skip to main |
skip to sidebar
The world is reeling with shock and sadness following the news of Michael Jackson's hospitalisation, and ultimately his tragic and unexpected death; from a cardiac arrest arising from heart failure. All spectrums of the media have covered the topic in abundance and it's one on everybody lips or fingers as the whole world sends their messages of sympathy and condolences to Michael's children, family and friends.
When I received a call from one of my friends after the Bafana Bafana game against Brazil last night, I immediately texted a friend of mine from the U.S. to share what they had heard as the local radio deejays were not sure of the facts. He said the news stations were reporting that he was in cardiac arrest, but within minutes he sent back another mobile text to say they were now reporting that he had died.
I cannot begin to describe the sadness that swept through my heart when it was confirmed that he had really passed on. I instantly remembered that me and a group of friends were watching one of his live DVD's for his Bucarest tour in 1992 just last Sunday over lunch and we were talking about him and the power and the ability to capture his fans' spirits and transport them into this surreal inexplainable world of worship.
The testimony to this ability was entrenched in a joke I read about on one of my favourite blogs Panache Report, where one of the commenters revealed a true account of a young, fat girl who used to be taunted by the neighbourhood kids because of her weight. After this happened for a long time, she one day turned around to face a gigantic Michael Jackson poster she had on the wall of her bedroom and loudly emitted, "Michael Jackson, please give me strength". She then went out and whipped those kids' butts; and needless to say, those kids never bothered her again. We all laughed until the back of our heads started to ache. That's just one of the many wonderful memories I will cherish about Michael Jackson until the end of my lifetime.
All I'll say for now is, may his soul rest in peace. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans throughout the world, who are all feeling different variations of pain, sadness and sorrow right now. We need to celebrate his life and most importantly the precious treasure he left behind, his music. His legacy will live on forever and stay unparalleled with any other entertainer who has braced this world. He was a trully phenomenal talent. He was trully THE BEST. R.I.P. Micahel Jackson.Picture credit:
Concreteloop
When I saw the lineup for Benny Boom's directoral big screen debut, I got excited. I mean looking at names such as Mos Def, Debbie Allen, Mike Epps, Donald Faison and even Lauren London, I had hopes that it would be a great piece for the music video director.
Needless to say, I wasn't very impressed. Although it's made in a premise of a nice comedy, both actors who I've enjoyed as comedians in their respective works, Mike Epps and Donald Faison, failed to live up to what we know them for. The opportunity for this to be a great comedy was there, but somehow they all failed to capitalise on this with fresh and witty dialogue. Mos Def always adds a certain energy and charisma to his characters. He did here too, but maybe the predictable plot hindered this to shine through.
I must admit though, that he was probably the one who had a few jokes I laughed at. Always groundbreaking in his undertakings, he made news a few months ago for getting the whole cast not to use the "N" while shooting Next Day Air and even when they were on set and not shooting. That's certainly auppladable, proving yet again that Mos Def is not just your regular rapper.
Anyway, because I'm a fan of his, and also actors like Donald Faison (liked his work on Scrubs), Wood Harris (he killed it on The Wire), as well as the beautiful Lauren London (most popular for her stint alongside T.I. on the movie ATL), I jumped at an opportunity to do an advanced screening for my readers and other peeps in the industry. So, if you want to be a part of the screening this coming Thursday, drop me an e-mail at yeahbo@yeahbo.net and I'll forward you the details.
Next Day Air releases at cionemas nationwide next Friday, 03 July 2009.
Machines fighting each other, (well, most of the time) has never been so exhilerating. I wanted to do a screening for my readers for this movie as soon as I knew about the release date. However, it wasn't to be as the print was only sent to the country this week and even the majority of the media only got to watch the movie today.
Anyway, the highly-anticipated blockbuster is upon us and is set to make history at the box offices throughout the world. I have been following singer-turned-actor Tyrese Gibson, who reprises his role as Sgt. Epps on the sequel, on twitter as he counted his travels in promotion of the movie. The excitement his travels built culminated into an amazing experience as I watched Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen this afternoon.
The stirring action makes for thrilling viewing as it transports you into the world of robotics. The underlying themes of loyalty, sympathy and courage, amongst others, add an inspirational twist to the action-packed feast. There is also more comedy this time around (Shia's mother's character was hilarious throughout), with an addendum of a smart and witty dialogue. You will not feel the 2.5 hours as you are glued to the screen and on the edge of your seat throughout the movie.It's no secret that I've been a big fan of Tyrese, on top of his music, since seeing him on Baby Boy back in 2001. Although his part was not big here, he was able to use the screen time he had very well and smartly. I've also been very impressed with leading young man Shia LaBeouf lately, proving a great action hero in his roles. Other noteworthy performances include that of John Turturro and John Benjamin Hickey, who by coincidence, both appear on The Taking Of Pelham 123 with Denzel Washington and John Travolta that I watched at a press screening yesterday. The sexy Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel also reprise their roles, rounding up an amazing ensemble cast that also sees Mark Ryan returning as Bumblebee's voice.
The target audience for Transfomers: Revenge Of The Fallen, including the original Transformers fans, will love it as much as I did .It opens at cinemas nationwide next Wednesday, 24th June 2008. Go out there and show your support.
