Bill Westenhofer
The Avengers
Susan Pickett
Janek Sirrs
Jeff White
Guy Williams
Battleship
Grady Cofer
Pablo Helman
Jeanie King
Glen Mcintosh
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
Rust and Bone
Béatrice Bauwens...
- 1/8/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Fuel VFX has received two award nominations from the Visual Effects Society.
The.peer-voted accolade for the company's work on Ridley Scott.s Prometheus follows the near-collapse of the VFX house, which was saved in October 2012 when Animal Logic acquired its assets.
Fuel co-founder Paul Butterworth was nominated for .Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture. for Prometheus (alongside non-Fuel nominations Charley Henley, Allen Maris and Richard Stammers).
The Fuel team of Xavier Bourque, Sam Cole, Simone Riginell and Denis Scolan - representing the hard work of all 16 compositors who worked on the film at the company - were nominated for Prometheus (Engineers & the Orrery) in the "Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture" category.
Fuel has also provided effects on a number of Marvel films including Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. Fuel continues to run from its Newtown, Sydney-based offices where Animal Logic...
The.peer-voted accolade for the company's work on Ridley Scott.s Prometheus follows the near-collapse of the VFX house, which was saved in October 2012 when Animal Logic acquired its assets.
Fuel co-founder Paul Butterworth was nominated for .Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture. for Prometheus (alongside non-Fuel nominations Charley Henley, Allen Maris and Richard Stammers).
The Fuel team of Xavier Bourque, Sam Cole, Simone Riginell and Denis Scolan - representing the hard work of all 16 compositors who worked on the film at the company - were nominated for Prometheus (Engineers & the Orrery) in the "Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture" category.
Fuel has also provided effects on a number of Marvel films including Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. Fuel continues to run from its Newtown, Sydney-based offices where Animal Logic...
- 1/8/2013
- by Brendan Swift
- IF.com.au
After all the debates, controversies, and stereotype accusations have cleared, looking back on Blaxploitation cinema today it’s easy to see healthy portions of the crime and action genres. Using these genres and the struggles of the black community, these films were created for those that wanted to see African American characters on the big screen not taking shit from the man, “getting over”, and–above all else—being the heroes in movies. In the documentary Baad Asssss Cinema, Samuel L. Jackson gives his take on the heroes of Blaxploitation: “We were tired of seeing the righteous black man. And all of a sudden we had guys who were…us. Or guys who did the things we wanted those guys to do.”
The unsung supporting players in these films that backed Fred Williamson and Pam Grier and many other stars were people acting and making a living off of it.
The unsung supporting players in these films that backed Fred Williamson and Pam Grier and many other stars were people acting and making a living off of it.
- 12/4/2012
- by Gregory Day
- SoundOnSight
The Warner Archive Collection is a manufacture-on-demand (Mod) DVD series that specializes in putting previously unreleased films on DVD for the first time. Recently they dug deep into their vast history of classic horror and selected some winners to resurrect.
The Warner Archive Collection can make a wide array of films available because they don't actually create the DVD until it is ordered by a customer. This way, they are not taking a chance of getting stuck with a large amount of inventory if a selected title doesn't sell. You'll certainly recognize some of the horror films the Warner Archive Collection has added to its library, but there are a couple of really obscure ones in there as well. Take a look at the list of what's been made available and plan your shopping list now.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
Although the recent remake featuring the suddenly single...
The Warner Archive Collection can make a wide array of films available because they don't actually create the DVD until it is ordered by a customer. This way, they are not taking a chance of getting stuck with a large amount of inventory if a selected title doesn't sell. You'll certainly recognize some of the horror films the Warner Archive Collection has added to its library, but there are a couple of really obscure ones in there as well. Take a look at the list of what's been made available and plan your shopping list now.
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
Although the recent remake featuring the suddenly single...
- 7/11/2012
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
Gears of War 3's launch has been a massive success, securing universal critical acclaim and edging the Xbox 360 franchise over the golden $$1 billion sales mark in the process. Of course, Epic Games isn't done quite yet. The studio is hard at work on post-release support, starting with the Horde Command Pack Dlc launching next week. We chat to lead level designer Jim Brown about why it chose to focus on the fan-favourite co-operative mode, and how the new fortification types work. This first Dlc pack for Gears of War 3 focuses on Horde. Why is that?
"So we wanted to reach as many people as we can. There's some big competition coming out soon. We just announced the single player campaign extension Dlc, and those are our largest buckets of players, our single player players and our Horde players traditionally. We wanted to make sure and get those people (more)...
"So we wanted to reach as many people as we can. There's some big competition coming out soon. We just announced the single player campaign extension Dlc, and those are our largest buckets of players, our single player players and our Horde players traditionally. We wanted to make sure and get those people (more)...
- 10/26/2011
- by By Matthew Reynolds
- Digital Spy
On August 16, the Palace Theater is going to give Syracuse, NY its biggest thrill since Carmelo Anthony brought the National Championship home or Jim Brown was rumbling down the sidelines for the Orange. The Palace Theater is welcoming a heavily armed Hobo.
Salt City Horror Fest will present a 35mm triple feature of Hobo With A Shotgun, the Nazi zombie classic Shock Waves (1977) and Herschell Gordon Lewis' one-of-a-kind splatterfest The Wizard of Gore (1970 - Yeah, the original. None of that Crispin Glover nonsense). The fun begins at 7pm and tickets are only $10. You heard me right! A lousy 10 bucks for three great movies! Even the hobo would have to smile at that, packing heat or not!
Included in that miniscule $10 ticket price is a chance to rub elbows with some of Syracuse's horror personalities, including: The Vegan Zombie and his Zombie Crew and plenty of vendors and artists rounding out the festivities.
Salt City Horror Fest will present a 35mm triple feature of Hobo With A Shotgun, the Nazi zombie classic Shock Waves (1977) and Herschell Gordon Lewis' one-of-a-kind splatterfest The Wizard of Gore (1970 - Yeah, the original. None of that Crispin Glover nonsense). The fun begins at 7pm and tickets are only $10. You heard me right! A lousy 10 bucks for three great movies! Even the hobo would have to smile at that, packing heat or not!
Included in that miniscule $10 ticket price is a chance to rub elbows with some of Syracuse's horror personalities, including: The Vegan Zombie and his Zombie Crew and plenty of vendors and artists rounding out the festivities.
- 7/29/2011
- by Doctor Gash
- DreadCentral.com
A gangster film set in the Congo about violence, greed, corrupt military officials, and romance, Viva Riva! is the first film from the Democratic Republic of Congo to play U.S. theaters and it turns out to be a solid crime drama. Its derivative plot is inspired by 70′s Blaxploitation but it’s from a fresh and interesting part of the world and easy to take as rollicking homicidal entertainment. This story of a gasoline pirate is presented with a bold and stylish approach with a depiction of violence that recalls such films as Alejandro Innaritu’s impressive Mexican 2000 feature debut, Ammores Perros (Life is a Bitch”), and the Brazilian epic City Of God (2003). Riva (Patsha Bay) is a confident smalltime hustler who arrives in his home town of Kinshasa with a truck full of precious gasoline, a rare commodity and one worth killing over. He’s swindled the fuel...
- 7/22/2011
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Off the top of my head, I'd say you're looking at a Boeski, a Jim Brown, a Miss Daisy, two Jethros and a Leon Spinks, not to mention the biggest Casting Tidbits ever. First up, Lionsgate has added yet another name to their pregnancy-based ensemble romantic comedy What to Expect When You're Expecting. Actor Dennis Quaid is the latest talent to join the project and he'll play husband to Brooklyn Decker's character who is expecting twins. In addition, Quaid is apparently hellbent on on-upping his son who is also expecting a child. He joins an all-star cast that includes Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez and more. Second, The Playlist has word that Sam Rockwell will replace Jeremy Renner in the indie Better Living Through Chemistry. The film follows a straight-laced pharmacist (Rockwell) whose uneventful life spirals out of control when he starts an affair with a trophy ...
- 7/19/2011
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Lately she's been enjoying a profile-enhancing stint as a judge on American Idol, but a return to acting seems not to be far off. Jennifer Lopez is in talks to take the female lead in Parker opposite Jason Statham.In recent years it's been rather easy to overlook Lopez's previous screen successes, but Parker if done correctly ought to be a happy reminder to everyone of the Out Of Sight days. Based somewhere in the two-score novels by Donald E. Westlake (written under his Richard Stark pseudonym), it'll see Statham take on the role of the hard-boiled, ruthlessly professional criminal who nevertheless operates by a strict code of honour. The character was previously played on-screen by Lee Marvin, Mel Gibson, Robert Duval and Jim Brown, although curiously, Statham's will be the first to actually be called by the correct name.Lopez's potential role is Leslie, who finds herself in the...
- 6/22/2011
- EmpireOnline
Vasu Kulkarni is using his computer engineering and entrepreneurship degrees to elevate the playing experience for high-school basketball teams. | Photograph by David Yellen
Startup Krossover is bringing number-crunching technology to high-school athletics.
Data Analytics has recently become a red-hot trend in professional sports. It's even spawned a Massachusetts Institute of Technology conference with sessions such as "Allocation and Dynamic Efficiency in NBA Decision Making." But the tools are too expensive for most high-school and small-college programs, leaving those teams out of the data revolution.
That's beginning to change, thanks to Krossover, a web startup that promises to have a broad impact on small-time sports. Krossover, which went live in late 2010, is making inexpensive analytics tools available over the web for basketball and lacrosse coaches at small colleges and high schools. It also offers players a way to study their games and create video highlight reels to post on Facebook or other sites.
Startup Krossover is bringing number-crunching technology to high-school athletics.
Data Analytics has recently become a red-hot trend in professional sports. It's even spawned a Massachusetts Institute of Technology conference with sessions such as "Allocation and Dynamic Efficiency in NBA Decision Making." But the tools are too expensive for most high-school and small-college programs, leaving those teams out of the data revolution.
That's beginning to change, thanks to Krossover, a web startup that promises to have a broad impact on small-time sports. Krossover, which went live in late 2010, is making inexpensive analytics tools available over the web for basketball and lacrosse coaches at small colleges and high schools. It also offers players a way to study their games and create video highlight reels to post on Facebook or other sites.
- 6/6/2011
- by Kevin Maney
- Fast Company
Off the top of my head, I'd say you're looking at a Boeski, a Jim Brown, a Miss Daisy, two Casting Tidbits and a Leon Spinks, not to mention the biggest Ella Fitzgerald ever. First up, Lionsgate has announced that Lenny Kravitz has landed a role in Gary Ross' anticipated adaptation of The Hunger Games. We heard Kravitz had been offered a role previously, but there was no word on his character. Now it's been revealed that he will play Cinna, the fashion stylist to Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) for the ceremonial lead up to The 74th Annual Hunger Games. He's mild-mannered but his designs are show-stopping. Read on! Second, BBC Entertainment reporter Lizo revealed on Twitter (via TheOneRing.net) that The Hobbit star Martin Freeman had revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch had also joined the cast of Peter Jackson's return to Middle-Earth. If you don't recognize his name,...
- 5/24/2011
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
I have not yet read the script for Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained and I'm not sure I want to though it is loaded on the iPad and might make for good reading in-between the pages of "Game of Thrones" while I am in Cannes.
However, whether or not I read the script won't prevent me from getting excited for it and reporting on nearly every minutia of casting news as if it were a Twilight film, but today's bit of news is a bit more than just a whisper as The Hollywood Reporter is saying Will Smith has emerged as the front-runner to play the film's title character.
The film is described as a spaghetti Western centering on Django, a freed slave who seeks to reunite with his slave wife, a journey which will see him team up with a German bounty hunter to take down Monsieur Calvin Candie,...
However, whether or not I read the script won't prevent me from getting excited for it and reporting on nearly every minutia of casting news as if it were a Twilight film, but today's bit of news is a bit more than just a whisper as The Hollywood Reporter is saying Will Smith has emerged as the front-runner to play the film's title character.
The film is described as a spaghetti Western centering on Django, a freed slave who seeks to reunite with his slave wife, a journey which will see him team up with a German bounty hunter to take down Monsieur Calvin Candie,...
- 5/6/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The scene below is a great example of why I love those blaxploitation films from the 1970′s so much. Those of you born after them can laugh at those weird clothes and think they’re campy, but for me they were everything.
I loved watching strong black men and strong black women doing their thing. What do you have today in movies? Black men in drag, and weak black women in trapped abusive relationships, looking for some God fearing knight in shiny armor to save them. Give me Jim Brown any day, or Gloria Hendry from this scene from 1974′s Black Belt Jones.
In the scene, Sydney (Hendry) visits a pool hall to find the man who had her father killed, and who has targeted his next of kin as well, not knowing that Sydney is a woman . Oh yes, one more thing; no doubt some of you will be...
I loved watching strong black men and strong black women doing their thing. What do you have today in movies? Black men in drag, and weak black women in trapped abusive relationships, looking for some God fearing knight in shiny armor to save them. Give me Jim Brown any day, or Gloria Hendry from this scene from 1974′s Black Belt Jones.
In the scene, Sydney (Hendry) visits a pool hall to find the man who had her father killed, and who has targeted his next of kin as well, not knowing that Sydney is a woman . Oh yes, one more thing; no doubt some of you will be...
- 3/19/2011
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
Noticeably absent in 2011: Spike Lee; though 2 or 3 films he produced or is producing, all by Nyu alumni, will be out this year, so he won’t be completely absent; however, he doesn’t have any films of his own expected to bow in 2011… or even 2012.
I guess what I’m saying is that of 9 projects he’s attached to, none of them is certain to go into production any time soon. His last film was the Katrina follow-up documentary, If God Is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise, released last year; but his last fictional narrative work was Miracle At St Anna in 2008.
So, of course, we’re all wondering what Spike’s next film will be, and when we can expect it. I am at least. And it looks like the uncertainty will remain indefinitely, until we hear otherwise, based on the below paragraph I lifted from...
I guess what I’m saying is that of 9 projects he’s attached to, none of them is certain to go into production any time soon. His last film was the Katrina follow-up documentary, If God Is Willing and da Creek Don’t Rise, released last year; but his last fictional narrative work was Miracle At St Anna in 2008.
So, of course, we’re all wondering what Spike’s next film will be, and when we can expect it. I am at least. And it looks like the uncertainty will remain indefinitely, until we hear otherwise, based on the below paragraph I lifted from...
- 2/17/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Twilight's Cameron Bright talks Twilight Breaking Dawn in new clip. Jim Brown of Jimbrownla.com recently chatted with Twilight Saga, Volturi vampire Alec star Cameron Bright down in Baton Rouge,Louisiana (video below). In the clip, Cameron revealed how glad he is to be apart of the whole Twilight Saga film franchise. Next, he talked about why he thinks the Twilight Saga movie are so successful. He said that it started out with the books,and the fans have found something in the books that relate to them,and the movies have sort of become apart of them and who they are.
- 2/9/2011
- by Andre@ontheflix
- OnTheFlix
Jim Brown from Baton Rouge, has an absolutely, fantastic new interview with Cameron Bright. Cameron goes into quite a bit of detail about his time working on Breaking Dawn, Twilighters and why we love the story so much. Check out the great video below:
The new “Twilight” film has captivated my home town of Baton Rouge with movie star sightings occurring throughout the city daily. The various movie sets are surrounded by fans who want to catch a glimpse of the stars. One of the films main actors is Cameron Bright, who has made over 20 films, and starred with the likes of Robert De Niro and Nichole Kidman. Cameron and family members joined the Brown household for dinner this week. He is a well spoken young man, so take a look at his thoughts.
You can see more on Jim Brown’s site here.
(Via Twilight Moms)
Wow! What a fantastic interview, Cameron totally gets it. How cool is it he realizes that the books are where our love for Twilight came from? I hope we hear more from Cameron, he is incredibly well spoken.
What did you think of this interview with Cameron?...
The new “Twilight” film has captivated my home town of Baton Rouge with movie star sightings occurring throughout the city daily. The various movie sets are surrounded by fans who want to catch a glimpse of the stars. One of the films main actors is Cameron Bright, who has made over 20 films, and starred with the likes of Robert De Niro and Nichole Kidman. Cameron and family members joined the Brown household for dinner this week. He is a well spoken young man, so take a look at his thoughts.
You can see more on Jim Brown’s site here.
(Via Twilight Moms)
Wow! What a fantastic interview, Cameron totally gets it. How cool is it he realizes that the books are where our love for Twilight came from? I hope we hear more from Cameron, he is incredibly well spoken.
What did you think of this interview with Cameron?...
- 2/9/2011
- by Evie
- twilightersanonymous.com
As you know, Cameron Bright ("Alec" in the Twilight series films) has been in Baton Rouge, Louisiana over the past few months filming his parts for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2.
In January, he tweeted, "Yesterday was Volturi photo shoot and press day. Not sure when the interviews for media will be aired so stay tune[d]."
Well, evidently, one of those press day interviews has made its way to the surface because a local Louisiana journalist, Jim Brown, spoke with Cameron Bright about Breaking Dawn in the attached video.
In it, Bright discusses his take on why the Twilight series films have become such a worldw ..
In January, he tweeted, "Yesterday was Volturi photo shoot and press day. Not sure when the interviews for media will be aired so stay tune[d]."
Well, evidently, one of those press day interviews has made its way to the surface because a local Louisiana journalist, Jim Brown, spoke with Cameron Bright about Breaking Dawn in the attached video.
In it, Bright discusses his take on why the Twilight series films have become such a worldw ..
- 2/8/2011
- by thetwilightexaminer
- Twilight Examiner
“When we came on, we looked at it freshly, and just built it from the bottom up… Sure, Idris is a great actor; Tyler Perry is a phenomenon. Tyler Perry is one of the most significant entertainers in all of media. He is a huge cross-media talent and presence – and he’s a terrific actor whose range is going to be shown here. You’re going to see Tyler Perry like you haven’t seen him. He’s 6’5″, he is a linebacker. He is an awesome physical presence and is just going to tear it apart here. It’s an intense, dramatic role… a kickass, crusading action picture… This is going to be the new Tyler Perry franchise, a worldwide one… That’s the other thing: Tyler Perry is going to take this to the worldwide audience. It’s just a very different, much bigger opportunity…. We went to him…...
- 2/2/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Espn Radio and Fox Sports were broadcasting and cheerleaders were cheering. There were big-name football players and a blimp overhead with a camera fixed on the action below.
All that was missing from the gigantic pep rally in Los Angeles was an NFL team and a stadium where they could play, shortcomings that organizers of Tuesday's event intend on rectifying in time for the city to host Super Bowl L in five years.
"Ladies and gentleman, we hosted the first one, we should host the 50th one," said Tim Leiweke, the CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which has teamed with entertainment and sports executive Casey Wasserman to convince the powers that be that they should be allowed to build a 1.7 million square-foot football stadium in downtown L.A.
As of Tuesday, the unbuilt structure even has a name -- Farmers Field -- courtesy of a deal with Farmers Insurance worth...
All that was missing from the gigantic pep rally in Los Angeles was an NFL team and a stadium where they could play, shortcomings that organizers of Tuesday's event intend on rectifying in time for the city to host Super Bowl L in five years.
"Ladies and gentleman, we hosted the first one, we should host the 50th one," said Tim Leiweke, the CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which has teamed with entertainment and sports executive Casey Wasserman to convince the powers that be that they should be allowed to build a 1.7 million square-foot football stadium in downtown L.A.
As of Tuesday, the unbuilt structure even has a name -- Farmers Field -- courtesy of a deal with Farmers Insurance worth...
Filed under: Trailers and Clips, Columns, Cinematical
A group of murderers, psychopaths and other offenders are sent on a mission during World War II to destroy a chateau which has become a hotbed for Nazi officers. Its location is so far behind enemy lines that few of the prisoners turned military men are expected to survive, so the twelve undesirables are shuffled off to war with the promise of pardons if they manage to make it out alive. It's a motley crew of characters featuring the likes of some of cinema's favorite tough guys -- many of them relative unknowns at the time: Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, Jim Brown and the always weird and wonderful John Cassavetes (who would have been 81 on December 9). They've been dubbed the Dirty Dozen, because of their less than savory bathing habits (the group refused to bathe in protest against their living conditions...
A group of murderers, psychopaths and other offenders are sent on a mission during World War II to destroy a chateau which has become a hotbed for Nazi officers. Its location is so far behind enemy lines that few of the prisoners turned military men are expected to survive, so the twelve undesirables are shuffled off to war with the promise of pardons if they manage to make it out alive. It's a motley crew of characters featuring the likes of some of cinema's favorite tough guys -- many of them relative unknowns at the time: Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, Jim Brown and the always weird and wonderful John Cassavetes (who would have been 81 on December 9). They've been dubbed the Dirty Dozen, because of their less than savory bathing habits (the group refused to bathe in protest against their living conditions...
- 12/7/2010
- by Alison Nastasi
- Cinematical
Filed under: Trailers and Clips, Columns, Cinematical
A group of murderers, psychopaths and other offenders are sent on a mission during World War II to destroy a chateau which has become a hotbed for Nazi officers. Its location is so far behind enemy lines that few of the prisoners turned military men are expected to survive, so the twelve undesirables are shuffled off to war with the promise of pardons if they manage to make it out alive. It's a motley crew of characters featuring the likes of some of cinema's favorite tough guys -- many of them relative unknowns at the time: Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, Jim Brown and the always weird and wonderful John Cassavetes (who would have been 81 on December 9). They've been dubbed the Dirty Dozen, because of their less than savory bathing habits (the group refused to bathe in protest against their living conditions...
A group of murderers, psychopaths and other offenders are sent on a mission during World War II to destroy a chateau which has become a hotbed for Nazi officers. Its location is so far behind enemy lines that few of the prisoners turned military men are expected to survive, so the twelve undesirables are shuffled off to war with the promise of pardons if they manage to make it out alive. It's a motley crew of characters featuring the likes of some of cinema's favorite tough guys -- many of them relative unknowns at the time: Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, Jim Brown and the always weird and wonderful John Cassavetes (who would have been 81 on December 9). They've been dubbed the Dirty Dozen, because of their less than savory bathing habits (the group refused to bathe in protest against their living conditions...
- 12/7/2010
- by Alison Nastasi
- Moviefone
According to Oscar-winning Canadian filmmaker Brigitte Berman ("Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got"), her acclaimed 2010 documentary "Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel" will be available on DVD, December 7, 2010.
"...'Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel' is a revealing look at the outspoken, flamboyant founder of the "Playboy" empire.
"With humor and insight, the film captures Hefner's fierce battles with the government, the religious right and militant feminists.
"Rare footage and compelling interviews with a remarkable who's who of 20th Century American pop culture, present a brilliant and entertaining snapshot of the life of an extraordinary man and the controversies that surrounded him..."
In addition to Hefner, the film includes interviews with Joan Baez, Jim Brown, Dick Cavett, Pat Boone, Susan Brownmiller, Gene Simmons, Jenny McCarthy, Mike Wallace, Dick Gregory, Tony Curtis, Shannon Tweed, Jesse Jackson, Tony Bennett, James Caan, David Steinberg, George Lucas, Ruth Westheimer, Bill Maher and Pete Seeger.
"...'Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel' is a revealing look at the outspoken, flamboyant founder of the "Playboy" empire.
"With humor and insight, the film captures Hefner's fierce battles with the government, the religious right and militant feminists.
"Rare footage and compelling interviews with a remarkable who's who of 20th Century American pop culture, present a brilliant and entertaining snapshot of the life of an extraordinary man and the controversies that surrounded him..."
In addition to Hefner, the film includes interviews with Joan Baez, Jim Brown, Dick Cavett, Pat Boone, Susan Brownmiller, Gene Simmons, Jenny McCarthy, Mike Wallace, Dick Gregory, Tony Curtis, Shannon Tweed, Jesse Jackson, Tony Bennett, James Caan, David Steinberg, George Lucas, Ruth Westheimer, Bill Maher and Pete Seeger.
- 12/2/2010
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
My Son, The History Lesson
On his debut album Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening recorded in July of 2009, comedian Aziz Ansari presents a veritable torrent of pop culture references throughout the hour-long routine. He jokes about harassing his cousin Harris on Facebook, pokes fun at Cold Stone Creamery, Cvs Pharmacy and Craigslist and then finishes with two big pre-encore bits involving Kanye West and R. Kelly, including an extended impression of R&B singer Kelly both in concert and then getting lapdances at the after-party. He even makes fun of himself for being tongue-tied around M.I.A.
It’s a great album from a very funny comic who, given his ongoing role in Parks & Recreation, his hosting this past summer of the MTV Movie Awards and parts in movies like Get Him to the Greek, Funny People and the upcoming 30 Minutes or Less (which will be his first...
On his debut album Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening recorded in July of 2009, comedian Aziz Ansari presents a veritable torrent of pop culture references throughout the hour-long routine. He jokes about harassing his cousin Harris on Facebook, pokes fun at Cold Stone Creamery, Cvs Pharmacy and Craigslist and then finishes with two big pre-encore bits involving Kanye West and R. Kelly, including an extended impression of R&B singer Kelly both in concert and then getting lapdances at the after-party. He even makes fun of himself for being tongue-tied around M.I.A.
It’s a great album from a very funny comic who, given his ongoing role in Parks & Recreation, his hosting this past summer of the MTV Movie Awards and parts in movies like Get Him to the Greek, Funny People and the upcoming 30 Minutes or Less (which will be his first...
- 9/28/2010
- by UncaScroogeMcD
The fine folks over at Warner Bros. provided us with a great set of six sci-fi movies just released on Blu-ray to give away to one of our lucky readers. The films contained in this Sci-Fi Six Pack include – Forbidden Planet, Mars Attacks!, Thx 1138 Director’s Cut, Lost In Space, A Scanner Darkly, and Matrix Reloaded.
Check out the press release below, along with details on each film. Find out which of our lucky readers scored these great Blu-ray discs from Warner Bros. and SciFiMafia.com at the bottom of this page!
Six Sci-fi Action Favorites Debut On
Blu-ray Disc™ For The First Time
Forbidden Planet
Mars Attacks!
Thx 1138 Director’S Cut
Lost In Space
A Scanner Darkly
Matrix Reloaded
A wave of six science fiction action favorites are blasting onto Blu-ray Disc for the first time on September 7, 2010. Presented by Warner Home Video, each film has been...
Check out the press release below, along with details on each film. Find out which of our lucky readers scored these great Blu-ray discs from Warner Bros. and SciFiMafia.com at the bottom of this page!
Six Sci-fi Action Favorites Debut On
Blu-ray Disc™ For The First Time
Forbidden Planet
Mars Attacks!
Thx 1138 Director’S Cut
Lost In Space
A Scanner Darkly
Matrix Reloaded
A wave of six science fiction action favorites are blasting onto Blu-ray Disc for the first time on September 7, 2010. Presented by Warner Home Video, each film has been...
- 9/26/2010
- by Jason Moore
- ScifiMafia
I was too young to buy the 1962 Topps trading card series, Mars Attacks, and grew up hearing about these wonderful cards and was delighted when a facsimile edition was released in the 1990s. Others, though, were clearly inspired by them and when he was in a position to do pretty much whatever he wanted, director Tim Burton said he wanted to use the cards for a loving tribute to the goofy Sf movies of the 1950s.
He turned to Jonathan Gems to write the story and then the first screenplay but as 1993 turned to 1994, it was clear he wasn’t delivering what the visionary director wanted. Instead, he gave the assignment to Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who gave him a sprawling story set in Washington and Las Vegas, giving a meaty part to the President of the United States so Burton could attract some big name talent. And the...
He turned to Jonathan Gems to write the story and then the first screenplay but as 1993 turned to 1994, it was clear he wasn’t delivering what the visionary director wanted. Instead, he gave the assignment to Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who gave him a sprawling story set in Washington and Las Vegas, giving a meaty part to the President of the United States so Burton could attract some big name talent. And the...
- 9/9/2010
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Our good friends over at Warner Bros. have provided us with a great set of six sci-fi movies just released on Blu-ray to give away to one of our lucky readers. The films contained in this Sci-Fi Six Pack include – Forbidden Planet, Mars Attacks!, Thx 1138 Director’s Cut, Lost In Space, A Scanner Darkly, and Matrix Reloaded.
Check out the press release below, including details on each film and instructions on how to enter for your chance to win!
Six Sci-fi Action Favorites Debut On
Blu-ray Disc™ For The First Time
Forbidden Planet
Mars Attacks!
Thx 1138 Director’S Cut
Lost In Space
A Scanner Darkly
Matrix Reloaded
A wave of six science fiction action favorites are blasting onto Blu-ray Disc for the first time on September 7, 2010. Presented by Warner Home Video, each film has been selected to showcase the stunning technical brilliance of Blu-ray™, with its crisp sound and spectacularly vibrant colors,...
Check out the press release below, including details on each film and instructions on how to enter for your chance to win!
Six Sci-fi Action Favorites Debut On
Blu-ray Disc™ For The First Time
Forbidden Planet
Mars Attacks!
Thx 1138 Director’S Cut
Lost In Space
A Scanner Darkly
Matrix Reloaded
A wave of six science fiction action favorites are blasting onto Blu-ray Disc for the first time on September 7, 2010. Presented by Warner Home Video, each film has been selected to showcase the stunning technical brilliance of Blu-ray™, with its crisp sound and spectacularly vibrant colors,...
- 9/8/2010
- by Jason Moore
- ScifiMafia
When Dustin informed me of Pajiba's films of the 1980s retrospective, I was a little ambivalent to write on one of the first films I remember seeing theaters, Tim Burton's Batman (1989; I think the honor for the first film I saw in a theater was Who Framed Roger Rabbit). First, Burton's iconic film has been a defining element of our culture, inspiring a glut of thoughtful, scholarly analysis (two of my favorite texts are the anthology The Many Lives of Batman and Will Brooker's Batman Unmasked); how can one approach the film with a fresh perspective? Secondly, I've been living and breathing comic books for years now, particularly Batman titles, so I was a little burned out when it came to thinking and writing about the film. Thanks a lot, Christopher Nolan! Yet, I realized that my runner-up title, the seldom seen but incredibly funny Ruthless People (1986), didn't quite do the retrospective justice.
- 9/1/2010
- by Drew Morton
The late 1960’s were a hell of time. It looked like the country was ripping apart at the seams. There was the Vietnam war going on full blast (even worse because of the Viet Cong Tet offensive the year before, which the U.S. military was totally unprepared for), the Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy assassinations, urban riots torching major cities, college student protests, and those long-haired smelly hippies with their ”free love” and drugs.
And then there was the whole Black Power, Black is beautiful, afro-wearing, Black Panthers, Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving the Black Power raised fist salute on the awards podium at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, movement. Black people were angry. And you think this country is divided now? You kids don’t have any idea. It’s Always been divided!
And in Hollywood, one person who was affected by this change was Sidney Poitier...
And then there was the whole Black Power, Black is beautiful, afro-wearing, Black Panthers, Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving the Black Power raised fist salute on the awards podium at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, movement. Black people were angry. And you think this country is divided now? You kids don’t have any idea. It’s Always been divided!
And in Hollywood, one person who was affected by this change was Sidney Poitier...
- 8/25/2010
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
She appeared alongside Clint Eastwood in 'The Eiger Sanction' and in many blaxploitation films.
By Kara Warner
Vonetta McGee
Photo: Los Angeles Times
Actress Vonetta McGee, best known for her leading roles in the blaxploitation films "Blacula," "Hammer" and "Shaft in Africa," has died at age 65. The Los Angeles Times reports that McGee died Friday (July 9) after being admitted to a Berkeley, California, hospital for cardiac arrest, for which she was put on life support for two days.
Born Lawrence Vonetta McGee in San Francisco on January 14, 1945, she caught the acting bug while attending college and landed her first film role in the 1968 spaghetti western "The Great Silence." Times movie reviewer Kevin Thomas called McGee "one of the busiest and most beautiful black actresses" in 1972, the year "Hammer" and "Blacula" were released. She later appeared alongside Clint Eastwood in the action-thriller "The Eiger Sanction." Other film credits include "The Lost Man,...
By Kara Warner
Vonetta McGee
Photo: Los Angeles Times
Actress Vonetta McGee, best known for her leading roles in the blaxploitation films "Blacula," "Hammer" and "Shaft in Africa," has died at age 65. The Los Angeles Times reports that McGee died Friday (July 9) after being admitted to a Berkeley, California, hospital for cardiac arrest, for which she was put on life support for two days.
Born Lawrence Vonetta McGee in San Francisco on January 14, 1945, she caught the acting bug while attending college and landed her first film role in the 1968 spaghetti western "The Great Silence." Times movie reviewer Kevin Thomas called McGee "one of the busiest and most beautiful black actresses" in 1972, the year "Hammer" and "Blacula" were released. She later appeared alongside Clint Eastwood in the action-thriller "The Eiger Sanction." Other film credits include "The Lost Man,...
- 7/15/2010
- MTV Music News
Take a look at the new artwork supporting the Canadian documentary feature Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Brigitte Berman. "...There's no arguing that few magazines have had as great an impact on American culture as 'Playboy', which helped launch several major salvos in the sexual revolution and broke down barriers about what was acceptable to show and say in print. "But while the magazine's founder and publisher Hugh Hefner has a well deserved reputation as a free speech advocate and a man who embraces the good life in every way he can, the person behind the carefully cultivated public image remains a mystery to many. "Filmmaker Brigitte Berman presents an in-depth portrait of a man who has quietly promoted many causes other than wine, women and song in the documentary 'Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel'. In addition to chronicling the rise of his publishing empire,...
- 6/29/2010
- HollywoodNorthReport.com
Sneak Peek the new poster supporting the documentary feature "Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel", directed by Canadian filmmaker Brigitte Berman.
"...There's no arguing that few magazines have had as great an impact on American culture as 'Playboy', which helped launch several major salvos in the sexual revolution and broke down barriers about what was acceptable to show and say in print.
"But while the magazine's founder and publisher Hugh Hefner has a well deserved reputation as a free speech advocate and a man who embraces the good life in every way he can, the person behind the carefully cultivated public image remains a mystery to many.
"Filmmaker Brigitte Berman presents an in-depth portrait of a man who has quietly promoted many causes other than wine, women and song in the documentary 'Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel'. In addition to chronicling the rise of his publishing empire,...
"...There's no arguing that few magazines have had as great an impact on American culture as 'Playboy', which helped launch several major salvos in the sexual revolution and broke down barriers about what was acceptable to show and say in print.
"But while the magazine's founder and publisher Hugh Hefner has a well deserved reputation as a free speech advocate and a man who embraces the good life in every way he can, the person behind the carefully cultivated public image remains a mystery to many.
"Filmmaker Brigitte Berman presents an in-depth portrait of a man who has quietly promoted many causes other than wine, women and song in the documentary 'Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel'. In addition to chronicling the rise of his publishing empire,...
- 6/24/2010
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Just recently I wrote a piece about this week being the 35th anniversary of the release of Jaws and the impact (for good and perhaps mainly for bad) it had on the film industry (Read Here). But I would be seriously remiss if I didn’t mention another 35th anniversary which almost slipped past me. It was this week that Michael Schultz’s beloved (and oh man is it beloved) film Cooley High was released in theaters on June 25, 1975 to be exact.
The film, which was written by Eric Monte, who I dealt with recently on S & A (Here) deals with a group of black high school friends living, loving and learning about life in Chicago in 1964. It was seen at the time as a low budget black version of George Lucas’ American Graffiti, and to be honest, that was the selling point of the film. But why not? Not...
The film, which was written by Eric Monte, who I dealt with recently on S & A (Here) deals with a group of black high school friends living, loving and learning about life in Chicago in 1964. It was seen at the time as a low budget black version of George Lucas’ American Graffiti, and to be honest, that was the selling point of the film. But why not? Not...
- 6/23/2010
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
By Rahman Dukes
Just two weeks ago, Jamaica Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett lashed out at Drake for his portrayal of the violent culture on the island as depicted in his video "Find Your Love." The clip ends with a kidnapped Drizzy shot to death by his lover on direct orders from her boyfriend played by real life Gullytown native Mavado.
Fast forward to this present day: The island’s capital Kingston has found itself in the midst of a violent war, with government officials fighting against the the towns residents who have armed themselves with assault weapons vowing to die for their local "hero," real life thug Dudus Coke.
After mounting pressure from U.S. officials, last Friday (May 21) Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding ordered the extradition of drug lord Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who is a wanted man in New York City on drug trafficking charges that resemble his last name.
Just two weeks ago, Jamaica Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett lashed out at Drake for his portrayal of the violent culture on the island as depicted in his video "Find Your Love." The clip ends with a kidnapped Drizzy shot to death by his lover on direct orders from her boyfriend played by real life Gullytown native Mavado.
Fast forward to this present day: The island’s capital Kingston has found itself in the midst of a violent war, with government officials fighting against the the towns residents who have armed themselves with assault weapons vowing to die for their local "hero," real life thug Dudus Coke.
After mounting pressure from U.S. officials, last Friday (May 21) Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding ordered the extradition of drug lord Christopher "Dudus" Coke, who is a wanted man in New York City on drug trafficking charges that resemble his last name.
- 5/26/2010
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
Boxing promoter Bob Arum might have a future in politics. He just returned from the Philippines, where he helped his fighter Manny Pacquio win a seat in that nation's congress. "My guy ran against the eldest son of the family that has controlled this province in the Philippines for 25 years," Arum told Page Six. "My little guy went in there and beat the [bleep] out of them." The two will be in New York on June 3 when Arum is honored at the Friars Club by the likes of Thomas "Hitman" Hearns, George Chuvalo, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini,...
- 5/14/2010
- NYPost.com
Denzel Washington has received mixed reviews for his first turn on Broadway in five years - his performance in "Fences" has been called both "commanding" and "hollow". The Oscar-winning actor hasn't been seen on the New York stage since he starred in a 2005 revival of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar", and he returns in a new production of August Wilson's play, which opened on Monday, April 26 night.
Washington previously admitted he had reservations about taking on the lead role of Troy, which was made famous by legendary actor James Earl Jones in a 1987 production. But New York Times critic Ben Brantley has praised the actor for making his portrayal different to Jones'.
He writes, "Mr. Washington... has his own personal spectre to wrestle with in this production. Mr. Washington is stepping into the outsize shadow of James Earl Jones. His Troy, not unexpectedly, is smaller than Mr. Jones' was, but that also...
Washington previously admitted he had reservations about taking on the lead role of Troy, which was made famous by legendary actor James Earl Jones in a 1987 production. But New York Times critic Ben Brantley has praised the actor for making his portrayal different to Jones'.
He writes, "Mr. Washington... has his own personal spectre to wrestle with in this production. Mr. Washington is stepping into the outsize shadow of James Earl Jones. His Troy, not unexpectedly, is smaller than Mr. Jones' was, but that also...
- 4/28/2010
- by AceShowbiz.com
- Aceshowbiz
Denzel Washington has received mixed reviews for his first turn on Broadway in five years - his performance in Fences has been called both "commanding" and "hollow".
The Oscar-winning actor hasn't been seen on the New York stage since he starred in a 2005 revival of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and he returns in a new production of August Wilson's play, which opened on Monday night.
Washington previously admitted he had reservations about taking on the lead role of Troy, which was made famous by legendary actor James Earl Jones in a 1987 production.
But New York Times critic Ben Brantley has praised the actor for making his portrayal different to Jones'. He writes, "Mr. Washington... has his own personal spectre to wrestle with in this production. Mr. Washington is stepping into the outsize shadow of James Earl Jones. His Troy, not unexpectedly, is smaller than Mr. Jones' was, but that also means it is on a more human scale and in some ways more intricately drawn. Mr. Washington has to work hard to build his Troy, brick by brick instead of with one overwhelming first impression."
But Brendan Lemon, writing in London's Financial Times, wasn't as impressed with Washington's performance.
He adds, "You are aware of Washington's commanding gifts as an actor; (but) at other times, his directness seems hollow. In sensitive moments, Washington reminds me of what Hollywood siren Raquel Welch once observed of her football-legend-turned-movie-actor co-star, Jim Brown: 'He has trouble melting.'"
And Joe Dziemianowicz, of the New York Daily News, writes, "Denzel Washington's acting suffers due to too much soapiness. (He) barrels onstage in Fences and guns it, roaring instantly from zero to 60 in both intensity and volume. He leaves it revving there. All night. After a while, it becomes more exhausting than exhilarating."...
The Oscar-winning actor hasn't been seen on the New York stage since he starred in a 2005 revival of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and he returns in a new production of August Wilson's play, which opened on Monday night.
Washington previously admitted he had reservations about taking on the lead role of Troy, which was made famous by legendary actor James Earl Jones in a 1987 production.
But New York Times critic Ben Brantley has praised the actor for making his portrayal different to Jones'. He writes, "Mr. Washington... has his own personal spectre to wrestle with in this production. Mr. Washington is stepping into the outsize shadow of James Earl Jones. His Troy, not unexpectedly, is smaller than Mr. Jones' was, but that also means it is on a more human scale and in some ways more intricately drawn. Mr. Washington has to work hard to build his Troy, brick by brick instead of with one overwhelming first impression."
But Brendan Lemon, writing in London's Financial Times, wasn't as impressed with Washington's performance.
He adds, "You are aware of Washington's commanding gifts as an actor; (but) at other times, his directness seems hollow. In sensitive moments, Washington reminds me of what Hollywood siren Raquel Welch once observed of her football-legend-turned-movie-actor co-star, Jim Brown: 'He has trouble melting.'"
And Joe Dziemianowicz, of the New York Daily News, writes, "Denzel Washington's acting suffers due to too much soapiness. (He) barrels onstage in Fences and guns it, roaring instantly from zero to 60 in both intensity and volume. He leaves it revving there. All night. After a while, it becomes more exhausting than exhilarating."...
- 4/27/2010
- WENN
So recently someone responded to a comment I made about Jim Brown and blaxploitation films saying that they weren’t “revolutionary” but fantasy. Duh! Of Course They Were Fantasy. I hate to burst your bubble Che, and I know you’re still fighting the People’s Struggle against the decadent bourgeoisie capitalism system, in case you haven’t noticed Every film is fantasy. So The Bounty Hunter is a realistic portrait of modern contemporary relationships? So that brings to mind the trailer for a film I distinctly remember seeing back in 1975 (and which a friend of mine just recently gave me DVD of) which you’re about to watch. I’ll take ten of these films before I see One Tyler Perry movie.
- 4/2/2010
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
I recently posted an item on S & A about the controversial film Serbian Film which was screened recently at the SXSW in Austin to stunned reactions from the sickening violence and depravity in the film. The fact that films have been always controversial over violent content is definitely not a new thing and I was reminded by that when I recently came across an article about the now forgotten 1970 western Soldier Blue. A massive hit in the U.K. and overseas but far less so in the U.S. (for reasons that will be obvious in a moment) the film was produced by Avco Embassy, a major film production company back then, and directed by Ralph Nelson.
Nelson, who died in 1987, made several films with Sidney Poitier (Lilies of the Field, Duel at Diablo, The Wilby Conspiracy) and many other films that dealt, as well, with social issues such as 1969’s …tick.
Nelson, who died in 1987, made several films with Sidney Poitier (Lilies of the Field, Duel at Diablo, The Wilby Conspiracy) and many other films that dealt, as well, with social issues such as 1969’s …tick.
- 3/28/2010
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
We tried really hard to find you a clip from "Black Dynamite" to share here on the blog, but there's really nothing that could get through standards. In other words: this is not a movie for kids.
What it is is one of the funniest films of 2009, a personal Sundance favorite of mine and one of the sharpest genre parodies the industry has seen in quite some time. In this extra, we see co-writer/star Michael Jai White and writer/director Scott Sanders discussing the film's blaxploitation roots. White specifically references era superstar Jim Brown as one of his personal inspirations for the Black Dynamite character.
Seriously... see this movie now. You can thank me later.
What it is is one of the funniest films of 2009, a personal Sundance favorite of mine and one of the sharpest genre parodies the industry has seen in quite some time. In this extra, we see co-writer/star Michael Jai White and writer/director Scott Sanders discussing the film's blaxploitation roots. White specifically references era superstar Jim Brown as one of his personal inspirations for the Black Dynamite character.
Seriously... see this movie now. You can thank me later.
- 2/18/2010
- by Adam Rosenberg
- MTV Movies Blog
When movie lovers think of a lone hero trapped in a high-rise controlled by bad guys, the classic Bruce Willis actioner Die Hard comes to mind. Released in 1988, the film made Willis more than just that guy from Moonlighting and started a new genre, the contained space action movie. Soon other films were copying Die Hard's spatial premise with thrillers of their own that became “Die Hard on a _____”. Die Hard wasn't the first film to have this premise – The Big Clock (1948) later remade as No Way Out (1987) comes to mind – just the first to do it really well. About a year prior, Charlie Band, who would strike gold with the Dtv Puppet Master horror films, produced a small action movie set in New York about an insurance salesman who finds himself in a Die Hard situation with a local gang. Garry Frank plays Barry, an insurance salesman who's...
- 2/16/2010
- LRMonline.com
1. The Princess and the Frog
I cried through most of this film. I am soooooo homesick.I enjoyed the food references and some of the songs in the film but not all of them . I don’t get why so many people ripped it apart. I mean of course I have extra reasons to like the film but still. It was cute. I don’t care about her being a frog in most of the movie or marrying a non-black prince(although a black prince would have made it that much better). Some of the accents were great. I would show the film to my children. I’m happy with the effort put into this film and I take this as a tribute to New Orleans.
2. Law Abiding Citizen
Jamie Foxx stars as a lawyer who gave a criminal a break. This makes the victim of the crime set out to seek revenge.
I cried through most of this film. I am soooooo homesick.I enjoyed the food references and some of the songs in the film but not all of them . I don’t get why so many people ripped it apart. I mean of course I have extra reasons to like the film but still. It was cute. I don’t care about her being a frog in most of the movie or marrying a non-black prince(although a black prince would have made it that much better). Some of the accents were great. I would show the film to my children. I’m happy with the effort put into this film and I take this as a tribute to New Orleans.
2. Law Abiding Citizen
Jamie Foxx stars as a lawyer who gave a criminal a break. This makes the victim of the crime set out to seek revenge.
- 1/28/2010
- by kjmlm
- ShadowAndAct
George Lucas, Tony Bennett, Joan Baez, Jim Brown, James Caan, Jesse Jackson, Jenny McCarthy, and Bill Maher are some of those taking part in Brigitte Berman’s documentary Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel, which has been acquired by Phase 4 Films for distribution via various channels in the United States. More than the Playboy magazine mastermind and the guy who had a nude centerfold of Marilyn Monroe, the Hugh Hefner portrayed in Berman’s documentary is also a fighter for progressive causes, an ardent movie lover, and a campaigner "against censorship and for the individual’s right to freedom of expression on all fronts." The 124-minute Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel is scheduled to hit Us screens in the [...]...
- 1/27/2010
- by Joan Lister
- Alt Film Guide
Today I had a talk with one of my closest long time friends and she brought to my attention this article written two weeks ago by Wesley Morris, the African American film critic for The Boston Globe about the lack of real genuine masculine men in movies nowadays, that are both American and under 40. Think about it. Practically all male movie stars that are both Amercian and under 40 are really just oversized boys who haven’t really grown any pubic hair yet. Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, Tobey McGuire, that girly looking dude from those Twlight movies. Maybe Matt Damon could fit that bill but that’s only because of those Bourne spy movie,s and even then he doesn’t really have that masculine “weight”. So my friend and I started to think about what well-known established Black actors could fill that bill, and I’m afraid we couldn’t.
- 12/25/2009
- by Sergio
- ShadowAndAct
For this week, Telefilm Canada had announced the 27 films that it will support for 2010. Among these films, 17 will be in English. Of course, rest assured: some of the films will have a commercial nature and some will be low-budget independent films. The following is the list of films.
Beat the World (Ontario & Nunavut Region; Btw Productions Inc.; Executive Producers: Alfons Adetuyi, Amos Adetuyi and Robert Adetuyi; Writer/Director: Robert Adetuyi; Distributor: E1 Films Canada Inc.; Telefilm investment: $3.2 million) takes a look at three dance crews - one Latin American, one European and one from Windsor, Ontario – as they prepare to do battle at the international Beat the World competition in Detroit. Along the way, they struggle with personal issues ranging from gambling debt, bad break-ups and their own egos. In the final showdown to become world champions lifelong hopes, dreams and even lives, are at stake.
Fubar II (Western Region; FU2 Productions Ltd.
Beat the World (Ontario & Nunavut Region; Btw Productions Inc.; Executive Producers: Alfons Adetuyi, Amos Adetuyi and Robert Adetuyi; Writer/Director: Robert Adetuyi; Distributor: E1 Films Canada Inc.; Telefilm investment: $3.2 million) takes a look at three dance crews - one Latin American, one European and one from Windsor, Ontario – as they prepare to do battle at the international Beat the World competition in Detroit. Along the way, they struggle with personal issues ranging from gambling debt, bad break-ups and their own egos. In the final showdown to become world champions lifelong hopes, dreams and even lives, are at stake.
Fubar II (Western Region; FU2 Productions Ltd.
- 12/5/2009
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
Levi Johnston's Playgirl shoot involved props.
Johnston's manager Tank Jones tells Usmagazine.com the 19-year-old posed with a hockey stick during part-one of his saucy shoot Thursday.
Adds Jones, "The shoot was fantastic! ... People are going to see more of Levi than they thought. There was a hockey stick involved."
See the week's hottest celeb photos
He says Johnston -- who fathered baby Tripp with Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol -- wasn't nervous at all.
Johnston's manager Tank Jones tells Usmagazine.com the 19-year-old posed with a hockey stick during part-one of his saucy shoot Thursday.
Adds Jones, "The shoot was fantastic! ... People are going to see more of Levi than they thought. There was a hockey stick involved."
See the week's hottest celeb photos
He says Johnston -- who fathered baby Tripp with Sarah Palin's daughter, Bristol -- wasn't nervous at all.
- 11/13/2009
- Extra
Michael Jai White has paid his dues fighting Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme, doing straight to video action or forgotten comic book movies. It.s time for his own vehicle, and Black Dynamite is perfect for him. The send-up of blaxploitation films lets White spoof his favorite genre.
Michael Jai White is Black Dynamite
.Personally, I love the .70s,. White said. .It.s just something I really enjoy doing. I used to have these blaxploitation parties at my house. We really enjoy these films. We had these movies where the moral standpoint of the movie is from a pimp. I started really looking at things, like Jim Brown movies and everything, and I.m going, .What does he do? He just killed 60 white people.. So there.s that funny element but also a very proud element. We.re coming after the .60s really. It was politically charged at the...
Michael Jai White is Black Dynamite
.Personally, I love the .70s,. White said. .It.s just something I really enjoy doing. I used to have these blaxploitation parties at my house. We really enjoy these films. We had these movies where the moral standpoint of the movie is from a pimp. I started really looking at things, like Jim Brown movies and everything, and I.m going, .What does he do? He just killed 60 white people.. So there.s that funny element but also a very proud element. We.re coming after the .60s really. It was politically charged at the...
- 10/15/2009
- www.canmag.com
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