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HALLE ON OLD SUICIDE STORY DUG UP FOR PARADE: Plus, actress prepares to go bald in new film, ‘Nappily Ever After.’
*During press interviews in Los Angeles Tuesday for her upcoming film “Perfect Stranger,” Halle Berry was riddled with questions about her interview in last Sunday’s Parade magazine, which featured quotes about her suicide attempt following her 1996 divorce from David Justice.
The Oscar-winning actress and recent recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame confirmed to reporters that the quotes were taken from an interview she did years ago.
“I talked about it on Larry King in 2002. I was on ‘Oprah’ talking about it when it was relevant,” she told EUR’s Lee Bailey. “And I felt like it was important to help other women and share it. The truth is I’m in such a great time in my life right now that it wouldn’t be my wish to revisit that. But another outlet did that and made it seem as though it was current again. And it’s just really not.”
Such personal matters are often raised by reporters during the hundreds of Q&A sessions that come with promoting a major studio film, Berry said.
“There have been certain times where I’ve been willing to disclose certain aspects of my personal life, especially those that I think might help someone else” she said. “I find those to be meaningful things to disclose, because I’ve gotten a lot from hearing the stories of other people.”
“I think what’s been happening this press tour, which has been a bit frustrating, is that some old, old stories have been regurgitated from like ten years ago. And I think that’s been because I have a movie out. Some of the magazines have sensationalized some old material and it’s being presented as if it’s new again, and as if it’s something that I want to talk about,” she emphasized. “And I really don’t. It’s 10 years old. I’m so past it and I’m so beyond it.”
Meanwhile, Berry, 40, was also asked to talk about her upcoming role in the romantic comedy “Nappily Ever After,” where she’ll play a woman who finds her independence by pulling a Britney and cutting off all of her long, chemically-processed hair.
"In the course of the story something bad happens to my character's hair and she shaves it all off,” says Berry, adding that she will shed her tresses in real life for the role. "I'm scared to death but that's what I must do. I suppose going bald could be a little exciting too, though, so we'll probably film the process beginning to end."
MIJAC TRYING TO HALT AUCTION OF FAMILY ITEMS: Memorabilia originates from warehouse claimed by NJ construction owner.
*About 1,100 items owned by Michael Jackson and his famous family members will hit the auction block next month unless the King of Pop follows through with legal action to stop it.
"Mr. Jackson was not aware and he is extremely upset that his memorabilia was included amongst the memorabilia that is being auctioned off," said spokeswoman Raymone K. Bain in a statement.
The collection – featuring such items as Jackson's gold record for his "Thriller" album, handwritten lyrics for The Jackson Five hit "ABC" and a "Victory Tour" program signed by Jackson family members – was owned by luggage transportation company Universal Express Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla., which bought it last year from a New Jersey construction company owner.
The former owner, Henry Vaccaro, claimed the warehouse full of Jackson memorabilia after a failed business venture wound up in bankruptcy court. Michael and his sister Janet tried to sue Vacarro to prevent him from taking ownership, but Michael’s claim was thrown out of court in 2006. The status of Janet Jackson's claim was unclear Wednesday, reports AP.
The Jacksons Auction is scheduled to take place May 30-31 at the Hard Rock hotel resort in Las Vegas, the city where Jackson has been living since returning to the U.S. late last year.
Guernsey's auction house said other items up for bid include a test pressing of The Jackson Five's "I Want You Back," Marlon Jackson's glitter jacket, Randy Jackson's futuristic 1984 stage boots and a white fedora believed to be from Michael Jackson's "Bad" album music video.
BEYONCE REVEALS DATES FOR TOUR: "Beyonce Experience” kicks off Tuesday in Tokyo and is set to run stateside through September.
*As previously reported, Beyonce will kick off a European tour this month before launching a North American leg during the annual Essence Music Festival this summer in New Orleans.
Officially titled "The Beyonce Experience brought to you by Samsung and L'Oreal Paris," the tour kicks off April 10 in Tokyo and will begin its stateside run on Friday July 6th at the Essence Fest. (See itinerary below.)
Details on presales and public on-sales for cities on the tour will be available on her official fan site, www.WeLoveBeyonce.com. In the meantime, here are the dates for "The Beyonce Experience brought to you by Samsung and L'Oreal Paris":
Fri 7/6 New Orleans, LA Superdome
Sat 7/7 Memphis, TN FedEx Forum
Sun 7/8 St. Louis, MO Savvis Center
Wed 7/11 Monterrey, Mexico Monterrey Arena
Fri 7/13 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Sat 7/14 Houston, TX Toyota Center
Sun 7/15 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
Wed 7/18 Nashville, TN Gaylord Entertainment Center
Fri 7/20 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
Sat 7/21 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times Forum
Sun 7/22 Ft. Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center
Tue 7/24 Orlando, FL AMWAY Arena
Fri 7/27 Charlotte, NC Bobcat Arena
Sat 7/28 Raleigh, NC RBC Center
Sun 7/29 Hampton, VA Hampton Coliseum
Tue 7/31 Albany, NY Pepsi Arena
Wed 8/1 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
Thu 8/2 TBD
Fri 8/3 Meadowlands, NJ Continental Airline Arena
Sat 8/4 NYC Madison Square Garden
Wed 8/8 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
Thu 8/9 Washington DC Verizon Center
Fri 8/10 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
Sat 8/11 Atlantic City, NJ TBD
Sun 8/12 Boston, MA Fleet Center
Tue 8/14 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Wed 8/15 Toronto, ON Air Canada
Fri 8/17 Detroit, MI Palace
Sat 8/18 Chicago, IL United Center
Sun 8/19 Cleveland, OH Quicken Arena
Wed 8/22 Denver, CO Pepsi Arena
Fri 8/24 Phoenix, AZ US Airways Center
Sat 8/25 Las Vegas, NV MGM
Sun 8/26 San Diego, CA TBD
Thu 8/30 Lake Tahoe, CA Harrah's Outdoor Theatre
Fri 8/31 Oakland, CA Oakland Arena
Sat 9/1 Anaheim, CA Honda Center
Sun 9/2 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
Wed 9/5 TBD
Thu 9/6 Calgary, Canada Pengrowth Saddledome
Fri 9/7 Vancouver, Canada GM Place
IDRIS ELBA: ‘REAPING’ THE BENEFITS
Actor gets more big screen time
By Kenya M Yarbrough
*Idris Elba just can’t stay out of the theater; the movie theater, that is. Though it’s true that he is a thespian of the stage, fresh from his run in “Daddy’s Little Girls,” the actor can be seen on the big screen again in “The Reaping,” which opens tonight (Friday) in theaters nationwide. The film stars Hilary Swank as a former Christian missionary, and Elba, investigate a small town that appears to be suffering from the 10 biblical plagues.
“I had a very interesting character, Ben, with a very interesting arc and I enjoyed playing it; I enjoyed exploring it as we were filming,” Elba said and described his character as a religious man with an interesting background.
“He’s a religious man that debunks miracles and the reason for him doing that is to prove scientifically that God exists. So Hilary’s character and Ben have a very interesting dynamic there. She’s an atheist and he’s a man that wants to prove that God exists,” he explained. “We didn’t overplay that dynamic, but it was definitely underlying in all our scenes.”
Elba, the Londoner who made his stateside mark as Russell “Stringer” Bell on HBO’s “The Wire” told reporters that while his character is religious, he considers himself simply spiritual – though he can see how his character could become passionate about proving God.
“I would love to prove there is a higher being. I would love to prove scientifically that God exists. I am not a religious man, but I am a spiritual being,” he said.
The film is described as a thriller and categorized, at the behest of director Stephen Hopkins, as a horror. Hopkins, along with the actors didn’t want the film to take on such a title, as it conjures up “B-movie” images. Furthermore, some critics were weary that the film might also be a barrage of special effects. However, Elba said that the horror title and superfluous effects were not a part of making the film.
“While we were making this, Stephen wanted to make us very aware that we were not making a horror movie. So we were staying away from the horror clichés.”
And in reference to the use of special effects, Elba assured audiences of the film’s authenticity, saying that the locale – the Louisiana Bayou was pretty much what you get on screen. And he described that the sequence involving the plague of locusts, leaned a lot on reality, too.
“The Bayous – that’s what it looks like. There wasn’t much in terms of green screen. And the most horrific part was the locusts. We shot that in this big ‘container’, but that was horrific for me because I can’t stand bugs and these bad boys are huge.”
Speaking of the Louisiana Bayou, the locale had suffered some major damage from 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. The film was in production at the time and filming had to be interrupted.
Elba: “Here we are doing this film about acts of God, and it just really changed the way we saw what we were doing,” Elba said of returning to Louisiana and, in particular, working with locals who had lost family and homes to Katrina. “It really gelled us together.
There was a sense of ‘I’m really glad I’m alive’ and that transferred onscreen from everything; from the characters in the forefront to the background. I think we all really had a good time making this film.
As dark as this film is and as complex as it is, it was a real bonding experience.”
While taking on the burden of proving there is a God, Elba is set for another big project. He’ll be starring in “American Gangster”
with Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, and Cuba Gooding Jr., expected this fall.
“The Reaping,” also starring David Morrissey, opens today, everywhere. For more, go to www.thereapingmovie.com.
DIDDY ADDRESSES AUBREY RUMORS: Rapper tells Miss Jones he did not impregnate Danity Kane member.
*Danity Kane singer Aubrey O’Day has already said that those widely-circulated photos of her buying baby products was a big April Fools joke gone horribly wrong.
She was only trying to poke fun at false reports that she was sleeping with and may be pregnant by her producer, Sean “Diddy” Combs.” Now, Diddy himself has come forward to say with authority that the pictures were a joke.
"She was playing around with y'all," Diddy told Hot 97’s Miss Jones via phone upon his return from a European co-headlining tour with Snoop Dogg. "That girl ain't even pregnant. I don't get down like that. I love you, thanks for welcoming me back to New York City."
Diddy said this sarcastically, as if this rumor was the last thing he needed to hear upon landing on U.S. soil.
"You telling these people these crazy things in the morning? They can't believe what y'all say," he said. "Check this out, she's not pregnant, I've never dealt with that girl, I never even looked at her for more than ten minutes... I just called to let you know you can move onto somebody else's stuff."
JAY-Z MULLING PARTNERSHIP WITH FAVORITE BUBBLY: Champagne seen in “Show Me” video may officially get in bed with rap mogul.
*The New York Post’s Page Six is reporting that Jay-Z is close to forging a partnership with the champagne label Armand de Brignac, also known as Ace of Spades, "Gold Bottle" or simply "Ace."
The rap mogul turned toward the brand after his heart was broken by Louis Roederer Cristal. An executive at the company had criticized the drink’s embrace by the hip hop community. In response, Jigga called on his hip hop brethren to boycott Cristal.
In a video for Jay-Z’s single “Show Me What You Got,” the rapper was seen physically putting Cristal to the side in favor of Armand de Brignac. However, no official endorsement deal had been signed at the time. According to Page Six, that’s all about to change.
“Our sources assure us the deal is close to being inked,” the column reported Thursday.
‘AMERICAN IDOL’ BACKUP SINGERS WORK MIRACLES: Sharlotte Gibson, Sy Smith, and Kenya C. Hathaway often outshine the contestants.
*For weeks until he was voted off, they were partly responsible for keeping contestant Chris Sligh from straying too far off beat. They figured silence would help Haley Scarnato through her infamous memory lapse, and they proudly share the spotlight whenever Melinda Doolittle saunters over to give them some love.
They are the three background singers for the Fox reality competition “American Idol,” Sharlotte Gibson, Sy Smith, and Kenya C.
Hathaway. Yes, Hathaway is indeed the daughter of late R&B legend Donny Hathaway and sister of recording artist Lalah Hathaway.
Kenya C, like her fellow backup singers, has deep roots in the music business. She’s toured with George Benson as a percussionist and singer and worked with k.d. lang and Brian McKnight. Gibson has performed with Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and Celine Dion and fronts her own band, Sharlotte's Web, while Smith has performed with Whitney Houston and Macy Gray, tours with trumpet player Chris Botti, does TV commercials and sang on "Ally McBeal."
The trio has provided backup vocals for Fox's hit series since it switched from pre-recorded tracks to a live band in 2005 under music director Rickey Minor.
“Gibson, Hathaway and Smith have deserved applause all along,” said Minor, who tells AP that he’s worked with them on a variety of award ceremonies and concerts since the late '90s. The women met each other on auditions and clicked instantly.
"There's a reason it's these three girls in particular," Minor said.
"They have such a unique way of studying the material, learning it, and then there's their blend. ... Their pitch and intonation is so spot on."
The contestants know this all too well.
Smith was to echo Scarnato during the bridge in her troubled rendition of Diana Ross’ "Missing You." When she forgot some lyrics, Smith quickly decided it was better to keep quiet until Scarnato recovered. For Sligh’s weekly rhythm challenges, Gibson says she tried to sing a bit louder in hopes that he might find the beat. He never did, and was eventually voted off.
As for the non-singing Sanjaya Malakar, the trio treads lightly. Based on his audition tape, Gibson says she understands why his "voice that was smooth and sweet" earned him a trip to Hollywood.
"He had a nice tone and you think there's going to be more," Gibson added. "There isn't always more in his voice, but he's consistent with his sweetness."
The trio saves the most love for contestants who come to each task prepared. This year, that includes Phil Stacey, Doolittle and LaKisha Jones. From seasons past, they fondly recall Vonzell Solomon, Anwar Robinson and Paris Bennett.
Solomon "loved music and it just came out of her. It's fun backing up people like that, people who come out there and give it all," Gibson said.
As for carving their own slice of fame in the music industry – Lord knows they have the pipes to do so –all three say they have already achieved satisfying careers.
Hathaway gets her greatest satisfaction from Minor's band, which she said could teach a master class at her alma mater, Berklee College of Music in Boston.
"It's a musical education on that stage. Every week is special to me because this band flawlessly moves through genres and styles," she tells AP.
Smith adds. "When people like Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, come on the show, I think to myself this is something I can tell my grandkids someday. I can tell them I was part of the Rickey Minor band."
ARNELLE SIMPSON TRYING TO BLOCK DAD’S BOOK AUCTION: O.J.’s daughter runs Fla. company that contracted with HarperCollins.
*O.J. Simpson’s eldest daughter Arnelle Simpson has reportedly joined the fight to prevent the rights to her father’s cancelled book, “If I Did It,” from being auctioned off on April 17th.
Arnelle, 38, is president of the corporation that signed the book contract with publisher HarperCollins, but claims she was never notified of the legal moves by Ron Goldman’s family to force the sale, reports the New York Daily News. Any profit would help satisfy the $38 million wrongful-death judgment O.J. owes the family for the murder of Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson.
"Had I received any such documents I would have hired California counsel to defend [the company's] interest," she wrote in court papers filed Wednesday.
The $1 million book deal was signed last May between HarperCollins and Lorraine Brooke Associates Inc., the Florida company headed by Arnelle and shared by O.J. Simpson's three other kids, Jason, Sydney and Justin.
ANNA DEAVERE SMITH TO ADDRESS BARNARD GRADS: School chooses famed actress as commencement speaker.
*Actress, playwright and professor Anna Deavere Smith, last seen playing the mother of Queen Latifah’s character in the recent HBO film “Life Support,” has been named the commencement speaker for Barnard College's Class of 2007.
Smith first gained national attention 15 years ago for her groundbreaking one-woman documentary plays Fires in the Mirror and Twilight: Los Angeles 1992, for which she conducted interviews about controversial topics and then portrayed her interviewees, speaking their words, in her performance.
The 56-year-old talent has also played National Security Advisor Nancy McNally on NBC's "The West Wing" and co-starred in the CBS drama "Presidio Med." She has also appeared in the films "The Human Stain," "Philadelphia," "Dave" and "The American President" and on TV's "The Practice."
When she’s not in front of a camera or on stage, Smith serves as a tenured professor at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and is affiliated with the NYU School of Law, where she teaches a course on "The Art of Listening."
She has also authored several books, and in 1998, in association with the Ford Foundation, founded the Institute on the Arts & Civic Dialogue at Harvard (now at New York University).
Barnard will also award Smith with its Medal of Distinction during the graduation ceremony, along with playwright Joan Didion and Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who has mentored his research assistant Winter Miller as she has written her play In Darfur.
The ceremony will take place at 2:30 p.m. on May 15 on Barnard's Lehman Lawn in upper Manhattan.
SNOOP’S WIFE TO HOST EASTER EGG HUNT IN L.A.: Shante Broadus celebrates holiday with free event at Dorsey High.
*Snoop Dogg’s wife Shante’ Broadus, founder and head of Boss Lady Entertainment, has scheduled an Easter event for children to take place in Los Angeles.
She’ll host the First Annual Boss Lady Entertainment Easter Celebration on Saturday (April 7) at Dorsey High School (3537 Farmdale Ave.) inside the gymnasium from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“I’ve been holding a back to school event for kids for several years and I decided I wanted to start doing something in the spring too,” said Broadus in a statement. “Easter can be a special time in a child’s life, but only if someone else plans to make it special. I want to be that someone. Some of these kids have been through so much and this is an opportunity for them to have a good time and take home some treats.”
During this free event, participants will be treated to face painting, food, arts and crafts, video games and more. There will be an Easter egg hunt and Easter baskets will be distributed. The Celebrity Meet and Greet with the kids will take place from noon to 1 p.m.
While the area surrounding Dorsey High School is the first neighborhood selected for the Easter Celebration, Broadus plans to take the event to different areas each year. The neighborhoods selected will coincide with the ones where she and her husband have teams participating in the Snoop Youth Football League.
Boss Lady Entertainment, designed to “bring integrity back to the entertainment industry,” includes rapper/actress The Lady of Rage and Broadus’ female clothing line Co Co Ri as clients.
TOMI RAE SELECTS GUARDIAN FOR J.B. II. Partner of late singer prepares to determine son’s paternity.
*Tomi Rae Hynie, the woman claiming to be the widow of James Brown, has taken the first step in determining the paternity of her son by selecting a special guardian she hopes will be appointed for him.
Hynie’s attorney, Robert Rosen, said Tuesday that a DNA test proving the paternity of her son, James Brown II, cannot be done without appointing a special guardian.
Brown's trustees have already come up with a list of attorneys to serve as the special guardian. However, Hynie's petition asks that Charleston attorney Stephen M. Slotchiver be appointed, reports the Associated Press.
As previously reported, Brown's trustees filed a motion last month asking a judge to order DNA taken from Hynie's son. Neither Hynie nor her son was included in the singer’s will.
"Her public position has always been that she has no objection to a DNA test," her attorney, Robert Rosen, said Tuesday.
A court hearing to appoint the special guardian has been scheduled for later this month.
MAGAZINE BITS: SWV’s Lelee in Sister 2 Sister; Coko’s response at BV; SM: The Magazine for Single Mothers; Urban Influence Magazine’s Launch Reception.
*The April 2007 issue of Sister 2 Sister magazine features an explosive article with ex-SWV member Leanne "Lelee" Lyons, who talks about becoming a mother at age 15, as well as being broke and homeless after the end of SWV, often having to spend the night in gay clubs. Among other things, Lelee says the $25,000 given to her as a parting gift by RCA ended up going toward the funeral and burial of her mother.
*Meanwhile, AOL Black Voices columnist Jawn Murray caught up with former SWV lead singer Cheryl "Coko" Clemons to get her reaction to Lelee’s comments in S2S. "I was not aware of the interview prior to it coming out," Coko said. "When the magazine first came out, I got a few phone calls from people telling me about the interview and they read some of the things she said in it. I went to get it myself and discovered it was...quite something! I was shocked! I never expected her to say all of that stuff." Read more of what she had to say in this exclusive interview at AOL Black Voices Buzz
(http://blackvoices.aol.com/black_entertainment/bvbuzzcanvas/_a/april-2-2007/20070402143709990001).
*SM: The Magazine for Single Mothers, founded in 2006 by former Mrs. New Jersey Crystal H. Jennings, has chosen actress Angelina Jolie for the cover story of its premiere issue on newsstands May 8. The first national (bi-monthly) magazine for single mothers, SM addresses the concerns of the 10.4 million single mothers in the nation, according to Jennings. “Each issue will bring readers relevant and timely advice on finances, careers, legalities and investments by well-known writers. A fascinating look at today’s fashion trends for mothers and children will make SM the quintessential arbiter of good taste in ready-to-wear for the family. For those who are seeking information on health and fitness, SM is offering an authoritative, lively and informative department.” SM will be available initially in Barnes & Noble Bookstores, Universal Newsstands, NYC, Target, Kmart, and at select other newsstands nationwide Subscribe now at
www.Singlemothermag.com.
*Urban Influence Magazine, an official publication of the National Urban League, will host a Newsstand Launch Reception from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 12 at Macy's on State Street in downtown Chicago. Special guests include: National Urban League President Marc H. Morial, Chicago Urban League President Cheryle Jackson, the Honorable Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., and NY Times Best- Selling Author and Television/Radio Talk Show Host Tavis Smiley. Launched in 2004, as a partnership between the National Urban League and T. Brown Publishing, Urban Influence Magazine speaks to the critical link between individual and community wealth and social responsibility, as well as provides information concerning the latest trends in business, politics, and lifestyle for "urban influencers." The bi-monthly magazine empowers, educates and entertains readers like no other publication targeting African American professionals.
EUR DVD REVIEW: I Coulda Been Your Cellmate
Mo'Nique Mesmerizes Captive Audience in Prison Concert
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*During her opening monologue on an outdoor stage at the Ohio Reformatory for Women, Mo'Nique explains her presence to an appreciative crowd of about 2,000 convicts with, "We live in society that threw you away and said you weren't valuable, and that you were trash. I don't believe that."
And by the end of this alternately touching, irreverent and uproariously funny concert flick, like the cheering and weeping inmates in attendance, you should expect both to bust a gut laughing and to be moved to tears.
The colorful comedienne called her show "I Coulda Been Your Cellmate," because she repeatedly relies on that "there but for the grace of God go I" theme as a punch line to empathize and identify with the plight of her captive audience.
Using extremely salty language, Mo'Nique's brand of observational humor touches on a number of subjects which obviously resonate with the female felons, ranging from how to know if your man's on the down-low to a graphic description of her pregnancy in 2005 which led to the birth of her beautiful twin boys.
Eliciting squeals of delight along the way, this acid-tongued sister pulls no punches, whether explaining why she curses so much ("Because I like it!"), doling out relationship advice ("If that nigger don't work, get another one!"), or suggesting how to behave behind bars ("Don't go to jail and get gay!"). Provided you are capable of checking any politically-correct tendencies, you are apt to enjoy this raucous romp from beginning to end.
What makes it all worthwhile are the priceless moments that Mo'Nique devotes to show her little-known sensitive side, as when lifting the spirits, one-on-one offstage, of a woman doing 145 years for murder.
But she's at her very best in an inspirational farewell where she exhorts them all to "Dream as big as you can. They told me I was too fat and too black. And they told me I would never be a sex symbol," she laments, before breaking into a big smile because, "Right now, I'm a big, black, mother-[bleeping] sex symbol."
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated, though laced with profanity, the N-word, homophobic slurs and sex-related humor.
Running time: 72 minutes
Studi Codeblack Entertainment/Vivendi/Universal Home Video
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
For movies opening April 6, 2007
by Kam Williams
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Are We Done Yet? (PG for sexual innuendo and brief profanity) Ice Cube and Nia Long reprise their roles in this sequel to Are We There Yet? Now newlyweds, the couple gets grief, not from her kids (Aleisha Allen and Philip Bolden), but from a shady contractor (John C. McGinley) whose shady shenanigans threaten to ruin their plans for a dream home.
Firehouse Dog (PG for peril, crude humor and salty language) Heartwarming family comedy about the adventures of Hollywood's highest-grossing canine star, Rex, a pampered pooch who gets lost and ends up in a dilapidated, inner city firehouse where he befriends the 12 year-old son (Josh Hutcherson) of the Captain (Bruce Greenwood). Cast includes Bill Nunn, Bree Turner and Scotch Ellis Loring.
Grindhouse (Unrated) Double-feature of horror flicks directed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, designed as an homage to the B-movies from the Fifties. Tarantino's Death Proof features a psycho stuntman (Kurt Russell) who runs down attractive women with his skull-emblazoned muscle car, while Rodriguez's Planet Terror revolves around the effort of a band of survivors, led by a gun-legged go-go dancer (Rose McGowan), to save the planet from an army of mutated zombies.
The Hoax (R for profanity) Fact-based drama about the exploits of Clifford Irving (Richard Gere) adapted from the screenplay of the same name by William Wheeler, chronicling the shameless author's attempt to publish a bogus biography of Howard Hughes (Milton Buras), forcing the eccentric, painfully-reclusive billionaire to emerge from his den of solitude to denounce the book as an absolute fraud.
The Reaping (Unrated) Faith-based flick features Hilary Swank as an ex-missionary who abandons Christianity after the death of her parents for a new career as an expert proving the scientific explanation of religious phenomena. But the heathen has to reconsider her embracing of atheism when she can't explain the Biblical plagues suddenly being visited upon Louisiana.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Black Book (R for sexuality, profanity, gruesome violence, and graphic
nudity) Paul Verhoeven directs this WWII bio-pic based on the real-life exploits of Rachel Stein (Carice van Houten), a once-wealthy, Dutch Jewish singer who joined the Resistance to track down and exact revenge on the Nazis responsible for the slaughter of her family in the Holocaust. (In Dutch, German, Hebrew and English with subtitles)
Duck (PG-13 for brief profanity) Unlikely buddy drama, set in 2009, about the friendship forged between a duck named Joe and a grieving senior citizen (Philip Baker Hall) trying to make sense of his life while surviving on the mean streets of L.A. Ensemble cast includes Bill Cobbs, French Stewart and Nikki Crawford.
The TV Set (R for profanity) Wry comedy chronicles the plight of a screenwriter (David Duchovny) trying to stay true to his artistic vision after his script for a TV sitcom gets greenlighted by a studio that already wants him to tweak the storyline for the pilot. With Sigourney Weaver, Ioan Gruffudd and Philip Baker Hall.
Whole New Thing (Unrated) Coming-of-age tale, set in Nova Scotia, chronicles an androgynous, sexually-adventurous, 13 year-old's (Aaron Webber) awkward adjust to the 9th grade after having been home-schooled by his hippie parents (Robert Joy and Rebecca Jenkins) all his life.
FILM/TV BITS: ‘Idol’s’ Tucker on Fox; ‘I Love NY’ finale; Snipes-related sentencing; ’30 Rock’ renewed; BET’s ‘Ballers’; Gumbel on CW.
*Former "American Idol" finalist Lisa Tucker has been cast in the Fox drama pilot "Born in the USA," which follows real-life issues of blue-collar families in Philadelphia. The 17-year-old will play a smart, beautiful and quiet girl with a good sense of humor, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The 2005-06 "Idol" finalist has appeared on Fox's "The O.C." and multiple episodes of Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101." At age 11, she performed a nine-month run in "The Lion King" at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre.
*The season finale of VH1’s “I Love New York was watched by 4.8 million viewers Monday night to give the reality show its highest-rated episode of the season. The spinoff of “Flavor of Love 2” featured contestant New York looking for love among a group of bachelors. Not only did she choose Tango to be “her rock” in the season finale, but she also accepted his rock when he got down on bended knee and proposed.
*A man linked to the Wesley Snipes tax fraud case was sentenced Tuesday to 27 months in prison. Arthur L. Farnsworth, 43, of Sellersville, PA, was also fined $500 and ordered to cooperate with Internal Revenue Service investigators in documenting his finances and beginning to pay his tax debt of almost $83,000, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Prosecutors said Farnsworth transferred his money to overseas bank accounts and put it into bogus trusts to try to hide his income. A raid on his home in 2002 found documents detailing some of the trust funds, leading to a nationwide probe of fraudulent trusts. That led to charges against other people, including Snipes.
*Tracy Morgan will be employed for at least another season. Despite low ratings, NBC has decided to renew its freshman sitcom, “30 Rock.” Now the bad news: On April 12, NBC is moving the show to a suicidal time slot — 9 p.m. Thursdays – putting it up against ratings monsters "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" on CBS and "Grey's Anatomy" on ABC. In related news, “30 Rock” star Judah Friedlander has been cast in Eddie Murphy’s upcoming comedy “Starship Dave.” Friedlander will play the engineer of a crew of tiny humanlike beings that, in an effort to save their doomed world, takes on a perfect disguise: a vessel that looks like an ordinary, normal-size man (Murphy). Gabrielle Union has also been cast.
*BET will premiere its new sports talk show, “Ballers,” on April 20. The program features hosts John Salley, former NFL star Hugh Douglas and comedian Guy Torry talking sports in a nightclub setting. BET CEO Reginald Hudlin told the Associated Press: "I had worked a few Super Bowls for FSN, and one thing I noticed was how comfortable these guys were in a nightclub atmosphere. Many times I had an opportunity to be involved in conversations taking place at nightclubs, and I thought, 'Why aren't we rolling the cameras on this?' It also gives fans the opportunity to 'hang' with the athlete instead of just watch them play." Joining the fellas each week are ladies DJ Rashida and Claudia Jordan from "Deal or No Deal." The show will be shot at Platinum Live in Studio City, Calif.
*This afternoon on the CW, Bryant Gumbel hosts a one-hour program exploring the hardships of poverty. “Life Below The Line: the World Poverty Crisis,” premiering at 3 p.m., will look at some of the most impoverished places on the planet and feature individuals and organizations who are working to solve poverty in their own way. Some of the celebs featured include Della Reese, Sir Roger Moore, Ed Begley, Jr. and Jewel.
MUSIC BITS: Rae’s London flat; Carey adopting in Mexico?; more Stone/Saadiq talk; Wu/Lupe headline Bumbershoot.
*R&B newcomer Corinne Bailey Rae says she’s happy to live way below her means in a small house in her hometown of Leeds, despite the sudden financial windfall generated by her critically-acclaimed self-titled debut album. "I paid $130,000 for a flat in Leeds and I got flak for it,” she says, according to WENN. “People think I should buy a castle or something. I can't afford a castle. Plus, I like being part of a community. Where I live is full of arty types - women in their 50s who live with cats and draw feminist cartoons in their spare time."
*Gossip site The Scoop is reporting that Mariah Carey is planning to pull an Angelina and adopt a child from abroad. According to the report, Mimi was recently spotted visiting the Frank Gonzalez orphanage in Mexico with her lawyer.
*WENN is also confirming that Joss Stone, 19, is indeed dating Raphael Saadiq, the 40-year-old former Tony! Toni! Tone! frontman who was a producer on her new album, “Introducing Joss Stone.” Confirmation comes from Stone’s British homeboy, R&B star Lemar. He says: "I've known about their relationship for ages. Joss is always texting me about how happy she is. And it's the real deal. I'm happy for her. She's a great girl, and she's really into him. She's doing really well in the States right now so it's nice that she is settling down too."
The Wu-Tang Clan and Lupe Fiasco are among the initial headliners set for the 2007 installment of Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival, to be held Sept. 1-3 throughout the Seattle Center. Other scheduled performers include The Shins, Panic! At The Disco, the reformed Crowded House and Steve Earle. Bumbershoot three-day passes can be ordered through the event's Web site (http://www.bumbershoot.org/tickets.htm) for $75 through Aug. 17, after which the price increases to $95. Single-day tickets are $30 and go on sale July 13.
SPORTS BITS: Gwynn on TBS; Venus at Bausch & Lomb; S&L Racing makes history.
*Baseball legend Tony Gwynn, who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 29, has been hired by TBS to serve as an analyst for the cable network's major league baseball package, reports SI.com. Gwynn will team with Chip Caray as TBS's premier broadcast team; they will be in the booth for this year's division playoffs and NLCS. TBS has also recruited Cal Ripken to serve as the network's top studio analyst for coverage of the 2007 division series and NL championship series. Ripken will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in July as well.
*Venus Williams surged forward at the Bausch & Lomb Championships Wednesday night, beating Patty Schnyder 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the clay-court tournament in Amelia Island, Florida. "I think going to a match for her against an opponent you've never won against, I think that's tough,"
Williams said. "That probably played a role. She was probably nervous, too. She was hitting some double faults at times when there was no need to." Williams has won nine straight matches against Schnyder. As of press time Thursday night, she was in the midst of facing Meilen Tu in the tourney’s third round match.
*S&L Racing owners Gale Sayers and Ray Lewis introduce what is believed to be the first team of minority drivers at the Champ Car World Series, to be held tomorrow and Sunday (April 7 and 8) in Las Vegas. Currently, the team consists of an African American male driver, Benny Mingo, French Canadian driver Maryeve Dufault and Michele Bumgarner, who is from the Philippines, but relocated to America to race for S&L. In addition, Sayers and Lewis will attend the races to support S&L partners, Newman Wachs Racing, who will have a team participating in this weekend’s race. Sayers, a member of the Pro Football League Hall of Fame, played seven years with the Chicago Bears and is considered to be one of the greatest running backs in National Football League history. Lewis, a 10-year NFL veteran with the Baltimore Ravens, was the MVP for Super Bowl XXXV and was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2001.
EVENT CALENDAR: LGBT Pride taps Amaechi; Tribeca taps Luda; James Earl Jones honored; Sisters Saving Hearts Awards.
*Ex-NBA player John Amaechi will serve as Grand Marshall for the 2007 Los Angeles LGBT Pride Celebration, to take place June 8-10 in West Hollywood by Christopher Street West. Amaechi's recently published New York Times Best Seller autobiography, “Man in the Middle,” depicts the challenges he faced as a youth, as an NBA star, recognizing his sexuality, and coming out as a gay man. Christopher Street West, a leading partner in the advancement of rights and equality of the LGBT community, extends welcoming support to Amaechi for his courageous coming out and generous outreach work. Please visit the LA Pride Web site (www.lapride.org) for more information.
*Ludacris is tapped to be a speaker during the Tribeca Talks panels at the 6th Annual Tribeca Film Festival, to be held Apr. 25- May 6 in New York. Also featured will be actresses Eva Mendes, Julia Stiles, Julie Delpy, Rosario Dawson and other leading industry executives. In other Luda news, the rapper is set to perform at London’s Zenn nightclub on April 14.
*James Earl Jones will be honored by the American Theatre Wing at its annual spring gala on June 4 at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan.
Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Jerry Herman and Twiggy will serve as honorary chairs for the event, which will include a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m. Jones won Tony Awards for his performances in The Great White Hope and Fences, and was also Tony-nominated for his work in On Golden Pond, his most recent Broadway appearance. Other American Theatre Wing honorees include stage legends Carol Channing and Tommy Tune. Tickets for the black-tie gala range from $2,500 to $700, with tables of 10 starting at $7,000. For more information and to order tickets, call
212-765-0606 ext. 301.
*In an effort to provide black women with heart health education and tools to help lower the incidence of heart disease, Cheerios recently partnered with American Urban Radio Network (AURN) to launch the Sisters Saving Hearts Awards and grant program. Individuals may nominate a friend, family member, colleague, organization or themselves to receive one of five Cheerios Sisters Saving Hearts grants by completing an online nomination at http://www.sisterssavinghearts.com. Nomination forms can also be downloaded from the Web site and mailed to Cheerios Sisters Saving Hearts Program, P.O. Box 72306, Rockford, MN 55572. The program will honor recipients by presenting $5,000 grants to a charity or community organization of their choice that is committed to developing programs that raise awareness and provide education about the risk of heart disease in Black women. Honorees will be selected by a panel of judges appointed by General Mills.
DEMOCRATS ANNOUNCED FOR SMILEY’S PBS DEBATES: Obama, Clinton, Edwards among candidates to face off.
*Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd, John Edwards, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson will participate in the “All-American Presidential Forums on PBS,” moderated by Tavis Smiley, on June 28, from 9 to 10:30 p.m. ET at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Questions to the candidates will be posed by Smiley and journalists Michel Martin of National Public Radio, nationally syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr. and USA Today and Gannett News Service columnist DeWayne Wickham. The event will be televised live on PBS.
“All-American Presidential Forums” marks the first time that a panel exclusively comprised of journalists of color will be represented in primetime. The candidates will be asked about issues ranging from healthcare and housing to Katrina relief, the economy and the environment, among others outlined in the No. 1 The New York Times best-seller, “Covenant With Black America.”
“We are encouraged by the enthusiasm of all parties for this historic event,” said Smiley. “From the title to the format, the ‘All-American Presidential Forums’ was created to provide fresh perspectives and an unprecedented level of inclusion for all Americans in general, and people of color in particular, in these critical discussions about our country’s future.”
The PBS Democratic Forum will be simultaneously webcast on PBS.org, and video of both events will be archived for download and viewing on the Web site. A second forum for Republican presidential candidates will be held on September 27, 2007, on the campus of Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"The trouble for most people is they don’t decide to get wealthy, they just dream about it." — Michael Masterson
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
April 6: Actor Billy Dee Williams is 70.
April 7: Singer Charlie Thomas of The Drifters is 70. Singer Mark Kibble of Take 6 is 43. Actor Bill Bellamy ("Last Comic Standing,"
"Fastlane") is 42.
April 8: Singer J.J. Jackson is 66. Rapper Biz Markie is 43.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
*DamnGoodMusic is an Internet radio station playing the best commercial free soul and R&B music from the 50s thru the 90s, plus today's best: www.damngoodmusic.com/.
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Apr. 6, 1909: Matthew Henson reached the North Pole. Traveling with the Admiral Peary Expedition, Henson, with his exceptional navigational skills, managed to reach the North Pole almost 45 minutes before Peary and the rest of the men.
Apr. 7, 1867: Johnson C.Smith University is founded in Charlotte, N.C.
Apr. 8, 1960: The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was organized on this date. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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