Movies, Get-Togethers, and Karaoke: The Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday:

I got off work, ran some errands, and then I went home and took a nap. I finally finished watching Layer Cake. It's a British gangster movie. Daniel Craig filmed this role before he became the new James Bond. It was nicely done.

Saturday:

I got off work, dropped off "Uncle" Marvin Skinner, and went to the movies. I saw Resurrecting the Champ. Joshua Hartnett played a reporter that ran into a bum (Samuel Jackson) claiming to be a former heavyweight contender. It was okay, but I didn't really care about the characters until the film was almost over. It was okay.
I went to an actors' get-together at Cafe Ole in the Cooper-Young area. Jen Morris (Just the Two of Us, Delusions) was one of the organizers. Shout out to Travis Stone (Ray, Just the Two of Us), Lauren Shepard (Slow Down You're Dating Too Fast), Alisa Nave (Rommel's Crossroad), Joe Smith (Elvis, Delusions), Lee Mauney (Mail Call, Delusions), Lina Fritsche (Curbside Confessions), and others. It was okay. I got silent a few times, like when the conversations veered towards liquor or relationships (I abstain from both). It was good to see some of my fellow actors. Hopefully, we can do this again.

Sunday:

I pretty much stayed in the house until about 6 PM. I went over my friend Shomari's mom's house and watched the WWE Summerslam pay-per-view. After that, I went to the Vault on Highland where my friend David H. was hosting the Karaoke Smackdown!! I performed "Kick, Push" by Lupe Fiasco, "Like I Love You" by Justin Timberlake, and I performed "Me, Myself and I" by De La Soul with Clayton and his friend Carlton. I enjoyed myself. It was cool. Of course, I started thinking about work and got depressed. Oh, well.

I am still trying to slim down for a role in "100 Lives". It's not easy, but I will lose some of my belly by the time cameras start shooting. Be easy, readers!!!

My First Commercial

I shot my first commercial ever today for WMC-TV 5. It was shot in their actual offices while people were working. Being a vet of the indie film game, I'm used to shooting while people are moving around. I've shot in restaurants, Target (we weren't supposed to), and places like that.

Jenny Smith, the promotions producer, shot the commercials with assistance from other people on staff. We were standing around a water cooler talking at the office. In the first spot, me and some other guys were planning a golf game, and we check wmctv.com for the five-day forecast. In the second spot, I am with men and women in the office and we are eager to hear a statement from a political figure. We decide to check wmctv.com for streaming video. It was fun. Shout out to Carl Walters, another actor in this town. He sent me a friend invite on Myspace. You can never have too many contacts. Shout out to the other females that we worked with. We had crazy conversations about Lifetime, R. Kelly, the 80s, and cartoon shows. It was fun. I didn't get paid, but I networked. Hopefully, somebody will like what they see. Thanks to Jenny for choosing me. I hope my friends and family like it. Be easy, readers!!

Filming, Church, and Movies: The Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday:

I got off work, ran some errands, and I saw Superbad. It dragged a little bit at the end, but it was cool. Definitely not for the little kids.

Saturday:

I got off work, and I basically wrapped my role in What I Love About Concrete (working title). I will miss portraying the bumbling Health/Phys. Ed teacher Coach Kumquat. They had me doing all kinds of crazy random gestures. They may need me again in December, but I'm pretty much done for now. Thank you to Katherine and Alanna for casting me in that film.

After that, I ran some errands, then I went to my friend Wanda's birthday gathering. It started at Laser Quest. I declined to play (because I'm horrible at it). Afterwards, we ate at Buffalo Wild Wings. I had a salad. I have to lose weight fast because I may play a bouncer in Darius Wallace's film, 100 Lives. I am doing my crunches, drinking pretty much nothing but water, and cutting out the sweets. Shout out to Wanda and our friends: Paul Briggs, Denna Greer (What Goes Around), Shomari Gant, Terra Hollis, and my buddy Bryan Newcomb. I hadn't talked to him in a while, so it was good to see him. He gave me belated birthday present, a book about writing for stage and screen because he feels that "my ass needs to start writing". I agree.
After that, I headed home.

Sunday:

I went to church for, like, the first time this year. That's right, Mom, I went to church!! I was invited by a student at my job, Terricka Ezell. She attends the Cordova branch of Golden Gate Baptist. I enjoyed myself. I will probably attend again. Afterwards, I went to the movies and saw The Last Legion. In this story, the mystical sword Excalibur began as Julius Caesar's sword and it was passed down from Caesar to Casesar. A boy named Romulus becomes Caesar, and the kingdom is attacked. His teacher and the survivors of his army have to rescue him and defeat the opposing army. There is an actress of Middle Eastern descent in the movie, Aishwarya Rai. She is beautiful. She also kicks butt in the movie. Cute chicks with swords are cool. It was a cool action movie, no great plot. The fight scenes were good!!
After that, I pretty much chilled out for the rest of the day. No acting and no wrestling pay-per-views=Lazy Sunday.

Tomorrow, I am acting in some spots for the WMC-TV website. This is my first commercial work. It is nonpaying, but I am hoping that it leads to bigger and better things. It is a process, people. Be easy, readers!!!

RIP Max Roach

Max Roach, a founder of Modern Jazz, died recently at 83. Read the story:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/16/arts/music/16cnd-roach.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Roach was a great talent. He will be missed.

Filming, Poetry, and Wrestling: The One-Day Late Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday:

I got off work, and went to White Station High School to shoot my scenes for a film that will either be titled I Was a Teenage Storkasaurus or Concrete. I am playing a bumbling gym coach. It was a little hectic filming these scenes. First of all, I was in a track suit and it was very hot in the gym. Second, the football team kept being rowdy in the background. One guy commented on me looking at him. I responded with some expletives that will not be repeated. There were also a few flies. Overall, it was a pretty good shoot, and the high school kids I worked with were cool. They even had a dance sequence. Tommy Kha (Ants in an Ant Farm) showed up. I even had a little dance sequence of my own. It was fun. After that, I went over my friend Denna Greer's house and gave her some money for some wrestling tickets. Memphis is hosting a WWE Pay-Per-View in a few months. I have to be there!! After that, I called it a night.

Saturday:

I had a friend of a coworker put new brakes on my car while I was at work. Afterwards, I got the car, went home and took a nap, then I got up and went to a gathering at my coworker Tracey Parker's apartment. Her friend, El Hakim the poet (www.elhakimthepoet.com), recited several of his spoken word pieces, and another neighbor of hers sang a song. Her neighbor will be in a play entitled Courting Time starting at Theatreworks on Monroe August 24. We were also blessed to have an author from Atlanta in the house, Nakesha D. Speed. She has a book about her first year of teaching called Recess is Over. I enjoyed myself. I bought a t-shirt from El Hakim and I bought Ms. Speed's book. After that, I went to Jordan's Karaoke Bar and Grill.

Sunday:

I shot a pice for a short documentary on Elvis for the next Lil' Film Fest. We shot at the park on Court. Willie Murray was working the camera and the interviewer was an up-and-coming model/actress, Jacqui G. We filmed, then we talked shop. Hopefully, I can get in some more Lil' Film Fest shorts (hint, hint). After that, I went home and took a nap. Next, I saw Rush Hour 3. It was funny because of Chris Tucker, the writing was so-so. Tucker is just SO silly and over the top, I had to laugh. After that, I went to the home of my friend Kevin Youngblood aka Ptah Maximus (www.myspace.com/ptahmaximus) and he burned me a copy of his new album Life, Love, Respect, and Hip-Hop. I chatted with him for a minute, then I went over my boy Shomari Gant's mom's house and watched a TNA wrestling pay-per-view. After that, I went home.

Monday-Tuesday:

The power went out at my job, so I could not post this yesterday. I worked 5 hours yesterday, and none today. Yay!!! I really needed the break. I look forward to finishing up on Storksaurus in the coming weeks and working on other projects. Be easy, readers!!!!

Buy This Album: Finding Forever by Common

Common, the Chicago rhyme veteran and standard-bearer for conscious emcees, released his seventh album, Finding Forever, last Tuesday. Similar to his last effort, 2005's Be, the executive producer is Kanye West. Kanye also produces the majority of the tracks, just like on Be. In fact, the albums can be looked at as companion pieces. Common gives us a little taste of his battle-rhyming skills on "Start the Show", when he rhymes "With twelve monkeys on the stage, hard to see who's the gorilla/You were better as a drug dealer". The next track, "The People" is also classic Common. Common talks about the struggles of African-Americans in the way that only he can. Other standout cuts include "Drivin' Me Wild" (which features flavor-of-the-month British singer Lily Allen), "The Game" (featuring scratches by the legendary DJ Premier), The beautiful "U Black, Maybe" (featuring Bilal), and "So Far to Go". On that track, Common has an appearance from MIA soul singer D'Angelo. The last track, "Forever Begins", continues the tradition of a spoken-word piece from Common's father, affectionately called "Pops". While the album is solid, it doesn't really break any new ground. Common's other six albums have been totally different from the previous one. This is the closest that Common has come to repeating himself. Hopefully, Kanye will loosen the reins on the next project. My suggestion would be more tracks from Kanye affiliate Devo Springsteen, who breathes new life into a classic Nina Simone sample on "Misunderstood". Overall, though, Common's Finding Forever is a feel-good, soulful journey and a welcome detour from the materialistic, thug rap that floods the airwaves.

Movies, Parties, and Work: The Weekend Wrap-Up

Friday:

I got off work, went to the comic book store, then I saw Hot Rod. The ads seemed funny, but the film was hit-and-miss. Some jokes made me laugh out loud, some jokes just fell flat. Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers) was cute, though.

Saturday:

I got off work, took "Uncle" Marvin Skinner home, went back to my house and took a nap, and then I went to my friend Tamara Wicks' apartment-warming party. Shout out to Rudechild, his fiancee, Yolandalyn, and Tamara's 1-year old daughter, Alexis. The new place is cool. We chilled out and watched Family Guy on DVD.

After that, I went to my friend Arnold Edwards' birthday party. Shout out to Arnold, his girlfriend Dayna Hinkel, Glen Ring (Dollars and Signs, Rommel's Crossroad), Derrick, Hardy, his daughter Skykar, and the rest of Arnold's friends. We hung out, ate a little bit, and had fun.

Sunday:

I saw The Bourne Ultimatum. That was a darn good movie. Matt Damon was solid in the film, and they finally gave Julia Stiles' character in these films a personality and a purpose. David Straitharn (My Blueberry Nights) was good as the main villain. Cool special effects and awesome fight scenes. The theater was packed on Sunday at 4:35, so I knew that it would be No. 1 for this weekend.

While I was out and about, my mom called me and informed me that one of my younger cousins made a bad decision that will probably cause him to be incarcerated for a while. I was saddened, frustrated, and I just got something to eat at Perkins and went home. I feel bad for my cousin and for his mom, my aunt. I am praying for them and I am asking for your prayers during this troubling time.

This week, I am scheduled to film my scenes in I Was a Teenage Storkasaurus. I play a bumbling gym teacher. I am just glad to be filming, and after the serious tone of the last feature that I did (Rommel's Crossroad), I think that it's time for me to tackle some lighter material. Oh, I hope that this scene will be hilarious!!!!! Be easy, readers.