Charles Burnett Honorary Oscar [VIDEOS]

The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted Tuesday night (September 5) to present Honorary Awards to writer-director Charles Burnett, cinematographer Owen Roizman, actor Donald Sutherland and director Agnès Varda.  The four Oscar® statuettes will be presented at the Academy’s 9th Annual Governors Awards on Saturday, November 11, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

Born in Mississippi and raised in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, Charles Burnett is an independent filmmaker whose work has been praised for its portrayal of the African-American experience.  He wrote, directed, produced, photographed and edited his first feature film, “Killer of Sheep,” in 1977.  His other features include “My Brother’s Wedding,” “To Sleep with Anger,” “The Glass Shield” and “Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation.”  Burnett also has made several documentaries including “America Becoming” and “Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property,” and such short films as “The Horse” and “When It Rains.”

Below is a playlist of the tributes to Charles Burnett

JAY-Z’s Tell-All 4:44 Interview [VIDEOS]

Last month, JAY-Z sat down with Elliot Wilson and Brian 'B.Dot' Miller of Rap Radar to share exclusive details about his newly released 4:44 album. The TIDAL podcast was broken into two parts that aired on August 18 and August 25.

In the interview, he spoke about his relationship with Kanye West, how Blue got behind the mic for that legendary freestyle, and much, much more. JAY-Z recently uploaded the entire interview on YouTube so non-TIDAL subscribers finally have access to the rare, in-depth discussion.-Sydney Gore, Fader

WATCH both parts below.

CLICK the button to see all of our blog posts about Jay-Z

Why 'Star Trek: Discovery' is Important [VIDEO]

Blog Post #25

Star Trek: Discovery is an upcoming American television series created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman for CBS All Access.(A video subscription service). It is the first series developed specifically for that service, and the first Star Trek series since Star Trek: Enterprise concluded in 2005. Set roughly a decade before the events of the original Star Trek series, separate from the timeline of the concurrent feature films, Discovery explores a previously mentioned event from the history of Star Trek while following the crew of the USS Discovery.

Sonequa Martin-Green stars as Michael Burnham, the first officer of the USS Discovery.
Star Trek: Discovery is set to debut on CBS with a two-part premiere in "fall" 2017, before moving to All Access. The first season will consist of 15 episodes. -Wikipedia

You can watch the trailer below and my thoughts, via Instagram, after.

Let me explain how FREEKIN HUGE it is that this new #StarTrek, #StarTrekDiscovery is being Lead by a black woman. Aside from the #RepresentationMatters argument, which is valid and real, THIS SHOW: 1. Is the television comeback of a 50 year old franchise. The fan base rivals only STAR WARS in worldwide🌍popularity. 2. Is the flagship show of CBS subscription video streaming service "CBS ACCESS". Yes that means CBS has created a subscription service like Netflix and Hulu and THIS SHOW is their bread and butter. They're counting on this show to put the service on the map. Meaning increase📈its paying subscribers💵💵💵💵💵💵 To put this major weight on shoulders of a black woman is not only significant, it's outta sight✨💫 May this show #LiveLongAndProsper 🖖🏾

A post shared by Dankwa Brooks (@dankwa) on May 18, 2017 at 4:16am PDT

'Shots Fired' Aftershow with Producers and Stars [VIDEOS]

Shots Fired is an American ten-part drama television series broadcast on Fox premiering on March 22, 2017.

About the show: 

When an African-American police officer kills an unarmed white college student, a small town in North Carolina is turned upside-down. Before the town has a chance to grapple with this tragedy, the neglected murder of an African-American teen is brought to light, re-opening wounds that threaten to tear the town apart. Leading the Department of Justice’s inquiry into these shootings is seasoned investigator ASHE AKINO (Sanaa Lathan, “The Perfect Guy”) and a young Special Prosecutor, PRESTON TERRY (Stephan James, “Race,” “Selma”), both of whom are African-American. As they start to pull back the layers of both cases, they suspect a cover-up that may involve some of the state’s most powerful people, including fiercely political North Carolina Governor PATRICIA EAMONS (Academy-, Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning actress Helen Hunt, “As Good As It Gets,” “The Sessions”). She’s in a tough re-election fight, and the recent shootings in her state are making it even tougher. Meanwhile, real estate mogul and owner of a privatized prison ARLEN COX (Academy- and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss, “The Goodbye Girl,” “Jaws,” “Madoff”), is pulled into the case, as LT. ERIC BREELAND (Stephen Moyer, “The Bastard Executioner,” “True Blood”), a seasoned veteran in the town’s Sheriff’s Department, gets caught in the middle of the investigation. SHOTS FIRED tackles the racial divide from all perspectives. As Ashe and Preston navigate the media attention, public debate and social unrest that come with such volatile cases, they learn that everybody has a story, and that the truth is rarely black and white.

Below is a playlist of all the aftershows in reverse order starting with the latest to the first episodes.

 

Dave Chappelle Talks New Netflix Deal and More [VIDEO]

Dave Chappelle has been making people laugh for 30 years. His career exploded after two hilarious seasons of "Chappelle's Show" on Comedy Central, but he suddenly abandoned it at the height of his success.

Now, he's back with a three-part stand-up comedy special on Netflix. Chappelle often shies away from interviews, but he sat down with Gayle King for an in-depth conversation on "CBS This Morning."

As Dave says in the video, he walked away from $50 Million and this new Netflix deal is worth $60 Million so BOOM!

WATCH the interview below

Real life stories of N.W.A. and Straight Outta Compton [VIDEOS]

Great interviews by DJ Vlad (pictured above) with people who were down with the members of N.W.A. back when they got started.

Vladimir Lyubovny better known as DJ Vlad is a disc-jockey and executive vice president at Loud.com, part of the SRC/Universal family. He is also CEO of VladTV.com - a video website that many refer to as "The TMZ of Hip-Hop."–Wikipedia

Watch the playlist of FIVE (5) interviews below. (Each video will play automatically after each other)

Honorary Oscar Recipient Spike Lee Also a Frequent Critic of the Academy [VIDEO]

Spike Lee and wife Tonia Lewis-Lee  Credit: Alexandra Wyman/Invision/AP

The iconic filmmaker has had a rocky relationship with the Academy: it kick-started his career 32 years ago with a Student Academy Award but it's also snubbed many of his films and those of other black filmmakers, prompting him to declare that Oscars "don't matter."

By Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter

August 27, 2015 

Spike Lee, probably the most famous black filmmaker in the history of American cinema and long an outspoken critic of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will be presented with an honorary Oscar at the Academy's seventh Governors Awards on Nov. 14, the organization announced Thursday. At 58, Lee is the youngest male tapped for an honorary Oscar — which historically has been something of a lifetime achievement award — since one went to 46-year-old Planet of the Apes makeup artist John Chambers in 1969.

Now the question is: what will he say when accepting the honor? 

Lee's long and complicated relationship with the Academy dates back 32 years. In 1983, he won a Student Academy Award for Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, his NYU thesis film, which helped to put him on the map. Just a few years later, his films She's Gotta Have It (1986), which premiered at Cannes and won the best first feature Indie Spirit Award, and School Daze (1988) made him a major player on the indie scene. And then came Do the Right Thing.

The 1989 dramedy, which chronicles simmering racial tensions that eventually boil over on a block in Brooklyn, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May — and, despite a rapturous reception, ended up receiving not a single prize, to the shock of many and the vocal displeasure of Lee. When it opened in the U.S. in June, it sparked nationwide debate, discussion and further awards buzz. (The Los Angeles Film Critics chose the film as its best picture and Lee as its best director.)

But when Oscar nominations were announced a few months later, Lee again was left disappointed: the only acknowledgement of Do the Right Thing came in the categories of best supporting actor (Danny Aiello) and best original screenplay (for Lee). Adding insult to injury, the film that landed the most nominations — and ultimately won best picture — was Driving Miss Daisy, a film directed by a white man about a servile black man catering to a bigoted white woman.

In 2011, Lee, still stung by that experience, told Charlie Rose, "In 1989, Do the Right Thing was not even nominated [for best picture]. What film won best picture in 1989? Driving Miss motherf—ing Daisy! That’s why [Oscars] don’t matter. Because 20 years later, who’s watching Driving Miss Daisy?” He addedin 2015, "Are they going to choose a film where you have the relatively passive black servant, or are they going to choose a film with a menacing 'Radio Raheem'? A lot of times, people are going to vote for what they're comfortable with, and anything that's threatening to them they won't."

Lee's frustrations with the Academy undoubtedly were compounded by the recognition — or lack thereof — that his subsequent "Spike Lee Joints" have received from the organization. Mo' Better Blues (1990),Jungle Fever (1991), Malcolm X (1992) and 25th Hour (2002) all premiered at major international film festivals and were up for or received honors from other major awards groups, but only Malcolm Xreceived any acknowledgement from the Academy: a best actor nom for Denzel Washington, plus a best costume design nom, ultimately losing both.

Meanwhile, Lee himself has been a contender only one other time: 4 Little Girls (1997), his film about the young victims of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in 1963, was nominated for best documentary feature, losing to The Long Way Home, a film about the birth of Israel that was produced by RabbiMarvin Hier and Richard Trank. Lee attended the ceremony but said afterward, "I didn't have a chance. I knew that. Against a rabbi? Put the Jewish vote in the academy against the one or two black members and what do you think?"

In 2014, Lee, by now the artistic director of the graduate film program at NYU, and the Academy, under new management that had a stated goal of increasing the diversity of its membership, seemed to reach a detente. That spring, he returned to the Oscars hoping to see 12 Years a Slave become the first film directed by a black man to win best picture — and it did. ("I was very happy for Steve McQueen," he said later. "I wanted to be there because I knew it was going to be historic.") And that summer, the same Academy that had once turned a cold shoulder towards Do the Right Thing celebrated its 25th anniversary with bicoastal screenings and Q&As with key people associated with the film, including Lee.

But when, in January of this year, Selma, a critically-acclaimed biopic about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was denied Oscar noms for best director (Ava DuVernay could have become the first black woman ever nominated) and best actor (David Oyelowo was widely expected to make the cut but neither he nor any other black people actually did), it clearly reopened some old wounds for Lee. Hours after the announcement, he vented: "If I saw Ava today I'd say, 'You know what? F--- 'em.'"

He continued, "Anyone who thinks this year was gonna be like last year is retarded. There were a lot of black folks up there with 12 Years a Slave, Steve,Lupita [Nyong'o], Pharrell [Williams]. It's in cycles of every 10 years. Once every 10 years or so I get calls from journalists about how people are finally accepting black films. Before last year, it was the year [2002] with Halle Berry, Denzel and Sidney Poitier. It's a 10-year cycle. So I don't start doing backflips when it happens."

"The Academy is trying to be more diverse," he added. "[Academy president] Cheryl [Boone Isaacs] is trying to open it up and have more diversity amongst the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. But with Selma, it's not the first time it's happened, and every time it does I say, 'You can't go to awards like the Oscars... for validation. The validation is if your work still stands 25 years later.'"

Now the question is: what will Lee have to say on the one night in his life on which he is guaranteed to receive an Oscar?

ADDITIONAL
WATCH Spike Lee's Oscar speech below along with his superstar introduction.

CLICK the button to see all of our blog posts about SPIKE LEE

'Empire' supercut: Cookie's Best Lines [VIDEO]

From USA Today March 5, 2015, a short video of Cookie Lyon's (Taraji P. Henson) best lines on the television show Empire.

CLICK the button to see all of our blog posts about TARAJI P. HENSON

The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Roundtable [VIDEO]

October 31, 2013
The Hollywood Reporter's annual series kicks off with a candid conversation featuring Matthew McConaughey, Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Jared Leto, Josh Brolin and Michael B. Jordan.

From oldest to youngest they are:

• Forest Whitaker, 52
• Josh Brolin, 45 
• Matthew McConaughey, 43 
• Jared Leto, 41
• Jake Gyllenhaal, 32 
• Michael B. Jordan, 26

Watch the video below 


Novembe14, 2013
Steve McQueen, Paul Greengrass, David O. Russell, Ben Stiller, Alfonso Cuaron and Lee Daniels on explaining long days on set to their kids, getting notes from executives and what made them go behind the camera for the first time.

Watch the video below

Jackie Robinson 'SportsCentury' [VIDEO]

Galvanized by the terrific film 42, I wanted to know more about the legend Jackie Robinson.

To be clear, of course I knew about Jackie Robinson, but nothing in depth until now. Like many I am a slave to the media and I'm more liable to see a movie about a public figure before I'll read about them. I HAVE read books about public figures, I'm just more liable to see a movie about them.

No movie though no matter how good will encapsulate a person or subject and if you are so inclined about the person or subject you should ALWAYS seek more information.

As I said in my review of the film about the Tuskegee Airmen, Red Tails

It’s a MOVIE, it’s made to entertain not be your only basis for history. Historical films like this are good for just that the entertainment and maybe it’ll spark broader interest where you can go to your local library or in this day and age Google and Wikipedia. Even those sources aren’t the authority, but good places to begin your research.

So taking my own advice I am seeking more information on Mr. Robinson and presenting such to you below. HUGE THANKS to Reelblack for hipping me to this episode of ESPN Classic's SportsCentury on YouTube about Jackie Robinson. Below is the whole episode in seven parts.






RELATED
My Review of '42'


Opening Weekend Numbers for '42'

About That 'OldBoy' Remake [VIDEO]

Blog Post #11

In a June 12, 2012 interview with GQ magazine

GQ: You're working on a MJ doc now though, right? 

Spike Lee: What I'm doing now is a documentary on the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Bad album. I'm also doing another documentary on Brazil called Go Brazil Go. I'm going to be directing Mike Tyson on Broadway later, it's a one man show. And then we got, God willing, Oldboy [an American remake of the popular 2003 South Korean manga film of the same name] coming up in the fall... 

GQ: What's up with that? 

Spike Lee: Waiting for the green light. Josh Brolin...My man from District 9, Sharlto Copley. 

GQ: What's stopping it though? People want to see this. 

Spike Lee: You know they're still trying to get the numbers straight, but I think it's going to happen. 

GQ: It's good to see you're optimistic about it. 

Spike Lee: Yeah. If you add all the things up we're rolling now.

"Oldboy" is a remake of Chan-wook Park's 2003 South Korean film, which became a cult classic because of its inventive plot and action sequences. The new film directed by Spike Lee, stars Josh Brolin as an advertising executive who gets kidnapped and imprisoned for 20 years without explanation. Upon release, he searches for meaning behind his confinement.

I’ve been reading about this OldBoy remake for over a year now, (since July 2011) and it finally seems like it’s coming together. I first sought out and saw the original 2003 film. (Read my review here )

The lead was soon announced as Josh Brolin, but it took a while longer to find the two other key roles of the antagonist and the woman in the middle. Now it is being reported that all three have been attached to the project. Sharlto Copley (District 9) has been signed as the antagonist and Elizabeth Olsen as the woman in the middle. Since I have seen the original OldBoy and even though this American remake will definitely be different, I can see where this casting fits.

ABOUT THE ACTORS

Josh Brolin

JOSH BROLIN (The protagonist)
Has been great in a lot of films and I was more than pleased to hear he was signed as the lead.

Elizabeth Olsen

ELIZABETH OLSEN (The woman in the middle)
I had not seen her in anything until recently and this is what I said

#nfotd #MarthaMarcyMayMarlene was really great, one of the BEST of 2011, bolstered by an OUTSTANDING performance by ELIZABETH OLSEN!
— Dankwa Brooks (@DankwaBrooks) July 2, 2012

Sharlto Copley

SHARLTO COPLEY (The antagonist)
I’ve only seen him in one thing District 9 and while I didn’t really care for the picture that much I thought he was good in it and a good actor. I wouldn’t mind seeing what he does with the role.

Samuel L. Jackson

SAMUEL L. JACKSON (Pivotal player)
Was recently announced as playing a pivotal role in the remake, and IT IS pivotal.

THE FILMMAKER

SPIKE LEE 
People who read my posts online are not surprised to know I’m a big Spike Lee fan. I think he is an accomplished filmmaker in style and technique. I think he will do a great job on this remake.

Here is the official synopsis for the film:
OLDBOY follows the story of an advertising executive (Josh Brolin) who is kidnapped and held hostage for 20 years in solitary confinement without any indication of his captor’s motive.  When he is inexplicably released, he embarks on an obsessive mission to discover who orchestrated his bizarre and torturous punishment only to find he is still trapped in a web of conspiracy and torment. His quest for revenge leads him into an ill-fated relationship with a young social worker (Elizabeth Olsen) and ultimately to an illusive man (Sharlto Copley) who allegedly holds the key to his salvation.

THE FILM
When the U.S. remake was announced “fan boys” went crazy. The “original is a classic”, “shouldn’t be remade” and so forth. When Spike Lee was announced as the director it didn’t lessen the outcry.

Let me say this, I recently just rewatched Spike Lee’s 2006 film Inside Man and it is easily one of his best. Any yahoo who doesn't think Spike will do a good job on Oldboy need to watch that film and realize the error of their ways.

A lot of those same “fan boys” also didn’t think Spike could accomplish the action facets of the story. First of all the original 2003 film didn’t have that many action scenes besides the famous hallway scene. Any action scenes will I’m sure be done with the assistance of something you know called a STUNT COORDINATOR. Mr. Lee is more than capable of handling the rest of the filmmaking techniques.

The official Louisiana state government film production site states:
Mandate Pictures’ feature film Oldboy will shoot October 1, 2012 to November 16, 2012 in New Orleans.

That start date is more than likely now. Spike has been tweeting that he’s already in New Orleans for Pre-Production on Oldboy and it was recently announced (September 7th) that the film was picked up for US distribution which means even more reason for Mandate Pictures to move forward.

In the end it’s all speculation, but everything I’m reading so far sounds good especially the great cast. We won’t know what the film is going to be until it’s released. I think we all need to reserve judgment until then.

UPDATES: JULY 2013 

New Poster

NEW TRAILER

A Cool Black collage of the three principles of Oldboy from pictures posted by Spike Lee online.

Related:

To see all of our posts about OldBoy CLICK here

CLICK the button to see all of our blog posts about SPIKE LEE

Spike Lee on CNN August 2012 [VIDEO]

In August 2012 to help promote his newest film Red Hook Summer, Spike Lee did an interview with CNN. Below is the 6 ½ minute video where he talks about being a "student of cinema".


 

CLICK the button to see all of our blog posts about SPIKE LEE

Jay-Z Bringing the Nets to Brooklyn

Jay-Z will design jersey for new-look Brooklyn Nets

By RICH CALDER-New York Post

Last Updated: 8:49 AM, September 27, 2011
Posted: 1:14 AM, September 27, 2011

He’s not only part-owner of the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets — he’s helping design their uniforms, too.

Rap mogul Jay-Z — co-founder of the hip clothing line Rocawear — is working with Nets brass and Adidas to design uniforms for the team when it moves into the under-construction Barclays Center in Brooklyn next year, Nets officials told the Post yesterday.

Jay-Z and team officials had gathered near the arena construction site (pictured left) to announce that the New Jersey Nets team would be renamed the “Brooklyn Nets.”

Jay-Z is also set to open the 18,000-seat arena in September 2012 with up to three concerts.

Jay Z, Adidas and the Nets are currently ironing out a logo for the Brooklyn Nets and deciding what colors their uniforms should be.

No matter what, the logo will feature Brooklyn prominently because the club wants to tap into the borough’s world-popular brand name, officials said.

The Nets’ current logo (pictured below) features the word “Nets” hovering over a basketball.

Nets logo

“Brooklyn will be involved in whatever we do,” said Fred Mangione, chief marketing officer for the Nets and Barclays Center.

The team’s colors — currently red, silver, white and navy blue — will likely be changed, officials said.

“We will always tinker with things along the way,” Mangione said.

Team officials confided that they briefly considered renaming the team the “Brooklyn Dodgers” — in honor of the borough’s beloved baseball team that fled to Los Angeles in 1957 — but eventually nixed the idea.

Developer Bruce Ratner, who is building the arena and is another part-owner in the Nets, said team officials stayed with the Nets name out of respect to its “loyal fan base.”

He said the Nets, despite being perennial losers in recent years, have a "legacy" that includes two championships in the old American Basketball Association and two appearances in the NBA Finals.

Borough President Marty Markowitz said he was pleased with the team’s renaming, although he did not get his full wish — that the team be dubbed the “Brooklyn Bridges” or “Brooklyn Tudes” — as in “Attitudes.”

“My main issue was that the team had to have ‘Brooklyn’ in its name, so I’m happy,” he said.

The Nets started off in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans in the former ABA before moving to Long Island a year later and being renamed the New York Nets.

The club entered the NBA in the 1976-77 season and a year later, moved to New Jersey.

While reflecting on his 2004 decision to become part-owner of the Nets, Jay-Z said the arena project is especially important to him because he grew up nearby at the Marcy Houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Referring to how many concerts he plans to hold for what is expected to be part of a gala, three-week, arena opening in September 2012, Jay-Z said “Maybe one, maybe two, maybe three."

“I sound like LeBron [James] now,” the “Empire State of Mind” rapper then joked, referring to the Miami Heat star’s infamous proclamation that he, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade would win multiple NBA championships.

See video from the press conference below

CLICK the button to see all of our blog posts about Jay-Z

Don Cheadle's New Show on Showtime

First Promo for Showtime’s HOUSE OF LIES
Starring Don Cheadle, Kristin Bell, and Ben Schwartz
by Brendan Bettinger -Collider.com
Posted: September 24th, 2011 at 8:06 am

Showtime has released the first promo for their new comedy House of Lies. It doesn’t tell you anything about the show, which centers on “a team of cutthroat management consultants who will do anything in their pursuit of money.” In fact, it’s just stars Don Cheadle, Kristin Bell, Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson, and Dawn Oliveri in one of those bare, grayish sets designed for promo shoots. But the clip (and Cheadle especially) are so infectiously silly, I got a big laugh out of it. The cast drew me in, but now I definitely want to see more.

Official synopsis: HOUSE OF LIES is a half-hour comedy created, written and executive produced by Matthew Carnahan from the hit tell-all book House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Tell You the Time by Martin Kihn. The new comedy is a scathing look at a self-loathing management consultant from a top-tier firm. Cheadle stars as Marty, a highly-successful and cutthroat consultant who is never above using any means (or anyone) necessary to get his way with and for his clients. Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) will play Jeannie Van Der Hooven, a razor-sharp, Ivy-League graduate who works at Marty’s firm. Co-stars include noted comedian Ben Schwartz (Undercovers) and Josh Lawson (Romantically Challenged) as Marty’s corporate team members; Dawn Oliveri (Heroes) as Marty’s acerbic ex-wife; the legendary Glynn Turman (In Treatment) as his psychoanalyst father; and Donis Leonard Jr. (The Fresh Beat Band) as Marty’s young son. Jessika Borsiczky (Flash Forward) will serve as executive producer, and Emmy winner Stephen Hopkins (Californication, 24) directs and executive produces.

Watch the promo below
 

Cool Black's Mad Commentary: First found out about this series from the great site Shadow & Act. Having been a fan of Don Cheadle since his excellent work on Picket Fences, I will probably see anything he's in that looks interesting and this concept ESPECIALLY on uncensored cable sounds good ;-)

Eddie Murphy will Host Next Oscar Ceremony

Eddie Murphy named host of 84th Academy Awards

September 6, 2011
12:23 pm

The rumors became a reality Tuesday: Eddie Murphy (pictured left) will host the 84th Academy Awards, which will be telecast Feb. 26 on ABC, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced.

Buzz started circulating over Labor Day weekend that the 50-year-old comedian-actor was being considered for the host job. In some ways, it's no surprise, since Murphy is starring in the upcoming film "Tower Heist," which was directed by Brett Ratner -- who is also producing the Academy Awards show with Don Mischer. "Tower Heist" is set to open in November.

By selecting Murphy, the academy is returning to its comedic host roots. The academy attempted to court younger viewers, hiring James Franco and Anne Hathaway to host the 83rd Academy Awards in February. Franco, who in addition to hosting was nominated for a lead actor Oscar for "127 Hours," was roundly trounced by critics for his lackluster performance; reviews were kinder toward Hathaway.

Over the years, comics including Bob Burns, Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, Johnny Carson, Chevy Chase, Billy Crystal, David Letterman, Chris Rock, Steve Martin, Whoopi Goldberg and Jon Stewart have hosted the awards. Crystal even admitted recently that he was available to host if the academy wanted him.

"Eddie is a comedic genius, one of the greatest and most influential live performers ever," Ratner said in a statement Tuesday. "With his love of movies, history of crafting unforgettable characters and his iconic performances -- especially onstage -- I know he will bring an excitement, spontaneity and tremendous heart to the show Don and I want to produce in February."

Murphy, who earned a supporting actor Oscar nomination for his dramatic turn in 2006's "Dreamgirls," hasn't been seen on the screen since the 2009 flop "Imagine That," which made just $16.1 million domestically. In fact, another Murphy film, "A Thousand Words," which is now set to open in January, has been on the shelf for more than three years.

However, Murphy has been heard as the wisecracking Donkey in the popular animated "Shrek" franchise.

First coming to fame as a stand-up comedian, he joined NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in 1980 while still a teenager, performing such characters as Buckwheat and Gumby. Murphy made his film debut opposite Nick Nolte in Walter Hill's 1982 buddy action comedy, "48 Hrs.," followed by such hits as 1983's "Trading Places," 1984's "Beverly Hills Cop" and 1988's "Coming to America. " He made his film debut as a director with 1989's "Harlem Nights."

Murphy was named best actor by the National Socitey of Film Critics for his multiple roles in 1996's "The Nutty Professor." Other hits in the 1990s included 1998's "Doctor Dolittle" and 1999's "Life" and "Bowfinger." Save for "Dreamgirls," most of the films he's made recently haven been critically lambasted, including 2003's "The Haunted Mansion," 2007's "Norbit" and 2008's "Meet Dave," which made only $11.9 million.

Check out the trailer for Tower Heist below

UPDATE
Wednesday, November 9, 2011

VIDEO: Eddie Murphy pulls out of Oscars (0:57)

Friday, November 11, 2011
After eight years Billy Crystal will return as the host of the Oscars. The announcement follows days of drama at the Academy after producer Brett Ratner resigned after using a gay slur. One day later, Eddie Murphy, who had been lured by Ratner to host the telecast, canceled his hosting duties. The academy responded by hiring Hollywood veteran Brian Grazer, who chose Crystal as host. Crystal has MCd the show eight times, last hosting in 2004.

The Oscars will air live from Hollywood, California on February 26. Alicia Powell, Reuters.

Jay-Z Albums & Commercial [VIDEO]

I saw this fantastic commercial and because this is 2009 I could easily pull it up on the Internet (YouTube). The commercial is below, but first you need to see the album covers it is based on and you can see what a fantastic job they did. Below the commerical are the people responsible and the link to my review of Jay-Z's latest album The Blueprint III ;-)

Reasonable Doubt (1996)

In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 (1997)

Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998)

Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999)


The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000)

The Blueprint (2001)

The Blueprint²: The Gift & the Curse (2002)

The Black Album (2003)

Kingdom Come (2006)

American Gangster (2007)

THE COMMERCIAL

Credits (and my further explanation in [   ] -Cool Black)

The Rhapsody campaign was developed at Droga5, [advertising agency] New York, by creative chairman David Droga, executive creative director Duncan Marshall, creative director/copywriter Kevin Brady, art director Jesse Juriga and head of integrated production Sally-Ann Dale. [They developed the start of the idea to arranging everything for the shoot]

Filming was shot by director Anthony Mandler via Les Enfants Terrible (LET, [Production Company]) with director of photography Jonathan Sela and executive producer Ciarra Pardo.
[They produced the actual shooting of the commercial.]

Post Production was done at Ghost Town Media [post production studio] by editor Ryan Treese
Bartley, VFX artist Brandon Parvini and post producer Matthew Primm.
[They did the editing and the VFX=Visual Effects.]


Audio post was produced at Nylon Studios, New York.
[The final mix of the song over the commercial "Run This Town" from The Blueprint III]


-Related posts
Jay-Z: The Blueprint III REVIEW

Jay-Z - Cool Black's Favorite Videos

Cool Black's Entertainment Review 2010

CLICK the button to see all of our blog posts about Jay-Z