Top Ten DVD Releases for 8-4-15

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Top Ten DVD List for August 4, 2015

How to Get Away with Murder: Season One

Message from Hiroshima

TV Guide Classics: The Adventures of Robin Hood [39 Classic Episodes]

 

Murdoch Mysteries: Season Eight

Home

The Wild West with Ray Mears

A Little Chaos

Jerusalem Stories

Antarctic Edge

Chocolate City

Honorable Mention

The Comeback [All 21 Episodes]

Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run

Blackbird

I Dream of Wires

Peppa Pig: School Bus Trip

Mad Love [20^th Anniversary Edition]

Stand

Black & White: The Dawn of Assault

Seashore

Toolbox Murders 2 [aka Coffin Baby]

Into the Grizzly Maze

Appetites

Burying the Ex

Phantom Halo

Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal

Chocolate City (DVD REVIEW)

Chocolate City

DVD Review by Kam Williams

African-American Answer to Magic Mike Released on DVD

Cash-strapped Katherine McCoy (Vivica A. Fox) is holding down a couple of jobs to make ends meet while praying that her sons stay on the straight and narrow path until they can make it out of the ghetto. Though grown, both boys still live at home; yet neither is helping their struggling single-mom much, financially.

At least the younger one, Michael (Robert Ri’chard), is close to graduating from college and works part-time at a diner as a short order chef. But he hasn’t even been able to save enough from that minimum wage position to have his car fixed, so he has to travel around Los Angeles via bicycle. By comparison, his 30 year-old brother Chris (DeRay Davis) is a trash-talking hustler who’s more interested in hanging out on the streets than in finding gainful employment.

The siblings’ fortunes change the day they decide to patronize the local gentlemen’s club. For, while Michael is relieving himself in the men’s room, he’s approached by the owner (Michael Jai White) about stripping there on Ladies’ Night.

Initially, the handsome hunk hesitates out of concern about how his girlfriend (Imani Hakim) and his Bible-thumping mother might react to his moonlighting in his birthday suit. However, after taking the time to watch girls go gaga over other buff beefcake (played by Tyson Beckford, Ginuwine and others), he decides to throw caution to the wind.

So, on the advice of his brother-turned-promoter, he takes the stage name “Sexy Chocolate.” I suppose “Magic Mike” might have been a tad too transparent, even for this unapologetic rip-off.

Nevertheless, despite soon raking in the big bucks, Michael’s life starts to come apart at the seams. His grades plunge from As to Fs. His mother becomes suspicious about whether his sudden gains are ill-gotten. And his girlfriend gets the surprise of her life the evening she shows up at the club to take in a show with her BFFs in tow.

Written and directed by Jean-Claude La Marre (the Pastor Jones franchise), Chocolate City is basically a blackface version of Magic Mike that trades shamelessly in the same sort of titillating fare which made that flick a runaway hit a few years ago. A derivative, estrogen-fueled, overcoming-the-odds saga strictly recommended for females interested in seeing sepia-skinned Adonises gyrate while disrobing to mind-numbing disco.

Good (2 stars)

Rated R for profanity, brief violence, partial nudity and pervasive sexuality

Running time: 90 minutes

Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment

DVD Extras: Blooper reel. 

 

To see a trailer for Chocolate City, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42HA58cBHAM

To order a copy of Chocolate City on DVD, visit:

Blackbird (DVD REVIEW)

Blackbird

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Gospel-Driven Cross of Precious and Rent Arrives on DVD

             Randy Rousseau (Julian Walker) claims to be straight, even though everybody thinks he’s gay basically because he’s effeminate, sings in the church choir, and is a member of Christian High’s drama club. The repressed 17 year-old has even confessed to his BFFs, Effie (Gary Leroi Gray) and Crystal (Nikki Jane), to waking up “soaked in sin” after nightly wet dreams in which he makes love to other guys.

             Nevertheless, he’s so deep in denial, that he’s willing to take Crystal’s virginity to prove his masculinity. But that brief experimentation with heterosexuality is only momentary, while his choosing to co-star in Romeo and Julian, a gay-themed, school production of Romeo and Juliet, proves a tad more telling.  

             Perhaps Randy’s reticence to come out of the closet has to do with his horrible relationship with his parents, between an absentee dad (Isaiah Washington) he can barely recognize (“Who the eff are you?”), and a Bible-thumping mother (Mo’Nique) who calls him an “effing punk”. In addition, she blames her son for the mysterious disappearance of her daughter (Hannah Moye), and has faith that God will send her back home once Randy is purged of his gender-bending demons once and for all.

 Directed and co-written by Patrik-Ian Polk, Blackbird is a coming-of-age musical adventure which walks the fine line between drama and comedy. That failure to commit is an unfortunate flaw which serves to undercut any serious message the picture intends to deliver about tolerance.

Another problem is that the overplotted production has too many sidebars distracting our attention away from the compelling question of Randy’s sexual orientation. There’s the return of his Prodigal sister, his mama proselytizing in the supermarket, a pal infected with an STD, a married man cruising at a gay Lover’s Lane, the suicide of a preacher’s (Tirell Tilford) daughter (D. Woods), and an exorcism.

Despite its failings, I’m still willing to give Blackbird a little credit for tackling a subject that remains taboo in the black community. A gospel-driven cross of Precious and Rent, only set in a sleepy Southern town that time forgot instead of New York City.

Good (2 stars)

Rated R for teen sexuality, profanity and drug use

Running time: 99 minutes

Distributor: RLJ Entertainment

DVD Extras: Deleted scenes; audition footage; Behind-the-Scenes of Blackbird; D. Woods music video “Find Your Way”; and the theatrical trailer. 

 

To see a trailer for Blackbird, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3KEVWeHPg8

 

To order a copy of Blackbird on DVD, visit:

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (FILM REVIEW)

Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation
Film Review by Kam Williams



Cruise and Company Reunite to Topple Terrorist Organization 
 

Rogue Nation is the fifth installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise featuring Tom Cruise as the dashing and daring Ethan Hunt. This episode has everything you'd expect from an action-oriented espionage thriller: international intrigue, irresistible eye candy and edge-of-your-seat fight and chase sequences. 
 
Just past our unflappable protagonist's death-defying airplane stunt in the picture's opening scene, we find him put out to pasture and retiring to Europe where he soon disappears from the grid entirely. It seems that his Impossible Mission Force (IMF) is being disbanded by the U.S. Senate Oversight Committee at the behest of CIA Director Alan Hunley (Alec Baldwin), an inept, if well-intentioned bureaucrat. 
 
A governmental directive for IMF spies to come in from the proverbial cold gives evil a license to thrive, especially the Syndicate, a clandestine confederacy of assassins bent on what else but world domination. Ignoring the orders of his superiors, Ethan instead recruits former colleagues William (Jeremy Renner), Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames) for help in toppling the power-hungry terrorist organization. And the team of veteran sleuths is ably assisted in that endeavor by Ilsa (Rebecca Ferguson), an inscrutable double-agent with mysterious motives.

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, MI5 is as cerebral and multi-layered as it is high-octane and visually-captivating. Overplotted to the point of incomprehension, this is one brainteaser you might be better off not bothering to decipher. I say, simply sink into your seat and soak in the sweeping panoramas, the IMF team's infectious camaraderie, and wave after wave of their derring-do, whether by land, sea or air. 
 
The epitome of a bona fide summer blockbuster!



Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for action, violence and brief partial nudity
Running time: 132 minutes
Distributor: Paramount Pictures



To see a trailer for Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOW_azQbOjw

Kam's Movie Kapsules for 8-7-15

OPENING THIS WEEK

Kam's Kapsules:

Weekly Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun

by Kam Williams

For movies opening August 7, 2015

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Fantastic Four (PG-13 for action, violence and profanity) Marvel Comics reboots its beloved film franchise with a riveting, character-driven roots adventure. Co-stars Kate Mara, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell as the titular quartet. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

Ricki and the Flash (PG-13 for sexuality, profanity, mature themes and brief drug use) Meryl Streep plays the title character in this musical dramedy as an aging rock star who returns home to make peace with her long-suffering husband (Kevin Kline) and daughter (Mamie Gummer) after years on the road. Supoort cast includes Rick Springfield, Audra McDonald, Charlotte Rae and Sebastian Stan.

Shaun the Sheep Movie (PG for crude humor) Stop-motion, animated adventure about a mischievous lamb (Justin Fletcher) who leads his flock from the the farm to the big city over the course of an exciting day off. Voice cast includes Kate Harbour, John Sparkes and Richard Webber.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Assassination (Unrated) Historical drama, set in 1933, revolving around Korean resistance's plot to kill the military commander of Japan's occupy forces. Co-starring Ji-hyun Jun, Jung-woo Ha and Jung-jae Hee. (In Korean with subtitles)

Call Me Lucky (Unrated) Prestige biopic chronicling the enduring standup career of irreverent, funnyman Barry Crimmins. Directed by Bobcat Golthwait, and featuring commentary by fellow comics Margaret Cho, Kevin Meaney and Patton Oswalt.

Cop Car (R for violence, profanity and brief drug use) Kids do the darndest things thriller about a small-town sheriff's (Kevin Bacon) pursuit of the ten year-old delinquents (James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford) who took his patrol car for a joy ride. With Camryn Manheim. Shea Whigham and Kathleen Bentley.

The Diary of a Teenage Girl (R for profanity, drug use, underage drinking, graphic sexuality and frontal nudity) Coming-of-age saga, set in San Francisco in the Seventies, about a rudderless rebel (Bel Powley) who embarks on an ill-advised affair with her mother's (Kristen Wiig) handsome boyfriend (Alexander Skarsgard). Cast includes Christopher Meloni, Austin Lyon and Abby Wait.

The Gift (R for profanity) Suspense thriller about a happily-married couple (Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall) whose life is turned upside-down after a chance encounter with a high school friend (Joel Edgerton) in possession of an unsettling, decades-old secret about the husband. With Busy Phillips, David Denman and Allison Tolman.

Homme Less (Unrated) American Dream deferred documentary chronicling the plight of homeless, former fashion model Mark Reay who keeps up appearances by day, while sleeping on a Manhattan rooftop at night.

The Prophet (PG for mature themes, violence and sensual images) Animated adaptation of Khalil Gibran's epic poem. Voice cast includes Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, Quvenzhane Wallis and John Krasinski.

The Runner (R for profanity and sexuality) Nicolas Cage handles the title role in this potboiler, set in New Orleans in the aftermath of the BP Gulf oil spill, about an idealistic but flawed politician whose career is ruined by a scandalous affair. With Connie Nielsen, Sarah Paulson, Peter Fonda and Wendell Pierce.

Sneakerheadz (Unrated) Foot fetish documentary examining the explosive popularity of sneaker collecting all around the world.

Between the World and Me (BOOK REVIEW)

 
Between the World and Me

by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Spiegel & Grau

Hardcover, $24.00

168 pages, Illustrated

ISBN: 978-0-8129-9354-7

Book Review by Kam Williams

“In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about american history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation's history and current crisis.

Americans have built an empire on the idea of 'race,' a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black women and men—bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up, and and murdered out of all proportion.

What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught industry, and free ourselves from its burden.

Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates' attempt to answer these questions in a letter to his adolescent son.”

-- Excerpted from the book jacket

Ta-Nehisi Coates garnered national attention a year ago when he published “A Case for Reparations” in the Atlantic Monthly magazine. Now, the progressive pundit is back with “Between the World and Me” an equally-incendiary assessment of the state of race relations in the United States. 

 

The book is basically designed as an open letter from Ta-Nehisi to his 15 year-old only-child, Samori. The author fears the boy might suffer the same horrific fate as African-American youngsters like Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis who were killed on a whim by white men for the “crimes” of being black while walking home from the store and listening to loud music at a gas station. 

 

Ta-Nehisi writes in a free-flowing, stream-of-consciousness style reminiscent of Allen Ginsberg in the epic poem “Howl.” However, this relatively-introspective-opus is more of a meandering personal memoir than an escapist dirge. 

 

For, whether he's talking about dating an East Indian, a Jew with dreadlocks or the sister he would eventually marry, Ta-Nehisi invariably views every aspect of his life through the prism of race. As he sees it, skin color narrowly determines not only one's treatment but one's fate in this country, a burden that is almost too much to bear when it comes to being black.

Taking no prisoners, the fearless firebrand indicts everything from “democracy” to “whiteness” to “American exceptionalism” for the plight of his oppressed people. His hope for Samori is “to have your own life, apart from fear.” But he believes this nation still has a lot of work to do to arrive at a place where black lives indeed matter. 

 

What higher praise could Ta-Nehisi ask for than the blessing of Nobel laureate Toni Morrison who christens him as the long-awaited visionary finally filling the intellectual void left behind by the late James Baldwin.

To read “A Case for Reparations,” visit: http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/05/the-case-for-reparations/361631/

To order a copy of Between the World and Me, visit: 

Vacation (FILM REVIEW)

Vacation
Film Review by Kam Williams



Next Generation of Griswolds Heads for Walley World in Travel Franchise's 7^th Episode


National Lampoon's Vacation is an enduring film franchise launched back in 1978 by the late John Hughes, the brains behind such Chicago-centric screen classics as Ferris Bueller's Day Off; Trains, Planes & Automobiles; Home Alone; Uncle Buck; and Baby's Day Out, to name a few. The original Vacation adventure featured the Griswold family's very eventful road trip from the Windy City to L.A.

This nostalgic seventh installment not only resurrects Walley World amusement park as its destination point, but has Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo reprising their iconic roles as Clark and Ellen Griswold, respectively. However, they couple's been reduced to a cameo appearance in favor of a plot revolving around their son Rusty's (Ed Helms) nuclear family.

At the point of departure, we find Rusty sorely in need of a break from the rat race as an overworked pilot for a budget airline carrier. He plans to both spice up his stale marriage and spend some quality time with his sons during the drive across the country. Of course, the highway gods have other ideas in mind, as the perils laying in wait range from robbery to raw sewage.

My biggest problem with this relatively-salacious episode rests in its obession with sexuality, and often in offensive fashion. For example, when younger son Kevin (Steele Stebbins) asks, “Dad, what's a pedophile?” he is inappropriately informed that “It's when a man and a boy love each other very much.” It doesn't help that the kid subsequently encounters a “glory hole” in a rest stop bathroom ostensibly cruised by gay men.

There is also a homophobic tone cast over the entire picture, coming courtesy of Kevin's relentless bullying of his effeminate big brother, James (Skyler Gisondo). The mean-spirited mistreatment includes teasing his sibling about having a vagina and choking him with a plastic bag. Even the boy's father piles on periodically, like when he suggests that Kevin scratches like a girl when he fights instead of punching. Rusty's wife Debbie (Christina Applegate) isn't much of a role model either, between overimbibing in a “Chug Run” during a pit stop and 'fessing up about having developed a bad reputation in college for showing her breasts to anybody who asked.

From full-frontal male nudity to an F-word laced theme song, Vacation is a cringe-inducing disappointment that bears little resemblance to the original it so desperately endeavors to pay homage to. 
 

Fair (1 star)
Rated R for brief male frontal nudity, sexuality, crude humor, mature themes and pervasive profanity
Running time: 99 minutes
Distributor: Warner Brothers Pictures

To see a trailer for Vacation, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kleG7XCqOb4

Best of Enemies (FILM REVIEW)

Best of Enemies
Film Review by Kam Williams



Sixties Documentary Revisits Legendary Debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley


Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley, Jr. were among the most brilliant and articulate minds of their generation. The pair were also polar opposites, politically, which made the idea of hiring them to appear in a series of televised debates an absolute stroke of genius. 
 
This was the brainchild of ABC-TV back in 1968, at a time when the network's news department lagged far behind both CBS and NBC in the ratings. The plan was to have the liberal Vidal and conservative Buckley square-off during its coverage of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions being staged that summer in Chicago and Miami Beach, respectively. 
 
Arranging the showdown proved to be easier said than done, since the men not only hated each other politically, but personally as well. After all, Buckley saw himself as the defender of old-fashioned values and the status quo in the face of the Sixties' counter-cultural revolution demanding equal rights for blacks, gays, women and other oppressed groups. 
 
As expected, sparks flew during the spirited tete-a-tetes marked as much by effete Buckley's arcane syntax as by firebrand Vidal iconoclastic comments. However, because neither participant wanted to lose, what began as sophisticated intellectual analysis eventually degenerated into an exchange of insults.

When Vidal referred to Buckley as a “crypto-Nazi,” he lost his composure and called his opponent a “queer.” A defamation lawsuit and counter-suit ensued, and the litigation would drag on for years.

Co-directed by Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville, Best of Enemies is a fascinating documentary which revisits a seminal moment in the history of TV. For, the explosive Vidal-Buckley arguments over hot-button topics ranging from religion to sexuality served to usher in a new era in terms of discourse over the airwaves. 
 
Besides archival footage of the debates, the conventions and anti-war demonstrations raging right outside, the film features commentary by luminaries like Frank Rich, John McWhorter and the late Christopher Hitchens. A must-see account of the birth of passionate, television punditry.



Excellent (4 stars)
Rated R for sexuality, nudity and profanity
Running time: 88 minutes
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures / Magnet Releasing


To see a trailer for Best of Enemies, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzgfQvB2dvA

Brandi Maxiell (INTERVIEW)

Brandi Maxiell

The “Basketball Wives LA” Interview

with Kam Williams

Dandy Brandi!

Brandi Maxiell was born and raised in Dallas, Texas by single-mom Terri Duncan who sacrificed to send her daughter to the best schools. Consequently, Brandi learned at an early age that education was the key to success. She would graduate from the University of North Texas in 2007 before moving to Detroit to live with her high school sweetheart/fiancé, NBA star Jason Maxiell who was then playing for the Pistons. 
 

While there, Brandi was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She soon returned home to Dallas for surgery. The cancer came as a complete surprise to the otherwise very healthy 24 year-old. But due to the procedure and chemotherapy, she developed numerous additional health issues. Fortunately, following months of treatments, Brandi was cancer-free by 2008.

A couple years later, Brandi had her dream wedding when she and Jason married. The couple wanted to start a family right away. but Brandi soon discovered that she had fertility issues. So, she went through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments which initially failed. 

 

This was a low blow for Brandi because she wanted to become a mother so badly. Despite being discouraged, she persevered. She did extensive research about IVF, tried again, and it finally worked. She and Jason welcomed their beautiful, miracle baby boy to the world on 11/11/11.

Brandi is currently a cast member on the popular VH1 show, “Basketball Wives LA.” She is also the owner of Midway Salon Suites, located in Carrolton, Texas. She spends her free time playing with her precious son and giving back through various ovarian cancer foundations. She is happy to add that she and Jason are working on baby #2. 

 

Here, she talks about her life, and about the fourth season of Basketball Wives LA, which airs on the VH1 Network. [check local listings]

Kam Williams: Hi Brandi, thanks for the interview.

Brandi Maxiell: You're welcome, and thanks for having me, Kam.

KW: Congratulations on another season of Basketball Wives LA!

BM: Thank you, it wasn't easy.

KW: Is there a surprising development connected to you in store for fans?

BM: This season is different and was a little difficult. I let the viewers get a glimpse of my personal life and what I’ve been dealing with this past year.

KW: How accurately do you feel you're presented on the show?

BM: Last season, they presented me very well. I feel the same about this season. I'm very blunt and outspoken on certain topics. They stay consistent to your character. There are some people who fool the cameras, but eventually their true character is revealed in due time.

KW: Is there an unseen side of you that you'd like to let your fans know about?

BM: As crazy as my life may seem on camera, not many people may know that my faith and family are very important to me and are what keep me going.

KW: What's been the biggest challenge in being married to an NBA player?

BM: Understanding. I have to understand that the lifestyle isn't normal. Understanding that there will be plenty mistakes and risks. There are times when you get lonely in the cities you live in and miss your family and friends and won't get to be there for events or holidays. As a wife, I also had to sacrifice any career plan or goal I had to be a wife first and be there for my husband. Being a wife to a professional basketball player is not the easiest but, if there is true love and unity, then it's worth it.

KW: Have researchers made any significant advances in the fight against ovarian cancer?

BM: Every day, researchers do their best to find a cure. The biggest problem with ovarian cancer is that the symptoms are pretty similar to what women go through on a regular basis. When you start to notice the bigger symptoms is when it's often too late because the cancer is so advanced.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

BM: I don’t think so. People are pretty detailed with their questions.

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

BM: I would have to say food. I'm not a snacker. I'm more of a meat and potatoes type of girl. I love me some food. I'm a true Southern girl.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

BM: Many children’s books. Since I read to my son every night. For myself, “50 Shades of Grey.”

 

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

BM: Oh my! I have a lot of favorites but I'd have to pick my pork chops. Everyone loves my pork chops. That is the first thing on the menu when people come over. That, or my lasagna, cream of wheat and cabbage.

KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?

BM: Being around my family. I get so excited when I see them or just hang out with them. Family is all you have at the end of day. They truly have your back and light up your day. I also have a handful of friends I consider my family as well.

KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?

BM: I don't have one, really. I like what I see and buy it.

KW: The Mike Pittman question: What was your best career decision?

BM: To venture out and just do it with no “What ifs?” It was this attitude that helped me partner with my mom on Midway Salon Suites in Carrollton, Texas.

KW: Was there a meaningful spiritual component to your childhood?

BM: Yes, I went to church almost every day with my granny. So, I was pretty much raised in the church house. I accepted Christ as my savior and my God. I turn to him FIRST before any single thing I do, to make sure I'm doing the right thing. My granny taught me that and always showed me how to do that.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

BM: A beautiful black woman, inside and out, who has faced a lot of challenges in life, who still keeps her head held high and smiles through it all. I've been blessed... truly blessed.

KW: The Dana Perino question: What keeps you up at night?

BM: I believe I was a rock star in my past life. [LOL] I literally don't go to bed until 2 or 3 am. I feel like I can think better at night and get things done. It may be a Gemini thing.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would it be?

BM: To do and have all I want in life.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

BM: Going to my granny’s house every single weekend to hang out with her, whether that meant going to church or visiting a half-dozen different grocery stores in a day to find a good deal. She was and still is a coupon clipper.

KW: The Melissa Harris-Perry question: How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?

BM: My first heartbreak taught me about people and friends. It taught me to choose my friends wisely, and also to watch who I call my friend. And to never let a boy with a cute face sweet talk you. [LOL]

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

BM: The other day with my mom. Every time I'm with my mom and family, I laugh so much. My mom is a comedienne, like, literally, the funniest person I know.

KW: The “Realtor to the Stars” Jimmy Bayan’s question: What’s your dream locale in Los Angeles to live?

BM: I honestly don’t know. I'm always on the go when I’m in LA.

KW: The Viola Davis question: What’s the biggest difference between who you are at home as opposed to the Brandi we see on the red carpet?

BM: I'm a pretty laid-back, chill type of girl. No makeup, hair pulled up, and in sweatpants.

KW: The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?

BM: To hear what people are thinking.

KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

BM: They all hustle.

KW: What’s in your wallet?

BM: Besides the obvious things, there are coins for toy vending machines for my baby, pictures of my him and me, pictures of my husband and me, and pictures of my mom.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Brandi, and best of luck with the new season.

BM: Thank you, Kam. It’s been fun.

To see a trailer for Basketball Wives LA, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEAB3rxHkXM

Top Ten DVD Releases for 7-28-15

This Week’s DVD Releases

by Kam Williams

Top Ten DVD List for July 28, 2015

TV Guide Classics: Television Legends

The Best of British Comedy

Uncertain Terms

The Water Diviner

Kaboul Kitchen: Season One

Blue & White Crime Stories

Summer's Shadow

Helix: Season Two

Mama's Family: Mama's Favorites [6 Episodes from Season 6]

Storms of the Century: 5 Disaster Movie Collection [Flood /Flood: A River's Rampage / Killer Wave / Tidal Wave: No escape / Tornado!]

Honorable Mention

The Churchmen: Season One

7 Cases

A Song to Remember [70^th Anniversary Edition]

Robot Chicken: Season Seven

Four Blood Moons

Witches of East End: Season 2