Brooklyn's Finest

"Who shot ya? Mob ties like Sinatra, Peruvians tried to do me in, I ain't paid them yet, Tryin to push 700's, they ain't made them yet, Rolex and bracelets is frostbit; rings too"

-Brooklyn's Finest (Notorious B.I.G and Jay-Z)

This is a movie that I had been pretty excited about ever since I saw the trailer. It made me think could this be the new New Jack City?

You can't help but witness the familiar staples of the tough streets and housing projects as they are put on full display: murder, drugs, prostitution, white slavery, theft, police corruption and killings in the name of law and order. Brooklyn's Finest demonstrates overcoming personal demons, life skills, personal triumph and much more. You feel their pain and they take on each new day. It's truly survival of the fittest...eat or be eaten!

After watching the movie one will realize the movie relies heavily on perpetuating all kinds of stereotypes to move the story and pretty much suggests a level of corruption that if plausible would render our society fatal. However the story does works, primarily due to the fast paced action and superb acting. All in all it seems to manage being able to keep the audience's attention. One is kept wondering how the various subplots will work themselves out and who will survive the war in the end.

The true stars of this film are what I like to call a Triple Threat (Gere, Cheadle, and Hawke). They truly bring life to the film, you can't help but focus on each of their stories. In addition, the supporting cast helps to balance the darkness that is exhibited throughout the movie. And to top it off the camera work is gritty , extensive and realistic and the supporting cast members are tops in this well-made and interesting drama.

I will admit I was not to keen on the ending, but I have come to realize that maybe this is Fuqua's style for movies such as this (hence Training Day). In addition, even though the end may not be want we want, but it is actually reality and that gives it an authenticity different many other films.

Grade: A-

War Machine Revealed in 'Iron Man 2' Poster

In the end of the Summer 2008 blockbuster film Iron Man, James "Rhodey" Rhodes (played by Terrence Howard) looked at the early silver version of Tony Stark's high-tech armor and said to himself, "Next time, baby."

According to Yahoo "Movie Talk" that "next time" is coming on May 7, when Iron Man 2 hits theaters. And Rhodey will get his wish, donning the heavily-armored metallic suit that turns him into War Machine, a character that has been a part of the "Iron Man" comic books for 30 years. But getting superpowers isn't the only change for the character. In a much-publicized contract dispute, Terrence Howard was dropped from the sequel and replaced by actor Don Cheadle. While the exact details of why Marvel Studios made the switch, Entertainment Weekly reported that Howard's original contract made him the highest-paid actor in the first film, and when the producers tried to scale back his paycheck for the sequel, Howard's representatives balked. Cheadle told IGN that he was approached for the role after Howard had already left the project, and he only had a few hours to decide if he wanted to step in.

The decisions one must make in a matter of seconds.

As of now, no official footage of War Machine has been released, but the first image of the suit debuted Monday here on Yahoo! Movies. In this teaser poster, the War Machine suit stands behind the updated Mark IV Iron Man armor.

The question is then raised, "are Stark and Rhodes standing together, back-to-back, in solidarity against a common enemy, or are they in opposition to each other". In the comic books, conflict between the two escalated into a feud, but later they were able to work together as friends. To find out if the two are comrades or combatants, we'll have to wait for Iron Man 2 to arrive in theaters on May 7.

Rewind Wednesday: Devil in a Blue Dress

"A man once told me that you step out of your door in the morning, and you are already in trouble. The only question is are you on top of that trouble or not?"

The year is 1948, the place is Los Angeles, and Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins (Denzel Washington) is a black man who has just lost his job and is in dire need of money. So, despite having no experience as a private eye, Easy accepts an assignment from a seedy man (Tom Sizemore) to find the missing Daphne Monet (Jennifer Beals), the mistress of a powerful mayoral candidate. As Rawlins conducts his search, he unexpectedly becomes drawn into a complex racially-charged web of intrigue involving political machinations, double-crossings, blackmail, and mysterious deaths. With the aid of his trigger-happy friend Mouse (Don Cheadle), Easy must rely on his instincts and neophyte detective skills, not only to solve the case, but also to save his life. African-American director Carl Franklin (ONE FALSE MOVE) brings Walter Mosley's crime series to life with this dense thriller, aided greatly by Tak Fujimoto's sun-soaked photography and an electric soundtrack reflecting the music of the times. As Easy Rawlins, an everyman who finds himself an unwilling pawn in a dangerous game of mystery and murder, Washington delivers an intense performance. It is Don Cheadle, however, who steals the show, giving his hot-tempered Mouse a comic humanity that is at once menacing, hysterical, and unforgettable.

Devil in a Blue Dress - Trailer Movies & TV SPIKE.com

This was one of those films that grabs your attention in many ways whether its the acting, the cinematography, or the plot itself. I was a huge fan of the book, so I expected the same from the movie. Some have even said, "in the aftermath of the Oscars, it now seems clear that Devil in a Blue Dress was one of the best films of 1995. "

Many critics applauded Don Cheadle's performance. Jerry Renshaw said, "Cheadle steals every scene where he appears as Mouse..." And to think this is where Cheadle's journey would begin with key roles such as this one. He surprised us with his performance and that is a true delight.

Devil in a Blue Dress was an incredible film that definitely became one of the most under-rated films in 1995. Director, Carl Franklin's adaptation does true justice to this exciting novel he might want to consider another one of Mosely's stories. (Just a thought...) "Overall this is a solidly enjoyable detective story with all the twists and turns that you could expect from that genre. However it also benefits from a great sense of place and time that is all though the film – not merely painted on with sets or soundtrack. A class act from Washington and others just adds to the feeling of quality. "


Some background info:

*Carl Franklin wrote and directed the neo-noir because he liked Walter Mosley's novel. (Walter Mosley served as an associate producer in the film.) He thought the work was more than a detective story. Franklin says author Mosley was able to transform an everyday guy into a detective. In the editing process Franklin had to cut a steamy love scene between Beals and Washington because he believed the scene wasn't needed to convey the story.

Iron Man 2 Villians Revealed!!

According to The Hollywood Reporter (THR) and Variety, Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) and Sam Rockwell (Frost/Nixon) are in talks to star as the villains in Marvel Studios' Iron Man 2. THR says that Rourke would play a tattooed Russian heavy named Ivan who becomes a man with deadly, technologically enhanced coils. Variety adds that Rourke would play the Crimson Dynamo. "He's considered to be an evil version of Iron Man because he battles the superhero in a nuclear-powered suit of armor," says the trade.

Rockwell would play Justin Hammer, a multibillionaire businessman and a rival of industrialist Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man, being played by a returning Robert Downey Jr. Rourke and Rockwell would be joining a cast that also includes the returning Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle, who is replacing Terrence Howard.


Paramount will release the movie May 7, 2010.

Top 30 Sexiest Black Actors and Actresses

According to AOL Black Voices they have compiled a list of the 30 Sexiest Black Actors, now sometime back they also had also complied a list of the Sexiest Black Actresses (see below).

All I know is Denzel betta be on this list...lol...You be the judge...

30. Nick Cannon, 28
29. Don Cheadle, 44
28. Jesse L. Martin, 35
27. Richard T. Jones, 36
26. Phillip Michael Thomas, 59
25. Common, 36
24. Mekhi Phifer, 33
23. Hill Harper, 42
22. Ron O'Neal 67 (at time of death)
21. Taimak, 44
20. Taye Diggs, 36
19. Henry Simmons, 38
18. Leon, 46
17. Terrence Howard, 39
16. Richard Roundtree, 66
15. Blair Underwood, 44
14. Harry Belafonte, 81
13. Tupac Shakur, 25 (at time of death)
12. Boris Kodjoe, 35
11. Jim Kelly, 62
10. Columbus Short, 26
9. Dwayne Johnson, 36
8. Michael Jai White, 41
7. Morris Chestnut, 39
6. Billy Dee Williams, 71
5. Dijmon Hounsou, 44
4. Shemar Moore, 38
3. Denzel Washington, 53
2. Idris Elba, 36
1. Will Smith, 40


Featured Story: http://www.blackvoices.com/entertainment/top-30-sexiest-actors

Hmmmm.... I would have to adjust the Top 3 but nonetheless the list looks pretty good to me. Nice mix of ol school and new school!!


Top 30 Sexiest Black Actresses

30. Thandie Newton
29. Tracy Camilla Jones
28. Vivica A. Fox
27. Robin Givens
26. Paula Patton
25. Nichelle Nichols
24. Eartha Kitt
23. Vanity
22. Lauren London
21. Stacey Dash
20. Tamara Dobson
19. Kerry Washington
18. Lisa Raye
17. Lynn Whitfield
16. Diahann Carroll
15. Zoe Saldana
14. Nia Long
13. Janet Jackson
12. Beyonce'
11. Vanessa L. Williams
10. Sanaa Lathan
9. Gabrielle Union
8. Jada Pinkett-Smith
7. Lela Rochon
6. Angela Bassett
5. Josephine Baker
4. Meagan Good
3. Halle Berry
2. Dorothy Dandridge
1. Pam Grier

Now this list could have been different in many ways some of these young ladies could have been taken off but who am I!

Featured Story: http://www.blackvoices.com/entertainment/top-30-sexiest-actresses

August/September Edition

Traitor (2008)Executive produced by Steve Martin (comedian), this action film takes you into the world of terrorism at its finest. Its like Bourne Identity meets Syriana with an extra twist. This international conspiracy is cinematic to its finest. From the beginning of the film you want to make sure to pay close attention to the film. This is a film, you don’t want to blink your eyes with or you might miss something explosive (no pun intended). Former U.S. soldier Samir Horn (Don Cheadle) is involved in a highly rated terrorist case that puts him in the middle as a possible chief suspect. FBI special Roy Clayton (Guy Pearce) tracks Cheadle’s character all across the globe hoping to solve the mystery of all mysteries…an end to terrorism. This end of the summer thriller is bound to keep you on the edge of your seat panting for what the next scene will present to its audience. Follow along with Cheadle and Pearce as they both seek to uncover their own truths which may be the same for both.

Grade: B+

Death Race (2008)If you remember Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome with Mel Gibson and Tina Turner this movie is it fast-forwarded to 2012. An ex-con and former NASCAR champion Jensen Ames (Jason Statham) is trying to enjoy his improved life as a working free man with his wife and child. Yet, in one day his life changes when his job is cut from the steel mill closing down, and the troubles seem to begin within an instant. In one night his world is literally turned upside down when his home is broken into and he framed for the murder of his wife. While in prison he is given an opportunity to potentially become a free man as he must go back to his old ex-con/NASCAR life and match wits other inmates in the “Death Race”. This opportunity is also a creation of the prison’s warden Hennessey (Joan Allen) to cash in on pay-per-view sport and destroy lives at the same time. Not realizing that the murder was a set-up and an intentional ploy to resurrect a super star monster, Ames must figure out how to win one race and regain his freedom and his daughter.

Grade: B+