Arts & Delusions

35 SHOTS OF RUM

2010-05-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

This is a meditative and wonderful little movie exploring a father/daughter relationship that becomes complicated when the daughter starts seeing a young man. Directed gracefully by Claire Denis. It also uses The Commodores soulful "NightShift" in a very beautiful and haunting way.

THE MAGNIFICENT LENA HORNE (June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010)

2010-05-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Gone. But never ever forgotten. Lena, it is because of your uncompromising spirit that barriers in the movie industry have been broken down. You, screen goddess define icon. You define sophistication. An actress, a singer, a civil rights activist. Your legacy lives through me and through us all.

THE BLACKEST KIDS YOU KNOW

2010-05-03T20:54:00.001-07:00

The Boondocks is airing it's third and final season on the Adult Swim channel which premiered last Sunday. It's a rather premature end, for many of us Boondock fanatics who love the controversial animated social satire which deals with race in America unlike any show ever on television (maybe since The Richard Pryor Show which made NBC super nervous). Where the Family Guy, another very funny animated show exploring it's own scathing commentary on American stupidity, The Boondocks is by far it's college-educated older brother. The way in which The Boondocks handles issues of race, class, gender, and American ignorance with intelligence and gut-busting humor comes primarily from it's cast of characters: militant Huey, outrageous Riley, clueless Grandad, and self hating Negro Uncle Ruckus. The show is definitely hated by many of the people it has offended. The Boondocks never ever plays it safe. I am always in deep admiration of works of art that courageously vocalize the "unsayable." America's greatest contradiction is it's ability to be both exploitative and politically sensitive. Thank God the Boondocks just doesn't give a f***!

WHO GOT THE SOUL?

2010-05-03T18:44:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been in deep musical depression. It comes from any attempt to watch a music video or listen to the radio and what I hear is saddening and dismal. What happened to the SINGERS? You know those voices that were soul shattering, earth rattling... those vocalists who penetrated your soul? Those voices that allowed you to close your eyes and ride a cosmic wave. Ummm.. it's almost terrifying to realize that black music almost completely lost what made it so profound and powerful in the first place.

So with all that being said, I'd like to honor at least 25 of my favorite vocalists of all time. At least pay homage to those who used the music as an art form to express the existential beauty and pain of human emotion.

This ain't a list of the GREATEST. Just my favorites!! No real particular order...

1. OTIS REDDING: The amount of soul he infused into a song could send a rocket ship into space. In my opinion, the greatest soul singer to ever touch a mic. If you don't believe me listen to "Try A Little Tenderness"

2. MARVIN GAYE: His voice is the closest thing to paradise without actually going to an island of white sands and crystal blue waters. He is true soul seducer. His voice could literally reach out to you and remove your clothes layer by layer. Don't even get me started when I hear him sing "Distant Lover" or "Just to Keep You Satisfied." True sanctified soul.

3. SAM COOKE: He had the perfect marriage of gospel and R&B. He was a soul stylist. He gave this beautiful vocal instrument a sophistication that has never been matched.

4. TEDDY PENDERGRASS: His raw, powerful voice is probably the reason I am even on this earth. For that alone, I thank him. He sang with such aching, raging passion. He was undeniably a true soul stirrer and completely underrated.

5. CHAKA KHAN: The woman's vocals are effortlessly amazing. I can listen to her sing the phone book. There's this beautiful wildness to her style. She sings with such abandon. Whether it's with Rufus on a song like "Do You Love What You Feel" or something tender like "Love Me Still"...her voice takes you through the fire.

6. GLADYS KNIGHT: Her voice may be the closest you can get to Heaven without actually dying. Seriously! Listen to her version of the "Makings of You." She's just got phenomenal, untouchable soul.

7. ARETHA FRANKLIN: The Queen she Be! She can be sultry and sexy and then raw and gritty. She is a powerhouse vocalist with an unbelievable ability to really get inside the barriers of the human soul.

8. PATTI LABELLE: When I hear Patti sing "You Are My Friend" instantly tears come to my eyes. She has that kind of vocal ability. Her voice soars like a rocketship.

9. NINA SIMONE: She has one of the most distinct voices in music. Her voice is deep and as infinite as you would imagine the ocean to me. And just as haunting.

10. PRINCE: The man has range! The Royal Purple One has such a unique and beautiful way of conveying emotions: whether it's erotic or godly-he knows how to straddle that fine line and sing with passion and fearlessness.

11. DONNY HATHAWAY: His voice provoked such deep emotion that it could bring a tear to the hardest thug's eye. He sings with such conviction and such divine tenderness. His voice is holy in every sense of the world--a force of supernatural magnificence and if you listen to "A Song for You" or "Superwoman" you'll see what I mean.

12. STEVIE WONDER: Oooh his distinct voice can truly knock you off your feet! Similar Hathaway in his very emotive vocals. He has such effortless angelic texture to his voice whether it's a social commentary like "Living for the City" or a romantic ode like "Overjoyed". Stevie simply transcends.

13. AL GREEN: He has the aching tenderness in his smooth, gritty vocal. He brings that fish-fry in mid-July soul. He's a super bad brotha with gospel-delic fervor and silky sexy seduction all at the same time.

14. TEENA MARIE: If you could hear the angels sing, then they'd all sound as luminous and ethereal as her. Wow. Whenever I listen to a song by her, I feel all warm inside. Her voice is so magical and pure.

15. MINNIE RIPERTON: Speaking of pure and magical, her pitch-perfect range is one of the most beautiful sounds on the planet. My favorite song by her is "Memory Lane" -- the way she just oozed cosmic soul.

16. CURTIS MAYFIELD: Talk about Soul Brotha Number 1. He was a true soul stirrer. His soft, satin vocal could melt an iceberg.

17. LUTHER VANDROSS: What can you say about the most sophisticated soul man there is? Just take one listen to "A House Is Not A Home" and be forever transformed.

18. ETTA JAMES: Now no one sings with this kind of hard, gut-bucket blues anymore. She must be made of fire, 'cause this soul mama has got a hell of a voice! That may sound corny but listen to "I'd Rather Go Blind" and tell me I'm wrong. I dare you.

19. MICHAEL JACKSON: Don't let his moonwalk fool you, Michael could sing. He had such a unique voice. And during his prime, it was one of the most beautiful voices ever. "Lady of My Life" is a true testament to the mastery of his vocals.

20. JILL SCOTT: One of the few contemporaries who truly is carrying the legacy of soul in every vocal demonstration. She reminds me of a great jazz singer with her vocal stylings. Jilly from Philly is no F'ing joke, believe that. She can throw down in the soul kitchen.

21. RICK JAMES: Yes he's a super freak but he had an operatic powerhouse vocal that could shatter glass... when I first heard "Fire and Desire" I stopped dead in my tracks and have yet to recover.

22. MAXWELL: Another contemporary who understands the art of crooning. He is sexy as Prince, smooth as Al, and has tender as Donny--what a hell of a package!

23. DARYL HALL: One of the kings of 80's pop, no doubt but when you hear a song like "Sara Smile" you know this man understands how to give good soul.

24. SMOKEY ROBINSON: "ooooh baby, baby" is all he gotta say... and I'll cruise with him, anywhere!

25. ANITA BAKER: The very definition of quiet storm. Her voice is a soulful tornado of mystifying midnight.

THE GENIUS OF PAUL MOONEY

2010-03-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

Everyone who knows me knows that Paul Mooney is my favorite comedian of all time. And if anyone knows anything about Richard Pryor, you'd know that Paul Mooney was Richard's best friend, writer, and designated driver. Paul Mooney is also a legendary comedian who broke down doors for black comic writers when those words had never been used in a sentence: "black comic writer"... yeah, he was there from the beginning, paving the way and being brutally honest about race in America. The reason so many don't know Mr. Mooney has a lot to do with why I love him so. He would never compromise his integrity to be more famous. He is a comedian who doesn't sugar-coat and saturate so that mainstream (white) audiences can laugh comfortably. Mooney makes it plain! He is hysterically funny and incredibly brilliant, one of the smartest and definitely one of the most respected comedians of all time. The great comedians all acknowledge him as one of the greatest.

A fascinating interview was posted on popmatters.com and it made me want to acknowledge the brilliant Mr. Mooney on my page as well.

Paul Mooney's also written a tell-all memoir called "Black is the New White" about his complex, loyal friendship with Richard Pryor, Hollywood, and life. It's a very entertaining read and a sharp observation of the industry as a whole. And there are definitely a few surprising revelations.

He has a new upcoming stand up special on Showtime called "It's the End of the World" and it's a not to be missed event. Definitely check your local listing.

And if you remember Homey D. Clown from "In Living Color": Paul Mooney created that. Yeah, peoples, he's just that good.

The Greatest Story NEVER Told...Until Now: "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"

2010-02-22T19:48:00.000-08:00

Thank God for the fierce curiosity of Rebecca Skloot. I would have never heard this story if it wasn't for her brave and fascinating scientific journalism. This is a history no one outside of the science community knows and a history everyone on earth should know.

Amazon.com gives a brief and descriptive passage about the contents of the book: "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a fascinating and moving story of medicine and family, of how life is sustained in laboratories and in memory. Henrietta Lacks was a mother of five in Baltimore, a poor African American migrant from the tobacco farms of Virginia, who died from a cruelly aggressive cancer at the age of 30 in 1951. A sample of her cancerous tissue, taken without her knowledge or consent, as was the custom then, turned out to provide one of the holy grails of mid-century biology: human cells that could survive--even thrive--in the lab. Known as HeLa cells, their stunning potency gave scientists a building block for countless breakthroughs, beginning with the cure for polio. Meanwhile, Henrietta's family continued to live in poverty and frequently poor health, and their discovery decades later of her unknowing contribution--and her cells' strange survival--left them full of pride, anger, and suspicion. For a decade, Skloot doggedly but compassionately gathered the threads of these stories, slowly gaining the trust of the family while helping them learn the truth about Henrietta, and with their aid she tells a rich and haunting story that asks the questions, Who owns our bodies? And who carries our memories? "--Tom Nissley

Buy this book! Henrietta Lacks deserves you know her story because her life has probably saved yours.

Richard Pryor Biopic starring Marlon Wayans?

2010-02-21T14:05:00.000-08:00

Yes. You heard it right. Looks like Marlon Wayans will be starring as Richard Pryor in the Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) directed biopic about the genius comedian's life. For some reason, I have very few qualms about this and that's only because comedians have truly impressed me as dramatic actors. Mo-Nique in "Precious," Jamie Foxx in "Ray," Robin Williams in "Good Will Hunting" among other roles, Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls" just to name a few. I so rarely watched the Wayans brothers movies and am usually humiliated that movies like "White Chicks" and "Dance Flick" even exist. But I do know that Marlon Wayans had an impressive, critically hailed dramatic performance in 1999's "Requiem for a Dream."

Truthfully, I am just happy that someone is attempting to make a strong, worthy biopic of Pryor's life. I did not enjoy "JoJo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling" as much as some people. I find Richard Pryor to be one of the most fascinating entertainers to have ever lived and I really hope that his biopic lives up to the triumph that he so richly deserves.

Marlon you got your work cut out for you. Don't let us down.

WARRIOR GODDESS: SADE'S "SOLDIER OF LOVE"

2010-02-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

Ten years...
And the Queen of Soulful Mystique is back and she's better than ever. Sade is one of the few musicians who is truly an artist. An artist who can make six albums in 25 years of recording and still be considered the biggest selling artist in Europe! Sade has that kind of power. Her music is so soulful, so naked, so beautiful and ethereal it takes on immense universal appeal and she totally captivates everyone. I've been anticipating this album for months once I heard of her return. I've always been an enormous fan of her music since the 80's when she released "Smooth Operator." I've always found her music to be sensuous and soul-stirring.

On her new album, Sade does not disappoint. This is a true Sade album. The title song "Soldier of Love" defines the conceptual atmosphere of the entire album. Her songs of heartache, heartbreak, love and longing continue to endure long after a song has ended. Whether it be the mighty "Soldier of Love" or darkly beautiful "Moon and the Sky," Sade brings such metaphysical beauty to each track.

At 51, she is a woman of timelessness. Her longevity endures. She is one of the most unique, inspired, and original artists of our time. Growing up, her music was often played during the "Quiet Storm" hour of black radio. And that's the best way to describe her. She is a quiet storm ...set to sound.

The Power and Problem of "Precious"

2010-02-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

It started early in 2009. The buzz began. A little, independent gritty "urban" drama called "Precious: Based On the Novel Push By Sapphire" was a surprise, sensational hit with film festivals across the board and the searing performance by comedian Mo'Nique in a brutal role was all anyone could talk about. Suddenly this little drama was making massive waves.

I initially was quite nervous when I heard that Sapphire's painfully brilliant novel was being adapted. I couldn't imagine seeing a film that illuminated the daily horrors of the life of an illiterate, obese Harlem teen. I kept wondering what in the world was to come of this film and who in the world would even be apart of it. It just sounded so far-fetched. I also kept thinking about the images that film would portray and how mass audiences--black and white--would handle such dark subject matter. Now I'm not one of those people who believe that positive images are the only images of blacks we should see. I feel that's very unrealistic. As an artist, I am about illustrating the range of black people. It's not about positive and negative--it's about TRUTHFUL images and displays. It's also about BALANCE. Something so rarely achieved when only three or four black movies come out a year--mostly comedies.

Since the movie hit theatres, audiences have either had a love or hate relationship with it. Or some have had very mixed feelings. While I think the film was passionately directed by Lee Daniels and was a strong movie held together by extraordinary performances, I also feel the movie was very problematic. And not necessarily just problems within the movie in itself--but the fact that mass audiences are so ready to receive such a film. A friend of mine's concern was the only time the "masses" want to see us and honor us is when we're playing into their stereotypes. There's such a fine line.

What I did like about this movie was that we had a protagonist we have never had. Someone who is invisible in this society, someone who's voice desperately deserves to be heard. Gabourey Sidibe was amazing as Precious. She brought such heart and depth to the role, scoring her a well-deserved Oscar Nomination.

Mo'Nique's performance as Precious's terrifying mother was brilliant. She ripped through the scenes and horrified me. I actually had a very difficult time watching her on screen. The hype was true. She has had perhaps the best film performance of 2009. I just kept thinking those who know little of our urban realities outside of what they see on screen--how will they view this black mother? Will they assume this is how all black mothers are in the 'hood? And it's not far-fetched to wonder. When The Color Purple came out, my mother was asked by her white friend if all black women in the south endured that sort of wrath that Danny Glover brought to Whoopi Goldberg. IMAGES ARE POWERFUL, y'all.

I also felt Paula Patton's soulful performance as Precious's teacher who encourages her voice was beautiful and understated. Patton truly impressed. There is a scene in particular with her--that just stays with me. Rounding out the great performances was Mariah Carey as the social worker and Lenny Kravitz as the male nurse.

If there were fifty black films coming out a year and not just five, there would be less controversy. We'd hopefully have a more well-rounded perspective of the vastness of the black experience. But when there are so few movies, we have to pay attention. We have to take a closer look. We have to wonder and analyze because that's the only way to truly understand where we are at as an industry and a society.

I love that it is a movie about survival. The fact that one can survive the most horrifying odds and still have a voice and reclaim their humanness. I commend Lee Daniels for creating such a dynamic movie, despite it's flaws. I love that the movie inspires deep, endless debate. We should be talking about this film. It's important that we're talking about this film.

But there are very heated issues that continue to come up: do the stereotypes outweigh the inspiration? the issues of colorism... I mean, everyone who helps Precious is light-skinned and everyone who brutalizes her is dark-skinned... an issue that, for me, is the biggest flaw, and of course the lack of a strong black male figure--other an Lenny Kravitz whose presence was all over ten minutes of the film. There are more debate-worthy issues of this film but those are just a few that come to mind.

Yes, there are Preciouses out there and they deserve their voices heard and their stories told and yes, also, there is definitely cause for concern when the only movie about us the mainstream is "excited" about is one where the most horrifying issues within the black community are illuminated on screen.

The Prolific Oscar Micheaux (January 2, 1884 –March 25, 1951)

2010-02-03T05:42:00.000-08:00

I believe that I make Black History everyday. I don't need a month. But some people do need this month to recognize, celebrate, honor, and remember great African Americans and their extraordinary accomplishments.

I felt it necessary to celebrate an African American who gets almost no recognition because people have no idea who he is. Oscar Micheaux was the first Black American to ever produce a full length film in 1919! He also formed his own independent movie company. He wrote, directed, and produced the silent movie "The Homesteader." Given the times, his accomplishments in publishing and film are remarkable, including being the first African American to produce a film to be shown in "white" movie theaters.

His movies didn't portray blacks in stereotypical roles, another reason why he probably isn't as acclaimed as he could be. He was a filmmaker who challenged the status quo. His film "Within Our Gates" unapologetically attacked the racism in D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation"

The Producers Guild of America called him "The most prolific black - if not most prolific independent - filmmaker in American cinema." During his amazing film career, Oscar Micheaux wrote, produced and directed forty-four feature-length films between 1919 and 1948 and wrote seven novels, one of which was a national bestseller!

Please check out this extraordinary biography: "Oscar Micheaux: The Great and Only: The Life of America's First Black Filmmaker" by Patrick McGilligan

His Filmography:

The Homesteader (1919)
Within Our Gates (1919)
Symbol of the Unconquered (1920)
The Brute (1920)
Son of Satan (1922)
The Dungeon (1922)
The Gunsaulus Mystery (1922)
The Virgin of the Seminole (1922)
Deceit (1923)
Jasper Landry's Will (1923)
Body and Soul (1924)
The Spider's Web (1926)
The Millionaire (1927)
When Men Betray (1928)
Thirty Years Later (1928)
Wages of Sin (1929 film) (1929)
Darktown Revue (1930)
A Daughter of the Congo (1930)
Easy Street (1930)
The Exile (1931)

Black Magic (1932)
Ten Minutes to Live (1932)
Veiled Aristocrats (1932)
Ten Minutes to Kill (1933)
The Girl From Chicago (1933)
Harlem After Midnight (1934)
Lem Hawkins' Confession (1935) also released as Murder in Harlem
Temptation (1936)
Underworld (1936)

God's Step Children (1938)
Swing (1938)
Birthright (1939)
Lying Lips (1939)
The Notorious Elinor Lee (1940)
The Betrayal (1948)

Burn Hollywood Burn: No Worthy Black Actresses?

2010-02-02T05:25:00.000-08:00

Shadow And Act just posted an article on the sad state of affairs on the cover of Vanity Fair's cover story of the top actresses under 30. If you look at the lily-white cover, it's obvious who is missing! But is this news to us, really? I mean, those of us people of color who create movies and love movies are well aware of the lack--I mean void of black actors on screen. This article only illuminates a much larger problem. There are only about three or four black films released a year--and two of those will be Tyler Perry films. We'll get one Will Smith film or Denzel film a year as well--because apparently those are the only black actors who have achieved mainstream success. Basically, we are virtually invisible still in Hollywood. Every once in a while, there will be a groundbreaking performance like this year, Mo'nique in "Precious" and Hollywood will be so caught up in that performance, hyping it constantly that we forget that it's one black actor, in one movie and all the other 98 percent of the movies critically acclaimed are white.

Blacks have definitely made strides in Hollywood from the Step-N-Fechit days. But we still have so much further to go. There are still very few black films that have been released that capture the vast, multi-dimensional truth of the Black Experience. We have so many stories to tell. To me, it's not even about becoming valued in Hollywood's eyes. I champion independent cinema because that's an opportunity to tell our stories our way and Hollywood can either get behind these films or not--regardless these films speak for themselves. Let's face it, "Precious" would have never been made unless Lee Daniels did it independently.

Black writer/director Tanya Hamilton is releasing the Black Panther film, "Night Catches Us" this year--another independent film. So please support it! (below is an image from the film starring Anthony Mackie and Kerry Washington, two enormously talented black actors)

So Vanity Fair be damned. I honor Gabourey Sidibe on this blog. Who so rightly deserved to make your cover but did not. And let's be real, we all know why. Oscar-nominated Gabourey Sidibe, 26, gave a brave and deeply moving performance as Precious in "Precious: Based On the Book Push By Sapphire." Without her performance, the movie may have been impossible to watch. Gabourey brought a light to the movie's horrifying subject matter. Despite how many people loved or hated this movie, almost everyone I've spoken to agrees Gabby's performance was strong and noteworthy.

In an upcoming blog post, I will be listing my twenty favorite performances by black actresses and actors.

Stay tuned, y'all.

They Tried to Make Me Go to Rehab: Weeds Season 5 DVD

2010-02-01T15:37:00.000-08:00

Since I don't have Showtime or HBO, it takes me awhile to catch up on all my favorite shows. "Weeds" being one of them. "Weeds" is Showtime's daring little dark comedy series about a widowed mother of two sons who decides to become a pot dealer after the sudden death of her husband. During the first two dynamic seasons of the show--I was hooked, addicted you could even say. I felt the show so brilliantly balanced dark humor and the inner working emotional relationships between the family. Mary Louise Parker was perfectly cast as mother hen Nancy Botwin and I totally loved the ballsiness of her character trying to earn her place in the drug world. The beauty of the show was that as Nancy became more involved in the world of drugs and crime, the show became darker--illuminating the tangled, corrupt, and merciless messiness that such a life can bring--how it affects and infects a family--especially the lives of her sons. By season 3, I felt the show was starting to lose footing and focus. Season 4 was exciting because it took Nancy and her clan into a whole 'nother direction. Giving the show added dimension. But when season 5 arrived by way of Netflix my excitement started to wane. Yes, the show is still quite entertaining and the characters quite brutally funny--but I feel the writers are uncertain of where the show is going and who exactly Nancy is becoming. The season ended on a jaw-dropping note, as it does every season but I wasn't compelled. I wasn't all that excited either for the next season. Sadly, my addiction seems to be wearing off.

Soul Brother Number One: In Memory of Teddy Pendergrass

2010-02-01T12:55:00.001-08:00

There are many male voices of soul music. Sam Cooke. Marvin Gaye. Otis Redding. Donny Hathaway. Al Green. All legends in their own right. Many earning and being honored for their brilliant efforts. Teddy Pendergrass usually falls under the radar. Many true soul music fans know of his raw, powerhouse vocals and sexy ballads of love, longing, and romance but in my opinion, he has failed to receive the recognition he so deeply deserves.

As frontman of the 70's soul band Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes, Teddy took soul to new heights with classics like "I Miss You" and "If You Don't Know Me By Now." The earth-moving vocal power made him so dynamic and so loved in the R&B and soul community. As a solo artist, Teddy made an endless array of hits often still played on popular classic black radio stations. Grooves like "Turn off the Lights", "Close the Door" and "Love TKO" are staples in the black music world.

In the early 80's when Teddy was paralyzed in a car crash, his music career slowly began to fade away although he continued to release music for a period of time. True music lovers have never forgotten him. My parents are huge fans and I've been reminded that his music may be the reason for my existence (lol).

Hearing of Teddy's passing a few weeks ago after a battle with colon cancer left me deeply saddened. I know his glimmering legacy of gritty soul will live on through his music but who will carry on his legacy? As we lose our legends, we await signs from torch-bearers, revolutionaries, and innovators to continue in the tradition and add new dimension to it...but the last time I turned on the radio, there was nothing even close to Teddy's alchemic Philly soul stirring.

Teddy, we will miss you.

Devilishly Brilliant: The Mastery of Me'Shell

2010-02-01T11:53:00.000-08:00

It's blasphemous that as a music junkie who prides herself on knowing when her favorite underrated artists release new music that I had no idea that Me'Shell N'degeocello has released her masterful "Devil's Halo" in October! What??? In this current lackluster music industry, it's easy to lose sight of the few extraordinary, groundbreaking, and brilliant artists that we still have.

Me'shell. The average music listener has no idea who this fierce original musician is. Even if she briefly attained MTV attention in the 90's with the smash hit "If That's Your Boyfriend..." The average music listener has no idea of the near-perfect collection of albums Me'shell has released in the past decade.

Me'shell is perhaps the closest artist to Prince--in terms of originality and musicianship. She defines genre and conceptualizes songs about everything from religion, gender, sexual, and social politics--and don't forget about love and heartbreak. On her most profound album "Bitter" she creates a melancholy masterpiece about heartbreak unlike anything I've ever heard. If you're going to buy one Me'shell, that's one I most highly recommend.

Now Me'shell has released "Devil's Halo," -- an achingly beautiful and wholly understated album, textured, dimensional, filled with soulful yearning, and blasting all genres into oblivion---an album colliding into the perfect storm of beauty and brilliance.

Damn y'all. She did it again.

The Evolution of the Grammys?

2010-02-01T10:16:00.000-08:00

Apologies for my disappearance for the past eight months! But, you know, life gets in the way.

What better way to return than with something to actually say. The Grammys this year truly reflected the sagging state of popular music. I'm not saying the show was bad, it was actually this year semi- entertaining--with a major upset win for Taylor Swift in the prestigious Album of the Year category--but the show was simply a tool for appealing to kids. It felt like a dressed-up VMA awards. There were excessive performances and very little award-handing-out.

But some of the performances were impressive and exciting. The moment that stayed with me most was P!nk's beautiful and moving performance of "Glitter In the Air." She was show-stopping in a very poetic way. It was quite enthralling. She totally elevated the show from that point on.

I also enjoyed Lady Gaga's opening with Elton John. How much fun was that? Lady Gaga never ceases to amaze me and she's endlessly creative and exciting to watch. Beyonce's performance seemed to begin as a typical Beyonce performance, i.e. sassy stance and hair blowing from the invisible fans--but when her impassioned "If I Was a Boy" paid homage to Alanis Morisette's killer "You Oughta Know"-- I was captivated. Actually, I was hoping Alanis would make an appearance.

Michael Jackson's moving tribute featuring Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Smokey Robinson, Celine Dion, and Carried Underwood was also soul-stirring. Reminding us of a music legend and an era that was definitely gone too soon.

There was also Maxwell and Roberta Flack with a charming performance. Drake, Eminem, and Lil Wayne moved the crowd with their hypnotic, crowd-pleasing, majorly edited performance (I literally thought my TV lost sound for thirty seconds). And who can forget the upsets? Taylor Swift appeared just as surprised as the audience winning the night's top award Album of Year. And although Taylor is sweet, I sometimes wonder how much "the Kanye West effect" has had on her career. Maybe that's a different post all together.

So goodbye to the six hour award show--which actually gave out awards!--and say hello, to revamped, MTV ready glitz fest which only lasted 3 and half hours--thankfully. At the end of the show, I truly felt a void, something was missing. Something was totally absent. Perhaps despite a few nice little moments, nothing actually quite came to together to make the night truly magical. An evolution? I don't think so.

Long Live the King (of Pop): Michael Jackson Gone at 50

2009-06-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

It’s obvious I haven’t posted in forever and very infrequently at that. But with the devastating news of the sudden death of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop and the World’s greatest entertainer, it is my duty to say something about the void that has now been left in entertainment.

As a child born in 1980 and anyone born before or around that time, we were able to witness what it truly meant to be a star. Michael Jackson was the biggest star the world had ever seen. No one comes close to the kind of gigantic status and success of this man. My parents had known him as Michael Jackson, talented frontman for the Jackson Five but by the time I was listening to him as a kid, his celebrity was beyond immense. And it was all due to a “little” album called, Thriller, that is considered the biggest selling album of all time. I consider it, and many would agree, the Bible of Pop. If you don’t know pop music or are planning to become a pop star, then Thriller is the sacred musical text you must analyze. Even listening to Thriller now almost sounds futuristic. The music was so incredible and Michael was simply a genius at making a dance record so infectious. He was also the first black artist to be played on MTV. He was barrier breaking. Long before Oprah, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, and President Obama, Michael Jackson had a massive universal appeal amongst blacks and whites. When you think of the term "racial transcendence" Michael is the name that comes to mind.

My favorite album by him, which is one of my favorite albums of all time, is the one right before Thriller, called Off the Wall. Off the Wall is a physics-defying soulful masterpiece of pop, soul, and disco. It’s boundless in its utter, spellbinding genius. I can play that album endlessly and never tire.

As I said on my Facebook status, learning of Michael’s death, I feel I’ve lost a part of my childhood. During the 80’s, Michael’s star status had been cemented and there wasn’t a person in the world who didn’t know this man or his music. We were all awed by his gravity-defying dance moves. He looked almost supernatural doing the moonwalk or those spins and turns. Despite all the turmoil and allegations that he’s faced throughout recent years, Michael was still untouchable. We can’t even begin understand what it must been like to have the unattainable heights of celebrity this man had and what it did to him. No matter all the craziness, the strangeness, the rumors, scandals, and mythology, Michael Jackson is a musical legend; the most gifted entertainer this world has ever seen. Just glad I was here to see it.

Do the Right Thing: The Sound and the Fury--20 Years Later.

2009-05-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, it has been 20 years. Twenty years since one of cinema’s most powerful films debuted on the screen. “Do the Right Thing” is arguably Spike Lee’s greatest film. Nothing like it existed before it came out and there hasn’t been anything like it since. It’s the reason I even wanted to tell my stories through film. When the film was released I was too young to see it. When I finally did see it, in middle school, I was still perhaps too young but I was shaken by its power. I’ve watched it several times since, hypnotized by it’s dynamic brilliance of passionate visual storytelling. This defined Spike Lee as more than just a filmmaker. He is an artist.

“Do the Right Thing” is a revolutionary achievement. A fiery social protest film evoking the rhythms of hip hop’s intensity and it’s early sociopolitical investment in the urban community. It is an urgent, furious love letter to the issues of racism, classism, and the trials, tribulations, and celebrations of everyday urban life. It was shot like a brilliant kaleidoscope of colors swirling into one glaring force of radiance. Filled with a strong cast of characters who are mesmerizing social archetypes to convey Lee’s message. The booming rhythm of the movie is illuminated through the endless power of Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.” It is one of the greatest hip hop songs ever recorded during a time when hip hop was used as an intelligent weapon to fight urban oppression. This movie is its companion piece.

We watch the day-to-day interconnected lives of pizza delivery guy Mookie, his boss Sal and Sal’s two sons Vinnie and Pino, the neighborhood kids, the wanna-be activist Buggin’ Out, the elders Mother Sister and Da Mayor, and soul brother number one, Radio Raheem, along with a host of various other characters. As the humidity progresses on this hot summer day, so do the tempers of the neighborhood people, soon the deep tensions start surfacing and it explodes into a volcanic fury of brutality and rage. It was and still is a highly controversial film and a metaphor for America’s race relations.

What I find so amazing about the film is Spike’s fearless vision, the film’s unapologetic nature, and the strong, unflinching images it highlights. It’s one of the most groundbreaking and influential movies ever made. It’s stylistically amazing and its bold, unwavering perspective is just as radical as it is refreshing. It’s like a sucker punch in your face—the one you won’t forget—because it's the one you needed to learn from.

Michelle Williams in "Wendy and Lucy"

2009-05-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

In March, I posted a blog called “Star Worship: Brilliant Women Performances In Movies.” After watching the DVD of the film “Wendy and Lucy” this weekend, I may be adding the performance of Michelle Williams to that list. In this tiny, sparse film about the forgotten wanderers, desperate and longing for a sense of home, Michelle Williams gives a heart-wrenching performance as Wendy. Wendy is a drifter stuck in Oregon on her way to Alaska to find work. Her sole companion is her dog Lucy. Wendy and Lucy encounter obstacle after obstacle and when Lucy disappears, it’s Michelle’s devastating performance as Wendy that illuminates a girl who’s lost everything. Her quiet, maddening desperation to find Lucy is heart-stopping. I literally wanted to break down and cry while watching this film. There are few young actresses with Michelle’s brilliance as an actress. She plays Wendy with so much heart and depth; her eyes expressing an eternal aching sadness. It doesn’t matter that we know nothing of Wendy’s back-story—who she is and how she ended up the way she did—it doesn’t matter. Michelle gives Wendy everything we need: a young woman--damaged, breaking yet somehow not yet broken.

Women Make Moves and Movies...

2009-04-29T12:13:00.001-07:00

Many people in the film industry or those who follow the film industry are quite aware of the lack of women behind the scenes--as writers, directors, and producers. As many amazing stories as there are to tell it's so unfortunate that so few women artists are given an outlet to speak their stories into cinematic existence. Without that terrible "chick flick" label as if all stories about women's lives--whether romantic or not--fall into one trite category. There are many independent women filmmakers out there--you may not know of them. But they exist. They have voices and they seek to make all types of movies about a variety of complex subject matter.

At this year's Tribeca Film Festival, the film "Entre Nos" premiered. The film stars the extraordinarily talented Paola Mendoza (pictured below) who also co-wrote and directed the film along with filmmaker Gloria LaMorte. From the articles I've read, the film is inspired by Paola Mendoza's mother's journey from Columbia to New York as a mother who wants a better life for her children. The film is about finding courage against enormous odds to create one's own place in the world.

I am tremendously excited about the presence of this film and will definitely be supporting it when it hits theaters. To have women--especially women of color--making independent films with such important voices is vital and celebratory.

I wish Paola Mendoza and Gloria LaMorte much success with this film and their future projects.

"A woman with a camera--now that's a political situation" - Unknown

The End of the World As We Know It

2009-04-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's the end of the world (as we know it). This may sound like an extreme overstatement in regards to my hearing of the news that Virgin Records in Union Square was closing down--like the one in Times Square did a few months before. Like Tower Records did, a couple years before that--and so on. This pattern of loss in record stores is definitely signaling the end of an era (Sam Goody, anyone?). No one is buying music, they download. No one is buying DVDs, they Netflix. And while I feel the i-pod is probably the greatest musical invention since the...drum, I am still sadden by the disappearance of record stores.

There's nothing like browsing a good record store--seeing album covers, posters, running into music lovers and having philosophical discourses on the love or hate for a particular band or album. Even if I wasn't necessarily partaking in the conversation, just hearing those conversations being had always warmed my heart.

With every loss as we know, there is rebirth. There will be other avenues and channels that bring music lovers together. Most likely on the Internet, satellite radio, social networking sites, or some other new innovation. Record stores will soon be remembered as ancient artifacts, relics frozen in time. I'll always remember what it felt like, sounded like, smelled like to wander the aisles with excitement and glee on Tuesdays when all the newest music was released. Or browsing endlessly through CDs in search of a new discovery. And despite the slick, new advances in technology and all the wonders that accompany it--truth is, some moments just can't be downloaded.

A Visionary: Remembering "Left Eye"

2009-04-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

It’s unbelievable that 7 years ago yesterday, April 25, 2002, TLC member Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes died in a tragic car crash while on a spiritual retreat in Honduras. I was devastated by the news of Left Eye’s death like so many fans around the world. TLC was one of the biggest, most successful R&B girl groups of all time. Their original look and sound inspired an entire generation of female empowerment. Ranked by Billboard as one of the greatest trios of all time and the most successful girl group of all time selling over 22 million albums world-wide. I will never forget when TLC burst on the scene in 1992 with their playful anthem “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg.” I was in middle school and all my friends wanted to be a member of TLC. We listened to their music, did all their choreographed moves at the school dances and knew the lyrics to their songs better than any of the answers to our math tests.

Members T-Boz, Chili, and Left-Eye each represented and symbolized the ultra-feminine personality. T-Boz was the Cool One, Chili was the Sexy One and Left Eye was the Crazy One. She was the rapper of the group and her raps were always poetic and energized with her spunky-edged flavor. There were many significant R&B girl groups of the 1990’s such as SWV, Xscape, and Brownstone. But TLC were trailblazers because of their uniqueness. Their songs weren’t just about love. They dealt with phony friends “What About Your Friends?,” social issues, “Waterfalls” which captivated all of radio and MTV for an entire year, and emotional insecurity “Unpretty.”

As the music industry continues to decline for a variety of reasons, one main reason is the lack of great music out there. So as I remember the beautiful and talented Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez and listen to TLC songs tonight, I will pray some young musician/s somewhere will carry on the tradition of making timeless music that’s not only fun and danceable but has some real heart.

Excerpt from the song “WaterFalls”:

Left-Eye: “I seen a rainbow yesterday
But too many storms have come and gone
Leavin a trace of not one God given ray
You say because my life is ten shades of grey
I prey all ten fade away
Seldom praise him for the sunny day
And like his promise is true
Only my faith can undo
The many chances I blew
To bring my life to anew
Clear blue and unconditional skies
Have dried the tears from my eyes
No more lonely cries
My only bleedin hope
Is for the folk who cant cope
Wit such an endurin pain
That it keeps em in the pourin rain
Whos to blame
For tootin caine in your own vein
What a shame
You shoot and aim for someone elses brain
You claim the insane
And name this day and time
For fallin prey to crime
I say the system got you victim to your own mind
Dreams are hopeless aspirations
In hopes of comin true
Believe in yourself
The rest is up to me and you”

"Thank You For Being A Friend…”: Award-Winning Actress Bea Arthur Dead at 86

2009-04-26T07:06:00.000-07:00

Emmy-winning and Tony-winning actress Bea Arthur died Saturday April 25, 2009 at her Los Angeles home after a battle with cancer. Bea Arthur will probably be most remembered for her role as Dorothy on the hit 80’s sitcom “Golden Girls” about retired friends living together. It was a wonderfully funny show and Arthur was the razor sharp wit always trying to hold her friends and mother together. I watched the show often with my mother while growing up. I remember it being one of her favorite shows and she loved singing the infectious theme song: “Thank you for being a friend…”

Bea Arthur had a major impact on TV sitcoms long before “Golden Girls.” She starred in the hit, controversial sitcom “Maude” in the 1970’s. It was a spin-off of “All in the Family” another brilliant, controversial hit show. Sitcoms and comedies today are a dying breed. With the overwhelming interest in the vapid world of reality television, sitcoms are becoming virtually non-existent. And unfortunately much of what does exist, is poorly written, empty, and droll (with few exceptions.) When I think of Bea Arthur on a show like “Maude,” it makes me remember a time when television not only entertained audiences but also challenged them. Maude was an upper-middle class liberal feminist married to her fourth husband when the show debuted in 1972. The show often conveyed dark humor and even drama, which was groundbreaking for the time period. In November 1972, audiences watched as Maude, age 47, had an abortion two months before the Roe vs. Wade decision was legalized nation-wide. The show will probably be most remembered for this episode. I remember seeing the show in reruns and this is the only episode that I remember clearly. To see a TV show, a sitcom, deal with such a timely, controversial issue was brilliant, moving, and brave. The show also dealt with alcoholism, mental illness and domestic violence. Much of the show’s brilliance is credited to the magnificent Bea Arthur who played Maude so fearlessly.

Unfortunately, these kinds of shows no longer exist. But we must remember a time when actors like Bea Arthur used art courageously to shed a truthful light on our funny and sometimes painful world.

R.I.P. Bea Arthur and many warm thoughts and prayers to your family and friends.

Boombox Vibrations: A Tribe Called Quest...Forever

2009-04-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

It happened last night. I was in a Mexican restaurant with my very wonderful friend Stacey and out of nowhere we have this conversation about how A Tribe Called Quest is our favorite hip hop group of all time. (Untouchable, in my book...) Our adoration was deep, we rapped random lyrics, laughed hysterically, and reflected on how incredible rap artists like Tribe were and will always be--what they meant to us then and what they mean to us now. We both confessed we have to play A Tribe Called Quest songs about every other day.

A Tribe Called Quest burst onto the scene in the early 90's. Although they were not rap's biggest hitmakers, they have unquestionably become iconic pioneers of hip hop. When one thinks "hip hop purity" A Tribe Called Quest is usually within the next few sentences. They were trailblazers, capturing the hearts of hip hop fans and music lovers in general with their distinctive, playful, jazz-fused intelligent stylings. As lyricists they were poets of the ever-so-clever--the balancing act cat-and-mouse, call-and-response of emcees Q-Tip and Phife Dawg laced with the incredible production of Ali Shaheed Muhammad made them magnificent, exciting, and constantly refreshing. You hear a song like "Can I Kick It?" or "Check the Rhime" and you can't help but nod your head or move your body.

They also released classic albums: (their second release) The Low End Theory and (their third) Midnight Marauders are hailed as not only some of the finest albums of hip hop music, but music period. When I heard Midnight Marauders in the 8th grade, something in me changed. I remember being at my friend Amber's house listening to the song "Award Tour" and learning it lyric for lyric. Age 13 was such an awkward, transitional time for me as a kid but there was something very constant, very assuring about that album. I played it everyday in my Walkman (way before the i-pod, peeps) and it kept me as sane as possible during those emotionally turbulent times.

A Tribe Called Quest disbanding in 1998 had me heart broken--like so many other fans. It symbolized the end of an era (and just as well the beginning of the incessant gaudy commercialism hip hop seems all too obsessed with now--but that's another story for another time.) As Stacey and I rode the R train home from our Mexican restaurant outing, we shared my i-pod listening to "Oh My God", nodding our heads, rhyming lyric for lyric. And I started to wonder about the future of this hip hop, this music I hold so dear. Many claim Hip Hop is Dead. And my only response is a lyric from Q-Tip: "So play the resurrector and bring the dead to life..." WORD.

BONUS:

Q-Tip recently released The Renaissance, which is one of the most exciting hip hop albums in the past few years. The Renaissance is a collage of sonic grooves with Q-Tip's mind-bending lyricism. It is a wondrous collection for any one who loves the inner beauty of hip hop and just loves good music to lay back and nod your head to.

Chasing Ami: A Chat With Ami Brabson

2009-04-12T12:07:00.000-07:00

Before I can say anything else, I must say when I asked my dear friend Ami Brabson if I could interview her for my blog, she didn’t exactly jump at the idea. But in her sweet, endearing way she agreed. You have to know Ami to know that she’s not driven by the notion of being in the spotlight, even if it’s just a moment on this lil’ blog. Ami doesn’t actively seek the attention she so richly deserves. She’s obviously not your typical working actor and that’s what I find so incredibly interesting/refreshing about her.

The first time I even saw Ami was when she was on the critically acclaimed, ground-breaking detective drama “Homicide: Life on the Street” where she “played” wife to her real-life husband, Emmy-winner Andre Braugher. Since then, Ami has had appearances on shows like “Law & Order,” “The Jury,” and “All my Children”. Now currently she has a recurring appearance on FX’s super-addictive hit “Damages” starring Glenn Close. Ami is an extraordinary talent and I felt it necessary to interview her although she was reluctant to be put on the spot.

When I asked her about why she shies from the spotlight, she said “When it comes to notoriety the negatives of it seem to outweigh the positives for me. Especially when it comes to protecting your children.” As a mother of three growing, beautiful boys she knows her priority above all is being a good mother.

Some may wonder how does a working actor, mother, and wife balance the three and Ami will tell you without hesitation that “you just have to step up. You just do it. As much as we wanna be superwomen--put it like this, I can’t devote myself to everything equally. Being a mom is a priority and it’s the choice I’ve made. And it’s not a sacrifice. I have no regrets.”

It’s that kind of confidence in one’s place in life that makes Ami so genuine and inspiring. She said she knew she wanted to be an actor for a living when she was in high school when she played the Chorus in “Antigone.” She says there was no real “magic moment” but doing that play she knew she wanted to act professionally.

When I first met Ami she was in a play directed by a good friend of mine (Jaye Austin-Williams). And she was absolutely amazing in it. Having an equally amazing actor for a husband might be difficult and competitive for others but not for Ami when I asked her about her relationship with Andre: “We’re each others’ cheerleaders. Plus it’s not like we’re competing for the same roles. How can we be competitive when we’re working towards the same thing?” Ami has often said her husband is her best friend and he’s a very loyal supporter of her work.

What I love is that Ami feels blessed by where she is in life. At this moment, being in the moment, she says it’s “extraordinary.” She spoke of how thankful she is to have the family she has, her adoring husband, her healthy, loving children, and a career. She feels that in itself is enough. She’s totally satisfied.

So of course that made me ask what would she do if tomorrow she woke up in a major role giving her thousands of fans and she said: “Well, is the work worth doing? I mean, you can have thousands of fans and not be happy with the work. Because that’s what matters at the end of the day. Being satisfied with what you’re doing.”

You gotta admire Ami for that kind of acknowledgement of artistry. There are so many fame-chasers who could care less about real acting. Their concern is being famous, being in the limelight. And Ami, with her extraordinary gift, is all about the “work.”

I often make her laugh when I tell her she’s going to blow up when she least expects it. With her talent, it’s only a matter of time. The beautiful thing is that Ami won’t be chasing the limelight. She’ll being keeping up with the family, making sure they have what they need—basically, the limelight will just have to chase her.

Reunited and It Feels So Good: No Doubt Is Back!

2009-04-09T17:28:00.001-07:00

I was thrilled to learn yesterday that my favorite band No Doubt had reunited and their delicious new single "Stand & Deliver" had been leaked. Ever since their release of Tragic Kingdom when I was in high school, I have been an obsessive fan of their music--how can anyone resist their brand of funky, ska rock, reggae-tinged, alternative grooves laced with hip hop edge and appeal? And how could anyone not love laser-hot front woman Gwen Stefani's spunky persona that's a mash-up of Madonna, Cyndy Lauper, and Blondie's Debby Harry. Definitely making her one of the coolest white chicks on the planet--even Chris Rock thinks so! I mean I was just transfixed the first time I saw Gwen in the "Just A Girl" video and apparently so were 15 million others because that's how many copies of Tragic Kingdom were sold.

Tragic Kingdom was brilliant and the fierce ballad "Don't Speak" had even the hardest thugs thinking they could sing. Face it, everyone thinks they can sing that song! I equally loved their following album, Return of Saturn which was criminally underrated in my opinion. It was just so freakin' hypnotic. After the solid Rock Steady album, Gwen released two blazing solo albums and explored all that potential we knew she had.

So I am very excited for what's in store with this new album. Wow. Is this me actually anticipating an album again? Damn. I almost forgot how good that feels.

Higher Sciences: TV On the Radio

2009-04-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

Every now and then a band comes along and challenges everything you thought you knew about music. The Brooklyn-based post-punk alt-rock band TV On the Radio is an ultra-magnetic force to be reckoned with. I discovered the band through my best friend Maurice a couple years ago. I was not prepared for their sonically distorted brilliance when I first heard them on their debut Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes. But by the time their second album was released, Return of Cookie Mountain, I was a fan. Now on their latest album, Dear Science, I am in love.

Dear Science is an imaginative, noisy dreamscape of punk, funk, rock and dirty soul. The band that can fuse together the strange with the beautiful so effortlessly has created their most mind-blowing collection to date. Their style is always complex but hypnotic. There’s dark sentiment, violently sensual musical compositions and vocals that haunt, distort, and sometimes soothe--just the way I like it.

Black, Beautiful, & Bad-Ass: A Pam Grier Moment

2009-04-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was flipping through the channels and I landed on TV One because they were playing Pam Grier's "Friday Foster." As many times as I've seen this movie, I still had to stop and watch. Pam Grier will probably always be known as the Queen of the so-called Blaxploitation era. Hey, you can't escape the brash beauty with a gun who knows how to use it. In the 70's, she was symbolized as an image of female empowerment: A Black Female Action Hero. With all the social and civil movements during the time, I guess for many it was exciting to see a woman who could sucker punch a man while looking fly in high heels. Others felt that Pam and the Blaxploitation movies were stereotypical, empty, and objectified women--yes, there was definitely sense of that--but there were also usually strong narratives of black empowerment in these films, social consciousness, and fighting white oppression for the bettering of a people and community. Some films of course were better than others--but that's in any genre. (I'll definitely blog more about my love for these movies in a later post.)

Pam Grier movies (like Foxy Brown, Coffy, Sheba Baby) were always adventurous, even when the scripts were lacking, there was always enough intrigue and action to keep it exciting--plus it's just simply impossible not to want to see Pam kick ass--and, boy, did she ever.

For further reading on Blaxploitation movies, please check out Josiah Howard's Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Guide. It's the most comprehensive guide thus far.

Little Sister, Big Talent: Solange Knowles

2009-04-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

What would you do if Beyonce was your sister? How would you create your presence in the music industry when your big sis reigns supreme as an unstoppable pop force, legend-in-the making? Sound intimidating? Ha! Not for Solange who has marked her own territory by going left of Beyonce's pop chart wrath. Solange is a little R&B, some Rock, some hot-buttered Funk, and all retro-groove and bad-ass attitude. Basically, she's an 'alternative' to the commercial mainstream. Her second album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams--written or co-written mostly by Solange herself--sizzles with flavor. It is a strong, solid effort proving her unique identity as an artist--not just a singer with some hot beats. This album is like a celebration of the soul from the 50's to the present--with some hip-hop edge and surrealist psychedelic soundscapes. It's just incredibly refreshing.

The reason I am even blogging about Solange--other than she totally deserves the recognition--is because her video for her single "T.O.N.Y." came on and I said to myself "Wow, she really is doing her thing!" There's no Beyonce shadow she's trying to be in or chase. She is totally in her own lane and it's beautiful. The song "T.O.N.Y." is one of my favorite songs on her album. The song is about denying oneself true love for the one night stand and realizing too late that you deserve more: T.O.N.Y. meaning The Other Night Y?? --as in, why do we keep making these same mistakes? Brilliant concept song. It's also a fantastic video highlighting the harsh realities and consequences of empty romances with an endearing twist ending.

So while Beyonce leaps toward world domination with her fiery Sasha Fierce persona, Solange plays the background with cool, casual ease--with her loyal cult following in tow--and for some reason, I think she likes it like that. And that is exactly why you gotta love her.

Pop Life: One Hit Wonder-Land

2009-04-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

For the past week or so VH1 has been running “100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80’s.” I love VH1 for series like this. For me, a nostalgia-addict, it’s always a pleasure to remember and relive the music I grew up on. Oh the 1980’s! What a shameless time—the music, the movies, the clothes, the hair, the attitude—no other period in time stood out quite like the 80’s. But one thing the 80’s had perfect was the enduring pop song. Whether musical acts were one hit wonders or not, 80’s pop still endures and was a massive influence for pop acts to follow. Pop of the 80’s was so original, even as weird as it could be, it felt way more inspired. I can’t match the 100 Greatest, but here are my Top 15 80’s Songs by One-Hit Wonders:

1. Pretty Poison, “ Catch Me I’m Falling”: So catchy, so addictive, and brings back so many childhood memories with my friends, singing in front of our mirrors with hairbrushes

2. Shannon “Let the Music Play”: one of the revolutionary pop songs of the 80’s helping to usher in the electronica movement; you can’t escape the joy this song evokes—just one of the best songs—period.

3. Johnny Kemp “Just Got Paid”: oh, how a great pop song endures, every Friday radio stations still play this—because getting paid and partying is the anthem to begin every weekend

4. Nu Shooz “I Can’t Wait”: Nu Shooz!! Oh this was the jam! A house party or BBQ isn’t complete without this classic throwback—one of those songs that is impossible to get tired of

5. Soft Cell (pictured above), “Tainted Love”: haunting, dark pop masterpiece and remake of a R&B classic. Soft Cell breathed spooky new life into this song and it’s still as addictive and creepy as ever.

6. Club Nouveau, “Lean On Me”: for one lyric only: “We be jammin’! We be jammin’ oh!” Come on, how can you deny it?

7. Patrice Rushen (pictured below), “Forget Me Nots”: Hard to truly consider this super talented and still working musician/composer a one hit wonder but this song hit the airwaves like a hurricane and has been a staple at block parties ever since

8. E.U., “Da Butt”: Oh, the easiest dance you can do! And one of the funkiest pops ever. And truthful lyrics: "Ain't nothing wrong if you wanna do the butt all night long!" ha..

9. Tom Tom Club, “Genius of Love”: it’s that fantastic baseline that still drives me wild

10. The Waitresses, “I Know What Boys Like”: the definition of cool in the 80’s: this song is all hipster iciness and bad-ass attitude

11. Dead Or Alive, “You Spin Me Round”: Reminds of the total 80’s experience: weird, weird, and more weird!

12. Thomas Dolby, “She Blinded Me With Science”: Maybe 20 years ahead of its time with the advances that technology has made—being blinded by science sounds so right-now.

13. Mary Jane Girls, “In My House”: Super sexy, seductive R&B groove by chicks with actual pipes makes for perfect pop precision which equals one smokin’ hot single

14. Rockwell, “Somebody’s Watching Me”: All of our paranoia put to sound with Michael Jackson only doing the chorus--not bad for a one hit wonder

15. Katrina and the Waves, "Walking on Sunshine": this song is Prozac--super optimistic chorus and contagious rhythms can cure anyone's blues--which is really what 80's pop essentially was all about

Hitchcock and the Cinematic Nightmare

2009-04-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

After viewing the ultra-tired trailers of “Last House on the Left” and “The Haunting In Connecticut,” I simply have to yawn. Ok, yeah, maybe these movies—which I have yet to see—are frightening and up to their necks with special effects, blood, and guts. But for me, great suspense, thrills and horror start with one word: Hitchcock.

Alfred Hitchcock is truly the Master of Suspense. Because he believed to really scare people, you have to understand their twisted psychology. What he knew—which has become completely lost on contemporary thrillers and horrors—is that the impending terror is always more frightful than what is shown. We are most terrified when we’re not sure what is happening. Yes, hacking up bodies and blood splattering can cause us to shiver, squeal or turn away. But what’s most horrifying are all those moments leading up to it and what we don’t see—that seems to stay in our minds longer, crawling into our imaginations and forcing us to wonder about the gruesome possibilities.

I recently purchased the Collector’s Edition of “Psycho.” This movie is so brilliantly crafted. Hitchcock revolutionized the cinematic experience with this one. Maybe it’s that key moment—that epic Shower Scene—that changed the course of movies. Finally we were confronted with not only unreliable protagonists (played with depth by Janet Leigh), but protagonists that may not even make it until the end of the movie! We found ourselves anxiety-stricken by the likes of Norman Bates—oh Norman Bates—one of the great movie villains of all time. Anthony Perkins was so utterly creepy as Bates—talk about Oedipal complex.

“Psycho” was so groundbreaking because it wasn’t just a chiller. It was an engrossing and often shocking character study. Like many of Hithcock’s films—there is tremendous interest in human psychology. Hitchcock plays on our terrifying delusions, our paranoia, our distrust of others, and of course, our---sometimes---murderous instincts.

My Favorite Hitchock Films: Psycho, The Birds (pictured below), Rear Window, Vertigo, North By North West, Strangers On A Train

“Give them pleasure - the same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare.” – Alfred Hitchcock

Queen of Tears: Why I Love Billie Holiday

2009-04-03T15:38:00.002-07:00

April 7th is Billie Holiday's birthday. So I felt it appropriate to post about one of my favorite vocalists of all time, the Divine Lady Day. I must admit the first time I heard Billie's voice I was scared. I know it sounds crazy. But I was about 12 and I heard the song "God Bless the Child" and was just haunted by it. I'd never heard a voice like that before. Now as I look back I know exactly what I was so scared of... it was how deeply her music touched me. She invaded a place in me that was painful and unknown--her voice forced me to travel my internal anguish, my countless heartaches and rejections, humiliations, emotional wounds and spiritual bruising--you know, the typical baggage a young woman picks up along the way. By the time I was 18, I was playing her music just about everyday. And to this day that hasn't changed: I must hear at least one Billie song a day just to function.

I've often said no one knows me like Billie. How could they? Billie speaks to a part of me I've never fully shared with anyone, a world that is unnamable, unshaped, and scarred with life. She knows all my secrets like she's read my journal or vacationed in my mind. And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Lots of die-hard Billie fans know exactly what I mean--as crazy as it may sound. It has to be that aching vocal she possesses, that sorrowful tone, "those rocks in her heart"--Billie so brutally and nakedly exposes her soul in her songs--it's more than blues, more than jazz, it's like a constellation of tears put to melody.

My Official Billie Holiday Playlist

1. That Ole Devil Called Love
2. Lover Man
3. Crazy He Calls Me
4. Moonglow
5. All of Me
6. God Bless the Child
7. Strange Fruit
8. My Man
9. I Wished On the Moon
10. Nice Work If You Can Get It
11. They Can't Take That Away From Me
12. Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do
13. Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You
14. Lady Sings the Blues
15. I'll Be Seeing You
16. It Had to Be You
17. Come Rain or Come Shine
18. Good Morning Heartache
19. Them There Eyes
20. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
21. Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me
22. I'm A Fool to Want You
23. You Don't Know What Love Is
24. Travelin' Light
25. But Beautiful

Makes Me Wanna Holler: Marvin Gaye, Soulful Prophet

2009-04-01T19:50:00.001-07:00

Marvin Gaye is known as one of the greatest musicians to ever live. He was born April 2, 1939 and died tragically on April 1, 1984. Marvin's extraordinary gifts can be heard on several early Motown songs such as "Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "How Sweet It Is." He could sing passionately and erotically about love (i.e. "Let's Get It On") but it was always drenched in stylish sophistication. The Let's Get It On album just may be the greatest love letter put to sound. It's a haunting celebration of the sacred ritual of real, passionate love--tender and urgent. Like Prince did after him, Marvin could make sex a spiritual experience.

Yet it was when Marvin released his epic, prophetic, and socially conscious masterwork "What's Going On?" he revolutionized the airwaves. Never has an album so radically merged song and message without overt preachiness. He sung about the dreadful conditions of society but he never sounded like a politician or preacher but simply a tormented observer of humanity. He possessed a remarkable gift for exposing his soul in a way that was both beautiful and painful. There was always an achingly sensual and glorious tone in his voice. To this day, Marvin’s music haunts me like no one else.

So this morning when I put my iPod on random shuffle and the song "Inner City Blues" came on, it nearly stopped me in my tracks. Never had this song been so intimate, so truthful for me. The lyrics reflected every worry and sorrow I'd been repressing for the past few months since this economic disaster hit--with all the personal challenges and uncertainties that come with that. Can you believe that sort of genius? A song Marvin wrote over thirty years ago could resonate so strongly today that it could nearly bring me to trembles and tears.

Excerpt- "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)"

"...Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Fore we see it you take it
Oh, make you wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
This ain't livin', This ain't livin'
No, no baby, this ain't livin'
No, no, no
Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life.."

Yeah, twenty-something years after his death, Marvin still knows what's going on.

Consuming Fire: Remembering James Baldwin

2009-04-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

Last night I was casually wandering through Barnes & Noble in Union Square waiting for a friend and I happened upon James Baldwin's "No Name In the Street"-- one of three essay collections of his I did not own. So I immediately purchased it. That night I opened it up and began reading and couldn't stop. Baldwin, in my opinion, is one of the most profound American writers to ever pick up a pen and draw blood from the page. His writing is always crisp, penetrating, deeply insightful, boiling with passionate articulation and furious intellect. No one writes about race, politics, and religion with his sort of razor sharp wit and masterful precision.

Baldwin's enormous genius spreads through many noteworthy essays like "Notes on A Native Son," "Nobody Knows My Name," a personal favorite "The Devil Finds Work," plus many fiction works such as "Just Above My Head," "Go Tell It On the Mountain," "Giovanni's Room" and a host of others. This command of language and his desire to be truthful at all costs--no matter how complex or painful, is what makes him so provocative.

For me, reading "No Name in the Street" proves Baldwin is always unflinching and brutally honest when exposing the often painful paradoxes of America, specifically being Black in America. The first Baldwin book I discovered was "The Fire Next Time." It was sitting on my father's book shelf, a small tattered copy. That scorching, explosive commentary on race changed something in me. Even, then, at the age of 15, I knew the magnificent power of that sort of writing and I was shaken to the core. I didn't even read it again until I was a sophomore in college--and I was shook even harder after that. It means even more to me as I age. That kind of mesmerizing hold a work can have on someone is not to be taken lightly. Baldwin writes with such uncompromising lucidity that he can access what at times feels unutterable and magnify these disturbing truths with tremendous vision and conviction--which is the mission of any serious writer.

"It is very nearly impossible... to become an educated person in a country so distrustful of the independent mind. " - James Baldwin

Star Worship: Brilliant Female Performances in Movies

2009-03-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

Popmatters.com posted an article about the 100 Greatest Female Perfomances. It was an outstanding and detailed collection of many inspired performances by known and unknown actresses who tear into movies and leave us begging for more. So it got me thinking about brilliant performances by women that have singed my own conscience. Here are just a few that very quickly come to mind and why I chose them:

Elizabeth Taylor: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Taylor’s portrayal of Martha in this astounding film adaptation of Edward Albee’s wickedly masterful play is a Revelation with a capital “R”. Taylor often regarded for her incredible beauty gives a hard-hitting performance with such brutal magnitude. The film centers around college president’s daughter Martha and her verbally and emotionally abusive marriage to her history professor husband George (played pitch-perfect by Richard Burton) which becomes a psychological battle of the wits when they invite the new professor Nick and his sensitive wife Honey over for cocktails one long, dizzying night. Taylor could have easily made Martha unlikable to audiences with her overtly sexual, brash, occasionally crude drunkenness, which in the hands of any other actress could have come across as annoying and overacted. But Taylor’s precise and determined performance is a Master Class in acting. In my opinion one of the best performances ever given on screen. We not only sympathize with Taylor’s Martha, we fall in love with all her heart-aching brokenness and see beyond the drunken gaze, the sight of a deeply wounded woman whose illusions are slowly shattering. By the end of the film, we not only feel her abyssal fear, we are frightened and helpless. And that, I think, is the point.

Diana Sands: The Landlord

Perhaps the most phenomenal unknown Black actress to come along thus far. Diana Sands died at the age of 39 before she was able to seek the stardom she so richly deserved. Sands had this raw and soulful presence on screen. A raspy voice, a touch of brashness, uncommon beauty and a wounded magnetism, she literally lit up the screen which is what makes her so captivating in Hal Asby’s arthouse 1970’s social satire The Landlord. Sands played opposite Beau Bridges as one of the two black women his character takes a romantic interest in. The role may be supporting but Sands gave us such complexity we rather focus on her life as a woman married to a man (played by Louis Gossett Jr.) suffering with mental illness. Sands has a few very tender scenes which are the driving the force that anchor this movie in its complex, unflinching racial realities. Near the end of the film, when Sands has Bridges’ baby, she gives the baby away to Bridges’ character and tells him to raise the baby as “white.” When Bridges asks why, Sands replies: “’cause I want him to grow up real casual, like his daddy.” It’s so heartbreaking yet unsentimental. Only an actress with Sands’ kind of depth could make a line like that carry an entire film. It’s just a testament to her power as an actress. She is completely connected to some profound inner truth and does not waste one scene. Damn.

Meryl Streep: A Cry in the Dark

I’ve watched her movies often and questioned whether she is an actual human. How can such an extraordinary gift such as hers be of this galaxy? Her talent---let’s face it—is supernatural. She can be anyone, any time period, any accent, good or bad movie—she is always, always magnificent and 100 percent. There are so many Streep performances worthy of writing about—hell, one could dedicate a book or twenty to it. But one performance that constantly haunts me is her portrayal of Lindy Chamberlain. The true account of a religious woman accused of murdering her baby because of her seemingly outlandish claim that a dingo ate her baby. Streep’s performance has so much complexity and depth—you’re never quite sure what you think of her. Sometimes you believe her, sometimes you’re unsure. It’s that quiet, menacing uncertainty that keeps you focused. Streep illuminates a sense of strange uneasiness without pushing cheap melodrama. The court room scenes showcase some of her strongest work as an actress. There’s real dimension, sadness, and suffering. And when she’s not speaking in her flawless Australian accent, we simply watch her gaze; those eyes, piercing and mysterious. We see her wounded by the vicious attacks of a society and media quick to cast blame yet she emerges from the ashes, demonstrating her own quiet war with God.

Faye Dunaway: Network

Faye Dunaway as Diana Christensen the cold, heartless TV producer whose mission for Reality TV content was about 20 years ahead of her time—since we now live in Diana Christensen twisted television paradise of overstuffed Reality TV domination—blood, guts, and ratings! Dunaway with spitfire speed and brutal ambition steals her every scene—a brilliant script gives Dunaway just enough ground to launch into a towering, frightening symbol of the modern day ice queen—bloodthirsty, bitchy, and singeing with blind ambition. You feel almost terrified for William Holden’s character Max Schumacher who falls helplessly into her artificial clutches. Her blistering presence makes her all the more exciting to watch. And we know Miss Christensen could care less who we are. We just know we better keep watching—or else.

Mary Tyler Moore: Ordinary People

I don’t know how one prepares for a role like this. Moore--a long way from her sitcom--plays Beth, a mother frozen into emotional paralysis after the death of her eldest son to the point where she cannot connect with her surviving son, wracked with depression. It’s the subtlety Moore has so eloquently displayed. The carefully painted strokes of a woman slowly drowning in her grief—without all the Lifetime movie melodramatic sentiment. This portrayal is so unsentimental, which makes it so fiercely profound. The only way Beth can function is to keep her head above water and shut off her ability to feel. A heart-wrenching, delicate performance like this requires a specific sort of brilliance. Moore plays the role so tight, so internally, so close to the hip that you want to hate Beth for her arctic detachment but you simply can’t. She won’t let you. She allows us to latch on, uneasily, to Beth’s unfathomable anguish and by the end of the film, our attempts to fully understand her are shattered. Don't expect Beth to illustrate some sort of pity at the end. No, it's not that simple. Grief--she reminds us--is never that simple.

Ruby Dee: A Raisin In the Sun

Ruby Dee gives a wrenching, heartfelt performance as Ruth Younger in the film adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's excellently-crafted play. Dee's Ruth is the long-suffering yet loyal and unwavering wife of Walter (Sidney Poitier). What makes Dee so amazing is how natural her performance feels. We are truly captivated by her vulnerability and desire for something better in this world. No matter her feeling trapped and despairing, her family is all she has and she'd do anything to protect it--even the unspeakable. There's one key scene where Ruth thinks she'll finally see her piece of happiness in this life. Dee expresses it with such profound glory, that our tears start to flow as we come to understand what it means to hold tightly to a dream and--all too easily--see it deferred.

Alfre Woodard: Passion Fish

As a former drug addict turned caretaker Chantelle, Woodard is brilliant. Chantelle is a woman desperate to defy her past and move into some sort of uncertain future as she cares for a former soap opera actress who was paralyzed in an accident. This may very be one of the most underrated performances of the 90's. Woodard spends so much of the movie trying to save her patient May-Alice from drowning in her own grief--she must fight to keep her own head above water. Woodard's quiet strength is masterful. Everything she can't express through words, she says painfully with her eyes. Sometimes too painfully. There are scenes where Woodard can just grab your heart. We know her frustration, we channel her fears, we watch as she fights for her life, the longing for her child, and her need for love but her uneasiness to love. In the final scene, Chantelle and May-Alice talk about Chantelle's childish need to please her father. May-Alice talks of once playing the faithful daughter Cordelia in King Lear and says: "All you can do is play it straight until the end." And that's exactly what Woodard does.

Debbi Morgan: Eve’s Bayou

In the dark and lyrical film, Eve’s Bayou, Morgan is as stunning as she is mysterious as Mozelle, the black widow sister to her philandering brother played by Samuel L. Jackson. She puts so much soulful conviction in the role of a woman whose gift and curse lies in her psychic powers to see the pain of everyone’s lives but her own. By a lesser actress, this role could very easily fall flat but Morgan’s so deeply attuned to Mozelle’s wounded grace. There’s a key scene—superbly directed—where she unfolds her dark past in the reflection of a mirror and the scene is as magical as it is moving—just like this performance.

Gena Rowlands: A Woman Under the Influence

How does one even define a performance as immense and profound as this? I don't truly have the words. You just have to watch this film. Rowlands so embodies the sometimes horrifying truths of what it means to suffer from mental illness. This is not your movie of the week head-case, where mental instability is packaged neatly into melodramatic plot points. No. Rowlands goes deep. And by deep I mean, somewhere into the abyss of agonized brokenness. She plays a wife and mother constantly spiraling, needing so desperately to be rescued from herself. This is a Cassevetes masterpiece--stark, unflinching and uncompromising in its force. It doesn't want you to blink but often times you want to turn away--even for a moment of relief. But Rowlands won't let you. She has no relief--so why should you? This performance is a lesson in total transformation, full embodiment. Maybe that's what "acting" is but upon repeated viewings of this film, I think she's doing something way, way beyond.

Bette Davis: All About Eve

“funny business, a woman's career.
The things you drop on your way up
the ladder, so you can move faster.
You forget you'll need them again
when you go back to being a woman.
That's one career all females have
in common - whether we like it or
not - being a woman.
Sooner or later we've all got to
work at it, no matter what other
careers we've had or wanted... and,
in the last analysis, nothing is
any good unless you can look up
just before dinner or turns around
in bed - and there he is. Without
that, you're not woman. You're
something with a French provincial
office or a book full of clippings -
but you're not a woman...” Yeah, that’s really all it takes. Delivering lines like this with pitch-perfect control. Hearing this monologue by Bette Davis as Margo Channing continues to haunt me and strike a real, tender chord. Here is a woman on the edge. A so-called “aging” stage actress in her 40s fighting tooth and nail for her place on the unsettling rollercoaster of celebrity. But that Davis’s speciality—delivering a great line with her brashness and soul. And those eyes! She just locks you in. It’s so calculated but she commands us with such feminine ease. Who else could so easily tight-rope walk internal agony with outward theatrics—in her fiery, bitch-please way? The film might be called All About Eve but all I care about is Bette.

Giulietta Masina: Nights of Cabiria

In Fellini's film, Masina plays the lovelorn Cabiria with such emotional nakedness at times I wanted to turn from the screen. Cabiria suffers endless humiliations from just about everyone she encounters in her life. We watch her on this quest for true love and connection and we feel every inch of her anguish. An anguish that runs so deep, it stirs up our own anxieties about connectedness. Masina's performance is astounding. She slips so naturally into Cabiria's optimistic prostitute, filled with such enormous passion that she's punished for it by the heartbreak she finds at every turn. For me, this is my favorite Fellini film, perhaps because of Masina's strong, bruising performance. Never has Fellini so honestly and singularly portrayed the devastating, unusually cruel spell that love can cast--especially on those so willing and ready to receive it. Masina plays a woman constantly bloodied by the brutality of love and her performance is the sucker punch that gives the film its searing power.

Judy Marte: Raising Victor Vargas

Being a teenager is hard. Even harder if you’re growing up in a working class neighborhood on the Lower East Side of Manhattan as a pretty girl who is constantly and often crudely being harassed by boys and men. Maybe it’ll toughen you—because Marte’s character also named Judy is definitely tough—but there’s such sadness, heartfelt teenage angst, spiritual bruising—even a sense of grown woman bitterness which is so unfortunate to see: a youngster who has lost all wonder for the world so early. That’s Marte’s gift. Because as a supporting character, much of Judy, feels very sketched in to the driving story. But Marte makes Judy’s presence carry so much weight you want the movie to be about her. She comes across like a little girl lost, scared, trying not to fall in love with the conceited, self-proclaimed Romeo, Victor who can’t see beyond her blinding beauty. But when he finally sees, when we, the audience, finally see the Judy underneath all the hardness, we are transfixed and anxious like young love itself—Marte’s performance of subtle brilliance--gives us butterflies.

Kate Winslet: Holy Smoke

It was tough to choose between two of my favorite Winslet performances--it was between this one in Holy Smoke and her spunky heartbreaker in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But this won out. Holy Smoke is an overly ambitious, sometimes profound, sometimes confusing examination of spirituality in the modern age. Winslet as Ruth is so strong, intimate, and fiery as a rebellious young woman who was in a cult and is in need of deprogramming. She totally elevates the film at every calculated turn with such extraordinary depth. She gets to the core of our spiritual trappings--our exhausting battle with disillusionment and despair. She's almost too effortless, which is essentially the reason she is one of my favorite actresses. And in this role she proves herself as one of the most--if not the most--fearless actresses of her generation. Her performance is the savior of this film which never quite knows what it wants to say. But Winslet speaks volumes--odd, perplexing, beautiful, wounded, and ripe with intelligent fury--this performance is its own religious experience. Amen.

Diahann Carroll: Claudine

Diahann Carroll! Oh the extraordinary Miss Carroll burns up the screen as the down-trodden, emotionally-wounded Claudine, a single mother in the ghetto raising six unruly children. There are lots of raised voices frustrated and distressed with the harsh realities of urban living, that being pushed up against the wall lifestyle that bruises and breaks so many—but there’s this ferocious spirit Carroll evokes in Claudine. There’s a tenderness underneath all the weariness. That tough love sentiment she expresses with her older son and daughter is some of her finest work. There’s one scene between Claudine and her eldest daughter that is heart-breaking. It’s as if Claudine is seeing herself through a mirror, watching her daughter make her mistakes. It’s one of the most powerful mother-daughter scenes I’ve ever seen. When Claudine falls in love with a garbage man, Rupert (played with soul by James Earl Jones), the scenes are filled with disillusioned passion. Carroll demonstrates such control, such brilliance as a woman slipping away from herself—and what she desires more than anything is her own moment, her own self-possession where she doesn’t need to be anything to anyone—and Carroll does it all with her eyes. Now that’s some damn-fine acting.

Angela Bassett: What's Love Got To Do With It?

Angela Bassett. She gave the definitive performance as Tina Turner in "What's Love Got to Do With It?" We watch as she evolves from the fragile, downtrodden Anna Mae Bullock abandoned by her mother to becoming Tina Turner, fearless queen of rock n' roll. Angela's dynamic power to truly illuminate the magic of a musical goddess who also was in an abusive and turbulent marriage to rock pioneer Ike Turner is utterly captivating. You believe Angela IS Tina. There is such raw emotion and fire that stirs in Angela as she portrays a legend and becomes a legend in her own right.

THE ICONIC MOTOWN SOUND

2009-03-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

Last week on American Idol it was “Motown Night.” Now I will admit, during an occasional season, American Idol is a shameless guilty pleasure. Maybe it was my upbringing with watching “Star Search” as a kid that still glues me to a TV set whenever a singing competition of any sort is on. That being said, this season of Idol, is entertaining and primarily it’s because many of the competitors have real vocal skills and personalities that could easily translate into pop superstardom.

Every week on the show, a different theme is broadcast and the singers usually are given a celebrity mentor of the genre and perform songs of said genre. Motown Night was quite entertaining. First, the iconic R&B mastermind Smokey Robinson was their mentor. I was thinking do many of these youngster contestants even know, appreciate, or understand the magnitude of greatness that is before them? Smokey Robinson is the greatest, most successful R&B songwriter of all time, specifically, and of one of the greats of American music culture, in general. Bob Dylan called him the greatest living American poet and that is no exaggeration. Smokey Robinson’s enormous gift for crafting lyric and melody is unparalleled. Name any great songwriter today and he or she has been influenced by the Great Mr. Robinson. I honestly can’t imagine living in a world without songs like “My Girl” performed by the Temptations, “Tracks of My Tears,” and a personal favorite “You Really Got A Hold On Me.”

As the dominant songwriter and shaper of Motown, Smokey and Motown founder Berry Gordy created a empire of R&B greatness that had one singular mission: music for all people. It was 1959 and the world was in need of serious change. The music Berry wanted to create was far from the previous “chitlin circuit” –era of black soul music. That era which still remains underrated and unappreciated for its ability to create a black signature sound. Beyond the chitlin circuit was the massive success of Ray Charles’s raw and, at times, raunchy brand of soul was said to be “corrupting” white teens and the “morals” of white America. Berry Gordy wanted to challenge that by using the soul aesthetic in a more neatly packaged, wholesome way. He often said he was interested in making hits. Meaning every song had to appeal to all audiences. Right now we are living through perhaps the worst of pop music—aside from a few genuine artists, overall it’s become soulless, unimaginative, and robotic. The pop hits that Gordy was interested in still had to be meaningful, inspired, and most of all, enduring. This was integral to the Civil Rights movement, perhaps, consciously and unconsciously. Rolling Stone considered Motown’s Martha Reeves and the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Streets” one of the top five songs that Changed America. Whether the Vandellas knew it or not, lyrics like “…calling out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat?” was consider riot-provoking for such an unsettling time of racial and social crisis in America to the point where radio stations feared playing it. That might even be the moment that Motown was regarded as the essential fabric of the era, the soundtrack for change.

So while watching American Idol last week, I realized what classic really means: the idea that a song is timeless. It will forever live because it has exposed some great human truth that will never change no matter the year in which people hear it. I mean, there are kids in the audience at Idol or even watching TV who have never heard of Smokey Robinson or heard many of the other Motown songs performed that night, but were affected and spent the whole night downloading songs like Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” and The Supreme’s “You Can’t Hurry Love.” Or “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” which was shockingly performed with real heart and charm by a 16 year old contestant who even made Simon Cowell lighten up and smile.

One contestant beautifully performed Smokey’s “Tracks of My Tears.” Upon hearing his tender and heartful interpretation, I was deeply touched. The contestant Adam Lambert asked Smokey before performing the song what was his inspiration for writing it and Smokey said “I wondered what if a person cried so much that the tears left tracks on their cheeks.” Ooh. Come on, no one writes with that kind of soulful imagining anymore:

People say I'm the life of the party
Because I tell a joke or two
Although I might be laughing loud and hearty
Deep inside I'm blue
So take a good look at my face
You'll see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer, it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears..
I need you, need you
Since you left me if you see me with another girl
Seeming like I'm having fun
Although she may be cute
She's just a substitute
Because you're the permanent one..
So take a good look at my face
You'll see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer, it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears..
I need you, need you
Outside I'm masquerading
Inside my hope is fading
Just a clown oh yeah
Since you put me down
My smile is my make up
I wear since my break up with you..
So take a good look at my face
You'll see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer, it's easy to trace
The tracks of my tears

This sort of poetry will be studied and analyzed in books in years to come. This song, like so many great songs of the era, are apart of our human conscious. They are the emotional landscape of our loves, our pains, and joys. This wondrous, damn-near magical Motown era produced legends like The Temptations, Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Isley Brothers, and the greatest pop superstar in the world, Michael Jackson. The reality that so many legends came from one movement is mind-blowing.

So the cultural anxiety for me comes from the lack of such greatness now. Where are all the legends-in-the-making now? Yes, we have a few contemporary musical geniuses whose music will stand the test of time. But usually finding their music requires some archeological digging. I miss the idea of turning on the radio and being equally excited and moved, instead I’m usually offended and cringing—terrified for a generation to come whose soundtrack will be so escapist and shallow that true love songs to them will soon sound mythological.

The day after watching American Idol, I was headed to work on the R train, and I listened to my Motown collection on my iPod. As many times as I’ve heard these songs over the course of my life, I sat in awe and wonder at such purity and brilliance. And, without a doubt, I fell in love all over again. It's just that good.

And if you don't believe me I dare you to listen to this and not feel something:

Buried Treasure: Re-discovering "Killer of Sheep"

2009-03-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

A week ago I was sitting in Cosi's with my friend Stacey, and among various topics, we began discussing great movies--especially those buried treasures, lost gems of cinematic greatness. This coming after a long discussion on why there are no good movies to see anymore. And by "good" we mean movies with actual plot lines, complex characters, and compelling storytelling that pulls you in and leaves your mind lingering long after the credits have rolled. Yeah, good stuff like that. So in the midst of this conversation I mention one of my all-time favorite lost treasures: "Killer of Sheep." Perhaps the most criminally forgotten movie ever made (an overstatement, I know, there may be more--but how would I know?).

The 1977 classic black & white film is essentially about a working class African American family in Watts, CA shot in the Italian neo-realist style. There is nothing quite like it. There is no definitive narrative structure-- basically, it's a movie that lives for its small moments. Each scene could be paused into a photograph. Each vignette feels like a short, sad poem. Writer/Director Charles Burnett's enormous genius spills all over this moving portrait of lives frustrated, broken down, and aching for some glimmer of hope. It's filled with tender vignettes of working class African Americans whose daily survival seems so painfully moment to moment. We center ourselves around the world of Stan, a working class husband and father, who works at slaughterhouse, which leaves him detached and spiritually bruised. He can't connect with his wife, his children, or friends...nothing.

This deeply moving masterpiece isn't for an audience in need of big thrills, booming action, and lots of clever, overwritten dialogue. It's a work that requires careful viewing and a general love for anti-structural storytelling. Burnett made this film while a student at UCLA which still boggles the mind! Because of music rights issues the film went unreleased and basically hidden away in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. It was finally re-released two years ago. When I went to the IFC theater to see the movie one afternoon I had no idea what I was in for. Let's just say I was mesmerized. As a screenwriter, I was astounded by the visual language of the film and the way Burnett utilized the extraordinary images with a stunning soundtrack which includes Dinah Washington, Earth Wind & Fire, Paul Robeson, and more.

It is not often that I watch this film. Some of my favorite movies I seem to rarely watch over and over. They sort of live in me as cheesy it sounds. But later that day after leaving Cosi's, I returned home to watch this film, again, feeling as though it was the first time I'd seen it. Still dazzled by it's haunting lyricism and moodiness. For me, there's just something so moving about a film that so perfectly captures the heartbreaking daily struggles of people trapped in lives they never asked for--yet survive anyway, simply, because they have to.

For more info, check the official website: