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FILM/TV BITS: Blige on ‘OLTL’; Vin & Menounos?; WWE beats BET; ‘Chop Up’ reruns ‘Ice’; Warner’s urban DVDs; Snoop in ‘L.A. Riot.’
*Mary J. Blige will make a stop in Llanview for today’s episode of ABC’s “One Life to Live.” The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul will appear as herself and perform at Antonio Vega's club, Capricorn. The soap’s executive producer Frank Valentini said in a statement: "The cast and I, being huge fans of Mary J. Blige's tremendous talent, are thrilled that she will be appearing on ‘One Life to Live.’ Music has always been a pivotal part of ‘One Life to Live’ and Mary J. Blige helps us continue the tradition."
*Vin Diesel is rumored to be dating “Access Hollywood” reporter Maria Menounos. According to IMDB, the 28-year-old TV personality and the burly actor attended a performance of “Chicago” on Broadway last week starring her friend Rita Wilson in the lead role. "They've been friendly for about a year," a source is quoted as saying of the couple. “There's always been an attraction there. (Now) they're taking it to the next level.”
*BET’s cable ratings dominance in black households for the past three weeks has come to an end courtesy of USA Network’s World Wrestling Entertainment. According to Target Market News, only 70,000 households stood between BET and WWE’s No. 1 spot on the top 25 cable shows for the fourth consecutive week. BET’s special, “Top 25 Hottest Bodies,” placed second in black households, followed by BET’s new reality series “Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is” at No. 3; MTV’s “Run’s House” at No. 4; and BET’s “DMX: Soul of a Man” at No. 5.
*Meanwhile, BET’s weekly news show "The Chop Up" will conclude its first season this Sunday (7/30) with the re-airing of an investigative report entitled "Blood Ice." The feature probes the transformation of Liberia's diamond trade, which used to fund the country's civil war and now fuels the country's post-war redevelopment. Fans of "The Chop Up" voted "Blood Ice" the series' best enterprise story in a poll conducted on BET.com. The report is the centerpiece of the show airing Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
*Warner Home Video (WHV) has teamed with Film Life Inc., a leader in independent black and urban-inspired cinema, to brand and distribute urban films on DVD under the label “American Black Film Festival.” “These movies will allow African American filmmakers to display their skills, talent and vision as well as to enjoy the potential of being extremely successful in the DVD marketplace by providing retailers with a slate of appealing and relevant films that meet the needs of their diverse consumer base," said Eva Davis, Vice President of Targeted Acquisitions and Marketing for WHV. Jeff Friday, Film Life's Founder and CEO, adds: "Film Life's mission has always been to make and market movies that go beyond the stereotypical portrayals of the Black experience -- films that enlighten and inspire but also entertain. Eva and Warner Home Video share our vision, and we're delighted that they want to develop this DVD label.”
*Rapper Snoop Dogg narrates a new film that satirizes the 1992 Los Angeles riots. Opening Aug. 11 in Los Angeles at Laemmle Sunset 5, “The L.A. Riot Spectacular,” according to a press release, spoofs “the participants and psychology that fueled the epochal 1992 events.” Stars include Charles S. Dutton (“Roc”) as Mayor Bradley, Emilio Estevez (“Breakfast Club”) as Officer Powell, Ronny Cox (“RoboCop”) as Darryl Gates, William Forsythe (“Scary Movie 3”) as George Holliday, T.K. Carter (“Domino”) as Rodney King, George Hamilton as the King of Beverly Hills and Jonathan Lipnicki (“Jerry Maguire”) as an Aryan youth. Film also features Charles Durning (“Tootsie”), Christopher McDonald (“Thelma & Louise”), Anne Marie Johnson (“That’s So Raven”) and others. Directed by music video director Marc Klasfeld, the film “is so politically incorrect and offensive… but with real actors at the helm…is sure to ignite some real heat.” For more info, visit http://www.lariotmovie.com/ or http://myspace.com/lapdbeatdown.
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