THE OBENSON REPORT

Covering Cinema From All Across The African Diaspora

Armchair Filmmaker - 'Nuts/Off,' The Movie

Posted on 10:22 AM comments (1)
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Just for the sheer fun of it, Xan Brooks over at The UK Guardian asks, who would you cast in the Jackson-Obama story?

The story: The film will be called Nuts/Off, an obvious riff on Face/Off, the John Travolta/Nicholas Cage film for years back. Here's Xan's take: It's the tale of Jackson, an ageing, charismatic African-American politician who wakes one morning to discover his thunder stolen by a stylish new kid on the block. Obama is Jackson minus the baggage, minus the rage and minus the moustache. Jackson wants to support Obama and he wants to cut his nuts off. He's conflicted - and therein lies the drama.

Sounds like a classic already :o)

They need a director and a genre. Some of Xan's suggestions: a drama, but who knows? It could be a musical, a knockabout buddy comedy, or an ultra-violent cartoon in the Itchy and Scratchy mode.

I'd just stick to drama.

Finally, a cast. His inspired choices? Carl Weathers bears a passing resemblance to Jackson, and Lord knows he could use the work. But Obama is more tricky (and is presumably a conundrum that real-life casting directors are already grappling with). Lance Reddick - so good as the upright, cadaverous Lt Daniels in The Wire. But I'm wondering if he might be a mite too forbidding for the role.

Man, I didn't even know Carl Weathers was still alive. But I can see him as Jackson actually, although haven't seen any recent pictures of him, so I don't know how well he's aged. Maybe Tarantino can direct - reviving Weathers' career the way Pulp Fiction brought Travolta back to centerstage. However, this has Spike Lee joint written all over it!

Read more and join the fun with your selections here: NUTS/OFF THE MOVIE

Lionsgate, YouTube Reach Ad-Share Deal

Posted on 5:17 PM No Comments
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Lionsgate has signed a deal with YouTube that will establish unprecedented cooperation between a film studio and the video file sharing website.

"You can take the strategy of fighting an endless war of trying to take down and resist YouTube or you can take the strategy of embracing the fact people seem to want to watch content in this way. " - Curt Marvis, president of digital media, at Lionsgate.

Good for you Lionsgate! Unlike all the other studios, I think you're finally getting it! Will the others follow suit? We'll see!

So, I guess this means we'll be able to watch all of Tyler Perry's movies on YouTube shortly, since Lionsgate is the sole distributor of his films :o)

SOURCE: LIONSGATE, YOUTUBE DEAL

Zimbabwe Inflation Hits 2.2 Million Percent!

Posted on 4:18 PM No Comments
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I can't even begin to make sense of that number. It's unreal! 2.2 million% inflation! In comparison, the average rate of inflation in the US of A over the last 30 year has been relatively stable at around 3 to 4%.

Also, keep in mind that as recently as February, just 5 months ago, Zimbabwe's reported rate of inflation was 165,000%, an unheard of number that was already ridiculously high. At a current 2.2 million%, the prices of basic goods like bread, when available, will go up by 30-40 percent PER DAY!

So, imagine this - a $2.00 loaf of bread today will rise to a price of about $2.80 by tomorrow, and then $3.92 by the 3rd day, and so on, and so forth!

Like I said, I can't even fathom those kind of numbers. It's so insane that it's almost laughable!I'm no economist, so a thorough explanation of how this got so out of hand, or how it can be reversed, escapes me - whether Mugabe is entirely to blame, or if US sanctions on Zimbabwe in order to put pressure on Mugabe are also a culprit, or if it's an amalgamation of both, and a lot more that I'm just not aware of.

And to think that Zimbabwe used to be one of Africa's best performing economies.

The meltdown continues... there has to be a bottom on the horizon.

Leaked Terminator 4: Salvation Teaser Trailer (Christian Bale)

Posted on 3:26 PM comments (1)
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This probably won't last long, because it's a leaked trailer, which I'm sure Warner Bros won't like, and will have it pulled once they find out it exists! Rumor is that the trailer is supposed to play before The Dark Knight opening this weekend, which makes sense since both movies star Christian Bale. The movie doesn't come out until a year from now, by the way, but they're already beating the drums...

Watch it while you still can. This tape will self-destruct in 5, 4, 3, 2, ...

UPDATE 5:54PM: As expected, the video was pulled from YouTube! BUT, if you didn't catch it, it's now over at Yahoo's movie page here: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810025211/trailer. They may have had exclusive rights or something...

Cheadle's 'Traitor' Gets Rating

Posted on 2:09 PM No Comments
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I just learned that the MPAA slapped a PG-13 rating on Don Cheadles's upcoming espionage thriller, Traitor, which I've written about previously on this blog.

I don't know if I like that. Based on all I've seen and read thus far, I was hoping for a "mature" film for an adult audience, not some watered down, softened up summer movie, made to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. I know, I know, it comes down to the proverbial bottomline - profit!

But knowing that it's going be a PG-13 movie (instead of a hard R) makes me a little less enthusiastic about seeing it.

Of course, I'll still see it, but I'd be lying if I said my already uncertain expectations haven't been lowered.

Traitor hits theatres August 27th.

Incase you need a reminder... here's the trailer:

Wanna Read The Script For Charlie Kaufman's Latest Opus?

Posted on 12:55 PM comments (3)
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I'm sure most of you are familiar with Mr Charlie Kaufman's work - Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and one of my favorites, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, amongst a few others. He of course wrote the screenplays for all of those films, while someone else directed them. With Synecdoche, NY, he not only wrote the screenplay, he also directed the film, which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and stars notable thespians, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, and Tilda Swinton.

What's it about?

As his nervous system shuts down, a theater director (Hoffman) struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play. Catherine Keener plays his first wife, Michelle Williams his second wife, and Samantha Morton his lover. Like previous Kaufman films, this one is said to exist in a blurred reality/fiction, and it's described by Kaufman himself as being ""creepy" but not a traditional horror movie!"

One critic who saw the film at Cannes said this about it: "... two hours of mental-mindf*ck... everyone is way too fried at this point to really sink their teeth into a film requiring this level of intellectual attention, and most of the folks I talked to after the screening felt they really need to see it at least once more to really wrap their minds around it."

Reviews of it have been mostly positive, but, to my knowledge it has no American distributor, which is a surprise given the talent involved. It doesn't sound like it'd be a hard sell! It already has foreign distributors (go figure, right?). So, no word on when the film will make it to American theatres.

Anyway, Kaufman is a master scribe, in my humble opinion. Everytime I watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I always wish I was the one of came up with it! So, this should be well written and an interesting read, at the very least, and I'm looking forward to digging into it!

Help yourselves to it if you want to read it as well, before it disappears.

Here's the link: SYNECDOCHE, NY SCREENPLAY.

Thanks to "zdenek" for the connection.

Elizabeth Dole Wants To Name AIDS Bill After Jesse Helms?

Posted on 12:16 PM No Comments
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This is a head-scratcher! I'm not sure what the hell her reasoning is, or if she's just losing her marbles? Bob, come get your wife!

From HuffPo:
- Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole introduced an amendment to name an HIV/AIDS relief bill after the recently deceased Jesse Helms. Helms, of course, was a strident foe of HIV/AIDS prevention, research and treatment.

More here: DOLE HAS GONE FRUITY

John Stewart Responds To Obama's New Yorker Cover (VIDEO)

Posted on 11:51 AM No Comments
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Leave it to John Stewart and The Daily Show to put everything into proper perspective... haha...

Obama Responds To New Yorker Cover (VIDEO)

Posted on 11:43 AM No Comments
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"It's a cartoon."

Trailer - 'Live!' (Eva Mendes)

Posted on 11:24 AM comments (1)
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Ehhh... I like the concept, but the execution doesn't excite me much.

The story goes... A television executive (Eva Mendes) develops what she hopes will become the most watched television show of all time, the ultimate reality show called "Live!" where contestants play Russian Roulette with a loaded gun.

As she struggles to overcome the challenges by the broadcast authorities, her network, and the show's advertisers, a maverick documentary filmmaker records every detail of her glamorous, high powered life.

The documentary filmmaker then becomes involved in the making of the show by creating biographical segments about the contestants, who include a young, struggling writer, an extreme sports star, a man trying to save his family's farm, an aspiring actress, a former super model turned performance artist, and a young immigrant determined to help his family.

Apparently, only those in UK will see it, starting in September.

Nelson Mandela Comic Book In The Works

Posted on 8:30 AM comments (1)
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Cool! If there's one person whose story deserves the comic book treatment, it's Nelson Mandela's :o) He's certainly a different kind of superhero!

But seriously, the man's life story should be made available in every freaking format possible! Books, audiotapes, music, comic books, images, stage, film, etc... I'm surprised that I've yet to see a really solid film about Mandela's life. There've been a few attempts, but nothing memorable at all, and I think that's unfortunate.

Clint Eastwood is said to be in pre-production for a film called, The Human Factor, a story about Mandela's life post-apartheid, starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, although from the little I've read about it, I'm getting a Last King Of Scotland kind of vibe from it. If you've seen that film, you'll know what I'm mean.

The most prominent was the 1987 film, Mandela, starring Danny Glover, but that was a made-for-tv movie! Mandela deserves grand celluloid treatment, and I can't say that anyone has done that... yet. What's the hold-up? Maybe the fear is that it just won't produce big box office. Why else?

According to EURweb, a biographical comic book is set to be created in honor of Nelson Mandela in commemoration of his 90th birthday. The comic book will be feature interviews, archived material and illustrations by young black artists as it follow's Mandela's life story, and will be published in July of 2009.

With the current onslaught of comic book adaptations by the studios, maybe the Mandela comic book will show up on someone's radar eventually, after they've run out of all the other titles :o)

SOURCE: MANDELA COMIC BOOK

Documentary In Need Of Women Who Blog About Indie Film & Related Matters

Posted on 8:12 AM comments (1)
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I was profiled for this documentary a few weeks ago (read all about that HERE). But I'm one of many dudes :o) And apparently, the filmmaker is in need of more female bloggers to profile for his documentary! So, if you fit the bill, please contact Sujewa as indicated below.

Everything you need to know follows:

Indie film blogger doc needs more ladies

I'd like to interview at least a couple more female indie film bloggers for my documentary The Indie Film Bloggers. There are only a few - a handful really - (that I know of) indie film bloggers who are female, so, extra work needs to be done to figure out if there are other female indie film bloggers out there.

So, if you are a woman who blogs about independent film & related matters- and you live in or near the DC or NYC areas- contact me (wilddiner@aol.com), send me a link to your blog(s), and I'll see if we can interview you for the documentary- the doc is bound to receive a nice amount of press (hopefully positive :) in the indie film blog world, maybe some screenings too, so, participating in the doc may be a positive thing for your blog & any other projects that you may undertake in the future

I have a great selection of bloggers on tape at the moment (the gender issue aside), so, the doc is going to be great. But, if possible, it would be better to add at least a couple more female indie film bloggers to the film.

Go here for more information about the doc.

Thanks!

- Sujewa

Morgan Freeman, The Wise Cook!

Posted on 10:17 PM No Comments
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AHEM! Didn't Morgan Freeman say just 2 months ago that he wanted to "kill the Morgan Freeman you know and love," and that he was "sick of playing the all-knowing cop, the principal with a heart of gold, the voice-of-reason sidekick, the ultra-cool president, and he's tired of playing God?"

I believe the term he used to define all those archetypes was, "Mr. Gravitas," stating emphatically that "he wants him gone," and that, "there's a finite number of characters who are like that before you start repeating yourself ad nauseam."

Then why is Mr Freeman taking on yet another role that, on the surface, based on the description below, seems so very much like several characters he's played previously?

I don't know.

From Variety:

- Danny DeVito will direct "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle," and has set Morgan Freeman, Pierce Brosnan and Saoirse Ronan to star.

DeVito wrote the script, an adaptation of the bestselling young adult novel, and the film is in pre-production, with shooting to begin in September.

Ronan will play the title character, a daring teen who makes a trans-Atlantic crossing from England to America in the 1830s and finds herself caught between a charismatic but ruthless captain and a mutinous crew. Brosnan will play the captain and Freeman plays the ship’s cook, who guides the young woman through the journey.

Maybe Mr Freeman plans on eliminating Mr Gravitas on the film after this one!

SOURCE: MR GRAVITAS MY ASS!

Plastic Man - Coming Soon?

Posted on 9:22 PM comments (2)
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The Super Hero movie deluge continues.

Damn! When will the madness stop? Aren't the studios concerned that audiences will soon tire of the onslaught? It's getting ridiculous now.

In the next 2 to 3 years alone, there are several comic book super hero properties that are scheduled to make it to a theatre near you, and will likely include this one: Plastic Man! Yes, Plastic Man. He's not quite as well known as the "Super Mans" and "Batmans" of the super hero universe, but he does (or did) exist, and the infamous Wachowski Brothers (who brought us the Matrix trilogy and the recent box office bomb, Speed Racer) want to give him celluloid life, with Mr Stiff, Keanu Reeves, in the titular role!

What's the difference between this dude and the stretchy guy from the Fantastic Four? This is one super hero I'm not so sure I want to see on screen. Just look at him for chrisakes!!!!

From Latino Review:

- I've always been a fan of Plastic Man since I was a kid. He was much more personable than that stuffy ass Reed Richards. Now underwear inspector Devin over at CHUD is reporting on the Wachowski's wanting to make a movie based off of the character. His source from Berlin named Ballack says the Wachowski's want Keanu in the role.

Would a Plastic Man movie ever be greenlit? Speed Racer tanked at the box office (my review is here) so the Wachoswski weight may not be as mighty as it once was. But after creating the Matrix trilogy of films, the brothers probably don't have much to worry about.

The rest here: PLASTIC MAN IS COMING?

Want To Be In 'Spider-Man,' The Musical?

Posted on 9:12 PM No Comments
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I'm having a really difficult time picturing how this would look on stage as a musical... I just can't see it! But, somebody (or some people) clearly know something I don't.

From MTV Movies:

- Would you want to be in “Spider-Man,” the musical?

The producers of “Spider-Man” have announced an open casting call in New York for singers and actors to audition as Peter Parker, Mary Jane, and Arachne. For Peter Parker, they’d like a male aged or appear to be aged 16- to 20-years-old, with a greak rock voice. He “can be nerdy with understated sex appeal” with a “good sense of humor.” For Mary Jane, they’d like a female in the same age range, with a strong pop/rock singing voice, who has a “beautiful girl-next-door” look. And for Arachne, a dangerous but seductive Spider-Woman, they’d like a female aged 25- to 35-years-old, with “amazing rock vocals.” “Think Sinead O’Connor with a Middle Eastern/Bulgarian/Greek twist,” they say. Foreign accents welcome.

If you want to try out, auditions are at the Knitting Factory, starting at 10 a.m. on July 28. Bring 16 bars of a pop/rock song that shows range, and bring the sheet music. Also bring a photo/resume stapled together, if you have one. “It’s cool if you don’t,” they say.

Director Julie Taymor (who won a Tony for directing “The Lion King”) and musicians Bono and the Edge of U2 (who did the music and lyrics) are behind this adaptation, which would launch in late 2009/early 2010.

SOURCE: MTV MOVIES.

New Postage Stamps Honor Early Black Cinema

Posted on 2:28 PM No Comments
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Ceremonies marking the sale of the stamps that honor vintage black cinema will be held at the Newark Museum in New Jersey. The stamps go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday.

Here are most of them:

- A poster advertising the 1935 film Princess Tam-Tam, starring Josephine Baker.
- Black and Tan, a 19-minute film released in 1929 featuring Duke Ellington and his Cotton Club Orchestra.
- Caldonia, another short at 18 minutes, which was released in 1945. It showcased singer, saxophonist and bandleader Louis Jordan.
- Hallelujah, a 1929 movie released by MGM. It was one of the first films from a major studio to feature an all-black cast.

Get yours at the USPS website, starting tomorrow!

SOURCE: YAHOO/AP

The Few Celebrities Who Wouldn't Sell Pictures Of Their Kids

Posted on 1:37 PM No Comments
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Looks like I'm not the only one bothered by, or talking about what seems like an increasing trend of celebrity parents selling pictures of their newborn kids to tabloid magazines.

As a follow-up to my Babies For Sale rant yesterday (which you can read HERE), I found the following useful piece on Gawker:

The Few Celebrities Who Wouldn't Sell Pictures of Their Kids

- Nicole Kidman: The Aussie actress made it clear, before any offers were on the table, that she would not be doing a photo op for her baby (with country singer Keith Urban).

- Halle Berry: Same went for the Monster's Ball actress. She kept her birth and her baby's visage private.

- Cate Blanchett: Because she's a class act from top to bottom, the Elizabeth actress didn't cotton to the baby business.

See the rest of them here: SORT OF HEROES.

Secrets To A Happy Union Courtesy Of Will And Jada

Posted on 12:35 PM comments (5)
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So... Will Smith recently confirmed long-standing rumors about his marriage to Jada Pinkett, stating that their's is an open marriage, in which each of them is free to sleep with other people, and that is what has kept their bond so strong for so long.

I remember when I first heard the rumor a couple of years ago, and refused to believe that it was true. But that changed in time; so this confirmation by Will isn't a surprise. Although, I'm sure all those people who questioned the ideology behind the couple's new school for their children, calling it a Scientology experiment, will have even more wood (pun intended) to throw into the pit.

The story goes...

- Will Smith has revealed the secret to a happy marriage - asking permission from your wife before you cheat on her.

The 'Men In Black' star says he and his wife of seven years, actress Jada Pinkett, have made a pact that they can sleep with other people, as long as it isn't behind each others back.

Will, who has confessed to fancying his co-stars, revealed: "Our perspective is you don't avoid what's natural. You're going to be attracted to people. In our marriage vows, we didn't say 'forsaking all others'.

"If it came down to it, then one can say to the other, 'Look, I need to have sex with somebody. I'm not going to if you don't approve of it - but please approve of it'."

HAHA!

But, all kidding aside... if anyone has seen my film, Beautiful Things, you'll know that I'm not entirely sold on long-term monogamy. I think it's a social construct and simply just not natural. Obviously, people do pair up and stay together for lifetimes. But I wonder just how content those people really are. I wonder how many of them might be surpressing some genuine desire for something else, or something more, but are afraid to act on what might in essence be a natural human response to stimuli; or have been so influenced by societal currents that they genuinely believe it immoral to act on their primal desires.

I don't plan on ever getting married. I've been in enough relationships in my 34 years on this planet, and have done enough self-analyzing, reaching certain realizations about myself, that have helped me understand what works for me. And I know that I just can't see myself in a monogamous relationship, with one woman, for more than a few years, let alone the rest of my life!

That obviously puts me in a quandary because most people I know have perspectives on this that are contrary to mine. Not only that - I'm still human, so I crave companionship from time to time like every other member of my species - both emotional and physical. However, the difference is, for me, the novelty wears off eventually - often relatively soon thereafter.

I think I can say that this is likely the case for many others (even though they all won't admit it), since, according to census stats, more than 50% of all marriages (in America anyway) end in divorce! Why, if not for reasons I stated above? It's like we keep trying to force ourselves into believing that there's only this singular specific way to live, even though we haven't been entirely successful with that way.

I don't think the end of a relationship automatically means that the relationship wasn't successful. I believe every experience is meant to be learned from; every person I get involved with is simultaneously a teacher and a student. We learn from each other. And eventually, the symbiosis fulfills its roll in each of our lives, and it's time to end it.

So, I actually appreciate the Pinkett-Smiths' method. Call it madness, but it makes sense to me. I think about these things frequently, and discuss them with friends often as well, so I could write volumes on the subject. I certainly don't plan to spend the rest of my life as a bachelor, but I don't plan to succumb to societal pressure either. I'm sure I can find some happy, healthy middle, which could be as simple as pairing up with a woman who shares my POV.

SOURCE: WILL'S SECRET TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE

Man Cuts Off Own Head With Chainsaw!

Posted on 12:21 PM comments (2)
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Whaaaaa?

How the hell is this possible? Wouldn't he have been dead long before he even got half-way through?

From Daily Mail UK:




- A ‘vulnerable’ man cut off his own head with a chainsaw after being ordered to move out of his home to make way for developers, police believe.

David Phyall’s severed head was found beside the power tool inside his housing association flat shortly after receiving his eviction notice.

Detectives were today investigating the possibility that the 58-year-old killed himself rather than leave his home of eight years.

He couldn't have been mentally stable.


The rest here: MAN CUTS OFF OWN HEAD

Trailer - 'Ping Pong Playa'

Posted on 11:42 AM comments (5)
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Sigh... *shaking my head*

The film is called Ping Pong Playa, emphasis on the word Playa, which is spelled just like that. Just watch the whole trailer to see and hear for yourself. And to think this is being released by the same company that recently picked up distribution rights to a film like Medicine For Melancholy. AND it was directed by Jessica Yu, the same filmmaker who brought us some really intriguing documentary pieces in Protagonist and In The Realms Of The Unreal. Films like this and The Wackness annoy me.

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