Wednesday, July 29, 2009

When Can We Help Ourselves? (livefrommemphis.com)

I have been hesitant to write this on this topic for some time, but I have to get this off my chest. As an African-American man, I have a problem with the whole “White Savior” image that is all over American cinema. I am sure that my readers out there know the plots I speak of all too well. Some kind-hearted European American shows up at just the right time and rescues the poor minority youth from their cruel existence. Almost as long as I have been watching films, I have been subjected to this, and it’s usually “based on a true story”. Whether it was Michelle Pfeiffer in Dangerous Minds giving hope and opening the minds of poor inner-city minority youth, or Hillary Swank doing the same in Freedom Writers, the White Savior is there to show us poor, misguided minorities that we can read and dream and reach for the stars because, darn it, poor minorities are people too! All we need is some nice white person who’s a rebel or an unorthodox thinker or a grumpy old man, such as Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. Well, if cinema is any indication, the poor minorities would perish were it not for the White Savior. And on behalf of all minorities everywhere, all I can say is “We showl’ is appreciative of y'all White folks helping us out, boss!” As a matter of fact, if I’m “saved” again, I might just be ill.

To read more, go to:

http://www.livefrommemphis.com/ageekandhisblog/924-when-can-we-help-ourselvesthe-white-saviour-in-modern-cinema

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Entertainment Overload Episode 71 - Guilty Pleasures

Entertainment Overload Episode 71 - Guilty Pleasures

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Friday, July 17, 2009

Entertainment Overload Episode 70 - Harry Potter And The Second Half Of 2009

Entertainment Overload Episode 70 - Harry Potter And The Second Half Of 2009

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Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Black Film Festival this weekend in Memphis!!

The Black Film Festival 09 at the Hattiloo Theatre is this Friday and Saturday.

Friday's Schedule:
6pm: Kickoff reception
7:30pm: "Tricks" by DeAara Lewis
10:30pm: Afterparty

Saturday's Schedule:
10am: Workshop: Acting for the Camera
12:30pm: Workshop: How to promote your film
1:30pm: Workshop: How to finance an indie film
3pm: Workshop: Nuts and bolts of indie filmmaking
5pm: Shorts by William Westbrook
5:30pm: "Just the Two of Us" by Keenon Nikita
7pm: documentaries by Marcellous Lovelace
8pm: Film by Rod Pitts

$8 Admission per film or $35 for a 2-day pass
Workshops: $15/each
To buy tickets online: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/71678

Hattiloo Theatre, 656 Marshall. Call 525-0009; hattilootheatre.org

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

RIP Karl Malden

http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0859801/

My Twitter Experience (Live From Memphis)

A few months ago, my esteemed editor Chris McCoy asked me to join Twitter and then write an article about the experience. This delighted my podcasting friends who live on Twitter, because I swore that I would never join that dreaded community. I was intrigued by the prospect of "investigative journalism", so I decided to give it a go.

To read more, go to:
http://www.livefrommemphis.com/ageekandhisblog/845-my-twitter-experience