An Ode To David Mills....

Last week, David Mills passed away at 48. For those of you who don't know, David lived the life that a lot of writers only dream of...he wrote for The Washington Post, and then moved on to TV as a writer and/or producer for Homicide: Life In The Streets, E.R., Kingpin, The Corner, NYPD Blue, The Wire, and the upcoming HBO series "Treme".

He was also my blogging mentor, and one of the reasons that I didn't quit blogging numerous times. His site "Undercover Black Man" was one of the first blogs I read regularly. I don't remember how I found him, but at the time he was doing a series called "Giant Negroes", about the ridiculous claims and sightings by whites of "Giant Negroes" in the late 19th and early 20th century. I found it interesting and amusing. Of course that is what sums up David perfectly--interesting and amusing. With the last part of the trifecta being inspirational.

David has inspired, outraged, entertained, and taught a whole throng of Black creative thinkers in the blogging community. Through him, I found many people who think and exist the way I do, when previously I thought that I might be isolated in my mindset. He frequently featured me in his "Blog In The Spotlight", which always gave me joy. All of my life people have told me that I should write as a living, but I never felt true validity until being under David's watch, and that's real. I even started a thing called "The Negro Justice League" on this blog that included David, which amused him very much.

When I read that David passed, it hit me hard, more than anyone, except maybe Michael Jackson. Strike that--it was akin to Michael because of its suddenness, its shock through the heart, and the mourning of a loss of huge talent and genuine artistic integrity. I was shaken up in ways that I did not expect in his passing.

I waited a while to post this, as I wanted to be careful about what I said, and do a justifiable legacy to him. It is apropos that I am writing this on Easter, as he will always be resurrected in many a heart and mind. I feel the best way to pay him tribute is to begin blogging regularly again, at least for a little while. Cause you know what? One of the thoughts that would pass through my mind almost daily was that I knew David was checking for new posts on this blog and there were none. And that, in and of itself, will always make me feel special.

Will always miss you, David...

So Sue Me....

Yes, I missed the American Black Film Festival that was held here in Los Angeles this month. I think I made my feelings clear about how I feel about these events in my last post about Black film festivals. Until things improve in my eyes, I'm gonna be pretty darn selective.

Undercover Black Man went to the closing night film, which is uaually the biggest shindig at these things. LMAO at his random comment about bras and backless dresses!:

Last night I finally got to see “The Black List,” the new documentary by Elvis Mitchell and Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. (I blogged about this project in January.) It was screened in Beverly Hills.

Alas, I didn’t know the screening was part of the closing-night festivities for the American Black Film Festival. Dudes were rocking blazers, women had on heels... and I stepped up in there with jeans and tennis shoes. Straight bummin’.

I haven’t seen that many black folks in one spot in a while. Celebrity-wise, I spotted Eriq LaSalle across the crowded lobby. I also saw a (white) porn star, Nina Hartley. First I assumed they let her in on a Booty Waiver. (Yeah, fellas... she’s still got that bubble tush working.) But then I saw her chumming around with Greenfield-Sanders, who directed a porn-star documentary in 2004.

Speaking of getting dressed up, may I ask you ladies a question? What’s the deal with wearing a bra with a backless dress? I saw that twice, and it is messed-up-looking.

Anyway... “The Black List” rocked the place. Not only did Elvis and Tim get a standing ovation, not only were there numerous outbursts of applause throughout the movie... but there were murmurs, laughs and other sounds of affirmation indicating a fully engaged crowd.

Elvis declared that this was the best audience for “The Black List” ever.

And all the movie is is a series of interviews with notable Negroes... from Colin Powell to Chris Rock, from Toni Morrison to Serena Williams. “The Black List” has a cumulative power that belies its simple structure. It really does feel like you’re eavesdropping on the world’s coolest cocktail party.

Matter fact, “The Black List” works so well as a group experience, I wonder whether it’ll be as effective when it debuts on HBO two weeks from tonight.

Plus you’ll see a photo of Slash as a teenager with an Afro. And a picture of Louis Gossett, Jr. from his Greenwich Village “beatnik” days, strumming a guitar. (Who knew?)

A companion “Black List” coffee-table book, featuring Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ photo portraits of the interviewees, goes on sale next month.

UPDATE! Here is my Sergio (left) with one of the filmmakers Elvis Mitchell, at his Black Harvest Film Festival screening of "The Black List".

Today In B'Days....

The always lovely Whitaker is 47.

The usually annoying Eddie Griffin is 40.

Their birthdays were actually over an hour ago, but this is the first chance I had to post. I also wanted to post a related story....

Remember that debacle Eddie had about a year ago at the ultra boo-jee Black Enterprise 14th annual Golf and Tennis Challenge? If not I wrote about it HERE.

Well, Afro Nerd posted this story about the new version of this with the Bernie Mac/Obama function, and I could not agree more. Don't expect champagne when you buy Colt 45, I'm just sayin'!:

Must everything relate to Senator Obama? I think for the moment, the answer will be a resounding, "yes!" First off, please excuse the expletive laden stand up routine as performed by the incomparable Bernie Mac. It appears that Senator Obama's staffers were unaware or had a lapse in judgment by hiring a blue comedian such as Mac and then expecting Walt Disney corporate humor-don't let his recent work on the family friendly, Bernic Mac Show fool you! Eddie Griffin received a similar comeuppance last year when hired to perform in front of the Boule/Jack & Jill set (Black Enterprise members/supporters, more specifically) and his microphone was snatched from him by Enterprise publisher, Earl Graves. This time it was Obama coming to the "rescue" and denouncing. Word of advice to the good Senator-you can't denounce everyone. Check out this excerpt, courtesy of the Huffington Post:

CHICAGO (AP) _ Comedian Bernie Mac endured some heckling and a campaign rebuke during a surprise appearance Friday night at a fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Toward the end of a 10-minute standup routine at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Chicago, the 50-year-old star of "The Bernie Mac Show" joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity, and used occasional crude language.

"My little nephew came to me and he said, 'Uncle, what's the difference between a hypothetical question and a realistic question?'" Mac said. "I said, I don't know, but I said, 'Go upstairs and ask your mother if she'd make love to the mailman for $50,000.'"

As the joke continued, the punchline evoked an angry response from at least one person in the audience, who said it was offensive to women.

"It's not funny. Let's get Barack on," a man shouted from the crowd, which paid $2,300 each to support the Illinois senator.

About 15 minutes later, Obama tried to smooth things over with a joke of his own.

"We can't afford to be divided by race. We can't afford to be divided by region or by class and we can't afford to be divided by gender, which by the way, that means, Bernie, you've got to clean up your act next time," Obama said. "This is a family affair. By the way, I'm just messing with you, man."

From IW:

A) I thought that ish was hella funny (I know Obama did too) and wasn't offended at all.

B) Ummm....Obama; you might want to calm down with the "denouncing", homes.

How Bernie probably side-eyed this foolishness

Dolemite For President And Sh*t....

Speaking of Obama, Undercover Black Man will be live-blogging the Pennsylvania primary tonight (my Philly folkses stand up!).

I found this on his blog the other day.....did you know that Rudy Ray Moore aka Dolemite ran for president in 1972? And you thought Kwame Kilpatrick as a politician was pimpin'. From his site:

I betcha Rudy Ray Moore woulda knew how to handle Hillary Clinton in that debate last night. I ain’t lyin’!

Sheeeeit, that bad muthafucka Dolemite ran for president way back in 1972... before Barack Obama even had fuzz on his nuts.

Click here and listen to Rudy Ray’s campaign speech and press conference (NSFW). It is an artifact of political rhetoric that Sen. Obama would do well to study.

From IW: Too funny. But I must admit, after that heinous debate the other day, Obama seems to have gathered some swagger (ie: the "dust my shoulders" move). I guess he finally realized that he was wasting his time on the sea-hag known as Hillary Rodham.

End Of The Year This N' That....

Hey all....sentimental last post of the year and all that, blah, blah, blah...

I had great fun last night talking to Afronerd and black film lover Sergio, who directs a Black Film Festival in Chicago called "Black Harvest" every August. If you want to hear us in the interview, click here....there is kind of a long music intro, but it's there.

Sergio revealed to us last night (which is probably old news today) that Tyler Perry is in the upcoming "Star Trek" movie. From AOL:

Talk about a casting coup! When Zoe Saldana was cast to play Uhuru, which was originally played by Nichelle Nichols, in the new Star Trek film, I'm sure some folks wondered if there would be more Blacks in the film. Well, low and behold, of all the marketing moves the producers could have done to insure that the African American market was represented, they have cast one of the hottest movers and shakers in the media world to appear in the film, Tyler Perry.

That's right - Tyler Perry. According to the website UGO, they are reporting that Perry, who has never appeared in a film that he didn't write, direct, or produce, will be featured in the film as the head of Starfleet Academy, and in a human form, instead of looking like some alien. Tyler's character is overseeing some kind of Starfleet courtroom/ assembly event where young Kirk is facing expulsion from Starfleet.

From IW: I feel like this role may be well suited for Perry, as his non-Madea acting is very stiff and unnatural, just like a legal prosecutor.

Here is the poster for "Hancock", a film starring Will Smith as a down and out former superhero. Original subject matter...I'm sure it will do well and add $25 million more dollars to the Smiths already overstuffed bank account.

"The Great Debaters" is being touted as coming in at 11th place in the box office, giving it the illusion of failure, but DO NOT be fooled. This movie was in a very limited number of theaters, less than half of what the holiday blockbusters are normally booked into. So in actuality, this film did very well, just not compared to a film that was released in 3,500 theaters instead of 1,171. Feel me?

And last, but not least, Invisible Woman is going to be a little cliche and give her end of the year thank you to you all....my blog has grown 13,000% since I first started....at the beginning I was so worried that no one would find it/read it that I almost didn't go thru with starting it. I don't want to slight anyone, so know that every single blog that is linked on my sidebar is truly, truly appreciated through and through, as well as my non-blogging readers. May your 2008 blow up like 92 tons of dynamite!

trivia; btw, "auld lang syne" means "a long time ago" in scottish. a bit depressing, no? i think i'll ring in my new year with something a little more uplifting, like kanye, haha

Taking The Day Off....

Hey guys...I was gonna write about my time at the American Black Film Festival today, but to be quite honest I don't feel like it...or writing about anything else for that matter.

In the meantime, check out the Negro Justice League member Undercover Black Man's post below; I know I will be looking at his recommendations today, and if Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes are of interest for you, you should be looking too:

So... do “American Gangster” and “Mr. Untouchable” have you curious to know more about the Harlem underworld?

Tonight’s premiere of the History Channel series “Gangland” is also devoted to Nicky Barnes and Frank Lucas, the rival heroin bosses of 1970s New York.

The History Channel interviewed both men (each of whom ended up in prison and then snitched out a hundred other drug dealers apiece and now they’re free).

Showtime is 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, 8 p.m. Central. The episode will repeat on Friday, Monday and Tuesday.

And if you want even more of the Nicky and Frank show, New York magazine has published the transcript of a three-way conference call between Nicky Barnes, Frank Lucas and journalist Mark Jacobson, looking back on old times. It’s rather comical.