7 Things People Don't Know About Me

7 Things People Don't Know About Me

I know that this is an old list that's been going around, but I'm feeling like revealing a little bit about myself. Going for a bit of transparency here.

Saw Princess Lasertron's Things I Don't Want People to Know list and her cutie pie webbie and I thought 'why not give it a go?'.

1. I've never seen the movie "Superfly" or "Foxy Brown" or "Dolemite" or most of the blaxploitation films. I'd like to blame my parents, which is good for them that they wouldn't allow me to watch those films as a kid, but it's been, what, too many years to count, when I could have seen them on my one and I haven't. Oh, well, there goes my black card.

2. While I'm on the subject of films, can I just put it all out there? I've never seen all of "The Godfather" and I haven't seen "Scarface" at all. I think that this is as bad as it gets as it relates to movies ... and so I'll move on because, well, because I'd like for you to forget those first two and fast.

3. When I was young, like 2 years old, I used to have braces on my legs. Seems my feet just wouldn't do what they were supposed to do on their own which is point straight. I thought I saw a picture once, but I can't seem to find it lately.

4. Less than a year after I'd finished my undergrad degree, I'd lost two very close friends: one while still in college in a motorcycle accident and one soon after (murdered). They were like my brothers always looking out for me. Miss them both - a lot.

Sometimes I'll have a smoothie with my breakfast.

5. I eat breakfast almost daily. I love a big breakfast, though I don't eat a whole lot and I usually only get a big breakfast on days when I'm not working (time constraints). I'm a fan of pancakes, french toast, omelette's, turkey sausage or turkey bacon, grits, oatmeal and cereal. Not so big on bagels or muffins, but I might take some banana bread. Oh, and some juice. I like a nice breakfast to line my belly and get me off to a good start.

6. I've met some of my best and closest friends while working at WBLK in Buffalo. I thought I'd be there for a year or so and ended up staying for four years. Some of the worst winter storms of my life, seeing the Bills lose four Superbowls, breakfast at Mattie's, being a Girl Scout leader, frequent trips to Toronto and just some plain ole, ridiculous, knock down, drag out high end drama! My grandfather was right when he told me that Buffalo was just a "raggedy ass city", but the people are priceless. Not a day goes by when I'm not in touch w/someone from my Buffalo posse.

7. I fell in love once ... and with someone who was also madly in love w/me. You know how people are always saying 'live in the moment?' and 'enjoy the moment?' ... well, that's what I did then! Incredible. So glad that I had a chance to experience that. I used to regret that I let that guy go; that the relationship didn't go where it could have gone, which was down the aisle. But now ... today, I'm so glad I am where I am in my life and I would have never gotten here had I stayed there.

MOVIE REVIEW: "Good Hair"

Cover of Good Hair

MOVIE REVIEW: "Good Hair" (2009)

After my friend, a hair stylist, mentioned that she did not really care for this movie, I was reluctant to watch "Good Hair". I did, however, enjoy the movie.

I did view it w/her thoughts in mind, but in the end, I thought that there was some symmetry to the film. She did not like the flamboyantness of the Bronner Brothers Hair Show segments. But to me, that is a real component. Some stylists love to attend that annual convention.

Unfortunately, I was quite saddened by the film. It was heart breaking to see the little girl getting her first relaxer at, what, five years old. Wow. I was also sad after seeing the short segment w/the five high school girls. And someone said to the girl w/the natural hair that they would not hire her because her hair was uncombed. The look on that young lady's face just broke me up.

More sadness about the cost of getting a hair weave ... and that some folks are spending thousands of dollars on hair weaves. So glad that things are NOT that serious for me. Never has been. I mean, I've had my hair relaxed and it looks good, but the price point was always reasonable. By reasonable, I mean $60-$70 dollars. That was some time ago though.

So take those thousands of dollars and add to it the amount of money that funnels out of the black community through hair care products. This was also mentioned in "Good Hair". There were two rows of black-owned hair care companies at the Bronner Brothers Convention. That is so not good since they were packed inside a seemingly large convention center.

I think that Chris Rock did a good job w/this project. He interjected his humor but shed light on an interesting topic. My friend says the element that was missing for the focus on natural hair. There's a vibrant interest in natural hair. I agree w/her on that point. And the segment w/the high school girls would have been a good place to add that segment.

Overall, I'm glad that I watched the movie and came away from it with my own opinion.

MOVIE REVIEW: "It's Complicated"

MOVIE REVIEW: "It's Complicated" (2009)

I've been wanting to see this movie since it was released in December. My thinking was that with Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin and Meryl Streep, it's got to be a great film. Well, great is not quite it, but it is a really, good movie. Lots of laughter and some laugh out loud moments.

I'm a fan of Alec Baldwin. He's got charm. He's smart and he's handsome. Likewise, I've always been a fan of Steve Martin's. I don't know how many times I've seen "The Jerk". I was just quoting a line the other day from the end of that movie: "I don't need anything else, accept this table ... I don't need anything else ...". So stupid and funny.

Back to "It's Complicated". So I like the guys. I've not been a fan of Meryl Streep's. But I don't dislike her or her work either. Actually, I did like her in several movies including "The Devil Wears Prada". I don't think I've gone to a film just to see her though is what I'm trying to say.

The writing is what stands out in "It's Complicated". The dialogue was conversational and believable. Even the story line was realistic: ex-married couple rekindles relationship after years of being divorced. The writing was a bit awkward at one point though: during the girls night out sessions. It just seemed more forced and unnatural. Not to mention that those characters showed up, what, twice and then no more; that was just one misstep. Overall, Nancy Myers does a good job with the writing; she directed too.

Alec's character did not seem like a stretch for him acting wise, but I still enjoyed him. I'd expected Steve's character to be funny. But that did not happen. And Meryl was just fine. But the sleeper stand out acting in the film was from John Krasinski. He makes these quips that are absolutely hilarious.

Somehow you need to make a note to see this one. It's worth the effort (if there's any effort).

MOVIE REVIEW: "Fantastic Mr. Fox"

MOVIE REVIEW: "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (2009)

Just saw "Fantastic Mr. Fox". Nice animated movie. I had no expectations for this movie. I had not read the book.

This was such a charming movie. Very witty. George Clooney as Mr. Fox was, well, fantastic (and he dresses so nicely). The supporting characters added a good amount of flavor as well.

I thought that the movie was a short film though. I kept checking the time to see how much longer it was going to last. I say that because there were several moments when I thought I knew what would happen next and that the movie would soon end. How wrong was I? I did not figure out the ending.

Did I mention the clever writing? For example, Mr. Fox's son's sarcasm matches his dad's wittiness and the conversations have the usual animal related puns which are cute.

Oh, and one of my favorite parts is how Mr. Fox says something like "I can't believe this (cuss)". That is my new thing to say: in place of profanity, just say 'cuss'. Ha. Mr. Fox says 'cuss' a lot.

Overall, I don't know if I would have liked this film in the theater, but I did like it. Now I want to see Coraline and some of the other films that were nominated for best animated film for this year's Academy Awards. Good stuff.

Short Films Galore

I discovered a Web site called Short Bay the other day. It's a Web site dedicated to film shorts. With my attention span, this is a good find.

I think the longest shorts that they host are ten minutes long.

Don't know how I came to check out "Surprise!", but I am recommending that you watch it as well. And let me know what you think of Short Bay.

MOVIE REVIEW: "The Hangover"

Movie Review: "The Hangover"

"The Hangover" is a boy movie. I think I only know of one other woman who's seen it. But make no mistake, this is a funny movie! And I do mean "laugh-out-loud" funny. Love that. There are, however, some gender specific antics. Be warned.

What makes it funny? Great chemistry among the four major characters and a really good story line. I think that you could predict the ending, but you certainly could not have guessed how they got to the end.

• Zach G is a show stealer. He seemed a bit obnoxious to start, but he held his own and had several organically funny moments.
• Bradley Cooper is super duper eye candy!
• I did not know Ed Helms' name before I began to write this blog post. I could only recall him as the guy from "The Office". He was a riot as Stu in "The Hangover". The mystery of the missing tooth was quite comical.

The three of these guys had the most screen time and it was fun to watch how they pieced together what they could not remember on their own.

Oh, and how could I forget Mike Tyson. His role was a good fit and even more laughter.

I'd like to pick out a funniest part in the film, but I don't want to give anything away to someone who has not seen the movie yet.

The one thing I will say is that there were several times when I thought they/the writers tried too hard for laughs and there's one scene in particular that was not funny, but it went too long anyway. The crude boy parts were annoying for me because it's so fourth grade and there were too many of those instances in the movie.

Nevertheless, I'm anxiously trying to figure out if I can squeeze this into my viewing schedule again before it leaves the theaters.

MOVIE REVIEW: "Milk"

MOVIE REVIEW: "Milk"

Like many, I'd heard about this movie last year when it was released and there was immediate Oscar buzz.

I like Sean Penn's work. But I did not know much about the story; except that Harvey Milk was dead and that he was an activist. Some would say, well, that's the story.

However, just seeing the little bit of Milk's life on the big screen was so compelling. I love seeing the possibilities and results when people are passionate about what they believe in.

I watched the Academy Awards when Penn collected his Best Actor Award for portraying Milk. Rah. Rah. Penn put in an incredible performance. He was sooo believable as a gay man. And in his acceptance speech to make mention of 'equal rights for everyone' was certainly admirable.

The entire cast of the film version of "Milk" did an exceptional job. I like Cleve and Scott and Anne. Just good stuff.

I thought that this movie was well written. It was a bit long, but it really did not drag in any one place; just a lot to say. Of course, I like the ending when there are updates about the real life people complete with images. Very nice.

I was so distraught about how Milk died. He just seemed to be on the cusp of really doing big things. It's just interesting to now know about this person, who I'd hardly ever heard of. And in my lifetime too. I'm glad that Harvey Milk's story finally got out to a broader audience. He deserves that and then some.

MOVIE REVIEW: "The Wrestler"

MOVIE REVIEW: "The Wrestler"

Got a chance to see this one one the day of the Oscars. I was really interested in Mickey Rourke. I had never seen a film w/Rourke in it. I know. Crazy. Some say I should see "9 1/2 Weeks". We'll just have to see about that.

But I think I have been drawn to Rourke's "fall-from-grace-and-now-I'm-back-but-more-humble" turn of events. I saw a profile piece on him on CBS Sunday Morning. There were all these clips of him as a young actor; a young and very handsome actor.

He is definitely a different looking guy. But life experiences sometimes have a way of showing up in a physical way, right?

So the movie "The Wrestler"... yeah, well, I was somewhat underwhelmed. Maybe there'd been too much pre-hype before I saw it. But I did like the trailer, so ... there's that.

I thought Rourke was Randy. He was that convincing in that role. I was a bit miffed at Marisa Tomei's character, Cassidy/Pam. Or was it what I thought was excessive nudity that miffed me? You know, I get like that w/nudity and sex. If it's central to the plot, I'm all for it, but the minute you take advantage of that, you lose me. I was not impressed w/the 'stripper, woe is me' role. And why was it in one of the strip club scenes, the other girls in the scene were somewhat covered, but Tomei's character is romping around w/nipples ablaze and exposed crotch? Whatever.

And oh, the crazy scene where is daughter blew up on him ... just a bit over the top, unnecessary.

There were some good moments. Randy was so charming when he was trying to woe Cassidy/Pam and his daughter.

The movie is worth seeing. It does have a good plot. So see it and let me know what you think.

MOVIE REVIEW: "Rabbit-Proof Fence"

MOVIE REVIEW: "Rabbit-Proof Fence"

I had no expectations for this movie. A friend recommended and said nothing further. Of course, in retrospect, this movie is so the type of movie that he would recommend.

First let me say that I really enjoyed the film. The child actors were wonderful. Having recently seen "Slumdog Millionaire" and those child actors, I really marvel at what they do on screen.

For a minute, I thought of the film as just telling a story, but to learn that the film is based on a book that is based on someone's real life is astounding. Even to read the credits at the end of the movie as to what happened to the real-life people left me with a slack mouth.

It's amazing how race is dealt with and has been dealt with - not just in the United States, but around the globe. In the case of "Rabbit-Proof Fence", the efforts to stamp out a race went way too far and for too long. Racial superiority can't go away fast enough for me.

I love the girls resiliency. Though in my opinion the film did not fully highlight their struggles in the wild. I had anticipated that they would encounter some wild animals - or is that just my ignorance?

This is an awesome film and only about 90 minutes. Check it out.

More "Rabbit-Proof Fence" resources:

• "Rabbit-Proof Fence" on IMDB
• Various reviews of "Rabbit-Proof Fence" via Rotten Tomatoes
• A clip from the film"The Unwanted Third Race"
  

MOVIE REVIEW: "Seven Pounds" (SPOILER ALERT)

MOVIE REVIEW: "Seven Pounds"

Well, I figure that this movie has been out for a couple of weeks and now I can express how I really feel about it.

I went to see "Seven Pounds" the day that it opened in theaters. I'd seen Will Smith, the star of the movie, on the talk show circuit - Oprah, David Letterman, Jay Leno - and I was smitten w/him. However, no one really talked about the movie and I became intrigued w/the mystery of not knowing what the movie was about. I did not even try to think about what they were not telling me.

Well, how about I did not like the ending (i.e. the mystery)! No way. This movie made it clear to me how I feel about suicide. Which is what Smith's character, Ben, decided to do w/his life at the end of the film all in the name of redemption. It was pretty obvious to me that he was doing a pretty good job of helping people while he was alive. I can understand some depression and the need to assist the woman who he began to fall in love with, but all the pre-mediated parts just made me ill. And w/a jellyfish ... !? Come on.

The movie was at least 30 minutes too long and it was sooooo slow that I did something that I rarely do, I checked my cell phone to see what time it was and to see if I had any text messages.

I did enjoy Rosario Dawson's character, Emily. She comes off as strong and personable. Though the plot that focuses on Woody Harrelson's character, Ezra, just came up short. Seems like it was mostly edited away.

I know that many, many people really enjoyed this movie and cried and came away w/a sense of purpose and so did I. I do have an appreciation for living and I don't take that for granted. I just think that the movie sends a negative message attached to the message of redemption. And I definitely don't think that teenagers should see the film because sometimes they feel guilt over the slightest things and they could wipe themselves out all in the name of "Seven Pounds".

Wow ... I'm glad I got that weight off my shoulders.

MOVIE REVIEW: "First Sunday"

MOVIE REVIEW: "First Sunday"

This review was originally written in May 2008. Forgive me for the tardiness, but here it is in all of its glory.

If you saw the trailers for this movie, then you probably turned the channel or avoided it like the plague.

Well, it is one of those movies that is good for dvd viewing. Which is exactly what I did. I selected it as one of my Netflix selections. I don't feel bad about it, especially now that I've seen it.

It was a really good movie. It was not buffoon-ish - as I predicted. It was not even bellying-aching funny. It was just a good, wholesome movie.

I enjoyed some of the touching moments - and there were several. Like one of the main characters, Durell (Ice Cube) and his relationship w/his son. Kat Williams is Kat Williams. Tracy Morgan's character provided some soft sides too.

This is a good movie to just sit back and enjoy it for what it is worth. It will take your mind off of your own person woes, if only for an hour or so.

So Long 2008 :: Happy New Year

A few weeks ago, I posted a list of the Best of 2008 which included links to various websites and blogs. The topics ranged from music, movies and books.

So I received a request from Lori Johnson over at Lori's Old School Mix asking me to list my personal best of 2008. Wow, what a challenge. I ingest such a wide range of media that I can barely recall what I consumed this past Monday. But I am certainly up for a challenge, right?

Needless to say, my list is short, but here goes:

Best book that I read:

• "Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini (surprisingly I did not review this one ... and I did not see the movie ... duh). The book was vividly written w/lots of mystery and excitement on nearly every page.
  

Best movie that I saw:

• "Waitress" (thanks to a recommendation from my sister; Andrienne Shelly is genius ... oh, and I did not write a review on this one either ... another duh). This one is funny, romantic and Andy Griffith is quite endearing. Love this movie.
  

Best Television Comedy - and remember that I don't have cable:

• "30 Rock" Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, the ensemble cast and the guests are hilarious on so many levels.
  

Best artists and cds - you are not surprised that it is all hip hop ... :

• Illa J :: "Yancey Boys"
• Roots Manuva :: "Slime & Reason"
• The Knux :: "Remind Me in 3 Days"
• The Roots :: "Rising Down"
• Black Milk :: "Tronic"
• The Mighty Underdogs :: "Droppin Science Fiction"

Best website:

• Alltop.com: I love this aggregator site w/lots of topics to choose from,
  

Best Social Media platform:

• Twitter ... I love twittering - using 140 characters to communicate and all of the Twitter tools.
  
• Utterli ... I like being able to post pics, video, text and audio all from my cell phone. This should come in handy when I attend the Inauguration in a few weeks.
  

So long to 2008 and a great big hug for 2009 (and a smooch too)! Happy New Year!

MOVIE REVIEW: "Slumdog Millionaire"

MOVIE REVIEW: "Slumdog Millionaire"

I've seen some good movies over the past few weeks, but I am just now getting around to writing about them.

First up is "Slumdog Millionaire". I've been hearing about this movie since at least October. Unfortunately, I don't live in or near a 'major' market. so I had to wait my turn to see it. I did catch it on its opening weekend in Cleveland. Saw it on the first showing on Bargain Monday @ the Cedar Lee. I think it was $5 and included a complimentary small popcorn. Nice.

I was anxious to see the movie because there was some acclaim swirling about ... the love story, the setting, the mystery. It was all of that. And a story that I have not quite seen on the big screen.

I mostly enjoyed this movie. The child actors were awesome. The dialogue and the plot were well written and executed. I would recommend that you see this one. I kinda figured out how it would end, but it was still intriguing to see how they'd get to the fore drawn conclusion.

Oh, and the one thing that really stood out for me was the music. I immediately noticed music from M.I.A. and I thought that I would jump out of my seat. The music was so rich in beats and drums and added energy to the action on the screen. The soundtrack was a wonderful treat for me.

The Best of 2008 Lists

I love lists. I know, you'd never know because I don't post many of them.

But it's that time of year when lists are being compiled. Lots of lists, covering a variety of topics. I thought I'd save you the hassle and create a one-stop-shop for some of The Best of 2008 Lists.

Books:

• From Amazon - The Best Books of 2008

Music:

• From Last.fm - The Best of 2008
• From Jason Toney - The Best Songs of 2008
• From NPR - Top 11 Debut Albums of 2008
• From Rolling Stone - Singles of the Year 2008
  

Music Videos:

• From Pitchfork - Top 40 Videos of 2008
  

Films:

• From Roger Ebert.com - The Best Films of 2008
  
• From the New York Post - The Best Films of 2008

Websites:

• From Time - 50 Best Websites 2008

Do you know of any 2008 lists? Pass the info along. I'd love to see what I am missing.

MOVIE REVIEW: "Soul Men"

MOVIE REVIEW: "Soul Men"

Do you ever go to a movie and then wonder "what made me go see that movie?" Well, that is not the case for me and "Soul Men". I know that I went to see Bernie Mac. I'm a big fan of his. However, I don't know if I would have gone to the theater to see this movie if he were alive. You've seen the movie trailers, you know what I mean. It just seems like one that might be best for viewing at home and at a lesser expense.

And it is what is seems - a shuck and jive flick. Unfortunately for me, I was a bit late and missed about 10 minutes of the beginning of the movie. I hate when that happens. However, this movie is predictable in so many ways, one being that they use the 'buddy movie' formula. Not a bad thing, but again predictable.

There were however a sizable amount of laughs. There are also some times when they are trying too hard and when there are just lulls in the movie. But back to the laughs. Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson work well together. Made me think why haven't they been in a movie together before this? They're a good fit. But Bernie could fit in in most places, in my opinion.

The storyline was okay. And despite it's predictability, the ending did have a WTH - what the heck? - moment. Kinda funny too. Of course I won't be a spoiler and tell you all of the details because I know that you will get a chance to see the movie in, what, six weeks or so, if that. Yes, the turnaround from theater to DVD has decreased substantially.

Oh, but one of the best parts of the movie is the credits. While the main credits are rolling, they play footage of Bernie Mac and some footage of Issac Hayes too. It's heart warming and not meant to be sad ... Just good memories. Thanks Malcolm Lee.

MOVIE REVIEW: "Burn After Reading" - WTF

MOVIE REVIEW: "Burn After Reading"

So I was coaxed into seeing The Coen Brothers "Burn After Reading" because so many of the critics said that it was incredibly awesome. Well, they did not use that language, but they made it seem as if I was really missing out on a really good flick amongst a sea of really bad ones.

I'm a sucker for laughter. I would spend lots of quarters on nothing but laughs. Well, in this case I spent 24 quarters and ... and well, I spent 24 quarters.

Overall, I did like the film. It was a bit complex at times though it's not really complex at all. How can I put this: It's a smart dumb movie. Their writing is really crafty and witty. And yeah, I fork over quarters for that too.

I was really anticipating seeing Brad Pitt in a comedic role. I must admit that I have not seen many Brad Pitt movies and I think the last one that I saw was the last one in the "Ocean's" series, what was that 13...? Anyway, again, more quarters for seeing a bumbling Pitt on screen. Not hilariously funny, but funny. Oh and George Clooney is good, but John Malkovich is my fav in this one.

This movies gets points for not being shy about dropping the 'f-bomb'. It became a crutch, a funny one at that.

The cast was cool. So much fun to watch and try to predict who would do what next. I would see this one again, only on video, more like 16 quarters.

MOVIE REVIEW: "The Family That Preys"

MOVIE REVIEW: "The Family That Prey's"

I saw a preview for Tyler Perry's "The Family That Prey's". It seemed, well, interesting. Interesting because I saw that Kathy Bates seemed to have a lead role. Whaaddd? And Alfre Woodard too? Nice get there Tyler.

My girlfriend, Josee, recommended that I see the movie on opening day. Good idea. So, yes, it was a week ago that I saw the movie and I am just now blogging about it. What are you gonna do about it? ;-)

Well, I liked the movie. I actually that I'd be more on the it was so-so kind of vibe. But it was bonafide likeable. For real. And let me tell you why:

• the scenes w/Kathy and Alfre are priceless; such a genuine friendship
• some real deal eye candy for the ladies.
  
• it was a believable storyline; not too contrived or dramatic
• Robin Givens character was refreshing; she usually plays a different type of gal
• Props for the cast (and you know that Tyler is in the movie...?)
  

What I did not like:

• Sanaa Lathan's depthless acting

I'm going to keep this short so that I don't give the story away, heck, I guess I have not given you much anyway, huh?

For All Doc Lovers

Check out the webbie SnagFilms.com where you can watch lots and lots of documentaries. Like "Super Size Me". Ha. The site is still in beta, but I hope to see it grow in the upcoming months. What I've learned - from an article in USA today - is that you can not submit your own doc(s). Don't know why, but that is how it is for now. Just sharing the love.

REVIEW: "Sex and the City - The Movie"

I must admit, when "Sex and the City" was a hot commodity, I hardly watched it. You can mostly blame that on me not having HBO. Sure, I'd watch a few episodes if the opportunity presented itself, but I did not get Carrie Bradshaw's fashion sense (still don't get it) and the show only appealed to me in terms of the relationships - which is huge for that show.

So the fact that I attend the first daytime showing on Friday - 11:30 a.m., says a lot.

I enjoyed the two and a half hour movie. There was enough twists and turns - enough to get me to cry twice. Though there did seem to be a lull in the movie and I guess you get that when you unnecessarily go beyond the two hour mark.

Was there gratuitous sex? Yes, but isn't that a part of the "Sex and the City" legacy? Speaking of legacy, all of the characters were true to their previous TV counterparts - both male and female. And for the record, I don't think that it is just a chick flick. Again, relationships is the focus throughout - friends and lovers.

You'll definitely want to know what happens to Carrie and Big? And how vampy Samantha gets ...

The Cleveland International Film Festival is Coming ...

There are some pretty good flicks nominated for Oscars this year. I can't say that I've seen any of them, but here are the ones that are on my list; I need to see these at some point:

"There Will Be Blood"
"No Cry for Old Men"
"Michael Clayton"

Meanwhile, the Cleveland International Film Festival is sneaking up on me. Two and a half weeks of big screen bliss. The schedule is already posted on their webbie. Though it does not seem as if tix are on sale just yet. I've been trying to comb through the sked and cross reference my daily sked to see how much I can fit in this year. Last year I did nothing - that was a first. Just could not sync up the skeds.