THE OBENSON REPORT

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."

Recorded Monday, February 4, 2008, 9PM
TRT 60 Minutes

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

- Black Bloggers Roundtable - Bloggers from TheBlackActor.com, The Invisible Cinema Blogspot, and Culture Critical joined me in conversation touching on various topics within the realm of black cinema.

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.

I lifted the following from a critical essay called Manufacturing pimps: Rewarding the violent repression of black women from hip hop to Hollywood by Ewuare Osayande, a political activist and author of several books including Blood Luxury and the forthcoming Misogyny and the Emcee. He is co-founder of POWER (People Organized Working to Eradicate Racism) and is creator of ONUS: Redefining Black Manhood (http://www.osayande.org/).

A lengthy but worthwhile and thorough critique of the film, Hustle & Flow. as well as the black Hollywood elite. I never did see Hustle & Flow. Everything I heard and read about it, from its Sundance glory until its theatrical release, turned me away from it altogether. I included only those parts of the essay I deemed strictly relevant for this blog. The essay is almost 2 years old, but still temporally apropos.

Here ya go...

"... This interracial gang rape mentality is best exemplified in the making of the blockbuster hit Hustle and Flow. Contrary to many people’s belief that the movie was a “Black film” made in the tradition of other Black pimp flicks in the Seventies, Hustle and Flow was written and directed by a white southerner by the name of Craig Brewer. Indeed Hustle and Flow harkens back to an even older tradition of white men creating outright racist representations called minstrel shows like Amos and Andy. Hustle and Flow is a neo-minstrel movie in that it is a contemporary cinematic projection of the white racist mind of Black life...

Much of “Hustle and Flow” is based on experiences from Craig Brewer’s own life. When he and his wife Jodi moved to Memphis in the mid-1990s, they didn't have any money. "My wife and I were really struggling," said Brewer. Jodi, a costume designer, started making outfits for strippers for extra cash, then worked as a waitress at a strip club and later began stripping there. (One of the characters in "Hustle & Flow" is a stripper and several scenes take place in a local strip club.)...

The racism should be obvious. Rather than defy the white supremacist lie and write a script that details how he prostituted his wife to make ends, he realized that he would make millions more if he kept with the “master narrative” that images Black men as pimps and Black women as whores. Images that white America can readily embrace.

... In Hustle and Flow Brewer... is acting out his taboo sexist fantasies by masking white male perversion in Black skin. The agenda, purpose and motivation of the characters have nothing to do with Black life, but everything to do with white male psychosis.

If he had written a film about his own experience, undoubtedly he would have had to face his personal sexism and his personal complicity in the system of patriarchy and male domination as a white man. In so doing, he would also have had to come to terms on some level with his own demons and the demons of his white brethren who have raped, exploited and abused women of every hue since European colonization....

Brewer would be assisted in this endeavor by none other than John Singleton of Boys N the Hood fame. Singleton, in his role as the film’s executive producer, served as the necessary Black stamp-of-approval that dissuaded the fears of nervous Hollywood execs concerned about a possible Black backlash...

How do we justify “pro-Black” Singleton’s involvement? We can’t! Of course, Singleton would probably state that this is not your typical pimp flick. I guess he would call it “Pimp-Lite.” Even though the main character DJay is portrayed as a reluctant Black pimp, he is still no less an exploiter. He still wields abusive power over the women in his house... The racist imaginary continues in the depiction of the women as well. Only the white prostitute is given a semblance of agency. She is the only one who seeks an escape from prostitution. She is the only one of the three who actually asserts herself beyond mere whoredom by the film’s end. In the Black women we see two favorite stereotypes deployed. One is of the hardened, foul-mouthed Black woman who despises Black men. The other is the whiney, weak and helpless Black woman. Both are too beat-down and oppressed to fight against their oppression, so they are forced by their condition to submit to it and engage in self-destructive behavior. There is nothing new about this movie or its depiction of Black people. Brewer’s interpretation of Black life is no different fundamentally from D. W. Griffith’s interpretation in Birth of a Nation. If he were alive, he would give the film four stars. The film only fosters and reinforces age-old codes and icons of white supremacy.

I wonder if Singleton would be down with a film that put a happy face on slavery. In this film, the main character is a white slave master who is conflicted with his role as slave owner and wants to get out the “game.” So he decides he’ll make a living by writing about whipping “them niggers,” rather than actually beating his slaves. He then commences to record the lyrics over the sampled beat of “Whistlin’ Dixie.” He coerces one of his enslaved field hands named Sambo to sing the hook “It’s Hard out Here for a Cracker” as we witness a whip hanging on the wall just behind Sambo as he stutters through his lines.

Singleton’s involvement in the making of Hustle and Flow exposes the continuing contradiction of African American manhood. Our notions of Black nationalism and Black struggle remain narrow and limiting when we act out our patriarchal prerogative and fail to accord to Black women the same sensitivity and respect for their experience that we demand from the system for ours. Singleton’s concern was not with the way the Black women are viewed. His own films are notorious for replicating stereotypical depictions of Black women. Rather, his concern was whether the Black man would be perceived as redeemable...

What the film does show is that the pimp aspiration is the same as the rapper aspiration: Power. In search of said power, DJay as pimp and The system is turning us out as a people. We are both the prostitute and the john. We pay to see ourselves exploited on the screen. We pay to listen to ourselves exploited on the CD player. We are paying with money, and we are paying with our souls. It is the best indication of just how deeply colonized we still are.

Today we are witnessing the rise of a Black bourgeoisie in Hollywood that has made its ascension upon the backs of their Black kinfolk who still exist in the hoods they have escaped from. Their notion of giving back is not producing films that honor the struggle of the Black poor, nor do their films instruct impoverished Blacks on how to fight against the system. Rather, their films exploit the Black poor; makes a mockery of their plight so they can make millions. The message of their movies is for the poor to grovel at the bottom, fighting and abusing each other, rather than against those who are responsible for their misery in the first place. More and more it will be these moneyed Blacks who will sit in the very places once reserved for white executives. And that will not be a cause for celebration, for they will not be our ambassadors but our oppressors by proxy. These are the true “hos” of the system, who have been able to benefit from prostituting themselves to the white industrial pimps they turn tricks for, while passing onto their people the abuse and suffering that should be theirs too..."

Below are the box office results for this weekend (2/1/08 - 2/3/08) - specifically the top 20 films. Nothing too exciting to report. A rather lackluster weekend of films, IMHO. What the hell is this Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus flick that opened at #1? Juno is still going strong! And a few Oscar contenders continue to enjoy the mild boost provided by the recent nomination announcements - There Will Be Blood, No Country For Old Men, Atonement and Michael Clayton. Of note, the last 2 films on the list of 20 are the only "black films" on the list - First Sunday and How She Move, neither I've seen, nor do I ever plan on seeing!

Nothing that we all don't already know, but it's always good to see the hard numbers. Would be good to see a similar report on blacks in the biz.

Posted yesterday, Friday, On Reuters...

No growth in film jobs for women: Report

Women working in the entertainment industry have yet to break through the "celluloid ceiling," making up just 15 percent of those in powerful behind-the-scenes roles, according to a study released Thursday by San Diego State University.

The annual study by Martha Lauzen, of the university's School of Theatre, Television and Film, surveyed the top 250 domestic-grossing films in 2007 and found no growth in the number of women employed in the positions of director, producer, writer, cinematographer and editor.

Lauzen also concluded that there was a 4 percent decrease in the role of women in Hollywood since 2001.

"Unfortunately, 21 percent of the films released in 2007 employed no women directors, producers, writers, cinematographers or editors," Lauzen said. "Of course, no films failed to employ a man in at least one of these roles."

In a breakdown, women accounted for 6 percent of directors, which is almost half of the women directors that worked in 2000 (11 percent). Lauzen also concluded that women accounted for 10 percent of writers, 22 percent of producers, 17 percent of editors and 2 percent of cinematographers in 2007.

The study analyzed behind-the-scenes employment of 2,883 people working on the top 250 domestic-grossing films last year, which included "Spider-Man 3," "Shrek the Third" and "Transformers."

Lauzen also did a historical comparison of those top films from 2007 and 1998, finding that the percentage of women in every role had declined.

The study also concluded that women were most likely to work on romantic comedies, romantic dramas and documentaries and least likely to work in horror, action-adventure or sci-fi features.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Ya know... I can't help but be a little frustrated when I read stories like this. Yes, I fully realize that I have absolutely no authority to tell others what career decisions/choices they should make. But, I would be kidding myself and you all as well, if I say that I wasn't even slightly annoyed when I read this.

My beef? Well, here's the deal.... With so few roles available for black performers in this business, and thus a diminutive number of films with blacks in starring performances, supporting, or even in thankless roles, or as extras, I would expect (or maybe hope) that any black filmmaker, especially those who are lucky enough to be in positions to attract the financial and human resources necessary to produce films, to almost always want to make films that showcase the varied lives of black people... at least initially.

As a black filmmaker, I absolutely cannot fathom sitting at my computer, writing a story that has no prominent black characters in it. In fact, I can't imagine writing anything that didn't have a majority black cast, much like the films that Hollywood produces and distributes today that almost always tell stories about whites, with a few "colorful" faces sprinkled in every now and then.

I want to tell stories about people who look like me, not only because they look like me, but also because people who look like me are invisible in cinema. We've been invisible since the invention of celluloid. I want to make films about us, and frankly, only us... at least until the scales of power and influence are closer to equilibrium. Does that mean that I would never make a film that tells the story of a non-black person, or non-black people? Of course I would! But not until after I've already made a few about "us," or, at least, the majority of films I intend to make will be about "us." And if I was in a position to routinely attract financing for my efforts, given the current cinematic climate in this country, in which people of color are mostly invisible, I would be even more vehement about my specific agenda.

There are enough films about "them" for God's sake! Whenever there's an opportunity to make one about "us," and that opportunity is squandered, I get incredibly frustrated, especially when "we" are involved.

I read the following story a couple of days ago on Variety.com, which is what prompted the above diatribe.

"Lightning Entertainment has acquired the international sales rights to Jada Pinkett Smith's directorial debut, "The Human Contract." The Santa Monica-based company will debut footage of the pic at Berlin's European Film Market in February. "Contract," which stars Jason Clarke and Paz Vega, tells the story of a relationship between a repressed advertising exec and a reckless woman. A successful corporate type harboring a deep, dark secret befriends a free-spirited stranger who encourages him to ditch his stuffy lifestyle and live life in reckless abandon. Jada Pinkett Smith and Ted Danson have supporting roles in the pic, which is now in post production."

Jada also wrote the script, by the way.

The first thing I thought was, this would have been even more thrilling news to me if the stars of the film were black! Jason Clarke is Caucasian; Paz Vega is Spanish (not Latino; not Hispanic; she's from Spain, and could "pass," as they used to say during the days of Dorothy Dandridge and Lena Horne). The film does feature Jada and Idris Alba in supporting roles... but they are just that - supporting roles. Why couldn't Jada have instead had herself and Idris in the starring roles, with Jason Clarke and Paz Vega in the supporting roles? It doesn't seem like there's anything about the story that makes race relevant for any of the roles... but I suppose I'll learn more as more is revealed about the film.

As I started off saying, I can't help but be a little frustrated when I read stories like this. And, yes, I fully realize that I have absolutely no authority to tell others what career decisions/choices they should make. It's still frustrating. This isn't a "slam" against Jada Pinkett, or anyone else who has taken a similar path. Rather, it's a plea, you could say, to remember "us" more often. Don't forget about the rest of "us." We've seen more than enough about "them," and we'll continue to see plenty about "them," from this moment on, and we've been incredibly influenced by what we have seen and continue to see of "them."

So, to the likes of Jada Pinkett and others, you are in the fortunate position to attract the financial and human resources needed to produce films today. Use that power and influence you possess to ensure that there are more complex stories and images of "us" on screen. When you have an opportunity to produce work, an opportunity that escapes most of us, I implore you to use those opportunities to fill the screen as much as possible with rich, robust portrayals of people who look like you and I, because we are truly invisible, and are in desperate need of some light, and I certainly hope that you all do realize that!

Regardless, kudos to Jada Pinkett on her writing/directorial debut, and I look forward to seeing more of her work behind the camera.

I was shocked to learn that Ruby Dee's SAG and Oscar nominations this year are both firsts for her! It's really surprising to me that a phenomenal acting talent like Ruby Dee, in her 60+ years as a working actress, has NEVER been nominated for a SAG or Academy Award - until this year. Un-freaking-believable! And I'm talking strictly about nominations here, not necessarily wins.

I haven't see American Gangster (the film for which her performance is nominated in both categories), but I'm now inclined to do so, thanks in large part to her nominations. But I can't help but wonder if these nominations are more about the fact that both organizations (SAG and Academy) have ignored her performances for decades, and these nominations are likely more akin to lifetime achievement awards, than they are for her performance in American Gangster. The politics of show-business humor me. Regardless, a thunderous applause for both nominations for Ruby Dee!

Her late husband, the great Ossie Davis, was never nominated for an Oscar, but he was given a lifetime achievement award by SAG, in 2001.

By the way, Ruby Dee did win the SAG for best supporting actress, for her performance in American Gangster. I didn't watch the ceremony on television, but I heard that her acceptance speech and presence were immaculate. So I've been mining the web for a video clip of the moment. The only one I found follows below, on YouTube; but the video and sound quality aren't very good, as you will see...

Ruby Dee will be 84 years old this year, by the way!!

Hmmm... with the original writer/director of the film involved (Paul Haggis), I'm not terribly excited about this. I despised the movie and was dumbfounded when it won the Oscar for best picture in 2005. But I'll hold judgment until I've seen a few episodes. I'm hoping that it's not replica of the film, and more of a realistic, gritty exposé/deconstruction of race relations in America, borrowing from shows like The Wire. Don Cheadle is said to be assuming producing duties and will also star in the TV version.

From E-Online:

Two years ago, Crash won the Best Picture Oscar in a major upset. Now the film is headed for a small-screen collision.

Paul Haggis, who cowrote and made his directorial debut on the tale of racial tension in Los Angeles, has agreed to executive produce a 13-episode TV series based on Crash to premiere on Starz in August.

Several of the movie's brain trust is on board, including cowriter-coproducer Bobby Moresco, producers Bob Yari, Mark Harris and Tom Nunan and producer-actor Don Cheadle, who may also reprise his role for the tube version.

Crash's TV story will pick up where the original ensemble flick left off. But with the possible exception of Cheadle, none of Crash's original stars is expected back. The film's cast included Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Terence Howard, Ryan Phillippe, Thandie Newton, Ludacris and Matt Dillon, who earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his role as a racist cop.

Instead, the show is poised to introduce all new characters and engage in more than race and class issues in the hour-long segments.

"This series will present an opportunity to delve into many subjects, not just race relations in L.A.," said Cheadle. "I don't think you can do 13 episodes on that subject and keep people interested. The challenge will be to craft the series characters in such a way as to get beneath the skin that supposedly differentiates them and create entertaining storylines that show the hurdles and obstacles we all struggle to overcome day to day."

Tyler Perry strikes again! Next to Woody Allen, he's probably the most prolific filmmaker working today, pumping out 3 movies in the last 18 months.

His next, Meet The Browns, is scheduled for a March release, this year - a film about a single mother who takes her family to Georgia for the funeral of her father (a man she never met), and while there is introduced to her father's fun-loving, crass family, the Browns. The story is an adaptation of Perry's stage play "Meet the Browns."

It stars Angela Bassett in her first true starring role since 2002's TV production, The Rosa Parks Story, in which she plays the titular character. Tyler Perry (of course) will portray Madea in the film.

From the trailer, it looks just like any previous Tyler Perry effort - which can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on who you ask. I've seen two of his films (Diary of a Mad Black Woman and last year's Why Did I Get Married?, which I reviewed on my podcast several months ago), and I certainly wouldn't call myself a fan of his work, but I also won't knock the guy for his efforts either. He's got a loyal audience, and one could argue that his films have done more for black talent today (notably black actresses) than any other African American member of the Hollywood elite. He keeps them employed, without necessary having to peddle their dignity. Will I see Meet The Browns? Probably not! It's just not my cup of tea.

Here's the trailer:

Will Smith will be working with Steven Spielberg for the first time in either of their careers, for a period piece on the trial of the infamous Chicago Seven. Mr Smith will play Black Panther leader, Bobby Seale, who was one of the original eight defendants, indicted by a grand jury, in 1969, for their involvement in violent protests that took place in Chicago, Illinois, during the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Early in the trial, Bobby Seale hurled attacks at the Judge, in court, for refusing his requests to postpone the trial, so that his own attorney could represent him. When Seale refused to be silenced, the judge ordered Seale bound and gagged in the courtroom, ultimately severing Seale from the case. He was later sentenced to four years in prison for contempt.

The Chicago Eight then became the Chicago Seven.

If you’ve seen/heard Bobby Seale give one of his many inspiring speeches, you have to wonder if this is something Mr Smith can pull off convincingly. The last time he played a real-life, boisterous, vociferous, A-Type, his performance left me wishing someone else had played the role... but I'm hopeful. With Spielberg at the helm, I expect mostly good things, as he'll be surrounded by a fairly strong cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Daniels.

And along with that bit of good news, I'll share some not-so good news. Will Smith will be flexing his behind-the-camera skills as producer (along with his wife) of an upcoming 2008 television show on the CW network called M.I.L.F. And Cookies! Yes, that's right, M.I.L.F. And Cookies - a 30-minute sitcom about young, sexy single moms living in a luxury apartment community, who "realize that they need each other in order to raise their kids and have social lives." I'm sure we all know what the acronym stands for by now :o)

Also, check out the ongoing discussion on Mr Smith in THIS previous posting below.

Pop quiz hotshots: what do these 3 gentlemen have in common, that could be of some specific interest to a man like Barack Obama?

This is one situation in which Monsieur Obama can certainly hope that life will eventually imitate art :o)