WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE?

 

How cool is it to publish actresses, no men, without makeup and without their hair well  groomed?  I think it’s a disgrace to go out of your way to find these actresses looking as unattractive as possible, then publishing their picture under a title of “15 surprising photos of celebrities without makeup”.  I just came across such an article under “SheBudgets” that listed Brook Shields, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Hudson, Calista Flockhart, Maria Shriver, Alicia Silverstone, Sharon Osborne, Rosanna Arquette , Renee Zellweger, Pink, Melanie Griffith, Kirstie Alley, Kelly Ripa, Kelly Clarkson, and Christina Applegate.  Some of them didn’t even look bad, in my opinion.  Who fault is this anyway?  Are we so nosy that we have nothing else to do but sit around looking into the lives of the rich and or famous?  It’s sort of like buying stolen jewelry or stolen anything.  The thieves steal it, then tries to unload the property on the streets.  We buy the stolen goods because we are getting something for nothing, so to speak.  This causes the thieves to continue stealing because there are always buyers.  The Paparazzi snaps the pictures and sells it to the highest bidder among the newspaper and magazine hounds, then we buy it, making much money for the magazines and/or newspapers, which I like to call “ragweeds”.   These purchases cause the Paparazzi to continue invading the private lives of celebrities.  Every job has hours.  If a celebrity is not working then they should be off limits to the Paparazzi.  Taking unflattering pictures of the stars truly sucks. Some say that’s the price of being a star — I say that’s the price of our nosiness!

LINCOLN (2012) – My rating: 10/10

What a Great Movie!                                                                                        I saw the latest release of “LINCOLN” (2012) and I highly recommend it to all. It delves deep into politics but it’s not boring and you may learn a thing or two. The stars are endless, Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, and Gloria Reuben to name a few. Therefore you can expect it’s not amateurishly acted. Despite what you may have heard about Abe Lincoln, this movie really puts it all into perspective. It’s as if this movie had a telescope into today’s issues. I laughed, I cried, I applauded and I even commented a couple of times (out loud). Although the movie was 2-1/2 long, it was time well spent. BTW: Don’t miss the opening scene — Steven Spielberg, as always, jump starts your emotions! I say it’s a MUST SEE!

[Lincoln won Oscars for Best Actor and Best Achievement in Production Design!]

SPARKLE (2012) – My rating: 8/10

A Good Modern Musical!                                                                                            Sparkle was a pretty decent movie/musical. I was saddened watching Whitney Houston perform for the last time. Her voice sounded pretty good, not nearly as bad as the press reported it. Had she lived, I believe Whitney’s talent for acting was good enough to sustain her while she worked to bring her voice up to speed or not.

I have been a fan of Jordan Sparks and have followed her career since she won American Idol. I must say, she is a pretty good actress. I waited with baited breath for her to belt out a couple of songs, as it turns out, it was a long wait but well worth it when she finally did. The performance was not “Dream Girls” status, but was excellent given the script, songs and story Jordan had to work with.

The movie was about 3 sisters, veering for stardom, trying to follow in the footsteps of the Supremes, only bigger. Sister played by Carmen Ejogo was the lead singer and Dee played by Tika Sumpter was studying to be a doctor. Both actresses brought good singing and acting to the movie. Some of their costumes were eye opening. I was a little disappointed however, when stories of 2 character’s (levi, played by Omari Hardwick and Black, played by Celo Green) fell a little short. I definitely wanted more.

I was impressed with the performance of Mike Epps as he played a bully and comedian looking for acceptance from his audience. Sparkle is full of talent and tells a pretty good story. The Choir was fantastic as was the performance of Derek Luke who played Stix, a love interest for Sparkle. I recommend this movie — you won’t be bored. If you are a Whitney fan, you’ll be pleased with her performance as well — REST IN PEACE WHITNEY HOUSTON!!!!!

THE CELL (2000) – My rating: 10/10

An Honest Review!
This futuristic movie is for deep thinkers. Imagine being able to get into someone’s mind, see what they see, hear what they hear and feel what they feel. While this could open up a world of knowledge as well as mental healing, it’s very dangerous.

If you can get past Jennifer Lopez’s terrific posterior, this movie has something to say and gives you something to think about. The special effects and costumes are great. A must see movie for those who are able to absorb this mind chiller.

CHASING SLEEP (2000) – My rating: 7/10

Chasing What? — ***slight spoiler***
This was definitely a weird movie. It leaves too much to the imagination. A college professor played by Jeff Daniels (an excellent actor) comes home to find his cheating wife missing. Somewhere in this flick, I began to think the professor may have killed his wife because of all the finger business, which was unrealistic. I wasn’t sure if his pill popping, grief or obsession with his wife was causing hallucinations, or if his sleep deprivation was causing him to imagine things, or are we supposed to believe that fingers walk around without a body attached?

Whatever the case, this movie left many questions unanswered.  Since the film is called “Chasing Sleep”, maybe we are not suppose to know who killed his wife or if she is really dead. Maybe it’s about what can happen to the mind without sleep.

The movie was well cast, well directed and I was not bored.  I was, however waiting for answers that never came. I’d call this an unsolved mystery.

CITIZEN JAMES (2000) – My rating: 8/10

Pretty Good for an Amateur!
If uniqueness is the goal of this movie, Doug E. Doug has hit “pay dirt”. Citizen James is about a bored, young black `wanna be’ movie maker. The character, played by Doug E. Doug, who also stared in the last Cosby sitcom in real life, has decided to make a movie about Angela Davis but has no money or clue how to get started. Miraculously, he finds a thug’s money and uses it to finance his endeavor. Before finding this money, he wrote to Bill Cosby asking that he sponsor his project since Bill had donated to other worthy causes. Of course the thug discovers who found his money and takes the appropriate action. There is low level humor and suspense in this movie as well as intrigue. It all comes together in the end.  Since Doug E. Doug wrote, directed and starred in  this low budgeted  movie, there is no DVD cover or any other bells and whistles that go along with regular movie productions.  Citizen James sends a  somewhat, powerful message.  It is truly worth seeing.

CROSSROADS (2002) – My rating: 7/10

What a Surprise!
In my opinion, Britney Spears is all body and cannot sing. I was so surprised that not only did she show the best of her singing and acting talents in Crossroads but she did it quite well.

Crossroads is a cutesy movie about 3 young friends who make a pact to review their lives at midnight on the day of their graduation from HS. By the time graduation rolls around, they have out grown one another. Each is at a crossroad in their life. They get a gorgeous hunk only one of them knows to drive them cross country in pursuit of answers.

I loved the fact, despite 2 girls are white and 1 black, that there was no mention of race or any prejudices in the movie. It was a story that treated everyone pretty equal, except they played Britney up as the lead singer. I don’t know why viewers rated this movie poorly. It was a nice semi-quasi, escape from the fast pace, violence, and sex we see all the time. Basically, it is a feel good movie and Britney was pretty good.

MADEA’S FAMILY REUNION (2006) – My Rating: 10/10

I Loved This Movie!
It’s crazy, funny, a little ghetto in parts, but it has a great message and it’s thoroughly entertaining. I laughed, cried, shouted, cheered, commented out loud and even clapped. Madea is an outrageous character brilliantly played by Tyler Perry as is Madea’s brother, Joe and the handsome lawyer. It feels so good to be entertained at a movie. Family Reunion gives you a chance to unwind and relax plus have a good, hardy laugh. Anyone who takes it for more is in for a surprise because there is more — a great message of forgiveness and love. It’s worth seeing. I’m not sure how IMDb, who I give a lot of respect for such an informative website, calculates the voting averages but I challenge the accuracy of 2.5. To know the Madea character is to love it and I do love it. This movie is funny!

OUT OF ROSENHEIM (1987) aka Bagdad Cafe – My Rating: 10/10

Mesmerizing Cafe, Mesmerizing Movie!
When this film first started, my first thoughts were to turn to something else because Bagdad Cafe was not what I thought it would be. The movie guide said it was about a large women who brings change to another women’s business.

For some reason, I stuck with the movie and was pleasantly surprised. I found myself laughing, crying, cheering, standing, sitting, jumping and even talking to myself. All of this equates to happiness. I felt happy by the time the movie ended and of course, I didn’t want Bagdad Cafe to end.

An unlikely German woman named Jasmin (played by Marianne Sägebrecht) appears at this cafe/motel out of no where. She has a suitcase of men’s clothes and no car. Her appearance raises the eyebrows of the owner, whose husband had just left her along with some of the permanent residents of the Cafe. Jack Palance, for one, is a painter/artist who finds Jasmin mesmerizing and wants desperately to paint a portrait of her. The owner (Brenda) has a son who plays classic piano that no one cares to hear until this woman, who later performs magic, comes along.

By the end of the movie, things are jumping, attitudes have disappeared, and the camaraderie among the cafe staff is unbelievable. This is truly a feel good movie that picks up long after it’s slow beginning. It took me to a place, in my heart, that was filled with emotion, song and dance. Bob Telson won an Oscar in 1989 for the best song (Calling You). The song was also mesmerizing and would win again in 2003 if it were up for an award. The owner, played by CCH Pounder, played the role of a lifetime. She should have gotten an award for her performance as well. There’s a lot to be learned at the Bagdad Cafe.