Movie Premier - Hands of Time by Van Vicker

I recently had the utmost pleasure when I got to sit down with one Africa's sexiest men alive!  He is actor, producer, director - Mr. Van Vicker who has been featured in multiple films in the Nollywood film industry.   He couldn't have been more gracious, smart & charming!


He was in town to promote and screen his latest film, The Hands of Time.  This was not my first time meeting him and I have featured him on this blog before.  See the story here.
Some incredible people enabled this meeting to take place and it is no small feat. I am very grateful that these people came through for me. Van & I talked about various topics and he gave some great advice.  Check out the footage here:


Here's addional footage from the actual film premier in Atlanta;

Movie Minute - 2 reviews

I have been fortunate enough to catch plenty of movies before they are released to the general public at the movie theaters thanks to screening passes.  I rarely turn down an opportunity for a movie screening because I LOVE film.  This is also a fine chance for me to watch a movie before film critics have had a chance to praise or rip it to pieces swaying my opinion.
A few weeks back I had the chance to see The Change-Up & 30 Minutes or Less all in the same week:) My review is late...

The Change-Up (Comedy)  
I was really looking forward to seeing this one because the main characters, Ryan Reynolds & Jason Bateman have had quite the success in comedic roles.  Jason's comedic timing is what I appreciate the most about his acting.  Also the director & writers involved with this film has had great success with films such as The Wedding Planner,  The Hangover,  etc etc What could go wrong with that in mind?  Plenty!! My expectations were high and i was ready for a good laugh! Alas, that was not the case.  Well, not completely, there were a few laughs but it was still underwhelming.   There was extreme use of profanity that I felt was unnecessary at times.  Yes, I know the movie is rated R but more great dialogue and less profanity would have worked too.  There were also cringe inducing scenes in the movie that I felt were out of place.  The best parts, and I use the term best loosely were jammed in the movie's trailer. The script needed a lot of work!  It is average at best and I wouldn't advice anyone to rush to see it.  The DVD would suffice!


Sal's rating - 4/10

30 Minutes Or Less (Comedy)  
I did not know what to expect with this movie.  I had not seen a trailer for the film and the actors on the movie's poster were relatively unknown - save for Jesse Eisenberg who's was introduced to movie-goers with the box-office success and critics favorite Social Network. 


Synopsis: Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a bit of a slacker, and living a fairly miserable life. He delivers pizzas for a living, while his roommate Chet (Aziz Ansari) has just started teaching in a local elementary school. On the last delivery of the night, Nick gets jumped by two wannabe- criminals, Dwayne (Danny McBride) and Travis (Nick Swardson). They want to have Dwayne's father killed, but cannot come up with the money in order to get it done right. So they strap a bomb to Nick's chest, and give him ten hours to rob a bank and bring the money back to them.


This movie was hilarious from start to finish!  The chemistry between the main characters, Nick, Chet and the supporting cast worked very well together.  The wildly funny lines in the movie are delivered with such great timing.   I don't want to give away anything but I do highly recommend this movie to those who like a good laugh without any unnecessary gags.  You are in for a good time.


Sal's rating - 8/10

TV Minute - Golden Globe Awards Recap

The 68th annual Golden Globe Awards was the first award show to come out the gate this award season!! This  is exciting for a lot of people who may not be directly involved with the shows/films - TV enthusiasts, film lovers, fashionistas etc etc.  There's something for everyone.

The Golden Globe Awards are a celebration of the best in TV/Movies by the Hollywood Foreign Press who determine the winners.  The show takes place in a very casual banquet style setting and alcoholic drinks are served at the guests pleasure!!  This makes for tipsy/drunken speeches from the winning parties. Exciting eh?

Ricky Gervias was the host of the evening for the second year in a row!!  He is the creator of the tv show The Office.  While he is funny, some critics always bash his style and categorize it as verbal rampage! I guess English humor/bold banter is not for everyone.  I particularly enjoyed his honesty!! No one was safe!!

Glee and Social Network won big last night!!  I am a Gleek and was pretty pleased by that!!  I am also glad that i got to see Social Network recently.  It is a great movie that critics and fans love.  The awards were much deserved!

Newcomer, HBO's Boardwalk Empire also made an impact! They beat out a clear favorite, Mad Men, in the Best Television Series - Drama, and the Best Actor in a Television Series Category respectively.
In A Better World won for Best Foreign Language film! I just found out the movie was partly shot in Kenya and I personally know some of the cast members!  Kudos guys! Enjoy the road to the Oscars!

Robert De Niro was the recipient of the Cecile B. DeMille Award.  He has had an amazing acting career and has a great roaster of work - Little Fockers notwithstanding!

For a full list of nominees and winners click here.

Fashionistas can rejoice!!  There was a a lot to look at on the red carpet! There were amazing gowns, jewelery and shoes!  I couldn't help but feast my eyes!  But with the good, comes the bad!  Some of the gowns we saw should have been left on the rack!!  Helena Bonham Carter always turns up the crazy! I have to give her credit for consistently giving us crappy outfits - she topped it by wearing two different colored pair of shoes! Here's the good, the bad and plain ugly on the red carpet.

The countdown to the Oscars begins....

Documentary Film - A Small Act

As I have mentioned before, I watch a lot of television.  Good and bad!  It's been a while since I have seen anything that made an impression on me until I accidentally stumbled upon a documentary on HBO "A Small Act".  I love HBO's programming but I almost passed on this one.  However, something piqued my attention - it was featuring a Kenyan *go figure!*. Once I started watching, I was completely captivated and couldn't look away!

To say I was moved, would be a huge understatement!  Tears aside {and I cried plenty}, this documentary actually inspired me to make a difference in someone's life! While there were familiar undertones to the story line, the thought that a small gesture can make a difference that is beyond measure made an impact on me!

Gladly, I found out through Facebook, that the documentary has quite a following.   This documentary is a MUST watch!  I hope that it will move you to make a difference like it did me. Spread the word!  You owe to that to the world:) The story is below.

Via HBO

 A Small Act on Facebook 

Synopsis: A SMALL ACT is a documentary film which tells an incredible story of hope and redemption. It inspires us to reach beyond the limits of possibility and awakens us to the effect one person can have upon the world. Filmed in the sleepy town of Västerås, Sweden, the bustling city of Geneva, Switzerland and the lush landscape of Kenya's central highlands, A SMALL ACT takes you on the journey of a lifetime.

THE STORY
When Hilde Back sponsored a young, impoverished Kenyan student, she thought nothing of it. She paid roughly $15 dollars per term to keep him in primary school.

She certainly never expected to hear from him, but many years later, she does.

Chris Mburu has been thinking of his “angel” Hilde since he was a boy. The small contribution she made paid off – Chris went all the way to Harvard. Now, he’s a respected UN human rights lawyer, dedicating his life to battling genocide and crimes against humanity.

Chris decides to replicate Hilde’s generosity by starting his own scholarship fund, and he names it after her. This scholarship will educate bright kids in his village so they can also succeed and give back.

But Chris is stunned when Kenya’s public schools start failing, and only two new students qualify for sponsorship. Simultaneously, Kenya falls into ethnic-based election violence. After working on conflicts in neighboring countries, Chris knows that ignorance fuels ethnic hatred. Education has never been more important. Chris must decide what to do.

Why the fuss?

Jennifer Hudson was cast to play Winnie Mandela in her biopic "Winnie" while Terrence Howard was cast to play her ex-husband Nelson Mandela.  The film is currently in production in South Africa.

The casting choice created a lot of controversy.   Winnie Mandela threatened to sue the filmmakers because she had not been asked to consult on the film and because an American is playing her.  While I do agree that Winnie should have been consulted - in all fairness the woman is still alive, I still feel that casting Jennifer to play her is not such a bad thing after all. 

Granted,  Jennifer does not have the range nor the acting chops of a Meryl Streep for instance, she still stands a chance at being a great fit.  If memory serves me well, there have been American actors who have played African characters very convincingly;  Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda and Forest Whittaker in The Last King Of Scotland.   I couldn't imagine anyone else playing a better Idi Amin than Whittaker! He owned that role that led him to win an Academy Award for Best Actor.  Cheadle also earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role.

I'm rooting for you Jennifer! Prove the naysayers wrong!  If anything, there should be more concern on whether Terrence Howard can play a convincing Mandela!  Only time will tell.