Saturday, August 31, 2013

Best Kept Secret (FILM REVIEW)




Best Kept Secret
Film Review by Kam Williams

Moving Documentary Chronicles Dedicated Teacher’s Selfless Efforts on Behalf of Her Autistic Students 


            Janet Mino teaches at JFK High in Newark, a public school for students with special education needs. By 2012, she had been working with the same small group of autistic boys for four years, which meant that they would all be graduating together in the spring.
            Understandably, Ms. Mino had grown quite fond and rather protective of her class, given how autistic kids are generally sweet souls of unfathomable innocence. In addition, she knew that upon aging out of the system and receiving their diplomas, they would essentially be forced to fend for themselves in a hard, cruel world not inclined to lend a helping hand.
            For that reason, she devoted much of their senior year to preparing them for life beyond the protective cocoon that she had so lovingly created. That’s why she asked them where they would like to work, whether in a fast food restaurant, a factory or elsewhere, with the hope that she might be able to help them avoid ending up vegetating at home, institutionalized, or even out on the streets.
            Therefore, after school hours, she would visit various local establishments to pressure potential employers to take a chance on a child with autism. Otherwise, without the daily stimulation of a structured environment, they were likely to lose the communication and interpersonal skills she’d so carefully cultivated.
            Ms. Mino’s heroic efforts are the subject of Best Kept Secret, as uplifting a documentary as you are likely to see this year. The picture was directed by Samantha Buck whose camera captures each of Janet’s pupils so intimately that you feel like you know them by the time that closing credits start to roll.
            Furthermore, as the tears stream down your cheeks, you can’t help but worry about how each might be faring today. If this movie’s aim is to find the deepest spot in the audience’s heart, then bull’s eye!
            A magnificent tapestry of touching relationships more like mother and child than student-teacher. When scientists figure out how to clone humans, they ought to start with Janet Mino.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 85 minutes
Studio: Argot Pictures
Distributor: IFC

To see a trailer for Best Kept Secret, visit:  http://argotpictures.com/best_kept_secret.html

Things Never Said (FILM REVIEW)



Things Never Said
Film Review by Kam Williams

Battered Wife Takes Refuge in Poetry in Female Empowerment Flick

            Miserably-married Kalindra (Shanola Hampton) hasn’t yet found the strength to leave her abusive husband, Ronnie (Elimu Nelson), even though the last time the creep put his hands on her, she ended up in the hospital. Trouble is, it’s hard for her to figure a way out of the situation, given that she’s been struggling just to keep a roof over their heads on a truck stop waitress’ salary ever since her hot-headed hubby lost his job at a gas station after breaking a tardy co-worker’s (Yorke Fryer) arm in a fit of rage.
            Beleaguered Kalindra copes by crying on the shoulder of her BFF Daphne (Tamala Jones) and by secretly dreaming of moving alone from L.A. to New York where she hopes to make it as a spoken word poet. Meanwhile, she tries to summon up the courage to test out some of her emotional rhymes down at the local cafĂ© on open mic night.
            Everything changes for Kal the day she meets Curtis Jackson (Omari Hardwick) at a slam. No, he’s not the rapper 50 Cent, but a gifted wordsmith, nonetheless, and willing to take her under his wings, literally and figuratively. Soon, the two are sleeping together, but the hunky Mr. Wonderful has no idea that his gorgeous new girlfriend has a husband with anger management issues.
            This recipe for disaster is the ominous point of departure of Things Never Said, a poetry-driven drama marking the directorial debut of veteran TV scriptwriter Charles Murray (Third Watch). Unfortunately, between the campy melodrama and cheesy sex scenes, the film unfolds more like a television soap opera than a feature film.
            Most problematical, however, is the lousy poetry that’s force fed on us at every turn. For instance, “Roses are red. Violets are blue. Get your ass up. I’m still working on the end.” Equally-underwhelming was this variation on “This Little Piggy Went to Market.” “This little piggy’s brokenhearted. This little lady turns to stone. This little lady Cupid darted. This little lady’s alone. This little lady goes ‘Wee! Wee! Wee!’ all the way to the poem.”
            To this critic, the staccato-style of poetry performed in this picture is the equivalent of rap sans the music. Consider lines like “I am the wife of a piece of [expletive]” and “My [expletive for genitalia] does taste like chocolate.” So, if you have a strong stomach for crudity, the N-word and lots of cussing, this foul-mouthed flick might be right up your alley.
            An uplifting tale of female empowerment tarnished by its crude method of delivering a positive message.
           
Fair (1 star)
Rated R for sexuality, ethnic slurs and pervasive profanity
Running time: 111 minutes
Studio: Ohio Street Pictures
Distributor: Codeblack Entertainment

To see a trailer for Things Never Said, visit: 

Friday, August 30, 2013

Evocateur (DVD REVIEW)



Evocateur: The Morton Downey, Jr. Movie
DVD Review by Kam Williams

Biopic Revisits Rise and Fall of Talk Show Flash in the Pan

            Morton Downey, Sr. was a wealthy, well-connected film and recording star who settled down with his family on Cape Cod in a lavish mansion located right next-door to the Kennedys. Although son Morton, Jr. was raised a liberal in the lap of luxury and tried for years to make it as a rock musician, in 1987 he made himself over as an arch-conservative populist presuming to be the voice of angry white males.
            Over the next two years, he would enjoy a meteoric rise as the host of an eponymous, nationally-syndicated, TV talk show. However, because the chain-smoking conservative-come-lately was an obnoxious loudmouth who cared more about ratings than an honest discussion of political issues, his hate-spewing, in your face interviewing style would grow tiresome just as fast as it brought him to the top of the Hollywood food chain.
            The stunt that proved to be Mort’s downfall transpired in a San Francisco airport bathroom where he cut his hair and his shirt with scissors and drew a swastika on his face in a bathroom before claiming to have been attacked by a gang of neo-Nazi skinheads. What’s ironic about the incident is the fact that a frequent guest on his show was Reverend Al Sharpton, a staunch defender of Tawana Brawley, who was similarly disgraced after being exposed as a fraud for falsely fingering a white district attorney for rape.
            Directed by Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller and Jeremy Newberger, Evocateur is a mix of archival footage and reflections by family, friends, fans and folks who made appearances on the program like Pat Buchanan and Gloria Allred. The old videos of Mort, who succumbed to lung cancer in 2001, remain every bit as compelling today as they were in his heyday.
            A riveting biopic about a rich kid-turned-rabid bully and pathological liar desperate enough for the limelight to sell his soul to the devil.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for profanity and nudity
Running time: 90 minutes
Distributor: Magnolia Home Entertainment 

To see a trailer for Evocateur, visit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw0cbBQrnDk



Top Ten DVD Releases for 9-3-13



This Week’s DVD Releases
by Kam Williams


Top Ten DVD List for September 3, 2013                      
 
The Twilight Zone: The Complete Fifth Season


From Up on Poppy Hill


Scandal: The Complete Second Season


Great Plains: America’s Lingering Wild


Somm


The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

 
Sharknado

 
A Bay of Blood

  
The Iceman


Barbie: Mariposa & the Fairy Princess

 

Honorable Mention

The Office: Season Nine



I Do


The Vampire Diaries: The Complete Fourth Season


Sons of Anarchy: Season Five


What If… ?


Parks and Recreation: Season Five


Haven: The Complete Third Season


Online


Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest


The English Teacher


Pawn Shop Chronicles

 

Now You See Me


The Lords of Salem


No One Lives


Five Dolls for an August Moon

 
Beyond the Walls

 
Arthur Newman


Slightly Single in L.A.


Petunia


The Stranger Within

Heart of the Country [A Walmart Exclusive]

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Kam's Movie Kapsules for 9-6-13



OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:      
Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun         
by Kam Williams
For movies opening September 6, 2013


BIG BUDGET FILMS   

Riddick (R for profanity, nudity, sexuality and graphic violence) Third installment of the otherworldly sci-fi series finds Vin Diesel reprising his role as an alien antihero now left for dead on a desolate planet where he ends up in a struggle for survival after the arrival of bounty hunters searching for him. Cast includes Karl Urban, Bokeem Woodbine and Keri Hilson.


INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film (R for profanity) Class war documentary chronicles the birth of the Occupy Movement by following a motley assortment of activists camping out in lower Manhattan’s Zuccotti Park with hopes of creating a utopian alternative to the status quo.  

Adore (R for profanity and sexually) Tale of forbidden love based on “The Grandmothers,” the Doris Lessing novella about a couple of lifelong best friends (Robin Wright and Naomi Watts) who seduce each other’s son (Xavier Samuel and James Frecheville). With Bob Mendelsohn, Jessica Tovey and Sophie Lowe.

Best Kept Secret (Unrated) Special Ed documentary, set at Newark’s JFK High School, and following the efforts of a dedicated teacher to find jobs for autistic students in the Class of 2012 so that they can be come productive members of society rather than end up institutionalized or on the streets.   

Fire in the Blood (Unrated) Revealing expose’ relating the shocking story of how pharmaceutical companies conspired with Western governments to prevent sub-Saharan African nations from acquiring affordable HIV drugs, thereby leading to over ten million unnecessary deaths from AIDS. Includes appearances by Bishop Desmond Tutu and President Bill Clinton.    

Good Ol’ Freda (PG for smoking and mature themes) Beatles documentary featuring the reminiscences about the Fab Four by their longtime secretary, Freda Kelly. 

Hell Baby (R for sexuality, profanity, drug use, graphic nudity and gory violence) Horror comedy revolving around an expectant couple (Rob Corddry and Leslie Bibb) whose lives unravel after moving into a haunted house in New Orleans. Cast includes Alex Berg, Keegan Michael Key and Robert Ben Garant.

Out of the Clear Blue Sky (Unrated) 9/11 documentary examining the fallout of the terrorist attack on Cantor Fitzgerald, a brokerage firm which lost 658 of its 960 employees when one of the hijacked aircraft crashed into the World Trade Center’s North Tower.

Populaire (R for sexuality) French farce, set in 1958, about an applicant (Deborah Francois) for a secretarial position at an insurance company who is informed by her prospective employer (Romain Duris) that she’ll have to win a speed typing competition in order to land the job. With Berenice Bejo, Shaun Benson and Melanie Bernier. (In French with subtitles)

Red Obsession (Unrated) East meets West documentary, narrated by Russell Crowe between Bordeaux and Beijing, documenting how China’s burgeoning demand for the world’s best wines has created a market bubble waiting to burst.    

Salinger (PG-13 for smoking, mature themes and disturbing images) Skeletons out of the closet biopic offering an inside look at the life and times of J.D. Salinger, the notoriously reclusive author of “The Catcher in the Rye.” Featuring commentary by 150 luminaries, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Wolfe, Gore Vidal, John Cusack and Martin Sheen.

A Teacher (Unrated) Jailbait drama, set in Austin, Texas, about a high school teacher (Lindsay Burdge) whose life falls apart after she crosses an ethical line by sleeping with one of her students (Will Brittain). Supporting cast includes Jennifer Prodiger, Julie Dell Phillips and Jonny Mars.  

Things Never Said (R for sexuality and pervasive profanity) Dysfunctional family drama about a miserably-married woman (Shanola Hampton) who uses poetry as an outlet to express her feelings about a miscarriage and about being beaten by her abusive husband (Elimu Nelson). With Omari Hardwick, Tamala Jones and Dorian Missick.  

Touchy Feely (R for language, drug use and brief sexuality) Sibling rivalry drama about a massage therapist (Rosemary DeWitt) who develops a phobia about making any physical contact with human skin at the same time that her dentist brother (Josh Pais) discovers that he has a miraculous healing touch. Supporting cast includes Ellen Page, Ron Livingston and Allison Janney.  

Winnie Mandela (R for violence and profanity) Jennifer Hudson portrays the title character in this biopic chronicling the life and times of Nelson Mandela’s (Terrence Howard) first wife. With Elias Koteas, Wendy Crewson and Angelique Pretorius.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Soul Food (BOOK REVIEW)



Soul Food
The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine
by Adrian Miller  
University of North Carolina Press
Hardcover, $30.00
352 pages, Illustrated
ISBN: 978-1-4696-0762-7
           
Book Review by Kam Williams

“From frontier cabins to plantation houses to the White House, from steamboat galleys and Pullman kitchens to public barbecues and fish fries and private homes without number, black chefs and cooks and servants have elevated the art of American cookery and distinguished themselves in the process, and they and all other Americans need to see the story fully told…
This is the story of soul food. Down through history, African-American cuisine has gone by several names since enslaved West Africans arrived in British North America: slave food, the master’s leftovers, southern food, country cooking, home cooking, down home cooking…
Of them, southern food and soul food are the labels most used, but they also tend to confuse. This book explores where southern food ends and soul food begins, and why soul food became the most recognized aspect of African-American cooking.” 
-- Excerpted from the Preface (pages xiii-xiv)

            In recent years, soul food has gotten a bad rap, basically because many folks have come to think of it as unhealthy. Some have even gone so far as to indict it as the leading cause of chronic diseases and early death among African-American men over 40.
            But Adrian Miller would be more inclined to blame it on a shift in the black diet’s away from traditional cuisine in favor of processed and fast food. Miller, a certified barbecue judge from Denver, Colorado, does concede, however, that soul food dishes were originally higher in sugar and fat than their southern food counterparts, since these ingredients were needed to spice up what were the master’s leftovers which were generally starchier, blander and bonier.
            In this highly-informative opus, the author not only relates the history of soul food in intimate fashion, one plate at a time, but he includes 22 recipes for such scrumptious staples as Macaroni and Cheese, Catfish Curry, Deep-Fried Chitlins, Fried Chicken, Cornbread, Candied Yams, Black-Eyed Peas, Banana Pudding and Peach Crisp.
            The book is filled with fascinating factoids. For instance, in a chapter entitled, “Chitlins: A Love Story,” we learn that pig intestines were once a delicacy appreciated as much by masters as by slaves. When Confederate General Joseph Wheeler’s cavalry stopped at a plantation in search of sustenance, his men devoured the chitlins offered so quickly that he didn’t get a bite.
            A chapter playfully called, “Sometimes I feel Like Motherless Greens,” discusses the differences among the dozen of leafy plants regularly found on the dinner tables of down home chefs, such as cabbage, collards, kale, Watercress, lettuce, dandelion, and turnip and beet greens, to name a few.
            By book’s end, it is obvious that the author is concerned that his favorite culinary fare might soon become extinct. Thus, it’s no surprise when he chooses to close his heartfelt homage with the impassioned conviction that despite the changing times, “Soul food can keep its flavor without losing its soul.” 


Kon-Tiki (DVD REVIEW)




Kon-Tiki
DVD Review by Kam Williams

Oscar-Nominated Epic Chronicles Historic Heyerdahl Voyage   

            At the beginning of the 20th Century, the conventional wisdom was that Polynesia had been settled by Asians arriving from the Far East. But it’s one thing for a pompous professor to simply sit in an ivory tower and speculate about who might have discovered the island group some 1,500 years ago, and quite another to go about proving a theory correct by attempting to replicate the putative pioneers’ perilous feat.
            While doing research in the Marquesas on the Isle of Fatu Hiva in the mid-Thirties, a Norwegian anthropologist named Thor Heyerdahl (Pal Sverre Hagen) came up with a novel idea about the roots of the natives. After studying the local fauna and flora, watching the flow of the tides, and listening to aborigine folklore about their ancestors’ arduous trek towards the setting sun, he reasoned that the region must have been settled by tribes migrating there from South America.
            Then, when his iconoclastic notion was roundly ridiculed by scholarly colleagues back in academia, Thor decided to prove his detractors wrong by mounting a 5,000-mile expedition from Peru to Polynesia. And although he knew nothing about sailing and couldn’t even swim, he did have the sense to assemble a team capable of assisting him in the dangerous endeavor.
            The plan was to build a balsa wood raft identical to the type used by indigenous people in pre-Columbian times, painstakingly following their methods of construction down to the smallest detail. And since they would not be able to steer this vessel christened the Kon-Tiki, Thor estimated it would take about three months for the currents and winds to take them to their destination.
            His intrepid crew was comprised of four fellow Norwegians and a Swede, including childhood friend, Erik Hesselberg (Odd Magnus Williamson), the navigator; radioman Knut Haugland (Tobias Santelmann), a decorated World War II veteran; Torstein Raaby (Jakob Oftebro), another radio expert; Herman Watzinger (Anders Baasmo Christiansen), an engineer; and Bengt Danielsson (Gustaf Skarsgard), the Swedish steward.
              Co-directed by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, Kon-Tiki faithfully chronicles their historic, transoceanic voyage. Despite the fact that most of the picture’s dialogue is English, it somehow earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Language Film category earlier this year.   
            The men set sail in the spring of 1947, encountering storms, shark attacks, ship rot, insubordination and a host of other challenges en route. The deliberately-paced production repeatedly harks back to a bygone era when much of the Earth’s surface was yet to be explored.
            Replete with breathtaking Pacific panoramas shot on location, Kon-Tiki is worth watching for the captivating visuals alone. However, the storytelling is solid, too, with all adding up to a fitting tribute to the enviable exploits of the legendary Thor Heyerdahl.
                       
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for violence
In English, Norwegian, Swedish and French with subtitles
Running time: 96 minutes
Distributor: Anchor Bay / The Weinstein Company 
Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Kon-Tiki: The Incredible True Story; and a visual f/x featurette.

To see a trailer for Kon-Tiki, visit:



Monday, August 26, 2013

Pain & Gain (DVD REVIEW)



Pain & Gain
DVD Review by Kam Williams

Michael Bay Change of Pace Recreates Real-Life Kidnapping Plot

            Michael Bay is a director whose name has mostly come to be associated with stunt-driven action flicks such as Armageddon, Bad Boys and the Transformers franchise. His latest offering, however, Pain & Gain, represents a relatively-cerebral departure in that it tones down the special effects and pyrotechnics in favor of credible plot and character development.
            Based on a true tale that transpired in Florida back in the Nineties, the alternately comical and gruesome crime caper revolves around the felonious exploits of a trio of bodybuilders who hatched a kidnap for ransom plot that went terribly awry. The mastermind of the ill-fated scheme was Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg), an ex-con employed as a personal trainer at Sun Gym in Miami.
            A regular there was Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub), an arrogant businessman from Colombia with an oversized ego and a temper to match. That condescending attitude makes it easy for Daniel to consider extorting cash from his client, especially given how rich the guy is. 
            So, he enlists the assistance of couple of equally-buff cronies, recently-paroled Paul (Dwayne Johnson) and steroid-addicted Adrian (Anthony Mackie).
But the seat-of-the-pants plan has little chance of success, despite the pea brains of the operation’s assurances that “I know what I’m doing” because “I’ve watched a lot of movies.”
            One complication is Born Again Paul’s moral reservations, since he’s turned his life over to Jesus. Meanwhile, Adrian himself is very distracted himself by a case of juice-induced erectile dysfunction.  
            Nevertheless, the three still proceed with the conspiracy, abducting Victor and taking him to an abandoned warehouse where they torture him mercilessly to figure out where his fortune is hidden. The grisly goings-on are repeatedly presented as humorous onscreen, effectively masking the fact that the participants in truth landed stiff prison sentences for their evil deeds.
            Credit the convincing performances by the leads, especially Dwayne Johnson (cast against type here as a fairly sensitive soul), for actually inducing you to empathize and laugh at the wacky antics of some despicable miscreants. Ditto Tony Shalhoub who plays such a dislikable victim that he makes it easy to roots for his captors.
            A reminder ripped right out of the tabloids that while crime does not pay, it sometimes serves as fodder for lurid headlines and hilarious hijinks.

Very Good (3 stars)
Rated R for graphic nudity, bloody violence, crude sexuality, drug use and pervasive profanity
Running time: 129 minutes
Distributor: Paramount Home Media Distribution 
Pain & Gain Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Feature film in High Definition.

To see a trailer for Pain & Gain, visit:  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEQ8jyvmYtw 
 

 

Cloves Campbell, Jr. (INTERVIEW)



Cloves Campbell, Jr
The “NNPA Chairman” Interview
with Kam Williams

Campbell’s Quips: Mmm… Mmm… Good!
 


Cloves C. Campbell, Jr., is the Publisher of the Arizona Informant, a family 

owned and operated newspaper that provides an important voice for the 

African-American community in Arizona. This year it celebrates 42 years 

of publishing. Currently, he serves as Board Chair of the National 

Newspaper Publishers’ Association (NNPA).

 

As a Phoenix native, his personal commitment and knowledge of the 

community in which he grew up shows throughout his work. Most recently, 

he served in the State House of Representatives for District 16 from 

2007-2010 fulfilling duties on the Appropriations, Banking and 

Insurance, and House Ethics committees.

 

With an extensive background in marketing communications, media/public 

relations and advertising sales, Cloves lent his expertise as 

Vice-Chair of Arizona African-American Democratic Caucus. He is also a 

board member of the following organizations: The George Washington 

Carver Museum Board, Roosevelt Foundation for Our Children's Future, 

The Black Theatre Troupe, Arizona African American Legislative Days 

Coalition, Wells Fargo Community Advisory Board, Tanner Chapel A.M.E. 

Church Renaissance Committee and First Tee of Arizona.

 

A lifetime member of the NAACP, Cloves was educated at Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif., and University of Virginia Darden School of Business Legislators Program. He and his wife of 22 years, Lanette, have three children: Daivon, Chanette, and Cloves III. 


Kam Williams: Hi Cloves, thanks for the interview. Congratulations on being reelected Chairman of the NNPA!
Cloves Campbell: Thanks, Kam. It is truly an honor to be the Chairman of the premiere news organization in the world for black folks.

KW: How are things at the Informant?
CC: Things are going really well. We are celebrating 42 years of
publishing.

KW: I really admired your dad and your uncle, and I think it’s great that you and Roland have not only built upon their vision, and that you run a photo of them in the paper every week. That touches me every time I see it, since they were such solid gentlemen and reminded me of my father who was from the same generation and also a WWII veteran. 
CC: Thank you. I believe that it is important to remember the people
that paved the way for you. They are definitely my role models. I think
about them every day.

KW: How would you describe the primary mission of the Black Press?
CC: I believe that our mission is to deliver the news of and about the
Black Community to our respective markets. The most important aspect
our mission is that we deliver that news from the black perspective.

KW: What’s at the top of your agenda as you start your new term?
CC: My main focus will be, as it was two years ago, to continue to
integrate the digital platform to our member papers’ portfolios. However,
we still want to maintain our strong print presence, as well as to continue
to reach out to younger readers.

KW: Do you consider mainstream papers as your competition?
CC: Not at all. Mainstream papers biggest competition is television. They
are competing for the instant gratification customer. Black newspapers
are a niche market and black consumers are now being targeted by major
corporations for their dollars.

KW: Do you think the NNPA publications get their fair share of corporate advertising dollars? 
CC: Definitely not! We have been making that argument for several
decades. As a matter of fact, two years ago we partnered with the Nielsen Ratings Research Company to do a study of African-American consumers and it has been very useful in our advertising sales call and marketing efforts.

KW: What did you think of the Zimmerman verdict?
CC: Unfortunately, it was what I expected. Once we knew the makeup of
the jury, the verdict was a forgone conclusion. Naturally, I am
disappointed, but I honestly believe that this may be the wakeup call
that this generation of black folks needs.

KW: Does Arizona have a “Stand Your Ground” law in effect right now?
CC: Yes we do. We are currently engaging with our legislature to review
the law.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
CC: Well, probably really wanting a pair of cowboy boots. It is likely
the reason why I wear them now so much!

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
CC: “Uneven Lies” by Pete McDaniel.


KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to? 
CC: “Jamaican Funk” by Tom Browne.

  
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
CC: Angel hair pasta with shrimp.

KW: The Mike Pittman question: What was your best career decision?
CC: Getting into the newspaper business, of course!

KW: The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?
CC: I would be able to fly. You saw Big Willy in the film Hancock! 


KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share? 
CC: The ability to listen. 

KW: The Michael Ealy question: If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be?
CC: Frederick Douglass.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
CC: Treat everyone the same way you would want to be treated.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What is your favorite charity?
CC: The Arizona Informant Foundation. [Chuckles] I'm a little biased.

KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
CC: As a person who was always willing to help others.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Cloves, and best of luck with all your endeavors, brother.
CC: Thank you, Kam. I always look forward to reading your articles.