Thandie Newton

Born in London on November 6, 1972, Thandie Newton is a consummate actress associated with riveting performances in everything from Beloved to Besieged to Crash.

She will soon be seen in the independent film Vanishing on 7th Street where she stars opposite Hayden Christensen and John Leguizamo, and she is currently shooting the psychological thriller The Retreat with Cillian Murphy and Jamie Bell.

Thandie won both a BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her work in Crash, the Academy Award-winning Best Picture of 2006. She most recently appeared in 2012, a sci-fi flick which grossed in excess of $750 million at the box office worldwide.

Newton impersonated Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in W. which was directed by Oliver Stone. Other films on her impressive resume’ include The Pursuit of Happyness, Run Fat Boy Run, The Truth about Charlie and Mission Impossible 2.

Here, she talks about playing Tangie in Tyler Perry’s screen adaptation of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls, an ensemble drama co-starring Kerry Washington, Janet Jackson, Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine and Phylicia Rashad.

Kam Williams: Hi, Thandie, thanks for the time. The last time we spoke was when you were doing Run Fatboy Run.

Thandie Newton: [Sarcastically] Well, For Colored Girls is exactly like that one, isn’t it Kam?

KW: [Playing along] Sure, the same storyline, and you’re even playing the same character. I want to get right to questions submitted by fans of yours. Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks what were your initial feelings about taking the role of Tangie?

TN: Terror. I was really terrified, because the film was so unlike anything I’d ever done before, because Tangie’s so unlike me, and because of the quiet, sensitive and grateful place I was in my life on a personal level. I knew I’d now have to go out and be this audacious, promiscuous character.

KW: But you killed in the role! You did it!

TN: You know what, my darling? I got into it. I pulled myself away from my place of peace and compassion. [LOL]

KW: Reverend Florine Thompson asks: Which character in For Colored Girls do you most identify with?

TN: Oh, goodness! Gilda, possibly. But, honestly, I identify with a bit of everybody.

KW: Editor/legist Patricia Turner says: I think you’re a great actress! Is Tangie one of the more complex and challenging characters you’ve played?

TN: Absolutely! And I am so grateful for the opportunity to play her, because there are times when a character is uncomplicated and just about moving the story from A to B which makes me want to quit. As opposed to pieces like this where I get to play a real character. For Colored Girls has recharged my batteries for the next decade. It reminded me of what acting can be, how powerful a tool it can be, and how entertaining and provocative it can be for an audience. These types of roles don’t come along often, but I seem to get them at the right time, and then I decide not to throw in the towel.

KW: FSU grad Laz Lyles asks: With a text this powerful, what was the self-discovery factor like? Were there any dormant traits that unexpectedly came to the surface?

TN: I found an uncompromising, dominating person that felt good, actually.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman says: I remember how moved I was after reading For Colored Girls when it was first published. Did the depicted slices of African-American women’s lives resonate with you even though you grew up in Cornwall as the daughter of a woman born in Africa?

TN: It’s funny, because I don’t feel like I’m playing an African-American, necessarily. I feel like I’m playing a human being with that specific accent, that’s all. And I feel that way with all the characters I play. My approach might be validated by my background in anthropology which I majored in at Cambridge. I learned there that when it comes to emotions, we all feel pain in the same way, everyone, whether you’re from Istanbul or Beijing.

KW: Yale grad Tommy Russell asks: Is there a theatrical role you would love to play?

TN: I’m looking forward to playing Cleopatra, in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, but not for anther twenty years or so.

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

TN: I’ll let you know when that question arises. I’m sure it’s out there, but I couldn’t put my finger on it right now.

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

TN: Less and less as time goes by.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

TN: Yes.

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

TN: Ooh, yesterday afternoon with my children in the back of a cab. One of them said something so dry and witty that I laughed until I had tears in my eyes.

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

TN: It’s called, “What to Look for in Winter,” by Candia McWilliam. http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Look-Winter-Candia-McWilliam/dp/022408898X

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: Who are you listening to on your iPod?

TN: Right now, the group TV on the Radio.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

TN: Banana bread.

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

TN: Nathan Jenden.

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

TN: My children.

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

TN: That rape would no longer be used as a weapon of war.

KW: How can your fans help you?

TN: Aww, that’s a sweet question. By being honest… By having opinions… and by being adventurous about what they choose to watch, movie-wise.

KW: The Boris Kodjoe question: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?

TN: My daughters, definitely.

KW: Have you ever wished you could have your anonymity back?

TN: It’s impossible. I don’t think anyone’s anonymous, anyway.

KW: Do you ever feel the pressure to not change creatively?

TN: No, I don’t. I’ve been fortunate not to have been pigeonholed by virtue of being mixed-race, of being English and black, and by virtue of working all over the world. I’ve enjoyed a great degree of variety in the work that I’ve done. It’s been quite unique.

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

TN: The people I meet, the stories I hear, and the experiences I get to have without actually living them for real.

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

TN: A cigarette at the end of the day.

KW: Reverend Florine Thompson asks: What spiritual path do you follow?

TN: Buddhism.

KW: Do you ever get lonely while working on the road?

TN: Yeah, but I call my Mum, and she gets on a plane and comes to see me.

KW: the Zane question: Do you have any regrets?

TN: No.

KW: Bernadette asks: Are you still friendly with Nicole Kidman?

TN: Yes, I still see Nicole. Whenever we get together, we have nothing but good things to say to each other. We shared a very beautiful time and memory making a movie called Flirting. We were both very young, and I think there’s a real fondness that we identify with one another just because of how young we were and how much life has changed since then. So, when I see her, I feel like life is slipping back into that innocence, which is really sweet.

KW: Tommy asks: Is it true that you drive a Prius? If so, do you like your new car and do you think everyone should make the shift to a hybrid or electric car?

TN: Yes, I have for about three years now. Yes, I like it, but it takes a commitment to convert to living in ways which are environmentally sound.

KW: Reverend Thompson was wondering, if you had a choice to play the role of a famous person, who might that be.

TN: Nina Simone. I’d love to just know more about her, and a movie would be a great place to see the evolution of her life and to learn from it and to be grateful for what she was able to give the world despite having suffered so much.

KW: A famous person you already played was Condoleezza Rice. How did you prepare for that role?

TN: I went back to my Cambridge roots and did an ethnography on her. I read a lot of books, not only about her, specifically, but also about the Bush administration. And I watched snatches of her on everything from Charlie Rose to Youtube and then I channeled everything that I learned from my research into my performance on screen.

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

TN: Finding a diamond in a sausage.

KW: The Flex Alexander question: How do you get through the tough times?

TN: By remembering what I’m grateful for.

KW: What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome?

TN: Myself.

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

TN: Live in the moment.

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

TN: You’ve been kind.

KW: Well, thanks for another great interview, Thandie.

TN: Thank you, Kam, this has been really interesting. Bye.

To see a trailer for For Colored Girls, visit:

Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There?

Thoughtlessness is the new manners, and I’ve got to say I don’t like it… Somehow, so many little pieces of courtesy have gone by the wayside. People in your face, in your business, not caring if they are being disrespectfully loud…
So over the last year there were days when I remembered to write things down that struck me. Many are written here.

They cover the map of my mind, unleashed on you the way they appear in my head.

Little things, the way I can comment on them in a book but not on TV. In no particular order—oh, and I don’t necessarily have any answers guaranteed to work for anyone.

-- Excerpted from The Foreword (pgs. xiii-xiv)

All over the country nowadays, we’re witnessing a frightening decline in civility, whether it’s teens being bullied to the point of suicide, tourists being subjected to searches at airports that look more like foreplay than pat downs, or simply people talking loudly on cell phones in places where it’s rude or illegal to do so. In the political realm, we’ve heard mudslinging candidates refer to opponents as a “witch,” “whore” or “degenerate idiot,” a Republican interrupt the President’s State of the Union speech to call him a liar, and even a fellow Democrat tell Obama to “shove it.”
Weighing-in on this disturbing trend is comedienne Whoopi Goldberg, herself no stranger to such controversy. You may remember how she and fellow co-host Joy Behar recently became so exasperated by what they considered to be anti-Muslim remarks by guest Bill O’Reilly that they stormed off the set of their own show, The View.

Now Whoopi has written “Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There?“, a book chock full of observational humor about the demise of manners in America. In a flip stream of consciousness, she basically bemoans the quality of discourse’s being stuck in the toilet. In fact, the tome’s cover even features a tasteless photo of the author sitting on the john in a public bathroom stall.

Among the hundred or so behaviors getting under Ms. Goldberg’s skin are fans who act like jackasses at sporting events, drivers with road rage, noisy neighbors, cowardly bloggers and cheap perfume. You can easily imagine her gravely voice as you read along, given her conversational tone peppered with colorful slang and salty expletives.
Nothing particularly deep or memorable here, just the literary equivalent of an entertaining standup act by a seasoned comic venting via an emotional dump.

To order a copy of “Is It Just Me?”, visit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401323847?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1401323847

The Most Dangerous Man in America
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00329PYGQ?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00329PYGQ

Seriously Funny: Kevin Hart
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003G715ZS?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003G715ZS

Sesame Street: 20 Years and Still Counting
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003INBNY8?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003INBNY8

1984 Los Angeles Comedy Competition with Jay Leno
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003N7G5JW?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003N7G5JW

Entre Nos
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003A0T8BO?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003A0T8BO

A Town Called Panic
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003H0ZHGM?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003H0ZHGM

To Live & Die in Amerikkka
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003OEY6N6?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003OEY6N6

The Bong Joon-Ho Collection
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JSSPS4?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003JSSPS4

The Runaways
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0034G4P6W?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0034G4P6W

Courage the Cowardly Dog: Season One
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003G9IT32?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003G9IT32

There’s really not much reason for me to go on at length about this third (of four) installments in the review-proof Twilight series, given that

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

the diehard fans of the franchise are second only to Harry Potter’s in terms of brand loyalty. The movie is based on the Stephenie Meyer best seller which in turn was ostensibly-inspired by Emily Bronte’s gothic novel “Wuthering Heights.”

At the point of departure, the end of senior year is fast approaching at Forks High School. But where valedictorian Jessica (Anna Kendrick) is concentrating on practicing her graduation speech, her good friend Bella (Kristen Stewart), our human heroine, basically still finds herself torn romantically between vampire Edward (Robert Pattinson) and werewolf Jacob (Taylor Lautner).

After un-grounding his, ever-clueless Police Chief Charlie Swan (Billy Burke), gives his blessing for her to date the latter, but she instead flies to Florida with the former in order to visit her mother. The messy love triangle starts to take an emotional toll Bella on after she secretly accepts Edward’s marriage proposal while subsequently allowing her relationship with Jacob to escalate from platonic to physical.

The plot thickens when it comes to light that vindictive, Bella-hating Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) will soon be descending upon Forks from nearby Seattle with an army of newborn vampires intent on avenging the death of her boyfriend. This urgent state of affairs leads to a temporary truce and some comical sniping between Edward and Jacob as they join forces to protect the fair maiden whose hand they both seek.

“Doesn’t he own a shirt?” Edward asks Bella about his buff, shirtless competitor. “Let’s face it, I’m hotter than you,” Jacob retorts, in a remark meant to be taken both literally and figuratively. Needless to say, they bury the hatchet to fight the newborns, a bloody battle which merely serves as a distraction from the palpable pressure ratcheting-up on Bella’s to decide which guy will get her heart.

So, what’ll be Bella? A bloodsucking vampire or a rabid werewolf? That’s a tough choice when they’re both packaged in the hot bod of an adorably cute teen. Overall, a compelling enough sequel certain to enthrall the target demographic apt to agree that it’s a big improvement over Twilight 2, though not nearly as enchanting as the original.

Very Good (3 stars)
Rated PG-13 for intense violence and some sensuality.
Running time: 124 Minutes
Studio: Summit Entertainment

To see a trailer for, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNjyjAN60Xg

Despicable Me

Despite the fact that the title character at the center of Despicable Me might sound a little bit like Shrek, don’t let any superficial similarities discourage you from catching this equally-delightful animated adventure. Yes, at first blush, its ugly antihero is reminiscent of the much-beloved ogre, but it doesn’t take long for this variation on the theme to blossom into a thoroughly original persona.

Gru (Steve Carrell) is a hook-nosed hunchback with a vaguely Transylvanian accent who has singlehandedly ruined the otherwise idyllic slice of suburbia where he resides. Everyone on the block has learned to give the gruesome-looking misanthrope a wide berth; after all, his house is not only painted black but surrounded by a dead lawn. Plus, whenever he ventures into town in his road-hogging, jet-propelled tank, he tends to cause minor disturbances, like when he used one of his inventions to freeze everyone on line in front of him at the local coffee shop.

None of Gru’s intimidated neighbors have any idea that he’s secretly a megalomaniac poised to hatch an elaborate heist from his basement laboratory with the help of a loyal army of miniature minions. And why is he bent on world domination? Because he’s frustrated with being only the second most evil villain around, right behind the diabolical Vector (Jason Segel) who has just stolen the Great Pyramid at Giza and replaced it with an inflatable replica. Gru hopes to eclipse his competition and become #1 by using his latest invention, the shrink-ray gun, to make the moon disappear.

However, he meets his match the day that a trio of innocent orphans selling cookies door-to-door naively rings the bell. For Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher) are so desperate to be adopted that they manage to ignore the mean man’s gruff exterior, since all they see in him is the potential to be turned into a doting dad. He grudgingly lets the vulnerable girls move in, and their playful nature and wide-eyed requests to be read bedtime stories gradually melt his cold, cold heart.

Still, en route to the happily ever after finale, the plot thickens when the children are kidnapped by the vicious Vector, which affords Gru the opportunity to morph from selfish creep to altruistic benefactor. Meanwhile, co-directors Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud understand exactly how to employ the latest 3-D technology, and the frenetic action keeps you ducking from and reaching out to touch hovering objects as if you’re right in the midst of a virtual reality. Another big plus is the original soundtrack courtesy of Pharrell Williams whose mellow mix of hip-hop and retro R&B makes the experience all the more enjoyable.

The most adorable screen orphans since Annie!

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG for mild action and crude humor.
Running time: 95 Minutes
Studio: Universal Pictures

To see a trailer for Despicable Me, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffxEobkkGeM

Grown Ups (PG-13 for profanity, male rear nudity, crude humor and suggestive material) Buddy comedy about five former teammates (Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Kevin James and Rob Schneider) who, in honor of their recently-deceased basketball coach, reunite for the first time in years to runamuck over the 4th of July weekend at the same lake house where they celebrated winning a championship as kids. With Maya Rudolph, Salma Hayek, Tim Meadows, Maria Bello, Steve Buscemi, Norm Macdonald and Gary Busey.

Knight and Day (PG-13 for violence and brief profanity) Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz reunite for the first time since Vanilla Sky for this action comedy about a Plain Jane from the Midwest who unwittingly goes on a blind date with a dashing international spy only to become embroiled in a globetrotting adventure where they must prevent a piece of technology holding the key to infinite power from falling into the wrong hands. With Maggie Grace, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis and Paul Dano.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Dogtooth (Unrated) Dysfunctional family dramedy about a trio of siblings (Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni and Hristos Passalis) confined since birth on an isolated country estate who as teenagers start to rebel from their mind-controlling parents (Christos Stergioglou and Michelle Valley) in response to the powerful pangs of sexual awakening. (In Greek with subtitles)

Restrepo (R for violence and pervasive profanity) Afghan War documentary, co-directed by Sebastian Junger (The Perfect Storm) and Tim Hetherington, chronicling the year they spent embedded with a platoon engaged in daily deadly combat with the Taliban.

Wild Grass (PG for mature themes, smoking and mild epithets) Serendipitous romance drama, directed by the legendary Alain Resnais (Hiroshima Mon Amour), revolving around a married man (Andre Dussollier) who falls in love with the dentist (Sabine Azema) whose stolen wallet he finds. (In French with subtitles)

Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2 are such beloved screen classics that fans of the franchise were understandably worried whether the latest installment would measure up, given the decade which had intervened in the interim. But everyone can breathe a collective sigh of relief, for this eagerly-anticipated sequel is every bit as enchanting as the earlier offerings. The movie is the product of another inspired collaboration between Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, and is well worth the additional investment to enjoy their latest generation of CGI technology in 3-D.

Directed by Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc.), the film features a storyline which sensibly reflects a passage of time since the previous episode. Thus, we have an almost-grown protagonist in Andy Davis (John Morris) who, at 17, is preparing to leave home for college. As he packs, he’s prompted by his mom (Laurie Metcalf) to pick which of his personal belongings he wants to keep, and which he wants her to toss in the trash.

This process generates considerable anxiety in the lad’s motley menagerie of toys, because Andy apparently hasn’t played with any of them in years. Among the anthropomorphic army are astronaut Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), cowgirl Jessie (Joan Cusack), Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris), Slinky Dog (Blake Clark), Rex the dinosaur (Wallace Shawn), Hamm the piggy bank (John Ratzenberger), the Squeeze Toy Aliens (Jeff Pidgeon) and cowboy Woody (Tom Hanks).

Andy’s decides to take only Woody with him to school, while placing the rest in a garbage bag he intends to store in the attic. But after a comedy of errors involving his mother and sister, Molly (Beatrice Miller), they end up deposited at Sunnyside Daycare Center, a seemingly-benign institution which secretly shreds and incinerates old, unwanted toys.

Luckily, Woody becomes aware of his pals’ predicament, so he sneaks into Sunnyside to inform them of their plight and to help them escape before they’re exterminated. However, en route to that daredevil breakout we’re treated to such delightful diversions as the hysterical sight of Barbie (Jodie Benson) being seduced and betrayed by a sexually-ambiguous Ken doll (Michael Keaton), and the equally-hilarious serenading of rough-and-tumble Jessie by the suddenly-suave Buzz who’s accidentally been reprogrammed to a Spanish-speaking mode.

Still, Toy Story 3 is primarily an edge of your seat roller coaster ride which gradually ratchets up the escalating tension by racing headlong from one crisis to the next. Of course, this heartwarming, modern fable is ultimately resolved in a manner designed to deliver a shamelessly-sentimental lesson about the value of true friendship, loyalty and cooperation.

A fitting finale for a Disney trilogy guaranteed to resonate with kids of any age for generations to come.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated G
In English and Spanish with subtitles.
Running time: 103 Minutes
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

To see a trailer for Toy Story 3, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNMpa5yBf5o
Or: http://disney.go.com/toystory/#/videos/new-buzz

Wah Do Them

Max (Sean Bones) is a slacker from Brooklyn who’s been squandering most of his time between skateboarding and playing soccer. The only positive things in the struggling musician’s life are his beautiful girlfriend, Willow (Norah Jones), and the trip they plan to take together with the pair of tickets he won for a Caribbean cruise to Jamaica.
The naïve narcissist gets an unanticipated surprise when she breaks up with him just a couple of days before they’re supposed to set sail. So, he retreats to a local watering hole to soak his woes in booze while crying on the shoulders of his best buddies. Then, when none of them takes him up on the offer to replace Willow, Max still decides to take the vacation alone anyway.

That high seas saga is the focus of Wah Do Dem, an engaging, low-budget indie flick co-written and co-directed by Ben Chace and Sam Fleischner. The solo journey starts out subdued in tone, as the lonely protagonist desperately perambulates the ship’s decks searching to make an acquaintance, if not a love connection. However, that proves impossible since virtually all his fellow passengers are either already coupled or elderly retirees. In fact, the only excitement he encounters on board the boat is when a gay guy makes an awkward pass at him.

Everything changes they disembark in Kingston where Max is immediately mugged on the street. Matters deteriorate from bad to worse when he ventures into the countryside by motorbike to try to retrieve his knapsack, wallet and passport. First, the boat leaves without him, then he’s held up at knife point without anything to offer the second robber.

Can a broke, white city boy from New York survive by his wits in the slums of Jamaica? That is question raised by this cross-cultural dramedy which does a decent job of offsetting the sheer panic of Max’s harrowing ordeal with some authentic flava’ of the Caribbean that tourists normally never get to see.
Wah do dem? “Dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail!” in shanty towns as the late Desmond Dekker might say, since the harder they come, they harder they apparently still fall.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 75 Minutes
Distributor: Wah Do Dem LLC

“Together, race and religion make up, not only the nation’s deepest and most enduring moral problem, but also its broadest and most enduring political influence. Yet, how race and religion have interacted to shape politics has differed dramatically over time and by community… An earnest moral concern for how governments should conduct themselves, a compulsion to sermonize about the duties of citizens and the state, and a frequent recourse to Scripture for grounding or garnishing political positions have been consistently present in American history...

Before the Civil War, religion drove abolitionist assaults upon slavery even as it undergirded influential defenses of slavery in both the North and the South. After that conflict, Christianity… played a major part in sanctioning systematic white discrimination against African-Americans. In turn, the racially defined polity that religious forces helped to create became a fixed reality of American politics…African-American religion helped spark the civil rights movement… but also keyed a politically conservative countermovement inspired by a different kind of religion.

In other words, rather than any specific configuration of race and religion, it has been the general interweaving of race with religion, along with a discernibly religious mode of public argument, that have pervaded the nation’s political history””

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

During the tempestuous decades leading up to the Civil War, both plantation owners and abolitionists relied primarily on Christianity to rationalize their diametrically-opposed positions on slavery. As the debate intensified, you had firebrands like Nat Turner and John Brown using the Bible as inspiration for insurrections. Meanwhile, self-righteous slave owners forced their slaves to memorize passages from catechisms based on a perverted interpretation of the Good Book.

For instance, African-Americans were expected to recite the following blasphemous responses to questions posed by their white ministers: “Q: Who gave you a master and a mistress? A: God gave them to me. Q: Who says I must obey them? A: God says I must. Q: What makes you lazy? A: My wicked heart. Q: What book tells you these things? A: The Bible.”

Given that religion served such different functions for the Founding Fathers and the slaves upon whose backs this nation was built, is it any wonder that it has continued to divide the country along color lines? As Don King would say, “Only in America!” Let’s face it, blacks and whites in general have very different sets of Christian beliefs, which explains why Sunday morning at 11 continues to be the most segregated hour in the United States.

This fact was never more graphically illustrated than during the last Presidential campaign when then candidate Barack Obama had the good sense to throw the minister who had married him and baptized his children under the bus, rather than risk alienating the white majority shock by Reverend Wright’s sermons. Yet, not much was made in the press of Steven Anderson, a white minister who was leading his lily-white congregation in prayer for Obama’s death.

God and Race in American Politics is an eye-opening book by Mark Noll which points out how again and again, from generation to generation, Christianity has been the most effective political tool employed by both the left and the right to appropriate the moral high ground. Which side is really right or who God would agree with is less the author’s focus here than his argument that the dependency on religion to legitimate political positions is a peculiarly American phenomenon.

A most curious, enduring state of affairs in a nation supposedly based on the separation of church and state.

To order a copy of God and Race in American Politics, visit:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691146292?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0691146292

The underachiever’s relationship with his M.D. girlfriend, Daphne (Elisabeth Moss), is severely strained, because they barely spend any quality time together, given their different schedules and the long hours she has to put in at the hospital.

She’s generally coming home just as he’s headed out the door each morning; consequently, they rarely even make love anymore.

The standoff builds to boil the day Daphne’s offered a medical residency in Seattle, and asks Aaron to relocate there with her. Although it’s hard for him to make much of a case for remaining in L.A., he refuses to abandon hope that his fledgling job might blossom into a more substantial position. So, she threatens to break up with him.

But Aaron has some good news of his own to share. Earlier that same day his distraught boss, Sergio (P. Diddy), had assembled all his employees to announce that “The bubble done popped!” After moaning about whether he’s going to be able to afford Air Jordan sneakers for his half-dozen children, the desperate exec asked for new ideas during an impromptu brainstorming session.

Aaron informs Daphne that he’s finally getting his big break since Sergio likes his proposal to try to resuscitate the career of his childhood idol, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), the front man for a defunct British rock group called Infant Sorrow. The trouble is that Aldous has spiraled down a self-destructive path since the disastrous release a decade ago of “African Child,” a song which was roundly panned as racist by the critics and rejected by his fans.

Sergio agreed that it’s time for a revival, so he signs the band to do a reunion concert at the Greek Theater. The hitch is that Aaron, with promise of a promotion if everything goes smoothly, has to fly to England to escort the boozing, pot-smoking womanizer from London to L.A.

Aaron jumps at the opportunity, but the question soon becomes, who will win the ensuing battle of wills? The spoiled-rotten star used to doing whatever he pleases, or the suddenly-single, aspiring publicist who finds himself seduced by all the trappings of the rock and roll lifestyle? And, if Aaron strays, will Daphne want him back after a week of debauchery.

This is the testosterone-fueled premise of Get Him to the Greek, a fitting spinoff of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, also directed by Nicholas Stoller. To the degree you can stomach scenes of utter depravity, are you apt to find this raunchy road flick compelling.

Think shocksploit, one rendered hilarious as opposed to offensive by the equally-inspired performances of its three male leads, Russell Brand, Jonah Hill and P. Diddy. Plenty of laughs per-minute featuring the outrageous antics of naughty Aldous repeatedly derailing Aaron’s best efforts to deliver him as promised, all to the frustration of an increasingly-impatient Sergio.

You’ll O.D. on laughter!

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for graphic sexuality, pervasive profanity and drug use.
Running time: 109 minutes
Studio: Universal Pictures

To see a trailer for Get Him to the Greek, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtiU3kLlIPc

The Many Shades of Jada, from TV Nurse to Karate Kid’s Mom

Besides playing the title character on the TNT series HawthoRNe, which is starting its second season, Jada Pinkett Smith executive-produces the show through her production company, 100% Womon. With her husband, Will Smith, she is serving as producer of The Karate Kid, starring their son, Jaden, and also of Fela!, the Broadway musical nominated for 11 Tony Awards. Jada’s recent film credits include Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, as the voice of Gloria, and director Diane English’s remake of The Women.

In the past, she’s teamed up with Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle in Reign Over Me, and enjoyed a pivotal role opposite Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx in Michael Mann’s Collateral. However, she perhaps remains best known as the take-charge Niobe of Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions fame.

Here, Jada reflects on the challenge of balancing career and family when each member is a showbiz celebrity in his or her own right.

Kam Williams: Thanks for the time, Jada. It’s nice to have an opportunity to speak with you again.

Jada Pinkett Smith: Oh, thank you!

KW: Well, first of all, let me say congratulations! You’re blossoming on every front. Let’s see, HawthoRNe’s starting its second season, you’re going t be on the cover of the July issue of Essence magazine, your Broadway musical has been nominated for 11 Tonys, and Jaden is starring in The Karate Kid, a picture you and Will produced. How does it feel?

JPS: It feels good. These are the moments that you keep in your back pocket to remember, “All of those were good times!” [Laughs]

KW: I told my readers I’d be interviewing you, and I think they often come up with better questions than I do. So why don’t I start right of with some of them. Lester Chisholm says, “Thank you for the production of Fela,” and asks, “What would suggest as a lifestyle to keep young entertainers focused?”

JPS: Wow… Whew! Man, that’s a hard one, because part of the challenge of being young is finding what to be focused on. It’s a time of exploration when you have to discover who you’re not, in order to know who you are. I would say being deeply involved in the art world would help keep a young artist on track. Doing what you love, so that your focus is your artistry.

KW: Reverend Florine Thompson and filmmaker Hisani Dubose had the same question: What is the key to balancing motherhood, marriage and such a successful career?

JPS: Staying true to yourself, and being able to prioritize. It’s very important to prioritize. I know, for me, my family comes first. That makes every decision very easy.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls Are there any arenas left for you to conquer?

JPS: [LOL] Definitely! And I’m always looking for them. But as I’ve gotten older, and now that my kids are starting to do what they do, I am now really focusing on sharing my knowledge and insights with them to help guide them on their journeys.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman observes that you and Will come across as down-to-earth and very family-centric. She wants to know, how you keep your family values intact with the children becoming stars themselves? Do they have chores and an allowance?

JPS: [Laughs] They definitely have chores, and they get an allowance from money they make, believe it or not. I think that critical to keeping them balanced is giving them purpose, and part of giving them purpose is allowing them to do things that they love to do, which is being part of this industry. And as wacky as that might seem, it allows them to contribute to the family, and it allows them to develop their own self-worth. And I feel that when a child has self-worth and purpose, that’s what keeps them grounded.

KW: Cinema Professor Mia Mask asks, do you think the roles for women of color -- black women in particular -- have improved?

JPS: I’d say they’ve improved, but there still aren’t enough. And I’d say that’s the case, not only for African-American women, but for all women in the Hollywood game. It’s just slim pickings, and a very challenging time for us. I think that’s why more of us need to work our way behind the camera in order to create roles that really illuminate who women are. We still have room for growth in that area, without a doubt.

KW: Marcia Evans says that she’s a true fan of yours because she really respects the mature manner in which you approach being a wife and mother. She wants to know whatever happened to your TV sitcom "Good News."

JPS: I never had a show by that name, but I did have one called “M.I.L.F. and Cookies,” that got picked up and was set to air until the network and I had a disagreement at the last minute. They wanted to change the concept a bit in a way I wasn’t in agreement with, so we had to go our separate ways.

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

JPS: I’m sure there is, but I really can’t think of one right now.

KW: Larry Greenberg says Richmond, Virginia is a beautiful and unique choice for the setting of Hawthorne. Were you involved in that decision?

JPS: We felt like Richmond was an area that’s growing, but hasn’t really been explored on television at all, in the way that New York, Los Angeles and Chicago have. So, we decided it would make a great location.

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

JPS: Yes.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

JPS: I am happy. I have my moments when I’m not, but I am. I’m very happy.

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?

JPS: Oh, I’m listening to so much right now. I looooove Alicia Keys’ new song, “Unthinkable.” I’m blasting that all over the place, but I’m also listening to Sade’s new album, and I always have my Heavy Metal, Mastodon. [LOL]

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

JPS: I’m reading a book right now by John Dewey called “Art as Experience.”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399531971?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0399531971
That has been a very interesting read for me. And I’m also reading one called The Heart of Sufism, which is about a more esoteric approach to Islam.  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157062402X?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=157062402X

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

JPS: Oh, man, when I look in the mirror, I see about a thousand different Jadas... Yeah…

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

JPS: I don’t really cook much. I’m more of a baker. My favorite things to bake that everybody loves, and I can only keep in the house for about ten minutes, are 7-Up cake and Pineapple Upside-Down cake.

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

JPS: Oh, I laugh hard every day. I mean, my husband is Will Smith! [Shrieks] I’m telling you, that’s one of the joys of being married to him. My life full of laughter. Thank God I have him. My life is full of laughter because of that man.

KW: How do you want to be remembered?

JPS: I don’t know yet. I have no idea.

KW: Well, thanks for another great interview, Jada, and best of luck in all your endeavors.

JPS: Thank you, Kam.

To get a sneak peek at HawthoRNe Season 2 which premieres on TNT on June 22nd at 9 PM, visit: http://www.tnt.tv/dramavision/?cid=47834

One of the best art house flicks of 2010 is this character-driven affair written and directed by Emily Abt. Set in the Washington, DC area, it revolves around an unlikely love triangle which comes to test the already tenuous bond of friendship forged between a couple of high school classmates, one black, one white, who play on the lacrosse team.

Tosha (Sonequa Martin), who hails from Anacostia, can only afford to attend the exclusive prep school because she’s on a full scholarship. She and her two siblings are being raised in the ‘hood by their doting grandmother (Leslie Uggams) while their overworked single-mom (Dionne Audain) works double shifts to keep a roof over their heads on her security guard salary.

Somehow, Tosha keeps her nose to the grindstone, ignoring the dysfunction at home and the daily taunts coming from jealous girls on the block. They love teasing her mercilessly as she walks down the street to catch the bus for everything from acting white to having once allowed the boys to see her panties for a couple of bucks.

Tosha doesn’t find much relief at school either, where she finds it hard to fit in with the spoiled-rich kids. Because of all of the above, she focuses intently on her goal of being admitted to Princeton, which she sees as her ticket out of the ghetto.

Jesse, at least by outward appearances, has a relatively-easy go of it in life. After all, she lives in a sprawling mansion in the suburbs and has her own sports car. However, because her absentee divorced-mom is always away on business, the unsupervised teen suffers from loneliness and the consequences of a series of poor choices that have led to promiscuity, substance abuse and STDs.

So, Jesse spends the bulk of her free time slumming, since she has a thing for Go-Go music and Jungle Fever for brothers, which explains why she gravitates towards hanging out with Tosha. But the plot thickens when she falls for the charms of a smooth-talking DJ (Silvestre Rasuk) already involved with her friend. At that point, all bets are off, and the two go “Toe to Toe.”

Hell hath no fury like a sister scorned, especially for a wannabe.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 104 Minutes
Distributor: Strand Releasing
DVD Extras: Theatrical trailer, other Strand trailers.

To order a copy of Toe to Toe on DVD, visit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039WGU7S?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0039WGU7S

To see a trailer for Toe to Toe, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYkwJBqNlfc

People Buy Brands, Not Companies

by John Tantillo, Ph.D. – The Marketing Doctor
Five Titles Press
Paperback, $9.99
124 pages
ISBN: 978-098443670-5

When Fed Ex launched its now legendary, ‘When it absolutely, positively, has to get there overnight’ campaign, they weren’t creating a need, they were filling one. Marketing at its best is about making things happen through creativity, intelligence and adaptability that would never have happened had someone not had the vision or the drive to market…

[Once] you’ve got a successful brand, things just happen. A brand is one of the closest things to magic on Earth. It’s not that you don’t have to work hard to make it successful and keep it successful, it’s just that in many ways a great brand sells itself.

So, that’s the context for this book and our marketing mission, but the essence of this book is clear from the title: people buy brands.”
-- Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs. 2-7)

It’s been said that good things come in small packages, as is the case with this succinctly-stated amalgamation of marketing insights. When I attended law and business school, a popular method of teaching was via the case method, meaning that the professor would have us study case histories in order to learn not only from perfection but from failure, too.

This is the sensible approach employed by John Tantillo, Ph.D., aka The Marketing Doctor, in dispensing bite-sized morsels of wisdom in People Buy Brands, Not Companies. I’ll tell you right off the bat why I heartily recommend this book. Honestly, it’s because after reading it, I came away from it with a few solid ideas about how to improve the “Kam Williams” brand. And if any one of them helps me gain a competitive edge, the modest investment in the opus in terms of money and time will have easily been made worth the while.

In easy-to-read layman’s terms augmented by a glossary, Dr. Tantillo examines branding and marketing strategies from a variety of angles, including the individual, the corporate and the political. One of his most fascinating analyses is that of the previous presidential campaign during which he claims that “the Democratic Party was as much or more of a stumbling block than John McCain.” for brand Obama. The author also praises the President as a brilliant politician who “knows the difference between his brand and the Democratic party.” So, he wouldn’t be surprised to see Obama rise to the challenges posed by a re-election effort in 2012.

But this how-to tome is really about you, the reader, and the fact that, “Like it or not, you’ve already got a brand,” whether it’s a business or merely your name. For the point driven home here repeatedly is the importance of appreciating the value of building that brand and of channeling your resources in the direction most likely to maximize your return on any financial, emotional and sweat of the brow investments in yourself.

This brings to mind the sage lament of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello,
“Who steals my purse, steals trash... But he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed.” In sum, methinks those wise words make as much sense today as they did when scripted by The Bard of Avon.

To order a copy of People Buy Brands, Not Companies, visit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984436707?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0984436707

Alice in Wonderland
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003E48AYC?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003E48AYC

The Wolfman
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GCUO0W?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001GCUO0W

The Three Stooges Collection, Volumes 1-8
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003JBHRR6?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003JBHRR6

Bad Boys [Blu-ray]
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00164GDE6?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00164GDE6

The Red Baron
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039USJBA?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0039USJBA

New Orleans Saints: Road to Super Bowl XLIV
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DC8838?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003DC8838

Undisputed III: Redemption [Bluray]
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FXXNBW?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003FXXNBW

Blue Streak/National Security Combo Pack [Blu-ray]
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DF4546?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003DF4546

For My Father
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MQM4FO?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002MQM4FO

The Gospel/The Gospel Live Combo Pack
http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Live-Boris-Kodjoe/dp/B00198IS60/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1274965542&sr=1-8