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06-25-09 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
PEREZ HILTON SUES PEAS MANAGER FOR PUNCH: Lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Wednesday; alleges battery and emotional distress.
*Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles against the tour manager of the Black Eyed Peas after claiming the man punched him in the face several times following a heated exchange with Peas member will.i.am.
Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, sued Polo Molina Wednesday for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $25,000.
The suit states Hilton is seeking to protect his rights to free speech and claims Molina attacked him because he made critical comments about the Black Eyed Peas' new album.
Molina was arrested in Toronto early Monday. Below are details from the lawsuit regarding the alleged attack.
The complaint states Black Eyed Peas vocalist Fergie approached Hilton on Saturday and asked why he was writing "mean" things about her and the group.
Hilton replied that he was "simply being honest and truthful about his opinions of them," according to the lawsuit.
On Sunday, Hilton claims he was pushed by an unidentified member of the Black Eyed Peas' entourage, who "slammed his shoulder into Hilton's shoulder and thereafter pushed him."
The lawsuit claims Fergie again approached him at an afterparty for the MuchMusic Video Awards on Sunday night and that his argument with will.i.am happened at another party.
The lawsuit claims the blogger was trying to leave that party when Molina punched him at least three more times.
"Lavandeira sustained injury to his eye and was bleeding as a result of this violent and malicious attack," the lawsuit claims.
The blogger is seeking unspecified damages in excess of $25,000, including medical costs and damages due to "humiliation, mental anguish, and emotional and physical distress."
The lawsuit also claims that Molina used an alias when he turned himself in and that he is on probation in California for a drunken driving conviction under his real name, Liborio Molina.
LEAKED CHRIS BROWN TRACKS ARE NOT NEW: 'Not My Fault' and 'Smash' are being 'falsely promoted' as post-beating material.
*The two Chris Brown tracks that popped up on the Internet in the past weeks are not from his upcoming album, according to a statement released by his camp.
"Countering misleading reports of 'new' Chris Brown music: there are no 'new' songs from Chris Brown currently being promoted by Chris or his record label," a rep for Jive Records said in a statement released Tuesday night. "There are several old demos circulating that are being falsely promoted as new material from Chris."
Several weeks ago, Brown posted a video online in which he said he's working on a new album called "Graffiti" and planned to release a new single this summer. But none of the songs that have emerged in the past weeks are in the running.
Two of the songs in question — "Not My Fault" and "Smash" — have been tagged with unfortunate titles, given Brown's recent legal issues stemming from his alleged altercation with Rihanna. On Monday, he was sentenced to 180 days of community service and five years' probation.
A third leaked song, titled "Stronger," is a Mary J. Blige ballad that features Brown singing backing vocals. On it, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul sings, "I will survive as long as it's you by my side/ I'm stronger."
A rep for Blige told MTV.com the song was recorded before Brown's incident with Rihanna in February; the rep said she was uncertain when and where the song would be released.
Not My Fault
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Smash
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Stronger
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MARTIN LAWRENCE WORKING ON TV PROJECTS: One is an animated series based on his childhood in DC
*Martin Lawrence's production company Runteldat has several TV comedies in the works, including one each at Fox and cable channel Starz.
The Fox comedy is based on his experiences growing up in the Washington, D.C.-Maryland area. At Starz, he has a single-camera interracial family show in the works based on the comedy of Gary Owen, the only white man to host BET's "ComicView."
Both projects have script commitments, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Additionally, Lawrence is developing a multicamera family comedy set at a funeral home that is expected to be taken out to other networks.
The Fox animated half-hour, written by Rodney Barnes and produced by 20th Century Fox TV, will follow the misadventures of 13-year-old Martin as he comes of age in D.C.
Barnes, who grew up in Maryland, was a co-executive producer of 'Til Death," "Everybody Hates Chris" and the animated "The Boondocks."
The interracial comedy project for Starz is about a white guy from a trailer park who marries a well-to-do black woman. It is inspired by Owen's real-life experience and stems from Runteldat's stand-up series for Starz, "Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment Stand-up," which has featured Owen.
"We all thought he is hilarious," Runteldat director of development Darice Rollins said. She met Lawrence while working as a writer on his Fox sitcom "Martin."
Developing a comedy series with Owen, who also might star in the project, is part of Lawrence's efforts to give up-and-coming stand-ups an opportunity to take the same journey he took -- from stand-up to TV comedy series to movies, Rollins said.
LAILA ALI MIXED UP IN HUSBAND'S COURT DRAMA: Curtis Conway's ex trying to subpoena her financial info to prove he can afford higher support payments.
*Laila Ali is being dragged into the child support battle currently being waged between her husband, former NFL star Curtis Conway, and his ex-wife.
According to TMZ.com, Leoria Sanamu Conway is trying to convince a judge that her child support payments should be increased now that Conway is married to the daughter of Muhammad Ali.
Leoria is trying to subpoena Laila's financial info, including "her inheritance or potential inheritance."
Laila and her husband have asked the judge to block the request, arguing it's a blatant invasion of privacy and "clearly designed to harass and burden Ms. Ali."
JAR JAR BINKS SITUATION IN NEW 'TRANSFORMERS': Sequel accused of using black stereotypes for two of the robots, named Skids and Mudflap.
*"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," according to the Associated Press, is catching heat from critics for its pair of "jive talking 'bots"
that reportedly draw on black stereotypes for laughs.
AP's Sandy Cohen writes:
Skids and Mudflap, twin robots disguised as compact Chevys, constantly brawl and bicker in rap-inspired street slang. They're forced to acknowledge that they can't read. One has a gold tooth.
As good guys, they fight alongside the Autobots and are intended to provide comic relief. But the traits they're ascribed raise the specter of stereotypes most notably seen when Jar Jar Binks, the clumsy, broken-English speaking alien from "Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" was criticized as a racial caricature.
Wall Street Journal film critic Joe Morgenstern described Binks in
1999 as a "Rastafarian Stepin Fetchit," a reference to a black character from the 1920s and '30s that exploited negative stereotypes for comic effect. Extending that metaphor to the "Transformers" sequel was AP Movie Critic Christy Lemire, who calls Skids and Mudflap "Jar Jar Binks in car form."
And Manohla Dargis, film critic for The New York Times, takes it a step further, writing that the "Transformers" characters were given "conspicuously cartoonish, so-called black voices that indicate that minstrelsy remains as much in fashion in Hollywood as when, well, Jar Jar Binks was set loose by George Lucas."
Director Michael Bay insists that the bumbling 'bots are just good clean fun.
"We're just putting more personality in," Bay said. "I don't know if it's stereotypes — they are robots, by the way. These are the voice actors.
This is kind of the direction they were taking the characters and we went with it."
TV actor Reno Wilson, who is black, voices Mudflap. Tom Kenny, the white actor behind SpongeBob SquarePants, voices Skids. Neither immediately responded to interview requests for this story.
Bay said the twins' parts "were kind of written but not really written, so the voice actors is when we started to really kind of come up with their characters."
"I purely did it for kids," the director said. "Young kids love these robots, because it makes it more accessible to them."
Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman said they followed Bay's lead in creating the twins. Still, the characters serve no real purpose in the story, and when the action gets serious, they disappear entirely, notes Tasha Robinson, associate entertainment editor at The Onion.
"They don't really have any positive effect on the film," she said.
"They only exist to talk in bad ebonics, beat each other up and talk about how stupid each other is."
Hollywood has a track record of using negative stereotypes of black characters for comic relief, said Todd Boyd, a professor of popular culture at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, who has not seen the "Transformers" sequel.
"There's a history of people getting laughs at the expense of African-Americans and African-American culture," Boyd said. "These images are not completely divorced from history even though it's a new movie and even though they're robots and not humans."
American cinema also has a tendency to deal with race indirectly, said Allyson Nadia Field, an assistant professor of cinema and media studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
"There's a persistent dehumanization of African-Americans throughout Hollywood that displaces issues of race onto non-human entities," said Field, who also hasn't seen the film. "It's not about skin color or robot color. It's about how their actions and language are coded racially."
If these characters weren't animated and instead played by real black actors, "then you might have to admit that it's racist," Robinson said. "But stick it into a robot's mouth, and it's just a robot, it's OK."
But if they're alien robots, she continued, "why do they talk like bad black stereotypes?"
Bay brushes off any whiff of controversy.
"Listen, you're going to have your naysayers on anything," he said.
"It's like is everything going to be melba toast? It takes all forms and shapes and sizes."
JAMIE FOXX BRINGING SKETCH COMEDY TO MTV: Actor offering updated version of 'In Living Color."
*MTV has greenlit a project for series development with Jamie Foxx serving as an executive producer.
The comedian who launched his career with the 1990s Fox hit "In Living Color," will aim to deliver a 21st-century version of that program with a new sketch comedy show, according to Variety.
For the as-yet-untitled series, Foxx will work with partners Marcus King and Jaime Rucker King, as well as executive producers Fax Bahr and Adam Small.
The series will mark his second project with MTV following his thug makeover series "From Gs to Gents," which male contestants from rough backgrounds compete to become gentlemen.
MISSY ELLIOTT BIOPIC IN THE WORKS: Artist currently looking for a writer to tell her life story.
*Rapper Missy Elliott is still looking to bring a film about her life to the big screen.
The artist, born Melissa Arnette in Portsmouth, VA, is hoping to produce a film that chronicles her traumatic past and her rise to fame during the 1990s.
During her childhood, she was repeatedly raped by an older cousin from the age of eight and saw her mother being abused by her father, who pulled a gun on the pair on one occasion.
And after nearly two decades in show business, during which she became the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum, Elliott says the film project is in the works.
"It's happening; I've just got to find a great writer because I wouldn't want my story watered down," she tells Elle magazine. "I went through a lot, and I accomplished a lot, and I want people to know how it all went down."
DENNIS RODMAN WINS A COURT CASE: The rare event took place this week after defendant failed to respond to lawsuit.
*Dennis Rodman was awarded a default judgment in his lawsuit against a Tampa club after no one from the venue responded to the complaint.
According to TMZ.com, the "Celebrity Apprentice" star made a deal to host a Super Bowl party at the location for four hours at $20,000. But the company ended up stopping payment on the $7,500 balance because it claims Rodman stayed for less than three hours.
The company said it also stopped payment because Rodman and his posse racked up $10,000 in additional expenses, most of it from liquor.
The company never responded to Rodman's lawsuit for the $7,500, so the former NBA star won a default judgment.
R. KELLY UPSET OVER SCAM ALLEGATIONS: Woman accused of using his name to bilk investors claims she deposited money into his account.
*R. Kelly says he has nothing to do with a woman who is accused in South Africa of using the singer's name to scam more than 50 investors out of money.
The woman is charged with more than 60 counts of fraud after allegedly conning her victims into investing money in an R. Kelly tour that never existed. The woman reportedly says she deposited the money into Kelly's bank account.
Kelly is now wanted for questioning in the case.
His camp has released a statement vehemently denying any involvement in the scam.
"The woman has no connection at all with R. Kelly," said the singer's publicist. "This is just some con woman who swindled a bunch of people out of money. R. Kelly had no knowledge of this, he's just as upset as anyone."
EVE TO PLAY RIVAL CHOIR DIRECTOR ON 'GLEE': Guest starring role was originally offered to Whitney Houston.
*Rapper/actress Eve has just signed on to guest star on the upcoming Fox series "Glee," reports EW.com.
The entertainer will appear in two episodes as a no-nonsense girls'
choir director from a rival school, sources confirm to the Web site.
Glee producers were hoping to cast Whitney Houston in the role, but she turned it down, says EW.
NICK AND MARIAH TO RENEW VOWS YEARLY: Cannon trying to get their Seal and Heidi Klum on.
*Nick Cannon says he wants to celebrate his 2008 nuptials with Mariah Carey in an annual celebration like celebrity couple Heidi Klum and Seal.
Carey and Cannon exchanged vows for the second time in the Maldive Islands in April, after a wild Las Vegas bash with their celebrity friends.
"Do it big or don't do it at all. We're always having a party," he tells WENN "It was so quiet the first time and we want to have a party for everybody. We went to the Maldives and had another wedding on a private island.
"We're going to get married every single year in a different location. You've got to do it different every single year, different every time, themed weddings, all of that."
Carey and Cannon stunned everyone when they slipped away to Carey's Bahamian estate to tie the knot last April after just weeks of dating.
DE LA SOUL PLOTS SUMMER TOUR: Rap collective returns to the road to mark the 20th anniversary of their debut LP "3 Feet High and Rising."
*It's been two decades since rap trio De La Soul released their debut album "3 Feet High and Rising," and the group will mark the occasion with a coast-to-coast 20th anniversary tour this summer, dubbed "20 Years and Rising."
The trek gets underway July 23 in San Francisco, before venturing into Canada for a July 26 show in Burnaby, British Columbia, reports Live Daily. The tour crisscrosses the nation, stopping by 16 cities over the course of nearly six weeks, including an Aug. 23 appearance in Toronto. The current itinerary wraps Aug. 30 in Boulder, CO.
For the anniversary tour, De La Soul will be backed by the Rhythm Roots All-Stars, a 10-piece outfit based in Los Angeles.
The hip-hop group's most recent release, "Are You In?," is part of the Nike + Original Run music series and the first new material from the trio in three years. The 45-minute continuous track, which surfaced last month, is only available via iTunes.
Below are De La Soul's tour dates:
July 2009
23 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
24 - West Hollywood, CA - Key Club
25 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
26 - Burnaby, British Columbia - Deer Lake Park
31 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
August 2009
1 - Austin, TX - Emo's
2 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
7 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
9 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
18 - Ortley Beach, NJ - Joey Harrison's Surf Club
19 - Foxborough, MA - Showcase Live
23 - Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Theatre
25 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
26 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
27 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
30 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
DIDDY THROWING ANNUAL 'WHITE PARTY' IN LA: Rapper's event to take place on July 4 this year; CIROC Vodka invites service men and women.
*CIROC Ultra Premium Vodka and Sean "Diddy" Combs have invited Tanya Vinson of the Air Force to serve as Diddy's personal guest at his annual White Party on July 4 on the West Coast.
Although traditionally held in the Hamptons at the end of summer, this year's fete - themed "We Are Family" - will occur in Los Angeles on Independence Day in honor of the historic presidential election.
As a sponsor, CIROC Vodka launched a program in April to honor several American service men and women with entry to this exclusive event.
The grand prize winner, Vinson, has received the ultimate CIROC White Party experience for two, including round trip airfare, hotel accommodations, and transportation, in recognition of her outstanding commitment to the armed forces.
"As we celebrate Independence Day at this year's White Party, it's only fitting that we show our gratitude for the heroic men and women who protect our freedom every day," said Diddy, who entered into a strategic marketing alliance with the ultra-premium spirit more than one year ago. "I am proud to honor our military by personally hosting Tanya at my Fourth of July White Party."
The event will be co-hosted by "Malaria No More," a non-profit, non-governmental organization determined to end the malaria crisis in Africa.
Vinson, an Air Force recruiter, is tasked with replenishing the ranks of our military during one of the most challenging times in our nation's history.
NAUGHTY BY NATURE DIALING UP NEW BUSINESS: Rap group teams with Microsoft to promote new PDA.
*Microsoft has tapped Naughty by Nature to promote its newest PDA device to feature the Windows Mobile operating system.
The HTC Touch Pro 2 Windows Mobile Device, scheduled to roll out later this year on all four major mobile service carriers, features a fully functional touch screen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
“As a fan of Microsoft products, I'm super pumped about Naughty's promotion with Windows Mobile,” group member Vinny told AllHipHop.com. “I'm a Windows Mobile power user and eager to educate others about the future of mobile computing. This is just the beginning.”
Billed as “a palm-size professional conference phone,” the Touch Pro2 features an enhanced speakerphone and noise cancelling microphone. It also features the ability to break away from a conference call for a one-on-one conversation with one participant without disconnecting the conference.
Naughty is currently working on a new album, tentatively titled "Anthem, Inc."
MIJAC SHOWS DROWNING IN SWAROVSKI CRYSTALS: Jewelry firm says singer is using 300,000 pieces in his comeback concerts.
*Michael Jackson's stage costumes and set will be studded with £1 million worth of Swarovski crystals, according to Contact Music.
The singer, whose 50-night This Is It residency at London's O2 arena begins next month, is adding 300,000 of the gems – in 53 shapes, 40 sizes and 27 colors – to his costumes and to the stage set.
Nadja Swarovski, Vice President of Swarovski Crystal Business,
commented: "As the King of Pop it is only natural for him to be crowned in crystal."
Choreographer Kenny Ortega - who is working with the 50-year-old star to put together the shows - said the partnership with the jewelry firm had "inspired our fashion and scenic elements to a new state of the art."
As previously reported, fans who registered for a ticket lottery on Jackson's Web site have another chance to see the singer as extra tickets have been made available.
President of AEG Live Randy Phillips said: "Since we originally put tickets on sale prior to designing the stage show, we were quite conservative with the arena seating in order to accommodate the size of this technologically advanced production.
"Now that Michael and Kenny are very advanced in the creative process we are able to offer more tickets to the general public."
ITTY BITTY BITS: Op with Solange; Robinson in 'Father'; Whitlock at 'Farragut North'; Britney's alleged stalker in court; Herbie's false alarm.
*Solange Knowles joins AnnaLynne McCord, Sophia Bush, Brody Jenner, Joel Madden, and Cody Linley for clothing line Op's 2009 back-to-school multi-media marketing campaign, titled OPen Campus. The campaign was shot at University High in Los Angeles, CA by photographer Larry Bartholomew and will debut this fall in fashion, lifestyle and entertainment magazines, and online at www.op.com.
*Craig Robinson, a.k.a. Darryl of NBC's "The Office," joins Heather Graham, Johnny Knoxville and Camilla Belle opposite Kevin Spacey in "Father of Invention," about a humble inventor-turned-egomaniacal billionaire
(Spacey) who spends eight years in prison when one of his inventions goes awry. Upon release, he is seeks to rebuild his reputation and fortune but finds that easier than salvaging his relationship with his family.
*Actor Isiah Whitlock Jr., best known as corrupt state senator Clay Davis in HBO's "The Wire," is starring opposite Chris Noth and Chris Pine in the Washington, DC-set play Farragut North, which made its West Coast premiere Wednesday at Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. "Set against the backdrop of a close presidential race, Farragut North is a timely tale of hubris, loyalty and the lust for power. For more information, visit GeffenPlayhouse.com or call (310) 208-5454 or Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.
*Miranda Tozier-Robbins, the 26-year-old woman who allegedly donned military fatigues and snooped around Britney Spears' home, pled not guilty to charges of trespassing and peeping, reports TMZ.com. The judge in L.A.
court remained confident a deal could be worked out between Tozier-Robbins and the D.A., but a pretrial date was still set for July 17.
*Jazz great Herbie Hancock accidentally set of his burglar alarm and all hell broke loose. The Los Angeles police arrived seven deep at his Hollywood Hills spot shortly before midnight to investigate what they thought was a disturbance, reports TMZ.com. The Grammy-winner was forced to apologize when he realized he'd unintentionally triggered the silent alarm, which is installed in case of a robbery and is connected to the local police station.
EUR FILM REVIEW: Dead Snow (Død snø)
Nazis Gnaw on Norwegians in Zany Zombie Flick
Film Review by Kam Williams
*When a group of med students make plans to spend their Easter break together in a mountaintop cabin far removed from civilization, they never expect to find themselves in a fight for their lives against an army of ghouls dressed in Nazi uniforms.
After arriving at the isolated ski lodge, they learn that they don’t have any cell phone reception, and only then does it occur to them that their predicament sounds a lot like the typical plot of high attrition-rate horror fare.
They start joking about Friday the 13th, Evil Dead, April Fool’s Day and other scary movies they’re reminded of, knowing full well that they’re in Norway, not some rural American setting normally associated with such grisly goings-on.
But that is precisely what ensues in Dead Snow, a low-budget splatter flick which tends to follow the genre’s conventions, except that the black guy doesn’t die first because there aren’t any brothers for miles around this lily-white enclave.
At the point of departure, we’re introduced to seven members of the ill-fated ensemble. Each of the males fits a familiar archetype. There’s squeamish Martin (Vegar Hoel) who feints at the sight of blood, nerdy Erlend (Jeppe Laursen), horny Roy (Stig Frode Henriksen) and macho Vegard (Lasse Valdal) whose girlfriend Sara (Ane Dahl Torp) owns the cottage.
We don’t meet her until later, because she chose to travel by skis through the snow instead of by car like the rest of the revelers. The three other females are nondescript damsels-in-distress: Chris (Jenny Skavlan) who secretly has the hots for Erland, her cousin, Hanna (Charlotte Frogner), and Liv (Evy Kasseth Rosten).
While relaxing with beer while playing a game of Twister, the party is interrupted by a grizzled geezer (Bjorn Sundquist) who warns that these very same hills are said to be cursed ever since it was the site of a slaughter during the Second World War. Needless to say, the newcomers ignore the local lore at their peril which soon arrives in the person of the late Colonel Herzog (Orjan Gamst) and his ghoulish henchmen.
Directed by Tommy Wirkola, Dead Snow is a derivative affair with nothing special to offer besides the novel sight of Nazis as zombies. Still, it’s well enough executed to recommend for fright fans, provided you have a strong stomach for gratuitous gore.
Hitler of the dead!
Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
In Norwegian with subtitles.
Running time: 92 minutes
Studi IFC Films
To see a trailer for Dead Snow, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkC7HiAlAeE
EUR FILM REVIEW: Born into Brothels
Academy Award-Winning Documentary Showing at Human Rights Watch Festival
Review by Kam Williams
*When British photographer Zana Briski ventured to Calcutta, her original plan was merely to document the day-to-day lives of prostitutes working the seamy maze of back alleys scattered around the city's red light district.
But she decided to alter her plans considerably soon after she was touched by the unfortunate street urchins residing in the whorehouses there.
For though most of the hardened hookers had long-since lost hope and had resigned themselves to their second-class status, Briski was surprised to discover that the women's ostracized, young offspring still harbored innocent dreams of one day escaping the squalor of the slums and rising above their inherited, lowly station.
So, she summoned Ross Kauffman to India, asking her friend to videotape the heartbreaking plight of these underage social pariahs.
I doubt that either of the first-time filmmakers expected to get so close to their subjects, abandoning the impersonal role normally assumed by journalists to become emotionally-involved as surrogate parents in an often impassioned attempt to rescue the kids from their desperate straits.
The upshot of their rewarding work was not only the soul satisfaction of knowing that they had made a profound difference in these children's lives, but in professional recognition, too, as their inspirational movie chronicling that unselfish effort won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2005.
Born Into Brothels, showing at the Human Rights Watch Festival in Manhattan on June 18th, [http://www.hrw.org/en/iff/born-brothels], is a marvelous hybrid almost impossible to categorize. With Briski serving primarily as cinematographer and Kauffman alternating in front of the camera as interviewer, mentor and social worker, the film focuses on eight waifs between the ages of 6 and 10 who the couple appear to have virtually adopted over the course of a three-year project which began in 2000.
Shy, sweet Kochi is interested in learning about computers and how to speak English. Manik, who lives in a small room with his older sister, Shanti, loves flying kites. Tapasi wants to be a teacher when she grows up. Puja is a tomboy with pet parrots. Her best friend, Gour is a sensitive boy who is curious about college. Suchitra is a girl who escapes all the insanity on a rooftop while Avijit is an amateur artist already showing much promise.
Ordinary kids, stuck in slums teeming not only with the skin trade, but with poverty, vermin, disease, narcotics, alcohol and addiction. Since most can't afford to attend school, their futures look just as bleak as their jaded, ill-fated mothers'. Recognizing the children's potential, Briski ends-up serving as their tireless, outspoken advocate, raising money for their education.
Meanwhile, she equips each of her charges with a 35mm cameras to snap some stills of their bleak surroundings. Given their natural curiosity and easy access to areas of illegal activity, the streets, the brothels, the drug dens, the pictures yield an alternately enchanting and unsettling kids' eye view of Calcutta's lowest common denominator.
Professionally-matted and framed, the photographs subsequently find their way to a fancy Sotheby's auction a world away. One might think that the resulting infusion of cash would be a one-way ticket out of their godforsaken hellhole for our rag-tag gang of amateur shutterbugs.
But not so fast, Kimosabe, because India has a strictly-enforced caste system and money alone can't cleanse an untouchable. And the country has create a maze of bureaucratic red tape to negotiate, calling for birth certificates, HIV tests and so forth. Plus, some of the prostitutes resent having their progeny whisked away, even if it is to an upscale boarding school.
Briski's admirable persistence pays off, though no mention is made of the prospects for the thousands of orphans not lucky enough to have her in their corner. Despite all of Born into Brothels earnestness, in the end, one can't help but wonder exactly what it was you’ve just watched. A hard-hitting expose'? Voyeuristic slumming? A touching, true tale of triumph, against all odds? A self-aggrandizing, vanity bio-pic? Or some new type of reality flick, Survivor: Calcutta?
How about, all of the above.
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for profanity.
(In English and Bengali with subtitles)
Running time: 85 minutes
Distributor: ThinkFilm
The Human Right Watch Film Festival is running in NYC until June 25th. Born into Brothels will be screened at 4 PM on June 18th at the Walter Reade Theater, located at 165 W. 65th Street in Manhattan.
For more info, visit: http://www.hrw.org/en/iff/born-brothels
If the Human Rights Watch Festival isn’t coming to your city, you can purchase a DVD of Born into Brothels here: http://www.amazon.com/Born-into-Brothels-Zana-Briski/dp/B000A2XCBC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1245186582&sr=8-1
To see a trailer for Born into Brothels, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8niql0q3i6c&feature=PlayList&p=3555D833E3DE4929&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=24
JOSEPH C. PHILLIPS: The Good Stuff
*It was a glass mug that I treasured dearly. My sophomore year in college my little sister, Carole, had given me the mug for Christmas. As a special treat she had engraved my nickname, “Joey” into the Mug. It wasn’t fancy or expensive; just a regular glass mug. After my sister passed away the mug took on a sentimental value and I loved it. It was a beautiful reminder of a sister that was also my best friend.
This mug had survived a year of dormitory life, 9 years of Brooklyn apartment living, a move to New Jersey, a cross country move to California and three moves around the city of Los Angeles. Alas, the mug couldn’t survive children.
Unfortunately for me, my favorite glass also struck the fancy of my number one son. When reaching for a mug to drink from, this was the one he often chose. I explained the significance of the mug to him and he promised to be careful. Of course little boys always promise to be careful just like they always promise to be good. Given enough time they always end up breaking both promises. One day while not paying attention he went to set the mug on the edge of the counter and missed. The glass fell to the floor shattering into 20 pieces. My wife was sure that all hell was about to break loose, but I have really been working hard on understanding what is important in life. It would be a lie to say that I didn’t remind my son of the mugs history through slightly clenched teeth. However, to my credit (I think) and my wife’s surprise I didn’t yell. I took a breath, reminded myself that this was only a glass, grabbed the broom and dust pan and swept the pieces into the garbage. Se la vie.
A wise man once told me that nothing real can ever be taken away. The mug is gone, but the love, respect and admiration I feel for my sister remains. That’s the good stuff. The same is true of being a parent.
A few weeks ago I watched this same son perform a karate form for his school talent show. It was one of those moments that parents are all too familiar with: your heart swells, your throat tightens and the water comes to your eyes. It is a feeling of transcendent euphoria that is difficult to describe to those that have not felt it.
My sons often ask me what heaven will be like. I playfully respond it will be like taking a bite of the most perfect pepperoni pizza you have ever tasted or lifting your head into the most perfect breeze. I think I will add that heaven must certainly be something near to the good stuff of parenting: kissing the softest, fattest, most milk smellingest cheeks of your new born, the sweet comfort in the hug made with little arms, bathing in the most radiant smile of your son when he hits his first homerun or scores his first touchdown, or watching from the audience as your child performs.
I have often wondered about parents – fathers in particular that choose NOT to experience the good stuff. These are the fathers that choose not to take an active role in their children’s lives. We know the statistics all too well: 85% of children from ‘this” group do not have regular contact with their fathers, 55% of children from “that” group do not see theirs.
The studies are clear on the negative impact absentee fathers have on their children. What we don’t know is what affect absence has on fathers. I can only imagine that a man that fathers children yet chooses not to raise them suffers some deep damage to the soul. If being immersed in the good stuff is heaven then being removed from it must certainly be hell.
I treasure fatherhood especially because it’s replete with broken mugs, broken beds, sunflower seeds in the dryer, socks on the ceiling fan…All of it is the good stuff. I wouldn’t miss any of it for the world.
Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like A White Boy” available wherever books are sold.
BETWEEN THE LINES: Villaraigosa’s “No-Go” For Governor: We Need A Full Time Mayor To Deal With Full Time Problems
*It’s been a while since I’ve been on the same page at the same time with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. As one of the few black stakeholders that backed his losing bid in 2001, and returned to support him in 2005, only to have to bash him for engaging in token reciprocity with the black community the past few years, I wasn’t exactly enamored with the prospect of a Villaraigosa gubernatorial run and quite frankly was gearing up to oppose it. Why? Simply put, Villaraigosa hadn’t done enough as Mayor to qualify for gubernatorial consideration. Being elected Mayor twice of the state’s largest city doesn’t qualify. The city is in shambles with its budget crisis, the schools are in shambles with all aspects of its performance—and Villaraigosa puppeteered the ouster of a community favorite as School Superintendent, the city has a water shortage, an emerging race war (Latinos killing Blacks) that he has become increasingly silent on and a reputation for being out of the city more than he’s in the city. He’s tried to put an inexplicable tax on the people (Measure B, which we helped defeat), pull a Tammany Hall power coupe with Controller and City Attorney (which we helped break-up) and hasn’t been able to restore economic confidence in the worst parts of the city, South and East Los Angeles, which he’s from or knows his way around but are rarely seen in. You generally see Mayor Villaraigosa in one of three places: wherever there’s a television camera, a celebrity (or celebrity event) or a high ranking federal official from the President on down (pick one). His mayoral tenure has been one big photo op, so you understood he was posturing for a reason — his next political run. Given a host of personal problems and political slippage, Villaraigosa’s Teflon persona couldn’t deflect what an incalculable risk running for governor would be at this point in time. Not just for the Mayor’s prospects, but for the city of Los Angeles itself. Villaraigosa’s “no-go” could be a blessing in disguise. For the first time since he’s been Mayor, he’s not running for (or from) something. He’s free to be a full time Mayor to deal with L.A.’s full time problems.
Let’s really understand what that means in the context of Los Angeles’ political realities. Now understand, the Mayor’s not a bad guy. In fact, he’s a pretty smart guy. He’s book smart, he’s street smart and he’s politically saavy. Plus he has looks and a smile that rivals Magic Johnson’s (and I thought I’d never see a smile rival Magic’s). All the ingredients for political seduction, thus why the Mayor acquired a reputation of being “self-absorbed.” However, it’s a great combination for a run at the top, and for Villaraigosa there were endless possibilities from Governor to President. In fact, with the demography curve being what it is, he’s been mentioned for everything from Governor to Vice President. Nobody but Barack had the audacity to consider the Presidency but now that he’s done it, don’t think that’s not on Villaraigosa’s (and any other 21st Century politicians) radar too. But to run for governor, your stars have to be aligned. Villaraigosa’s wasn’t —and you can name a number of things, however, in the most important area, a city running like clockwork. What the Mayor may have realized was that running for Governor meant pointing to successes in Los Angeles. Oops, up jumped the devil. Then there is what is required to fix the problems the city faces. Running for Governor requires the Mayor to be out of the city three to four days a week for the next year. We already know our Mayor is “trip-happy.” Los Angeles Times columnist, Steve Lopez, has already busted him on that “traveling on city business” tip a few times (and has chronicled his travels). With the state of the city’s economy, if Villaraigosa’s travel wasn’t tied to money, he shouldn’t be traveling. Traveling for votes wouldn’t really look good in the midst of city and school district lay-offs. It was a no-win situation.
A vulnerable politician in a vulnerable city made not a good combination. So the Mayor was smart enough to say “no-go” this time around, and we know it’s only a slight pause. Villaraigosa is too young (mid-50s) and too ambitious for it to be a last call. It could provide for a resurrection opportunity if the Mayor is willing to roll up his sleeves, cut out the photos-ops, and save his city from catastrophe. He might actually win some friends again for putting the city ahead of himself. It was so, so, so un-Villaraigosa-like. Maybe it’s the kind of civic minded compassion that made us like the guy before he got the big head. Okay, let’s not get sentimental…
He’ll need every waking hour of every day to do it, but that’s what Los Angeles needs right now—a full time Mayor to deal with its full time problems.
Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D., is a national columnist, managing director of the Urban Issues Forum (www.urbanissuesforum.com) and author of the book, Saving The Race: Empowerment Through Wisdom. He can be reached at www.AnthonySamad.com
INSIDE THE CARIBBEAN: Reggae sumfest line-up; 'Hot like We' wins; Timeka Marshall parnters with Oakley; more...
With Kevin Jackson
*Keri Hilson, Ne Yo, Toni Braxton, Nas and Jazmine Sullivan set for Reggae Sumfest in Jamaica
This year’s staging of the annual reggae festival, Reggae Sumfest will feature the biggest names in reggae, dancehall and Caribbean music. Added to the roster are top US acts including Keri Hilson, Ne Yo, Toni Braxton, rapper Nas and newcomer Jazmine Sullivan.
The event will be the maiden performance in Jamaica for Braxton, Sullivan, Nas and Hilson. Ne Yo last performed in Jamaica in 2007.
Hilson has been burning up the airwaves in Jamaica with hits including Knock You Down, while Nas is known for his large catalogue of hits. Ne Yo’s hit streak has been running unchecked on the Jamaican airwaves with Mad, Miss Independent and Closer. Sullivan intrigued the Jamaican population when she paid homage to reggae with the number Need U Bad.
Braxton has been a favorite among Jamaicans ever since she exploded on the musical radar in 1993 with Another Sad Love Song.
Beenie Man, Damian and Stephen Marley, Bounty Killer, Mavado, Serani, and Lady Saw are among the dancehall and reggae giants who are billed to perform at Reggae Sumfest.
Reggae Sumfest 2009 runs from July 19-25 in Montego Bay.
Hot Like We takes the prize
Ce’Cile’s Hot Like We single has knocked Latin superstar Pitbull’s Room Service from the number one spot on Germany’s Black Singles chart.
Checks made by this column have indicated that Ce’Cile the first Jamaican entertainer to reach the number one spot on that chart. Over the past few months, a handful of Jamaican acts have registered singles on Germany’s Black Singles chart. They include Serani with No Games; Mavado with I’m So Special; Sean Kingston with Fire Burning; and Busy Signal and Marcia Griffiths’ combination single Automatic.
Hot Like We which was remixed by Kingstone Records/Groove Attack, has spurred interest from pop radio stations across Germany. The song has been showing up on several playlists and it could possibly make its way onto the main pop charts in Germany.
Timeka Marshall picks up Oakley endorsement
Guyanese singer Timeka Marshall has signed an endorsement deal with the eyewear and apparel giant Oakley. The endorsement deal comes on the heels of Marshall’s growing fan base across the region with the songs Hush and All Night.
Music videos for both singles have been in frequent rotation on cable television in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands.
Marshall is no stranger to endorsement deals. In her native Guyana, she represented Kings Jewelry as well as telecommunications company Cell Link.
Marshall will be sporting Oakley branded eyewear in the forthcoming video for the collaborative single Feel Fah. The track features dancehall artiste Busy Signal.
Miss BVI finalists selected
The Miss British Virgin Islands pageant committee has announced the names of the six young ladies who will compete for the island’s top crown. Miss BVI 2009 will represent the nation in next year’s Miss Universe pageant.
Antigua Carnival set for July
The Antigua Carnival Committee held its media launch on June 13, when it declared this year’s carnival will take place from July 25 to August 4. Antigua’s carnival is hailed as one of the Caribbean’s greatest summer festivals. It will be held under the theme, “It’s yours, it’s mine, Antigua Carnival 2009”.
Grenadian soca artiste signs with Texas based label
Grenadian Soca artist Synnnah has signed a licensing agreement with the Texas based record label ISV entertainment. Under terms of the agreement, The Company will release recordings from the artist as well as seek licensing for media outlets including feature films, television shows, video games, movie trailers, ringtones and advertising commercials.
And that’s a wrap for Inside the Caribbean for this week. We certainly hope that you enjoyed the column and we look forward to your comments and suggestions. I can be reached at kevinjacksonkj@gmail.com
NOTE: Kevin Jackson is the Production Manager at Reggae Entertainment Television (RETV), an all music cable channel which is a subsidiary of the RJR Communications Group in Kingston, Jamaica. RETV is watched in Jamaica and 12 other Caribbean countries including Trinidad & Tobago, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Belize, Costa Rica, St Lucia, St Marteen, Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda
THE PULSE OF ENTERTAINMENT: Al B. Sure comes back home to singing with his Hidden Beach Recordings' CD release: and, The NAACP celebrates 100 years with a reception at Judge Greg Mathis home
By Eunice Moseley
Al B. Sure comes back home to singing with his new Hidden Beach Recordings CD release
*I recently witnessed a master performer do his thing at the Laugh Factory in Long Beach, that master was Al B. Sure. I totally enjoyed seeing him work the room, interact and dance with the audience, and let's not forget hitting those high notes that only Al B. Sure can do. After 15 years out of the recording lime-light “New Jack Swings' most popular romantic singer” releases a new album, “Honey I'm Home,” on Hidden Beach Recordings.
“As a child I tried to emulate Smokie Robinson, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye,” singer/songwriter/producer Al B. Sure said to me recently when I asked him where his tenor voice came from (because his speaking voice is a bit deep). “(But) I had a deep voice as a child.”
Al said with this new CD release, “Honey I'm home,” he hopes to take us back to the times of Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones.
“I think it was the pressure from people at airports...the basketball courts and at business meetings saying, 'when' (are you coming out with a CD), it's been too long,” Sure said when asked what made him decide to record an album after 15 years. “I wasn't sure where to find home.”
Al didn't want his CD to be “in the trendy zone” but he wanted to maintain his sound. He did just that with the help of long time production partner Kyle West and Michael Mani.
Sure started in the music business in 1988 with the debut of the multi-platinum selling album “In Effect Mode.” That album produced his signature songs “Nite and Day” and “Off on your own (Girl),” both released as singles. He has a total of 15 singles that reached the top of the Billboard charts. Al received Grammy and American Music Award nominations. He won an American Music Award for Best New Artist, a Soul Train Music Award for Best New Artist and more than 35 ASCAP Awards for his songwriting and production skills.
“As an artist I try to be responsible,” Sure pointed out. “I'm about being a true artist, songwriter and composer...I take my lessons from Quincy Jones.”
Well Quincy would be proud of this project. “Honey I'm home” is trendy yet takes you “home” to the times of yesterday when hearing that Al B. Sure tenor voice put a smile on your face as you were serenaded. It's a 12 song CD and Al B. Sure takes you through a journey of songs and sounds. On “I Love it (Papi Aye Aye Aye),” the first single, it features the world renowned cellist Tina Guo. The single was produced by Al B. an Kyle West.
Aside from that one my favorites also include “All I wanna be” and the cover song “Lady in my life,” where he truly proves that he is a master tenor.
NAACP celebrates 100 years with a reception in honor of Bond and Jealous at Judge Greg Mathis' home
“One of the things...is cause of the black community,” Judge Greg Mathis told me about why he welcomed the reception in his beautiful white and gold decorated home in the heart of Beverly Hills. “...And the 100th anniversary of the largest civil rights organization. To awaken a sleeping giant that opened the doors of opportunity that I enjoy.”
The NAACP (National Association of the Advancement of Colored People) began in 1909 as a result of the 1908 race riots in Springfield, Illinois at the home of Abraham Lincoln. A mob of the towns so-called “best citizens” raged for two days killing and wounding any black person they could find. In an article by William English Walling titled “Race War in the North” he said the spirit of Lincoln and Love-joy needed to be revived because he felt that “the Negro” should be treated with equality.
Mary White Ovington who was studying “the Negro” and living with them read the article and was moved, because she felt the same. She contacted Walling and they met in New York along with Dr. Henry Moskowitz and at that meeting on February 12, 1909 the NAACP was born. Other founding members that “National Negro Committee” meeting included W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida Wells-Barnett and Oswald Garrison Villiard.
That next year they immediately started fighting legal battles of civil injustice. They would go on to do such things as place ads in the media about the facts of lynching; protest laws that discriminated against people of color; pressure President Harry Truman to sign an Executive Order banning discrimination in interstate train and bus facilities, support member Thurgood Marshall in winning the legal battle Brown vs. the Board of Education, and supported member Rosa Parks when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat.
Today the NAACP has Julian Bond as chairman of the board and Benjamin Jealous as president/CEO. With their leadership the organization has begun investigating and lobbying the discrimination and injustice in our credit loan system and staying on-top of what is happening with the stimulus money.
The NAACP reception at Judge Greg and Linda Mathis' home was in their honor and celebrities came to mingle with the hard-hitting members of the organization,celebrities such as Lisa Raye, Cedric the Entertainer, legends Don Cornelius and Thelma Houston, Bill Duke, ER's Eric La Salle, Duane Martin and Rachel True (Half and Half).
To learn more about the NAACP log onto www.NAACP.org.
AUDREY’S SOCIETY WHIRL: THE WIZ
Opening Night
Ease On Down The Road To New York City Center For A Soulsational Version Of Another All-Black Adaptation Of The Wiz Starring R&B songstress Ashanti
By Audrey J. Bernard
*Grammy award winning R&B singer and songwriter Ashanti made her stage debut as Dorothy in The Encores! Summer Stars production of The Wiz, an all-black production, on Thursday, June 18, for a limited engagement (until Sunday, July 5) at the beauteous New York City Center to tepid reviews. It appears that history is repeating itself . . . again!
If you recall, back in 1975 when the original all-black adaptation by L. Frank Baum -- based on William F. Brown’s The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz book -- opened on Broadway with an astonishing innovative music score and lyrics by Charlie Smalls and orchestrations by Harold Wheeler, it also received similar lukewarm reviews from a number of bold-named critics.
Back then, because of a positive word of mouth, folks came to see the play in spite of the critics. Before it closed, The Wiz had played 1,672 performances. The original production, which was directed by Geoffrey Holder and choreographed by award-winning choreographer George Faison, was further vindicated when the play won seven Tony Awards and five Drama Desk Awards.
Now, some critics have done the same hatchet job on this updated snappier version of the play that reunites the Tony-winning “In the Heights” team – Alex Lacamoire (music director), Thomas Kail (director) and Andy Blankenbuehler (choreography).
Tackling the lead role as Dorothy would be no easy task for any actress/singer stepping into the sparkling red shoes worn by the lead as Stephanie Mills -- who created the role and
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