“Next Day Air,” Weak Trailer But Exciting Film

By Sandra Varner

Do you determine what movie you’d like to see based on the trailer?  If so, don’t let this one fool you.  The “Next Day Air” movie trailer does not get me excited about this movie. However, since I write about films, it is my duty to see as many as I can.
Thank goodness I saw the movie. I was very pleasantly surprised.
The premise is very simple.  What happens when a next day delivery is delivered to the wrong address?  Well, this simple scenario is a bonanza of a story in the comedy drama, “Next Day Air,” directed by music video legend Benny Boom (Scarface: Origins of a Hip Hop Classic), and starring Mike Epps (Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins), Wood Harris (“The Wire”), Donald Faison (“Scrubs”), Omari Hardwick (“Saved”), Emilio Rivera (“Weeds”), Darius McCrary (“Family Matters”), Cisco Reyes, Yasmin Deliz, Mos Def (16 Blocks, The Italian Job) and Debbie Allen (“A Different World”).
Smalltime hoods Brody (Epps) and Guch (Harris) have seen better days. But when a wacked-out courier named Leo (Faison) accidentally brings them a box containing 10 kilos of high-quality cocaine meant for their next-door neighbors, all breaks loose and the consequences could cost them their lives.
Brody and Guch immediately arrange to sell the coke to Brody’s drug dealer cousin (Hardwick) and his tightlipped bodyguard (McCrary). But when the intended recipients of the package, wannabe gangster Jesus (Reyes) and his feisty girlfriend (Deliz), realize the box hasn’t arrived, they set out on a desperate search to find it before ruthless drug kingpin Bodega Diablo (Rivera) notices it’s missing.
But it’s too late. Furious over the loss of his shipment, Bodega will stop at nothing to get the drugs back. With Brody and Guch’s deal about to go down, heavy gunfire follows. And whoever’s still standing when the smoke clears could walk away with nearly a million dollars in cash and drugs!
Interviews with “Next Day Air” cast members will be posted at www.Talk2SV.com.

Idris Elba Stars in “Obsessed”

By Sandra Varner

Derek Charles (Idris Elba), a successful asset manager who has just received a huge promotion, is blissfully happy in his career and in his marriage to the beautiful Sharon (Beyoncé Knowles).  But when Lisa (Ali Larter), a temp worker, starts stalking Derek, all the things he’s worked so hard for are placed in jeopardy.
“Obsessed” is rated PG-13.
Elba most recently starred in Warner Bros crime thriller “Rocknrolla” for director Guy Ritchie and Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster” with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.
Sandra Varner/Talk2SV: Who else would you cast yourself alongside and why?
Idris Elba (IE): Good question. Umm, I would love to do a film with Jack Lemmon.
B And why is that?
IE: Jack Lemmon is an incredible actor and one that found so much truth in his characters that it would be such a nice challenge to be alongside an actor like that, one that challenges me to be as truthful to the character as I could be.
Talk2SV: Tell us what people would be most surprised to learn about you – either as an actor or as a musician.
IE: Well, I guess people would be surprised about how I learn my lines.  And, it surprises me as well because I honestly don’t learn my lines.  I read them and then I try and remember what it is I’m saying by virtue of the sense of ‘what’ I’m saying.  Once I’ve got the sense of ‘what’ I’m saying, I don’t go back and read lines.
Talk2SV: What is it that makes you so versatile as an actor?
IE: From one role to another, I never want to play on something that people know I do well.  So, I try and do all kinds of different types of characters and in order to stay consistent at being good…

The Post Welcomes The Return Of Obnoxiousness

By J. Othello

ob’nox’ious (adj.) In your face, thought-provoking expression that is undeniable; a person, object, or topic so objectionably hot that it must be called out or examined through popular eyes; a captivating description that always verifies the true essence of style, class, and intelligence.

The Post Newspaper Group is proud to announce the return of celebrated entertainment and gossip columnist and Oakland native William McCray III to the Post Newspaper. McCray’s syndicated column “Obnoxious” is a world-wide Internet and print sensation, covering including film, TV, sports, world events and anything else relevant to the African American community.

William McCray III is an entertainment industry insider, counting among his friends everyone from Celeb-reality sensation Amorosa to football legend and activist Jim Brown to Hip-Hop Super Star Ludacris. McCray is considered a hard-hitting, outspoken, and fearless advocate of African American Urban and Hip-Hop culture, and considers it his mission to “Edu-Tain” (Educate & Entertain) his readers with his own infamously “Obnoxious” brand of reporting. [Read more]

Warts-and-All Bio-Pic Recounts Rise and Fall of Biggie Smalls

Christopher Wallace (1972-1997) aka Biggie Smalls aka Notorious B.I.G. was a Brooklyn-born gangsta’ rapper who passed away at just 24 years of age, a casualty of the infamous East Coast-West Coast turf war which first claimed the life of his primary rival Tupac Shakur (Anthony Mackie).

Tupac had dissed Biggie by claiming in a song to have slept with his wife, fellow hip-hop star Faith Evans (Antonique Smith). Neither Biggie nor Tupac were exactly altar boys, with both boasting about their street cred and yay-long rap sheets.But the bloody feud was much bigger than these two icons.

On one side, you had L.A. producer Suge Knight (Sean Ringgold) and his stable of artists at Death Row Records; on the other, there were the upstarts from New York who Sean “Puffy” Combs (Derek Luke) had recently signed to his new label, Bad Boy.

And although everybody knew that their crews were packing heat and hated each other, the murders went unsolved, probably because of the “no snitch” mindset adhered to by these thugs as a code of honor. [Read more]

Marriage Vows Tested in Jakes’ Faith-Based Drama

No matter how hard he tries, Dave Johnson (Morris Chestnut) can do nothing to satisfy his wife, Clarice (Taraji Henson). She’s one of those sassy sisters who has never learned to cut a brother any slack.

The trouble is that she was raised by a single-mom (Jenifer Lewis) who showed her father no respect. So Clarice is simply treating her Dave in the same man-hating fashion she was raised to believe ever guy deserves.

Compounding the problem is the fact that she makes more money than her husband. You see, she’s a successful realtor who has recently been named salesperson of the year. And her man, by contrast, had to settle with being a general contractor after an injury ended his dream of becoming a major league baseball player. [Read more]

Dev Patel Delivers as Lovesick Game Show Contestant

Slumdog Millionaire
Film Review by Kam Williams

Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) was just one correct answer away from winning the grand prize of 20 million rupees on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” when the police decided to question him about his extraordinary string of luck. After all, no one ever lasted this long on the television game show before, and the producers doubted that this dirt-poor, uneducated orphan from the teeming slums of Mumbai could have achieved his unlikely feat without cheating.

Therefore, the night before his return for his final appearance on the program, they arrange for the authorities to drag the innocent 18 year-old down to the station for a little Abu Ghraib-level interrogation away from the public eye. But despite being tortured by a couple of sadistic cops (Irfan Khan and Saurabh Shukla), Jamal matter-of-factly explains exactly how he came to acquire the answers to such seemingly obscure trivia questions. And soon, what gradually becomes apparent is that everything is on the up-and-up.

For, all the unfortunate lad has to share is his sorrowful autobiography, an endless tale of woe which he reveals via a kaleidoscope of colorful flashbacks. Surprisingly, it turns out that he’s actually been less concerned with taking home the 20 million rupees than with using his TV publicity as a means of finding his long-lost love, Latika (Freida Pinto), a fellow street urchin and fan of the popular quiz show. [Read more]

Nauturi Au Naturel

Naturi Naughton:The Notorious Interview

By Kam Williams

Naturi Cora Maria Naughton was born on May 20, 1984 in East Orange, New Jersey where she started singing in the choir at New Hope Baptist Church at just 5 years of age. She turned pro by 14, when she became a member of the girl band 3LW. The group soon signed with Sony/Epic Records and went on a nationwide tour while their debut album, entitled “3LW,” went platinum, selling 1.3 million copies.

Away from the entertainment business, Naturi always remained an honor student, attending Seton Hall University where she majored in Political Science until her career became too demanding. Just before her junior year, she joined the Broadway production of Hairspray as Little Inez. As gifted as gorgeous newcomer may be, she remains humble and grateful to God for her blessings, and praises her parents for supporting her dreams and for raising her with so much love, encouragement, and faith.

Here, Naturi talks about her performance as Lil’ Kim in the much-anticipated motion picture, Notorious, a bio-pic about the late rapper Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Wallace). In addition, she recently landed a lead role in the re-make of the screen version of Fame, the 1980 musical revolving around students at the New York Academy of Performing Arts. [Read more]

Ethiopian Immigrant Adjusts to Israel in Coming-of-Age Tale on DVD

Live and Become
(Va, Vis et Deviens)
DVD Review by Kam Williams
9 year-old Schlomo (Sirak Sabahat) ended up in Israel in 1985 as part of Operation Moses, a humanitarian airlift of about 8,000 Ethiopian Jews fleeing religious persecution. The only thing wrong with this picture is that he didn’t deserve to exercise any right of return like his fellow refugees, given that he was actually a Christian whose starving mother had him take the place of a deceased child.

Nonetheless, upon his arrival in Tel Aviv, he is presumed to be a Jewish orphan by the couple who adopt him, Yoram (Roschdy Zem) and Yael Harrari (Yael Abecassis). While hiding the fact that he is neither Jewish nor orphaned, Schlomo does his best to adapt to the culture and customs of his new homeland.

However, he soon finds that even if he were Jewish, most white Israelis seem to have a problem with his skin color, and don’t real consider him one of the Chosen People. This proves particularly challenging when he hits puberty and takes an interest in girls, especially Sarah (Roni Hadar), whose racist father doesn’t want his daughter dating a black kid. [Read more]

Langella, Jolie, Ledger & Davis Honored By Film Critics

By Kam Williams

The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) has named “The Dark Knight” as the Best Picture of 2008.

Directed and co-written by Christopher Nolan, the Warner Bros. Pictures release captured a majority vote by the organization, which is comprised of African-American media professionals from across the nation.

Frank Langella was selected as Best Actor 2008 for “Frost/Nixon.”  Angelina Jolie earned AAFCA recognition as Best Actress 2008 for “The Changeling.”

“Although our organization gives specific consideration to work by artists of African descent, the performances of Mr. Langella and Ms. Jolie are undeniably transcendent and deserving of our recognition,” remarked AAFCA outgoing President Gil Robertson, who will assume the role of East Coast Vice President in 2009. [Read more]

Eartha Kitt, “Santa’s Baby”, succumbs to cancer

By Conway Jones

Diva, legend and international celebrity Eartha Kitt has died at age 81.

With her curvaceous frame and unabashed vocal come-ons, she was among the first widely known African-American sex symbols. She was proclaimed as “the most exciting woman alive” by Orson Welles in the early ’50s.

Kitt was the illegitimate child of a black Cherokee sharecropper mother and a white man.  She worked in cotton fields and lived with a black family. She was sent to live in Harlem with an aunt at age 8.

By her early teenage years she was working in a factory and sleeping in subways and on the roofs of unlocked buildings. [Read more]

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