Precious is in theaters today and I encourage everyone to buy their tickets in advance!  Click here to check out the BET.com interview with Lee Daniels and Gabourey Sidibe.  If you are still not convinced, read my review of the film.

Over at MTV.com, Paula Patton, who plays a teacher in Precious, and Sapphire, the author of the book talks Mariah Carey’s performance.

As previously reported, Tyler Perry will be directing For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf. There are rumors of the cast, which might include Taraji P. Henson, Mary J. Blige and others. However, in an interview with Black Voices, Oprah confirmed she was be one of the colored girls.

Tyler Perry mentioned your name for one of the roles in his new film ‘Colored Girls.’ Will you do it?
OW: Yeah, I’m one of them. I don’t even know what lady I am. I haven’t acted in 10 years. We’re going to see. He’s writing a script, and let’s see what happens. I want to see it. I love the idea of getting back to acting. I’m happiest when I’m doing it. Nothing makes me happier than being on set with a movie that I really care about. Acting is fun because you get to move yourself out of your own space and become somebody else. Acting is like a vacation for me. It’s a relief.

For those of you who don’t know, Oprah is an Oscar nominee for The Color Purple and she received critical acclaim for her role in The Women of Brewster Place.

Sounds like Colored Girls is going to be a bonafide hit!

Source

As if we are shocked…

This shouldn’t be a shock that Michael Jackson’s This Is It has rocked the box office since its release on Wednesday.  The film brought in over 23 million over the weekend, hitting number one at the box office.  It’s the second best performing concert film opening weekend, next to the Hannah Montana concert. In addition, This Is It is the fourth highest-grossing Halloween debut recorded.

Now, after only a little over five days the movie has made over 106 million worldwide, which is more than the complete total for the Hannah Montana concert.

The concert has been filled with rave reviews and reports across the web are fans are extremely happy.  Furthermore, there is some buzz that the flick might receive some Oscar nominations, especially under best documentary.

If you haven’t seen This Is It, get your ticket now. You only have a little over a week to see it.  The movie is open for two weeks… unless they decide the demand is so high!

Summary: A horrifying urban drama about an obese girl and single mother named Precious.  The Harlem teen is suffering a monstrosity of abuse in her home, neighborhood and school. Attempting to beat the odds, she is inspired by the unexpected, striving for education and fighting not to repeat the same cycle of circumstances.

Review: Believe the hype, Lee Daniels‘ Precious: Based on the Novel By Sapphire is everything you expect it to be, and more. While Daniels has already proved himself as a visionary and edgy director and producer with films like Shadowboxer and The Woodsman, the Philadelphia native has topped himself in what is clearly the best film of the year thus far — the best in acting, directing and writing. From the first type on the screen to the closing credits, Daniels and everyone involved managed to take a classic novel that one would think is impossible for the big screen and paint a prolific portrait that will go down as one of the great films in American cinema.

Precious breaks you open and digs right down into your spirit. No matter who you are, we all have tinges of Precious in our lives. As extreme as the story is, it’s real, tangible and deeply vivid. Lee Daniels’ talents are so monumental that you can almost smell the funk of Precious’ home and touch the sweat on her pained face. It’s a movie that took me a solid 24 hours to recover from.

Gabourey Sidibe stars as Precious, in a debut performance that is comparable to Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl or Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls.  Sidibe, who is actually 26 years old, engulfed herself in Precious with taste, ease and vigor.

Mariah Carey plays a social worker and uppercuts anyone who thinks she has no acting chops. She holds her own on the screen with actors who were acting like Mariah hits those mega notes. The movie also included legendary rocker Lenny Kravitz and Robin Thicke’s wife Paula Patton. In addition, there are a slew of newcomers whose lives will change after being in such an excellent film.

But, it is the acting from Baltimore native Mo’Nique that will annihilate every viewer of Precious. Mo’Nique performed like it was the last second of her life as Precious’ mother, Mary. Not a trace of Mo’Nique, the “skinny bitches are evil” diva was on the screen. She was revolting, terrifying and absolutely grueling.  Daniels, who is known to grind audiences with uncomfortable but important scenes (think the graphic sex scene in Monster’s Ball), let Mo’Nique go further than probably any director would let her go. Mo’Nique was a life force on celluloid. Even if Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Katherine Hepburn all came back from the dead — they could not pull that Oscar out of Mo’Nique’s hands.

Unless something earth-shattering is coming down the pike within the next two months, Precious is most definitely the best movie of the year. Reserve your tickets now. If movies can changes lives, this one will change yours.

Precious is in theaters this Friday, November 6th.

Summary: Based on the life story of Sandra Laing, a light-skinned black woman who was born to White parents in 1950s apartheid South Africa. Laing struggles with issues of racial identity from her family, the court system and her community.

Review: Anyone who has been effected by light versus dark skin will be floored at Skin, based on a true story. Once upon a time, race was a legal system and for Sandra Laing, who was born to white parents (blood tests proved the Laings were her biological parents),  she looked like a light-skinned black girl. Tucked away in a rural area, Sandra is shocked when she attends school and her Blackness is made obvious by hateful classmates, even though she cries, “I am not black!” Lines like this echo classics like Imitation of Life and Pinky.

For legal reasons, Laing’s race goes from White to colored to White to back to colored. Laing’s parents love her but are clearly disgusted by her Blackness, especially her father. In one scene her father ecstatically shouts, “She’s white again! She’s white again!” Still not satisfied, Sandra attempts to lighten and bleach her skin. Scenes like these are painful to watch, which might be an experience specific to African-Americans, but Skin goes so deep, bringing up our global roots that we sometimes like to ignore.

Skin is directed by Anthony Fabian, which is his first feature length. While the movie unravels typically, its delivery is satisfying and keeps the audience intrigued. But, it is the shock factor of Laing’s story that keeps your jaw to the floor: The physical abuse from her parents, the cruelty of the court system, violence from educators and even how Black Africans turn their back on Laing. Laing lived a painful, rejected and lonely life. Sadly, according to published reports, Laing’s two other brothers refuse to speak to her to this day.

Sandra Laing is played by the consistently superb Sophie Okonedo. Her performance is extremely subtle, head bowed and talking softly, which at times feels sluggish. Okonedo never gets the epic monologue or climactic emotional moment that is so important for dramatic tearjerkers. However, in watching footage of the real-life Sandra Laing, she seems to be a quiet spirit, very close to what Okonedo portrayed. Therefore, Okonedo did her job.

All of the other performances are just as solid. Alice Krige and Sam Neill easily capture the parents who are loving, but delusional racists. Laing’s love interest is Tony Kgoroge, who has a commanding presence and I can only hope we will see more of him.

Towards the end, Skin loses some of its color, but the movie remains as a powerful and untold story about race.

On another note, Sandra’s father took a blood test to prove he was indeed her father. Her “Blackness” was regarded as a “genetic abnormality,” however, some scholars contend that blood tests were not scientifically reliable measurements of paternity. It was 1955, and DNA tests were unimaginable.  Although Laing’s parents are both deceased, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a DNA test done today if Mr. Laing would still be her father. I have never heard of a “genetic abnormality” creating a child who looks distinctly Black – Maury Povich would probably say, “You are not the father!”

Skin is in select theaters now.

It has been a big year for Mariah Carey.  She was in the movie Tennessee and received rave reviews for her performance.  Her new album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel is in stores now and she plays a Harlem social worker in the highly anticipated Precious.  Always had a question for the pop princess?  Submit your questions for the pop diva and actress in the comments!

Also, the legendary Katie Couric interviewed Sapphire, who wrote the novel Push, which has been made into the movie Precious.  The Lee Daniels movie is in theaters a week from today, November 6th.  In the clip below, Sapphire talks how the book became a movie.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Halloween is here and we are all looking for a good horror flick. Of course there are horror classics like The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and A Nightmare on Elm Street. But, what about horror flicks with an urban twist?  In no particular order — check out the list below!

Saw II (2005)

Jigsaw added some color to his killing spree in the sequel to Saw. The film included a diverse cast, which would be an ongoing theme throughout the Saw series.

Angel Heart (1987)

Starring Robert De Niro and Lisa Bonet, a detective goes to New Orleans to find a man named Johnny Favorite.  He falls into the world of voodoo and comes across Lisa Bonet’s character, who is the child of a dead voodoo priestess.  The Cosby kid went nude and bloody for the role, shocking fans of the wholesome show.  Angel Heart was a commercial and critical disaster, but now has a cult following.

28 Days Later (2002)

Starring the beautiful Naomie Harris, a virus wiped out all of Britain, leaving only a few survivors to fight for their life. Harris was Selena — and this sista was not playing with the “infected” — she hacked away and didn’t die in the first five minutes like most black folks in horror flicks.

Queen of the Damned (2002)

We can’t forget Aaliyah!  Her performance as Akasha in Queen of the Damned was excellent and even praised by Anne Rice, the writer of the book. Akasha was the queen of all vampires, killed with no remorse and munched on human heart. The Akasha costume has been a favorite for Halloween ever since.

Bones (2001)

Starring Snoop Dogg, Bones was surprisingly good, especially with Pam Grier as the lead. Bones is the story of a gangster from the dead seeking revenge.

Candyman (1992)

You can’t ask for much more with a film based in the projects. Slightly political but still pure horror, Candyman was lynched for having sex with a white woman — say his name five times and he comes back to slash anyone in sight. 

Blacula (1972)

At the height of the blaxploitation era, Blacula was released. Blacula was an African prince who was morphed into a vampire by Dracula. On a rampage, Blacula is sticking it to the man, horror movie style. In retrospect, the film is ridiculously campy but garnered a cult following and was the first film to win Best Horror Film at the Saturn Awards. Several other blaxploitation horror films came out after Blacula, like Sugar Hill, The Zebra Killer and Fight for Your Life.

Tales from the Hood (1995)

Executive produced by Spike Lee, Tales from the Hood was a take on Tales from the Crypt. The movie told five stories which revolved around child abuse, racism and black on black crime. Socially poignant but with a good scare. The film is an urban classic and went on to gross nearly 12 million.

People Under The Stairs (1991)

Directed by horror legend, Wes Craven, this classic follows Fool, a young boy who seeks out his slumlord after his family was evicted. Scary, funny and it racked in over 30 million worldwide. There has been some buzz about a sequel.  The People Under The Stairs airs right here on BET tomorrow, October 30th at 1 PM.  Click here to take a quiz of the urban horror classic!

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This iconic zombie flick was classic for its time and still ranks high as one of the best horror films.  But, there are many reasons why this film is considered a black horror film.  Subtly, the film dealt with politics, war and racism.  However, one of the biggest shockers in the film is when the lead character, Ben (Duane Jones), who was Black, hauled off and smacked a white woman. In 1968, this shocked the world — just a few years before, a Black man could get lynched for even looking at a White woman.  Check out the seven second clip of the slap heard around the globe!

Summary: A concert documentary on the late, great Michael Jackson’s  This Is It tour.  The film follows the last two months of MJ’s life through rehearsal footage, his dancers and crew, and music.

Review: There is no doubt that Michael Jackson is a genius, but some have doubted if he is human or at least treated him like he wasn’t.  Michael Jackson’s This Is It flawlessly highlights his talents, but it also humanizes him in a way that the public has never seen. He was humble, kind, intelligent and had a sense of humor. Unfortunately, Jackson was so crucified by the media that he probably didn’t feel comfortable showing this candid side. Thankfully, fans, lovers of music, lovers of dance and those who appreciate humanity, have this documentary.  The tag line for the doc is “Like you’ve never seen him before.” In most cases that would be media hype, but in this case, it’s the absolute truth.

At this point, we all give any Michael Jackson project the side-eye, wondering if another person is trying to capitalize off the King of Pop’s name. However, in this case, not enough praise can be given to the creators of This Is It, especially the director and MJ’s choreographer, Kenny Ortega. This Is It clearly comes from a pure place and honors Jackson’s legacy like no other project since his death.

This Is It includes most of Jackson’s hit songs like “Billie Jean,” “Thriller,” “I’ll Be There” and  “Beat It.” The viewer gets an intimate look at Jackson’s rehearsal style, his quest for perfection and gifted attention to microscopic detail.  Jackson operated from feeling and passion, at one point, when he is standing in one space after a musical number he says, “We’re sizzling,” to the crew that waits for him to move. Or, while arranging the music, he walks the musical director through the tempo and explains, “You gotta let it simmer” versus jumping right in to the beat.  It’s truly fascinating to watch and makes you want to study so you can somehow factor these skills into your own life.  It would be similar to viewing footage of Beethoven composing a musical number or Picasso painting a portrait. This glimpse into MJ’s genius is awe-inspiring.

With all the rumors, there were some doubts if Michael could still perform and sing like his fans would expect. This Is It clearly shows Michael still had it.  The dancing was incredible with his movements like water.  Personally, I was amazed at MJ’s vocals.  At 50 years old his voice was in stellar shape. To hear him hit those nearly 30-year-old notes (no key change!) in “Human Nature,” do improvisations on “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,” or doing vocal warm-ups was riveting.

Most importantly, in Michael Jackson’s This Is It, you don’t see death, just life.  There is no sadness or tears; you walk out with a smile on your face, feeling loved and more human. Forget the controversies, scandals and drama. This Is It is truly who Michael Jackson was — his music. It’s a film that you don’t want to end.

Michael Jackson’s This Is It opens toay and is only in theaters for two weeks.

Earlier this year, the legendary Spike Lee made some comments about Tyler Perry, referencing some of the playwright’s work as a minstrel show.  Sunday night on 60 Minutes, Tyler Perry took on Lee’s criticism.  Perry said:

“I would love to read that [criticism] to my fan base. All these characters of mine are bait, bait to get people talking about God, love, family, and faith.  You know, that pisses me off.  It really does. Because it’s so insulting. It’s attitudes like that that make Hollywood think that these people do not exist and that’s why there’s no material speaking to them, speaking to us.”

Just to be fair, Spike Lee’s quote also read:

“We’ve had this discussion back and forth. When John Singleton [made Boyz in the Hood], people came out to see it. But when he did Rosewood, nobody showed up. So a lot of this is on us! You vote with your pocketbook, your wallet. You vote with your time sitting in front of the idiot box, and [Tyler Perry] has a huge audience. We shouldn’t think that Tyler Perry is going to make the same film that I am going to make, or that John Singleton or my cousin Malcolm Lee [would make]. As African Americans, we’re not one monolithic group so there is room for all of that. But at the same time, for me, the imaging is troubling and it harkens back to Amos n’ Andy.”

I think when reading in context Lee is giving social commentary on what African Americans support and why, hence, the Rosewood versus Boyz ‘N The Hood analogy.  His comments weren’t directly about Tyler Perry, and Lee has certainly paid his dues in the fickle world of Hollywood.  I do think Spike has a well-earned voice at the table of African Americans and film.

I don’t think it’s unfair and, I actually think it’s healthy, to critique art.  We as African Americans should be allowed to be critical of our work and shouldn’t be forced to love it just because someone is Black and is making money.   Hip-hop is constantly analyzed and while Perry says, “I would love to read that [criticism] to my fan base,” Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, or Lil’ Kim could make the same comment — it doesn’t mean they are immune to social critique.

In addition, is a character being a stereotype always socially irresponsible? Sheneneh was a stereotype, but she was brilliant.  Back in April, Alfre Woodard told me, “ When people say stereotype, a stereotype to me takes on a negative connotation, but it’s built from a particular characteristic.  It doesn’t have to be negative.  I think of Tyler in that tradition of comedy and farce when it comes to the Madea stories.  I don’t think he is bringing down the culture by any means.  But, I do understand it’s the job of social observers to comment.”

Do you think Spike Lee’s comments were unfair?

Check out the video below.

Summary: Jigsaw is back… again, to make people value life through sadistic traps and games.

Review: Who can expect something worthy of good reviews after the sixth installment?  Saw is the Friday The 13th or Nightmare On Elm Street of this generation: plots are secondary, strong acting is unnecessary and the creators are more interested in cashing in on the franchise.

Well, this time around the writers of Saw watched too many Michael Moore movies. The victims are all folks who are involved in predatory lending and denying health care. Yep, Jigsaw is a health care advocate — in his own gruesome way. For some viewers, this might be a cute little twist, for others it will be Saw taking itself way too seriously. Whatever the case, this injection of social commentary is about as much storyline as you will get in Saw VI.

On the gore level, it’s just as gruesome as the rest. However, unlike the first two Saws, it’s purely for shock value and completely irrelevant to the story.  Random people pop up like janitors, secretaries and detectives, their scenes are so quick you forget their names and why they are forced to play Jigsaw’s game. There is no investment in the disposable and underdeveloped characters.

On the other hand, the traps are interesting. It’s clear the creators are focused more on intricate traps than a movie that would keep your attention. This lack of intellect and creativity is perplexing, considering the first two Saws are horror classics with clever twists. Do writers and producers purposely give up when there are too many sequels?  I’m assuming the creators of Saw walked into the movie saying, “We are going to make a stupid movie and everyone will watch it because it’s Halloween!” Talk about being duped.

Saw VI is in theaters now.