Going Natural (BOOK REVIEW)

Going Natural:

How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair

By Mireille Liong-A-Kong

Sabi Wiri Press

Paperback, $12.00

120 pages, illustrated

ISBN: 978-0-9760-9610-8

               

 

Book Review by Kam Williams

 

“Five years ago… I knew nothing about my natural hair. It was that mess that grew out of my head… which was only relieved by using scalp-burning chemicals and hair-singeing heat. It was that unprofessional, bad, embarrassing stuff that, if I were to wear in public, would doom me to everlasting singledom and job failure because, surely, no employer would employ me nor would a suitable life partner love me with ‘Hair like THAT!’

Well, here I am, a lifetime later, full of NAPPtural hair and pride. I wear my hair in the state it was intended to be worn, and I have never felt freer. These feelings of joy and sky-high self-esteem that go along with the wearing of your hair NAPPturally is something born-again naturals feel the need to share.

Books like this one serve a wonderful purpose. They tell us we are not alone – that this soul-freeing experience is one also felt by other black women who had oppressed their hair and their minds into believing they were created less than perfect.

We, and our daughters, will only benefit from the healthy knowledge we pass on [that] their skin, their features and their hair are all beautiful in their own right. Black women need to celebrate their beauty, and this book is a great place to start.”

-- Excerpted from the Foreword by Patricia Gaines (pgs. 7-8)

 

I suppose I should thank my lucky stars that I came of age back in the day when James Brown sang “I’m Black and I’m Proud” and afros were in vogue. Even though my peasy hair might have triggered its share of teasing and double-takes after styles had changed, I’ve never seriously considered wearing it any other way than how it grows out of my head. So excuse me if I look like I spend less time in front of the mirror than Don King, but I’ve always felt okay walking around with my locks looking exactly as the good Lord intended.

I understand that the situation is a little different for sisters, nonetheless, it looks like a movement might be afoot to challenge the conventional standard of beauty which pressure African-American females to resort to straightening their hair and other complicated measures. A couple of documentaries have played a role in this regard.

First, there was Black Hair, an enlightening expose’ which highlighted how Koreans control and reap huge profits from the billion-dollar, hair care industry in most African-American communities. More recently, we had Good Hair, which questioned our commonly-accepted definition of what constitutes good vs. bad hair while offering a sobering peek at all the chemicals, expense and daily rituals involved in arriving at a relaxed head of hair.

                Apparently, some folks have been cut off for so long from their nappy roots that they might need help in reverting to a natural state. If that is the case, an excellent primer on the subject, complete with instructions, pep talks and helpful illustrations of a variety of healthy, beautiful ‘dos is Going Natural: How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair.

The book was written by cutely-coiffed Mireille Liong-A-Kong who was born in Suriname but now makes her home in Brooklyn by way of The Netherlands. In fact, this tome was originally published in Dutch in Holland where the first edition sold out in a couple of months.

A refreshing opus advocating self-acceptance and the liberating of locks in the pursuit of happiness.

Who Do You Love

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Leonard Chess Subject of Second Bio-Pic

Remember a few years ago when Truman Capote was the subject of back-to-back bio-pics? The first one, Capote, featured Philip Seymour Hoffman in an Oscar-winning performance as the flamboyant late cultural icon. Sadly, nobody really noticed when Toby Jones delivered an equally-impressive impersonation in Infamous the very next year.
Today, we have a similar situation with Who Do You Love, a movie recounting the life and times of Leonard Chess (Alessandro Nivola), co-founder with his brother Phil (Jon Abrahams) of the legendary record label which bore their name. If you happened to catch Cadillac Records, then you already have a good idea of what to expect from this slight variation on the same theme.
What’s funny is that both flicks were shot in the spring of 2008, but Cadillac had the god fortune of being released first. For, as Karl Marx once said, “History always repeats itself: the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.” And that nifty little aphorism appears to apply in this case, because this critic certainly found it hard to take the same story seriously this time around. Instead, I spent most of the time comparing the picture to its predecessor, as if that production had somehow set the standard.
This is unfortunate, because this film is basically sound, too, except for what I would consider a trio of glaring flaws. First, there’s the aforementioned sense of déjà vu. Second, there’s the problem of the plethora of cringe-inducing cursing, with a couple of characters being particularly fond of the f-word. Thirdly, there’s a glaring factual flaw in that for some reason a mythical singer named Ivy Mills (Megalyn Echikunwoke) records the classic “At Last” instead of the incomparable Etta James. Talk about turning history on its head!
Otherwise, the proceedings are fairly entertaining both in terms of the plot and the musical renditions with several accomplished bluesmen installed in pivotal roles, such as Keb Mo’ as Jimmie Rogers and Robert Randolph as Bo Diddley. Other cast members include David Oyelowo as Muddy Waters, Chi McBride as Willie Dixon and Miko DeFoor as Little Walter.
Too bad this flick lost the race to the theaters, otherwise director Jerry Zaks (Everybody Loves Raymond) might’ve had a hit on his hands instead of a Johnny Come Lately destined to be forever thought of as a cheap imitation.

Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 91 Minutes
Distributor: International Film Circuit

Jill Scott: The "Why Did I Get Married Too" Interview

with Kam Williams

 

Headline: The Lady Waxes Eloquent

 

 

                Jill Scott was born on April 4, 1972 in The City of Brotherly Love where she was raised by her mother, Joyce, and her maternal grandmother. A naturally-gifted child, Jill was speaking at 8 months and learned to read by the age of 4. She credits her mother for broadening her horizons by taking her to see plays and to museums during her childhood.

                After graduating from the Philadelphia High School for Girls, Jill attended Temple University, working two jobs to put herself through college. She majored in English and planned to become a teacher, but dropped out of school after becoming disillusioned with the profession while spending time in the classroom as an assistant.

                She started out in showbiz doing poetry readings which is how she was discovered by drummer QuestLove of The Roots in 1999. He invited Jill to join the band in the studio where she collaborated with the group on writing their Grammy-winning hit, “You Got Me.” This led to her being signed by the Hidden Beach label to record her debut album, “Who Is Jill Scott?” This launched Jill’s phenomenally-successful musical career which has netted the sultry singer 3 Grammys thus far.

The talented triple threat has also published a book of poetry and made a phenomenal foray into acting via both the big and small screens. On TV, she’s handled the lead role of Mma. Precious Ramotswe on the Emmy-nominated, Botswana-based, HBO series “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.” Meanwhile, she’s received additional critical acclaim for her work in such movies as Hounddog and Why Did I Get Married?

Here, she talks about returning to reprise the role of Sheila in the sequel to the latter, the latest modern morality play from Tyler Perry.

 

Kam Williams: Hi Jill, thanks so much for the time.

Jill Scott: My pleasure, thank you.

KW: Congrats on doing a great job in this sequel which I felt improved on the original.

JS: Thank you, I’m really excited abut it.

KW: How was it being reunited with everybody?

JS: It was so nice. It really was. It’s just a pleasure to be around people that you like, and that you have a good understanding of. We clicked in the first film, and never really separated after we walked away from each other. We still called each other. “How’re you doing?” “How ya’ been?” “How’s the kids?” “How’s the wife?” And then, here it is a couple of years later, we’re doing another film, and everybody just sank right back into character.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman says she just loves your acting, and was wondering whether there are any plans to resume shooting “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.”

JS: I certainly hope so. We’ve been talking to HBO about resuming. The reason why we didn’t continue shooting was because I was pregnant and Mma. Ramotswe was not pregnant! [Chuckles] So, I had to wait until I after had my child, and then once I did, I felt he was too young to travel on a plane for 16 hours. So, that was one of the reasons why we went on hiatus. At this point, we’re looking at scripts, and trying to see how to continue the show because the feedback and excitement has been exceptional.

KW: Bernadette also says she thought your accent on the show was incredible, and almost did not believe it was you speaking. She wants to know how you perfected it.

JS: What’s funny is that I spent about a month and a half learning the wrong accent. I didn’t know it was wrong until after I arrived in Botswana. The Motswana people said, “What are you talking about? That is not a Botswana accent. You sound like you’re from Zimbabwe.” And they are very particular, if you are going to represent their culture. Their dialect is specific, so I had to unlearn everything I had learned, and then learn again.

KW: Why do you refer to the people of Botswana as the Motswana?

JS: You live in Botswana, you speak Setswana, and you are Motswana.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls would like to know, how has motherhood changed your views on life and career?

JS: Well, I am making an effort to truly live. I don’t mean to imply by that that I haven’t been alive before but, with my son being here and such a powerful force in my life, he’s given me a freedom to be more. I think that sometimes we can get stuck, and just the fact that he’s here says so much to me about my own existence. I didn’t think I’d be able to have children, and this level of blessing is something I can’t even put my finger on. I don’t even know where to begin to describe the emotion. I feel like I have a lava stick in my spine that’s propelling me forward to do larger things like going on tour with Maxwell, doing stadiums, and leaving my old record label to look for a new one that can support my new effort 100%. I appreciate my old label very much, but it’s time to move forward. So, my son has given me the courage to get out of any box that I’ve been in.

KW: Larry Greenberg thinks your music is beautiful and as smooth as silk. He says, “Philly has produced more than its share of stunningly-talented artists. Do you think that growing up in Philadelphia has tempered your work?”
JS: Yes, this might sound terrible, but there has been segregation in Philadelphia for many years. The Italians live around Italians. The Greeks live around Greeks. Spanish people live around Spanish people, particularly Puerto Rican. And black people live around black people. That makes us culturally thick, because if you want to hear real Puerto Rican music, you go to Little Puerto Rico. If you want to eat real Italian food, you go to Little Italy. Everybody’s welcome in any neighborhood in Philadelphia.

KW: It isn’t like Boston where a black person couldn’t even walk through an Irish or Italian neighborhood when I lived there.

JS: Well, in Philadelphia, you are welcome, and that’s The City of Brotherly Love. I think that makes us culturally thick and sound, so you can experience all kinds of cultural authenticity.

KW: Laz Lyles says she hopes you plan to put out more poetry books. She has the first one and loves it. She wants to know, what's the way you’ve most changed, creatively since your first album?

JS: I think I’ve changed more as a person and, as I change as a person, there is new added creativity. I’ve seen more… I’ve met more people, done more things with dogs, and walked on more beaches since the beginning. The more I see, the more I wanna do; and the more I do, the more I wanna see.

KW: Laz also wanted to wish a happy birthday to you and your son, Jett. I know yours was April 4^th. Happy Birthday! When’s his?

JS: Thank you. His is the 20^th.

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

JS: Is there any question no one ever asks, that I wish someone would? Wow! If there is, I don’t know what it is.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

JS: All the time.

KW: The Zane question: Do you have any regrets?

JS: Yes.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

JS: All the time.

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

JS: A woman.

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

JS: I read three at a time. One of the one’s I’m reading right now is an autobiography, “The Secret Life of Salvador Dali.”

 

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?

JS: It was something really cool by an artist from DC. I can’t remember his name.

KW: Was it Wale?

JS: Not Wale, his counterpart. A friend of mine played me his album in the car, and I found it really interesting.

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

JS: Wow, that’s another good one. Let me think… It was playing with my dog, Benji. He was my best friend.

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

JS: You ask good questions! I like that. I would want a clean planet.

KW: Thanks again, Jill, for this opportunity to talk with you, and best of luck with everything.

JS: Thank you so much for the cool interview. Be well.

The Black Waters of Echo’s Pond

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Haunted House on Remote Island Serves as Setting for Old Fashioned Fright Flick

Ever since the Scream trilogy so successfully parodied the horror movie genre, few directors have dared to try to make a traditional scary movie featuring all the tried and true conventions. But with The Black Waters of Echo’s Pond, Gabriel Bologna has served up an old-fashioned fright flick reminiscent of a Vincent Price classic.
First of all, you have the perfect setting, a spooky Victorian mansion located on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Then you factor in the place’s cursed history, since everyone there had perished 80 years before while playing an evil, ritualistic board game.
Today, Beacon Island has only one inhabitant, Pete (Robert Patrick), a grizzled geezer who patrols the grounds with his trusty gun. The grouchy caretaker has grudgingly agreed to let a group of young people use the house for what they expect to be a fun-filled weekend of imbibing and carousing.
Each of the nine revelers represents a readily-identifiable archetype, ranging from the good-natured host (Arcadiy Golubovich) to the flirtatious tramp flashing her new implants (Mircea Monroe) to a girl in mourning (Danielle Harris) to the macho jock (Walker Howard) to twin damsels in distress (Electra and Elise Avellan) to the uninvited party crasher (James Duval), and so forth.
Upon their arrival, the naïve guests learn that communication with the mainland is impossible because there are no cell phone towers for miles around. Soon thereafter, Anton discovers the ancient board game hidden in the basement, and they all agree to play it that very evening in front of the fireplace. Little do they know they are kickstarting a ghastly chain of events which will have them dying to leave the island, literally and figuratively.
A high attrition, haunted house throwback certain to send chills up your spine despite trading in all the stock clichés, like the one which has the black guy dying first.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for gore, graphic violence, profanity, drug use, nudity and sexuality.
In English and Turkish with subtitles.
Running time: 91 Minutes
Distributor: Project 8 Films

Why Did I Get Married Too

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Tyler Perry & Company in Bahamas for Battle-of-the-Sexes Sequel

For years, four very close couples, friends since college, have been taking an annual vacation together to luxurious getaway spots to reconnect, reminisce, and reflect on the state of their marital relationships. Their previous reunion at a Colorado ski lodge proved very eventful, especially for the emotionally-abused Sheila (Jill Scott), who eventually summoned up the courage to dump her openly-unfaithful husband, Mike (Richard T. Jones), a creep brazen enough to bring his mistress along.
This go round, these unusually-introspective revelers made reservations at an oceanfront resort in the Bahamas, where just as much melodrama is about to unfold. But this time Mike’s the third wheel, because Sheila’s now remarried to Troy (Lamman Rucker), the local cop who rescued her like a knight in shining armor in a blizzard back in the Rocky Mountains.
Nonetheless, Mike shows up uninvited, hoping to rekindle a little romance with his ex. He’s looking to leverage the fact that the newlyweds arrive a little distant from each other due to Troy’s inability to find a job since relocating to Atlanta. And while Sheila has tried to reassure Troy that she doesn’t mind being the breadwinner, the role reversal simply doesn’t sit well with a guy who’s more comfortable with being the provider.
Meanwhile, the three the other couples find themselves facing serious battle-of-the-sexes issues, too, starting with outspoken Angela (Tasha Smith). She has trouble trusting her hunky hubby (Michael Jai White) who won’t share his cell phone password with her. After all, the former pro athlete has cheated on her before, and likely has more opportunities to stray since he’s finally gainfully employed as host of “The Sports Shuffle,” a TV talk show.
A little more difficult to discern are the subtle strains on the seemingly-perfect marriage of psychologist Pat (Janet Jackson) and architect Gavin (Malik Yoba), given that she’s a celebrated love guru with a best-seller ”He’s Cheated, So Now What?” out on the market. However, we soon learn that even a mild-mannered shrink might need to blow off some steam after keeping her feelings about the death of her son bottled up inside for so many years. Last but last, there’s Terry (Tyler Perry) and Dianne (Sharon Leal), whose relationship tension revolves around his suspicious that his workaholic, attorney spouse might be having an affair in spite of her perfectly plausible explanation for her whereabouts.
“Can this marriage be saved?” remains the running theme raised repeatedly in Why Did I Get Married Too, one of those rare sequels which is actually better than the original. Tyler Perry earns high marks for not only reassembling his entire principal cast, but for embroiling the talented ensemble in another compelling, modern morality play which feels as fresh as it is funny. The panoramic Caribbean location certainly helps, as does the addition of a few new faces, including Cicely Tyson, Lou Gossett, Jr. and a closing credits celebrity cameo it would be unfair to spoil.
As for standouts, scene-stealer Tasha Smith turns in another one of her trademark performances as the volatile Angela, a shrill banshee whose over-the-top antics keep you in stitches whenever she’s on camera. Equally-noteworthy is Janet Jackson, whose character’s deeper development afforded her an opportunity to stretch her acting range. When you factor in that the production went on hiatus after the passing of her brother, it makes her scenes, many of which were shot while grieving, that much more impressive.
Renaissance Man Perry proving he still has his finger on the pulse via yet another, madcap, marital melodrama apt to resonate with the collective conscious of the black community.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for mature themes, sexuality, profanity, drug references and domestic violence.
Running time: 121 minutes
Distributor: Lionsgate Films

Woman’s Prison

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Bittersweet Flashback Flick Follows Orphan’s Tragic Trajectory

Julie Ann (Gemma Lee) spent her formative years watching her mom (Katie Madonna Lee) suffer the wrath of her father’s violent outbursts.
Eventually, Susan Mabry decided enough was enough, and split, taking her young daughter in tow. The two proceeded to take refuge in a series of seedy motels in a futile attempt to stay a step ahead of the venomous monster. But eventually, the creep did manage to track them down, whereupon he murdered his wife in cold blood.
The sudden loss sent the traumatized little girl’s life into a downward spiral, setting off a chain of events from which she would never recover. For despite the fact that she was subsequently adopted by her Aunt Marsha (Kelly Daisy) and Uncle Vic (Paul Frye), a couple of Bible-thumping Evangelicals, Julie Anne continued to find herself plagued by further dysfunction during her adolescence, mostly at the hands of malevolent males.
First, it turned out that Uncle Vic was just another abuser in fundamentalist Christian clothing. So, she and her cousin, Britney (Angela Swartz), agreed to flee the unsafe household together, only to encounter an equally-perilous existence on the streets as teen runaways. This predicament led Julie to lean on the shoulder of Butch (Brandon Phillipson), an older boy with a car but not a whole lot more going for him.
But when their presumably Platonic liaison turned intimate an unplanned pregnancy left Julie weighing her options. Then, an impulsive act she came to regret forever landed her behind bars on Death Row. And only while awaiting her State of Indiana sanctioned rendezvous with destiny, does the “dead woman walking” finally have an opportunity to pause to reflect upon the trajectory of her disastrous childhood.
“There but for fortune” perhaps best summarizes the theme underpinning Woman’s Prison, a character-driven flashback flick from Katie Madonna Lee. Triple-threat Lee makes an impressive writing/acting/directorial debut, here, considering the constraints of the micro-budget with which she was operating. An alternately terrifying, thought-provoking and unabashedly empathetic look at life from the harrowing perspective of a never-protected female.

Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 105 Minutes
Distributor: Anthology Film Archives

To see a trailer for Woman’s Prison, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUSlQhme15Y

Woman’s Prison premieres in NYC at Anthology Film Archives on April 2nd
at 8:30 PM. For more info, call (212) 505-5181.

Harlem Aria DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Damon Wayans Flop Finds Its Way to DVD in Record Time

It’s not a good sign when a film is released on DVD only a month after opening in theaters, especially when the picture was made over a decade ago and took forever to find a distributor. But this is exactly what we have in the case of Harlem Aria, an abomination marking the ignominious directorial debut of William Jennings.
At the point of departure we’re introduced to Anton (Gabriel Casseus), a mildly-retarded 28 year-old reminiscent of that title character Cuba Gooding played in Radio. The difference here is that this idiot savant is blessed with a love of opera and a great singing voice.
Unfortunately, the prospects aren’t exactly brilliant for Anton, given that he’s stuck working in a dead-end job at a laundromat. Plus, he lives with his overprotective aunt (Eyde Byrde) because his gullibility and generosity make him easy prey for the unsavory vultures prowling around his Harlem neighborhood.
Everything changes the day he decides to run away from home to pursue his passion and ends up in Greenwich Village where he forges an unlikely friendship with homeless Wes (Damon Wayans), one of those bad things that happens to good people. The fast-talking street hustler introduces his mark to Matthew (Christian Camargo), a classical pianist playing requests for passersby in Washington Square Park. Soon, Anton and Matthew are performing together, with conniving Wes serving as their manager and collecting tips for the suddenly popular panhandling duo.
Don’t be fooled by Harlem Aria’s promising premise or syrupy sweet resolution, since the problems with the production betwixt and between are plentiful, starting with Wayans’ portrayal of Wes as a jive and relentlessly-crass creep. From his use of the n-word (like “Niggerati” in lieu of the black Pavarotti) to his homophobic asides (ala “You look like a gay Ninja Turtle”) his lines are more apt to offend than to induce laughter.
And I wasn’t sure what to make of half of his ostensibly improvised non-sequiturs, such as “My d*ck is bigger than your d*ck, and I’m going to hit you with it if you don’t shut the f*ck up.” Co-star Gabriel Casseus‘ interpretation of Anton was equally troubling, given that here’s a half-wit who seemingly can’t even boil water yet he somehow magically morphs into a talented tenor capable of crooning all the classic operas in their native languages perfectly, simply by donning a tuxedo replete with tails.
A crude coon show that relies on lines delivered in African-American cadence for comic relief. 100 minutes of Hell that had me reaching for my meds.

Poor (0 stars)
Rated R for crude and profane language.
Running time: 100 Minutes
Distributor: Magnolia Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Interviews with the cast and crew, and a “Behind-the-Scenes” featurette.