The Unsinkable Nathan Lee Graham
October 30, 2008
How do you top a career that includes rave reviews on Broadway, co-starring roles in films like “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Hitch,” and “Zoolander,” guest-starring on top small-screen shows such as NBC’s “Scrubs” and recurring on HBO’s “The Comeback”? If you’re Nathan Lee Graham, you create your own TV show, of course.
Graham has made a name for himself playing the lead’s confidante. With his distinctive stage presence and impeccable comic timing, Graham brought star power to supporting roles and people noticed.
Q-Tip to Headline 4th Annual 2K Sports Bounce Tour
October 30, 2008
2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today details for the 4th annual Bounce Tour, the latest addition to 2K Sports’ series of live events celebrating the convergence of music, sports and video game culture. With scheduled appearances in 20 different cities across the country from November 5th – December 3rd, the Bounce Tour will once again be headlined by legendary hip-hop artist, Q-Tip (from A Tribe Called Quest), who will be supported by his live band which includes the renowned DJ Scratch (from EPMD). The popular duo, The Cool Kids, will also be performing new material and other banging hits.
“Q-Tip killed it last year on the 2K8 Bounce Tour and we’re honored to have him back on tour with us. He’s a legend in the game, and one of the most influential artists in hip-hop culture,” said Tim Rosa, director of brand and lifestyle marketing at 2K Sports. “We’re also excited to have The Cool Kids performing new material on the tour. Their music is unique and positive, their vibe is independent and authentic, and they roll with their own signature style, all of which reflect the same attributes we strive for with our games.”
ON DVD: Kitt Kittredge: An American Girl
October 30, 2008
SYNOPSIS: ‘Kit Kittredge: An American Mystery’ centers around a young living in the struggles of the Great Depression. 10 year old Kit lives in a boarding house her parents own in Cincinnati, Ohio.
She has a passion for writing, & dreams of having something of hers put in the local paper someday. With the help of her friends, Sterling & Ruthie, will her dream finally come true?
PICTURED: Actress Willow Smith attends the premiere of ‘Kit Kittredge: An American Girl’ on June 19, 2008 at The Ziegfeld Theater in New York City.
(Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
OPENING THIS WEEK: RocknRolla
October 30, 2008
Guy Ritchie returns to form with this cockney crime caper starring Gerard Butler and Tom Wilkinson. Lenny Cole (Wilkinson) is a bungling London crime boss who calls the shots in London’s underworld. We learn all about Lenny from Archie (Mark Strong)–his second in command–who serves as the film’s sly narrator. When a wealthy Russian property dealer by the name of Uri (Karel Roden) looks to Lenny for help on a major new deal, Lenny is eager to assist (for a very large fee, of course).
Uri agrees to pay, and as a show of faith, he insists that Lenny borrow his “lucky painting.” Uri then asks his accountant, Stella (Thandie Newton), to transfer the money to Lenny, but things quickly go awry when two crooks known as Mumbles (Idris Elba) and One Two (Butler) intercept the money before it reaches him. To make matters worse, the lucky painting has mysteriously been stolen, and the number one suspect is a crack-addicted pop star, Johnny Quid, who is presumed dead.
ARRIVALS: “Wicked” On Broadway 5th Anniversary One-Night-Only Benefit
October 30, 2008
Recording artists Ashanti and Nelly attend the 5th anniversary of ‘Wicked’ on Broadway benefit performance at the Gershwin Theatre on October 27, 2008 in New York City.
So much happened in Oz before Dorothy dropped in! With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by Winnie Holzman, “Wicked” is based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire and is the untold story of the Witches of Oz.
One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. “Wicked” tells the story of a remarkable odyssey in which these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.
(Photo by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
Former Detroit Mayor Sentenced
October 30, 2008
Calling him “arrogant and defiant,” a Wayne County Circuit Judge on Tuesday sentenced former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to four months in jail with no early release under the terms of a plea deal.
Kilpatrick pleaded guilty last month to two felony obstruction of justice charges stemming from his efforts to cover up an extramarital affair. He also pleaded no contest to charges of assaulting a police officer attempting to serve a subpoena on a Kilpatrick friend in that case.
Kilpatrick resigned from office last month after pleading guilty to charges resulting from a sex scandal.
PICTURED: Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick appears in Wayne County Circuit Court for his sentencing October 28, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. Kilpatrick will spend 4 months in jail as part of a plea deal he accepted back in September in which he plead guilty to two felonies and no contest to a felony assault charge.
(Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Obama Appears As a Guest On ‘The Daily Show With Jon Stewart’
October 30, 2008
Senator Barack Obama will made his fourth appearance as a guest on the Emmy(R) and Peabody(R) Award-winning “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” on Wednesday, October 29 at 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Obama’s last appearance on “The Daily Show” was on April 21, the eve of the Pennsylvania Primary. The Democratic nominee for President of the United States also appeared on August 22, 2007 and November 7, 2005. Obama will appear via satellite from Florida where he continues his campaign with less than one week until Election Day.
“The Daily Show” airs Monday-Thursday at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT and repeats at 1:00 a.m. the same night and at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. the following day. Obama’s October 29 appearance will be posted for viewing the following day at both http://www.thedailyshow.com and http://www.indecision2008.com with URL and embed links.
‘Sanford’: Funny and Groundbreaking, Too
October 30, 2008
In just about every episode of “Sanford and Son,” Redd Foxx, as 65-year-old junk dealer Fred Sanford, would do his fake heart attack act. Whenever things weren’t going his way, particularly when he was arguing with his adult son Lamont (Demond Wilson), Fred would clasp his hands over his heart, get a pained expression on his face, look to the heavens and call to his late wife, “Elizabeth, it’s the big one! I’m coming to join you, Honey.”
And even though the television audience always knew that Fred’s catchphrase was coming, we’d laugh along with it every time.
PICTURED: American actors Red Foxx (1922 – 1991) (left) Demond Wilson in a still from the television series, ‘Sanford And Son,’ c. 1974.
(Photo by NBC Television/Courtesy of Getty Images)
Fiction has long pictured Blacks, Women in White House
October 30, 2008
Take your eyes off the polls for just a second. Zogby can get along without you, and the electoral map isn’t going anywhere for a while. With mere days to go until Election Day, it’s a fine time for exhausted voters to kick back, pop in a movie, watch some television, maybe even read a novel . . . about elections and the American presidency.
And when you do, what will you find? African-American presidents. Female vice presidents. Heated campaigns, scrappy politics, negative advertising. Whether Barack Obama or Sarah Palin comes away happy on Nov. 4, the results will be one for the history books. But the rest of the library got there first. For several decades now authors and filmmakers have pictured such a twist on the executive branch, stacking the shelves with charismatic American leaders of assorted shapes and colors.
African-American Settlers Made a Home in Saskatchewan
October 30, 2008
A little-known piece of Saskatchewan history is about to receive a high honour.
It’s a history steeped in slavery, segregation, civil war and the emancipation of African-American families who received free land in Canada.
All that remains of Saskatchewan’s only black pioneer settlement is a log church nestled in a grove of trees, a cemetery stippled with simple white crosses and a handful of descendants who’ve worked to save it all.
Converse Captures Dwyane Wade’s Motivation with New TV Spot
October 30, 2008
Miami HEAT guard Dwyane Wade has made a career out of silencing the doubters. From his rise as an unheralded recruit who led Marquette University to the Final Four, to winning the NBA Championship and Finals MVP in his third season, to recently helping the U.S. bring home gold in Beijing – Wade continues to exceed expectations on the court. For the start of the 2008-09 NBA season, Converse announces a new advertising campaign to showcase Wade’s ability to rise above his critics and achieve success. “Same Day, Same Story” will begin airing on October 28, 2008 to coincide with the new Converse WADE 4 signature basketball shoe.
Converse’s national campaign is inspired by Wade overcoming doubters throughout his playing career.
BET J Unveils Its Fall 2008 Programming Slate
October 30, 2008
BET J unveils a programming menu that showcases four new shows, CARMELO’S WAY, LEADING MEN, MONEY POWER RESPECT and URBAN CUISINE for the Fall 2008 season. The new series, in addition to returning favorites such as, REAL LIFE DIVAS and TEARS SHEARS AND BEAUTY are guaranteed to keep BET J viewers thoroughly entertained this fall season. The adult complement to BET, BET J continues to provide a sizzling lineup of hot shows that are a diverse mix of innovative, unique, and thought-provoking programs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
BET J shines in Fall 2008 with the launch of four shows starting Monday, October 27 at 8:00 p.m.* with the new series premiere of URBAN CUISINE, a unique cooking show featuring upscale and healthy cuisine created by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson and special guest appearances, including gospel artist and Broadway actor BeBe Winans, R&B singer Joe and violinist Miri Ben-Ari.
Gerrard Retiring From Scripps Networks After Serving 11 Years
October 30, 2008
Robert J. Gerrard Jr., an honored cable television industry legal professional and the executive who assembled the highly regarded legal team at Scripps Networks, is retiring from the company after 11 years of dedicated service.
Gerrard, 56, will retire from his position as executive vice president and general counsel of Scripps Networks, effective Jan. 31. He will continue to advise Scripps Networks on a consulting basis through the first half of 2009, focusing on ongoing legal matters involving the company.
Gerrard said completion of the recent spin-off of Scripps Networks from The E. W. Scripps Company provided him with the appropriate timing to retire. Gerrard said he is considering new directions for his legal career, including additional corporate board directorships and an increased focus on civic involvement.
PREMIERE: Madagascar Return 2 Africa
October 30, 2008
Actors Malaak Compton, Chris Rock and Will Smith (R) arrive at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa’, on October 26, 2008 in Westwood, California.
Madacasgar Return 2 Africa will be in theaters on November 7, 2008.
The sequel of the first movie, the New York Zoo Animals, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, still stranded on Madagascar, started to leave the island. All of a sudden, they landed in the wilderness of Africa. There, Alex soon meet the rest of his family and starting to have trouble communicating with them after much of his time at the Central Park Zoo.
OPENING THIS WEEK: Zack and Miri Make a Porno
October 30, 2008
SYNOPSIS: Zack and Miri are two lifelong friends who are so deep in debt that they decide to enlist the help of their friends to make a porno movie for some quick cash.
But as everybody starts “doing” everybody, Zack and Miri realize that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought.
The film stars Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Traci Lords, Katie Morgan, Ricky Mabe, Jeff Anderson, and Jason Mewes.
