May 19, 2013

The Film Strip: Leonardo DiCaprio Sparks Jay Z ‘Great Gatsby’ Collaboration

leonardo dicaprio & jay-z

*It’s not surprising that Leonardo DiCaprio hooked “The Great Gatsby” director Baz Luhrmann up with Jay Z, who not only supplied music for the film but also became an Executive Producer. What is surprising is that at the junket for “Gatsby,”  an MTV online writer said he was surprised to find DiCaprio a fan of [...]




The Film Strip: Tribeca Film Festival in Full Swing

Muhammad Ali in The Trials of Muhammad Ali

*The Tribeca Film Festival jumped off today and will run through April 28. There are narratives, shorts, documentaries, free films, family activities, online viewings and Tribeca Talks where filmmakers have a discourse after their movies. These are just a few of the events taking place this week and next. African American offerings include “I Got [...]




The Film Strip: John Witherspoon Talks ‘A Thousand Words’

eddie murphy & john witherspoon

*John Witherspoon is a staple in Ice Cube’s “Friday” films and the only one—other than Cube himself—who has appeared in all three. He says another “Friday” is about to go into production. On Friday, no pun intended, Witherspoon can be seen in “A Thousand Words” and tells The Film Strip in a phone interview that [...]




The Film Strip: 2012 Has Colorful Array of Movie Characters

coriolanus (ralph fiennes &j ohn kani)

*Some of the most anticipated films are set to roll out in theaters near you this year starring some of your favorite folks. High on the list is the film about the Tuskegee Airmen, “Red Tails,” starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Bryan Cranston, David Oyelow and Method Man and makes it bow, January 20. [...]




The Film Strip: ‘Harry Potter’s’ Majestic George Harris and Alfie Enoch Give Rare Interviews

Alfie Enoch

*The Harry Potter Home Entertainment Celebration at the Universal Studios Orlando Resort, Florida, the home to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, commemorated the entire film franchise with special events the week of the “Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ DVD and Blu-ray release that include an UltraViolent Digital Copy that allows consumers to download the film [...]




The Film Strip: News and Notes on ‘Hugo’, ‘The Artist’, ‘Arthur Christmas’ and ‘My Week with Marilyn’

A scene from 'Hugo'

*It’s that time of the year when major releases are on order for the holidays and with Thanksgiving comes the initial line-up. That being said, there were four junkets held in New York last week and two this week, for films opening this week and the next. One of the films is Martin Scorsese’s venture [...]




The Film Strip: Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson in ‘The Big Year’

Jack Black & Rashida Jones

*”The Big Year” is a big thing for bird watchers and a big event  that many dedicate a year of their lives. They go on a cross-country journey to become high scorers in tracking the most varieties of birds. Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson set competitors in “The Big Year.” Among the birders [...]




The Film Strip: Morgan Freeman is a Force to be Reckoned with in ‘Dolphin Tale’

dolphin tale

By Marie Moore *”Dolphin Tale” is no ordinary film but then it’s star, Winter, is no ordinary dolphin. This must-see, riveting, heart wrenching movies also stars Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd-this being her third film with Freeman-and Kris Kristofferson. Having played such lofty roles as Nelson Mandela in “Invictus” and United States President [...]




The Film Strip: ‘The Help,’ ‘The Debt,’ ‘The Tree of Life,’ – All Just the Tip of the Iceberg for Jessica Chastain.

jessica_chastain(2011-big-ver-upper)

*Jessica Chastain has the best of both worlds, being famous and enjoying your anonymity. Talking to Jessica last week about her new found success still hasn’t set in.  Can you believe that ‘The Help’ has been #1 at the box office? JESSICA CHASTAIN: I know, and ‘The Debt’ is number two. This only from a [...]




The Film Strip: ‘The Debt’ Has Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington Out to Eliminate an Enemy of their People

Sam Worthington and  Helen Mirren

*Moviegoers won’t be at a lost when they plunk down their hard earned ducats to see “The Debt,” that stars Helen Mirren as Rachel Singer and Sam Worthington as David Peretz. They play Mossad agents sent to kidnap a Nazi war criminal but things go awry and years later Singer has to kill their target. [...]




The Film Strip: ‘Harry Potter’ Era Ends and We were there For the ‘Deathly Hallows Part 2′

harry potter  and the deathly hallows pt2

*NEW YORK – Journalists trekked in from all over the globe to converge on the Waldorf Astoria on Sunday to talk to the cast and filmmakers of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2,” which eclipses Part 1 in performances and special effects. The gathering was a momentous occasion not only for the fact [...]




The Film Strip: Cameron Diaz on Being a ‘Bad Teacher’

justin timberlake and cameron diaz

*Opening this week is “Bad Teacher” starring Cameron Diaz, who is known for her comedic chops. She is also known for her involvement with her co-star Justin Timberlake that far surpassed the onscreen relationship. Just before interviewing Diaz that morning in New York, she was on a morning show and quite open about her relationship [...]




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” [...]




X-Men and X-Women Walk the Red for the premier of ‘X-Men: First Class’

Zoe Kravitz, Kevin Bacon, January Jones, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.

*NEW YORK – Wednesday night the stars of “X-Men: First Class” converged on the Ziegfeld Theater in New York City for the premier of their film. This time around there is a whole new cast since this edition of the successful franchise is a prequel. EUR asked the cast members what was their initial reaction [...]




The Film Strip: ‘Jesus Christ’ is a Four-Letter Word says Dennis Quaid

Dennis Quaid and AnnaSophia Robb

*Don’t call “Soul Surfer” a faith based film says its star, Dennis Quaid, who is cognizant of a country that is increasingly turning away from its Christian base. “I mean that’s what got them through this,” Quaid explained.  “That’s why Bethany Hamilton is alive today, because of her faith. It’s a true story so why [...]