The Help

      Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were both on Tavis Smiley and it was quite the conversation. I enjoy when actors have really strong convictions and can be honest. So many interviews are planned ahead and there are certain questions you can and cannot ask.

I enjoyed the film and I’ll have to watch it again because I don’t see all the hype. It was a fun entertaining film. Yes, I’m happy that two black actors are nominated, but were their performances really that great?
What was different about these performances that I hadn't seen in the past?

Tavis brought up a good point that I’ve long made people aware of. If you are going to be nominated for an Oscar, the best roles to play are killers, prostitutes, someone with a mental disorder, someone going through a serious change, devious or someone dying. The best actor and actress category has always gone to the actor portraying one of these attributes. A lot of people have issues with this, but you can't have it both ways. One of my big issues with Hollywood is that the films always have to be sugar coated. There is always that happen ending. Life doesn't always have a happy ending. I think it's one of the reasons I enjoy foreign films so much. They seem more realistic.

In the supporting role it’s always been some what of a comedic role. Whoopi Goldberg won her Oscar for Ghost playing a bad medium.

The point Tavis was trying to make was the fact of the role they are receiving their nomination for playing. I don’t see anything wrong with playing certain roles as long as there is meat to the character. If the character really has something to say and isn’t just there as dressing.

I have had moments where I didn’t like that an actor was nominated for playing a certain role, but its an award voted on by the Academy and some of those members are now black actors. It’s a great honor just to be nominated, but it’s a bigger honor to win. Of course winning doesn’t guarantee any better roles. It just means you might get more bad scripts to go through.

There always seems to be this thing where whenever a black actor is nominated it becomes a race issue. If they don’t win its because they are black. If they don’t win, couldn’t it just be that the other actors were better?
We have to stop basing everything on race because that isn’t always the case even if it helps the psyche of some people. It just fuels anger and there are enough angry people in the world.

Tavis also brought up the point of George Lucas’ Red Tails. I can’t afford to go to the movies like I used too, but I do buy a lot of films. Even if I could have afforded a ticket I’m not sure I would have gone to see Red Tails. It has nothing to do with it being a story about a historical event, but the story has been told. I have a film called, The Tuskegee Airmen that stars Laurence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Allen Payne, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Courtney B. Vance and Andre Braugher.
I’ve never been a big fan of remakes unless the right star is connected with it or if I never saw the original.

That would be the case with The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio, but I’ll save that for another entry.

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Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

Sean Penn having a humorous moment. I used to joke that when I asked to Photograph Sean Penn that he didn't try to knock me out. (There was this incident he had with a photographer back in the 90's, he is really a nice guy) Actors are human and they too have bad days.

Six degrees of separation - Studies are now showing we are getting closer and closer in degrees of separation. With the social media people have a bigger chance of becoming friends with those of other people. In some cases it could be a good thing as we discover we have more in common than we originally thought.

A few months ago, Kevin Bacon was on Pierce Morgan and he was talking about how many degrees he was away from Kevin Bacon up until the point that he was on the show. I began thinking about how many degrees I was from Kevin Bacon. Orginally I thought I was two degrees from Kevin Bacon, but I’m actually one degree from Kevin Bacon.

Back in the late 90’s when I was doing the Seattle Film Festival, I met and photographed Sean Penn and his wife Robin Wright Penn. Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon starred in Mystic River. My other connection with Kevin Bacon was when I met Ron Eldard and Julianna Margulies. They met while working on ER and were secretly dating. Ron Eldard starred with Kevin Bacon in Sleepers.

That’s my little Hollywood tidbit for the day. LOL.

I’m thinking about doing some entries on the celebrities I’ve met, befriended, photographed and hung out with, and the Hollywood/Movie experience from 1978 to 2005 which was the last time I was a part of any production.

Vampires

I wouldn't say I'm a big fan of the Twilight series, but I do like vampire movies and I have added the first three films to my collection. I'm not one to go to the theater to see the films especially since they are so popular. The chance of going to a quiet theater are rather slim.

I guess the first vampire movie that really scared me and changed my perception was Blacula. The premise was interesting and when I got older and watched the films they were rather campy, but black people make some scary monsters. LOL.

Scream Blacula Scream was a better film, but I'm partial to it because it starred Pam Grier.

I'll watch the first three Twilight films this weekend. Whenever I buy the next film in any series I go back and start from the beginning. The last two films seems interesting and I like that each sequel is better than the previous one.

I have quite a few vampire films in my collection including the series Kindred: The Embrace which was only on for one season when the lead vampire died in real life.

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J. Edgar

I've been a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio since I first saw him on Growing Pains. His big breakout role was the mentally disabled kid in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. Most child actors when they come out with such a great role at such a young age its hard to maintain that status. It's like a drug addict trying to relive that first high.

Leonardo worked with some big stars and when he did Basketball Diaries it just blew me away. I didn't think he would ever be able to top that performance. I was write up until he did the film, The Departed. Before this it was hard to see him as an adult actor. His boyish looks didn't make it believeable. I understand how looking young can have good a bad points. People tend to only see the exterior. So, when he did Revolutionary Road I was hoping it would be a better film, but I was disappointed. Now with J. Edgar this is the film that should finally allow Leonardo DiCaprio to join the Oscar club. He's matured as a person and it was as if Clint Eastwood knew he could pull it off.

There were many reasons I wanted to see this film after finding out Leonardo would have the lead. This was a crucial moment in history, but there was a deeper story that we heard about, but you're not always sure its true. An artist can take come creative liscense such as what Oliver Stone did with JFK, but you don't want to go too far out on the ledge. I had always heard that J. Edgar liked wearing womens underwear under his suit. We don't see that in the film, but we do get an insight on the impact his mother had on him and we see him struggle with his sexual identity.

There are a lot of actors helping Leonardo DiCaprio bring his character to life, but he commands the screen. I just wish the story hadn't been told in flashbacks. I could have done without the narration, but other than that it's a good movie and I'm going to want to add it to my collection.

If you are a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, check out this film and others that you may not have seen. Even though The Beach was not such a great box office success its an interesting film. Romeo and Juliet is also an interesting adaptation of the classic William Shakespeare story of young love from different sides of the class struggle.

Movie reviews, I love film

The Fighter - I didn’t get to see the Fighter in the theater, but I wanted to. When I got a copy I saw it on a small television. I really appreciated this film. I think Christian Bale is an incredible actor as is Mark Wahlberg. The lengths that actors go to for their art is mind boggling. The Fighter is based on a true story so the pressure is always on for the actors to bring the characters to life and be true to the people they are portraying. So many times you get actors that don’t even look like the original people. Of course it depends on who has the rights to the story and the input they may have on the filming.
There’s some great talent in this film. Amy Adams and Melissa Leo give outstanding performances. I never paid attention to Melissa Leo, not noticing that she was the same woman from the series, Treme. Now she is an Oscar winning actress.
The adorable Amy Adams becomes a fowl mouthed barmaid and plays this role quite well. Some of the characters are quirky and seem like cartoon characters at times, but that adds to the realism. We all have those moments where we act a little crazy, where we get playful. I always root for the underdog and this film was worth the second watch and is now a part of my collection.

Joan Rivers - I’ve always thought that Joan Rivers was interesting. I didn’t always find her jokes funny, but like sushi, its an acquired taste. She’s one of those comediennes that you love to hate. I watched a documentary about her life up until she did Celebrity Apprentice. I was in for quite the surprise. Since I had only seen Joan Rivers from time to time on Johnny Carson and perhaps a few other shows, I never knew she had such a fowl mouth. She is over the top in some of her jokes, but she was cutting edge for a female comedienne and paved the way for many others. It’s interesting to see how Joan Rivers killed her career and her fight to come back and continue to reinvent herself. The emphasis has always been on her plastic surgeries, but at 75 depending on the camera angle she looks okay, even though we know don’t see her face move. There are some moments where her eyes water, but we never see a tear roll down her face. I think the documentary gives a good look at what some celebrities have to go through. It’s hard for everyone in the business because its all about the money. As long as you can sell tickets everyone wants to be your friend. The minute you loose that appeal then you begin to descend. In Hollywood you really need to be nice to everyone because the people you screw on your way up are the people you may need on your way down.
A lot of people don’t watch documentaries unless they are recommended. There aren’t a lot of theaters that even show them so we have to rely on Sundance if you are luckily enough to have cable or you have to check out PBS. If you like Joan Rivers, the you must certainly check out this documentary.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye - As is obvious with the title of this blog, I love movies. Drama, Action, comedy, foreign, animation and documentaries. As with everything I do, I have to be in a certain mood to watch a certain program. I prefer to watch foreign films on a Sunday. Sunday’s are my day to relax and I can read the subtitles without having to think about other things that need to be done.
The Eyes of Tammy Faye is the story of the wife of Evangelist Jim Baker, founder and one time head of the PTL. The story is very interesting of the rise of two Christians and their fall from grace and Tammy’s attempts to keep her head above water. We never hear if Tammy had plastic surgery, but she did have some modifications done to her face. Her eyebrows, and eye shadow were permanent. She had many wigs and she used individual eye lashes that she replaced as they fell out. When you first begin to look at the documentary you focus on her eyes. You can see the pain despite the smile she tries to keep. Her acceptance of others and standing by her man. Tammy was just a by stander in the PTL scandal, but she was enjoying the ride. Money certainly changes people to the point they don’t even see that they are doing anything wrong. You sort of get an attitude that it is your right.
The documentary follows the rise and the fall and Tammy’s rise again and being excepted back into a community she so loved. There are some funny moments as in life their should be. There are some embarrassing moments, but nothing is held back. There are some people that didn’t want to be a part of the documentary. It always makes you wonder when someone says no to an interview. Are they afraid they are going to be made to look bad? I mean that can happen whether you agree or not. If you know you’ve done nothing wrong…
Some of the things that happened seem like something from a movie, but this stuff does happen and not just to celebrities. If you’ve ever watched Jim and Tammy Faye Baker you must see this documentary. It is an eye opener. (Pun intended)

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Coming up: The classic, Stand by Me

D's Wonderful World of Cinema

Star Maps - This film stars a young unknown actor by the name of Douglas Spain. Since this film Douglas Spain has appeared in several films including But I’m a Cheerleader and an episode of Criminal Minds or one of those CSI shows.

Douglas Spain plays an aspiring actor that sells his body on the side for his father. The front of the prostitution ring is selling maps to the stars homes in Los Angeles. It’s rather quirky with an array of interesting characters.

I’ve been trying to watch films in my collection that I’ve recently been able to have transferred to DVD. I love film so it doesn’t matter if it’s the best quality as long as the picture is as clear as possible and you can understand or read the subtitles.

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Songs in the Key of Life - In my opinion this is Stevie Wonder’s best album. This album had a story that everyone could relate to and learn from. I learned a lot about black history. We all know how rare it is that we buy an album or CD and only listen to a few of the songs. Now with the Internet and iTunes you can download just the songs you want and forget the rest. There have been many great songs that never get air play. The promoters decide which song is going to make people run out and buy the album. A lot of times singers are forced to rush projects if they are on a roll so that their fans don’t go elsewhere. They should know by now that fans don’t desert who they like unless what they are producing is crap.

Songs in the Key of Life is a documentary on the process Stevie Wonder when through to put the magnificent album together. The deal he made with Motown which was one of the largest at the time for $13 million. The special equipment created with Stevie Wonder in mind and his work ethic. Because Stevie Wonder is blind, he doesn’t seem to get sleep depravation and works at the weirdest hours.

Meet the people that were a part of the project. The producers and musicians all talk about their experience working with Stevie Wonder, including Berry Gordy, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, his wife, daughter Aisha and many others.
If you life documentaries and you love music, this is one that you should catch if you haven’t seen it already. You might find a rare copy some where or you can start a campaign to get PBS to run it. I think that is where is was originally run. Luckily a friend had a copy in his collection so I was able to see it many years later. My copy was on VHS and I recently had it transferred to DVD. You have to love technology.

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Classics

I recently watched two classic films, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Hustler. I had never seen either of these films all the way through. I had seen bits and pieces and was familiar with both films, but I was never a big fan of Elizabeth Taylor and a movie about pool… I was still a baby when The Hustler was released and just a kid when Who’s Afraid of Viginia Woolf? was made. It was a very controversial film for its time. Both movies were filmed in black and white.

Who’s Afraid of Viriginia Woolf? Stars Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Sandy Dennis and George Segal. I love the dialogue in this film. Although I had figured out the underlying story which still makes you keep guessing. There’s lots of drinking and a lot of sexual innuendo from all of the characters.

I didn’t really know what to expect when I decided to purchase the film. I wanted to see it since there were so many raves on it after Elizabeth Taylor’s death. I had seen a few of her films because she stars with some actors I liked and I had begun collecting their films. She is exceptional in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and I liked her in A Place in the Sun.
Next on my list would be to see Cleopatra. I’m sure I saw it when I was a kid, but I need to see these films as an adult to get a better appreciation for them. I know the story behind Cleopatra as far as movies go, but I’d like to watch it.

I’m not sure when I became a fan of Paul Newman, but I remember one of the first films I had seen was Cool Hand Luke. I can’t say how many times I had seen it when I was growing up. Once I added it to my collection as an adult I started researching other films he had done and that’s when I had to see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The collection began to grow, but The Hustler was never on the list.

Recently I found it at a price that I thought was reasonable and now I have it to watch whenever I like. I love movies and watch them often. The Hustler is an interesting film. Even though it centers around pool, it’s about hustling in general. People hustling people to make money through cons and sex. Whatever it takes to survive. A hustler is like a person that lives from paycheck to paycheck except they can go a period of time when there are no funds coming in.

If you love film as much as I do you’ll enjoy both of these films. It’s great story telling and the cinematography is great. I am a visual person and that along with great editing is what makes a film.



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Coming up: Filming in New Orleans, The Social Network, The Trial, The Fighter




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