Responding to Jonathan Landrum Jr of the Associate Press

It's just funny to read what some writers think about rap music. In particular was the article from Jonathan Landrum Jr of the AP. He noticed that rappers seem to go to jail alot. No kidding.

"It's a ritual that seems to play out at least once a year in the rap community: A top star faces a criminal charge, and more often than not, is locked up at the height of their wealth and fame."

Once a year? Let's be honest, I can't recall a year where several rappers weren't arrested, on trial, AND in jail since 1994. I might have missed a year, but the fact is that modern rappers are addicted to jail like a crack addict to the pipe. In this same article Landrum notes T.I., Gucci Mane, Soulja Boy, and Shawty Redd all had their time before the law in 2009 alone.

Landrum asks the question

"After all these years, why are hip-hop's top stars still finding themselves on the path to prison?"

It's not a new question. The situation is not new. Many have tried to address this for well over a decade, and not a stitch of headway has been made.

"Hopefully this isn't a cycle that next year from now we're seeing our top rappers in jail," Elliott Wilson, founder of the hip-hop Web site RapRadar.com, says. "Ultimately, it is a black eye to the culture I'm passionate about. Hopefully, the artists of tomorrow won't make the same mistakes as the ones of today."

Is he kidding? Las Vegas wouldn't take a bet that said at least 1, hell 3 - 5 rappers, will be in jail, arrested, and on trial next year. Or any year. Because that's what the minstrel show is about.

From almost the day that N.W.A. was presented with thier gangsta rap sub-genre, the music industry has seen green. Gangsta rap is a cash cow, an addiction that they have peddled - laughing all the way to the bank. With this one genre they get to promote the very worst stereotypes of African Americans, drug use, violence, violence against women, and illiteracy without a hint of social anger directed at them.

Before there was Gangsta rap, rappers DIDN'T get arrested and put in jail on a regular basis. It was UNCOMMON for rappers to do many of the crimes we see regularly performed by these minstrels now.

But it's the odd coincidence that when rap was promoting parties, fun, and social equality and justice under the law the entire music industry considered it a fad. It was not a recognized, legitamate form of music until AFTER gangsta rap was created and promoted to the full power of the music industry.

But the minstrels get the benefit of the doubt from reviews and news organizations. They are excused for their actions

"While rap is a genre borne of the gritty streets, and drugs and violence have long played a prominent role, many rap stars find themselves facing their greatest - and sometimes their first - legal hurdles after they become successes, like Lil Wayne."

Yes, rap was created in the Bronx. But it wasn't about violence, drugs (ie pro-drug use), or a glorification of living like a criminal hellbent on dying with as many toys as possible. In fact it was about the very opposite of all these things. So that excuse falls flat on it's face if you know anything about the history and origins of rap music.

Slick Rick, Tupac Shakur, Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, Remy Ma, Beanie Sigel, Shyne, Mystikal, C-Murder, Snopp Dogg, P. Diddy, Jay-Z, DMX, 50 Cent, the list goes on. Every single one of them had major legal troubles. Every one of them promote gangsta rap, and the worst of what rap can provide the masses. Only Jay-Z and P. Diddy have learned form their mistakes and moved (somewhat) in a different direction.

Perhaps Gucci Mane will add himself to the exceedingly short list of those that have learned

"Don't keep bumping your head against the wall," he says. "It's a serious situation. It's so many things that happens behind these walls. Think about how to avoid situations so you won't have to come in here." - Gucci Mane from Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, where he is currently serving a six-month term.

There is no surprise that modern day rappers are going to jail. They are minstrels for the music industry execs that pull their strings and look the other way as rappers violate one of the oldest rules of the street - "Don't get high on your supply".

The answer is not to excuse rappers for breaking the law. Nor is it to ignore the promotion of violence and drugs, or the sex fueled music videos. It's to recognize what modern rap is and what it does. A drug and addiction.

I don't feel proud of a person so stupid as to rise to fame because they are a criminal and can rhyme to a beat like any 6 year old can. Especially when that individual continues to live as if they are still a criminal on the streets, little better than a rabid wild dog. I also don't feel pity for a person to dumb to realize that they don't need to commit crimes when they have a bank account larger than many will earn in their lifetime, security, fame, and enough lawyers that they could avoid jail if they weren't so blatantly stupid and ignorant.

Rap music was, and can be again, a powerful voice of people and life that often is ignored and taken for granted. It is a vehicle that can be more than the sum of it's parts. It is not just one style or 1 image. It is more than just Black, or just the streets.

But rap today has been reduced to a simplistic, repeatative, droning, cacophony of minstrels pitching the whims of music industry execs like drug dealers on a street corner. Which shouldn't be a surprised as more often than not the "stars" of this "entertainment" form tend to be (former) dealers.

It leads me to this thought. Drug dealers are the scum of the earth. They peddle poison and death to anyone, including young kids, who has the money. Why, because we all know the how, have we as a society allowed this type of scum to become elevated to stardom and celebrity? These are by and large the very same kinds of criminal refuse you wouldn't let into your house or talk to your kids as they come home from school; yet people invite them into their homes via radio and music videos every day.

I don't question that modern rappers are prone, perhaps drawn, to go to jail. It's the natural consequence of being a criminal. What I don't understand, and hope to see change, is why anyone wants to support these minstrels any more than they would the crack dealer.

Who would you pick for Captain America?

The craze for comic book to movie conversions continues unabated. One of the bigger concepts is for one of the most symbolic characters in comic books. Captain America.

Much like Uncle Sam, Captian America is a symbol of the American way of life. He is even more of the living embodiment of our laws and national view than even Superman was meant to represent. He is the Red White and Blue in action, with the highest levels of vitrue and honor intact.

Because such a character is so tied to what America is and can be, a movie version of this hero demands high attention. It's not just another comic-movie, its a statement. So the writing and the acting must be spot on. Even if the movie fails, it can't be because the lead sounds like a buffoon, and looks like an inbred redneck (as an example).

Thus the casting call is out right now for The Captain America. The key prerequisites? Well he has to be White, because Hollywood couldn't imagine anyone with more color than a tan being a symbol of America (plus the comic book character has always been White). He has to be American. He should be in his mid-20's to early 30 (depending on the exact timeline he could be as young as 18 - 20 but 25ish seems more of a likely middle ground). And while the comic book champion has never been considered astoundingly good looking, an actor with better than average looks will likely be picked. (for those that want to say Tom Cruise - he is too old, too short, and honestly not a good enough actor in my opinion)

So far the choices have been John Krasinski, Michael Cassidy, Patrick Flueger, Scott Porter, Wilson Bethel, Chace Crawford, Jensen Ackles, and Garret Hedlund. Not one of which I can recall by name nor am I aware of anything they have been in. But that can bode well since all of these actors are not weighed down with prior expectations of ability, nor are they typecast to any degree. Being relative unknowns allows them to capture part of the everyman aspect of Captain America that is critical for the character (as much as a White, blonde, mid-western, christian man can embody everyone in America anyway).

But here is the question I pose to you. If you could have any actor, living or dead, play the role of Captain America, who whould you pick? Why?

50 Cent sex video lawsuit

I've found that rappers, since 1992, are a sad bunch of minstrels. They parade around screaming how tough they are, how much they love the ghetto (that they got out of), and how many drugs they can take while screwing anything that can walk. The reality is just so far from that.

One of the bigger "artists" is minstrel entertainer Curtis Jackson. He is probably best known as 50 Cent, and less well as bullet magnet. His songs boast of a glamorous thug lifestyle. His videos show him endulging in copious amounts of alcohol, women and so on. His reputation is built upon the facts that he is a dropout and convicted drug dealer.

As impressive as all that may be, the thing that I find interesting is the latest legal battle he is facing. 50 Cent is so successful, so surrounded by throngs of women, that he is getting sued for a sex video on the internet.

Not a video of him having sex, which I'm sure some drug-addled fan might envision in a haze of ganja high. It's a video of someone else. All Jackson did was insert himself into the video with a wig, robe, and providing a narration. Then he put it on his website. Or so the lawsuit he faces alleges.

Now I doubt that Jackson is geek enough to know how to manipulate video as required. But the mere fact that he found the best use of his time was to have this video manipulated, seems telling. The fact that it's a sex video even moreso.

For all his money and fame (deserved or not) 50 Cent couldn't even produce his own sex video? Not unlike much of rap today, the best he could do was alter the work of someone else? Not only is this low class (if it is true) its lazy, stupid, and more than a bit creepy.

50 Cent may be one of the best minstrels of the current crop of sell-outs, but I tend to believe that you just can't get the ghetto out of those that want to wallow in the worst aspects of it.

Benjamin Todd Jealous is out of his mind

This isn't quite about entertainment, but bear with me. As we approach the end of Black History Month, the NAACP is preparing to honor this year's Image Awards receipients. The honor of the President's Award is going to go to Van Jones.

It sounds like a joke. A bad joke, but nonetheless you would expect that it was not serious. Yet it is.

I can only presume that there wasn't a single African American that was outstanding in entertainment and literature last year. A fallicy of logic, but that would explain not picking an enertainer or writer. In addition there must have been a dearth of African Americans that promoted social justice in 2009. Which again is beyond comprehension.

Therefore I am at a loss why the NAACP would want to pick Van Jones. According to Benjamin Todd Jealous, NAACP President,

"He resigned from the White House last year after some sought to discredit him for missteps, such as political statements made years ago. However, we can never afford to forget that a defining trait of our country is our collective capacity to practice forgiveness and celebrate redemption. This is a nation built on second chances.

In America, we ultimately judge people on what they are doing today for tomorrow, not for what they did yesterday. When former Alabama Governor George Wallace embraced integration, we forgave him for having championed segregation. When West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd embraced civil rights legislation, we forgave him for having defended racist organizations."

Ok, wait a minute.

Van Jones left the White House, in the middle of the night, in the middle of a holiday weekend, because of what he said. Not comments from decades ago, but in many cases just a year or less before President Obama was elected (some even after the election). Jones was a self-avowed communist. He made multiple statements that are at the least racially provocative if not insensitive or worse. And he politically attacked any view that diverged from his own.

Add to that, he did not ever refute, or disavow any of the charges that caused him to lose his position as the green jobs czar (the 9/11-truther document was not what did it). In fact the White House still has yet to refute, explain, or even acknowledge the issues surrounding Van Jones. But this is a man the NAACP calls a "treasure"?

Yes America is a land of second chances. Yes the nation has embraced former racists, AFTER they refuted their past actions and took steps to ammend the damage they had done. But America has little patience for those that are not repentant.

Van Jones is not some great hero of modern Black culture. He is not a figure I would want my nephews to emulate. Given he achieved great success, but he is equally damaged goods with a highly questionable purpose. We all want the futures of the next generation to be proud and successful, not shourded in debate and a warped reflection of America that our ancestors never once envisioned as they bled for our future.

So I was at a loss for what motivated the NAACP. Then I read what the real motivation was, from Jealous himself.

"The [green] jobs are union jobs with health benefits and living wages. At a time of record unemployment, when 2.7 million Americans are getting ready to lose unemployment benefits, green jobs can provide a way up for some families in dire need of good options."

It's political.

The NAACP isn't picking Jones because of what he has done, they are using him to help promote Democrats and the political agenda of President Obama. It's a con game, a bit of the old bait-n-switch. Isn't that wonderful.

Right now President Obama is losing approval with every sector of America, except Liberals and African Americans - so far. But his loss of power is so great that Democrats are abandoning his gameplan and praying they can pull out re-elections later this year. The Health Care Reform is a way to keep the liberal base with him, and now Van Jones is for African Americans.

That's not what I call a "treasure". It's more akin to a sleight of hand or a carrot in front of a horse. It's the equivalent of kissing babies and shaking hands, via the NAACP, at the expense of African Americans.

Black History Month is about the celebration of those Blacks that achieved great strides forward for all of us. It's about the empowerment of our race, and our lives in America. It isn't about how we can be used for a political agenda that is more than debatable on being a detriment to us than a boon.

The Image Awards is likewise a symbol of improvement and respect. Of the continuing struggle to move forward and those that empower us to do so. To acknowledge the achievements that Hollywood and the media often choose to overlook. Van Jones does not qualify to either ideal.

Some would say I am wrong. That Van Jones is deserving since he created the green jobs programs employing thousands since 2007. Which I dispute. How many green jobs have been created in Detroit, or New York City, or any major city? How many African Americans do you know that have one? Yet there are millions of African Americans that are out of work right now and have been since 2008 at least.

How about we compare Van Jones, and every percieved accomplishment, to past Awardees. Soledad O'Brien, Mohammad Ali, Tavis Smiley, Condoleezza Rice, Ruby Dee all are far more and have done more than Van Jones. His name just doesn't make the grade, if we are honest.

I understand that the NAACP is heavily vested in the politics of the Democrat Party and obviously the political welfare of President Obama. But there is no reason that these outside forces should sully what should be a time to go beyond the petty politics of the day.

Of course I pay too much attention to the politics that are evident. Maybe I should just vegetate and wonder if Michael Jackson's This Is It can be beaten by Precious, or if anything might beat The Inauguration of Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States from BET (like there really is a question on that).

But sometimes you need to see the abuse, and way the politics are using us. Or you can just be used, watch the show, and blindly vote Democrat without a clue as to what is really going on.

Movie Review: From Paris With Love

Just a bit behind on the review, but I thought those that have not seen the film yet might want to know. There have been quite a few comments detracting from the film, but I think many miss the pleasure this action feature presents.

From Paris With Love is hardly original. It's a bit buddy cop, a part spy thriller, with a dash of love story and politics. It won't win any awards, and likely will be forgotten long before the summer movies start coming out. But it's worth seeing in a theater.

The film is pretty straightforward. We have our ernstwhile low level CIA type who pines for work in the field while he works under the cover of an assistant to the Embassador of France. From time to time he gets called to do menial helper spy work, like changing car plates for missions he never gets to be a part of. Still our intrepid James (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) doesn't have it too bad. He has a girlfriend who wants to marry him, and he is in Paris.

If you can't figure out what will happen next, and at the end of the film you really haven't watched enough spy films. Suffice to say that Charlie (John Travolta) pops into Paris and takes James on the mission of his life.

The scenery is interesting. We get to travel around Paris, from the lower bowels to the Eiffel Tower, and much of the rest between. The photography is decent, but not outstanding. The chase scene could have been filmed better, but overall nothing to be too upset about.

The sound is likewise average. A couple of interesting musical choices throughout the film add a bit of flair and remind us that this is a film outside of the U.S. Which is something that is easy to forget surprisingly.

The acting is the key to this film. At times it keeps you interested, at other bored. The actors do a good job of conveying the fast pace everything is happening at, but without seeming to be completely out of control. Meyers does a good job of being a novice spy and a bright eager man way over his head. His characters development into a not quite hardedned operative, still clinging to his ideals and dreams of love make you root for him even as he comes to his personal climax in the film.

The down side of Meyers' James character is that he is rather boring and a bit too inept at the beginning of the film. By the end he looks more akin to the Charlie character, and emminates an aura in the final scenes of a far more expereinced operative than we would expect for a mere couple of days.

John travolta's character has his own journey. Though he is quite abrasive over the whole film, we eventually get to see a bit more of the man that probably once was just like James. The worst part of his character is really the early introductory scenes. It's too forced and put on. Even considering when his character is actively acting over the top it seem too much to be believed.

On the plus side this is not the worst film Travolta has done in recent years. It's not Pulp Fiction or Michael, but it's definitely not Wild Hogs. Once the film gets beyond the over the top scenes meant to ensure we know that Charlie is a expert killer, we get to relax a bit more and enjoy the character. There is a plan and brain in there, no matter how loose both may seem early on in the film.

Which kind of summarizes the film. It's almost 2 seperate films. And action film and a spy film. The elements of the spy film are far more interesting and better detailed. The actors as well seem or comfortable in that portion of the film's acting than the action. Blame that on the director, Luc Besson.

The film seems to copy aspects of the film Kiss of the Dragon, which Besson also directed. The pacing and style seem more of a lazy copy than a new take on a similar theme. Plus the film feels like Transporter 3, also by Besson. By that I mean that you know there is a better film in this, but it just never quite got on the scene. I think Besson either needs a vacation, or inspiration.

If you haven't seen From Paris With Love yet, it's worth the trip to the theater. Nothing else out right now is any more compelling, and films like Valentine's Day are completely one trick pony's not worth the time. A better idea is buying the DVD. This is a film that you can enjoy on a nice big screen television in your home. Plus I'm sure there were more than a few deleted scenes that will add value to owning the DVD.

This wasn't the best film for either Travolta or Myers, but it is adequate. That may not be a glowing reason to see the film, but it's not a film that deserves a better compliment.

Movie Preview: King of Fighters

I love kung-fu movies. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li. There is something about a well done martial arts movie that just draws in fans by the boatloads. I mean Jean Claude Van Damme is anything but Oscar material, yet one good movie (Bloodsport) made him a star.

But that's when a martial arts movie is done well. Then there are those movies that stand out for being different (by American standards) with stars we are just dying to see more of. Movies of this type include the well done Ong Bak (and Ong Bak 2) and Chocolate (Thai film).

King of Fighters doesn't fall into any of those categories. It is in the realm of films like Mortal Kombat: Annilhation, Street Fighter, and all the other video game to movie conversions. In other words this is a movie not worth seeing.



The first thing I know will shock you is that this is a $12 million film. That wouldn't be so bad except it looks like a low budget quickie film. I would sooner expect this quality to come from a SyFy Channel "original" film than a major motion picture.

Obviously most of the money probably wasn't spent on the look of the film. And the writing appears to be equally as thin. This style of conversion film rarely cares about plot, or logic. They just need to get from one fight to another, which can still be worth watching if the fighting is good. It's not.

Ray Park is hands down a respected martial artist. His name may not be the most familiar, but his most famous role is. Darth Maul. Yep, this is him (he also was Toad in the first X-Men movie).

Will Yun Lee has respectable martial arts movie skill. He's been in Elektra (the lead bad guy), the short lived televison show Thief (which was quite good), and several other films and movies. He will also be the in the upcoming Red Dawn remake.

Maggie Q is perhaps easiest of the films stars to recognize. She was featured as part of the IMF team in Mission Impossible III. She was the "crazy kicking chick" that beat the crap out of Bruce Willis (till he dropped a SUV on her) in Live Free or Die Hard. She is indeed interesting to watch.

Given the talent of this film you might expect that the movie would be good. But then there are the minor issues of plot, scenery, lot's of CGI and special effects. Put a diamond into crap and you won't notice it shine.

Either the director, movie studio, and whatever other exec involved wanted to lower the expectations (which the movie trailer does in spades) or the film is what I believe it is. It's a shame because I like the cast. But I won't spend $20 to have a bad time. I suggest you don't either.

Movie Preview: The Losers

If there is one thing you know that Hollywood loves, it's ripping off an idea. That's where the A-Team movie came from. It's why Armeggedon and Deep Impact went head to head. There is no end of the copycat and ripped-off ideas Hollywood is willing to flood theaters with, all at the same time.

But don't think that this is all bad. Armeggedon was a good popcorn film. Occasionally the rip-offs are worth the time. And the head to head competition sometimes turns up a bright gem of a film. The Losers just might be one of those gems.



To be clear from the start, The Losers is a rip-off of the A-Team television show as much as the movie of that name is. But unlike the other film, this looks to be an interesting movie.

There is nothing deep or artsy about the film. A secret para-military group get set up and tossed aside by corrupt politicians. They escape and want revenge, big time. Lot's of stuff blows up inbetween. You won't need an Master's degree to keep up.

But, the film understands that they will never see their name on an Oscar ballot. It's not the point. This is just good natured fun, lot's of bullets, lot's of explosions, and just a bit of women with T&A.

The most serious question dealing with this film is likely to be if it is as much fun for 90 minutes as it is in 150 seconds? If you are having a bad day, this is a safe bet to distract you for a while and not piss you off for spending the money.

Stars Zoe Saldana, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chris Evans

Tiger Woods speaks

Well that was about as long as I expected it to be. 15 minutes and it's over.

So we now know that Tiger is a Buddhist (if not a flawed one), that he has been in sex rehab and is going back tomorrow. We know he is not taking performance enhancing drugs (that's baseball's claim to fame). And we know that things are still rocky with his wife (no surprise there).

Nice to know, but who cares? Honestly, the world didn't know that before November - or even half an hour ago - and it didn't matter then. It doesn't matter now. The big question was will Tiger come back to golf any time soon. And the answer was a big fat maybe.

My guess is that Woods will be in at least 1 or 2 of the last events this year. Too much more and some fans will take his apology (which was very well written, and pretty obvious that he did not write it himself) as just a PR move - which it was at least in part. But if he does not go back this year the PGA (and all of it's players) loses huge money. As do the advertisers that know he is the greatest golfer of this generation, and still has decades of playing in front of him.

The one thing I didn't know and I do care about is his kids and the media, or more accurately the paparazzi. They should be off-limits. Not just for Tiger Woods, but for every entertainer, celebrity, any and everyone. Adults make choices and must deal with the consequences of their actions, their kids don't.

Will Tiger Woods be lauded as much as he was in the past? Kobe Bryant is. Former President Clinton is. Roughly half the A-list of Hollywood going back 4 decades or more have been. So why not Woods too?

Hopefully this will be the end of this. It won't be fully, but I can dream. Because until I know Woods personally, I just want to watch him play golf. The rest of his life is private, and it should be.

Just another isolated event

Just days ago the Government decided that there was nothing more they could do to pursue justice in the Sean Bell shooting. After 4 years and 50 shots, nothing has been done besides "normal police actions".



Across the country, in an odd coincidence, a Black man was unarmed and shot in the back by police. No I'm not speaking about Robbie Tolan, or Adolph Grimes, or even Oscar Grant. I mean the shooting of Aaron Campbell in Portland.

I know, with all these cases being so similar it's hard to know which police shooting of unarmed Black men I could be talking about. Not that this is an epidemic or a pattern that someone should investigate or report.

Aaron Campbell was a man that had just lost his brother to heart disease. He was understandably upset. As was his family, because they knew he had a gun in his house. But the family made one mistake. They called the police.

Police arrived and text messaged Campbell if he was going to harm himself. He replied
that he had no intention of killing himself. Sgt. Liani Reyna, commander at the scene, believed the situation was over.

She is quoted as saying "I'm ready to walk away from this, we don't need to be here."

At that time Campbell came outside, unarmed, hands on his head. What do you think the police did next?

Obviously they felt that Campbell was still dangerous. Because he is a Black man and he must have the strength of Hercules, and the skin of Superman. The police near simultaneously told him to raise his hands over his head, shot him with non-lethal bean bags, and sicked a police dog on him.

Campbell ran, which is not entirely a strange thing to do as a dog attacks and the confusing reactions of police. As Campbell ran police claim he reached for his waistband. Here is the critical moment.

Just like Amidou Diallo (41 shots), like Sean Bell (50 shots), like Oscar Grant (1 shot while he laid face down on the ground), like Robbie Tolan (1 shot as he was on his knees), like numerous Black men across the nation, police were 100% sure that this meant Campbell had a gun. So they shot him in the back with a AR-15 (the civillian version of the military M-16 rifle) and killed him. They left his body on the ground while the police dog bit it, for half an hour, before they checked it (maybe they thought he was a vampire and would just get back up).

The police were loaded for bear, and bagged an unarmed Black man. What do you think happened to the officers involved in this? Nothing. Just a letter from the Multnomah County grand jury stating

"We feel that his death resulted from flawed police policies, incomplete or inappropriate training, incomplete communication and other issues with the police effort."

Have you heard that before? I have. Too many times. In cities across the nation (L.A., Philadelphia, New York, Oakland, Dallas, do I need to go on?), in "isolated" "justified" police shootings of Black men every year for decades now. But I bet that most people haven't heard a word about 1/5th of them.

But today the Dept. of Justice has decided to look into this case. Just because it's a "routine" thing to do.

I don't think there is anything routine about it. Aaron Campbell did not need to die. Nor did Oscar Grant (a case that won't go before a jury for another year oddly enough). Nor Sean Bell. Or a whole list of men (and Black women too) shot with enough bullets to kill the army of France [ok I'm exaggerating, France and Belgium combined].

At what point to people stop avoiding this "isolated" event that keeps repeating multiple times a year in every corner of the nation? At what point do people stop dreaming and proclaiming America is post-racial, and start noticing the very racial bias of police? Will it take a police officer shooting one of the Obama children 5 or 10 years from now to make someone in the major media notice there is a problem?

I'm not saying that every police shooting is unjustified or unreasonable. But I am saying that there are way to many examples of excessive force and deadly action, focused directly on African American men, without the hint of reason. And I am tired of it.



Stop the game!

Tiger comes to cable television show

Never let it be said that a television network lets a good scandal go without profiting from it. Spike TV sure hasn't.

Spike TV is the network created to cater to men, often at the lowest denominator. While there have been efforts like the short lived Blade series, predominantly the fare is mostly old action films, and stupid shows featuring large-breasted women in tight clothes. Obviously the target market for Spike requires little more.

But there is nothing better than mixing a scandal, a world famous athlete, and women with large-breasts in tight clothes. Thus the inspiration for Back Nine came to be.

Back Nine is a show based on a former pro-golfer trying to make a comeback. The problem is he is a drunk (or as the channel descibes, hard-drinker). Plus he has the special joy of his caddy - named oddly enough Tiger - who is a sex crazed sex-addict.

How interesting. Almost sounds familiar yes? Golf fans might think this is a mix of the old John Daly and current Tiger Woods. But that would be a leap. Wouldn't it? To give Spike some credit, the show was being discussed long before the November crash that brought Tiger into the current noteriety.

John Schneider will be playing the lead of this role, with Miguel Nunez in negotiations for the more-than likely popular role of Tiger. Let's see if this winds up to be more than a timely one-trick pony.

Tiger Woods countdown

With less than 24 hours to go there is no end to the speculation about what will happen with Tiger Woods and his press announcement. If it can be called that.

Tiger will be in a room seperate of reporters, with close associates, spouting whatever he chooses to say. He will not be asked questions by reporters, directly or via any other means. There is no clear forewarning of what will or will not be covered in the announcement.

Still there is no end of rumours about all of this. Honestly I have a simple opinion about it all. Tiger Woods should shut up.

Tabloids are loving Woods right now. Given he has provided lots of sales to the tabloids as numerous women fill their pages with allegation after allegation. Whether they are true, in part or whole, doesn't matter. At this point it is clear that the man was going after certain records held by Dr. J and a few other eqiually famous athletes.

But everything was quieting down. The flood of allegations was old news. And Woods had already admitted his dalliances, plus allegedly took steps to correct his behaviour. There really wasn't anything to grab the headlines again. Likely he could have gone back to the PGA and after 1 or 2 short press conferences stating this was all in his past, moved on.

Instead the sorid side of Woods will again be the big topic of sports. Drowning out the Winter Olympics, which really isn't hard to do. But it will make any near term return to golf all that much more of a circus, because tomorrow's spectacle will only ingnite the fuel for more.

At this point, Tiger Woods is known to be a great athlete and an adulterer. These are facts that will never go away. They are also facts that are common among sports athletes, especially with the top of the various sports. Right or wrong, this is a given and only the fact that Woods kept his actions quiet for so long made it that much more of a crash that the world has to watch.

If Woods said nothing publicly, and just went back to playing golf he would be no worse off than he was 4 days ago. Now, he potentially could lose tens of thousands perhaps millions of fans by giving too much or too little information (likely both will occur). It's a situation he cannot win, and he shouldn't try.

I don't care about the private life of any entertainer. If it does not affect me or the general public it should stay private. Enterytainers are people, flawed as much as anyone else, and deserve the privacy anyof us whould want to have. But when the doors are opened even a little into that privacy then you cannot prevent the flood that will follow.

So Tiger Woods should shut up. We didn't know or care about his private life before, and I really don't want to know now. Too bad in less than 24 hours that won't be an option anymore.

The final Sean Bell act of injustice

I'm in NYC on business and I was checking the latest local news for what's going on in my old home. That's when I noticed this small item of news that hit at about 11pm. The resolution of the Sean Bell case.

A quick summary of the case. Sean Bell was having his bachelor party with 2 friends at a strip club. They had a minor argument with a man in the club and decide to leave. The man follows them and approaches their car. The men in the car attempt to leave. The man that followed was a cop. He and 4 other officers, in the strip club on a different matter, fire 50 shots into the car - killing Bell and wounding the 2 other men in the car. Bell and his friends were unarmed.

Those are facts. The debate is whether this was justified, excessive, or a crime. The coverage of the case was centralized in New York City, and was spotty from day one. The news media overlooked initial claims by officers that there was a 4th man in the car that escaped the barrage of bullets without injury with a gun in hand. An individual that was never seen by any witnesses nor verified in any manner.

So what has happened in this case that has floated slowly through the criminal justice system for 4 years? The criminal charges were dropped by judges. The Feds have decided that they won't pursue charges either.

Neither accident, mistake, fear, negligence, nor bad judgment is sufficient to establish a federal criminal civil rights violation. - Justice Department statement"

Is anyone surprised?

There seems to be 2 ways the criminal justice system reacts to African Americans (and often any person of color). IF they are a huge entertainer, like say Snoop Dogg or lil Wayne, they get mutiple chances to evade jail as they break the law over and over. Like the recent decision to allow lil Wayne to delay his jail sentence so he can get his personal dentist to take the diamond out of his mouth. Like you or I would be allowed to delay going to jail for dental surgery that any dentist can do, including those in a prison.

The other side of the coin is far less cavalier. This it the side most people of color get to see. That's where African Americans are seen a violent criminals that need to be stopped at all costs. Where people of color deserve to be shot, as often as possible, because they might rise up like the undead and raise hell with them.

It's that kind of justice that causes the kidnapping, sexual abuse, and rape of Megan Williams by 6 Whites (men and women of vartious ages) to go virtually unspoken by the media. It causes the muder of Oscar Grant at the start of a year to be discarded, even as riots unfold because of the murder - a murder of an unarmed man. It allows men like Bell, Diallo, and many others to be shot so many times as to be the human equivalent of cheese - each the murder of unarmed men.

In each case, and others like the assault by 15 officers in Philidelphia against 3 men, the person of color was assumed to be violent, deadly, and apparently impervious to bullets. In each case the trials take multiple years, plenty of time for witnesses and the media to forget what happened. In each case the reports of officers being absolved of their wrongs is announced in the dead of night, a weekend, over a holiday, or a combination of the previous.

Over the years I have recorded case after case of the warped justice system in America. I have seen police officers walk away from acts of depraved brutality, while I have seen people of color sledgehammered by the very same system for minor violations of law. I have seen the justice system bend over and kiss it's ass to make sure that whatever celebrity gets one more chance to cause a problem with drugs, violence, and/or guns.

The justice system isn't flawed. It's broken. The latest example of it with Sean Bell is just another reminder to police across the nation that as long as the person has a skin tone other than White, they can do damn near whatever they please.

For those that think President Obama ushered in an era of post-racial America, I submit this case. I submit his action to even acknowledge the Oscar Grant case that happened just before his inauguration. But for those that hold out and hope for change there is this

"Ms. Paultre Bell said she hoped to get the attention of the White House. “There is a history of black men being killed by police officers, and something needs to be done,” she said. “We’re hoping to eventually meet with President Obama, and that he’ll do something, because this is a national problem.”

I agree with Ms. Bell that this is a national problem. But I'm also sadly willing to take odds that President Obama neither responds to them, or any of the cases that I have mentioned or exist in this nation, nor will he publicly address the problem. Because America is anything but post-racial.

Will this ever change? Not until the day that news of these kinds of abuses of power and corruption of the justice system are as prominent in the news as the attention given to Paris Hilton and Stephanie Pratt wearing the same dress gets. The same attention that Burger King's business moves for the breakfast market gets. The same attention that Sarah Palin talking about Family Guy episodes gets. Are you understanding the disparity yet?

I feel bad for the Bell family, but more than that I feel afraid. Because it seems I have a bull's eye on my head, just like every other person of color in America. And that is a feeling you never get used to.

We are the World - Haiti edition

So I'm in NYC, talking to my accountant and enjoying the rapture that is the Obama Administration. But that's not why you are on this blog.

I think that enough time has passed that discussing the "revisioned" We are the World song will not hurt the donations to Haiti that it can provide. By now everyone that planned on buying the song has done so.

Basically I hate the idea. Yes charity and donations from celebrities are always positive. Still you would think they could have been a bit more original. Instead they took the Hollywood approach and just copied something that was far better in the past and redid it.

Of course, considering the "talent" involved something new probably wouldn't have worked. Some might take that to mean that I don't believe T-Pain, Akon (criminal), Kanye West (egoist), (criminal) Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg (criminal), and several others are without talent. And they would be right.

Think about it. Of the original artists and singers in the original, not one of them came back for this remake. It says something about what was being made and why. This group was filled with current day fads, and non-singing gimmicks, but hardly any substance. It was filled with a majority of people that need huge promotion and attention to remain relevant and interesting. I doubt if half of these people will be making records in 10 years, let alone any of the younger talent ever making it into a hall of fame (unless the criteria drops massively).

The original was something that was done, without a media blitz, purely to help people. The number of Hall of Famers and entertainers with decades of experience and ability dwarfs the same counterpart in the new version. And the new kids just had to have lots of advance and post publicity.

There is an old saying in Russia,

"If you have to advertise it, it can't be that good."

Well in America everything is advertised. But the amount of advertising often is in direct proportion to the waste of money you will recieve. Massive non-stop advertising = a piss poor product that is trying to collect money before word of mouth kills sales. Then again that also describes American Idool, modern rap, and most of the artists involved in this effort for Haiti.

Am I glad this made millions? Well yes, if the money goes solely to Haiti relief. As long as the money doesn't pay for this or that other interest and function, at least 85% of the money actually getting to the people, then yes I am glad it existed.

But, I have to believe that if some effort was applied to make something new, and that was presented to the very best of the new and old artists around, the money that could have been made would have been 3x as much or more. The key is that little word effort. Like talent, it's not popular these days, nor as important as it used to be.

What I said at the start is still the most important thought though. To be honest about the hodge-podge now won't hurt sales and thus the donations. Just a few egos, that are way to inflated anyway.

Pre-Valentine's Day song

Considering all the commercializm of the day, I am often reminded of a song that truly captures the spirit of it all. Not on an individual basis, but the whole superficial nature that it is these days (and it was pretty bad years ago). Maybe tomorrow I'll get more into the romantic aspect of it, then again maybe not.

A songs for Black History month

Just for Black History Month I want to present the following music videos. Take it as you will.



And yes, 41 shots is repeated 41 times in the song.

Here is one of Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts Songs of the Century



It's not much better across the pond



How about a cover of Sly Stone



How about the power that used to be in rap (before the minstrel show)



How about the superficial



If my readers down under are feeling left out



And finally a song everyone has heard, and few have ever paid attention to the words

Listening to rap can get you 6 months in jail

There is no question in my mind that what is mainstream rap music today is a glorification to drugs, violence, and disrespect. Even so it is not illegal to listen to it. That is until today. Now, rap music can land you in jail for 6 months.

Yes, the mere act of listening to rap music can cause you to go to jail... if you live in Sao Lourenco, Brazil. Because Mayor Jose Neto has now outlawed this form of music being played during Carnival. It seems he feels that the music

"...incite violence and disrespect authority..."

Well I don't think there is a fan or foe of rap music that would disagree with the disrespect authority part. That's a core element in rap music since 1993 - when music industry executives figured out they could market rap to the inner city and make boatloads of money. And it's just an odd coincidence that the rate of teen pregnancy, high school dropouts, and youth violence among people of color increased dramatically since that time too.

As much as I dislike rap music, with good reason, I must say that I think Mayor Neto has gone too far though. Controling a form of art, as putrid as it may be, is nothing more than control of thought. Such an act should never be done by the government, anywhere.

Mayor Neto is correct, in my opinion, that rap music is a poison to society. That given the right atmosphere, like say a party where almost anything is acceptable and potentially possible, rap music fans will tend to find a way to create a problem where none exists. Especially those hard core fans that want to be 'ghettofabulous' and live a 'thug life' - in essence idiots.

Is the answer jail though?

I think not. It will give those who choose to be outside the society a justification for their actions. It will cause those that want a way to rebel without a serious belief in what they are doing a cause to follow. It will draw people to the music just because they are told to stay away from it.

That's one of the problems of gangsta rap (or what the music industry calls mainstream rap today). It thrives on the realization that it is poison. The execs that promote it know this and don't care because it's not their kids or neighborhoods that are going to crap. The minstrels that perform it don't care because they are selling their souls for pennies on the dollar literally.

I understand the view of Mayor Neto. I agree with his description of rap. But his solution seems too extreme. Still, at least he is doing something about it.

Valentines for Haiti - a thought out loud

I just need to get this off my chest.

Back on the 15th of January I started the Valentines for Haiti promotion. I offered to provide 50% of all profits, from any sale of any item at Alchemy at World of Vass and/or World of Vass, to the Red Cross and other reputable aide organizations working in Haiti. I thought it was a great idea.

It would seem that it was too good an idea. Recently I checked Google for the term "Valentines for Haiti", on the suggestion of a friend, and I was surprised. There were hundreds of references, which didn't exist before about 30 days ago.

The part that annoys me though is that there are so many websites and blogs that took my idea and ran with it. I realize I did not copyright the term, nor was this an idea that was only mine. And I hope that each of these copycats are honorable and forthright in their efforts to help the people of Haiti.

But in looking at numerous results from Google, not a single person that ran with this idea did so before or even on Jan. 15th. Thus they took my inspiration and watered it down. They muddied the waters, and perhaps restricted some readers from getting involved because of fear this was a scam or that by going to some other site and donating they were somehow linked to my actions.

None of the other sites, not belonging to M V Consulting, Inc., are connected to our Valentines for Haiti promotion. While some may be as legitimate as our own action, they are seperate.

I hope this clarifies the question some readers might have about this subject. It's nice to know that so many are listening to my ideas and running with them, I just wish they at least gave me credit and or help.

Interview with independent film producer Ronald K. Simons

Recently I had the chance to do an interview with Ronald K. Simons. For those unfamiliar with the name, you might recall him better from his acting roles in Law & Order: Criminal Intent (Detective Willis), or most recently in his role as Carey Ford in Night Catches Us - a film he also executive produced.



Night Catches Us was an official selection for the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. It is a film that touches upon a time in America just after the Black Panthers, and far different than today. It was written and directed by Tanya Hamilton - a first time director who obviously has made an impression in independent film.

"Marcus (Anthony Mackie, “The Hurt Locker,” “Brother to Brother”) returns to the Philadelphia neighborhood where he came of age during the Black Power movement, protecting a dangerous secret in a struggle against the revolution he once embraced and rediscovering a forbidden love (Kerry Washington, “Ray,” “Lift”)."

The film also impressed The Huffington Post, New York Magazine, Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and many others.

Without futher ado, here is my interview with Ronald K Simons.

[Michael Vass] Mr. Simons, could you explain the process that to you and director Tanya Hamilton went through, from the initial thoughts about this film to having the film at the Sundance Film Festival?

[Ronald K. Simons] It began as what I think of as a bigger industry type interaction: I was introduced to the project by a schoolmate of mine. That lead to meeting producers then associated with the project and with Tanya. That initial deal fell through as backers ran into money troubles and the recession hit. Tanya then called me to meet one-on-one to discuss my coming on to produce the film in a greater leadership role.

I’d loved the project from the first read. Our vision of what we wanted to accomplish was in sync so we decided to work together to make the film happen. As we have worked to get the film ready for the festival, there hasn’t been a lot of time to ruminate on premiering at Sundance. When I first heard we got in I think I hollered outloud. The next instant my thought was, “We gotta finish this movie!”

[MV] How were you able to gain such a noted and talented cast without the normal studio budget and perks that seem to be the norm these days?

[Ronald K. Simons] I believe that, like me, all the incredible talent from the lead actors to the stellar crew, like our production designer and our cinematographer, looked at this as a passion project. It all began with a great script. Salaries were secondary to storytelling and creating art.

[MV] Considering the nature of the subject of the film, did you encounter any problems in crating the film? Was there any resistance?

[Ronald K. Simons] I would say that before I joined the team, yes, there was some resistance to tackling a project who’s subject matter even referenced the Black Panther movement. I mean, how many films have you seen that tell a story through that lens? After the project gelled and was becoming a reality, we encountered many of the same problems that face all indie films: scheduling, budgeting, etc.

[MV] What was it that motivated you to be involved with this film? What made you want to be in the film (as character Carey Ford)?

[Ronald K. Simons] The script and Tanya were the reasons I joined this project. I grew up in Detroit in the 1970’s and that period of our history is very near and dear to me. It represents my formative years in Detroit. I was also aware of the lingering misconceptions about the nature of the Black Power and Black Panther movements, and it was a breath of fresh air to see the people of that period represented. They were represented as real people and not the larger-than-life revolutionaries that may come to the mind of those less familiar with the movements.

As an actor, I was drawn to the character of Carey Ford because he represented in many ways some of the men I’d grown up with. Besides, what actor would turn down the opportunity to work with Kerry Washington!

[MV] How different was it to be a producer, and actor, for this film than some of the other projects you have been involved with?

[Ronald K. Simons] As a first time producer, each day has been a learning opportunity, so I can say that Night Catches Us has been unlike any other project with which I’ve been involved. I will say that producing did allow me to leverage some of my skills learned in corporate America: managing group dynamics, marketing, deciphering, organizing and utilizing mountains of data and stimuli.

One of the biggest challenges was to switch hats from producer to actor. While both serve the film in unique ways, they activate different parts of my brain.

[MV] Have you heard any comments about the film from former Black Panthers, or other organizations?

[Ronald K. Simons] We are just now getting the word out to former Panthers, so talk to me in a few months.

[MV] Can you share with us anything that might clue us in on what it is like to work with Tanya Hamilton, Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, and the rest of the cast? Any funny or insightful stories?

[Ronald K. Simons] There was a real team spirit that was fostered on the set. We were very, very lucky to have the people who we had work on this project. There were no divas.

Anthony would lunch with whomever was in the lunch room and joked and chatted with cast and crew regardless of their role in the film. It was hot in Philly that summer and Kerry hired an ice cream truck to come and treated the cast and crew to ice cream. That’s the kind of being there that makes a project more a labor of love.

[MV] Over the years the Sundance Film Festival has become the venue for independent films. How does it feel to be able to present this film at the festival?

[Ronald K. Simons] I feel proud. I am proud of the people who made this film come together. To be in Sundance is a testament to all the hard work and commitment of every crew and cast member who made this project come to be. I’m thrilled to be in the company of the other outstanding talent that will premier at Sundance 2010!

[MV] Some readers might find this film, due to subject and cast, to be ONLY a Black film for Black audiences. I disagree with such a thought. But what might you say to those readers?

[Ronald K. Simons] I completely agree with you. To say that this film is only for black audiences only is like saying that Lars and the Real Girl is only for audiences who fancy blow up dolls!

Like any good film, I know that Night Catches Us explores universal themes; themes of redemption, coming of age and identity of family make this film identifiable to a wide range of movie audiences.

[MV] This is a topic that the majority of people in America, born in the 70's or after, likely have heard little about. Why did you feel this was important to portray in film?



[Ronald K. Simons] This film is important for that very reason: we still suffer from misrepresentations of American History. This film is told with America 1976 as the back drop and so, indirectly, gives us an idea into what was going on inside and outside of the movement for equality in the 1970’s. We do it through eavesdropping on the microcosm of lives of the lead characters in the film.

[MV] Is there any one scene or moment in the movie that you feel is the best, the most dramatic or funny, the most evocative, that you could give my readers a hint of?

[Ronald K. Simons] There are a few, but I’m going to let the readers experience them for themselves.

[MV] Often we hear about how difficult it still is for Black actors and directors to break into the film industry, even after the enormous successes of Halle Berry, Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Samuel Jackson, Spike Lee, and so many others. What might you say for those that are looking to enter the industry? Any tips or recommendations?

[Ronald K. Simons] Make sure that your script is the best it can be. After you write and rewrite it, get input from those established in the industry. Get coverage for the script from a reputable source and listen to the feedback. Build a film’s pedigree. Submit your script to competitions, labs such as Sundance and others. Finally I’d say persevere. It may take longer than you hope or expect that it should but believe in your work and get others on-board who believe in it too.

[MV] What other projects are you looking to in the future with your company SimonSays Entertainment?

[Ronald K. Simons] There are three projects that I’m very excited about. One is entitled Gun Hill Road by the talented Rashaad Ernesto Green (writer/director of Premature). It’s a father and son tale about an ex-con who arrives home from prison to a changed Bronx neighborhood. He tries to reestablish his role as father and husband only to realize that his 16 year-old son, Michael, who has been wrestling with his transgender sexual identity.

The second is Highway to Nowhere by writer/director Lanre Olabisi (writer/director of August the First). It’s the story of a border patrol officer on the U.S./Mexico border, himself was an illegal immigrant from Mexico, who is torn between his adopted country and the Mexican nationals he is hunting.

Then there is The Disappearing, a screenplay by Keith Josef Adkins. It’s a story of a young school teacher who returns to his Midwestern hometown to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his father only to confront his own dark past putting on the road to either his destruction or his redemption.

[MV] Lastly, your journey to Software Engineer and then on to actor and producer is a story of success. It's something that far too many fail to hear about. What is it that has made you avoid the pitfalls that the major media often likes to promote about people of color? What is it that drives you now?

[Ronald K. Simons] I’ve been accused of being an over-achiever. While I accept it, the term has always confused me. What does it mean to “over achieve?”

My friend Tom and I were working at HP many years ago and we were both ready for a change. His challenge was that he had no idea what he wanted to do. My challenge was I had SO MANY things I wanted to do that I didn’t know which I should do!

Since high school, I’ve had a love of drama. I carried that with me through my corporate career, into acting and now producing. Along the way I was educated to the many ways that the world is jacked up. My social consciousness was raised through civic work about the environment, women’s rights, human rights, immigration, racial inequalities to name a few. Filmmaking allows me the opportunity to marry my desire to change the world with the love of drama and storytelling.

I’m where I’m supposed to be, doing what I’m supposed to be doing, right now.


I thank Mr. Simons for the interview and a peek at what it is like to be involved with an independent film, and to have that film at the Sundance Festival. I look forward to hearing about his future films, and their success, as well that of Tanya Hamilton and the entire cast of Night Catches Us.

I recommend Night Catches Us to all my readers. It is an opportunity to glimpse an aspect of America that has passed, but yet still is with us today. It is a film that will entertain. I can think of no compliments greater than that for a film.

Concert for Haiti

An old friend of mine, Jonathan Cahr, recently was speaking to me about Haiti. He had noticed my Valentine's for Haiti promotion and mentioned that he was organizing a concert to raise money to help the people of that nation. That's something that I am always willing to help try to promote.

The details are coming in now, and the concert will be on

Monday, March 8, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 9:30pm
Location: Temple Beth El
Street: 350 Roxbury Rd.
City/Town: Stamford, CT

Some of the confirmed bands and artists that will be playing include:

THE WHAT'S UP BAND

NESHAMA CARLEBACH

SOULFARM

SHELDON LOW

The Legendary PERSUASIONS

MARC WEINER

LAURA SHOOP(Broadway-Fiddler on The Roof)

and MORE

Tickets for the event will be available starting this weekend. Prices for the tickets and other details about sponsors are:

General Admission $18,
Reserved Seating in premium section $36,
Individual Sponsor $90 (includes 2 premium seats and listing in program)
Family /Corporate Sponsor (includes 4 premium seats and listing in program)

For more details you can go to www.whatsupband.net

Lil Wayne gets celebrity justice

Is this another example of celebrity justice in action? Lil Wayne, who is due to go to jail on gun charges, was excused from sentencing today in New york City. The reason, he need surgery - on his teeth.

To be very clear, Lil Wayne could not be sentenced because he was supposed to get an unknown surgery on his teeth done. It was supposed to be done before today, but his dentist is out of the country doing charitible work. So his trip to prison has to be delayed.

Ok, this is a major medical emergency right? I mean it's not like NYC doesn't have hundreds of other qualified dentists he could see. And the surgery is so important that he can wait for his dentist to get back in country. Plus it's not like the prison system doesn't have dentists that could perform the surgery, like they do for any other inmate.

Yes this is exactly the way you or I would be treated. A case that has been going on since 2007. Pushing back a jail sentence, that was created by breaking the law by Lil Wayne's own admission, because of an unnamed malady so severe it is not being treated.

But it is surely the reason why his lawyer referred to him as "a strong man", because only a strong man would endure such horrible pain to avoid going to jail. Of course it may also be why he is not referred to as a smart man. A smart man wouldn't have broken the law, again, and would have just got another dentist to take care of the problem.

I hate celebrity justice. They just need to throw him in jail like they would for everyone else. Maybe some time with the jail dentist would be a motivation for him to stop breaking the law. Nothing else seems to.

Robin Hood - will Crowe pull it off?

There is a serious argument to be made that Robin Hood is one of the greatest characters in all literature. The concept of this one character has endured since roughly 1350, and he continues to be as popular if not moreso today. Obviously, Hollywood loves to make movies about Robin Hood as often as they can get away with it.

The very first Robin Hood movie was back in 1908, a silent film. Since that time there have been no less than 49 movies or television shows based on this one character. That does not include cartoons and anime versions, or of course porn versions. It also does not include the numerous references to the character in plays, books, and homages in television series and movies.

There is no question that everyone, anywhere in the world, loves Robin Hood. There is a major question on what is the best Robin Hood portrayal though.

I believe that the ultimate portrayal of Robin Hood was done in 1938 by Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood - with Olivia de Havilland and Basil Rathbone. For me this one film is the standard by which all other versions of Robin Hood must be judged. In fact this film is so universal in it's appeal, that most every version made since has a point of trying to incorporate at least parts of that film into their versions.





Of course there are those that won't watch a film older than themselves. And there are those that think the Errol Flynn version can be outdone. Thus we have far lesser versions of Robin Hood like:



and the incredibly awful Costner version


but also a few more enjoyable versions like


and yes even an Japanese anime version in German


There even have been parrodies of varying quality


But as I said, all of these movies and versions pale in comparison. Errol Flynn did it right and it has yet to be done better.

Does that mean the Russell Crowe film will be the disaster that was Kevin Costner's version? We can pray not. But I for one need far more to be convinced than what the trailer so far seems to present.



But we will find out soon.

Taylor Lautner to become a plaything

Ok, I really must be getting older. It's the only answer to why I do know what Strech Armstong is, and don't have a clue who Taylor Lautner is. But for anyone else that is out there and unsure of either, never fear Hollywood is hard at work bringing the 2 together.

Lautner will be starring in a new movie titled and based on the toy Stretch Armstrong. The toy is very old, around 30 years or so, and is simply a doll (think He-Man style) with rubbery arms that can be stretched to extreme lengths. You might think that Hollywood is stretching the proposed plot of the upcoming film, but that would assume a plot exists.

Lautner for his part is a "teen heartthrob", which would explain why I have no idea who he is. His claim to fame is being part of the excessively hyped Twillight films. Somehow I expect this film, due out in 2012, to bring many of his fans back to reality.

Why is this film going to be made? Because of all the money Hasbro (which owns the toy) has made off of it's other toys, Transformers and GI Joe. Note that I did not say because of the entertainment Harbro gave to movie audiences (they didn't). This is merely another grab at whatever money is left in your pocket after taxes, if you still have a job these days.

I suppose that Hasbro thinks this is a great time for a movie based on this toy. The "hero" is kind of like Plastic Man, who is sort of a comic book superhero. And comic book conversion films are all the rage in Hollywood. Adding the hype of the kid from Twillight is sure to drive female fans to the film, and hopefully spark new sales of a toyline (sure to be remodeled after Lautner's image) that I doubt anyone under 35 recalls.

Seriously, things are getting desperate in Hollywood. They are making movies based on anything they can find these days. A video game, a comic book, an old television show, now toys. What's next? Board games? Wait, actually A deal was made to turn Monopoly and Chutes & Ladders (Candy Land too if I recall correctly) into movies.

The only thing left is to make a movie based on candy bars, and remakes of revisioned films. And once they start making movies about a Snickers bar you know that it's the end of the civilization.

Super Bowl Commercials of 2010

Well the Super Bowl is over and the Saints have their first win in team history. Great news if you are a Saints fan, but since I and most are not, no big deal. Which is what can be said of almost the entire game and oddly the commercials as well.

Normally every Super Bowl is accompanied by some of the most innovative and high-end commercials of the entire year. Considering the price tag of a 30-second spot, those companies that get a placement make the most of their time. Companies have had vast reversals of fortune based on just one Super Bowl ad. But the commercials of 2010 were about as compelling or interesting as the game itself. That's not a compliment.

Bud Light was probably the product with the best commercials. Of all the commercials the scientists celebrating the impending end of the world was the most upbeat and funny.



The Boost Moble ad may have been the worst of the bunch. The Bud Lite T-pain video was just dumb and an obvious rehash of "Whazzup".


Coca Cola had the decent Simpsons commercial, which was countered by the boring and dumb sleepwalking man in Africa commercial.

Denny's had 3 seperate commercials declaring that Tuesday a free meal can be had from 6AM until 2PM that seemed popular among those around me at the time. Of course the high emphasis on screaming chickens might have added to that opinion.

Perhaps the most perplexing commercial was the Dove for Men commercial. Who wrote that? Not one guy liked the commercial or found any reason to ever consider the product. It was rushed confused and completely missed the target audience. Someone is sure to have lost a job over that waste of $2.5 million.



I really liked the use of Ain't No Sunshine for the upcoming Dante's Inferno video game. A real good mix of music to the visual theme. And no doubt it caught the attention of all the games out there.



Taco Bell with Charles Barkley was just embarrassing.


The Vizio commercial with Beyonce just fell flat. There wasn't a single person that figured out what was going on. And several, once it was revealed what the commercial was about booed. Sales will not be up for them if that's a nationwide reaction.

The Sketchers ad, shown 2 times, was the most boring waste of $5 million I could imagine. I know the economy is bad, but seriously. Wrong target market, boring ad, for an overpriced product. Who greenlighted that idea?

But to end on another positive note, Snickers had the likely second best commercial of the whole Super Bowl. Watching Betty White and Abe Vigoda (who a friend remarked thought was dead) get tackled just looked wrong, and incredibly funny.



Given that 2009 was a horrendous economic year, and 2010 looks to be about the same. Even so, the performance of almost all the commercials was like JV leagues compared to the pro quality we have become accoustomed to. The Super Bowl may have been less than inspiring, but the commercials were far more disappointing than the interception of Manning in the 4th quarter.

10 year movie review: Bamboozled

When I read about the fried chicken served at NBC I was immediately reminded of something. A movie that disturbed me. A movie that moved me. A movie that I think should be shown on broadcast television, uncut, every time the nation celebrates Black History Month.

Bamboozled.

I'm sure most of my readers have not seen this film by Spike Lee. It wasn't popular when it came out, and it still isn't. It may well never become so. Which is a testament to the images and meaning the film embodies.

This is a difficult film to watch. It strikes me with anger and shame in equal parts. It upsets me for what I see on the screen, and what those images mean in relation to the real world. It infuriates me with it's reflection of the real world and the societal norms in the nation.

The more I hear of acts like that in NBC, the more I find stories like that of Megan Williams, Oscar Grant, Mauricia Grant and so many more the closer I believe we get to Mantan and the new millienium minstrel show. The more I see Snoop Dogg and the horde of rappers that are excused and praised for their disrespect of women and themselves, the glorification of drugs and violence, the more I see Mantan. The more I hear talk of a post racial America, while States like North Carolina make decisions to edit American history (starting just AFTER the civil war and slavery) the more I see the potential to fall back to the norms of 1950 or 1920, or 1850.

But Bamboozled is not just a movie about African Americans, it's about America. It's not just painful to see what is possible, but what is happening. It's Chris Matthews proud President Obama can be "in a room full of White people" and still be "unaffected". It's the unreported 19% unemployment rate among African Americans. It's the accusations that to disagree with policy is to be a racist. It's the concept that an African American MUST love President Obama and cannot deviate from supporting him.

Bamboozled came out in 2000, and 10 years later it is even more accurate and troubling than when it was made. Yet it is a movie that is unspoken, unwatched and even less fully understood as a statement of right now.

Here are parts of the film, but it hardly is the complete context.







If you don't get Bamboozled, you don't know American history - current or past. If you aren't angry and uncomfortable watching this film, you can't see the world around you. But see this film you should, for many I would even say must.

Celebrating Black History Month?

Perhaps NBC thought this to be innocent. Maybe it is innocent. But I don't think it is.



That is what NBC felt was a good idea to celebrate Black History Month. A month that this year I haven't really noticed much being said or done about. From a media company that lead the wave in presenting a 1950's view of America on television from the moment that Cosby and A Different World ceased to be on primetime airwaves.

Maybe I would feel different if NBC had Black people on Friends (a show in the heart of NYC, the most integrated city in likely the world). Perhaps if the line-up of 2010 of shows identified the Black casts in several of the shows.

To be exact, not 1 show stars a single African American. Several have 1 or 2 in the supporting cast. But when NBC decided to highlight it's line-up they provided 25 faces of NBC (20 if you don't count duplicates). In all 1 person of color is featured, 2 are in a background photo. That's 4% of the featured shows and casts. Not exactly diverse on a station known for non-diversity.

All of that says nothing of the HUGE stereotype associated with African Americans and fried chicken. It may indeed be good food, and it may well have been made perfectly well. It could be part of the normal rotation of food in the company's menu. But dedicating this to Black History Month means the conncetion to the stereotype is alive and well in the mind of NBC.

But I'm not too surprised when it is all said an done. NBC, like MSNBC, is a very liberal organization. Which means that stereotypes and other actions against people of color are things only they can do since they "understand" minorities and "help" us. It's the reason that Chris Matthews "forgot" President Obama was Black and could "hold his own in a room full of White people".

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and this wasn't even that good an intention in my opinion. No wonder I don't watch the network. But how do you feel about this?

It's not too late

With Valentine's Day soon approaching everyone is looking for ways to express themselves without breaking the bank, and without being a carbon copy of old traditions. With this current economy, the answer is hard to find, but a suggestion is World of Vass and Alchemy at World of Vass.

The World of Vass clothing lines are more than just clothes, they are unique designer items that your loved one can use/wear all year long. The quality is high, and best of all it's not something you will find anywhere else. Here is an example of what you can find.



and



But don't think there aren't gifts for him as well. There is something that everyone can love.

For those looking for something a bit more unique and imported there is Alchemy at World of Vass.

This is the authentic Alchemy of England line of products. Hand-made and imported from England, they feature English pewter goods, many with Swarovski crystals. Each items is the definition of an original idea, just for your loved one.












The best part is that 50% of the profit of any item purchased will be donated to relief organizations working in Haiti.

So why not take a look. You have nothing to lose, but you can gain the appreciation of a loved one that comes from a gift from the heart and help those that are in need.

9-ball APA pool

Long-term readers know I love my pool league. Last year we went all the way to Las Vegas with my team. This year I intend to go back with both the 8 and 9-ball teams. Then I plan to rock the national APA tournament.

That's the plan anyway.

So here is the latest video of my 9-ball team from last night as we won, with some bumps in the road. I had a great mash-up song mixed to the video, but it got pulled by Youtube. So that's why there is no sound at the moment.

Hope you enjoy the video

Masters of opinion clash

Yes, the battle of titans came togather once again. The first such meeting since President Obama has been in charge. What it might reveal about both and their respective viewpoints is sure to create comments for months, perhaps years.

If somehow you have failed to see the Jon Stewart Daily Show, I can't imagine it. While the program is geared towards the college crowd, it loses none of its humor for those of us a bit older. It is parody and political satire often at it's best. It is also a highly liberal and Democrat friendly program.

If you are unaware of the O'Reilly Factor, you are likely in love with President Obama and Democrats. Ok, that's a joke. Seriously, the program is a well organized commentart on issues of the day, based on the center-right, that includes the voices of the left, far-left, as well as those on the right.

In listening to both men one thing is immediately clear. They are both intelligent, passionate men that believe they are serving the public via the mechanisims they employ. To that end both must be praised. Beyond that, well it comes down to personal views.

I think that Jon Stewart did quite well on the show. He made interesting observations, while defending his well-known left of center personal views. I believe he was treated fairly, and was as aggressive as he received aggression.

Though I will note that the comments by Stewart on how President Obama should weild more power and control over Congress was a bit disturbing. It clearly marked a direction towards an imbalance of power that President Bush was raked over coals for even hinting at, particularly by Stewart.

But here is the interview, let me know what you think of part 1. Part 2 will be on tonight.

2010 Razzie Awards predictions

Every year I find that the Razzie Awards are more on the mark and widely agreed upon than anything the Oscar Awards ever comes up with. The Oscar's inevitably select some of the least seen, least enjoyable films and give them the biggest awards. But the Razzie's stick with what the public saw (or refused to see), and what we were going to the movies for - entertainment.

Given this year the Oscar's added Avatar to it's list of nominees (which may have more than a bit to do with the political statements of the film as much as anything else). But who saw the Hurt Locker, Crazy Heart, An Education, and/or A Serious Man? Besides critics and family of the various cast and crew.

Doesn't mean they aren't good films. It just means that the Oscar's don't really address what people see. But the Razzie's...

3 of the films up for Worst movie of 2010 are films I previewed/reviewed and hated. Each one was cited as a waste of your money, and an excursion into the depths of nausea that only Hollywood could create. It seems that I was spot on.

Worst Film of 2010 -

All About Steve
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - I reviewed, hated it
Land of the Lost - I previewed, and saved myself the waste of life it would have required to see it
Old Dogs
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen - I reviewed it, and still am amazed that people paid money for this crap. Then again people bought pet rocks too.

Prediction - winner will be Land of the Lost. Even though it would be quite funny to see Sandra Bullock win an Oscar (she is favored for another film) and a Razzie in the same year, I think she is going to be hit with the same thing that got Eddie Murphy. Hollywood has a problem with an actor/actress that does one film that is serious, and in the same year does a film that gets them paid.

Thus Will Ferrell will be picked, signalling the absolute end of his short-lived career as a movie star.

Worst Actor

Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas -- Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience
Will Ferrell -- Land of the Lost
Steve Martin -- Pink Panther 2 - I recommeneded against this film
Eddie Murphy -- Imagine That
John Travolta -- Old Dogs

Prediction - Well, to be honest I avoided all of these films. Every indication was that they were awful and likely painful to see. But I have to believe that Steve Martin will win. Because not only is he insulting as Inspector Closeu - if you have seen any of the Peter Seller originals, he is abysmal from a revisioned new viewer point of view as well.

Worst Actress

Beyonce Knowles -- Obsessed
Sandra Bullock -- All About Steve
Miley Cyrus -- Hannah Montana: The Movie
Megan Fox -- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Sarah Jessica Parker -- Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Prediction - In a crowd of horrible acting and worse films you go with what was the biggest let down. We know Beyonce can't act, and Parker gave up on the idea after cashing in with Sex in the City (movie or television show, take your pick). Cyrus is a kid, in a kid movie so there was no real acting expectation. That leaves Bullock and Fox. Fox was supposed to be sexy, an up-and-coming actress and important to the sequel. She wound up being none of the above.

Worst Remake, Rip-off (ie. revisioned), Sequel

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Land of the Lost
Pink Panther 2
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Twilight Saga: New Moon

Prediction - wow this is a tough category. Every one of these films turned my stomach. In each one the best part of the film was the end credits rolling onscreen. How do you pick the worst of true wastes of far better ideas?

GI Joe. Because this was an action figure for decades (before they got shranks to 3 inches), a fun if moronic television cartoon for decades, and thus the stuff of positive memories and fantasy. All crushed and mangled after seeing this equivalent of a purse-snatching of the public's money.

Future prediction - When the sequel comes out, and you know it will, avoid that too. It won't get better, just worse.


As a bonus this year we also get to select the worst films in the last decade. Considering the decade and the rash of politics-instead-of-entertainment films the list choices could be huge. The Razzies picked the following.

Worst Picture of the Decade

Battlefield Earth
Freddy Got Fingered
Gigli
I Know Who Killed Me
Swept Away

Actually I would have had Lions for Lambs and Redacted in this list. Then again, no one saw those film. War, Inc. is also another great choice, and only a handful of critics saw it (the only audience likely).

Of the Razzie choices I picked Gigli. Not only because it was horrible, but because no one can pronounce the name right. But if I had my choice in the last decade I'd go with Capitalism by Michael Moore. Because the very subject this multi-millionaire rails against is the thing that provided his wealth, is the purpose of the film in a theater, and the freedom to be a hypocrit.

Worst Actor of the Decade

Ben Affleck
Eddie Murphy
Mike Myers
Rob Schneider
John Travolta

While Eddie Murphy will likely win - he does have more roles to pick on since he has played more roles in a single movie than most other actors play in a decade - I don't think he should. I'd go with Myers. Affleck occasionaly does something decent, and other than Gigli has not been gut-wrenchingly bad. Travolta, even in BattleField Earth, is interesting to watch. Schneider couldn't make a good film if James Camerron centered a film around him. Thus Myers is the only one that really was supposed to be interesting and completely failed. Plus who didn't hate how he killed Dr.Suess's beloved Cat in the Hat.

Worst Actress of the Decade

Mariah Carey
Paris Hilton
Lindsay Lohan
Jennifer Lopez
Madonna

Talk about a list of women whose main talent is their body. Seriously, Lopez is better known for her ass and who is getting to bump it than acting (and rightly so). Lohan is best known for being a drunken lush. Carey and Madonna at least can sing, though when was the last big hit for either?

Hilton is a special category. Her only claim to fame is she inherited so much money that everyone can get a peice of it (and her for that matter) and she will still be wealthy. The only redeeming quality of Hilton is her money.

But I guess the winner will be Carey. Not that any of the women on the list have more talent, or were in any degree better actresses. It's just that Carey broke an unspoken rule: If you have no ability, but look great, shut up and just walk sexy (in tight clothes) as much as possible. It's the only reason the movie Catwoman made any money (though Halle Berry does have acting skills).