Oh really, Mr. Perry?

Tyler Perry is auditioning new men, ostensibly for a new TV series..

From the Shadow and Act Blog:

Casting Notice For Tyler Perry’s New TBS Series Looking For “HOTTEST, SEXIEST, African-American men”

We are looking for the HOTTEST, SEXIEST, African-American men in all shades! If you have models, submit them! If you represent professional sports athletes who are in great physical condition, submit them! Do not let their acting ability stop you from submitting them...The actor must be comfortable with their body to do a shirtless scene if required.

Sooooo... you don't have to be able to act, as long as you are in great physical condition, are HOT and/or SEXY, and are comfortable with taking your shirt off.

I see some one-on-one rehearsal sessions in the future.

Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom, A review

A well written script, good acting and a sexy, adorable cast dressed DOWN all come together to make a movie that is much better than I thought it would be coming into it. That's not to say I didn't think I would like it, just not this much. Let's be real, Noah's Arc, the series has some acting issues (a couple of characters seemed like they were just reading off the page sometimes), production values (several characters wearing the same outfit), and logic problems (going from zero to fully-rehearsed drag in 5 minutes). The movie has almost none of these problems and while this ground has been well-trodden by many movies, it is still a very satisfying journey of laughter and tears, even though you see most of it coming.

Noah and friends old and new gather to celebrate the wedding of Wade and Noah at Wade's family's vacation home on Martha's Vineyard. Everyone has come for the big event except Trey, who is home looking after has and Alex's newly adopted son OJ. Typically, Ricky has brought along a VERY young piece, Brandon (played by Gary Gray) who just happens to be one of Chance's students. Gray is perfectly cast as the voice of reason and is integral to advancing the plot. Through his character's questioning, we find out that Noah's friends think the marriage is doomed, because they are both on the rebound. We are told that Noah nursed Wade back to health after the car accident that ended season two.

As the wedding weekend unfolds, we see the ups and downs of all relationships mirrored in the coupled gather to celebrate the joyous day. Along the way, a few familiar faces drop by for comic relief.

Overall, the movie is a more-than-satisfying follow-up to the series, which leaves viewers wanting more of this reflection, for better or for worse, of at least parts of black gay life.

The Women: The Remake: The Review

OK, So I have been putting it off for several weeks since it came out, but I felt obliged to see this movie on your behalf, gentle reader. As you know, I was not predisposed to liking this movie, what with my visceral hatred of Meg Ryan and all. It should therefore come as no surprise that I ultimately did not care for this movie. I did not hate it, but neither did I love it.

First, let's stop the madness. This movie is not so much BASED ON the 1939 movie of the same name as a pitiful ripoff of INSPIRED BY the original. At best, it's a re-imagination. The names are the same and it's still New York high society, but the plot is different enough from the original movie as to be annoying without being at all unique or anything more than derivative. It was like watching a bad pilot of what might one day be a good show.

This movie is neither an homage to the original, where every detail of scene and dialogue is slavishly re-created, nor is it a modern re-telling of a classic. One of the problems I always had with the original was the almost casual way acceptance of the husband's infidelity as a woman's lot in life. I always fantasized about how similar situations would be handled in 2008.

Meg Ryan, visceral hatred aside, was OK. She was playing the same character she always does: befuddled, likeable woman stumbling her way through life. I thought her reactions were entirely inappropriate for given situations. For instance, when Mary Haines confronts Crystal Allen in the dressing room, she is neither aristocratically above the situation, looking down on Crystal from her high society perch, nor is she gutter-bucket ready to scratch her eyes out. Instead, she is milquetoast at best, practically begging Crystal to just be decent and stop seeing her husband.

That's another problem with this re-imagination. These Women aren't classy, high society dames. They are all good people, but in the original, these were wealthy, upper-eschelon people, above the sort of common trials and tribulations of mere mortals.

Standouts in the movie include Debra Messing as the eternally pregnant Edith, although it just seemed like she was playing an Upper West Side Grace Adler. Jada Pinkett-Smith does alot with little material as the LESBIAN!!! author Alex, and any movie that gives screen time to Candice Bergen and Cloris Leachman can't be all bad.

Hollywood Royalty

Mommie Dearest is one of my favorite movies. Check out this tribute...

The Women

Praise the Lawd! They are re-making one of my favorite movies...

I guess I will have to get past my visceral hatred of Meg Ryan. In the meanwhile, I will comfort myself with the original from 1939. Get me a bromide, and put some gin in it!!!

Hancock

If I tell you why this is a great movie, it would be giving too much away. Suffice it to say that this was much more than a mere comic book come to life. The first third is a little slow and silly, but the second and third acts more than make up for it. Great performances from Will Smith and Jason Bateman, and Charlize Theron shows again why she has an Oscar. This movie is well worth the money. Plus Will Smith looks good in leather. 

Two Snaps Up in a Circle!!!