THE OBENSON REPORT

In thinking about how we judge black cinema today, I recall a quote by Frantz Fanon, the preeminent black psychoanalyst, activist, thinker and philosopher, who wrote Black Skin, White Masks and The Wretched of the Earth. In Black Skin, White Masks, Fanon states, "There is a fact: White men consider themselves superior to black men. There is another fact: Black men want to prove to white men, at all costs, the richness of their thought, the equal value of their intellect… For the black man there is only one destiny... And it is white... The analysis I am undertaking is psychological… It is apparent to me that the effect disalienation of the black man entails an immediate recognition of social and economic realities. If there is an inferiority complex it is the outcome of a double process: Primarily, economic; subsequently, the internalization of this inferiority."

So, essentially, he’s attempting to deconstruct what appear to be innate feelings of dependency and inadequacy by Blacks in a world dominated by whites, and how black people have effectively lost their native cultural originalities and are essentially forced to embrace an Eurocentric culture that’s being imposed on them; and as a result, this inferiority complex, whether consciously or unconsciously, manifests itself in many ways, throughout our lives.

Thus, there’s a much larger issue at work here - one that maybe isn’t being directly dealt with. And that issue is multi-leveled – first, it’s whether we as black people are judging each other, or in this specific case, for the sake of this blog, whether we are judging our artistic expressions, specifically film, based on some Eurocentric model, as opposed to an Afrocentric model. And secondly, I'm led to wonder where European influence ends and blackness begins… or, are we forced to reconsider that age-old question, what is blackness? How can one define blackness? Can it be defined, or has black culture (or maybe more specifically African culture) been completely co-opted and essentially absorbed so much that it doesn’t even exist anymore, and that black culture is in essence American culture? How does one really begin to answer those questions? I don’t know. We can spend hours wondering what Africa could have been like today if the Portuguese never landed on Africa’s western shores in the 15^th century, beginning the exporting of slaves to Europe and America, through the 19^th century. What would Africa be today? Where would black people be today? Our culture(s), arts, music, language, philosophies, attire, cuisine, and of course, in this specific case, cinema? Impossible to say I think, but certainly something to always keep in mind, especially as we consume cinema bred from a system that's been operated exclusively by white men and women who have no genuine interest in our evolution.

But maybe all of that is irrelevant, and we should simply accept the cards that we’ve been dealt in life, and try to make the most of what we do have… whatever those things are. But, yes, I wonder whether those of us who are dismissing films like those by Tyler Perry for example, should be doing so with a little more awareness of the various hierarchical currents prevalent in our societies; essentially, those of us who have been exposed to films made by the majority… those with the real power in this world… and those, as Frantz Fanon said, whom we are consciously or unconsciously trying to emulate. Here we are dismissing Tyler Perry’s films, for example, essentially comparing them to these white “masters,” or some specific Eurocentric style, or formula that we’ve been conditioned to accept, and not realizing the potential danger in doing that. Who’s to say that this model - this Eurocentric standard that we all seem to have anointed as THE model to emulate, is indeed THE preeminent standard that ALL films (all art) should be judged by.

Then again, what is this Eurocentric model? How does it differ from an Afrocentric standard? Are they the same thing, or are their individual elements interchangeable?

Again, I don’t know… I don’t have all the answers.

But the point of all this I suppose, is that this rabbit hole (this notion of black cinema in crisis today) goes a lot deeper than we may realize, and it’s a much more complex issue; not one that can be resolved with a singular statement, or act. There are several factors to consider here, some that I didn’t even get into; but there’s much more to this than we might be able to actually do anything about.

One thing I do know, is that we simply just can’t sit back on our hands and wait for the others to identify our problems, and resolve them… we have to be much more aggressive, assertive and proactive, as I’ve said many times before.

It is worth noting that in my research, I learned that the word "Afrocentric" isn't listed in some dictionaries, but "Eurocentric" always is. In my Oxford Dictionary, copyrighted 2006, so it's not an older version, Afrocentric isn't listed, but Eurocentric is. Even as I typed this in Microsoft Word, the program has one of those squiggly red lines underneath "Afrocentric" indicating that it doesn't recognize the word. However, it doesn't have the same squiggly red line underneath "Eurocentric." That's actually quite telling, don't you think?

More later...

I've never watched Noah's Arc, and don't know much about the show, but I've heard and read about it, usually quite positively. I can't think of any other program on American network or cable television that tells stories primarily about the lives of gay black men. That alone should make it a groundbreaking series!

I read that the show has been on hiatus for some time now (possibly cancelled), but the good news for fans of Noah's Arc is that a feature-length film has been green-lit and is currently in development. The film is expected to be out by late 2008 or early 2009.

Check out JasmyneCannick.com for more info including a clip featuring the star of the show, Darryl Stephens and Patrik-Ian Polk, the creator of Noah's Arc, announcing the above story. Afterwards, be sure to read her critical article entitled, Hollywood’s Black Gay Conundrum. It's a solid, revelatory piece! We rarely give much "airtime" to those black films that tell the stories of that "other" group of marginalized people. Of course I’m referring to the gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual BLACK population - a group that is even more invisible in cinema, both mainstream and independent. We are all connected, and are all in this struggle together. For those of us talking about affecting overall change, and helping empower marginalized groups of people around the world, we simply cannot ignore any one specific group of people who fall under that umbrella as well. If we claim to be against oppression and marginalization of any kind, then it should be an all-inclusive fight, and not just selectively so.

Whoa! Look what I found folks :o)

The film is called Cover, and it stars a rather notable cast of performers - Aunjanue Ellis, Louis Gossett Jr., Paula Jai Parker, Roger Guenveur Smith, and Obba Babatunde; it's directed by Bill Duke. Those may not be traditional "A-list," names, but they've all done some pretty good work in the past, based on their resumes.

In Cover, when someone is murdered on New Year's Eve, the prime suspect is a church-going home-maker whose life unravels when she discovers that her husband of many years has been leading a double life. Her strength of character and faith keep her going as the revelation of her husband's betrayal threatens to destroy all that they have known.

Hmmm... let's see... hmmm... I can only wonder what secret double life her husband has been living... hmmm... what could it be? What could it really be? I'll let you figure it out on your own, but I have my ideas... or rather idea.

Even though the trailer says to expect the film in theatres soon, I doubt that will happen; instead it'll be another straight to DVD release, just like so many others of its ilk.

The film played at this year's Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, but I haven't read much else about it.

So, ladies and gents, I present to you, the recently released trailer for Cover (cue dramatic score here):

Check out my Q&A session with the Invisible Woman of the Invisible Cinema blogspot - her 7 questions along with my revealing answers... CLICK HERE to go there! You'll be glad you did! I appreciate all the awareness she has raised for all my efforts; so while there, be sure to scroll through her site to see all that she has to offer. After all, we're all in this together!

Cheers!

I've seen this clip in about 5 different places in the last 48 hours, each one accompanied by oodles of comments dissecting it. I'm not so sure it's worthy, but I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and post it as well for those who haven't had the pleasure of deconstructing it.

What is it? It's supposedly a music video for Kanye West's hit "Flashing Lights," (a track I like, by the way), directed by both Kanye and Spike Jones (director of Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and countless music videos for a wide variety of artists). At just over 2 minutes long, I doubt it's the full-length video, but rather a trailer for what will likely be a series of videos. Or it could just be a publicity stunt! Either way, it's working, as it seems to be generating quite a bit of pub for Mr West, who probably doesn't need it.

Anyway, check it out, and leave your thoughts... the woman in the video is apparently a known model who goes by Rita G (never heard of her), and the guy tied up in the trunk towards the end of the video is Kanye himself.

Poll Results

I've been running a poll for the last month which ended last night. Here are the results...

The questions was: Are Hollywood's black elite obligated to foster overall change within the realm of black cinema, or should their only allegiance be to themselves and those close to them?

The choices were:

1. Yes, they definitely are obligated, and should act accordingly.
2. No, that's ridiculous - they are not at all obligated.
3. Well, it would be nice if they innately felt some obligation/responsibility, but I will not hold it against them for not doing so.

Of all the responses, 78% voted for #3, while the remaining 22% voted for #1. Absolutely no one chose #2, which I find quite revealing.

Be sure to vote on my next poll listed to the right, on this page. The question this time around is: Is there a necessity for a black funded, owned and operated film production and distribution studio - one whose core focus is to finance, produce and distribute films that tell the varied stories of people from all across the African Diaspora - completely independent of any already established entity, akin to the likes of the big 6 studios (Disney, Sony, Fox, Viacom, Universal, and Time Warner)? Go vote NOW!

Ouch! I'm not even a regular viewer of the show, but I can't help but feel for the cast. I know it was in its final season, but, damn, at least give them some kind of a send-off, instead of an abrupt ending and notifications via phone!! After all, they've given you 8 pretty good years.

From Black Talent News:

The CW's "Girlfriends" Quietly Gets The Ax; Series Ends without Finale
Feb 13, 2008

The CW network quietly cancelled the long-running series "Girlfriends." Monday night's two episodes were the last episodes ever - no goodbye, no farewell, no finale. Cast members were notified by telephone by creator Mara Brock Akil that the network had decided to end the show. "The prolonged strike has changed business conditions and our programming strategy for the balance of the 2007/08 season. To better focus its creative and financial resources, The CW will only resume production on shows that are in consideration for renewal next year. As a result, we will not order additional episodes of the long-running comedy, `Girlfriends,' which planned to conclude its 8-year run at the end of this season. This was a very difficult decision for us, and was based solely on the considerable cost to license each episode in an extremely unusual business environment," read a statement issued by The CW. The series, produced by Kelsey Grammer, was in its eighth season and was one year way from being the longest-running African American sitcom in television history. It starred Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Persia White, Jill Marie Jones, Reggie Hayes, Khalil Kain and Keesha Sharp. Prior to the strike the series had nine remaining episodes to shoot. Series star Tracee Ellis Ross directed the last episode. The network is reportedly in discussions with Akil and the cast to bring closure to the show with a retrospective special to air this season.

Presenting, the so-called "hybrids." This is something that I believe most of us are fairly cognizant of; after all, many of the names mentioned in the article below have been working in the industry for years; although this might be the first time that a major non-race specific periodical like Variety Magazine is addressing it.

Thanks to Wigger Lover for sending me the link.

From Variety Magazine...New stars blur racial divide
By Peter Debruge

Look out, Hollywood, there's a new kind of hero in town. Call him the hybrid, as represented by stars such as Vin Diesel, Wentworth Miller and the Rock.

Neither black nor white, these actors thrive on the ambiguity of their multiethnic heritage -- and so do audiences. It's no longer just little white boys and girls who see themselves reflected onscreen, but black, Latino and other audiences as well, all in the same faces. The new "everyman," once defined exclusively by actors like Jimmy Stewart and Harrison Ford, now packs cross-cultural potential.

It's a relatively novel concept for an industry that relies so heavily on typecasting, and one that seems to throw an event like the NAACP's Image Awards for a loop. Nominees like "Ugly Betty," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Heroes" all reflect the standard politically correct definition of diversity, featuring casts peppered with actors of all colors. Increasingly over the years, the NAACP awards have honored Latino actors and creatives. But how does the org deal with diversity reflected in a single star?

Take an actor like Daniel Sunjata, nominated for his portrayal of Reggie Jackson in ESPN mini "The Bronx Is Burning." A year earlier, the light-skinned thesp (of African-European descent) was honored by the Latin Pride Awards for his work as Puerto Rican firefighter Franco Rivera on "Rescue Me." But wouldn't his color-blind Broadway turn opposite Jennifer Garner and Kevin Kline in "Cyrano" be the true coup?

Hollywood has a long tradition of casting cultural chameleons in "ethnic" parts. Actors such as Joe Mantegna, Andy Garcia and John Turturro made their careers alternating between Italian, Jewish and Latino characters. The Image Awards even nominated all-white Angelina Jolie for her sensitive portrayal of Mariane Pearl in "A Mighty Heart," proving that such roles needn't always be defined by the character's skin color.

In 1994, before he was a star, Diesel made a semiautobiographical short film entitled "Multi-Facial" in which he played a young actor stuck in a series of dead-end auditions. He nails each one, but misses out on the roles because he doesn't look Italian, black or Latino "enough" for the casting directors.

The happy ending came later. Steven Spielberg saw the short and cast Diesel in "Saving Private Ryan" (the part called for an Italian-American, just one of the ingredients in the actor's cultural heritage). And so, what had been a liability at entry level became an asset once he reached leading-man status. In addition to the distinctive voice and physique of another Schwarzenegger or Stallone, he boasted a look that resonated with nonwhite audiences, too.

Hyper-hyphenates

The same goes for Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson (half black, half Samoan), who breaks the mold of the Jackie Chans and Eddie Murphys before him by trading on his kilowatt appeal rather than some caricature of his cultural identity. Just as Tiger Woods did for golf, the Rock's approach broadens his appeal and unites audiences.

For "Prison Break" star Miller, his big career break came with "The Human Stain." As Anthony Hopkins' younger self, Miller played a black man so pale he decides to pass for white. Offscreen, the actor embraces his diverse roots. As he explained to TV Guide, "My mother is Russian, French, Syrian, Lebanese and Dutch; my father is African-American, Jamaican, English, German and part Cherokee." While many white audiences probably don't even notice the complexity of Miller's heritage, such nuances certainly aren't lost on viewers of color.

Multicultural appeal isn't just a boys' game, either. Consider breakouts like Rosario Dawson ("I'm Puerto Rican, Afro-Cuban, Irish and Native Indian," she told Britain's the Independent) and Jessica Alba (who informed BlackFilm.com, "My father is Mexican-American-Spanish and my mom is French and Danish"). Such actresses serve as role models for a wide-ranging audience, provided they are allowed to break free from narrowly defined ethnic stereotypes -- and therein lies the key.

White actors regularly enjoy diversity of a different type: namely, picking their projects from a broad selection of well-rounded roles. Plug one of these progressive new "everymen" into those movies, and things stand to get really interesting.

Again, not black cinema related, but shit like this certainly amuses me...

First Natalie Cole slams Amy Winehouse, calling her crazy and suggesting that she doesn't deserve the 5 Grammys she won. Now, Aretha is going after Beyonce and Tina Turner! Who would have thought that there would be this much drama at the Grammys this year. I'm now wishing that I actually bothered to watch the ceremony... well, not quite :o)

From the Associated Press...

Franklin slams Beyonce Grammy intro

When Aretha Franklin is unhappy, she does not mince words. On Tuesday, the longtime Queen of Soul slammed Beyonce Knowles' intro to Tina Turner at Sunday's Grammy Awards, in which Knowles called Turner, not Franklin, "the queen."

"I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyonce," Franklin said in a statement issued by her publicist. "However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy."

E-mails to Knowles' publicist Yvette Noel-Schure and calls and e-mails to Recording Academy spokeswomen Jaime Sarachit and Barb Deghan were not immediately returned.

In the first few seconds of Knowles' intro to Turner's performance, she name-dropped Franklin and a long list of famed female singers. Then the "Crazy in Love" chanteuse focused on Turner.

"There is one legend who has the essence of all of those things: the glamour, the soul, the passion, the strength, the talent," said Knowles, strutting in hot pants. "Ladies and gentlemen. Stand on your feet and give it up for the queen."

At a party later that night, Knowles called Turner her "ultimate icon."

Still, Franklin ended her brief criticism on a gracious note, thanking the Grammys and the voting academy and saying, "love to Beyonce anyway."

Known for such hits as "Respect" and "Chain of Fools," Franklin tied with the Clark Sisters for best gospel performance trophy for her duet "Never Gonna Break My Faith" with Mary J. Blige.

The PERFECT Valentine's Day gift for her or him! Click the image above to order it from Amazon.com, and get it in time for V-Day tomorrow :o)

Here are a few reviews from those who have seen it, lifted from Amazon.com where you can read each full review:

A beautiful movie... I loved this movie. At times I was shouting at the characters. I love that it was simple and really forgot that it was a movie cause it seemed so real. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Paulette Wiley

Excellent! I was asked to view this movie and I'm glad I did! I purchased the movie here on Amazon and it became the talk among my friends. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Cush the First

I found the film "Beautiful Things" very interesting and very realistic. I didn't know until I watched the director's commentary afterwards that these were actors! Read more
Published 1 month ago by A Christian's Review

A play about relationships... Most films are variations of the "Boy meets girl, boy struggles with girl and boy eventually wins back girl" theme, but, few exist as imaginative and stylish as Beautiful Things... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Claire N

Here's a trailer. You can see more on YouTube.

SO, what are you waiting for? Click the image above to order it from Amazon.com, and get it in time for V-Day tomorrow! You won't be disappointed :o)

New films out on DVD today of note:

Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? - The big screen adaptation of Perry's stage play about the trials of marriage. I reviewed it on my podcast, and will post that review on this blog shortly!

Dirty Laundry - A modern-day prodigal son story with a twist. It follows Patrick, a magazine writer, who seems to have the "perfect life," until one day, there is a knock at the door. On the other side stands a secret that brings him face to face with the traditional southern family he hasn't seen in over 10 years. Haven't seen it, but I've heard mostly positive things about it.

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (40th Anniversary Edition) - Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn play a couple whose attitudes are challenged when their daughter brings home a fiancé who is black. Details: Color, Widescreen, 1.85:1

Blade The Series - The Complete Series - The adventures of the half human/vampire vampire hunter. A TV adaptation of the big screen trilogy made popular by its star, monsieur tax dodger himself, Wesley Snipes.

Recorded Monday, February 11 2008, 9PM
TRT 60 Minutes

SHOW TOPICS:

- Filmmaker Dennis Dortch talks about his feature film, A GOOD DAY TO BE BLACK AND SEXY, a Sundance Film Festival selection, and an upcoming release from Magnolia Pictures.
- John Henrik Clark - A Great And Mighty Walk.
- St Claire Bourne tribute at the Museum of The Moving Image.
- Podcast going to once per month and other announcements.
- Tambay laments on the state of things.

Got something to say? Call the show's voicemail hotline at 1-800-765-7249 and leave a message there; and if it's worthwhile, I'll play your message on the show. OR, email me you comments at talk@obensonreport.com.

Not black film related, but I just wondered...

I've never been an Amy Winehouse fan. Nothing personal... just haven't heard anything she's done that I like. I could care less about her personal struggles, and they have no influence on my lack of interest in her music.

This will probably be the only time I'll ever mention her on this blog :o)

She won 5 Grammy Awards last night, and apparently, there are some people out there who don't think she deserved any of them, because of her personal struggles. One of those people is Natalie Cole.

From FOX News (Yeah, I visit Rupert's domain from time to time):

--- Not everyone was happy about Amy Winehouse’s big win at the Grammys Sunday night.

“I don’t think she deserved it,” previous Grammy-winning singer Natalie Cole said. “I think she needs to get her life together first, and then get the awards later."

Winehouse took a break from rehab to perform via satellite from London at the Grammys and collect five awards.

Cole also called Winehouse “crazy,” and complained that we are teaching youngsters that they can get rewarded for bad behavior.

Winehouse won in the categories of best female artist, best female pop vocal performance, best song, record of the year and best pop vocal album ---

So, dost Natalie Cole protest too much, or is her criticism warranted? Do you give a damn?

Ho-hum weekend at the box office. Absolutely nothing new of interest to me. Truly dismal days for the studios it seems... in my opinion anyway... BUT, apparently, there are a few people who thought that Fool's Gold and Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins were worth the rapidly increasing price of the ticket, as both films opened at the #1 and #2 slots with respectable numbers. These were likely both rather "lower-budget" films (relative to Hollywood standards anyway), in the $20 to $30 million range. So, at those numbers, both films will likely earn back their individual investments, and maybe even a little profit as well. Juno continues to surprise, raking in a total of $117+ million. My favorite film so far this year, There Will Be Blood, continues to build interest, thanks in large part to recent award nominations and wins for its star, Daniel Day Lewis. If you haven't seen the film yet, you should!

Union leaders for striking Hollywood writers said they have reached a tentative contract deal with studios and urged members on Saturday to support it, calling for an end to a three-month walkout that has crippled TV production and overshadowed Oscar season.

The breakthrough was announced via e-mail to the 10,500 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) who launched the union's first strike in almost 20 years on November 5 in a dispute centering on compensation for work distributed over the Internet.

Key points in the deal include:

-- An increase in minimum rates of 3.5% each year. Exceptions include network primetime rates and daytime serial script fees, which will increase 3% each period. Program fees and upset price increase once by 3% in the second year; and clip fees increase once by 5% in the third year.

-- Made-for pay TV residuals: An annual residual payments' increase from $3,000 to $3,500 for a half-hour program and from $5,000 to $6,000 for an hour-long program.

-- For download sales (electronic sell-through) where the viewer pays for permanent use of a program, residuals are to be paid at 0.36% of distributor's gross receipts for the first 100,000 downloads of a television program and the first 50,000 downloads of a feature. After that, residuals are paid at 0.7% of distributor's gross receipts for television programs and 0.65% for feature films.

Read the entire article HERE (Hollywood Reporter).

I don't recall ever seeing a true documentary about the life of legendary reggae star Bob Marley. I checked IMDB and found a few titles, but mostly concert recordings and musical tributes. There are a couple of documentaries listed, but I'm not familiar with any of them, although that doesn't mean that they aren't worthy of mention. It's also surprising that there hasn't been a feature-length narrative film about Marley either. I wonder who would be on the short list of actors in consideration to play Marley on film.

Anywho... I found the following piece of news... I suppose this could be considered the first "major" documentary about Marley's life ever made.

From Variety Magazine...

Martin Scorsese, Steve Bing's Shangri-La Entertainment and international sales agent Fortissimo Films will reteam for the helmer's next musically themed effort -- a yet-to-be-titled documentary about legendary reggae star Bob Marley.

Trio were behind the helmer's Rolling Stones docu "Shine a Light," which opened the Berlin Film Festival on Thursday. Tuff Gong Pictures and Shangri-La are producing the pic, which has been authorized by Marley's family. Docu is set for release on Feb. 6, 2010, on what would have been Marley's 65th birthday.

"I am thrilled that the Marley family will finally have the opportunity to document our father's legacy and are truly honored to have Mr. Scorsese guide the journey," son Ziggy Marley said.

I've seen Hollywood Shuffle countless times - probably Robert Townsend's best work ever! He hasn't made anything quite as appealing since! Found the following 2 clips on YouTube...  I love the caustic humor prevalent throughout the film, and in the below 2 clips. Funny, yet unfortunate. Has much changed since then (1988) - especially with regards to the first clip?

Happy weekend everyone!!!

I couldn't help but laugh at the two photos to the left and below of Jamie Foxx, even though he is in costume for his role as Nathanial Ayers, the real-life musical prodigy, who developed schizophrenia in his second year at Juilliard, and later ends up homeless on the streets of Los Angeles, regularly playing his cello and violin. The film is called The Soloist, by the way, and it co-stars Robert Downey Jr. as the Los Angeles Times columnist, who wrote about Ayers and eventually strikes up a friendship with him.

Might this be Jamie's second Oscar-winning performance? According to Variety Magazine, Jamie has actually been learning to play stringed instruments from a cellist with the L.A. Philharmonic for the film. The film is set to be released later this year.

You can see more of the pictures HERE, thanks to the good folks at JFX Online.

I just learned that Sundance pick, A Good Day To Be Black And Sexy, filmmaker Dennis Dortch's first feature-length film, has been picked up for theatrical distribution by Magnolia Pictures (a subsidiary of billionaire Mark Cuban's 2929 Entertainment). Just 7 years old, Magnolia specializes in both foreign and independent films, with projects from the likes of Steven Soderbergh, Brian De Palma, John Malkovich, and Hal Hartley on their distribution resume - so I'd say Mr Dortch is in very good company, and I certainly hope that Magnolia does the film and filmmaker well! I haven't seen the film, but after all I've read and heard about it, I can't help but be excited at its potential. It's certainly a good day to be Dennis Dortch! No specifics of the deal have been released to my knowledge, but the film is scheduled to be released this year - likely in limited circulation, at least initially.

Next week Monday, Mr Dortch has agreed to appear on my podcast to talk about his film as well as his Sundance experiences! Looking forward to it!

I found the following review of the film from The Hollywood Reporter. It's all good!

A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy
Bottom Line: A smart comedy about bedroom mind games.

Among the well-assembled cast, Mylika Davis stands out as a take-charge innocent who suffers through her teenage dawg days. Chonte Harris is hilarious as a put-upon "other woman" who skewers her married lover with brilliant, irrational logic. As the perplexed player, Marcuis Harris is sympathetic and lamentable.

All performances are on-target and ripe, highlighted by smart turns from Kathryn Taylor as a selfish lover, Emily Liu as an Asian-American with a forbidden yen for a black basketball star, and Brandon Valley Jones as a flustered, neglected lover.

Tech credits are a soothing and sizzling blend, clarifying the psycho-sexual dramas.

Did you know...

... That Spike Lee's younger brother, Cinque Lee, is also a filmmaker, and has written and directed 4 feature-length films since 1995, all independently financed, produced and distributed, with no real contributions from older brother Spike?

The first was a drama called Nowhere Fast, made for just $29,000 in 1995, and is described as "a film powerfully weaved together through stories of its desperate characters and depicting the dangerous hours they face during one fateful day. Lee cast nineteen actors as a motley assortment of disenfranchised, dispossessed and downright weird characters, including junkies, prostitutes, thieves, dealers, dopers, mental patients, street people, and a failed magician, all of whom collide wildly on the hot city streets on a Friday afternoon during a scorching heat-wave in Brooklyn." Do The Right Thing Part 2 possibly?

His second feature was a sci-fi film called Windows On Your Present, made for $50,000, and co-starred his sister, Joie Lee (who has also been featured in a few of Spike's earlier films). In the film, two characters, Europe and Leber, are lost souls in a world where love and color have never existed. They stumble upon a pill that transports them to a world of color and love for a short time. After the effects of the pill ware off, they are returned to their depressing world of no color. They decide to search for the source of the pills and consume enough of them to never return. This was made in 2000. Sounds intriguing... we rarely get to see black people in sci-fi flicks, especially the more seemingly cerebral kind.

And his last outing was a film called UR4 GIVEN, made in 2004, for just $12,000. In the film, a drama, Monica, a 27-year-old woman and a victim of child abuse, is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, splintered personality, flashbacks, repressed memories, and migraines. To help combat her demons she interviews victims of child abuse on camera. Monica eventually realizes that she has to confront those demons. She returns to her small hometown to revisit the place where her rapes took place, and while there, she runs into the man who raped her as a child, but he has no idea who she is. Instead of telling him who she is, she hatches a plan to exact revenge, one that could cost her life. Hmmmm... curious.

Of course, in each of these films, given their individual budgets, don't expect to find any recognizable actors - at least on the star scale anyway. I'd love to get my hands on all of these films out of sheer curiosity. They might actually be worthwhile and in need of support. Of the 4 films, I only found one of them available for sale anywhere - Nowhere Fast. You can find it on Amazon for less than $10. CLICK HERE. I've already placed my order. I'll keep looking for the others. They have to be out there somewhere.

It's rather unfortunate that Spike doesn't talk more about his brother's independent efforts, or help him push his films. Or maybe he does, and I'm just not aware. I'm not saying that he should actively lobby for his brother, but maybe give him a "shout out" every now and then... or even some "props,"... something... anything to let us know that his brother exists and is making art. Unless Spike just doesn't think his brother's films are any good, which is possible, I suppose.

Will Smith's definitely got himself a busy schedule. He has been the focus of several posts on this blog over the last couple of weeks. He's got Hancock with Charlize Theron coming up later this year; then there's Steven Spielberg's film about the Chicago Seven in which he plays Black Panther leader, Bobby Seales, due out later this year, or early next year; and now he's starring in a film called Seven Pounds, which is said to begin shooting this month, so we can expect a late 2008, early 2009 release. Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of Mr Smith over the next 12 to 24 months. Must be nice to be working consistently.

The Hollywood Report announced that Mr Smith handpicked Michael Ealy (Sleeper Cell) to play his younger brother in the upcoming film, Seven Pounds. The film re-unites The Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino with his star Will Smith in another drama. The story is about "a suicidal IRS agent (Smith) who sets out to make amends by assuming the identity of his younger brother. His plans get complicated when he inadvertently falls in love" with a character played by Rosario Dawson, marking another reunion for Will Smith, since Dawson co-starred with him in Men in Black. Woody Harrelson is also starring.

Ealy has just finished work on Spike Lee's WWII drama, Miracle at St. Anna's, about a group of African-American soldiers who are trapped in Tuscany during a Nazi massacre. I'm mos def looking forward to seeing that this year.

MyNetworkTV has ordered 13 episodes of Under One Roof, a new half-hour comedy starring Flavor Flav. The series is scheduled to debut in the Spring of 2008.

"Under One Roof will be a hilarious addition to the MyNetworkTV lineup," said MyNetworkTV president Greg Meidel.

"I am real excited about my new sitcom Under one Roof. I want to thank MyNetworkTV for believing in your boy because we are about to blow this out of the water. I am about to take MyNetworkTV and make it MY network," said Flav.

In the series, Flav plays Calvester Hill, an ex-convict that moves in with his wealthy, conservative brother, Walter (Kelly Perine). Calvester subsequently turns the Hill family's life upside down, parading his old prison cronies through the house; teaching his nephew Walter Jr. to be a gangsta rapper; and butting heads with Walter's snooty wife, Ashley.

Executive Producers, Claude Brooks and Darryl J. Quarles added, "It can't get much better than working on a comedy with a personality like Flavor Flav. This type of program is a perfect fit for his unique brand of humor and we are proud to be bringing it to MyNetworkTV."

YAY! I'm so thrilled and definitely looking forward to this one!

NOT! But I'm sure the ratings will be just as strong as they were for his Flavor Of Love series on VH1.

Karina over at Spout.com wrote an extensive review of the film. Here's a snippet:

The story begins with the suicide attempts of twin brothers Lawrence and Darius. Darius’ is successful, Lawrence’s is not, and after surgery and therapy, he returns to the dreary plot of land he shared with his brother and delivers a letter that passes for a will to Marlee, the estranged mother of Darius’ child.

Read the rest HERE.

Black Girl (AKA, La Noire De)- the 1966 seminal premiere opus by the late, great Senegalese filmmaker, Ousmane Sembene, sometimes called the father of African cinema. If you haven't heard of him, look him up!! He's probably best known for his last film, 2004's Moolaadé. Black Girl is available for sale on DVD at Amazon.com! Go GET IT!

"A Senegalese woman, eager to find a better life abroad, takes a job as a governess for a French family, but finds her duties reduced to those of a maid after the family moves from Dakar to the south of France. In her new country, the woman is constantly made aware of her race and mistreated by her employers. Her hope for better times turns to disillusionment and she falls into isolation and despair."