ABC, CNN EARN MOST JACKSON MEMORIAL VIEWERS: Broadcast earns 31.1 million in total viewership.
*Michael Jackson's widely televised memorial on Tuesday – carried live across an unprecedented 18 cable and broadcast networks – drew 31.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, with ABC and CNN attracting the highest number of viewers.
Both outlets averaged a leading 5.3 million viewers apiece, followed by NBC with 5.1 million, CBS with 3.9 million, Fox News at 2.2 million and MSNBC earning 1.4 million.
By comparison, the collective 31.1 million in viewership didn't quite reach the multi-network numbers for Ronald Reagan's 2004 burial (35.1 million) or for the funeral of Princess Diana (33.8 million). But MJ's final farewell attracted a larger audience than the 8.8 million who watched the 2005 funeral of Pope John Paul II.
Meanwhile, millions of additional viewers watched the Jackson memorial online. When added to the television count from Nielsen, total viewership in the U.S. for Jackson's memorial may have likely surpassed that of Reagan's or Diana's.
For instance, MSNBC.com (19 million streams) and MSN.com (9.7 million) broke their all-time streaming video records with Tuesday's event, according to the Hollywood Reporter. ABC's digital network delivered nearly
6 million streams.
As for overseas viewing, more than 6 million people watched the live primetime broadcasts of the service In the U.K. According to unofficial overnight figures cited by the Hollywood Reporter, BBC 2's live coverage attracted an average of 4 million viewers and a 19% audience share that peaked at 5.2 million toward the end of the service, while Channel Five's coverage had an audience of 1.2 million and a 5% share between 6:30-9 p.m. in the U.K. Sky News had an average audience of 897,000 for its coverage.
In Germany, more than 20 million people -- almost one-quarter of the country's population of 83 million -- saw the live transmission from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on more than 10 TV stations, according to market research company Media Control.
On the main national terrestrial channels in France, about 10 million people watched coverage of the memorial, more than a 50% audience share, according to audience measurement company Mediametrie.
ABC, CBS and NBC each had Jackson specials at 10 p.m. EDT and they had a combined audience of 20.5 million viewers. ABC won bragging rights for its Elizabeth Vargas-hosted hour focused on Jackson's children, with a leading 8.6 million viewers.
STEVE MCNAIR SERVICES HELD IN TENN.: Thousands of fans attend visitation to honor former QB's life.
*A three-hour visitation for slain ex-NFL quarterback Steve McNair was held in Tennessee Thursday at the Mount Zion Baptist Church, with a memorial serviced planned for later in the evening.
Some fans attending the service wore their Tennessee Titans to view the closed silvery-gray casket topped with white lilies next to a portrait of the former Titans star. A helicopter provided live TV footage as McNair's body was taken by hearse to his church for a memorial service planned for Thursday night.
Titans owner Bud Adams, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, and many of McNair's current and former teammates were expected to attend the memorial service. Derrick Mason, who played with McNair in both Tennessee and Baltimore, was scheduled to speak along with Titans coach Jeff Fisher.
Attorney Roger May, who represented McNair in his two drunk driving arrests, said he didn't anticipate anyone from the McNair family making any statements Thursday.
Church officials anticipated up to 5,500 attending the memorial service and opened up overflow areas for seating.
The Titans estimated approximately 9,000 people had visited LP Field, where fans could reminisce about his career, between Wednesday and midday Thursday. A couple of radio stations were broadcasting from the stadium where the shop had sold out all of its McNair merchandise except for a few children's shirts.
Meanwhile, the police dashboard camera footage of McNair's mistress Sahel Kazemi during her DUI bust two days before the murder has hit YouTube.
Sahel was initially pulled over for speeding on July 2, then forced to take field sobriety tests -- which she failed. Cops allowed McNair and another man in the Escalade to leave in a taxi -- but the former NFL star showed up at the jail later on to bail out Sahel.
The DUI is one of a handful of circumstances -- including Sahel's belief Steve had another lover -- that cops believe led to the shootings.
DONATELLA VERSACE STYLED JACKSONS FOR MEMORIAL: Janet called the designer to request her special touch.
*Vanity Fair is reporting that the Jackson family's color coordination at Tuesday's memorial was the creation of Donatella Versace, who was contacted by Janet Jackson and requested to outfit the entire clan.
Donatella's late brother Gianni Versace, founder of the Versace fashion house, first collaborated with Michael Jackson, back in 1983. The designer was still an up-and-comer, and the singer was already a superstar in need of an outfit to wear opposite Paul McCartney in the video for “Say Say Say.”
The unusual black-and-white-checked tailcoat Gianni whipped up must have pleased Jackson, as he continued to wear Versace both on- and offstage throughout his life.
Several of Michael’s iconic, military-inspired costumes, as seen in both the Dangerous and HIStory tours, were Versace creations. Janet wore the label onstage during her recent Rock Witchu tour, and Michael' former wife Lisa Marie Presley appeared in campaigns for Versace’s offshoot label Versus during their marriage.
Per Vanity Fair:
For Tuesday’s memorial, Donatella created more fittingly somber numbers than the frogged gold jackets and bodysuits her brother designed for Michael decades ago. The Jackson men were outfitted in sharp black suits and subtly golden ties. When it came to the women, Donatella couldn’t help but add some Versace flair, apparent in the sassy wide brim of Latoya’s hat and the subtly revealing sheer panels of Janet’s black sheath.
In a move that was both Versace flash and poignant homage, the men displayed a single white glove as they carried Michael’s fittingly flamboyant gold casket.
STALKING CHARGES AGAINST MARION BARRY DROPPED: U.S. Attorney's Office said it would not pursue the allegations.
*Federal prosecutors have dropped charges against former Washington Mayor Marion Barry, who was accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend in Southeast D.C. last weekend.
U.S. Park Police arrested the current city councilman on Saturday on a stalking charge after they said a woman complained she was being stalked.
Barry's lawyer denied the allegations and said he was arrested on the way home from a meal with the woman, Donna Watts-Brighthaupt. Watts-Brighthaupt earlier this week also released a statement that appeared to deny she had accused him of stalking.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday that it would not pursue the stalking charges after reviewing evidence, reports the Associated Press.
PELOSI SQUASHES MICHAEL JACKSON RESOLUTION: Plus, Pete King stands by his 'pervert' statements about the late singer.
*It's over for House Resolution 600 – the legislation introduced by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas that would have proclaimed Michael Jackson as an American legend, musical icon and world humanitarian.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday denied the resolution because debate on the symbolic measure could raise "contrary views" about the pop star's life, she explained.
Lawmakers are free to use House speeches "to express their sympathy or their praise any time that they wish," said Pelosi, D-Calif. "I don't think it's necessary for us to have a resolution."
Even before Pelosi's comments, some Democrats said privately they did not support the resolution and a divisive debate would hurt House efforts to muster the votes for priorities such as health care and climate change.
"A resolution, I think, would open up to contrary views to — that are not necessary at this time to be expressed in association with a resolution whose purpose is quite different," Pelosi said at a Capitol Hill news conference where she discussed various legislative matters.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who posted a video on YouTube calling Michael Jackson a "pervert" and a "pedophile," had pledged to do all he could to block the resolution. In an interview Wednesday on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," he said his views had not changed.
The Long Island Republican told host Bill O'Reilly that he "was saying what millions of Americans really felt."
Unbowed, Jackson Lee said she will seek support from colleagues who thanked her when she introduced the measure June 26, one day after Michael Jackson died. She said honorary resolutions don't often "pass the next day."
When members of the Congressional Black Caucus held a moment of silence in the House after Jackson died June 25, some lawmakers walked out of the chamber. It drew only one co-sponsor, Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., and was not endorsed by other black caucus members.
From the stage at Jackson's memorial Tuesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Jackson Lee hoisted a framed copy of the resolution.
MIJAC MEMORIAL COST LA TAXPAYERS $1.4 MILLION: City has received only $17,000 in donations so far.
*Los Angeles spent $1.4 million to provide security, traffic control and other services for Michael Jackson's memorial service, city officials said as they continued to search for alternative means to help the financially-strapped city pick up the bill.
Fans have thus far donated $17,000 in contributions through a city-launched Web site that accepts tax-deductible donations through credit cards, PayPal or check, but contributions have been hampered by technical problems, the mayor's office said in a statement.
The site received so many hits that the servers crashed Tuesday night and several times Wednesday, said Matt Szabo, a spokesman for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The city's information technology department is working to rectify the problems.
Most city expenses went to the $1.1 million in overtime pay for the 4,173 officers who worked to secure Staples Center, Forest Lawn cemetery and other areas that attracted fans and members of the media, the Police Department said in a statement.
City officials said Wednesday that the remaining amount covered traffic control, cleanup and other costs related to Tuesday's public memorial service, which was attended by a total of more than 17,000 fans and watched by tens of millions of people around the world.
Szabo hailed the tally a success. He said it was "far less" than the initial estimate of $4 million. Nonetheless, city attorney Carmen Trutanich said his office was investigating how the city can legally press third parties to pick up at least some of the tab.
Trutanich aims to have a report ready for the City Council by Friday, said spokesman John Franklin.
The Jackson memorial was the second recent event that resulted in extraordinary costs at a time when the city is a half-billion dollars in debt and facing employee layoffs. Last month's victory parade for the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers cost an estimated $2 million. AEG Live gave $1 million to the city for that event and other private donors stepped in.
LIVING COLOUR RETURNS WITH NEW ALBUM: Funk-rock group's first studio set in nearly six years is due in September.
*Funk-rock band Living Color is preparing to release their 11-song album "The Chair in the Doorway," the group's first set of new material in nearly six years.
Due Sept. 15 on Megaforce Records, the project was recorded in numerous locations over the last few years, with a majority of the sessions taking place at Sono Studios outside Prague in the Czech Republic, reports Billboard.
According to lead singer Corey Glover, most of the material came to fruition after the band was asked to re-record "Cult of Personality" for "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock." From there, the group fleshed out songs when on tour and while Glover had time off from touring duties as Judas in "Jesus Christ Superstar."
"We recorded everywhere. We even recorded during shows -- ideas that came up during shows turned into songs," Glover told Billboard.com. "(Bassist) Doug (Wimbish) made up a lot of grooves; we took a lot of grooves we had from soundchecks and gigs -- and he sort of codified and made a library of that stuff."
In 1988, Living Color made its mark in the rock world with its multiplatinum debut, "Vivid," an album that yielded a Grammy for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for the song "Cult of Personality." In 1990, the follow-up album's titular track, "Time's Up," won in the same category. The group slowed down considerably after 1993's "Stain," but all the members have been active with various projects over the years.
WILL SMITH RETEAMING WITH 'LEGEND' DIRECTOR: Francis Lawrence on board to helm Overbrook's 'City That Sailed.'
*"I Am Legend" director Francis Lawrence will reteam with the film's star Will Smith to direct him a new project for 20th Century Fox, titled "City That Sailed."
The story centers on a father and daughter living on opposite sides of the ocean whose love is so strong that it causes Manhattan to split off and float across the Atlantic.
The film is being developed as a potential star vehicle for Smith, who is producing with his Overbrook Entertainment partner James Lassiter.
"Ocean's Thirteen" writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien will rewrite a script that originated from "Truman Show" scribe Andrew Niccol.
WEST END'S 'THRILLER - LIVE' GOING ON TOUR: London tribute show featuring Michael Jackson's hits to travel around the world.
*Thriller – Live, the tribute show featuring the hits of Michael Jackson and The Jackson 5 that is currently playing at the West End's Lyric Theatre and a simultaneous U.K national tour — will embark on a 12-month worldwide tour later this month.
Performances will begin July 21 in Munich, Germany for a run to Aug. 2. The tour will then continue with confirmed dates in Barcelona, Cologne, Zurich, Vienna, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Helsinki and Berlin.
The production will also tour most other European countries and will embark on an extensive American tour within the next 12 months. Further dates will be announced.
The tour is produced by Paul Walden and Derek Nicol for Flying Music in association with Adrian Grant for Key Concerts.
In a press statement, Walden commented, "Since the tragic news from Los Angeles broke, we have been amazed by the reaction of the fans around the globe, and enquiries for Thriller – Live to appear worldwide has been overwhelming. Against this background it seems clear that what Michael's fans want right now is to celebrate his life by continuing to listen to his music and to have a way to celebrate his legacy. We can think of no greater tribute to the memory of this global superstar than to continue to celebrate his life and his music as we have done for the past three years in Thriller – Live.
"We held a minute's silence on Friday June 25 before the shows in London's West End and at Manchester Opera House. All the cast and creative team were united in grief and solidarity. We weren't sure how the evening would go, but with sell-out crowds at both venues on their feet cheering and dancing, the atmosphere was absolutely electric. Michael's fans clearly want to celebrate his life and hear his great music."
The London production is currently booking to Jan. 3, 2010. To book tickets, contact the box office at 0844 412 4661 or visit www.nimaxtheatres.com/thriller.
Meanwhile, a Broadway adaptation of "Thriller," based on the teen-wolf storyline of the song's 1983 music video, was in the works prior to Jackson's death, although how Jackson's demise will affect those plans remains unclear.
MACKIE HEADED TO SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK: Actor joins cast of Public Theater's 'The Bacchae.'
*Anthony Mackie rounds out the list of leading actors for the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park production of "The Bacchae."
The actor, who recently appeared in the Public's production of "The Good Negro," will play Pentheus, the king who is punished for his refusal to worship Dionysus, in the play by Euripides.
The outdoor production, helmed by JoAnne Akalaitis with an original score by Philip Glass, will be the second Shakespeare in the Park offering following "Twelfth Night," the Anne Hathaway-starrer currently playing through July 12.
"Bacchae" runs Aug. 11-Aug. 30 at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.
MJ'S SKIN DOC EXPLAINS VAGUE ANSWER: Dr. Klein says he's donated sperm before, but not for Michael Jackson.
*Michael Jackson's dermatologist, who said earlier this week that he's not the father of the singer's children – to the best of his knowledge, has clarified in a new interview that he did once donate sperm to a sperm bank.
"I still can't answer [the paternity question] absolutely one way or another," Klein said in an interview on "Larry King Live" Wednesday. "I once donated sperm."
Still, he says, the donation was "absolutely not" intended for Jackson, who had son Prince Michael, 12, and daughter Paris Katherine, 11, with ex-wife Debbie Rowe, who worked for Klein. Jackson was also father to Prince Michael II (Blanket), 7, whose mother has never been identified.
"I think what's most important about this whole thing ... is who the children want their father to be," Klein said, reiterating, "To the best of my knowledge, I'm not the father."
"This discussion, however, is between Michael, his children and this person. It's not to be discussed who the father is over national television," Klein added. "The most important thing is, Michael loved those children as a father. Those children loved him as a father. Because they would never pass him without saying, I love you, daddy. He would say I love you. I've never seen such emotional care."
Klein did not object to the suggestion of a DNA test. "If they want me to take a DNA test, they can have my DNA," he said. "I don't care at this point. My concern is his kids because I've never met children like this.
These are the brightest children I've ever met, the best behaved children I've ever met. I know how deeply he loved them and how deeply they loved him."
"I don't want to destroy this relationship in any way, shape or form," Klein said. "I'll tell you this, no matter what, I will protect these children."
PHILADELPHIA SWIM CLUB DENIES RACISM: Also, black Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones speaks out after minority kids were turned away.
*A suburban Philadelphia swim club accused of kicking out a group of African American and Hispanic children visiting from the city is denying that their actions were racist.
The Valley Club in Huntingdon Valley says it turned away the minority kids from the Creative Steps day camp because the facility was overcrowded. The club also claims it returned funds to more than one camp.
Creative Steps director Alethea Wright says the camp paid for weekly swim time at the gated club, which is in a village that straddles two townships with overwhelmingly white populations. But she says on June 29 some of the children said they heard people asking what "black kids" were doing there.
The club says any comments that may or may not have been made by members aren't shared by its board.
Olympic gold medalist and African American swimmer Cullen Jones released a statement yesterday calling what happened to the 65 children "acts of blatant racism" that has "no place in America and should not be tolerated by anyone."
"As a member of the USA Swimming's National Team and an African-American in the sport of swimming, hearing about what's happened to these 65 kids is both disturbing and appalling," said Jones.
"I work hard everyday through my efforts with USA Swimming Foundation and Make A Splash to increase the exposure for as well as enhance the number of African-American and Hispanic young people entering the sport of swimming, not just because it's a great sport, but because learning to swim and understanding the importance of being safe in and around the water are life-saving skills that no one should be denied.”
SPIKE LEE AMONG MANY MOVED BY PARIS: 'We know Michael the entertainer, but to her, that's just Daddy,' director said.
*Spike Lee, who attended Michael Jackson's memorial service Tuesday, says he broke down in tears when the singer's 11-year-old daughter Paris began to speak about her dad.
"How can you even comprehend a young daughter bemoaning the loss of their dear father, their daddy," Lee, who knew Jackson for more than a decade, told People.com. "We know Michael the entertainer, but to her, that's just Daddy."
In 1996, Lee traveled to Brazil to direct Jackson in his music video, "They Don't Care About Us." Lee says he has never known another entertainer with Jackson's global appeal.
"I'm not trying to disrespect anybody, Elvis or Frank Sinatra, but what Michael did globally – there wasn't anybody in the world who did not love Michael Jackson," says Lee.
At the tribute, Jennifer Hudson might have sung and Smokey Robinson might have praised Jackson's talents, but it was Paris's tearful moment that held everyone riveted.
"That was raw. Raw emotion," Lee said. "Nobody had a dry eye. That was a killer."
LIL WAYNE SUED OVER NO-SHOW: Promoter says it paid an advance to the rapper for Bahamas concert, but he never showed up.
*Lil Wayne is being sued for nearly half-a-million dollars by a promoter who says the artist accepted advance money to perform at a concert, but never showed up.
Red City Entertainment claims it shelled out a total of $432,000 for a Sept. 27 appearance by the rapper in the Bahamas. When he didn't show for the performance, police went to his hotel and found him passed out, TMZ reported.
In the lawsuit filed Thursday, Red City claims it gave Wayne a $210,000 advance. The balance is for his hotel expenses and various costs involved in throwing the failed concert.
STEVIE, ARETHA, ALICIA FOR MANDELA DAY GIG: All-star lineup booked for annual event; plus, Foundation calls for official Mandela Day.
*The Nelson Mandela Foundation and 46664 and are calling on people around the world to support the creation of an official Mandela Day, to be held annually on his birthday, July 18.
The annual celebration is intended to serve as a global call to action for people to recognize their individual power to make an imprint and help change the world around them for the better.
The Mandela Day campaign calls upon people around the world to commit 67 minutes of their time to make an imprint and help change the world around them. Tim Massey, International Director of 46664, said, "Mandela Day is about creating a movement for positive change and establishing one day to reflect upon, celebrate and make manifest the values that guide Nelson Mandela."
A series of special events will take place in New York City this year involving many of the charity's global ambassadors from the worlds of entertainment, music and film.
An exhibition will take place in New York on Mandela's life and the work of his charitable organizations. Celebrities like Robert De Niro, Christy Turlington, and Morgan Freeman have also shown their commitment in a film. Everyone can get involved as viewers can edit themselves into the film alongside the celebrities of their choice to share with friends and family.
Also, newly available tickets are available in VIP locations for the Mandela Day Concert at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday, July 18 at 8 p.m. The limited ticket quantity for 'Mandela Day: a 46664 Celebration' are priced from $95 - $250 and are now on sale at http://www.ticketmaster.com, www.livenation.com, www.thegarden.com and charge by phone at 800-745-3000.
Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Alicia Keys, Will.i.am, Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean, Dave Stewart, Lil' Kim, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Jesse McCartney, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Gaynor, Zucchero and African artists such as the Soweto Gospel Choir, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Chris Chameleon, Angelique Kidjo, Baaba Maal, Freshlyground, Emmanuel Jal, Loyiso, Sipho Mabuse, Vusi Mahlasela, Thandiswa Mazwai and Suzanna Owiyo will be among the star-studded lineup of artists performing.
Special guests Whoopi Goldberg, Forest Whitaker, Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon and Susan Sarandon will also be in attendance.
Aretha Franklin will be performing with Josh Groban; Cyndi Lauper and Lil' Kim will duet; Will.i.Am and Jesse McCartney will team; and Alicia Keys will join Angelique Kidjo.
ITTY BITTY BITS: MJ's marriage proposals to Brooke Shields; David Alan Grier's wife files for divorce; Jackson to be buried in glove.
*In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Brooke Shields said she turned down countless marriage proposals from her late friend Michael Jackson. "There were times when he would ask me to marry him, and I would say, 'You have me for the rest of your life, you don't need to marry me, I'm going to go on and do my own life and have my own marriage and my own kids, and you'll always have me,'" she says in the magazine's upcoming Jackson tribute issue. "I think it made him relax. He didn't want to lose things that meant something to him."
*David Alan Grier's wife has filed for divorce from the actor, according to documents filed Thursday in L.A. County Superior Court and snuffed out by TMZ.com. Christine Kim cited irreconcilable differences, according to the filing. The two were married in July 2007 and have a 1-year-old daughter together.
*Although Michael Jackson's final resting place remains a mystery, TMZ.com is reporting that he will be buried while wearing one glove. "Dorothy Gaspar -- who owns Gaspar Gloves in L.A. and designed gloves for the This Is It tour -- tells us La Toya Jackson wanted Michael to wear a glove inside the casket. Turns out La Toya chose a white leather glove Dorothy made for Michael 10-12 years ago -- a glove covered in Swarovski crystals," TMZ reported Thursday. "Dorothy tells us she was informed of this yesterday by Michael's stylist -- Michael Bush -- when he picked up 20 green gloves she had made for Jackson's dancers."
HOUSE RECOGNIZES ROLE OF SLAVES IN CAPITOL: Marker to be placed inside of new Visitor Center citing blacks who helped to build the landmark.
*The House on Tuesday acknowledged the use of African-American slaves in the construction of the U.S. Capitol, ordering officials to place a marker inside the new Capitol Visitor Center using some of the original stone quarried by those slaves for the historic building.
"This physical and permanent marker will pay tribute to the blood, sweat and tears of the African-American slaves who helped build this magnificent building and ensure that their story is told and never, never, ever forgotten," said Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.
The vote was 399-1, with Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, the lone dissenter. The Senate is considering a similar measure.
The House resolution orders the Architect of the Capitol to place in a prominent location in the visitor center's Emancipation Hall a marker acknowledging the role that slave labor played in constructing the Capitol.
Historians have discovered that slaves worked 12-hour days, six days a week on the construction of the Capitol. The federal government rented the slaves from local slave owners at a rate of $5 per person per month, however, the slaves were not paid.
In addition to working on the building, slaves worked in quarries where they extracted the stone for the Capitol. Other slaves provided carpentry skills, still others for sawing stone and timber. Slave women and children were used to mold clay in kilns.
Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., said some of the original stones were removed from the Capitol during a renovation and have been held in storage. "We must acknowledge the sacrifices of those Americans who, without choice, worked to build a government that kept them in bondage," he said.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Do the Right Thing
20th Anniversary Edition of Spike Lee Classic Out on DVD
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 20 years since the summer of ’89 when Do the Right Thing made such a splash upon arriving in theaters.
Arguably Spike Lee’s best film (although some might make the case for She’s Gotta Have It, Four Little Girls, Bamboozled, School Daze or The Original Kings of Comedy), this refreshingly-frank exploration of black-white relations earned Spike his first Academy Award nomination (in the Original Screenplay category).
The incendiary tale unfolds in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn over the course of the hottest day of the year in New York City.
The searing heat and high unemployment rate has some self-appointed leaders in the African-American community confronting the Italian owner (Danny Aiello) of a pizzeria about why he should have a restaurant in a neighborhood with so few black-owned businesses. And the simmering tensions eventually erupt into a sobering, thought-provoking finale.
Watching Do the Right Thing afresh in this presumably “post-racial” Age of Obama, one can’t help but wonder whether the issues raised remain relevant or if they can now only be appreciated for their nostalgic value.
After all, the new debate as the euphoria over having the first black president subsides is the question if Obama is suddenly serving for self-satisfied whites as a symbol of integration and homogenization yet to be realized for the bulk of black folks.
Footnotes: Danny Aiello landed an Oscar-nomination for his stellar work as Sal, although the picture also features quite a number of powerful performances, most notably Spike’s as Mookie, Giancarlo Esposite as Buggin’ Out, Bill Nunn as Radio Raheem and Samuel L. Jackson as Mister Senor Love Daddy. The same can be said about John Turturro and Richard Edson who play Aiello’s sons.
Rosie Perez made her screen debut here as Mookie’s nasal baby mama, Tina, as did Martin Lawrence as Cee. And a couple of since-deceased legends are among the cast, namely, the venerable Ossie Davis and comedian Robin Harris.
A riveting drama which remains just as intense as when it debuted a generation ago.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for profanity, violence and ethnic slurs.
Running time: 120 minutes
Studi Universal Studios Home Entertainment
2-Disc DVD Extras: 11 newly-discovered deleted and extended scenes, director’s commentary, feature commentary with Spike Lee, cinematographer Ernest Dickerson, actress Joie Lee and production designer Wynn Thomas, retrospective documentary with the cast and crew, storyboard gallery, 1989 Cannes press conference, interview with film editor Barry Brown, trailers, and “Behind the Scenes” and “The Making of” featurettes.
To order a copy of Do the Right Thing, visit:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024EWP6W?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0024EWP6W
To see a trailer for Do the Right Thing, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muc7xqdHudI
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
For movies opening July 10, 2009
by Kam Williams
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Bruno (R for profanity, sexuality, pervasive crude humor and graphic nudity) Borat’s Sacha Baron Cohen is back with another shockumentary, this time posing as a flamboyant, gay, Australian fashionista primarily to expose a series of unsuspecting foils as homophobes. With cameo appearances by Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Sting, Elton John, Bono, Slash, Ron Paul and Paula Abdul.
I Love You, Beth Cooper (PG-13 for profanity, crude humor, sexuality, violence, drug use and teen drinking) Romantic comedy about a nerdy, high school grad (Paul Rust) who gets the surprise of his life after proclaiming his love an attractive classmate (Hayden Panettiere) during his valedictory speech when she shows up at his door hot-to-trot that very night. Supporting cast includes Lauren London, Maggie Ma and Alan Ruck.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Blood: The Last Vampire (R for graphic violence) Horror flick, set in Japan in the Seventies, about a mysterious vampire (Gianna Jun) with a magic sword who is called upon to save the day when an American Air Force base is invaded by a race of evil, shape-shifting demons. Cast includes Koyuki, Alison Miller and Liam Cunningham.
Deadgirl (Unrated) Suspense thriller about a couple of juvenile delinquents (Shiloh Fernandez and Noah Segan) who cut class to break into an abandoned mental hospital where they discover the body of a naked woman (Jenny Spain) who has been strapped to a gurney and covered in plastic.
Humpday (R for graphic sexuality, pervasive profanity and a scene of drug use) Buddy comedy about a couple of straight best friends (Mark Duplass and Joshua Leonard) who decide to make an amateur gay porn flick together on a mutual dare during a drinking binge. With Alycia Delmore, Lynn Shelton and Trina Willard.
Lake Tahoe (Unrated) Minimalist Mexican drama, set in a coastal town on the Yucatan Peninsula, revolving around a 16 year-old boy’s (Diego Cataño) attempt to cope with the sudden death of his father. (In Spanish with subtitles)
Soul Power (PG-13 for mature themes and brief profanity) “Rumble in the Jungle” documentary, set in the Congo in 1974, revisits the three-day music festival leading to the historic Ali-Foreman heavyweight championship bout. Features concert performances by James Brown, The Spinners, the Crusaders, B.B. King and Miriam Makeba.
Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg (Unrated) Aviva Kempner (The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg) directs this bio-pic chronicling the career of radio and television pioneer Gertrude Berg (1899-1966), star and scriptwriter of a popular sitcom called The Goldbergs. Includes appearances by Norman Lear, Sara Chase and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Do your work with your whole heart and you will succeed-there's so little competition." — Elbert Hubbard
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
July 10: Singer Mavis Staples is 70. Actor Ron Glass ("Barney
Miller") is 64.
July 11: Singer Bonnie Pointer of the Pointer Sisters is 59. Reggae singer Michael Rose of Black Uhuru is 52. Rapper Lil Kim is 34. Rapper Lil'
Zane is 27.
July 12: Actor-comedian Bill Cosby is 72. Actress Denise Nicholas ("In the Heat of the Night") is 65. Actress Lisa Nicole Carson ("Ally
McBeal") is 40. Rapper Magoo is 36. Singer Tracie Spencer is 33. Actress Michelle Rodriguez ("Lost") is 31.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
If you're an entrepreneur or a would-be entrepreneur, the entrepreneurial Mentoring Institute is what you need:
www.billboudreaux.com/.
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
July 10, 1891: A black jockey, "Monk" Overton, won six straight horse races at the Washington Park race track in Chicago. In 1907, another black jockey, Jimmy Lee, also won six straight races at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Prior to 1907, only two other jockeys had equaled the achievements of Overton and Lee, the Englishmen Fred Archer and George
Fordham.
July 11, 1905: The Niagara Movement (the forerunner of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), was established. Among its leaders were W.E.B. DuBois and William Monroe Trotter.
July 12, 1887: Mound Bayou, an all African American town in Mississippi is founded by Isaiah Montgomery. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)