Ageless Beauty (BOOK REVIEW)

Ageless Beauty:
The Ultimate Skincare & Makeup Book for Women & Teens of Color
by Alfred Fornay and Yvonne Rose
Amber Books
Paperback, $15.95
188 pages, Illustrated
ISBN: 978-0-9790976-8-3

Book Review by Kam Williams

“Ageless Beauty is for all women and teens of multiple ethnicities who want to look great and take better care of their skin. Whether your skin color is chocolate, ivory, mocha, caramel or bronze, you should feel fabulous about yourself [and] look gorgeous every day…
Have fun learning how to bring out the attractive, appealing person you’ve dreamed about being. You’ll learn everything you want to know about skin, makeup, hairstyles and more…
YOU are awesome! YOU are wonderful! YOU were born beautiful! YOU are an Ageless Beauty!”
-Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs. 2-3)

Given our blend of African, European and Native-American ancestry, black folks come in all shades and hues, and with a wide range of hair and skin types, too. Consequently, sisters can’t simply rely on the standard beauty products created for Caucasian women which fail to take into account the broad spectrum of black cosmetic needs.
Endeavoring to fill that void are Alfred Fornay and Yvonne Rose who have collaborated on an encyclopedic how-to tome addressing African-American concerns about everything from makeup and manicures to fragrances and facials. The accomplished authors are experts in the field, with Mr. Fornay being the former Manager of Ethnic Marketing at Clairol while Ms. Rose enjoyed a career as a model before serving as a fashion editor at several national publications.
The book shares both Do’s (“Drink 8 glasses of water daily.”) and Don’ts (“Don’t use petroleum jelly, cocoa butter, mineral oil or baby oil as a facial moisturizer.”), and a set of questions to determine your skin type, including “Does your skin feel greasy or slick?” and “What do your pores look like?”
Despite doling out definitive black beauty tips, the authors ultimately delve deeper than the superficial, such as a sobering reminder that “good looks must be accompanied by facial expressions that reveal warmth and sincere friendliness” because “a face that mirrors a warm and kindly personality has a vivacious quality far more desirable than mere beauty.”
Hear! Hear! Or should I say, See! See!

Jada Pinkett Smith: The “HawthoRNe” Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: The Latest Data on Jada

Jada Pinkett Smith stars as Christina Hawthorne in TNT’s medical drama “Hawthorne.” In the role of Chief Nursing Officer at James River Hospital, Christina is forced to juggle the roles and subsequent relationships that are demanded of her as a professional, mother, friend and love interest. Jada notably serves as Executive Producer on the show through Overbrook Entertainment following her initial foray into the role of Executive Producer of the “The Secret Life of Bees” starring Alicia Keys, Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning.
The film captured hearts and went on to win two NAACP Image Awards along with two People’s Choice Awards. More recently, Jada produced the global blockbuster “The Karate Kid” starring her son Jaden. Beyond the medium of film and TV, Jada together with her husband Will Smith and record industry mogul Jay-Z, produced the three-time Tony Award-winning musical “Fela’” which went on to enjoy a run in London at the National Theatre.
As an actress, Jada is perhaps best known for taking-charge in the hugely successful sequels “Matrix Reloaded” and “Matrix Revolutions.” In addition, Jada has played pivotal roles opposite Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx in Michael Mann's "Collateral," as well as alongside Meg Ryan and Annette Bening in the remake of “The Women.”
Jada also teamed up with Adam Sandler and Don Cheadle in “Reign Over Me,” and her voiceover work includes the role of Gloria in “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.” Later this year, she will return in the sequel which will also feature her daughter Willow.
Jada is an avid writer and her children’s book “Girls Hold Up This World” became a New York Times bestseller and continues to inspire girls all across the globe. A native of Maryland, Jada studied dance and acting at the Baltimore School for the Arts and at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Her big break came when she landed a role on the long-running NBC series “A Different World.”
Here, she talks about the premiere of the third season of her hit TNT series, HawthoRNe, and about the challenge of handling the title role of Christina. The show airs on Tuesdays at 10 PM ET & PT / 9 PM CT.

Kam Williams: Hi, Jada, thanks for another opportunity to speak with you.
Jada Pinkett Smith: Hey, Kam. How are you?

KW: I’m fine. Congratulations on your third season of HawthoRNe! How does it feel?
JPS: Oh, it feels good. It really feels good. We’re glad to be back, and I feel like we have an exciting season in store for all the HawthoRNe fans.

KW: What should fans be anticipating seeing on the show this season?
JPS: They should anticipate a highly-charged, dramatic, intense season with a lot of romance and adult issues. It’s going to be a helluva ride!

KW: I told my readers I’d be interviewing you and asked them to send in questions. One of them, Lowery Gibson, says: Your character is marrying a white doctor this season. Are you concerned about the fans reaction?
JPS: No, not at all. I’ve been in a relationship with this particular doctor (Tom Wakefield played by Michael Vartan) for the last two seasons, so I’m not really concerned about that.

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: What’s the most emotionally challenging part about playing Christina Hawthorne?
JPS: Well, this year, the most challenging aspect of the role is the fact that Christina goes through an extreme trauma starting with the first episode. This whole season has actually been very emotional and highly dramatic, so I would say that, overall, it’s been a pretty difficult season to shoot.

KW: Judyth Piazza asks: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?
JPS: Our commitment. I think that’s the key quality. You just have to keep at it. People who enjoy sustained success understand the fact that you have to remain very committed to whatever it is you’re doing, especially in this instant-gratification culture.

KW: Judyth has a follow-up: What has been the most important moment of your life?
JPS: I’d have to say the birth of my children.

KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles says: Will got to work with Jaden on screen in The Pursuit of Happyness. She asks: Would you like to work with Jaden or Willow?
JPS: [Chuckles] I do work with them, just in a different capacity. It’s kind of hard for mommy to be on screen at this point. Now that Jaden’s getting a little older, his needs of me are different. There’s definitely a project that he and I have talked about doing together. But first, I just have to make sure that he doesn’t need so much of mommy off screen as well. He’s getting to that point, so I definitely anticipate doing stuff like that with both of them when they’re older.

KW: Harriet was also wondering whether you worry about the effect of celebrity on your kids, given the trouble so many child stars have handling fame.
JPS: No, this is part of their lives. They’ve been members of a very high-profile family since they were born. That’s just what it is.

KW: Harriet’s follow-up is: How do you prioritize doing a TV series? How does it fit into your family’s extremely full schedule?
JPS: Everybody has to work around mommy’s schedule when I’m working. Everybody has to stand down, basically. Willow and Jaden can’t really do anything outside of L.A. That’s just how we worked it out.

KW: Do you ever wish you could have your anonymity back?
JPS: Oh, I still have my anonymity whenever I want it. I have a great way of disappearing, and I’m able to do things people would never imagine. I’m often not recognized because I’m easy to hide if I change my hairstyle or put on a hat. I disappear very easily. That’s not hard for me to do.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
JPS: Probably walking to school by myself in the first grade. [Laughs]

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?
JPS: Pizza.

KW: I just baked a homemade pizza today, myself. It had an herbed, whole wheat dough, and was topped with mushrooms, onions and fresh garlic.
JPS: Ooh, nice!

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

KW: The Taboo: What’s the best thing about being a parent?
JPS: The love of a child is different from any other type of love on the planet. And being loved by your children is a love that is immense. I’m always so overwhelmed by how much my children love me. I think the best part of being a parent is feeling the love of a child.

KW: Janice Malone asks: What's one or two pieces of advice that you’ve given your kids about being an actor?"
JPS: I try to stay out of their way and kind of just let them discover things for themselves. Our job as parents is more to keep other people out of their way, so they’re free to discover what works for them on their own.

KW: Thanks for another great interview, Jada. And I appreciate you’re taking a break from your busy shooting schedule on the set to talk with me.
JPS: No problem, Kam, you have a great evening.

Super 8

Film Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Shades of Spielberg Abound in Abram’s Creature Feature

Even Steven Spielberg would have a hard time making a movie which resembles one of his own creature features as much as Super 8 does. This reverential homage was directed by J.J. Abrams, a protégé who unabashedly laced the derivative production with a profusion of allusions to Close Encounters of Third Kind, E.T., Jaws, Jurassic Park, War of the Worlds, The Goonies and other offerings by his legendary mentor.
Among the myriad motifs revisited are such trademark, Spielberg plot points as an attempted, official cover-up of a burgeoning mystery, adolescents estranged from their parents, and an anthropomorphic extra terrestrial. And many of his favorite technical devices are resurrected as well, like the employment of lens flares, foreboding flashlights and disorienting camera angles as stylistic flourishes.
Luckily, because the edge-of-the-seat thriller also happens to be absolutely absorbing from beginning to end, the viewer doesn’t really have the luxury of pausing to debate whether J.J.’s borrowing of ideas amounts to a rip-off or a tribute. Another plus is the convincing chemistry generated among the gifted ensemble of mostly-unknown actors assembled to execute the well-developed, character-driven script.
The story is set during the summer of ’79 in Lillian, Ohio, a generic Midwestern metropolis ostensibly fashioned from the Hollywood template for small town America. Protagonist Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) is still mourning the death of his mom who perished in an industrial accident just a few months earlier.
He resists the pressure being exerted by his Deputy Sheriff father (Kyle Chandler) to attend baseball camp. Joe prefers to stick around to help his pal Charles (Riley Griffiths) finish shooting a zombie flick called “the Case” on Super 8. The rest of the motley movie crew is rounded out by awkward Preston (Zach Mills), equally-geeky Martin (Gabriel Basso), pyromaniac Carey (Ryan Lee) and tomboy Alice (Elle Fanning), a beauty about to blossom right before the boys’ eyes.
The plot thickens when a passing freight train derails while they’re filming a love scene on the local station platform. As the children barely escape the conflagration with their lives, Charles inadvertently manages to capture some critical evidence with his camera.
Meanwhile, the citizenry is left rattled not only by the incident but by the bizarre occurrences which begin to plague their once-idyllic oasis. Soon, the military descends upon the town led by a conniving Air Force Colonel (Noah Emmerich) who eventually issues an evacuation order. That leaves it up to our resourceful youngsters to summon up the courage to save the day, which is a cinch, when you’re dealing with classic Spielberg shenanigans. Or should I say Abrams?
J.J.’s Close Encounter with E.T., Gremlins, Jaws and Jurassic Goonies!
It’s all in there.

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, drug use and intense violence.
Running time: 112 Minutes
Distributor: Paramount Pictures

Top Ten DVD List for June 14h

This Week’s DVD Releases
by Kam Williams

Headline: Top Ten DVD List for June 14h

Black in Latin America


Monogamy


Kill the Irishman


Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D.


Battle: Los Angeles


Hall Pass


Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen


Jackass 3.5 – The Unrated Movie


Cultures of Resistance
http://www.culturesofresistance.org/

Lord, All Men Can’t Be Dogs


Honorable Mention

Gordon's War & Off Limits - Action-Packed Double Feature


Supernatural - The Complete Second Season


Tyler Perry’s House of Payne – Volume Eight


Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son


Midnight Movie: The Killer Cut


Robot Wars & Crash and Burn - Giant Robot Action Pack


Red Riding Hood


Mooz-Lum


N-Secure


Blue Crush 2

Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Cross-Dressing Crime Comedy Comes to DVD

It’s been said that there comes a critical moment in every African-American comedian’s career when he's asked to put on a dress. Among those who’ve succumbed to that subtle pressure over the years are Flip Wilson (TV’s Geraldine), Jaime Foxx (TV’s Wanda), Marlon and Shawn Wayans (White Chicks), Eddie Murphy (Norbit and The Nutty Professor 1 & 2), Tyler Perry (Madea), and of course, Martin Lawrence (The Big Momma trilogy).
After all, what’s funnier than a black drag queen? How about two black drag queens? That’s what we have in Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, a gender-bending crime comedy co-starring Martin Lawrence and Brandon T. Jackson.
At the point of departure we’re reacquainted with FBI Agent Malcolm Turner (Lawrence) and his stepson, Trent (Jackson), an aspiring rapper with raging hormones and no interest in attending college. However, Turner will hear none of it, since the academically-accomplished 17 year-old has already been admitted to Duke University.
But before the college question can be resolved, Trent witnesses the shooting of a police informant (Max Casella) at the hands of Chirkoff (Tony Curran), a vicious Russian crime boss who’s searching for an incriminating flash drive. As the mortally-wounded stool pigeon passes away, he hints that the key piece of evidence is hidden somewhere at a nearby girls’ boarding school.
Naturally, Turner and Trent decide to don skirts to retrieve Exhibit A by infiltrating the place undercover. So, “Big Momma” takes a job as a housemother there while “Charmaine” matriculates as a transfer student.
From this point forward, the film degenerates into recycled fare strictly for youngsters unfamiliar with any memorable moments from classic films or television shows. For it takes a lot of nerve to steal Redd Foxx’s signature line “I’m coming to join you, Elizabeth!” from Sanford & Son without even bothering to change the name Elizabeth. Equally shameless is an imitation of Jennifer Beal’s audition in Flashdance right down to the head shaking and foot stomping to the driving tune “Maniac.”
Then there’s Faizon Love’s channeling Joe E. Lewis’ crush on Jack Lemmon from Some Like It Hot as an ardent admirer of Big Momma. I suppose there must be a scriptwriting recession. Luckily, all these purloined plot points will be lost on the tykes too busy howling at the flabalanche of pratfalls and wardrobe malfunctions to worry about the lack of originality.
Just enough goofy slapstick to enthrall the under ten demographic.

Good (2 stars)
Rated PG-13 for sexual humor and brief violence.
Running time: 108 Minutes
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, gag reel, theatrical trailer and feature-length audio commentary by the director, the producer and cast members and stars Brandon T. Jackson, Jessica Lucas and Portia Doubleday.

Hall Pass DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: DVD Features Wilson and Sudeikis in Raunchy Romp

Peter and Bobby Farrelly are famous for cranking out crude teensploitation flicks. Owen Wilson, on the other hand, is a relatively-cerebral thespian known for his droll sense of humor. Therefore, something had to give when Wilson and the Farrelly brothers collaborated to make Hall Pass.
And if you’re wondering whether Owen’s tongue-in-cheek demeanor was compatible with their preference for boorish behavior, it wasn’t, and depravity did prevail in this vulgar contribution to the gross-out genre. At least faithful Farrelly fans won’t be disappointed by this bawdy, shock comedy laced with coarse dialogue, full-frontal nudity, sophomoric slapstick and bodily-function fare.
Highlights range from a golfer defecating in a sand trap to a black man with gargantuan genitalia going public with his privates. The plot is essentially a series of excuses to celebrate such scatology and debauchery.
Hall Pass unfolds in the Farrellys’ home state of Rhode Island where we find best friends Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis) constantly commiserating about their stale sex lives. Soon enough, their wives, Maggie (Jenna Fischer) and Grace (Christina Applegate), become so fed up with watching their hubbies salivating over other women that they decide to give them each a “hall pass,” meaning a week of freedom to cheat with no questions asked.
Incredulous about their good fortune, Rick and Fred leap at the opportunity, anticipating that their wildest fantasies are about to come true. However, they prove pretty inept at attracting females, which is no surprise given their reliance on lame pickup lines like “You must be from Ireland because when I look at you my penis is Dublin.” And their odds of scoring are only further diminished when they invite some pals to tag along, a Greek chorus of losers comprised of morbidly-obese Hog-Head (Larry Joe Campbell), trash-talking Flats (J.B. Smoove) and gawky-looking Gary (Stephen Merchant).
While Rick and Fred are striking out with women repeatedly, the plot thickens when their spouses are suddenly being seduced by ardent admirers out on Cape Cod. Will the guys wise up and beg their neglected wives for forgiveness before any wedding vows are broken?
A change of heart conveniently leads to a sweet resolution that’s really rather implausible given the previous ninety minutes of misogynistic locker room antics. The tried and true Farrelly formula, if that’s your taste!

Good (2 stars)
Rated R for profanity, sexuality, drug use, graphic, male frontal nudity and pervasive crude humor.
Running time: 105 Minutes
Distributor: Warner Home Video
DVD Extras: Additional scene.

Black in Latin America DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Dr. Gates’ PBS Series Released on DVD

In terms of slavery in the Americas, most people assume that more Africans were brought to the U.S. than anywhere else in this hemisphere. But truth be told, only a tiny fraction were transported to this soil, with ten times as many being taken to Brazil, and even twice as many to Cuba.
This is just one of the fascinating factoids divulged in Black in Latin America, a PBS special hosted by Harvard’s Henry Louis Gates. A half-dozen countries serve as the focus of this four-part series, namely, Cuba, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Gates travels to each nation to talk to the locals, capturing the flavor of the present-day culture in the light of the lasting legacy of slavery. Despite having majored in Black Studies, I have to admit that I found all of the episodes extraordinarily informative.
For example, I had no idea that supposedly freedom-loving President Thomas Jefferson had not only refused to recognize Haiti after that nation declared its independence but that he derogatively referred to its emancipated inhabitants as cannibals. In terms of Cuba, I was surprised to learn of a recent return of a color-coded caste system on the island, ostensibly as a consequence of an influx of dollars from lighter-skinned relatives in the United States.
Similarly, Brazil, often promoted as a post-racial utopia, is presented here as the undeserving beneficiary of a myth yet to be realized. Who knew that slavery was only abolished there in 1888? And racism is apparently ubiquitous in Peru, too, where for a pittance many blacks still pick cotton in fields on the very same plantations as did generations of their ancestors.
Dedicated to Dr. Gates’ recently-deceased, beloved father (who was prominently featured in the PBS series African-American Lives), Black in Latin America is a must-see for anyone interested in appreciating the history and continuing fallout of slavery South of the Border.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 240 Minutes
Distributor: PBS
DVD Extras: None