Django Unchained

I’ve been working on this film as a producer for a year, so it’s pleasure that folks are starting to see how very cool this movie is going to be.

Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington and Samuel L. Jackson lead an amazing cast.

Every department – from camera to costume, all led by writer/director Quentin Tarantino, are doing brilliant work.

See you this Christmas at a theatre near you!

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The Avengers

I couldn’t make it to the Avengers premiere, but we have so many crew members on our movie who worked on it, and plenty of comic book geeks in general, so Samuel L. Jackson graciously arranged for us to see the film in advance. 

I had to break out the classic Steranko Nick Fury t-shirt in honor of SLJ.  He’s very proud of the film. 

We also have Clay Fontenot, a brilliant stuntman and all around great guy who is Iron Man.  The suit of armor was built for him and he’s the man inside for all the films.

What did you ask?  What did I think of the movie itself?

THE AVENGERS is the best superhero movie ever made. 

I say that as a filmmaker and a comic book fan for as long as I can read.  And I say it with confidence. 

Who had the title before?  Here are the contenders:  SPIDERMAN 2, X MEN 2, BATMAN BEGINS, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT, the first IRON MAN….but this one beats them all.  Why? 

It has what the best of them all had and it has what none of them ever had – a satisfying act three.  Usually the attempts to go big end up hollow, with fights with not emotional content. 

AVENGERS also has the advantage of almost all the characters having been set up in previous movies, so we are spared the clichés of the origin story that drag down the first film, and make the sequel seem so much in comparison. 

The key to a good comic book movie is making the man or woman behind the mask a compelling character.  Can you imagine anyone other than Robert Downey Jr's high-speed sarcastic brilliance as Tony Stark?  Raimi always got Peter Parker right.  The scene with a spindly Steve Rogers taking on a bully in the alley is Captain America’s defining moment.  The Nolan BATMAN movies make Bruce Wayne the most interesting he’s ever been in any medium – comics, films, animated or live action television series. 

BEWARE…FROM HERE ON, THERE BE SPOILERS.  DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU SEE THE FILM.

Joss Whedon deftly builds on our collective knowledge of these characters from a variety of mediums and nails their personalities and interacts with each other spot on.  And like the comics, he lets those personality clashes express themselves in large scale mayhem, which both ups the action quotient and raises the stakes….their lack of cohesion is as big a threat as the big bad.  There’s three different fights among the Avengers (core members Thor, Iron Man and Cap; Hulk vs. Thor; and Hawkeye vs. Black Widow)

And speaking of villains...there’s just one.  The double villain idea has never comfortably worked for me.  Both Batman and Spiderman sequels have suffered from split focus.

Conversely EVERYONE in Avengers gets an adequate amount of screen time.  No character dominates the movie, but if anyone steals the show, it’s Mark Ruffalo as Banner/Hulk, who wipes out previous well meaning but failed attempts with the greatest of ease.  Whedon wisely withholds his transformation as long as he can, knowing audience is waiting for him to get really pissed…and green.  In a movie full of fantastic one-liners, Banner gets the best in the film:  “here’s my secret – ”.

This movie could only happen because of the existence of Marvel Studios.   Because they laid out a master plan with the individual films building to this one, and having the financial clout and filmmaking skills to back it up, a film series that mirrors comic book release could happen.  Can’t wait for the next one. 

I am planning on seeing the film again this weekend, because I couldn’t watch it again right after I saw it.  Kudos to Joss Whedon, producer Kevin Feige, and an amazing cast and crew for making a magnificent film.

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Reggie & The Big Chief

My friend Laura Cayouette, one of the stars of DJANGO UNCHAINED, already blogged about this awesome day, so I’ll just use some of her words:

Then the moment we’d been waiting for arrived as Mardi Gras Indians from the tribes of Wild Magnolias, Fi Yi Yi and the Mohawk Hunters battled in the Square. At first it was hard to see anything more than brightly colored plumes rising up through the crowd. Then, they started winding their way through the people and passed right by me in all their beaded glory. Reggie had wanted to experience the Indians since seeing a documentary on them in the late 70′s. Now, he said, he could cross that off his bucket list.

Then, because it was a perfect day, we came across Big Chief Fi Yi Yi, Victor Harris, standing next to his suit surrounded by band members in matching turquoise and white outfits. Not only did I get to study his intricate beadwork up close and personal, he let me hold the suit to feel the weight. As readers of this blog know, I’ve always had the deepest respect for the detail-oriented craftsmanship of these suits, but holding that suit, it was clearly about half my body weight (without the beaded boots, cuffs and huge headdress). Beyond the tenacity and commitment it takes to craft one of these suits, I gained a whole new understanding of the physical stamina and commitment it takes to wear that hot, heavy suit while dancing and chanting for miles. Wow. As Reggie held the suit then put his arm around the Chief for a photo, I thought he could scratch “see the Mardi Gras Indians” off his bucket list with indelible marker.

I also got to see the ReBirth Brass Band, who combine cascading horn lines over a raw dog funky beat creating an experience that hits you in all your chakras.

This shot of me and Laura’s guy Andy was unusual in that I was making the stink face of funk enjoyment most of the set.

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Ada’s Rules

New Orleans has spectacular food.  I’ve had some of the best meals of my life here.  So much I’ve stopped dining out so I won’t turn into a round ball with glasses on.

Fortunately, my dear friend and One Of The Smartest People I Know Alice Randall, who wrote the New York Times best-seller THE WIND DONE GONE has a new book.  It’s about weight loss and love.  It’s getting great reviews everywhere and it’s both an entertaining and practical read. 

This is the story:  Ada Howard, the wife of the preacher at Nashville’s Full Love Baptist Tabernacle, has a whole lot of people to take care of. There’s her husband, of course, and the flock that comes with him, plus the kids at the day care where she works, two grown daughters, and two ailing parents. It’s no wonder she can’t find time to take care of herself. And her husband’s been so busy lately, she’s suspicious some other woman may be taking care of him . . .

Then it comes: the announcement of her twenty-five-year college reunion in twelve months’ time, signed with a wink by her old flame. Ada gets to thinking about the thrills of young love lost, and the hundred or so pounds gained since her college days, and she decides it’s high time for a health and beauty revival. So she starts laying down some rules. The first rule is: Don’t Keep Doing What You’ve Always Been Doing. And so begins a long journey toward a new look and a new perspective — on what Ada wants, and on what she’s always had.

Here’s the trailer:

And the critics say:

"For sweet, sexy, and strong moms…intoxicating…deliciously satisfying…"
— Essence

"It is impossible not to fall in love with the plucky plus-size heroine of bestselling author Randall’s fourth outing… A heartwarming and engaging read, Ada’s story is more than that—readers following Randall’s rules will drop the pounds along with Ada, and perhaps discover something about themselves."
— Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Ada’s Rules might be a diet book disguised as a novel, and it might be a novel disguised as a diet book, but I guarantee it will make you laugh and make you think, while it nudges you oh-so-gently in the direction of a brand new way to think about and celebrate your body."
— Pearl Cleage, author of What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day

I encourage you to order a copy now on Amazon.

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Now That's A Jam!

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I Love Your Smile

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