lastexorcism

Attended a screening of Last Exorcism last night, here's my thoughts. Here's my scale again for those of you who don't know it.
Wow, really = Don't ever watch this
OK = Watch it only once it reaches a premium cable network
Very Cute = Good, works for it's genre
Riveting = A must see, amazing work

Last Exorcism = Very Cute

A troubled evangelical minister agrees to let his last exorcism be filmed by a documentary crew. Problem is he's a fraud, the crew better hope the demon in a fraud too.

Some great performances, shot mocumentary style, reminiscent of the original Blair Witch.

So Over The Bumpkins In ATL Who Think They Know Me

OMG! I'm so over these country bumpkin chics in Georgia who have known me for a few years during one of my darkest periods and think they know anything about me and my family. I have one who due to her interaction with a sibling of mine thinks for some reason we are a low brow welfare family. She also thinks she is a master of culture, how could you be, Atlanta has no culture. I grew up in a competitive, culturally enriched, politically involved city where the dumbest, most hood, person in the room could run rings around the most savvy Georgian.

Another one likes to try and give me, me, Kim Jones instruction on the movie business. Bitch are you serious. I learned the movie business in LA in one of the most ferocious studios there. Bitch get a grip.

The third and this is my favorite, is constantly whining and would cry if a fucking bee stung her, yet feels she is equally yoked with me in regards to life experience. I have fought cancer for over a decade, suffered a major head trauma in a car accident, survived a high risk pregnancy, been homeless, buried most of my family including but not limited to a sibling, several close friends, all of my grandparents and my Father.

I'm not even going to start on the accomplishments of my family, My Uncle Vince was one of the most successful Ad men for decades, there is a multitude of blues legends in my DNA pool, my Grandmother was an accomplished farmer and entrepreneur. My Mother was a top executive at Sears in the 70's when that was unheard of. My family is loaded with entrepreneurs, college professors, air traffic controllers and so much more.

The best fucking part of it all is that the whole lot of them don't know ME half as much as they think they do. I was speaking on the civil rights circuit from ages 10-16, not to mention participating on a cheer-leading team designed to campaign for Alderman Lemuel Austin. I was on Oprah when I was 16, on CNN giving political commentary when I was 8, was the first Black Company Manager of a major Ballet, Worked for the likes of Tyler Perry, Whitney Houston, Brad Pitt, Carol Lawrence, Dimensions Films and that's just scratching surface. I was a GODDAMN debutante.

So fuck you wanna be elite, hating ass bitches. Kiss my grits! Watch my dust as I leave you on the sidelines of the race I'm winning called life. Stay living in your parents shadow, I'm creating my own destiny.

Charlie St. Cloud

Attended a screening of Charlie St. Cloud last night, here's my thoughts.
Here's my scale again for those of you who don't know it.
Wow, really = Don't ever watch this
OK = Watch it only once it reaches a premium cable network
Very Cute = Good, works for it's genre
Riveting = A must see, amazing work

Charlie St. Cloud = Very Cute

Charlie St. Cloud is a young man overcome by grief at the death of his younger brother. So much so that he takes a job as caretaker of the cemetery in which his brother is buried. Charlie has a special lasting bond with his brother though, as he can see him. Charlie meets up with his brother (Sam) each night to play catch and talk. Then, a girl comes into Charlie's life and he must choose between keeping a promise he made to Sam, or going after the girl he loves

The real world and the after life exchange screen time so fluidly that it takes a moment to know which is which. This is not a bad thing it's an intriguing thing. I liked it and my two special guest Angela Dobbs (actress, writer, tv host, producer) and Lashunda Simpson (producer) enjoyed it as well. This summer has been loaded with A list events from movie premieres to new artist gallery receptions for this crew and yet this film still was one of our most enjoyable evenings.

Prince Of Persia

Attended a screening of Prince of Persia last night, here's my thoughts.
Here's my scale again for those of you who don't know it.
Wow, really = Don't ever watch this
OK = Watch it only once it reaches a premium cable network
Very Cute = Good, works for it's genre
Riveting = A must see, amazing work

Prince of Persia = OK

Although it was wonderfully mystically and magical some things were missing. One, the story line was a little weak but it more than made up for that with it's heart strings factor. The thing that bothered me the most was the undeniable subtle Hollywood racism that still plagues movies like this. Persia is Iran. It is not populated by slightly bronzed Europeans. Many films set in the east as far back as the Ten Commandments misrepresent the factual appearance of the people and cast white people, put bronzer on them and now wha la you have Persians, Egyptians who whoever they are portraying . This was insulting when they did it for Indians in cowboy movies and it's insulting now.

Baby Love

We lost a potential legend day before yesterday. Christian Robinson is gone. He definitely reached legendary status amongst his friends, family and some industry heavy hitters. When I began my junior year at the Chicago Academy for the Arts I didn't know what to expect. I knew I was different and didn't mesh with the kids at my two previous High School and that this was my final choice. Very early on I began forming a relationship with one Christian Robinson. I relationship was so fluid and natural that I don't remember the first time we met. Not because it was insignificant but because it feels like I just always knew Chris. I don't have any memories of the Academy that don't involve him. His best friend Ryan Russ and I were a match made in hell for the school faculty as we were the originators of Jackass behavior long before the show. Chris was our "coach" if you will. Often encouraging and enhancing the ridiculous stunts, pranks and delinquent behavior of Ryan and I. We all supported each other in our artistic endeavors and finally I had found a group of people who understood me. For the record, I haven't found it since. My best friend is still the same one I found at the Academy Leigh Peeler. After High School I began attending classes at Columbia College Chicago studying Film with a concentration in producing. Instead of living in the dorms I got a studio apartment at 1229 S. Michigan Ave. Chris and Ryan rented the apartment next door and it was more like we lived together with a separate room. The year we lived there was unforgettable. Chris, Ryan and JoJo (Chris's brother) were hitting the charts with their single Hush and I was attending film school. It was a full year of partying. Jackass style pranks, hot box parties, debauchery and just an all around rocking good time. When I moved out I headed to Atlanta, came back to Chicago, went back to Atlanta, left for California and eventually settled back in the ATL. Throughout it all Chris and I (who are both very withdrawn and elusive at times) managed to stay in touch with each other. We would talk to each other like no time had past even if it had been years between our last conversation. Earlier this year we had discussed working together on some projects infusing my love of film and his of music. We never got a chance to do it. Chris never told me he was sick. I'm not surprised. He and I lived in our own little fantasy world together and in our world no one was sick, there was no sadness just us and art. I'm so glad I got to speak to him one last time and didn't know he was ill because it meant I got to just talk art with my baby love, pure and simple.

Just Wright

Attended a screening of Just Wright last night, here's my thoughts.
Here's my scale again for those of you who don't know it.
Wow, really = Don't ever watch this
OK = Watch it only once it reaches a premium cable network
Very Cute = Good, works for it's genre
Riveting = A must see, amazing work
Just Wright = Very Cute
Leslie Wright is a straight-shooting physical therapist who gets the gig of a lifetime working with NBA All-Star Scott McKnight. All is going well until Leslie finds herself falling for Scott, forcing her to choose between the gig and the tug-of-war inside her heart. Oblivious to her romantic overtures, McKnight is instead drawn to the affections of Leslie's childhood friend Morgan, who has her sights set on being an NBA trophy wife. Is Leslie destined to play the role of "best friend" forever or will Scott finally see that what he always wanted is right in front of him?

Leslie Wright (Queen Latifah) is totally lovable despite falling in the friend zone with all males throughout the film and Scott McKnight (Common) is perfect as the successful yet gullible superstar that you wish would just listen to you so he can live an abundantly happy life. Paula Patton (Morgan) does not wow as the money thirsty, fame hunter that you can't decide if you admire or hate. Despite some forgivable bad acting from a few NBA super-athletes the cast is overflowing with gifted actors delivery enchanting performances.

San Francisco Here We Come

You guys have listened to my ups and downs but I haven't given you much of my history. Kimberly Latrice Jones was born in 1976 in Melrose Park, Ill. She began her career in entertainment in 1984 when she became Ms. Pleasant Grove in her small town of Kankakee, Ill. Her mother remarried in 1986 and her family relocated to Chicago, Ill. She attended the famous arts High School, The Chicago Academy for the Arts and graduated in 1994. She attended Columbia College for one year where she studied film with a concentration in producing. After bouncing back and forth between Chicago and Atlanta working as a film/tv extra, improv comic and salesperson she decided to move to Los Angeles. While in LA she worked as a wardrobe assistant and eventually as an intern to a Miramax development executive. After several years in LA she settled back in Atlanta where she promptly took a position as a development assistant on the reality series Being Bobby Brown. Upon completion of her work on the series she worked a short period of time as the Company Manager for the Atlanta Ballet. Her next gigs were as the production secretary on the Tyler Perry films Madea's Family Reunion & I Can Do Bad All By Myself. She was the Co-Producer of independent film "Five Days In The A", which received Official Selection at the San Diego Black Film Festival and the San Francisco Black Film Festival. She is currently in development on a short drama with her production company Powerhouse Productions Entertainment, LLC. She is the proud mother of a son, Drake Edward Williams, who resides with her in Atlanta, GA.