May 19, 2013

The Film Strip: ‘Guardians’ Alec Baldwin Rises to the Occasion; Ang Lee’s Illustrious ‘Life of Pi’

life of pi

*Alec Baldwin is the voice North in “Rise of the Guardians” and is instrumental in bringing together a crew of immortals to protect children all over the world from the evil spirit Pitch (Jude Law), who is out to steal their dreams and happiness. In an interview with Baldwin, he rose to the occasion and [...]




The Film Strip: ‘Skyfall’ Director Sam Mendes Addresses Racial Aspect of Bond Films

sam mendez & naomi harris

*James Bond films have always used a number of characters from diverse backgrounds, including Blacks. Bond girl Gloria Hendry, Julius Harris, Geoffrey Holder, Grace Jones, Sebastian Foucan, Isaach De Bankole, are among them. Colin Salmon, who appears in TV’s “Arrow,” was M’s Chief of Staff for three of the movies. Halle Berry was Jinx in [...]




Film Strip: Quvenzhane Wallis, Dwight Henry, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and more.

Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry

*Before talking to “Beasts of the Southern Wild” stars Quvenzhane Wallis [Nazy] and Dwight Henry, The Film Strip asked its director Benh Zeitlin to explain the concept behind the film since some question the context in which it was made. Is this entertainment, educational, or informative and what do you want audiences to walk away [...]




Film Strip: Madea is a Fish out of Water in ‘Witness Protection’ says Tyler Perry

madeas witness protection

*Tyler Perry and cast members John Amos, Tom Arnold, Marla Gibbs, Eugene Levy, Romeo Miller, Denise Richards and Doris Roberts were in town recently at the Parker Meridien Hotel in Manhattan to promote “Madea’s Witness Protection.” At the press conference I asked Tyler if Madea learned anything this time around?  Laughing, he said, “I don’t [...]




The Film Strip: Steve Carell and Keira Knightly on End of World Activities.

keira knightly & steve carell

*In “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” starring Steve Carell, Keira Knightly and Derek Luke, Carell and Knightly seek some sort of solace during the earth’s final days. At the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, The Film Strip asked Carell and Knightly what they thought they might be doing if they [...]




The Film Strip: ‘Wrath of the Titans’ and ‘Intruders’ Stars Speak on their Films’ Dysfunctional Families.

sam worthington&liam neeson

*Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson reprise their roles as Perseus and Zeus, respectively in “Wrath of the Titans,” the follow up to “Clash of the Titans.” A decade after he defeats the Kraken, an enormous and feared monster, Perseus attempts to live a normal life. As a village fisherman, he lives with his 10-year-old son, [...]




Film Strip: Disney’s is a Set for Dreamers & Lenny Kravitz (‘Hunger Games’) Dreams Big

lenny kravitz & jennifer lawrence

*Actor/Comedian Steve Harvey wasn’t acting when he lectured a group of kids at the Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine’s annual event. He was dead serious because young lives are at stake for children in a cutthroat culture where only the strong minded and educated survive. It was just last week that [...]




The Film Strip: ‘Safe House’ Director Daniel Espinosa Felt at Home in Africa

denzel washington & daniel espinosa

*When The Film Strip interviewed Ryan Reynolds for “Safe House,” he had the highest regard for its director Daniel Espinosa. “Daniel is a gifted filmmaker and so insightful. He sort of acts a bit like thug but he’s read every book you can pretty much imagine, he’s seen every film that you could ever think [...]




The Film Strip: The Awards Season is at a fever pitch and the WFCC announced their winners before them all

the help

*Just as you will not find The Film Strip announcing its Top Ten films at year’s end, you will not find any Yay or Nay when it comes to an Award win. Whether it be the Golden Globes or Oscars, the awarding systems are flawed. Golden Globe host, Ricky Gervais, said it best when he [...]




The Film Strip: Gary Oldman in ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ not Your Ordinary Spy

gary oldman

*”Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” is not just a spy story, say its filmmakers. And to adequately tell its tale, director Thomas Alfredson had one person in mind to fill the shoes of its top  spy, George Smiley. “We needed some kind of chameleon and we almost gave up and I said, ‘I don’t want to [...]




The Film Strip: ‘X-Men: First Class’ Continue Their Quest to be Equal

James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender star in 'X-Men: First Class'

*Gone are Halle Berry and that whole crew of the first two X-Men installments.  “X-Men: First Class,” the prequel, stars Zoe Kravitz (Angel), Edi Gathegi (Darwin), James McAvoy (Charles), Michael Fassbender (Erik), Kevin Bacon (Sebastian), Rose Byrne (Moira), January Jones (Emma) and Lucas Till (Alex). Gathegi caused an uproar among white fans of the “Twilight” [...]




The Film Strip: Irresponsible Journalism, Obama health Care & 50 Cent Covered at ‘Morning Glory’ Rendezvous

50 Cent and Diane Keeton in 'Morning Glory'

*The bed bugs news report about the prestigious Waldorf Astoria in New York did not scare away the cast of “Morning Glory.” Before getting to the heavy-duty subjects, I asked the renowned action hero Harrison Ford (“Indiana Jones” trilogies, “Star Wars,” “Patriot Games”) if it was more fun playing a hero without the action in [...]




The Film Strip: Michael Douglas Says Keep Your Day Job

michael_douglas(2010-wall-street-never-sleeps-med-ver)

*When I spoke to Michael Douglas earlier this year for his “Solitary Man,” he was in good spirits and with high hopes for his son who, as he said, “had gone off the deep end.” In a recent interview for “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” he was still in a good mood and had high [...]




The Film Strip: Danny Glover says ‘Legendary’ is Life Affirming

Devon Graye & Danny Glover

*Danny Glover (Harry “Red” Newman) did not make it to the press day for “Legendary,” but in a statement he said: “Rarely do you find a situation when you get a chance to work, and do the kind of work you think is transformative. I use the word ‘transformative’ in the sense that whenever a [...]




The Film Strip: ‘Get Low’ Gets High Marks

Robert Duvall, Lucas Black and Bill Cobs in a scene from 'Get Low'

*It’ rare that I’ve gone to a screening of a film and all the critics there walked away singing the praises of the film. Such was the case with “Get Low” and I asked Bill Murray (Frank Quinn) if he got the sense that they were making a movie that would appeal to so many [...]