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O.J.'S CANCELED BOOK LEAKED ONLINE: Disturbing passages detail 'hypothetical' murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.
*You knew this day was coming. TMZ.com has gotten its hands on a manuscript of O.J. Simpson's cancelled book "If I Did It," where he discusses in "hypothetical terms" how he would have killed his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman.
TMZ did not disclose how it obtained the manuscript. A judge recently ordered rights to the book to the Goldman family as part of their overall effort to collect on a $38 million wrongful death judgment against Simpson..
Without any further ado, the book begins with O.J. stating:
I'm going to tell you a story you've never heard before, because no one knows this story the way I know it. It takes place on the night June 12, 1994, and it concerns the murder of my ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her young friend, Ronald Goldman. I want you to forget everything you think you know about that night because I know the facts better than anyone. I know the players. I've seen the evidence. I've heard the theories. And, of course, I've read all the stories: That I did it. That I did it but I don't know I did it. That I can no longer tell fact from fiction. That I wake up in the middle of the night, consumed by guilt, screaming.
Detailing how he would have murdered Brown and Goldman, O.J. writes:
I looked over at Goldman, and I was fuming. I guess he thought I was going to hit him, because he got into his little karate stance. "What the f**k is that?" I said. "You think you can take me with your karate sh**?" He started circling me, bobbing and weaving, and if I hadn't been so f**king angry I would have laughed in his face. "O.J., come on!" It was Charlie again, pleading. Nicole moaned, regaining consciousness. She stirred on the ground and opened her eyes and looked at me, but it didn't seem like anything was registering. Charlie walked over and planted himself in front of me blocking my view. "We are f**king done here, man-let's go!"
I noticed the knife in Charlie's hand, and in one deft move I removed my right glove and snatched it up. "We're not going anywhere," I said, turning to face Goldman. Goldman was still circling me, bobbing and weaving, but I didn't feel like laughing anymore. "You think you're tough, motherf**ker?" I said. I could hear Charlie just behind me, saying something, urging me to get the f**k out of there, and at one point he even reached for me and tried to drag me away, but I shook him off, hard, and moved toward Goldman. "Okay, motherf**ker!" I said. "Show me how tough you are!"
Then something went horribly wrong, and I know what happened, but I can't tell you exactly how. I was still standing in Nicole's courtyard, of course, but for a few moments I couldn't remember how I'd gotten there, when I'd arrived, or even why I was there. Then it came back to me, very slowly:
The recital-with little Sydney up on stage, dancing her little heart out; me, chipping balls into my neighbor's yard; Paula, angry, not answering her phone; Charlie, stopping by the house to tell me some more ugly s**t about Nicole's behavior. Then what? The short, quick drive from Rockingham to the Bundy condo. And now?
Now I was standing in Nicole's courtyard, in the dark, listening to the loud, rhythmic, accelerated beating of my own heart. I put my left hand to my heart and my shirt felt strangely wet. I looked down at myself. For several moments, I couldn't get my mind around what I was seeing. The whole front of me was covered in blood, but it didn't compute. Is this really blood? I wondered. And whose blood is it? Is it mine? Am I hurt?
Simpson writes of contemplating suicide during the infamous slow speed chase.
A.C. drove another half-mile or so and pulled into an orange grove, where no one could spot us, not even from the sky. He got out to take a leak, and the moment he left the Bronco I reached for my grip. I unzipped it and pulled out the Magnum. I was in tremendous pain, and I saw nothing but more pain ahead of me, and I decided to end it. "I realized, I can make this stop. One shot to the flicking [sic] head and it's over."
*In other O.J. news, the man trying to auction the suit he wore on verdict day has renewed his efforts to sell the clothing and is hoping to get at least six figures, reports TMZ.
The Goldman family sued to try and stop the sale, but according to the seller, Alfred Beardsley, the judge "didn't buy it." Beardsley says he is hoping to sell the suit privately, rather than leave it at open auction.
Interested parties can call 818-259-7705 and make an offer.
DAMON WAYANS LEAVES TEXAS FANS HANGING: Comic walks out in a huff after friends are hassled at the door.
*Comedian Damon Wayans took his personal frustrations out on fans in El Paso, Texas last weekend when he left the venue just five minutes before his Saturday gig was to begin.
The actor was all set to take the stage at Bart Reed's Comic Strip when he got word that two of his lady friends were being detained at the door, reports the El Paso Times. When they weren't let in fast enough, Wayans reportedly walked out on his sold-out crowd in protest.
Organizers had to fill the vacated slot with local comic Jorge Jimenez. The venue had to also cancel Wayans' sold-out shows on Saturday and Sunday, the newspaper reported. He did perform two shows on Thursday.
Fans who purchased tickets online should have all charges reversed, The Times reports. Refunds may also be obtained at the Comic Strip, 9515 Gateway West or www.laugh2nite.com.
SHAR VS. STAR OVER PREGNANCY CLAIMS: Actress hires lawyer over tabloid's claim that she's pregnant.
*Asking Shar Jackson if she's really carrying a third baby by ex-boyfriend Kevin Federline is one thing. Asking her kids, however, is a no-no that brings her dwindling patience with the rumor to a screeching
halt.
The actress and current host of ABC's "Ex-Wives Club" has hired a lawyer in her battle with Star magazine, which printed a story claiming Jackson and her ex-boyfriend Kevin Federline are expecting.
Jackson has been denying the reports ever since it was published.
But she tells TMZ.com that her children are now being bombarded with questions about the rumor.
"When my kids hear things at school and then ask me if they are getting a new brother or sister, I have to put my foot down," Shar told TMZ through her rep.
The Web site also reports of Shar's willingness to supply Star magazine editor-in-chief Bonnie Fuller with her pregnancy test, which she says will prove once and for all that she is not with child.
Shar tells Fuller: "I stand by my truth by offering you an EPT test if you stand by yours and reveal your 'source' to me."
CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER AND HIS COMEDIC CHAOS: On the set of “The Better Man”
By Kenya M Yarbrough
*On the set of the upcoming Malcolm D. Lee film “The Better Man,”
co-star Cedric the Entertainer took some time out to talk and joke with reporters about the new film and the possibility of hitting the road for a comedy tour.
The flick, expected to open early next year, stars Ced and Martin Lawrence, along with a fantastic cast of comedians and comedic actors including Mo’Nique, Mike Epps, and Louise C.K.
“I’m Clyde,” Cedric said of his role in the film. “He’s the cousin that was raised as a brother. James Earl Jones [plays] basically my daddy’s brother. And because I was orphaned, he seemed to have done a little more nurturing. That put that constant rivalry between me and [Martin’s character] and made me his antagonist all throughout the movie.”
In addition to competing for their father’s attention in the film, the two characters also fought for the love of the neighborhood darling, played by Nicole Ari Parker. Ced’s character Clyde ends up being the victor adding even more fuel to their sibling rivalry.
“Supposedly he never got over this, even though he has his new fiancée, but I’m not really dating her either. I fell into the friend category, so I was getting the three pats,” he explained and demonstrated in true Ced the Entertainer fashion. “So guys if ever you’re trying to hollah at a girl and you try to pull up on her and you think she likes you and she gives you the three pats when you break from a hug ...”
Ced’s joking was only a glimpse of what the comedian was dishing out on the set. He admitted that causing director Malcolm Lee to call cut because the laughter had gotten out of control was something he enjoyed.
“This has been an amazing experience,” he said of sharing funny moments with other very funny people. “Mo’Nique is amazing in this movie; Mike Epps, they cast him like they wrote the movie for him; and then myself and Martin ... it’s just a great time. Each one of us really enjoyed watching the other work. You can do four or five takes and most comedians are taking a chance on doing something different every take. I was a little mischievous from time to time. I would jump off the page. When you have Martin or Mo’Nique in the scene you kind of throw it up in the air and see
if we can get each other off target.”
He even had something funny to say about his outwardly very serious co-star and film legend James Earl Jones:
“He’s actually very cool and very reserved. But he has a thing for guns – he likes gun magazines and he collects guns, so that is the thing that you have to be concerned about,” he joked. “Imagine James Earl Jones on the set strapped. Is that Darth Vadar with a pistol?”
The all-star cast also includes Michael Clarke Duncan and Joy Bryant, but the cast of comedians leads fans to question, “What about another comedy tour the likes of the very popular ‘The Original Kings of Comedy’ tour that featured Ced, Steve Harvey, DL Hughley, and Bernie Mac with this particular cast?
“I like the idea of the big shows. That’s been missing since the ‘Kings of Comedy’ and I think it’s time for it,” Cedric said, but explained that that since the KOC Tour, he and the others have become quite successful in their own careers and that has made reuniting a bit difficult, and that former co-King Bernie Mac has showed little interest, so he’s even talked to Chris Rock about joining up.
“Everybody kind of blew up from the ‘Kings of Comedy’ show and then everybody became their own entity. And the promoter, the guy that actually owns the title, nobody wants to deal with him, so we gotta figure out how to make all that work. So that’s pretty much what it’s been – talks of a deal.”
While in talks, Ced is staying true to his name and seems to stay at work entertaining. He’s already working on “Madagascar 2” as the voice of Maurice; is in development of “Back to School,” a remake of the 80s comedy starring Rodney Dangerfield, where a hedonistic business man enrolls in college to inspire his son, and has finished a film called “Caught on Tape,”
written and directed by Sticky Fingaz.
“My part is shiny,” the funnyman said of his role in the world, “but… at the core of it, I’ve got to get up and go do a job. So I try to stay humble. Most of the time I’m always trying to figure out the next move.”
Ced can also be seen in the upcoming "Talk To Me" playing the role of Nighthawk, the 60s and 70s DJ on Washington, DC's WOL radio. Look for that movie in theaters July 13.
“The Better Man” is expected to hit theaters in February 2008.
MARA BROCK-AKIL, HUSBAND PACT WITH WEINSTEIN CO.: 'Girlfriends' duo to produce film for shingle's urban banner.
*The Weinstein Co. has signed husband-and-wife producing/directing team Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil to a writing, producing and directing deal under its urban banner, Our Stories Films.
Their first project under the new pact will be a film about a woman who starts a business to investigate the mates of high-powered women after she herself is left at the altar. Mara Brock Akil will write the screenplay and Salim Akil will direct, reports Variety. The pair's Happy Camper Prods.
banner will produce.
As previously reported, Our Stories was created last year by the Weinsteins and BET founder Robert Johnson as the first label at a studio or mini-major devoted to releasing movies for black audiences. Our Stories president Tracey Edmonds said the shingle was attracted to the Brock Akil project because she offers "a smart, humorous but accurate perspective on modern-day singledom and dating."
The movie will reunite Edmonds with Salim Akil, who collaborated on her Showtime drama series, "Soul Food."
Mara Brock Akil executive produces and writes the ensemble sitcom "Girlfriends" as well as its spinoff, "The Game," both of which air on the CW. Salim Akil has directed numerous episodes of both series.
The Akils film is the second announced project on the Our Stories slate after "Who's Your Caddy?," a Big Boi vehicle about a rap mogul trying to gain access to a country club, which opens in July.
QUINCY JONES EYES PRODUCT LINES: Producer's team actively scouting branding opportunities.
*Music veteran Quincy Jones is looking to slap his name on a variety of lifestyle products and digital media sources as part of a major branding initiative kicking off at this week's Licensing International trade show in New York.
According to Billboardbiz.com, the producer's team is currently pursuing deals with suppliers and retailers in professional and consumer audio; coffee-table and how-to book publishing; clothing and accessories; grooming; home decorating; and educational materials.
The product lines are "premised on his being a tastemaker in music,"
says Robert Thorne, whose company is administering Quincy Jones Enterprises in partnership with Jones. "Everything has to have a signature element of quality that makes it clear it's from Quincy."
On the digital media side, projects will be housed at quincyjones.com, the future site of Quincy's Vault - an online archive of unreleased audio, video, photos and outtakes documenting Jones' work with artists from Frank Sinatra to Michael Jackson and Celine Dion.
Getting Jones' name on everything from neckties to shaving cream to
MP3 players should help "move forward some of the items on his entertainment agenda," including his biopic and a movie musical, says The Firm's Adam Shulman, who is leading Jones' new management team.
"My work in music, film, television and currently on Broadway with 'The Color Purple' has been embraced by so many over the decades, and my new slate of film and television projects continues in that tradition," Jones said in a statement. "My initiatives in lifestyle branding and digital media will be the next chapter along with my continuing priority of helping children of all cultures."
In the meantime, Jones' upcoming projects include serving as an artistic advisor to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, as well as the ambassador to the Grammys' 50th anniversary. Also in the works is a TV special celebrating his 75th birthday in 2008 with musical guests. A CD compilation series and an Interscope-released tribute album to Jones produced by will.i.am and Akon are also set for next year, the 25th anniversary of the Jones-produced "Thriller."
There is also a deal on the table for a Jones-branded satellite radio channel, a weekly music-intensive terrestrial radio show and mobile content, which would feature new music recommendations sent via "Q-Tip" text message.
TIGER WOODS BECOMES A FATHER: Stork drops a baby girl early Monday morning.
*Just hours after Father's Day, Tiger Woods became one himself when his wife Elin Nordegren gave birth to their first child early Monday.
Some 24 hours after he placed second at the U.S. Open on Sunday, the golfer posted a message on his Web site announcing the June 18 arrival of daughter Sam Alexis Woods.
"Both Elin and Sam are doing well and resting peacefully," Woods wrote. "We want to thank our doctors and the hospital staff for all their dedicated and hard work. This is truly a special time in our lives and we look forward to introducing Sam to our family and friends over the next few weeks. We thank everyone for their well wishes and continued respect of our privacy."
Nordegren, a Swedish former nanny and model, met Tiger at the 2001 British Open. They were married four years later, and announced they were expecting last December on his 31st birthday.
ISAIAH WASHINGTON MOVING ON: Ousted 'Grey's Anatomy' star now focusing on Africa.
*Isaiah Washington took part in last weekend's African Union Summit Promoting African American Interest in Africa in Beverly Hills on Friday, an event representing the actor's primary focus now that he is no longer a part of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy."
Washington is chairman of the Gondobay Manga Foundation, which works to improve conditions in Sierra Leone. Next month, he'll travel to Ghana for the African Union Summit, where he and 50 other influential African-Americans will meet with 53 African presidents to discuss the continent's future, reports People magazine.
Friday's meeting at the Four Seasons hotel also included Jamie Foxx, Chris Tucker, Mos Def and Herbie Hancock, James Mathis and organizer, designer Ozwald Boteng.
"Once you get awareness of who you are and how you're here, then I believe there's a responsibility that you have. And seeing that I can afford to take part in that, I have to be responsible," Washington told reporters of his passion for Africa.
As for life beyond "Grey's Anatomy," Washington tells People: "In the coming months, all I'm working on right now is trying to focus on day-to-day life and what I'm doing with the foundation, what I'm doing with the family."
Asked if there were any misconceptions about him, he said: "I don't know. Maybe for 50 years and the history of media and television I represent something that's supposed to not exist. ... This happened to Malcolm X, this happened to Paul Robeson - this misconception can happen to any man of power that loves himself and wants to spread that love and that humanity throughout the world."
ROBERT WISDOM JOINS WENTWORTH IN 'PRISON': Actor rules Panama jail in Fox drama's new season.
*Actor Robert Wisdom, fresh from his memorable role as "Bunny" on HBO's "The Wire," will join the cast of Fox's hit series "Prison Break" when it returns for a third season this fall.
The last time we saw Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller), he was walking into the courtyard of his fresh new digs - a prison in Panama.
Wisdom will play Luchero, a Panamanian drug kingpin who is incarcerated and controls all the other inmates.
Also added to the cast next season is Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, a veteran television actress who will play Betty Crocker, an operative for shadow government organization, The Company.
Besides "The Wire," Wisdom's other recent credits include the feature films "Freedom Writers" and "Ray."
NAOMI CAMPBELL CASHES IN ON BAD REPUTATION: Model pokes fun of anger issues in Dunkin' Donuts spot.
*Naomi Campbell just shot a commercial for Dunkin' Donuts in which she perpetuates her image as a cell phone-throwing, assistant-beating diva unable to control her rage.
According to a spy for the New York Daily News, Monday's shoot featured the model "gardening in an evening dress. Something goes wrong, she gets frustrated, and she flips out. She then takes her shoe off and throws it through a window. Next to her is a Martha Stewart type who is calm, cool and collected, thanks to her frozen Dunkin' Donuts drink."
Campbell follows in the footsteps of Britney Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline, who capitalized on his attempt to enter the rap world in a commercial for Nationwide insurance, where he daydreams of being a rap star while working fries at a fast food restaurant.
50 CENT'S EX-GIRL EYES VITAMINWATER MONEY: Shaniqua's lawyers say big paycheck should be on the table in current child support case.
*The huge cash windfall coming to 50 Cent from the sale of his stake in VitaminWater has piqued the interest of lawyers for the mother of his child, Shaniqua Tompkins.
VitaminWater's parent company, Glaceau, was recently acquired by Coca-Cola for $4.1 billion. Thompson, in the midst of a child support battle with the rapper, wants some of 50's share to benefit their 10-year-old son, Marquise Jackson.
"This will be a subject of the trial," her lawyer, Raoul Felder, told the New York Post:
However, a lawyer for 50 says: "The extent of his worth is irrelevant.
He always has and always will support his son."
The case resumes Friday in Suffolk County Family Court.
BARACK OBAMA APOLOGIZES FOR HILLARY MEMO: Democrat said joke about her ties to India was 'dumb mistake.'
*Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is in the midst of controversy over a memo sent out by his staff that pokes fun at rival Hillary Clinton's financial ties to India.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Obama denounced the memo which carried the headline - "Hillary Clinton (D-Punjab) - and referred to Bill and Hillary Clintons' investments in India; her fundraising among Indian-Americans; and the former president's $300,000 in speech fees from Cisco, a company that has moved U.S. jobs to India.
In a statement on his Web site, Obama said he was not aware of the contents of the memo before it was distributed. But he took full responsibility for the mistake and announced his campaign had taken appropriate action "to prevent errors like this from happening in the future."
"It was a dumb mistake on our campaign's part and I made it clear to my staff in no uncertain terms that it was a mistake," Obama told the AP, further labeling the memo as "unnecessarily caustic."
Last Thursday, Obama's campaign sent the memo to reporters, demanding that it not be attributed to their campaign. The Clinton campaign obtained the document and sent it to journalists. Since then, it has caused outrage within the Indian-American community and raised questions about Obama's claims that he is above attack politics.
"It is not reflective of the long-standing relationship I have had with the Indian-American community," Obama said in the interview. "The issue of outsourcing is a genuine and important issue but to refer to one particular country was, I think, an error and I let all of us know that we've got to be more careful about how we communicate."
MUSIC BITS: Suge a new man; Ike laments 'What's Love'; Blaxican indicted; Jackson's rabid fans; Clash manager's N-word; Bundles retaliation murder?
*Readers of Sunday's Washington Post Style section were greeted with a full above-the-fold photo of Marion "Suge" Knight and a rather lengthy article from staff writer Teresa Wiltz about many topics, including his forthcoming reality show (which attempts to set 20 troubled kids on the right path), his decision to delete all N-words from material on label Death Row his, and a new commitment to sanitize his image as a ruthless music mogul. Read the entire article here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/15/AR2007061500
505.html?hpid=features1&hpv=local
*Ike Turner says his career went down the toilet following the release of "What's Love Got to Do With It," the 1993 biopic about his violent marriage to ex-wife Tina Turner and her triumph over his abuse. He tells
WENN: "You know, during the time I was doing drugs, my attorney coerced me into signing a contract that said I wouldn't sue them if they got someone else to play me in a film. I didn't know I was signing away my rights and that they could portray me any way they wanted to. You have to have a villain and you have to have a hero, so I was the villain."
*A Chicago rapper and his partner were indicted Friday by a DuPage County grand jury on 27 counts of theft, theft by deception, security fraud and wire fraud. The Blaxican (real name Eric Jaglicic) and his partner Brian Falatovich are accused of swindling $1.3 million from investors by claiming they were producing an Adam Sandler movie. Prosecutors say Jaglicic convinced Falatovich to invest in the fake film project titled, "The Record Deal," then Falatovich persuaded 18 relatives and friends to invest in the movie. The money, however, went straight into Jaglicic's pocket and was used to buy a Hummer, two pet alligators, and a $442,000 house complete with a recording studio and an arcade. The pair face up to 30 years behind bars if convicted.
*A new UK-based poll reveals that Michael Jackson fans are the most fiercely loyal of any celebrity fan base, including devotees of Ozzy Osbourne and the Rolling Stones. According to a new study by PopScores, a market research firm that measures the emotional connection between performers and consumers, 82 percent of Jackson's fans say they will buy any and every new recording he releases. By comparison, Gorillaz returned a "love-to-purchase ratio" of 80 percent, James Blunt and Linkin Park 73 percent, Ozzy 67 percent and the Stones 47 percent.
*A former manager of punk icons The Clash made waves last month when he said in an interview: "If you want to sort out crime in London, sort out the n**gers in Peckham." He's now blaming the African American intra-cultural use of the N-word for believing that his comment was no big deal. He tells WENN: "In America, everyone I worked with that was Afro-American, that's what they call themselves. It's a bit like Cockney (London). Over there they say 'guy,' over here it's 'bloke,' it's just different terms."
*Another rapper has been killed in Queens, less than a week after 24-year-old rap artist Stack Bundles was gunned down. Investigators believe the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Charles White, found dead on the sofa in a Springfield Gardens home with a pillow over his head, was in retaliation for the killing of Stacks Bundles, born Requan Elliot. Police aren't saying what the connection is. Stacks was found dead June 11 at the Redfern Housing Project with gunshots to his head and neck. Police did say they believe White may have gone down to Virginia with a friend of his and then came back to the New York area before his murder.
FILM/TV BITS: Kodjoe's a 'Trooper'; Kelley wants Sammy; Richie flirts with jail; 'Pride's Brandon Fobbs; 'And Then Came Love' DVD.
*Boris Kodjoe has been cast in the upcoming straight-to-DVD film, "Starship Troopers: Marauder," reports filmmaker.co.za. Jean-Claude van Damme stars in the project, which begins shooting in Cape Town, South Africa next month. The film follows seven troopers who must help save the earth.
Meanwhile, little Sophie Tei-Naaki Lee, Kodjoe's daughter with actress Nicole Ari Parker, just turned three-months-old on June 11.
*"Hairspray's" breakout star Elijah Kelley is caught up in the crowded ring of potential actors to play Sammy Davis Jr. on the big screen, reports MTVMoviesBlog. As previously reported, there are currently three biopics in the works about the legendary entertainer. Denzel Washington and Brian Grazer are behind "In Black and White," based on Davis' 2003 biography; OutKast rapper Andre 3000 is working on "Sammy and Kim," about his controversial relationship with white actress Kim Novak; and "Hairspray"
producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are trying to acquire rights to Davis'
1965 biography "Yes, I Can." Kelley would likely re-team with his current producers to star in the latter, which is reportedly the lone project to have the blessing of Davis' widow.
*"Simple Life" co-star Nicole Richie is due in court on July 11 to face her latest DUI charge. The daughter of Lionel Richie was arrested in December after cops caught her parked on the 134 Freeway - facing the wrong direction. During her arrest, she admitted smoking weed and having Vicodin in her system. Because of her prior DUI arrest, she faces a minimum of five days in jail, and a maximum of one year. Her lawyer appeared at a hearing yesterday and vowed to fight the charges.
*The film "Pride," starring Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac and newcomer Brandon Fobbs, will be released on DVD June 26. Fobbs, a former Frito-Lay truck driver and Hampton University graduate, portrayed the character Fruit on HBO's "The Wire." He can be seen this fall in the Vietnam War drama "Tunnel Rats,"filmed entirely in South Africa.
*"Ugly Betty" star Vanessa Williams stars in the film "And Then Came Love," a contemporary romantic comedy that celebrates life's little - and big - surprises, coming to DVD August 14 from Warner Home Video. The movie co-stars musical legend Eartha Kitt, Kevin Daniels (Ladder 49), Michael Boatman ("Arli$$') and Jeremy Gumbs (The Lion King). "And Then Came Love"
comes with a half hour of extras including three featurettes and deleted scenes. Williams and the late Gerald Lavert perform a new duet recorded especially for the film.
EVENT CALENDAR: Keith David in Central Park; Cheadle film via Going.com; Marion Anderson Award to Gere.
*Keith David will play the role of Oberon in the Public Theater's forthcoming Central Park production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the second and final production of Shakespeare in the Park's "Summer of Love." Previews will begin on Aug. 7, with performances continuing for five weeks through Sept. 9. David played Oberon in 1981 at the Public for two performances in a production presented by the Acting Company. He has also played the title role in Othello, Leontes in The Winter's Tale, Aaron in Titus Andronicus and Tullus Audifius in Coriolanus.
*Focus Features is using event-based social network Going.com to promote and preview Don Cheadle's new film, "Talk to Me." The partnership will offer the Web site's audience of 300,000 free tickets to special advance preview screenings of the film starting Wednesday, June 27, in New York (UA Union Square, New York City http://newyork.going.com/TalkToMeNYC),
Boston (AMC Loews Boston Common, Boston
http://boston.going.com/TalkToMeBoston), and (San Francisco Metreon, San Francisco http://sanfrancisco.going.com/TalkToMeSF). Screenings at all three venues begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are free to members of Going.com.
*The 2007 Marian Anderson Award will be given to actor Richard Gere, 57, for his advocacy efforts on behalf of independence for Tibet and better care for HIV/AIDS patients. The award is named in honor of the first black singer to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera. Anderson served as a special envoy to the Far East and was named a delegate to the United Nations by President Eisenhower. Gere, a native of Philadelphia, will receive the award at a Nov. 12 gala featuring a concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra.
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS STEPHA HENRY?: Brooklyn woman still missing after disappearing last month in Florida.
*Police in Florida are at their wits end trying to figure out what happened to Stepha Henry, a 22-year-old New Yorker who was visiting relatives in Miami with her 16-year-old sister when she mysteriously disappeared.
Henry was last captured by surveillance cameras at a nightclub in Sunrise. She had made plans for a friend's brother-in-law to pick her up on May 29, her aunt Daffodil Samuel told the Associated Press. Relatives saw her get into a black sedan with a man. Police said they have questioned a man who told them he left her at the nightspot.
Henry's family members are convinced that foul play was involved in the disappearance of Henry, an honors graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
"She was a fighter," Samuel said of her niece. "I know they didn't take Stepha easily."
Henry's mother and father have been in Florida since the week their daughter went missing. Her mother has posted fliers seeking information and plans to stay there to keep searching; her father returned to New York on Sunday night.
"She is not going to leave Miami until we know what happened to our daughter," Steve Henry said of his wife, Sylvia.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Daddy's Little Girls
Romantic Comedy Rleased on DVD Features Gabrielle Union and Idris Elba
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Julia (Gabrielle Union) is a hotshot attorney with a corner officer in downtown Atlanta and a pricey condo with a breathtaking view of the city.
The only thing missing in this workaholic's life is a mate to share her success with.
Her well-intentioned girlfriends, Cynthia (Tracee Ellis Ross) and Brenda (Terri J. Vaughn) try to play matchmaker, but all the blind dates they come up with turn out to be total disasters.
Just when Julia is resigning herself to a perpetual state of spinsterhood, Mr. Right appears in the person of Monty (Idris Elba). The problem is that she barely notices him, since the only reason their paths cross is because he's moonlighting as a limo driver to supplement his income as an auto mechanic.
This spoiled-rotten witch-meets-working class hero premise underpins Daddy's Little Girls, the latest modern morality play from Tyler Perry. Although there's no Madea character in the mix this time out, the film still features plenty of Perry's pictures' trademarks.
Thus, we find an assortment of recognizable African-American archetypes from the abuse victim to the trifling womanizer to the sassy sister to the gallant knight in shining armor who serves to smash the prevailing negative stereotype of the black male as a gangsterish thug.
Gabrielle Union has never before exhibited as much of an emotional range as seen in this role as an ice princess whose cold heart melts when offered an opportunity with a real man who comes with a ready-made family. Idris Elba is just as endearing as that too good to be true patriarch willing to do whatever it takes to protect his offspring. And the rest of the principal cast deserves kudos for giving their all in executing Perry's timely script with a very positive message.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, violence, drug use and mature themes.
Running time: 95 minutes
Studi Lions Gate Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Commentary by Tyler Perry, extended scene, plus a couple of featurettes.
EUR FILM REVIEW: DOA: Dead or Alive
Jiggly Babes Kick Butt in Adaptation of Computer Game
Film Review by Kam Williams
*Ordinarily, a compromise of sorts is struck when a computer game is turned into a movie, as most such adaptations fail either to follow the feature film format or to deliver a viable screen version of the joystick experience.
Instead, they typically serve up an unsatisfying blend of the genres by trying to cobble a storyline with well-developed characters onto graphic action sequences which would've been better off with plot left as an afterthought.
DOA: Dead or Alive is a refreshing exception to the rule, for it merely pays lip service to plot in favor of eye-popping fight scenes featuring scantily-clad women with gravity-defying boobs performing gravity-defying feats. Like a cross of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Charlie's Angels, this titillating chopsocky is the brainchild of Hong Kong's Corey Yuen.
Yuen, ever in demand as a veteran choreographer of martial arts movies, has directed dozens of his own films, plus he's staged the stunts for dozens more, including such big-budget Hollywood productions as Romeo Must Die, X-Men and Lethal Weapon 4. He's probably best known for The Transporter, a surprise hit which landed on this critic's 10 Best List for 2002.
DOA: Dead or Alive revolves around a winner-take-all, anything goes, invitational tournament of gladiators being staged on an exotic island in the middle of nowhere by Dr. Victor Donovan (Eric Roberts), a diabolical creep with a hidden agenda. The grand prize? A cool $10 million.
Although the bulk of the competitors are men, the real stars, here are the four fearless women, Helen (Sarah Carter), Christie (Holly Valance), Tina (Jaime Pressley) and Kasumi (Devon Aoki), at the center of this female empowerment flick. Prior to their arrival at the main event, each of our curvy heroines enjoys a gratuitous get-acquainted scene.
Get a load of what to expect of this testosterone-sodden teen fantasy. When we first meet Christie, she's nearly-naked and coming out of a shower when she suddenly finds herself confronted in her hotel room by several cops about some stolen diamonds. No problem. Whipping off the towel to use as a weapon, Christie proceeds to wrestle with them in a manner rather reminiscent of an equally-unforgettable scene from Borat.
Eroticized violence remains the prevailing theme even after the competition starts on the island, such as with Zack (Brian J. White), a hopelessly horny Mr. T wannabe with a Kelly green Mohawk and matching sideburns. He tries every lame pick-up line in the book on Tina who doesn't give the jive brother the time of day until they are designated as opponents at which point she summarily eliminates him from the contest in short order.
Warning. Don't try to follow the plot. Don't try to make sense of the cartoon physics. Don't allow yourself to be put off by the cheesy trick photography. Otherwise, you'll feel betrayed and be bitterly disappointed.
The idea here is to sit back and delight in the cinematic equivalent of a fashion runway which seizes on the flimsiest of excuses to shoot sweaty, two-fisted beauties flying around in lingerie, swimsuits and skin-tight attire from every conceivable angle.
If Corey Yuen believed in truth in advertising, ala Snakes on a Plane, this flick would have a name like Jiggly Babes Kick Butt. The stuff that post-pubescent dreams are made of.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for nudity, sexuality, eroticized violence and pervasive martial arts action.
Running time: 87 minutes
Studi The Weinstein Company
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
“A lifestyle is what you pay for; a life is what pays you." — Thomas Leonard: CEO of CoachVille.com.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
June 20: Singer Lionel Richie is 58.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Black-owned e-commerce site features contemporary furniture and specializes in platform bedroom furniture. The site also customizes bedroom sets to meet your needs and budget: www.JazzMama.com
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
June 20, 1911: NAACP incorporated in New York. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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