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Nelson George-directed film “Finding The Funk” premieres at SXSW, Mar. 13
Finding the Funk is a new music documentary by author and music critic Nelson George. Premiering at SXSW in Austin next week, the film — narrated by Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson, follows the journey of Funk music — past, present and future. Traveling from Georgia to California, onward to Dayton and Detroit, the director will showcase the sounds of Motown as well as the P-Funk era. Interviews will feature a who’s who of music legends, including Sly Stone, Bootsy Collins, George Clinton, Nona Hendryx, Maceo Parker, Bernie Worrell, and Steve Arrington, as well as “their descendants Mike D, D’Angelo, Sheila E and Shock G.” If you’re going to be in Austin, there will be a funk panel on Saturday, March 16, featuring Collins and Worrell, among others.
Finding the Funk was funded via Kickstarter, and according to Nelson George, there will be a forthcoming premiere for backers in Brooklyn sometime this spring or summer. A shorter version of the doc will air on VH1 in the fall. Check out the SXSW trailer below.
Friday Nite at the Movies: Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
Thanks to Netflix, I’ve had Searching for Sugar Man, a Swedish-British film, in my possession for about a month now, resting underneath a pile of mail. I’ve known about the movie since last spring when I made a list of films I wanted to catch in theatres. All of that is to say, I finally watched the movie on Tuesday night.
Searching for Sugar Man is an incredible true story of a Mexican-America folk musician named Rodriguez, discovered in a dive bar in Detroit in the 60′s, who never made it big in the U.S. in the 70′s, but somehow in anti-apartheid South Africa, his music was hugely popular. He had two albums released via Sussex Records (founded by 2013 BET Honors awardee Clarence Avant), Cold Fact in 1970 and Come From Reality a year later. Rodriguez wrote songs about the sadness of life in an urban setting, which is probably why it resonated so much in South Africa.
In the film, Stephen “Sugar” Segerman, a South African record shop owner, and Craig Bartholomew Strydom, a music journalist, are the two music fans who dedicate a huge part of their lives to finding out whether Sixto Rodriguez, their idol, was dead or alive. I loved this film so much because of the heart and ambition of Swedish director Malik Bendjelloul, as well as Segerman and Strydom. Rodriguez was a riddle they were dead set on solving. And they did. It’s a fantastic film, a must see.
Searching for Sugar Man won Best Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards on Sunday night (Feb. 24) and took home the Special Jury Prize and Audience Award for best international documentary at Sundance Film Festival in 2012. Check out the interview below with the director and Rodriguez.
Searching for Sugar Man: interview with director Malik Bendjelloul and Sixto Rodriguez from PORT on Vimeo.
My best Brooklyn experiences: 10 reasons to visit the best borough in New York
Entering BK via Brooklyn Bridge in 2010
Now that The Barclays Center, an indoor entertainment and sports arena, officially opened its doors on Friday (Sept 28) in downtown Brooklyn– with an inaugural performance by the King of BK (thanks Jay-Z), it has given the borough and surrounding businesses more publicity than usual, which is giving tourists and native New Yorkers alike more reason to head downtown.
Usually passing the construction site for the Barclays Center on my daily commute, until this year I’d lived in various parts of BK since early 2009. From Bay Ridge to Lefferts Garden, to Greenpoint to Flatbush, living in Brooklyn was probably the most exhausting yet exciting three years of my entire life! From DJs rocking out in parks to a musical legend giving a free show in Coney Island –every day of the week was something new and special to experience.
But don’t get it twisted, as a military veteran who was stationed in Arizona, Alaska, Nebraska, Haiti and Japan over an eight-year span, living in BK was by choice rather than by circumstance.
That being said, I decided to craft my top 10 list of favorite Brooklyn moments during my time as resident. Included are concerts, film screenings, a restaurant, a bookstore and a few fan moments. This is by no means a complete catalog of events; I have New York stories for days but this is sort of my PR moment love letter to BK.
Lastly, IF you are planning a visit to New York for the first time (or second or third), definitely check out Times Square, 34th Street, Soho, The West Village, etc. but do take the time to visit Brooklyn! It’s a whole other experience.
So without further ado …
1. Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene – At the corner of Fulton and South Portland stands the independently-owned Greenlight Bookstore. For nearly a year I worked at (and had many flirtatious encounters) at this little shop. Started by Jessica Stockton-Bagnulo and Rebecca Fitting in late 2009, it’s a great place for good reads, sweet author events, and the occasional “family-member-of-a-celeb-spotting”. While there I met rapper Talib Kweli’s mom and actor Steve Buscemi’s brother. But I also met Jennifer Egan, author of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning book A Visit From the Goon Squad and noted music journalist and cultural critic Touré.
2. Aretha Franklin in Coney Island – Stood in line for nearly two hours just to witness the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin give a free performance at Coney Island’s Asser Levy Park during the 2011 Summer Concert Series. Setlist included “Respect,” “Chain of Fools” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.”
Vinyl version of Odyssey’s “Inside Out” (Twitpic photo/ND McCray)
3. DJ Spinna and Dam-Funk at Fort Greene Park – Spike Lee filmed many scenes from his 1986 feature film She’s Gotta Have It in Ft. Greene Park. However, on a warm summer day in 2010, soulful house producer DJ Spinna and electro-funk-boogie king Dam-Funk brought out many music lovers for their summer concert in the park.
Bonus memory: There was a song in DJ Spinna’s set that I’d loved for years but never knew the song title or artist. So the next day I hit him up on Twitter and described the song and the point at which he played it in his set –and lo and behold, minutes later he tweeted me the artist and song title, which was Odyssey and their funky 1982 R&B tune, “Inside Out.”
4. Fela! in HD at Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) – Seeing Fela, the story of famed afrobeat musician Fela Kuti in HD at BAM last year was just as fascinating and riveting as I’d always heard. However, catching Family Stand singer-songwriter Sandra St. Victor and Grammy-nominee Maiysha at BAMcafe Live was equally fascinating.
5. Zen Vegetarian House in Flatbush – When I lived in the neighborhood, I’d eat at this vegetarian Chinese restaurant at least once a week. Whether delivery, dine in or take out, my food always arrived fresh, hot and with the quickness. My favorites were the veggie spring rolls or the crispy soy chicken nuggets served with their homemade BBQ sauce. Their smoothies and soy ice cream are quite delicious too.
6. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings at Prospect Park Bandshell – Though my friend Amelia and I could only hear Sharon Jones from our viewing point at this packed out Celebrate Brooklyn! show at Prospect Park’s Bandshell, it was a memorable night nonetheless. Not only did we have a good time and a backdrop of great music by the retro soul act – but we had some awesomely cheap wine to sip on too!
7. Jamie Lidell at Music Hall of Williamsburg – London-bred, formerly Brooklyn-based, now Nashville-settled Jamie Lidell is a cross between alternative neo-soul and eclectic electro-pop artist. I saw him perform live for the first time two years ago at a sold-out show at Music Hall of Williamsburg, when he was promoting his newest album Compass. Full on charm and personality, Jamie is definitely a performer.
FYI: Williamsburg is the hipster capital of Brooklyn but their music venues host some of the best performances around the borough. Anyway, here, the electro-producer and beatmaker messes around with a Native Instruments app to remix “A Little Bit More,” from his 2005 LP Multiply.
8. Saying “what’s up” to indie singer-songwriter Citizen Cope as well as Emmy Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright as I walked towards Atlantic Avenue in downtown Brooklyn. Two separate occasions, same geeky smile.
9. Making Do The Right Thing screening and discussion at Billie Holiday Theatre at Restoration Plaza in Bedford-Stuyvesant – This was a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Spike Lee’s seminal 1989 film Do The Right Thing –which was filmed in Bed-Stuy. It featured a post-screening Q&A with Sam Pollard, a noted filmmaker and frequent Lee collaborator on such films as Jungle Fever, Mo’ Better Blues, Girl 6 and 4 Little Girls. Here’s the official trailer for Do The Right Thing.
10. Columbia Street Waterfront in Red Hook – Across the street from Fairway grocery store (one of my faves in the borough) and tucked into a nice corner of the industrial section of BK called Red Hook, sits the Columbia Street Waterfront. With great views of Lower Manhattan, this was my go-to spot to think, to write, to eat a meal, meditate or just relax the afternoon away. There is no official website for Columbia Street Waterfront but if you head to the Waterfront Museum, they’re literally in the same location.
Bottom line: Visit Brooklyn!
“Black Dynamite” animated series now airing on Adult Swim on Sunday nights
Black Dynamite: The Animated Series
Can you dig it?
Michael Jai White’s 2009 cult classic Black Dynamite has now been transformed into an animated series on the Adult Swim cable network, which shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9pm to 6am. The first episode aired on Sunday, July 15, but for those who haven’t seen the movie, it’s an ode to 70′s blaxploitation films such as “Shaft”, “Dolemite” and “Superfly”. The title character is an ex-CIA agent-turned-vigilante who fights against kung-fu masters, drug-dealing pimps, and “the man.”
The series is executive-produced by Carl Jones (co-creator of The Boondocks), and co-written by actors Michael Jai White (“Black Dynamite”) and Byron Minns (co-stars as “Bullhorn”). In a recent interview with Shadow and Act, Minns and White says there will be differences between the film and the TV show, such as more in-depth character development:
Minns: “We were very respectful of the characters that we originally created. But the thing that makes the animated series special is that we’re able to delve into the characters in full. In the series, it’s like we have 10 movies and now we get to see who these people are in different situations, and it takes it so much further than we could in just one film.“
White added, “Of course it’s a different pace, and [in animation] your characters have to be larger than life. But the essence of the characters is still there. That strange family unit is still evident in the cartoon. It’s a whole lot of fun.”
Other characters in the film have returned too, like “Honey Bee” played by Kym Whitley and “Cream Corn” voiced by Tommy Davidson. In the clip below, the cast talks about the show at New York’s Comic-Con convention last October, but peep the trailer for the series as well. Hilarious.
Black Dynamite airs Sunday nights at 11:30pm EST on Adult Swim.
Creativity in Motion
Two young fans observe a Katy Perry: Part of Me movie display at AMC Theatre in Houston, Texas, on Saturday, July 14, 2012. (Photo/ND McCray)
I love activity. Though daydreaming inspires a lot of my writing, being on the move, on the go really gets my creative juices rolling. I’m not talking in a social butterfly, “I Love the Nightlife” sort of way –but for me, I need to do things to create things. And that might be going for a short run in the park, finding an unusual art exhibit, visiting a local flea market, attending a concert, taking my dachshund to the dog park, or simply going to a movie by myself. Activity inspires my writing.
Yesterday I went and saw pop star Katy Perry’s Part of Me music doc, and I have to say: She has the concept of creativity and activity on speed dial. I mean the girl performs on stages with gigantic lollipops in the background. I respect that level of originality on and off stage. So while watching Katy Perry in 3D, I had the notion to Twitter-ask an artist or two about their creative and inspirational moments.
Once home, I looked through my Twitter followers and ended up with two creative souls in the spotlight: Musician-producer Hayling Price of neo-soul duo Columbia Nights and “Left-of-Soul” singer-songwriter Candice Anitra. I wanted to know what inspires them to create, be it music and/or writing songs. Here’s what each had to say:
Hayling Price: “I tend to listen to music and immerse myself in music situations that challenge me. Fresh ideas and innovative sounds can always spark inspiration for me. It could be a wrong note, and chord change, a strange sound … but all of that, combined with collaborators who push you and keep you on your toes, get those [creative] juices flowing!”
Candice Anitra: “Love, nature, challenge, gender and sexuality, spirit, art, music, family, depression, social justice, the grey/murky/in between. Often though, in the stillness, the center point, when I am with my breath –the words are speaking to me.”
Creativity in motion is inspiring to me in many forms. Be it watching Katy on the big screen or searching through Twitter and posing a question via DM to Hayling and Candice. For me, exploring different things in different formats is what fuels my creativity. My ideas come from everywhere. So I guess, they’ll always be there to move me.
To find out more on Hayling Price and Columbia Nights’ latest EP Dawn | Dusk, visit www.columbianights.com
To find out more on Candice Anitra and her newest LP Big Tree, visit www.candiceanitra.com
Jordin Sparks, Whitney Houston, Cee-Lo Green in Official “Sparkle” Poster
The official movie poster for the remake of the 1976 film “Sparkle” has finally been released by TriStar Pictures. The movie stars Jordin Sparks, the late Whitney Houston, singer Cee-Lo Green as well as comedian Mike Epps, among others. “Sparkle” hits theatres on August 17.
Source: Egypt Said So
Tribeca Film Festival Runs April 18 – 29
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| Photo credit: TribecaFilm.com |
The 2012 Tribeca Film Festival begins next month on April 18th and runs through the 29th in New York City. And with 34 films, 22 narratives and 12 documentaries (19 of which will be world premieres), there should be at least a handful of good films for the most eclectic movie watcher. This year I’m aiming to see five; last year I only had time to catch two as well as two filmmaker talks: the avant-garde documentary The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye, which is a deeply moving story about the relationship between performance artist Genesis P-Orridge and his soul mate Lady Jaye; and the seductive drama Last Night starring Keira Knightley, Sam Worthington (Avatar), and Eva Mendes.
The filmmaker talks, which were held at the Apple Soho store, included one with Michael Rapaport, the director of the documentary Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest and the other was with Stephen Mitchell, who documented American rockers Kings of Leon in Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon.
Nonetheless, I know I’m being super-ambitious this year with trying to see five films but there are so many good features I have to go all in. So we’ll see how this plays out. But here’s a list of the 2012 Tribeca films that caught my eye:
- 2 Days in New York – a seemingly sweet follow-up to Julie Deply’s 2007 comedy 2 Days in Paris. Now Chris Rock is in the role of Marion’s boyfriend.
- BAM150 – a behind-the-scenes look at one of the nation’s oldest performance arts centers, the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Ft. Greene, Brooklyn.
- Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey – rock documentary of a YouTube star who is now fronting the rock band Journey.
- The Russian Winter - documentary that follows Brooklyn-bred musician and former prison inmate John Forte as he embarks on a 2008 tour across Russia, once again doing the music he loves.
- Searching for Sugar Man – documentary about obsessed fans in search of a 70′s rock icon…that no one has ever really heard of.
Behind-The-Scenes footage of Whitney Houston on the set of "Sparkle"
SPIKE TV Premieres Bruce Lee Doc on March 7th
“The Artist” and humanity in a nutshell
A few weeks ago, I finally saw the Golden Globe-winning, Academy Award-nominated film The Artist starring French actors Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo. If you have yet to see it, it is a black-and-white piece dedicated to the silent era of film. More specifically, it’s about an aging film star, George Valentin and his spunky protege, Peppy Miller — who unintentionally steals his stardom. The creativity, music and performances by Dujardin and Bejo, as well as John Goodman and James Cromwell are magnificently portrayed.
At the same time, I feel that The Artist makes you once again question the industries (music and film mostly) for its lack of loyalty to its stars.
I don’t want to give away crucial moments in the movie but I liken Hollywood to the music industry. When you have the hot single, fresh sound, lucrative recording deal or a well-known industry exec backing your project, everyone wants to be around you, basking in your glory. Because I’m not a musician, I can only guess that the invites to parties, special events, venues, etc. are a plenty when you’re the “catch of the day.” But, the moment your star power begins to fade, the record sales slow up, the concerts are no longer selling out or your personal life becomes more popular than your music, a few of those same people discard you, toss you aside as if you didn’t mean a thing. As if your contributions to music didn’t matter.
What I genuinely loved about The Artist is that it showed a human side to the movie industry. It gave hope to humanity. Showing that even when someone, who was once at the top of their game and dealing with their own set of issues and insecurities — there was still someone around who was kind, trustworthy and still believed in them. Who loved them, cherished their artistic talents and wholeheartedly wanted them to make a triumphant return.
The Artist showed me (and millions of others) that redemption is always right around the corner. For as long as there’s someone who loves, respects and supports the work of the creator; the real and true fans will always be there cheering the artist on, ready for the next act. My only hope is that the next time it happens, the next time a film like this is made, the people who may be inspired by it, or who is the subject of it, are actually around to feel the joy that these things most certainly can bring.
Event Review: The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 – “Black Power As Seen By Swedes”
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| The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 |
The film opens with a speech by the controversial but charismatic Stokely Carmichael while in
2 Live Crew’s Uncle Luke Heads to Sundance with "The Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke"
New Video: RE:GENERATION, Mark Ronson "A La Modeliste"
Back in November I remember seeing footage of the RE:Generation Project, where five popular DJs and producers (DJ Premier, Mark Ronson, Skrillex, Pretty Lights and The Crystal Method) are paired up with various artists to re-create new sounds out of five different traditional styles of music. As a lover of the DJ, the film definitely caught my eye.
Now, an official track from the project (produced by Mark Ronson) has been released featuring neo-soul goddess Erykah Badu, Brooklynite Mos Def, New Orleans natives Trombone Shorty and Zigaboo Modeliste, as well as members of The Dap-Kings, the funkier side of Sharon Jones.
New Film: Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap
Friday Nite @ the Movies w/ Michael Fassbender
New Documentary: 5-Minute Preview of "Brooklyn Boheme" {Trailer}
"Just Wright" w/ Queen Latifah, Common & director Sanaa Hamri [Behind the Scenes]
Friday Nite @ the Movies: JULIE & JULIA [on DVD]
Honestly, it’s a fitting description for a film about not only finding your passion, but pursuing it at any cost. The butter? Well, it does make EVERYTHING taste better. Bon appétit!
Friday Nite @ the Movies: STILL BILL
Showing for a limited-time only (thru Thursday, February 4th) at the IFC Center here in New York City, Still Bill is a wonderfully moving, intimate, funny and honest portrait of soul singer and songwriter Bill Withers. In case you’ve forgotten the hits, the classics are “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean on Me,” “Lovely Day,” “Just The Two of Us,” “Grandma’s Hands,” and “Use Me.”
Without saying too much about the documentary (and myself), other than it’s a must-see, there are a few things about Mr. Withers that hit me something hard. He didn’t pursue a career in music until after his nine-year stint in the United States Navy, at age 29. I, too, didn’t decide to pursue a career in writing, let alone a career writing about music until long after my eight-year term in the United States Air Force, at age 32. The point is Mr. Withers will be 72 in July; I’ll be 35 in May, yet Still Bill is a story that resonated beyond our ages. It’s a story of struggle, doubt, fear, insecurity, love, passion, which are all emotions – if we’re honest with ourselves, we confront at some point in our journey. It’s a remarkable film. Definitely one for the movie collection. Still Bill releases on DVD Spring 2010.
Still Bill Trailer from B-Side Entertainment on Vimeo.
Cary Grant Monday, "His Girl Friday"
I actually caught His Girl Friday on Christmas Eve during its one-week run at Brooklyn Academy of Music, and it was a great way to unwind before the big day.
Cary Grant stars as Walter Burns, a fast-talking newspaper editor who persuades, uh, rather bamboozles his former star reporter/ex-wife Hildy Johnson (Rosalind Russell) into covering one last story – and of course, into not remarrying the cornball, I mean, the nice guy. His Girl Friday (1940) is the kind of screwball comedy where the dialogue is more spot-on than the storyline. I loved it! Plus, Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell’s verbal insults are priceless.
Friday Nite @ the Movies – Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
“The edge…the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.” – Hunter S. Thompson
Most famous during the ’60s, Hunter actually coined the “gonzo” style of reporting, saying that it’s not a story unless you’re involved in it. So be it, Hunter actually rode with the infamous motorcycle crew, the Hell’s Angels, covered political campaigns, as well as ran for sheriff in Aspen, Colorado. He drank heavily, inhaled virtually every drug known to man yet his bizarre writing style is immortalized and has inspired countless journalists throughout the years.
Cary Grant Monday, "Father Goose"
For those that don’t know, Cary Grant is quite possibly the only man next to Prince that can make me swoon. Perhaps it’s the accent, the urban sophistication, the swag, the accent…Simple plot: Grant plays Walter Eckland, a beach bum basically who’s coerced by a good friend in the Australian navy to monitor the air activity of Japanese aircraft in exchange for alcohol. Then comes a lady and kids and marriage, all classic elements for Cary flicks. Which is why I dig him soooooo much!!
Friday Nite @ the Movies: Mahogany
In honor of New York’s Fashion Week, which kicked off yesterday with Fashion’s Night Out, I decided to indulge in the uber-classic, Berry Gordy-produced 1975 film, Mahogany, starring Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams and Anthony Perkins.
For the uninitiated, Mahogany tells the story of Tracy (Ross), an “ambitious secretary” who’s launched into the world of fashion modeling and designing. Brian (Williams) is her love interest and Chicago politician. Meanwhile, Sean (Perkins) is the photographer who becomes obsessed with his subject (Ross).
An old favorite for years, admittedly, the soundtrack is even more flavorable with the title track “Do You Know Where You’re Going To.”
