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04-25-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
WESLEY SNIPES HEADED TO PRISON: Despite flurry of character reference letters, actor gets three-year sentence on tax charges.
*Wesley Snipes was given the maximum three-year prison sentence in his tax case late Thursday, which is exactly what federal prosecutors had sought for the "Blade" star, according to reports.
Despite three-dozen character references from such famous friends as Denzel Washington and Woody Harrelson, U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges opted to make an example out of the actor and give him the maximum punishment - which represents the three years he willfully failed to file a tax return.
Snipes' lawyers argued he should get only probation, because all three convictions were misdemeanors and the actor had no previous criminal record. They hoped he would be let off with no prison time and no fine.
The film star was also acquitted of three identical misdemeanors and two felony charges of tax fraud and conspiracy.
NE-YO READY FOR HIS PINE VALLEY CLOSEUP: Artist to sing at Angie and Jesse's wedding on "All My Children."
*Next month, Ne-Yo will perform his songs "Closer" and "Stop This World" during a guest appearance on the ABC soap "All My Children."
The crooner will play himself during the long anticipated second wedding of Angie and Jesse Hubbard, the reemerged couple played by Debbi Morgan and Darnell Williams.
In Ne-Yo's episodes, scheduled to air May 21and May 22, chaos breaks out following his performance at the wedding reception, which leads to Angie being kidnapped and flown away on a helicopter.
The characters of Angie and Jesse Hubbard recently reunited after a 20-year absence following Jesse's presumed death.
J.LO TO STAR IN NEW TLC REALITY SHOW: Series will focus on her balance of career, marriage and motherhood.
*Jennifer Lopez will star in her own reality show for TLC that chronicles her roles as a wife to singer Marc Anthony and new mother to twins Emme and Max.
According to the network, the series will "deliver a slice of [Lopez's] life that audiences have never seen before, as she takes on her career and launches a new fragrance while trying to juggle her new responsibilities as a first time mom."
"I am excited to be part of the TLC family," J.Lo said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to sharing this exciting journey together."
Lopez will also serve as co-executive producer of the as-yet untitled series, which is currently in preproduction and has yet to set a premiere date.
JUDGE OVERRULES SNOOP'S VISA BAN: DVD footage of incident at Heathrow showed no evidence of wrongdoing.
*Snoop Dogg's visa ban in the U.K. has been overruled by an immigration judge who looked at video of his brawl at Heathrow Airport and found no evidence that he was responsible.
The rapper and five of his boys were arrested in 2006 for inciting a brawl that resulted in broken glass and injuries to several police officers.
As a result, the UK's Home Office banned him from the country.
But senior immigration judge George Warr on Wednesday supported a January ruling from another immigration judge, Nehar Bird, who said Snoop did not start the fracas. Both judges based their decisions on video footage of the incident seen on a DVD.
"The appellant's behavior on the DVD did show him interacting with the public. The children were laughing and generally enjoying either dancing or singing or playing music," said Bird at the time. In fact, Bird was quoted by the Guardian as saying that the disorder at the airport was "precipitated by decisions made by British Airways staff and the police."
The Home Office appealed but senior immigration judge George Warr ruled on Wednesday that Bird had been right. The Home Office now has until Wednesday to appeal again.
Snoop's lawyer, Phillip Trott, told the Guardian newspaper: "It has been an appalling waste of public money to pursue this man. It is outrageous that the government is trying to exclude someone who is an innocent figure and has frequently spoken against gang culture and youths carrying guns."
SPIKE LEE COLLECTS CELL PHONE CLIPS FOR FILM: Plus, director to be honored at Silverdocs film fest.
*Spike Lee has teamed with Nokia for a film project that will be comprised entirely of cell phone footage requested of regular people, reports Reuters.
The film by Nokia Productions will consist of three acts. An "assignment" for each act will be announced online and people will then have four weeks to produce their submission.
"You are seeing first hand the democratization of film," Lee said in a statement on Thursday. "Aspiring filmmakers no longer have to go to film school to make great work. With a simple mobile phone, almost anyone can now become a filmmaker."
The film's theme will evolve around the way music tells the story of humanity. People can submit text, music, video or images at certain times between now and August 21 to http://www.nokiaproductions.com. Nokia will choose 25 submissions, then people can vote online for their favorite for a top 10 from which Spike Lee will then choose the winning submission from each act. Lee will direct the film through the Web site.
The final film with the three winning submissions and other contributed content will premiere later this year in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, this year's Silverdocs film festival in the Washington suburb of Silver Spring will honor Lee for his documentary work including "When the Levees Broke," on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, organizers said on Wednesday.
The Silverdocs announcement said Lee was selected for his telling of stories "that challenge America's consciousness of social injustice."
The filmmaker will screen excepts from his documentary works and discuss his career on June 19 at the Charles Guggenheim Symposium, which recognizes top documentary filmmakers and is a centerpiece of the June 16-23 festival.
WITNESS TO JAM MASTER JAY MURDER SENTENCED: Man committed string of robberies after DJ's death in 2002.
*A man who witnessed the slaying of Jam Master Jay was sentenced to
17 years in prison Wednesday for committing multiple robberies after the rap legend's death, reports the Associated Press.
Federal prosecutors say Ronald Washington not only witnessed the 2002 shooting in Jay's Queens recording studio, but they claim he also brandished a gun and made people in the studio stay on the floor while an unidentified gunman shot Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell.
Washington, 40, has denied any involvement and has not been charged in JMJ's killing. Still, prosecutors asked a judge to consider it in sentencing Washington.
U.S. District Judge Nina Gershon declined, noting that Washington wasn't prosecuted in the shooting.
T.O. LAWYER TARGETS PORNO WEBSITE: Legal team wants it to remove photo of Dallas Cowboy entering adult film set.
*Dallas Cowboys star Terrell Owens unleashed his lawyers on a hardcore adult Web site that posted a photo of him walking into an adult photo shoot in Miami without getting permission.
After the picture was displayed legally on the film company's Web site, it somehow ended up plastered on www.TheDirty.com with the headline "T.O. Loves Porn."
The receiver's legal squad sent a cease and desist letter to TheDirty.com explaining that Owens unknowingly walked into the sticky situation, according to TMZ.com. His attorneys are demanding the Web site take down the shots and "state to the public that these photographs linking Mr. Owens to porn were not done with his consent."
STAR JONES DIVORCE RESIDUE: Let the hot buttered mess begin.
*The rumors are already starting regarding Star Jones' divorce from Al Reynolds. The New York Daily News claims to have a source who said Jones filed the papers last month because she was tired of "footing the bill."
"Al was never there for Star," a friend of hers said, according to the paper. "He hasn't made any money in the last three years. He has been living off of her."
Even before the couple exchanged vows, there were rampant reports that Reynolds is gay. In 2006, both Star and Al sued the National Enquirer for a story suggesting that Reynolds frequented gay clubs and socialized with a gay crowd.
At the time, Reynolds responded with a statement that simply said:
"My fiancee and I have discussed all relevant parts of our personal histories."
Jones, 39, filed for divorce on March 26. "The dissolution of a marriage is a difficult time in anyone's life that requires privacy with one's thoughts," she said in a statement. "I have committed myself to handling this situation with dignity and grace and look forward to emerging from this period as a stronger and wiser woman."
MARION JONES' TEAMMATES FIGHT TO KEEP MEDALS: 2000 gold ordered returned from relay partners after Jones' steroid admission.
*Ladies who ran with Marion Jones at the 2000 Olympics are fighting to keep the gold and bronze medals that they have been ordered to return due to Jones' admission of steroid use.
Jones teamed with Jearl-Miles Clark, Monique Hennagan, LaTasha Colander-Richardson and Andrea Anderson to win gold in the 1,600-meter relay, and with Chryste Gaines, Torri Edwards, Nanceen Perry and Passion Richardson to win the bronze in the 400.
The International Olympic Committee ordered Jones to return both medals last year after she admitted to doping during the Sydney Games.
Earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee disqualified the other seven athletes, while conceding none of the athletes broke any rules.
The runners had refused to give up their medals, saying it would be wrong to punish them for Jones' violations.
A news release sent Wednesday from the athletes' attorney, Mark Levinstein, said the athletes have until May 1 to appeal the IOC decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Hennagan said the athletes want to fight the IOC decision, but "the cost of fighting the IOC with all of its resources and paying for legal proceedings before the court in Switzerland is more than our combined resources," she said.
With Levinstein's help, the athletes established The Innocent Olympic Athletes' Legal Defense Fund. The U.S. Olympic Committee offered to pay for the athletes' defense should they choose one of three attorney's the federation has agreed to provide for them, spokesman Darryl Seibel said.
TAE BO CREATOR BILLY BLANKS FILES FOR SEPARATION: Infomercial star calls it quits after 33 years.
*Billy Blanks, the high-energy creator of exercise sensation Tae Bo, has filed for legal separation from his wife of 33 years citing irreconcilable differences, reports People magazine.
According to the documents, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Gayle Blanks is seeking spousal support and asks that her husband be responsible for legal fees.
The couple has an adult son, Billy Jr., and an adopted daughter, Shellie (who appears in most of the Tae Bo DVDs.
Blanks' Tae Bo became famous several years ago for its blend of martial arts and boxing.
LIL WAYNE GETS HIS FIRST NO. 1 ON HOT 100: Billboard chart hands the crown to 'Lollipop.'
*Lil Wayne has appeared on Billboard's Hot 100 20 times since 1999, but his 21st trip, with new single "Lollipop" this week, is his very first to reach the chart's No. 1 spot.
The lead single from his anticipated album "Tha Carter III" unseated British sensation Leona Lewis, whose "Bleeding Love" falls to No. 2, according to Billboard.
Most of Lil Wayne's previous Hot 100 visits have been as guests on projects from other artists. As a lead rapper, his highest chart position was No. 14 with "Go D.J." in November 2004.
Elsewhere on the chart, Jordin Sparks' "No Air" featuring Chris Brown is No. 3, followed by Usher's "Love in This Club" featuring Young Jeezy and Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.
Madonna's "4 Minutes" featuring Justin Timberlake climbed one to No. 6, trading places with Ray J & Yung Berg's "Sexy Can I."
Mariah Carey's "Bye Bye" was the top debut at No. 23; another song from her current Billboard 200 chart-topper, "E=MC2," the T-Pain-featuring "Migrate," debuted at No. 92.
MEDIA WANTS IN ON R. KELLY PRETRIAL HEARINGS: Attorneys say his celebrity status doesn't justify media ban.
*An attorney for two newspapers and The Associated Press are asking the judge in R. Kelly's child pornography case to lift a gag order that has been placed on attorneys during pretrial hearings.
The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and the AP are seeking transcripts of closed pretrial hearings on grounds that Kelly's celebrity status do not justify a ban on media coverage.
Cook County Circuit Judge Vincent Gaughan set another hearing on the motion for May 8, a day before jury selection begins and after any pretrial hearings would be held.
The 41-year-old singer faces charges he videotaped himself having sex with an underage girl. He's denied the allegations.
ATLANTA SCHOOLS CANCEL VISITS FROM T.I.: One district blames recent gang activity and death of a student; another cites his gun conviction.
*Atlanta's WSB-TV Channel 2 is reporting that appearances by convicted rapper T.I. at two metro-Atlanta school districts have been cancelled.
The rapper's upcoming visit at Pebblebrook in Cobb County was canceled due to recent gang activity involving students, as well as the recent death of a pupil. The Fulton County school district has banned T.I.
from ever making appearances due to his gun conviction.
Cobb County officials said there was no permanent ban on the rapper in their district, but admitted that the timing for his appearance was off.
In March, the artist, born Clifford Harris Jr., pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers, unlawful possession of machine guns and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He was ordered to complete 1,000 hours of 1,500 hours community service speaking to youth about gangs, drugs and violence,
He was also sentenced to one year in prison, starting in 2009, and fined $100,000 dollars.
'DEATH' BECOMES CHARLES S. DUTTON: Actor to star in Arthur Miller's classic play at Yale Repertory Theatre.
*Charles S. Dutton will star in New Haven's Yale Repertory production of Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" for spring 2009, producers announced Wednesday.
Dutton will play Willy Loman, "the traveling salesman, haunted by missed opportunities and an uncertain future, [who] must come to terms with a lifetime of self-deception that has distorted his dream into an American tragedy."
Further casting is not set, and it is not known whether this 60th anniversary production will be an all-black cast (like Broadway's "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof") or multi-racial.
Yale Repertory's assistant director James Bundy will helm the production, which is scheduled to run April 24-May 23, 2009.
Subscriptions will go on sale April 25 at www.yalerep.org. Individual tickets will be available beginning Sept. 2.
ERYKAH BADU TOUR IN THE 'VORTEX': Singer lines up North America dates to promote 'New Amerykah Part 1.'
*Erykah Badu will promote her album "New Amerykah Part I (4th World War)" with the launch of a 12-week, 49-city outing titled "The Vortex Tour,"
which begins May 4 in Detroit and ends June 15 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The tour is named for the swirling centers of subtle energy coming out from the surface of the earth, says Badu.
"Most of the shows are in or near cities with naturally strong energy fields, and if they're not, we're going to create them with the music," she explains.
Appropriately, the Philly-based band The Roots will be the opening act for many of the dates, promoting their new album "Rising Down." Badu, who has collaborated with The Roots in the past, features The Roots drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson on several "New Amerykah" tracks.
The Vortex Tour: North America dates are listed below.
Erykah Badu
Sunday, May 04 Detroit, MI Fox Theater
Monday, May 05 Toronto, Canada Massey Hall
Tuesday, May 06 Montreal, Canada Jacques Cartier Park
Thursday, May 08 Boston, MA Orpheum Theater
Friday, May 09 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
Saturday, May 10 Baltimore, MD Pier Six Pavilion
Sunday, May 11 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theater
Wednesday, May 14 Washington, DC Constitution Hall
Thursday, May 15 Washington, DC Constitution Hall
Friday, May 16 Norfolk, VA Chrysler Hall
Saturday, May 17 Greensboro, NC Special Events Center
Sunday, May 18 Richmond, VA Landmark Theater
Tuesday, May 20 Boca Raton, FL Mizner Park Amphitheater
Wednesday, May 21 San Juan, PR Coliseum of Puerto Rico
Friday, May 23 Atlanta, GA Fox Theater
Saturday, May 24 Montgomery, AL Jubilee City Festival
Sunday, May 25 Aruba Soul Beach Music Festival
Tuesday, May 27 Nashville, TN Andrew Jackson Hall
Wednesday, May 28 Memphis, TN Orpheum Theater
Thursday, May 29 St. Louis, MO Fox Theater
Friday, May 30 Chicago, IL Chicago Theater
Saturday, May 31 Chicago, IL Chicago Theater
Monday, June 02 Denver, CO Fillmore
Tuesday, June 03 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
Thursday, June 05 Redmond, WA Marymoor Amphitheater
Friday, June 06 Vancouver, Canada Commodore Ballroom
Sunday, June 08 Oakland, CA Paramount Theater
Monday, June 09 Oakland, CA Paramount Theater
Tuesday, June 10 San Diego, CA Humphreys
Thursday, June 12 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theater
Friday, June 13 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
Saturday, June 14 Phoenix, AZ Mesa Amphitheater
Sunday, June 15 Albuquerque, NM Kiva Auditorium
ITTY BITTY BITS: Oprah and Blaine; C-Murder denied; Treach's ticket; Cornelius sued; 'Sex in the City' soundtrack; Foxy attorney quits.
*On April 30, David Blaine will again attempt to set a Guinness record for holding his breath under water, but this time it will be in front of a live studio audience on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." In May of 2006, the magician tried and failed to break the record of 8 minutes and 58 seconds during the "Drowned Alive" special, which featured him handcuffed, chained and submerged in a water-filled sphere outside of New York's Lincoln Center.
He began showing signs of distress around the 7 minute mark and had to be cut loose and helped to the surface by safety divers after 7 minutes and 8 seconds.
*A request by rapper Corey "C-Murder" Miller to travel and leave the state while under house arrest was denied this week, according to Allhiphop.com. The rapper, confined to his home until his retrial on second degree murder, was trying to go to Jackson, Mississippi for a book rally this weekend sponsored by his company TRU Publishing.
*TMZ.com has more details of Treach's recent traffic stop in New Jersey. According to the Web site, he was ticketed in Newark for driving with a suspended license after being pulled over for driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Police were originally called to the area to investigate shots fired. Treach was pulled over in "the immediate area of the shooting incident" but Newark PD says they have no suspect (or even a
victim) and that Treach is only "a potential witness at this time."
*Paramount Pictures is suing Don Cornelius's production company in L.A. County Superior Court "for services, goods, and/or merchandise sold and delivered by plaintiff to defendants," reports TMZ.com. Paramount seeks $293,961.50, according to the lawsuit obtained by the Web site. The suit, however, doesn't specify what the alleged debt is for. TMZ notes that "Soul Train" specials have been shot on the Paramount lot, and sources say the lawsuit is "Soul Train" related.
*"Labels or Love," Jennifer Hudson's previously-announced song on the new "Sex and the City" soundtrack, is joined by newly-announced tracks from Indie.Arie ("The Heart Of The Matter"), Jem ("It's Amazing"), and a duet featuring Al Green and Joss Stone ("How Can You Mend A Broken Heart"), according to New Line Records. Due May 27, the soundtrack also includes classics from Nina Simone ("The Look Of Love") and Run-D.M.C. ("Walk This Way"). Salaam Remi was in charge of the film's music and wrote J-Hud's contribution, which closes the film.
*Foxy Brown's lawyer Fred Haddad has reportedly resigned from her legal team in the midst of preparing for her battery case in Florida.
Haddad, who has represented Bobby Brown, says he decided to quit after finding out that someone on her New York legal team was attemptin to cut a deal with Florida prosecutors. The rapper is due in a Florida court May 8 on charges stemming from a beauty store incident in which she hurled weave glue at an employee.
SPORTS BITS: NBC to O.J.- 'You're Fired!'; Lamar Odom launches label; Pacman Jones heads to Dallas.
*NBC is saying that O.J. Simpson's request to be on the next season of "Celebrity Season" is news to them. Donald Trump is reportedly considering Simpson's request, but the network tells TMZ that NBC has not -- and never was -- considering casting O.J. on the show.
*Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom has launched his new record label Rich Soil Entertainment with marquee artist Ali Vegas, whose debut album "Generation Gap 2: The Prequel" is due in August through a partnership with Asylum Records, reports Allhiphop.com. Producers include DJ Premier, Scott Storch, Cool & Dre, and Midi Mafia. Akon and Styles P. make guest appearances.
*The Tennessee Titans are cutting ties to its trouble-prone cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones by agreeing to ship him off to Dallas in a trade. Cowboys spokesman Rich Dalrymple confirmed the teams had an agreement, but no terms had been filed with the NFL office as of press time.
The Titans also confirmed the deal, adding that terms had to be finalized.
JEREMIAH WRIGHT SPEAKS ON PBS' 'FRONTLINE': Reverend tries to clear up controversy over his sermons.
*Tonight, the PBS series "Bill Moyers Journal" will feature the first interview with Sen. Barack Obama's former pastor Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ since controversy erupted over his sermons. [Scroll down to view previews.]
During the hour-long show, the former pastor tells fellow United Church of Christ member Moyers that snippets from his sermons have been taken out of context and offer a faulty picture of his views.
"I think they want to communicate that I am unpatriotic," Wright says in the interview.
When asked by Moyers his reaction to Obama denouncing the more controversial parts of his sermons, Rev. Wright responded: "It went down very simply. He's a politician, I'm a pastor. We speak to two different audiences. And he says what he has to say as a politician. I say what I have to say as a pastor. But they're two different worlds. I do what I do. He does what politicians do. So that what happened in Philadelphia where he had to respond to the soundbites, he responded as a politician."
Moyers asked: "In the 20 years that you've been his pastor, have you ever heard him repeat any of your controversial statements as his opinion?"
Wright anwered: "No. No. No. Absolutely not. I don't talk to him about politics. And so he had a political event, he goes out as a politician and says what he has to say as a politician. I continue to be a pastor who speaks to the people of God about the things of God."
Full previews of tonight's special are featured below. Check local listings at www.pbs.org/moyers for the airtime in your area.
Meanwhile, Rev. Wright is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the NAACP Detroit Branch on Sunday. On Monday, he's due to speak at the National Press Club as part of a divinity conference of black church leaders. The event will be open to all media.
BILL MOYERS JOURNAL | Rev. Jeremiah Wright Clip #1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ytn2p8FHos0
Clip #2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bipO7tQl-Js&feature=user
Clip #3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrIS59m1d9Y&feature=user
Clip #4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAdsIcKn9CA&feature=user
OPENING THIS WEEK: Kam's Kapsules: Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
For movies opening April 25, 2008
by Kam Williams
BIG BUDGET FILMS
Baby Mama (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality, crude humor and a drug reference) Class-conscious comedy about a single career woman (Tina Fey) who wants to have a baby but ends up hiring a crass surrogate mom (Amy Poehler) from the other side of the tracks after learning that she only has a one-in-a-million chance of getting pregnant herself. Supporting ensemble includes Greg Kinnear, Sigourney Weaver, Maura Tierney, Romany Malco and Dax Shepard.
Deal (PG-13 for profanity, sexuality and brief drug use) Burt Reynolds is back in this casino caper as an aging poker hustler who comes out of retirement to show the ropes to a cocky college student (Alex Harrison) only to have his young protégé prove to be his stiffest competition in the World Poker Championship. With Shannon Elizabeth, Vince Van Patten and Charles Durning.
Deception (R for sexuality, profanity, brief violence and drug use) Ewan McGregor stars in this whodunit about an accountant who finds himself the prime suspect in both a woman’s disappearance and multi-million dollar heist after he frequents a kinky sex club at the suggestion of his attorney pal (Hugh Jackman). With Maggie Q, Natasha Henstridge and Michelle Williams.
Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo (R for profanity, sexuality, crude humor and drug references) John Cho and Kal Penn reunite to reprise their title roles for another politically-incorrect adventure. This go-round, the nerdy stoners find themselves on the run after being mistaken for terrorists while aboard an airplane. Cast includes Neil Patrick Harris, Roger Bart, Eddie Kaye Thomas and Beverly D’Angelo.
Rogue (R for profanity and horror violence) Australian horror flick about a sightseeing cruise through an Outback wildlife reserve which turns into a terrifying nightmare after the captain (Radha Mitchell) accepts a dare from an American passenger (Michael Vartan) to steer the boat into unchartered waters where they find themselves stalked by a man-eating crocodile.
INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS
Roman de Gare (R for brief profanity and sexual references) Romance mystery about a popular crime novelist (Fanny Ardant) whose best sellers might have been ghostwritten by an escaped serial killer (Dominique Pinon) posing as the fiance’ of a just-dumped hairdresser (Audrey Dana) in need of a beau.
(In French with subtitles)
Standard Operating Procedure (R for profanity and disturbing images involving torture and graphic nudity) Oscar-winner for Best Documentary Errol Morris (for Fog of War) Man’s dissects the Abu Ghraib scandal in an effort to make sense of man’s inhumanity to man and the failure of the U.S.
military to abide by the Geneva Conventions.
Stuff and Dough (Unrated) Mobster drama about a cash-strapped street punk (Alexandru Papadopol) who agrees to drive a package from Constanta to Bucharest for the neighborhood crime boss (Razvan Vasilescu) only to find himself being shadowed by a mysterious jeep. (In Rumanian with subtitles)
Then She Found Me (R for profanity and sexuality) Helen Hunt makes her scriptwriting and directorial debut and stars in this dramedy about a NYC schoolteacher who, saddened by the death of her adoptive mother (Lynn Cohen) and abandoned by her immature husband (Matthew Broderick), gets a new lease on life when she’s courted by the father (Colin Firth) of one of her students and also tracked down by the birth mother (Bette Midler) she never knew. Featuring a cameo by Salman Rushdie.
Up the Yangtze (Unrated) The effects of the rush to modernization on a rapidly-changing China are examined by this enlightening documentary shot from the perspective of young people employed by a cruise ship on the Yangtze River. (In Mandarin and English with subtitles)
Without the King (Unrated) Swaziland is the subject of this shocking documentary about Africa’s last reigning absolute monarchy. The impoverished nation is ruled by King Mswati III, a despot who treats himself to a lavish style which includes numerous palaces, a fleet of expensive cars, designer wardrobes and 14 wives, while his subjects are suffering from starvation, a 42% AIDS rate and a life expectancy of only 31.
EUR FILM REVIEW: Without the King
The Misadventures of Mswati in Swaziland
Film Review by Kam Williams
*King Mswati III is a benevolent despot ruling the tiny African nation of Swaziland with a velvet-gloved iron fist.
This last absolute monarch on the continent governs just about the only sub-Saharan country somehow untouched by civil war or ethnic cleansing over the last 30 years.
In contrast to such war-torn lands as Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Sudan, Swaziland has enjoyed a relatively-peaceful existence.
This, despite the fact that its citizens have a 42% AIDS rate and the world’s lowest life expectancy at 31. Plus, most of the population has to survive on about 63 cents a day, and are thus very dependent on donations from international charities just to survive.
Meanwhile, the royal family lives in the lap of luxury, starting with the king. He has 14 wives, and picks another new one to add to his harem from the 75,000 topless young virgins participating in the annual Reed Dance, a weeklong celebration of chastity.
He also owns 7 palaces, a fleet of luxury cars, the media and sugar industries, and most of the developed real estate. Plus, he has $45 billion stashed away in a Swiss bank for safekeeping. Political parties are banned in Swaziland, so the miserable plight of the people isn’t about to change any time soon in the absence of a revolution.
Besides Mswati, the film focuses on the decadent behavior of his spoiled-rotten eldest child, an airhead attending college in California.
Well aware of the exploitation of her father’s subjects, this future queen sarcastically appraises the situation shortly before the curtain comes down, vaguely promising to make some changes while rolling her eyes.
We’re supposed to buy the idea that the Swazis will be saved by Africa’s answer to Paris Hilton? Yeah, right. Proof-positive that despotism and decadence comes in all colors.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
In English and Siswati with subtitles.
Running time: 84 minutes
Studi First Run Features
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"Visualize this thing you want. See it, feel it, believe in it. Make your mental blueprint and begin." — Robert Collier
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
April 25: Actress Gina Torres ("I Think I Love My Wife") is 39.
Actress Renee Zellweger is 39.
April 26: Actor Giancarlo Esposito is 50. Singer T-Boz of TLC is 38.
April 27: Singer Ann Peebles is 61. Singer Herbie Murrell of The Stylistics is 59. Singer Mica Paris is 39.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Sizta 2 Sizta is a site for black women seeking info on how to grow and maintain long healthy hair: www.sizta2sizta.com
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Apr. 25, 1950: Charles "Chuck" Cooper first African American ever drafted by an NBA team; picked by the Boston Celtics.
Apr. 26, 1844: On this day Jim Beckwourth discovered a path through the Sierra Nevada Mountains that now bears his name. Beckwourth Pass on U.S.
Alt 40 between Reno, Nevada and Sacramento, California made overland travel to the gold fields of California possible.
Apr. 27, 1964: Tanganyika and Zanzibar merge to become the East African Nation of Tanzania. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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