THE OBENSON REPORT

Covering Cinema From All Across The African Diaspora

Not Safe For Lunch! Yuck!

Posted on 10:41 AM comments (2)
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Man, I don't remember the last time I actually ate anything that came from either KFC or Taco Bell. It's been awhile. And news like this certainly doesn't make me want to make a trip to either place anytime soon. Granted this could have happened in almost any other eatery, and probably has, but today it's KFC's day!

From The Consumerist:

- A police officer and his family from Sydney, Nebraska have been awarded $40,000 from their lawsuit which alleged that a KFC/Taco Bell store had served them food contaminated with an employee's spit and urine in 2005. The lawsuit stated that fellow workers actually saw the employee taint the food and told management who failed to alert the family, according to the AP. Consequently, the officer's two sons became violently ill. His 4-year-old was hospitalized and treated for gastroenteritis and dehydration.

Yummy! I wonder how often shit like this happens? Probably more often than I'd like to know. I've had friends who worked in restaurant kitchens over the years, and many of them have similar stories to tell. It certainly makes me want to eat out less.

And do I really need to remind you of this video below?

Needless to say, KFC/Taco Bell aren't batting too high an average right now.

Read the rest here: THE CONSUMERIST - NSFL

Trailer - 'The Spirit' (Samuel L Jackson As The Octopus)

Posted on 12:45 AM comments (5)
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The story goes... adapted from the Will Eisner's graphic novels, The Spirit tells the story of a man who fakes his own death and fights crime from the shadows of Central City. It stars relative newcomer, Greg Macht as the title character, and Samuel L Jackson as the bad guy known as The Octopus who intends to wipe out the entire city. The Spirit tracks this coldhearted killer from the city's rundown warehouses, to the damp catacombs, to the windswept waterfront... all the while facing a bevy of beautiful women who either want to seduce, love or kill the masked crusader... led by Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johansson.

If the trailer reminds you of 2005's Sin City, there's a good reason why. Frank Miller, the creator of Sin City, also created The Spirit.

I don't care for what I see here. Samuel looks and sounds silly. The scenes are "stagy." Maybe it's a poorly cut trailer, but that's all I can go on. The film hits theatres on Christmas day.

Here's the trailer:

UPDATE 7/15/07 10:12AM EST

Sorry folks, but I got the below notice from YouTube telling me that the video I posted was in violation of copyright, so they pulled it. This is my second attempt, so I don't know if I'll try for a third. I have a copy of it on my local hard drive, so I just need to find some other lesser known file sharing site to dump it on so that I can embed it on this blog. The trailer was leaked, and Lionsgate wasn't too happy about that and has been aggressive in ensuring it doesn't exist anywhere online. Good luck with that Lionsgate!

Here's the YouTube notice I recieved. I feel so honored! Does this mean I've been placed on some "watch list" now?:

Dear Member:

This is to notify you that we have removed or disabled access to the following material as a result of a third-party notification by Lionsgate claiming that this material is infringing:

THE FULL SPIRIT Trailer Exclusive!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad7iDgVy2O0

Please Note: Repeat incidents of copyright infringement will result in the deletion of your account and all videos uploaded to that account. In order to prevent this from happening, please delete any videos to which you do not own the rights, and refrain from uploading additional videos that infringe on the copyrights of others. For more information about YouTube's copyright policy, please read the Copyright Tips guide.

If you elect to send us a counter notice, please go to our Help Center to access the instructions.

Please note that under Section 512(f) of the Copyright Act, any person who knowingly materially misrepresents that material or activity was removed or disabled by mistake or misidentification may be subject to liability.

Sincerely,

YouTube, Inc.

Another POV On Independent Film Distribution

Posted on 10:00 PM No Comments
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On a panel at the recent Los Angeles Film Festival, Matt Dentler, the former SWSX Film Festival program director who is now at Cinetic Media, laid out his views on the state of indie film digital distribution and what's to come. It's an hour long, but worth a listen.

The International Criminal Court's Bias As They Go After al-Bashir

Posted on 6:43 PM comments (2)
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As I'm sure we've all heard, today, the International Criminal Court (the ICC) formally requested an arrest warrant for Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.

Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked the court to issue an arrest warrant for al-Bashir, which is fully expected to be granted.

First of all, good luck to the ICC on getting the Sudanese government to turn over al-Bashir for prosecution, or al-Bashir to wilfully surrender, because, it ain't gonna happen!

Secondly, it's worth noting that in its 6 years of existence, the ICC has received almost 3,000 communications/complaints about alleged crimes in at least 139 countries; but, as of July 2008, the Prosecutor has opened investigations into just four of those situations: Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Darfur - obviously all African countries!

I'm certainly no conspiracy theorist, and the above countries have been notable troubled political hotspots in recent years, but I simply can't believe that there haven't been other governments outside the African continent that warrant investigation.

For example, under the definition of the term "war crimes" as defined by the Geneva Convention (the agreed on body of laws that sets the standards for international law for humanitarian concerns), isn't the United States government (George Bush et al) guilty, and thus should be investigated by the ICC? Shouldn't Moreno-Ocampo ask the court to issue a warrant for George Bush's arrest for crimes against peace and crimes against humanity, in Iraq and Afghanistan?

The ICC's raison d'etre is to prosecute individuals within its jurisdiction who are guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression.

The 4 African governments currently under investigation certainly shouldn't be alone in the gallows.

SOURCES: NY TIMES AL-BASHIR ACCUSED; ABOUT THE ICC; COMPLAINTS TO THE ICC

Rant - Babies For Sale?

Posted on 3:43 PM comments (3)
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I'm bothered by the bidding wars waged between tabloid magazines for picture rights to the newborn babies of celebrity parents.

With the recent Brangelina baby births, which I'm sure we've ALL heard about given just how much coverage the news has been getting, the only other topic more important than the birth of the twins seems to be which publication will get first crack at pictures of the newborn infants! It's nuts!

Even worse is when parents oblige, essentially prostituting their children, who, by the way, have absolutely no say whatsoever in the decision, asking for millions of dollars, as we saw in Jennifer Lopez's case, when she and husband Marc Anthony were reportedly paid a cummulative $6 Million for pictures of their twins earlier this year. Christina Aguilera sold her child's pictures for a reported $1.5 million; Nicole Richie received $1 million for shots of her baby... and the list goes on. I don't recall if Halle Berry or Nicole Kidman made any similar irresponsible decisions... but this is certainly nothing new.

Ok. Fine. Yes, I understand. The tabloids are relentless, unforgiving, and will do almost anything to get the stories that they want, even if it means implementing something immoral or unethical. And they'll likely have their aggressive paparazzi photographers taunt each celebrity parent until the coveted photos are acquired, whether by the parents' eventual submission, or via other illogical, acrobatic stunts. It's a competitive industry - a magazine getting an exclusive story or photo could mean a dramatic increase in sales. So, if you're a parent with child, it's probably wisest to simply give them what they want, at a price of course, so as to avoid certain molestation. I get it.

However, I suggest the following: if you are a J-Lo or Nicole Richie, or whomever, and you do decide to essentially play pimp to your kids for a few million dollars, at the very least, do the *right* thing and give all the money away to those who actually need it - whether it's your favorite charity, or the homeless shelter on that other side of town that you rarely, if ever, drive through.

It's unfortunate to think that any of these parents would pocket the money paid to them for the sale of their voiceless childrens' images - images that the entire world will see! It's tacky, and just simply wrong!

So, don't do it. Or, if you choose to do it, donate the money - all of it - as Brangelina Jolie-Pitt did when they sold pictures of their son, Shiloh, to People Magazine for $4 million a few years ago, and gave all the proceeds of the sale to charitable causes. I certainly hope they'll continue that trend with whatever amount they are paid for first dib snaps of the two newborn twins.

It would be wonderful if others will follow their lead.

Get Ready For 'Chocolate News'

Posted on 1:48 PM comments (7)
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Hmmmm... the more I think about this, the more I think it could actually be worthwhile! Obviously a lot depends on how well it's written - if it's anything like its predecessors, The Daily Show and Colbert Report, but maybe with what I'll call an "African American slant" (essentially a focus primarily on African American news views), then I'm all for it. If it's going to be another sketch comedy-type show like In Living Color, then I say forget about it!

I think this is the kind of programming that stations like BET and/or TV-One should have considered doing. And not necessarily an exact replica of the above 2 shows; although such an attempt would actually be a welcomed change from what each station currently offers.

The show, titled Chocolate News, debuts this fall on Comedy Central, and will be hosted by In Living Color alum, David Alan Grier. whom I think is actually a good candidate for hosting duties.

I'm guessing this is meant to pick up where Chappelle's show left off.

Here's the news from the New York Times:

- Get ready for a black, tongue-in-cheek version of “Dateline.”

“Chocolate News,” a new sketch comedy series on Comedy Central, will made its debut in October. The show, starring David Alan Grier, will pretend to offer news from an African-American perspective.

“Chocolate News” is ostensibly a news magazine — the “Dateline” to Jon Stewart’s “Nightly News.” As an example of what viewers can expect, Mr. Grier pointed to an upcoming skit about the person who does John McCain’s laundry. The skit also features Mr. McCain’s “Reverend Wright-type person,” referring to Mr. Obama’s controversial pastor.

Mr. Grier joked: “We found John McCain’s launderer, his dry cleaner, and his recordings… where the guy goes, you know, ‘Black and white cannot be together. If they mix, white will be ruined. This cannot be allowed to happen.’ ” In the skit, the comments are “used by the ‘Chocolate News’ to bring him down,” Mr. Grier added.

SOURCE: CHOCOLATE NEWS ON NYT

MLK Jr's Descendants Battling Over His Estate

Posted on 1:35 PM No Comments
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This is actually rather unfortunate and sad! Money, money, money! What we allow it to do to us is truly pathetic! Greed - one societal ill begging for a cure.

Read on from EURweb:

- Unfortunately the King family legacy is being tarnished because [MLK's descendants] are embroiled in a divisive dispute over their father's estate.

Bernice King and Martin Luther King III filed a lawsuit Thursday to force their younger brother, Dexter King, to open the books of MLK Jr.'s estate.

The lawsuit claims that Dexter King, the estate's administrator, is refusing to provide his two siblings with documents concerning the estate's operations. That includes financial records, contracts and other documents, the lawsuit said.

At stake are millions of dollars in assets linked to MLK Jr's intellectual property rights, including the $32 million that donors in Atlanta recently paid to acquire 10,000 pages of his papers.

Read more here: MLK SIBLINGS AT WAR.

Egypt's Own James Bond - Coming Soon!

Posted on 12:25 PM comments (2)
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The world's only transcontinental country (to my knowledge anyway) - Egypt - is bringing the Arab world's very own "kick-ass" secret agent to the big screen!

I say transcontinental because while Egypt sits firmly in North Africa, making it an African country, it's also home to a land bridge (the Isthmus of Suez) which connects Africa to the Asian continent, specifically the Middle East, making Egypt also a Middle Eastern (Asian) country.

Which continent it belongs to depends on who you ask - at least that's been my experience! It's always been an African country to me.

According to Variety, Saudi billionaire Prince Waleed Bin Talal and his Rotana Films is bankrolling the endeavor, stating, "Rotana Films has acquired the rights to Egyptian writer Nabil Farouk's "Ragol al mostaheel" ("Man of the Impossible") 25 years after the bestselling book was first published. The book centers on the adventures of Adham Sabri, a highly skilled Egyptian superspy, whose exploits often see him foiling the rival intelligence agencies of the U.S., Russia and Israel. "

The project is set to hit cinemas sometime in 2009. There is no word yet on who will play the plum role of Sabri, and the film is already "gearing up to be a must-see Arab film next year." "We're going to hold a beauty contest of Arab producers and decide who we want to work with," quips Frederic Sichler, head of the Cairo-based Rotana Films. "There is no doubt it will be one of the most important productions in the Middle East next year. It might not be that exciting for people in Los Angeles but it marks a major step forward for us in the Middle East. The talent here is everywhere. Our top priority is to deliver strong Arab content and make Arab films which work internationally. We are going to build the distribution outlets and get the stories out. No other part of the world is so absolutely crucial to the future of the world. People are waiting for strong, relevant artistic stories that show the Arab point of view. The Middle East is filled with politics and religion but that is only part of it. That is not the only story."

Ideally, I wouldn't expect a photocopy of the James Bond or Jason Bourne serials, with Egyptian faces populating the film. Imitating Hollywood's formula for the "super spy" sub-genre would be a bad idea. I'd like to see them come up with something wholly original. But this desire to produce something that "works internationally" (which, if Bollywood's recent moves are any indication, means "works in the American market") indicates the former.

Although it would be great to see an Arab foiling rival intelligence agencies of the U.S. for a change, taking out American villains. We're so used to being fed the opposite - the archetypal Arab terrorist we've seen countless times. It would be nice to see the tables turned, and whether American audiences would welcome a film with that particular message.

SOURCE - EGYPTIAN SPY AT VARIETY.

Vogue Italia's "Black Issue" A Hot Seller!

Posted on 11:57 AM comments (5)
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Apparently, there's a seriously high demand for the current issue of Vogue Italia's so-called "Black Issue" - which I'm assuming you all know something about. I posted an entry all about it which you can read here: VOGUE: THE BLACK ISSUE.

The issue went on sale in the US last week Friday, and has been flying off store shelves - surpassing expectations! Who knew that there would be this much interest in seeing black models dominate an issue of an influential fashion mag like Vogue? Or are these buyers simply "investors" wanting to own the issue that some are saying could become a collectors item in a few years, making it much more valuable than its current likely sub-$20 price tag?

As stated on WWD.com: ... Fashionistas evidently hurried to newsstands across New York City to get their hands on the July Italian Vogue featuring all black models. By 10 a.m., Universal News on 58th Street and Eighth Avenue... had already sold 50 copies. Hudson News in Grand Central Station sold 20 copies by 11 a.m. By noon, Universal News on 56th Street and Lexington Avenue had sold its last issue, and the one on 14th Street near Sixth Avenue had sold over 100 copies, with a few more left to move... A spokeswoman for Condé Nast (Vogue's publisher) said the company increased newsstand distribution of the special issue by 40 percent in the U.S... The company will also print another 10,000 copies to meet the demand for the issue!

I'm actually really curious who all these people are buying it. Are these black women or Vogue's already existing audience, which, I'm guessing is made up predominantly of white middle to upper middle class women? Remember this is the Italian Vogue, not the Vogue that most readers here in America are familiar with. I'm not even sure if it's printed in English!

SOURCE: A BLACK ISSUE AT WWD.COM

Is It Curtains For Old Media Critics?

Posted on 11:22 AM comments (1)
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Adding to the numerous other articles that have been written under the old media vs new media umbrella... this one discusses the challenges that bloggers like myself present to writers for "brick and mortar" publications like the New York Times and others.

Here's a sample: Critics are being downsized all over the place, whether it's in classical music, dance, theatre or other areas of the arts. While economics are clearly at work here - seeing their business model crumble, many newspapers simply have decided they can't afford a full range of critics any more - it seems clear we're in an age with a very different approach to the role of criticism. It appears that consumers no longer feel the need to obtain their opinions from on high: the authority of the critic, derived from their paid position on a newspaper, is diminished. Opinion has been democratised.

The last 2 sentences say it all!

Join the conversation here: IS IT CURTAINS FOR CRITICS.

Sanaa Lathan And Nia Long In 'Cleveland Show'

Posted on 10:57 AM comments (1)
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I wrote about the animated TV program Cleveland Show initially back in May. Read that post HERE to catch up!

Some new news has surfaced:

Variety Magazine says that the show "has found a way to balance out the racial makeup of its leads."

Mike Henry (a white dude) has been the voice the character of African-American character Cleveland since the character's days on the show it was spun off from, The Family Guy.

Now, actor Kevin Richardson (a black dude) has been tapped to supply the voice of Lester, a white "redneck" who lives next door!

Also joining the cast of voices are Sanaa Lathan who will play Donna, Cleveland's new love interest. Donna is a single mom with two kids, one of whom will be voiced by Nia Long. Long will play Roberta, a rebellious teen.

The Cleveland Show revolves around Cleveland Brown, who decides to take his son and move to Stoolbend, Va., where he moves in with his high school sweetheart and encounters a new cast of characters, and of course, hilarity and hijinx ensue.

The adult cartoon program is scheduled to debut during the 2009 TV season.

Here's a trailer:


SOURCE: CLEVELAND ON VARIETY

World's Oldest Blogger Dies

Posted on 8:40 AM No Comments
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This was a heartwarming (albeit sad) story to read first thing on a Monday morning.

From Yahoo News:

- An Australian woman described as the world's oldest Internet blogger has died at the age of 108 after posting a final message about singing "a happy song" in her nursing home. Olive Riley "passed away peacefully on July 12 and will be mourned by thousands of Internet friends and hundreds of descendants and other relatives," a note on her website said.

Born in the outback town of Broken Hill on October 20 1899, she lived through two world wars and raised three children while doing various jobs, including ranch cook and barmaid.

In her final post on June 26, she wrote: "I can't believe I've been here in this nursing home for more than a week. How the days have flown, even though I've been in bed most of the time. I still feel weak, and can't shake off that bad cough. Penny, who's in the next bed to mine, had a visit one day this week from her daughter, who's a professional singer. Guess what happened! She and I sang a happy song, as I do every day, and before long we were joined by several nurses, who sang along too. It was quite a concert!"

Riley's blog, initially on www.allaboutolive.com.au.

According to her great grandson, "She had people communicating with her from as far away as Russia and America on a continual basis, not just once in a while. She enjoyed the notoriety -- it kept her mind fresh."

I hope I'm still blogging at 108 years old! Although, blogging as we know it probably won't exist in its current form. It may not even be called blogging by then.

SOURCE: WORLD'S OLDEST BLOGGER DIES

Sanaa Lathan Goes Under The Sheets With Another White Dude!

Posted on 9:46 PM comments (12)
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Yes, that's Sanaa Lathan in bed (again) with some white dude :o)

The white dude this time is Matthew Broderick - Ferris Bueller in the flesh, literally!

This is a still image from an upcoming film, starring both Broderick and Lathan, titled Wonderful World, from first time director, Joshua Goldin, who also wrote the screenplay for 1990's anti-hero superhero film, Darkman. I can cut the irony here with a meat cleaver!

The synopsis in its most simplistic form: A romantic comedy about a bitter divorced man (Broderick) who enters into a relationship with an African woman (Lathan). Yes, an African woman - specifically Senegalese!

The more elaborate description of the film: Could fish really fall from the sky? Ben Singer, the world's most negative man, refuses to believe even the tiniest miracle is possible. He spends all his time fighting the corporate super organism, otherwise known as "The Man". That fight becomes more personal when visions of "The Man" start to visit him in his small one bedroom apartment. When his roommate, Ibou, falls ill, Ben is forced to host his Senegalese sister, Khadi. What starts as an awkward living arrangement soon turns into something more, and Ben's usual self-destructive nature gives way as he begins to find inspiration in the most unlikely of places.

Ummm, let me guess, between Sanaa Lathan's legs? Ok, a little crass, I know. Deal with it :o)

Like others before it, this could be treading dangerously close to that line past which all kinds of hackneyed, repulsive archetypes and stereotypes exist.

Yes, I realize I'm judging it without first seeing the film. But, as the saying goes, if it walks like a duck...

Interestingly, the film has no American distributor yet, although it's already been picked up for international release by a UK-based distribution company called K5 International. So, all you Brits might get to see it before the rest of us do... maybe. I'm sure we'll get to see it here in some form.

I couldn't find a trailer for it anywhere, but you can check out more stills from the film and some press write-ups here: K5 INTERNATIONAL.

'Desperate Black Wives' On TV

Posted on 9:14 PM comments (7)
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HAHAHA! You just can't make this stuff up, I tell ya!

From Variety Swag:

Execs at New Zealand's Prime TV network were looking a little sheepish after hardcore porn interrupted a Sunday-afternoon family rugby game.

Grassroots Rugby switched suddenly to Desperate Black Wives 2, from the adult Spice Channel. The clip ran for nearly four minutes before reverting; the net blamed a "distribution error" in its routing equipment.

Prime issued an apology. The matter now lies with the Kiwi Broadcasting Authority, which will decide whether to penalize the network.

Yes, that's the DVD cover for Desperate Black Wives 2 above left. I'm sure those Tasmanites, Wellingtonians and Auklanders got quite an eyeful of all that "desperate" chocolate hotness on screen! And I'm sure quite a few of them thoroughly enjoyed all 4 minutes too, and likely wished it went on longer. Expect ratings for the Grassroots Rugby program to go up in coming weeks, and I'll be looking to see if sales of the porn title suddenly increase dramatically, specifically in south-western Pacific areas :o)

And for those interested, from the little research I did, the Desperate Black Wives series is currently up to its 4th installment!

Oh and..."Kiwi Broadcasting Authority"??? Ok.

SOURCE: DESPERATE ON VARIETY

Say It Ain't So - One Critic Actually Doesn't Like 'The Dark Knight?'

Posted on 8:39 PM comments (2)
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David Edelstein, the influential film critic for New York Magazine is the first soul brave enough to actually say anything negative about the next Batman installment, The Dark Knight! It's been all champagne and caviar buzz over the last several weeks, which you'd know if you've been reading this blog.

Here are some of his thoughts:

- The novelty wears off and the lack of imagination, visual and otherwise, turns into a drag. The Dark Knight is noisy, jumbled, and sadistic. Even its most wondrous vision—Batman’s plunges from skyscrapers, bat-wings snapping open as he glides through the night like a human kite—can’t keep the movie airborne. There’s an anvil attached to that cape.

- The tumult is spectacularly incoherent. Nolan appears to have no clue how to stage or shoot action. He got away with the chopped-up fights in Batman Begins because his hero was a barely glimpsed ninja, coming at villains from all angles in stroboscopic flashes. There are more variables here, which means more opportunities to say “What the f--- just happened?” I defy you to make spatial sense of the early scene in which Batman battles faux Batmen, gangsters, and the Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy in a cameo that comes to nothing).

Of course, keep in mind this is the same dude who liked You Don't Mess With The Zohan!

Read the rest of his review here: EDELSTEIN ON DARK KNIGHT

Borris Kodjoe Is A 'Surrogate'

Posted on 8:08 PM comments (1)
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The subject of many a female (and some male) fantasy, Boris Kodjoe, has joined the cast of the Disney sci-fi thriller The Surrogates which stars Bruce Willis.

The film is (no surprise) an adaptation of a popular graphic novel of the same title, that takes place in (no surprise) a future (2054), where humans use surrogates (remote-controlled artificial bodies) to interact with one another. But one man (no surprise) who sees this way of life as illogical, makes it his mission to return humans to the old way of life when we actually interacted with each other directly, and not through proxies.

Obviously another foreshadowing of what one person suggests the world could eventually become, and his theory isn't too far-fetched. We already express ourselves quite frequently with various kinds of "surrogates" or "proxies" - we're all doing so right now, as I type this blog and as you read it!

Altogether now... Ooooooohhhh! (Cue inflated crescendo score here)

The film also stars Ving Rhames by the way. I have no idea how involved their individual roles will be. We'll find out November 2009. See cover of the comic book at right.

SOURCE: SURROGATE KODJOE

What 'Meet Dave' Aspires To Be

Posted on 8:00 PM No Comments
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After the below Obama/New Yorker post, I needed something to cheer me up and this did!

From Hollywood Elsewhere:

If you actually saw Meet Dave this weekend, or are planning on seeing it, watch this - a segment from Woody Allen's 1972 film Everything You Wanted to Know about Sex, But Were Afraid to Ask. The punchline should be obvious if you know what Meet Dave is about.

New Yorker Magazine Punks Obama - Calls It Satire!

Posted on 7:23 PM comments (3)
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UPDATE TO BELOW'S POST - According to The Huffington Post: Barry Blitt, the artist behind this week's controversial New Yorker Magazine cover of Barack and Michelle Obama, responds to mounting criticism via email, stating, "I think the idea that the Obamas are branded as unpatriotic [let alone as terrorists] in certain sectors is preposterous. It seemed to me that depicting the concept would show it as the fear-mongering ridiculousness that it is." And in retrospect, given the outcry, is he glad he made the art? "Retrospect? Outcry?" he wrote. "The magazine just came out ten minutes ago, at least give me a few days to decide whether to regret it or not..."

MY ORIGINAL POST

You know how that saying goes... with friends like these, who needs enemies. What you see above is the cover of the latest issue of New Yorker Magazine - an image of Obama in a turban and robes "fist-bumping" Michelle (an afro'd Michelle nonetheless), looking like an armed revolutionary, packing a machine gun and some serious ammo, as they both stand in the Oval Office, under a picture of Osama bin Laden above a roaring fireplace, in which burns an American flag!

Need I remind you that New Yorker Magazine is an unabashedly left-wing liberal periodical. So, tell me, why would they think that the above image is suitable for publication in the current hostile electoral climate? The magazine claims it's satire, and thus, their readership, likely upper middle class (and above) white democrats, should be smart and "sophisticated" enough to recognize that it is indeed satire, and catch the wink!

Sure, maybe this'll fly in a city like New York, but I'm not so sure about Boseman, Montana (no offense). All this does, satire or not, is contribute to the already aggressive right-wing smearing stereotypical currents that paint Obama as an unpatriotic Muslim, and Michelle as the angry black woman who has it in for whitey.

Satire, New Yorker? Who was the moron that thought this was a good idea?

I'm sure there's going to be A LOT of coverage of this over the next 24 hours, and many angry supporters, so get ready!

According to Politico.com, Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton says: “The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create. But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."

Even McCain's camp agreed!

Sheesh!

SOURCE: DUMB-ASS NEW YORKER!

Something To Get You Peppered Up For Work Tomorrow Morning!

Posted on 7:07 PM No Comments
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Found this over at Buzzfeed, courtesy of Mr Jeff Bridges (that's his writing I believe). Anyway, just a little Sunday evening fun! If you can't read it, click on it for an enlarged view.

Even God Took A Day Off, Right?

Posted on 2:19 PM comments (1)
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Well, I'm not taking the entire day off, but I've got some other items that demand my attention today, so I'm out and about - places to go, people to see, lives to change, kingdoms to conquer... you know, the usual! But I'm sure there's a lot already here to catch up on, especially if you're just joining us.

Oh yeah, Hellboy 2 beat out Hancock for the #1 slot at the box office this weekend, as expected, although it wasn't by much. And Eddie's stinker of a movie, Meet Dave, opened at number 7, taking in just over $5 Million. Needless to say, this will be another critical and financial dud. It's Pluto Nash all over again. The man apparently hasn't learned anything from that previous experience.

Films on the charts that I recommend? I haven't seen Mongol (the Genghis Khan pic), but I've heard nothing but really good things about it. It's playing in limited release. Also, the Roman Polanski documentary - Wanted And Desired is worth checking out. It actually aired on HBO already, which is where I saw it, about a week ago. But it's now in theatres as well, also in limited release. I've been meaning to check out John Cusack's wicked satirical piece, War, Inc. I hopefully will soon.

I haven't started reading the Tarantino script below yet, so don't expect a review until tomorrow or the day after.

I'm sure everyone has heard about the arrests of Jeffrey Wright and Josh Brolin in Louisiana early Saturday morning right? If not click here: AP W CREW ARRESTED.

That's all folks! Go outside and enjoy the weather. It's a nice summer day in NYC today.

C-ya in a bit.

I'm Audi 5000! (does anybody even say that anymore?)
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