My Favorite Movies A to Z....

My after-election collapse/exhaustion has left me with not much desire to blog, so I'll do something fun--some movie news and shananigans tomorrow. I think we're all in the mood for fun for a while....

Speaking of fun, party-poopers, can you go away for a time? I'm speaking of the whole new ridiculous campaigns over D.L .Hughley's CNN show, and the rumblings over David Alan Grier's "Chocolate News". Hey--here's a solution: if you don't like them, DON'T WATCH THEM. Radical concept, yes? Personally, I can't see why all of the controversy is focused on them, while the old ass, tired, and soggy stereotypes of "The Carlos Mencia Show" and the absolutely horrible "Tony Rock Project" are still at large and completely unchallenged. Go figure.


We complain about not having enough Blacks on TV, and after the first airing of a show we jump all over it like pitbulls. Lean back, okay? How about gettin' some lovin', or a hobby, or both? Besides, I'm sure Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy have all done/said something offensive to someone at some point in their careers. Not that DAG or D.L. are nearly as funny as those dudes in their prime, but I'm just sayin'.


Wow, that was a detour tangent from this post... Anyhoo, I was tagged by reelwhore (the only person alive who watches more movies than I do, I think) to come up with the ABC's of my favorite films, called "The Alphabet Meme", started by Blog Cabins. Some were tough, cause I could think of more than one per letter that I really love or admire, and others were tough cause I couldn't think of any! Let me know what you think of my list...

A An American Werewolf in London

B Black Caesar

C Claudine/Crimes and Misdemeanors (sorry, couldn't choose!)

D Donnie Brasco

E Eve's Bayou

F Friday

G Grease

H Half Nelson

I It's A Mad. Mad, Mad, Mad, World

J Juwanna Mann (yeah, I said it!)

K Kill Bill 1 & 2

L Let's Make Love

M Made

N Nights Of Cabiria (Fellini)

O Omega Man, The

P Planet Of The Apes (original)

Q Queen, The

R Requiem For A Dream

S Saturday Night Fever

T Toy Story

U Uptown Saturday Night

V V For Vendetta

W What's Up Doc? (B. Streisand)

X "X" (Spike Lee)

Y You Only Live Twice (James Bond)

Z Zoolander

Okay, these are obviously all over the place, and obviously not all Black Cinema. And certainly they are my "favorites" and not exactly what I consider "best", though a few of them are what I consider excellent filmmaking. Anyone who would have Juwanna Mann (probably my biggest movie guilty pleasure) and Fellini on the same list obviously has a method to their madness...

Mine was this: even though I see tons of movies all the time, I almost never, ever, watch anything more than once. This is a list of films I've seen several times, some of them I actually bought, or watch every time they come on TV. It was just based on that and nothing else, as if I see a movie more than once I must really like it. I'm sure if I thought about it for a couple days, the list might have been different, but these were off the top of my head. So there you have it :-)

UPDATE: Oh I forgot, I am supposed to tag 5 others for this meme, so y'all put your lists on your blogs:

Solshine from Think Virtue!/Reel Artsy

The Marvalus One

Mr. Happy Go Lucky Bachelor

Urban Thought from Urban Observation (you better do it!)

and Ehav Ever, my Black Jewish brother in Israel.

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It's All About MEEEEEE.......

Okay, taking up some space for some "me" time. First, I was tagged by Ill Mami from Hopelessly Sarcastic, who forgot one of the cardinal rules of the tag.....let them know they've been tagged--haha. I found out by stopping by her blog. I live under the cloak of invisibility, but I guess I can give out a few random and weird facts without revealing my super identity :-)

1) I can read palms and tarot cards, and am very, very good at it. I started on a fluke by reading a few books that a roommate had years ago. I stopped doing it cause all of my friends were calling me every day for the most minute details, like I was Madame Cleo or something.

2) I've had more than a few careers, one of the first being a flight attendant for about 4 months (as Men on Film would say "hated it!") to being a stylist for music videos (interesting but tiresome).

3) Until I was about 14 I wanted to be a nun. When I was very young I was brought up Catholic, and typical of the guilt associated with it, I thought it would be the only way for me to get into heaven. Needless to say that thought is long gone.

4) I am kind of a nerd--the only TV shows that I go out of my way to watch are adult cartoons, and I watch them compulsively; South Park, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Adult Swim (like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Frisky Dingo), etc. I know, I have a problem. I also loathe reality shows and never, ever watch the news. I do get news from reading the blogs, tho!

5) I am a purse/handbag addict, and cannot resist buying when I see something beautiful, even when funds are low. You know you're an addict when you have about 50 purses and use the same getting-raggedy one every single day.

6) I love alt-rock, especially from the 90's; Stone Temple Pilots, Porno For Pyros, Velvet Revolver, Nirvana, etc.--I totally love them--more than a bit baffling to boyfriends, haha. I also used to be the biggest rap/hip-hop queen on the planet, which was also baffling for some cause you would never tell by looking at me. I even drank 40s with some of the rappers. Guys used to be shocked, and tell their friends "Yo-she knows rap like a ni__a!" This was when it was still PC to say that word of course. I guess they were too used to groupies.

7) I smoked off and on for years...I was a closet smoker, really hiding it, and generally did it when I had some cocktails. Now I can't even stand to smell them.

Anyway, enough about me. The people that I want to tag are:

Just Judith from Viva Voce

Coco LaRue aka Coco LaWall from Thursday Nite Fever (them bitches is ash and i'm lotion!)

Purple Zoe from Ultraviolet Underground

David from Undercover Black Man (tho he may be too highbrow for these types of shenanigans)

Ms. Hott Sauce of That's Not Hott!

Michelle from Colored Girls Who Have Considered

Sincere from Sincere Thoughts

The rules are this:

A) Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.

B) Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.

C) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.

D) Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Speaking of Ms. Hott Sauce, she and I are starting a blog book club called "Hog Head Cheese". Yes, that's the name. We are taking turns picking one book per month, and she is first, and she chose the book "Wifey". We officially start on the 15th, and I would love, love, love for you guys to join us. I'll post the link to our new site this weekend.

the picture at the very top was in google images under 'playing tag'...don't ask me what the powder faced woman and her kool-aid drinking baby are up to...

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I Heart The Cocoa Lounge, Calvin Lockhart....

There is a blog that's been around for awhile, but I am just getting to know and love it (thanks, PZ) . It is the Cocoa Lounge, and besides highlighting the obscure black actresses and actors that I love, they discuss all things nubian, bohemian, and fabulous. Following is a post on the late, great Calvin Lockhart, who amazingly, initially had a hard time dealing with his good looks:

Before Denzel Washington, and slightly after the reign of Harry Belafonte, there was Calvin Lockhart. During his nearly 30 year film career, his acting talent was upstaged only by his tremendous good looks. Though his skill and physical assests surpassed many of his caucasian contemporaries, Hollywood failed to capitalize on the ball of fire that was Calvin Lockhart.

Despite the limitations of the film industry for black actors of the time, his contribution to film remains etched on celluloid; showcasing a talent unbound by continent, genre, or race. Calvin Lockhart was born Bert Cooper on October 18, 1934 and raised in Nassau Bahamas, moving to New York City at the tender age of 19. The story goes that during this time, he was so disturbed by people's fascination with his looks that he attempted to disfigure his face with scissors. He later moved to London where many of his early films were produced, and would also become the place he called home for 13 years. The looks that he resented so much in his youth would come to work to his advantage; in 1971 he was declared "The World's Sexiest Man" by the British public. Much of his early work can not be seen on video in the U.S., though he worked extensively in America during the 1970's.

His most memorable available work can be seen in 1973's Cotton Comes to Harlem opposite Cocoa Lounge Legend, Judy Pace and the Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier comedies Uptown Saturday Night and Let's Do It Again in which he played characters "Silky Slim" and "Biggie Smalls" respectively, roles that later influenced members of the hip-hop community, most namely, the Notorious B.I.G. Though Calvin Lockhart's appearances would diminish in number and acclaim over the years, he left an indelible mark in the hearts of filmgoers the world over. He is perhaps one of the most beautiful men of African descent ever to inhabit a film frame and beyond that, a captivating presence to watch onscreen.

Mr. Lockhart died March 29th, 2007 of complications from a stroke. He was reportedly filming a movie titled "Rain," one of his first screen roles in over 10 years. For Lockhart fans, the film may provide one last look at a man who was instrumental in opening doors for African American leading men. He will be truly missed. From Invisible Woman: My favorite Calvin movie is "Uptown Saturday Night", (one of my favorite films in general) where he plays Silky Slim, and he and the gangsters play softball at the church picnic.

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The Hardest Working Man In Show Business.....

I joke about how Samuel Jackson is in every movie that hits the screen, but he has nothing on Clifton Powell, who has made thirty-seven movies since 2000--from "Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles" to "Ray". I won't even tell you how many he made in the 20th century.

This man, though I have seen him a million times, remains an enigma to me. He will appear in a film that looks like it was funded by the 99 cent store without blinking, and appear in huge productions the next day. I am still convinced he never sleeps. Did you know he was born in Liberia? Africans, like West Indians, can hold down 5 jobs at a time.....(I kid, I kid!)

side note: an associate of mine tried to argue with me for months that this dude was Big Daddy Kane back in the day

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