Prepping, Rehearsing, and Filming: Yet Another Infamous Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday: Chilled out. Watched the Rize DVD with Director's Commentary. Turned it back in to Blockbuster's before noon. Rented Baadaaass, which is directed by Mario Van Peebles, who portrays his father, Melvin Van Peebles. It is the story of all the obstacles that Melvin Van Peebles encountered while trying to make Sweet Sweetback's Baaadaaasss Song. This movie is considered to be the beginning of the blaxploitation genre: Those 70s movies that had an overabundance of afros, pimps, hos, and jive turkeys giving five on the "blackhand side". For you newer readers, I am a huge blaxploitation fan. I just love the whole funky 70s vibe associated with these films.

Saturday: I had a table read for the new Oddly Buoyant Productions project Eat. We had a table read at McEwen's. A first for me, but enjoyable nonetheless. David Merill, casting director supreme, was in the house, as was the Oddly Buoyant braintrust of Laura Hocking and Chris McCoy. Sarah Ewell (Shutter, Delusions) was in the house, as was Dedrick Bullard, a newcomer on the scene who is quickly making a name for himself. I can be an arrogant mofo, but I have to confess: The man is good! Indie film director Ben Siler (Prom Date) also has a role, which shocked me. Anthony Boco (Last Call Lovin') is also in the film, and I ran into a guy who was an extra with me in Black Snake Moan. I also encountered several Indie Memphis regulars and some new faces. I feel good about this production. Brandon Hutchison, who directed me in Dollars and Signs, is the Director of Photography on this one. BH is always cool to work with.

Later, I joined my friends Denna Greer (What Goes Around) and my good buddy "Angry" Nick Jones as we celebrated their birthday. They were both born on Feb. 28. Way cool, right? Denna's man, upcoming music producer Paul "P.Dub" West, my friends Shomari, Terra, Mario, Paul Briggs, and others joined in our celebration. The party began at Laser Quest. I chose the codename Target (keepin' it real), and, wouldn't you know it, my gun stopped functioning for ten minutes. I finished 17th. At least I wasn't the worse. We played against some little kids. Those little hellions started triple-teaming us! It wasn't pretty. Later, we ate at Cozumel's. I learned that Barbecue Salmon tacos are not my thing. After that, my crew rolled out to the Majestic Theater and watched Dave Chappelle's Block Party. My favorite artists (Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Kanye West, The Roots, a reunited Fugees) and Dave Chappelle's antics? I loved it! Several of the young African-Americans were disappointed. They loudly voiced their disgust, and walked out. My African-American people, let's have a little more dignity in the movie theater. Pretend like you have home training and shut up! I was glad to see the lot of them leave. I waved goodbye/flipped the bird to them, and the continued watching/straining to hear over cellphone conversations. After the movie, we called it a night.

Sunday:
I had another Gridiron Association rehearsal for Waltzing In Memphis. I must be off book by this Saturday. After that, I met up with Keenon Nikita (Poor and Hungry) and Rod Pitts (www.pittstopproductions.com) and shot another scene as Michael, my mentally challenged character from Just the Two of Us. It was a wide shot, no close-ups (BOOO!), but, at least I have a little more screen time. Shoot, I've seen corpses with more screentime than I have in this one. But, my work schedule back then didn't allow for it. Hopefully, my big role is out there somewhere. Then, we watched the Oscars. Three Six Mafia won best song for "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp", and I looked outside to make sure that meteors wouldn't rain down from the heavens. Maybe that'll open the floodgates and some of the more intelligent rappers in my city could slide through. Or, maybe Hades will freeze over. I don't know about that one. It seemed surreal. Stay tuned for my view of the Oscars. Be easy, readers.