Fela! opened on Broadway to fairly positive reviews yesterday, the show’s producers, Jay-Z, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, have brought some name recognition to a largely unknown and lively group of artists, most of whom transferred over from the Off-Broadway version of the show.

The critics all agree that Fela! offers up something new – though whether those audiences will love the offering or not is up for debate. Here’s what they said:

NEW YORK TIMES

Anyone who worried that Bill T. Jones’s singular, sensational show might lose its mojo in transferring to Broadway can relax. True, this kinetic portrait of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, a Nigerian revolutionary of song, has taken on some starry producers — including Shawn Carter (Jay-Z) and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith — and shed 15 or 20 minutes since it was staged Off Broadway last year. But it has also acquired greater focus, clarity and intensity. In a season dominated by musical retreads and revivals, “Fela!,” which stars the excellent Sahr Ngaujah and Kevin Mambo (alternating in the title role), throbs with a stirring newness that is not to be confused with novelty. Read the full review.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The political messages do not detract from the terrific work by the cast, the overriding musicality and outstandingly sensuous dance performances. “Fela!” is a unique Broadway experience that leaves the audience on their feet and wanting more. Read the full review.

USA TODAY

Fela!’s choreography is … livelier and more sophisticated. Executed by a dynamic cast, it’s the perfect companion to Kuti’s supple tunes and pulsing grooves, served with virtuosity by a band conducted by Antibalas’ Aaron Johnson. Delivering exuberant storytelling through song and dance, Fela! achieves something closer to the essence of great musicals than many more conventional shows have of late. Read the full review.

VARIETY

Will the average Broadway matinee lady be comfortable participating in a practical demonstration of how to tell time with her ass? That’s exactly what takes place in “The Clock,” a particularly frisky sequence of “Fela!” in which the entire audience is on its feet learning from the able-bodied dance corps what Swiss-movement booty work is all about. And it’s just one of countless ways in which Bill T. Jones’ wildly loose-limbed journey into the throbbing heart of Afrobeat breaks bold new ground in musical theater. Read the full review.

TALKIN’ BROADWAY

The Shrine may have gotten a lot bigger, but the religion of Fela! has not grown less electrifying. Just over a year after Bill T. Jones and Jim Lewis’s musical about Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti had its cramped premiere Off-Broadway at 37 Arts, it’s now blasted into the Eugene O’Neill, where its creators – and its superstar producing team, which includes Jay-Z, Will Smith, and Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith – are intent on proving that a bigger hall is just as apt a venue for its political-party aesthetic. They got it half right. Read the full review.

Whoever said that the standoff at the end of The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly obviously hadn’t seen this epic duel. What Ennio Morricone’s film score masterpiece was to the 20th century, so “Don’t move the boat!” shall be to the 21st.

Two years from now, you’ll be watching Woodpecker Vs. Snake adapted to the big screen with a $300 million operating budget, directed by Michael Bay and starring Will Smith  as the Woodpecker and Eric Bana as the Snake, with a surprise cameo from Jack Nicholson as “Don’t move the boat!” guy. Mark my words.

(via Lindsay Robertson)

E se o tema de ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air’, eternizado na voz de Will Smith, fosse cantada por Neil Young?

Em participação recente no ‘Late Night With Jimmy Fallon’, o cantor mostrou como seria sua versão da série, famosa no Brasil por ter sido exibida no SBT como ‘Um Maluco no Pedaço’.

Drama protagonizado por Will Smith que interpreta un sufrido sujeto que debe ayudar a un grupo escogido de personas de maneras y razones que nos vamos enterando a medida que transcurre la película.

Si bien, la cinta se sostiene por la curiosidad de saber más del protagonista y su pasado. que se va descubriendo a través de reiterados flashbacks, la conclusión no deja del todo conforme. ***

From Toy Story to Bolt, animation has brought us an array of wonderful characters to cherish and enjoy. This roundup highlights a selection of simply awe inspiring 3D characters.

Stunning 3D Characters

Captain Jack Sparrow

Created using 3DSmax, Zbrush and Photoshop, the attention to detail and expression are fantastic.

Bobby, The Little Octopus

Textured using ZBrush and decorated with Blender, taking 5 days of work. Bobby is a unique and fascinating piece of work.

Harlequin

Hauntingly realistic, Harlequin is truly a spectacular piece of art. At first glance, one might think this was a well lit photo.

Science Doc

Modeled in maya and rendered in Mental Ray, Science is an excellent character, with matching production values.

Goblin Mechanic

Inspired by Max Cant’s soldiers when modeling the furnace on his back he is full of expression and crammed with an array of wonderful details.

Will Smith Caricature

Hilarious and superbly created using Cinema 4D, ZBrush and Photoshop. It has a warmth and charm that make it stand out.

Jelly Spider Friend

Realistic and a little creepy, this is beautifully crafted with amazing colors and textures. The lighting adds to the freakish feel of the piece.

Cloud Tribute

A tribute to the popular Final Fantasy character Cloud, the emotion behind the eyes is extremely powerful.

Beautiful Vanadisa

Created in Daz Studio with a rendering time of over 22 hours, this is a simply breathtaking 3D portrait.

Isabelle

Modeled using a combination of Poser, Vue, Cinema 4D and Photoshop CS, she has a real sense of mystery and magic.

Art Ventura

A wonderful caricature, Art Ventura solves mysterious CG cases. The behind the scenes of its creation is worth viewing.

Ogryn Stare

The artists first project using ZBrush with the entire piece taking over two days. It makes great use of textures.

Rose

A beautiful pose and composition, great use of light and a thoroughly captivating expression make Rose a compelling piece.

Emocionado

A funny and charming piece with great attention to detail on the cloth patterns and the stubble on the chin.

Aztec Priest

Inspired by Mel Gibson’s movie “Apocalypto”, this Aztec Priest is detailed, imaginative and original.

Cyber Goth

Created using a combination of Poser and Photoshop, the design on her scalp and the eye markings really draw the eye.

Samurai Troll

The texture work in the armor plates and skin are amazing given that the artist views this as a work in progress.

Smoking Creature

I don’t what’s more frightening, the hideous character or the amazing amount of realism he possesses.

Kai

This is Kai, Nariko’s dedicated friend (from Heavenly Sword). Created using Poser, Vue and Photoshop.

Shadow Conscious

Absolutely incredible detail, the artist really captured the emptiness in her eyes and created a character deep in thought.

Female Vampire

Inspired by the vampire film 30 Days of Nights, this female vampire looks really realistic and deliciously evil.

Arwen

Created using Cinema 4D, Poser, Vue and Photoshop with an obscene render time, Arwen is a pearlescent beauty.

Fries With That

Fantastic modelling, texturing and shading make this utterly realistic, you will think it’s a photograph. An amazing achievement in 3D realism.

Suspicious Minds

An incredibly striking, beautiful, realistic and moving portrait with an interesting story behind it.

The Worlds Enemy

A superb model of Sephiroth from Final Fantasy with the rendering taking 3 hours and the post production taking 6 hours.

Chris In 3D

An absolutely stunning combination of Poser and Photoshop work. Do yourself a favor and check out this render’s immaculate details.

Cyborg Head 01

The level of detail is nothing short of amazing, enhanced by the textures and lightning that give this 3D render superb qualities.

Ethereal

Artwork based on the W40k universe, it’s an Ethereal from the TAU empire, taking 2 days to complete using Cinema 4D, ZBrush, VRay and Photoshop.

Knight of the Temple

A lone knight of the Temple, standing guard. The chainmail and stone are particularly brilliant in detail and texture.

Grandma

Just awesome detail, amazing textures, superb blending and the befuddling expression on the woman’s face make this a wonderful piece of work.

The rumor out in the blogosphere is that Will Smith has died in a car crash sometimes this morning. Yes, it garnered enough attentions that it’s all over the place right about now, the funk soul brother. You can read about it here, here and here.

The reports of Will Smith’s death in an automobile accident this weekend are the latest celebrity death hoax floating around the internet.  Reported to have flipped his Porshe in the Hollywood Hills, with paramedics being unable to revive him, Mr. Smith is nonetheless alive and well.  Smith was not involved in a traffic accident this weekend.  The latest victim of false death reports, Smith joins Kanye West and Britney Spears in the cyber after-life.  It should be getting pretty crowded there,  I hope someone remembers to bring the lattes.

Will Smith - Not Dead

The internet is abuzz with rumors of the death of Will Smith in an automobile accident.  Rest assured, Will is alive and well, and the victim of the latest celebrity hoax to hit the online world.  It seems someone has simply replaced Smith’s name in emails floating around earlier about Kanye West, and others before him.

So relax, fellow admirers of Mr. Smith, he’s just fine.  And he’s just fine!    If you had any doubts, just check this picture from I Robot.

Director Alex Proyas, helmer of such cult favorites as “Dark City” and “The Crow”, steps into the Hollywood limelight with his first attempt at a mainstream Hollywood blockbuster.

“I, Robot” chronicles the life of Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) who has a techno-phobic view of the world’s newest appliance, a life-like robot created by the world’s leading technology giant US Robotics. A link in Spooner’s past is linked to his phobia of the automaton movement sweeping the nation. According to US Robotics, there will be eventually 1 robot to every 5 humans.

Spooner is called to the offices of US Robotics when a leading scientist (James Cromwell), with a secret link to Spooner, has apparently committed suicide. His death seems to have mysterious circumstances which could link to a robot. With man’s complete trust in the new robot technology, it seems too ludicrous to every one except Spooner.

As the mystery deepens, Spooner unravels the very fabric of the robotic giant, locks horns with CEO Lawrence Robertson (Bruce Greenwood) and learns more about his automated enemy with the aid of scientist Dr. Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan). Through the course of these events he may learn more than he could ever imagine.

It is hard to defend a film like “I, Robot” but I am going to try. For sci-fi purists, Isaac Asimov’s legendary work about the robot and how he will intricate into our society has filled the minds of readers for over 50 years. But the similarities between the film presented here and his work are few and far between. Kind of like last week’s release of Jerry Bruckheimer’s “King Arthur”. Both films take sacred subject matter and re-invent it with a new twist. I would have to say that “I. Robot” is better in a lot ways.

At the core of “I, Robot” beats the soul of Asimov as his 3 laws regarding robots are sacredly left intact and the film does abide by them. Also a lot of the characters have similar names to the people in the text. It is almost like taking Star Trek’s “prime directive” and some of the now classic characters and setting them in a new idea of the future. The core is left intact but in some ways it has been updated and refreshed.

The story, special effects and extremely zealous direction, however, all seem to be brought forth by the collaborators who cobbled this film together. There are influences of “Robocop”, “Short Circuit”, “Blade Runner” and even the classic comic-book series “Magnus: Robot Fighter”. Each of these robot influences echo back to what makes “I Robot” so intriguing, a joy to watch and memorable.

Sure the story does have a lot of sci-fi influences and clichés aside from robot films including “Star Wars” and “Planet of the Apes” but don’t these benchmark sci-fi films influence everything coming down the turnpike these days. It even has the classic sci-fi cliché of the social outcast claiming there is an invasion coming except no one believes him. But that is not what should bring us into the film.

You really need to give credit to director Alex Proyas because it is his magic as a filmmaker that holds this film together. He knows where to play it straight and where to let his lead actor bring on the charm. Also you really have to admire the man’s technical ability. His brilliant inter-laying of robots into the photography is astounding. Proyas is an A-list director in the making and “I, Robot” shows that he can deliver a big Hollywood film.

I also give credit to Will Smith who starts out being very unapproachable with his character but as the film goes we really become fond of his hero. Smith’s Spooner does have a lot of his previous sci-fi heroes inter-laced into Spooner but it comes off as more of a homecoming than an annoyance.

In some ways I think Proyas had something to do with that especially in the chase down scene towards the beginning of the film. It almost felt like “Men in Black” again.

As for Smith’s co-stars, Cromwell’s Lanning is a throwaway character used mainly for effect, Moynahan is timid and sometimes robot-like but it is a sturdy performance and Greenwood is menacing and a good match to face off against the rebellious Smith.

The reason I was so fond of “I, Robot” is because for once it was a summer film that didn’t apologize for trying to be entertaining. The special effects, the performances and the direction are all what people want to see in the summer and this film is loads and loads of fun. It is a great giant popcorn film with a light layering of message.

My only small problem with this film was that it is supposed to be set in Chicago in 2035. I didn’t buy it but if it was 2135, then maybe.

Sure the film doesn’t pave new ground but why does every film have to. It is pure summer fun and what is wrong with that.

If you want Asimov and sci-fi purism then you can always read the novels. Stop apologizing and most of all stop belly-aching, just give the film a chance. If you like science fiction films and want to be remembered how much fun they used to be then this picture is the perfect ticket for you.

4.25 out of 5

So Says the Soothsayer.

Haha ada suatu gosip yang sekarang ini sedang hangat di internet. Dikabarkan bahwa artis Will smith telah meninggal dalam suatu kecelakaan mobil. Tidak jelas sih dari mana sumber isu ini berasal. Yang patut diperhatikan sih belum ada bukti tewasnya will smith dalam suatu kecelakaan mobil yang bisa dikatakan bahwa berita ini HOAX. Dikatakan bahwa will smith hilang kendali atas mobil porshe yang di kendarainya. Lucu yah, fenomena internet memang sudah mendunia, sedikit saja orang yang iseng menyebarkan berita palsu, dalam beberapa jam sudah tersebar dan akan menjadi isu hangat. Sudah terkuak beberapa berita yang memang HOAX hanya untuk mencari sensasi belaka. Berikut adalah kutipan yang ada di berbagai internet:

“Will Smith was driving his Porsche in the Hollywood Hills earlier today when he suddenly lost control and flipped his car.Paramedics arrived on the scene within minutes but were unable to revive Mr. Smith…..”

Pesan saya sih kenali dulu informasi yang ada di internet, jangan langsung mempercayai begitu saja.

ARE THE STARS OUT TONIGHT?: Yes, and most of ‘em are working on and off Broadway. Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson are currently in

JOHANSSON: room for A View

rehearsals for the revival of A View From The Bridge, still regarded in some circles as Arthur Miller’s most passionate drama. They start previews right after Christmas, then open at the Cort Theatre on Jan. 24 … Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury are the hot-ticket duo in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music down the street at the Walter Kerr Theater. Previews start tomorrow night, less than three weeks before their Dec. 13 opening … Emmy Award winners James Spader and Richard Thomas are already in previews for David Mamet’s

ZETA-JONES: opening tomorrow night

new sizzler, Race, directed by Mamet himself, for a Dec. 6 opening … veteran New York broadcaster Pat Collins calls her the funniest woman on Broadway, and audiences must agree, because Carrie Fisher’s one-woman show, Wishful Drinking, originally slated to close Jan. 3, has been held over another two weeks, to Jan. 17… Victor Garber will celebrate New Year’s Eve, then go right into previews for the revival of Noel Coward’s Present Laughter, set to premiere Jan. 21 at the American Airlines Theatre … 2001: A Space Odyssey alumnus Keir Dullea, who actually worked with Noel Coward, will return to Broadway this spring in a revival of Robert Anderson’s

SPADER: Race card

I Never Sang for My Father. Years ago Dullea and Coward co-starred in a London-made thriller called Bunny Lake Is Missing. After shooting a difficult scene together for director Otto Preminger, Coward turned to the young actor and chirped, “Keir Dullea, gone tomorrow!” Happily his ad-lib was not prophetic … and Tony Award owner Matthew Broderick has taken his act off-Broadway. He opens tonight at the Acorn Theatre in Kenneth Lonergan’s The Starry Messenger, about an astronomy teacher’s affair with a younger woman.  Academy Award nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace) plays the younger woman to Broderick’s married academic.

SMITH: backing B'way newbie

ANOTHER OPENING, ANOTHER ADOPT-A-SHOW: It took volunteer executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry to put Precious on the map — and did they ever. Now Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith have become first-time Broadway producers, putting their considerable showbiz weight behind the new Broadway musical Fela! which opens tonight at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre after a month of previews. Directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones, Fela! portrays the extravagant world of controversial music pioneer and Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti in a hybrid of concert, dance and musical theater. Will audiences buy in? Stay tuned … and Tony winner Susan

BRODERICK: opening tonight

Stroman will direct the first-ever production of The Scottsboro Boys, an unproduced Kander & Ebb musical, off-Broadway at the Vineyard Theatre. The show will begin previews on February 12 and open on March 10. The Scottsboro Boys explores the infamous Scottsboro case of the 1930s, in which a group of African-American teenagers were unjustly accused of attacking two white women, and the boys’ attempts to prove their innocence.

And yes, it’s a musical.

TOMORROW:

Fangs for the Memories.

Why do only good films get remade? This only causes anger, there will always be people who will never think of it as as good as the original. Surely the smart thing to do would be to remake terrible films, or even better; films that have potential to be good, but then fall apart somewhere along the line. “but Lee, what films are like that” i hear you ask (and if you’re not, then you’re not allowed to read this blog, go to the top again, and this time, ask the question). Well, luckily for you, (and for my viewing statistics) i’ve compiled a list of films just like that, you’re welcome

5.

This film was fine, until the end. where it all went a bit “oh, i shall sigh from disappointment now” a concept that will pop up again, for ANOTHER Will Smith film

4.

this film was pretty good. and had an excellent concept. ruined by two things: no villain, and the “M.Night Shyamalan factor” which is defined (by me) as:

“a stupid twist ending which serves no purpose what so ever, and completely ruins the whole film”

3.

“oh no he didn’t”, oh yes i fucking did. this film should’ve been fucking excellent. but it wasn’t, it was, just awful. the acting, the plot, THE SPARKLING, but most of all, the fact that if you took the fact that they are vampires out of the story, it’s just a story of domestic abuse

2.

you know whats bad? i really love this film, but i only love it because of the twist ending (damn M.Night), which is the problem with it. Cuz although it is a fantastic ending, it is too unfinished to be just left there. This is one film that would have been a lot better as a TV Series, because it would be acceptable as a season finale. But as a film you’re just left thinking “is that it?”. Also, much love to Frances for her description of this film “if you want to know whether you should kill yourself, watch this film and you will want to”

1.

Oh dear god is this film bad. If you watch it to the end that is. Up until about the half way mark is a good film. Is just ruined by having the writer’s wife in it. If you took the entire plot involving her out of the film, it would be a lot better, funnier, tighter, and nowhere near as long (if you’re aware that a film is long, it’s too long). Now this is nothing against Leslie Mann, it’s against that the writing makes it feel as though the part was forcibly written in just so that the writer could get laid.

If only it was six degrees of Kevin Bacon, then this would have been a 10/10!

Paul (Will Smith) is a charming and engaging young con artist who appears one day on the doorstep of Flan and Ouisa Kittredge (Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing). Professing to be a friend of the affluent couple’s son, Paul spins a tale of celebrity and despair that deeply affects the pair and their socialite friends.

This film is based on the stage play by John Guare, which actually was inspired by a true story itself. Now I know the original story, and I was not very disapointed with this adaptation one bit.

The one thing about this film that planned out really well was how it was told. Most of it through flashbacks and narration from families who experienced Paul the con artist. They narrate and show you how each and every little situation all relate to each other, and I never lost track of what happened.

I just felt like the film didn’t quite have as much humanity to it as the film tried to bring up. These characters didn’t seem so real in their actions and by the way they talked. We also never really got to know them real well, other than their just a rich couple, and are having problems with their children.

I also didn’t like how the con artist was reflected in a very negative light. Though he was doing crimes, I’ll say that, but he was the one who brought these people to realize who they were and he was like the patron for having them realize it. All the rich people were made to look all glamorous with the occasional problems, while Smith was looked at as just a perv among society.

The film is uptight and the dialogue is often delivered with the flare of an old classic. The lines are witty, sharp, delightful and the gay stuff is fake near laughable. I enjoyed how the film did a real great job at combining comedy with drama, and making the film a lot more compelling than what it seemed to be.

Stockard Channing naturally holds the film in place but her screen presence is so big and the camera is so small. Channing has to keep moving in order to stay in the film. However, by the middle of the film you begin to feel Channing’s break away from the theater and she delivers her lines with the grace of a Hollywood star. But, Will Smith probably has one of the greatest performances of his career in this film. It must have been hard for him to play a gay man, but he was so believable and genuine in it, that I almost forgot this was Will Smith I was talking about.

Consensus: A funny and moving drama with some great satirical messages about society, Six Degrees Of Seperation is moving but doesn’t feel too humane.

9/10=Full Pricee!!

HANCOCK

“There are heroes. There are superheroes. And then there’s HANCOCK”

No sabe quien es, no sabe de donde viene y no sabe que es lo que tiene que hacer. A Jonh Hancock todo el mundo lo conoce, pero… nadie lo quiere cerca pues antes de mejorar algo siempre debe destrozar el doble. La suma de todo esto lo hacen ser un alcoholico, mal viviente, sin respeto por nada ni por nadie. Pero, por primera vez en su vida alguien le tiende la mano, alguien se preocupa por el y alguien quiere ayudarlo a ser mejor. ¿Sera posible que una persona así pueda cambiar?

FICHA TECNICA

Director: Peter Berg

Protagonista: Will Smith | Charlize Theron

Fecha: 11 | Julio | 2008

Pais: Estados Unidos

Hancock Wallpaper

Debo confezarme fan de Will Smith, en especial por los ultimos trabajos que ha venido realizando y aunque Hancock no es de las mejores peliculas que ha hecho no puedo decir que haya sido un fiasco, incluso esta pelicula nos brinda una perspectiva diferente a lo que habia venido haciendo Marvel con su fiebre de sacar peliculas de superheroes terribles. Considero que la historia de esta pelicula es creible hasta cierto punto, la primera parte donde nos introducen al personaje la encuentro genial, un tipo odiado por todos, sin nada que perder y resignado a ganar. Aun apesar de todo sigue intentando hacer el bien. Incluso la parte donde lo trata de ayudar Ray va todo bien, pero cuando las mujeres meten las manos en la masa jeje… Me parece que la pelicula esta hecha con calma, bien pensada y ha contado con los actores precisos para sacar adelante al proyecto. Los efectos especiales no los dejo atras, calificandolos de buenos dentro de lo que cabe y personalmente me encanto la parte donde clava la camioneta de los asiaticos en el edificio. Para terminar esto les recomiendo ver esta pelicula para que sigan la trayectoria del talentosisimo Will y les aseguro que van a disfrutarla.

…   …   …   …   …

I didn’t realize this was the same 30 second clip looped over and over, but it’s awesome nonetheless. I definitely miss Fresh Prince of Bel Air and I think season 1 might be my next download.

I have no opinion whether or not the film Couples Retreat is any good or not, but I’m simultaneously disgusted and amused by the way Hollywood worries how the world feels about Black actors in films.

Case in point:

The United States Poster:

Then there’s the United Kingdom version, which is just a wee bit different.

Now you see the Black folks.   Now you don’t!

So why were the African-American couple scrubbed from the U.K. poster?  

The makers of the recent Vince Vaughn hit comedy, Couples Retreat, are at the centre of a race controversy after two black actors were airbrushed from publicity posters in the UK.

The American advert for the film, which stars Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau and Kristin Davis, shows all eight of the movie’s principal actors, including Faizon Love and Kali Hawk. But both Love and Hawk were removed from the promotional campaign ahead of the film’s British release last month.

Couples Retreat, which has currently taken over $70 million at the worldwide box office, tells the story of four couples who go on holiday together and receive therapy to improve their relationships.

A spokesman for the film’s makers, Universal Pictures, confirmed the poster had been changed to ‘to simplify the poster to actors who are most recognisable in international markets’. The studio said it regretted causing offence and has now abandoned plans to use the revised poster in other countries. 

I could have sworn I’ve seen a few Black people in Great Britain.   Do they not go the movies (or is this just a really bad case of “hidden racism”)?

In a film like Couples Retreat, I have the nagging feeling  Faizon Love and Kali Hawk were  “bussed in” to add a bit of color to the proceedings. Yes, they are placed waaaaay back in the first poster, but they are serving as the token Black folks much the same way every beer commercial or Viagra commercial has one Black guy hangin’ out with all his White buddies.

The South used to be the no-fly zone for films with Black actors in leading roles. Now it’s the overseas market where even the likes of Will Smith and Denzel Washington find it tough going.

“For an international audience, when it looks like an urban movie with an African-American star in the lead, they just turn it off, and I find that incredibly discouraging,” said Chris McGurk, the chief executive of Overture Films. Mr. McGurk was vice chairman of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Company when it released the two “Barbershop” films, starring Ice Cube, to big business with both black and white audiences at home. They earned virtually nothing abroad.

Faison Love and Kali Hawk are hardly household names in this country, let alone across the pond.  But they certainly aren’t the stars of Couples Retreat.   They’re just there to be the token Black representation, but apparently some genius at Universal Pictures thought even bringing up the rear they were stil too prominent, so out they go. 

Will Smith is one of the kings of the box office here in America, but even here he has to factor in how will his movies perform overseas.  

Looking at Smith’s last five films and who he is paired with as an romantic interest is revealing.

Seven Pounds…………………………Rosario Dawson
Hancock…………………………………Charlize Theron (kinda, sorta)
I Am Legend…………………………..Sam the dog
The Pursuit of Happyness………Thandie Newton (divorced)
Hitch………………………………………Eva Mendes

Smith said he wanted to cast a Black actress as his love interest in Hitch, but had to take under consideration how that would play with foreign audiences.   In an 2005 interview with the British newpaper, The Birmingham Post,  Smith explained how Eva Mendes ended up as the romantic lead.

As fallbacks go you could do worse than Eva Mendes.

“There’s sort of an accepted myth that if you have two black actors, a male and a female, in the lead of a romantic comedy, that people don’t want to see it.    We spend $50-something million making this movie and the studio would think that was tough on their investment.  So the idea of a black actor and a white actress comes up—that’ll work around the world,  but it’s a problem in the U.S,”  Smith said. 

It is very hard to find a mainstream American movie where Blacks are romantic leads or depicted in relationships.

Tyler Perry flicks make money hand over fist, he’s catering to an audience of African American women. Though Denzel often has a Black actress cast as a wife/girlfriend, you have to go back to 2003’s Out of Time where he’s involved in a love triangle with Sanaa Lathan and—the go-to gal for multiracial dating–Eva Mendes.

It’s a legitimate argument to make that  the scrubbing of Love and Hawk from the Couples Retreat  UK poster wasn’t an act of deliberate racism as much a  coldly rational recognition that even popular Black actors have a limited appeal to foreign markets.   It’s still a bitter pill to swallow.

Hay remakes de los que te alegras por su cancelación (iba a decir todos, pero no sería justo). Sería el caso de “Oldboy“. Y es que una cosa era ver la película de Chan-Wook Park y otra bien diferente lo que podríamos haber visto según Steven Spielberg y Will Smith. Francamente, el director de “Tiburon” será un artista cojonudo y todo lo que queramos (no el Dios de Dioses que muchos claman, pero en fin…), pero no lo veo yo enfrascado en dicho proyecto. Más que nada porque me veo que su “final” se habría distanciado bastante del original. Es decir, nos cuela un the end bonito, como suele hacer, y a otra cosa mariposa.

Si a eso le sumo la presencia de Will Smith, apaga y vamonos. No porque el colega sea un mal actor y le tenga manía, pero francamente, no me cuadraba en una historia como Old Boy. ¿Quizás porque haya visto la cinta original (que no el manga en el que se basa, que conste) y tenga prejuicios?. Pues a lo mejor. Pero se ve que hay que vender el producto como sea. Y la unión de Spielberg/ Smith habría sido un grandísimo reclamo para la taquilla.

Como he dicho, proyecto cancelado. 

Mandate ha debido de dar un buen puertazo en las narices a Dreamworks (recordemos que la primera fué la productora que realizó la película japonesa). Quizás uno de los puntos que tuvo en cuenta Mandate a la hora de no dar el visto bueno a Spielberg, fué que él quería ser más fiel al manga en el que se basaba la película. Del cual desconozco y no sabría a ciencia cierta la diferencia entre éste y su versión cinematográfica.

Trailer de “Old Boy”

Fuente: Comics en 8mm

Fdo: Snake  

Falar do Will Smith é fácil, afinal, é um dos meus maiores ídolos. Tanto pela carreira de rapper quanto pela carreira de ator.

A influência dele, em sua época de “The Fresh Prince“, na moda urbana até hoje é ENORME. Principalmente depois da movimentação mais oldschool que surgiu na cultura Hip Hop (E, consequentemente, em toda a cultura urbana) nos últimos dois anos.

Enfim, vamos voltar ao presente. Apesar de ter saído do estilo antigo e adotado roupas mais sérias, Will Smith continua se vestindo muito bem.

Nessa foto, ele tá usando uma varsity jacket toda preta e os sneakers Air Jordan I (Ele não perdeu o costume de usar Jordans). Ao seu lado, sua esposa Jada Pinkett-Smith, que também é atriz (E bem famosa).

E, aqui, ele na estréia do filme This Is It, do Rei do Pop..

Taaskord sai ära vaadatud film, mille lõpplahendusest saab aimu alles filmi lõpuminutitel. Väga dramaatiline film, mis ei tundugi nagu väljamõeldisena, vaid seesuguseid juhtumeid võib tänapäevalgi olla.

Will Smith

Peaosas Ben’i mängiv Will Smith kaotas oma naise traagilises autoõnnetuses, mille üheks põhjustajaks oli ta ise, sest tal oli vaja autojuhtimise ajal oma mobiili näppida. Õnnetuses sai kokku surma 7 inimest, siit ka seos filmi pealkirjaga “7 pounds”. Kuna film on üles ehitatud nii, et vaataja saab iga uue minutiga midagi uut teada ning kõik eelnev on järgnevaga seotud, siis on väga raske teha kokkuvõtet filmist nii, et see ei rikuks elamust.

Pigem kirjutaksin täpsemalt seosst filmi pealkirja ja filmi vahel. Inglise keeles on väljend “a pound of flesh”, mis peaks tähendama, et mille sa oled kunagi omastanud, siis sa pead selle ka kunagi tagasi andma ning filmis võtab peategelane 7 inimeselt elu ning ta peab need 7 elu kuidagi tagasi andma.
Samuti on Shakespeare’i ühes teoses situatsioon, kus tegelane nimega Antonio ei saa Shylockile võlga tagasi maksta, siisShylockil on õigus Antoniolt võtta “1 pound of flesh” (0,45 kg liha). See on samuti seotud sellega, et kui inimene suudab võtta võlgu, siin filmis siis võtta teiste inimeste elud, siis peab ta ka selle tagasi maksma, kas siis “1 pound of flesh”-ga. Siin filmis on tegemist 7 inimesega, seega on ka 7 see arv, kui palju peab tagastama.
Ja on avastatud, et surnud inimene kaalub “1 pound” vähem kui ta elusana kaalus. See on kui “hinge kaal”. 7 inimest sai surma, sealt ka 7 pound.
Kõige õigemad variandid peaksidki olema kõige esimene ja teine variant, kus peab tagastama oma võla ning seda “1 pound” suuruses ühikus.

Filmile on väga emotsionaalne lõpplahendus ning näitab, et ühe inimese surm võib päästa 7 inimese elu.