Morris Chestnut
“The Best Man Holiday” Interview
with Kam Williams
The Best Chestnut!
Morris Chestnut was born on New Year’s Day 1969 in Cerritos, California, where he was a student-athlete in high school, en route to majoring in finance and drama at California State University. He made his big screen debut opposite Ice Cube in John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood, and subsequently enjoyed his breakout role as the groom-to-be in Malcolm Lee’s The Best Man.
The handsome heartthrob has been a much-in-demand leading man ever since, starring in hits like The Call, Think Like a Man, Identity Thief, The Brothers, Not Easily Broken, Kick Ass 2, Two Can Play That Game, Breakin’ All the Rules, The Perfect Holiday, Half Past Dead, Like Mike, Ladder 94 and The Game Plan. A dedicated family man away from work, Morris and his wife, Pam, live in suburban L.A. with their son, Grant, and daughter, Paige.
Here, he talks about reprising the memorable role of Lance Sullivan in the eagerly-anticipated sequel, The Best Man Holiday.
Dear Mr. Watterson
Film Review by Kam Williams
The comic strip Calvin & Hobbes enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity soon after first appearing in newspapers on November 18, 1985. Drawn and written by Bill Watterson, it was voted Best Syndicated Cartoon 7 years in a row over the course of a decade-long run which also twice netted its talented author the coveted Cartoonist of the Year award.
The reclusive Watterson so cherished his privacy that he shied away from the spotlight despite constant clamor for him to cash in on his success. But he had no trouble resisting the temptation to license his characters to product manufacturers ostensibly out of a fear that mass merchandising might cheapen his comic.
Moreover, in 1995, Watterson stopped publishing the column on his own terms the day he decided it was time, and quietly slipped back into obscurity. This was easy to achieve, since he still lived in tiny Chagrin Falls, the idyllic Ohio town where he’d been raised from the age of 6.
Directed by Joel Allen Schroeder, Dear Mr. Watterson is a reverential retrospective which seeks to flesh out its inscrutable, impossible to find subject. The film features a flurry of accolades from colleagues and fans, including the widow of Charles Schultz, the creator of Peanuts.
Again and again, the contributors roll out superlatives, uniformly expressing their admiration of the enigmatic Watterson in glowing detail, whether appraising his rich artwork or deeply philosophical storytelling which helped shape a whole generation of impressionable young minds. Conspicuous in his absence, the only person missing from the movie is the Watterson himself, an inveterate introvert who, of course, didn’t participate in the project.
Nevertheless, this illuminating documentary does manage to paint a compelling picture of a modest genius who used his beloved, kid-friendly cartoon to convey the timeless message that there’s magic in everyday life, provided you’re young enough at heart to look for it.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 90 minutes
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
To see a trailer for Dear Mr. Watterson, visit
Go for Sisters
Film Review by Kam Williams
Bernice Stokes (LisaGay Hamilton) is a parole officer in Los Angeles where her job routinely places her in close proximity with the dregs of society. She normally has no reason to associate with such miscreants after hours, being very straitlaced and coming from a solid, middle class background.
However, everything changes the day the single-mom’s only child (McKinley Belcher, III) suddenly vanishes without a trace. Rodney, an Iraq War veteran hadn’t been the same since serving overseas.
Bernice was aware that he’d been hanging out with some unsavory characters recently, including a suspected drug dealer who was just murdered. Desperate to find her son, she strikes an unspoken bargain with Fontayne Scott (Yolonda Ross), a new client who has just flunked a urine test.
Rather than report Fontayne to her superior, Bernice enlists the streetwise addict’s assistance in the search. Complicating matters a bit is the fact that the two had been close friends back in high school. So, while unearthing clues pointing to Tijuana, the former BFFs are afforded an opportunity to deconstruct the events leading to their falling out over a boy they both wanted.
Besides Fontayne’s help, Bernice also retains the services of Freddy Suarez (Edward James Olmos), a disgraced, LAPD detective whose investigative experience and fluent Spanish are likely to come in handy south of the border. Packing a guitar and singing in the car, the unlikely trio heads for Mexico, posing as a musical group in order to not arouse suspicion.
Written and directed by two-time, academy Award-nominee John Sayles (for Passion Fish and Lone Star), Go for Sisters is a deliberately-paced crime drama which benefits as much from absorbing character development as from the intrigue surrounding solving the underlying whodunit. Credit charismatic Edward James Olmos for keeping the movie compelling, although Yolonda Ross and LisaGay Hamilton manage to fold their own opposite the Oscar-nominated thespian (for Stand and Deliver).
A dangerous border town as no country for old men or middle-aged sisters either.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 122 minutes
Distributor: Variance Films
Last Vegas
Film Review by Kam Williams
Billy (Michael Douglas), Paddy (Robert De Niro), Archie (Morgan Freeman) and Sam (Kevin Kline), inseparable since growing up in Flatbush back in the Fifties, have managed to remain close over the years despite the demands of families and careers. That’s why, when never-married Billy finally decides to tie the knot, the others agree to throw him a bawdy bachelor party in Las Vegas, hoping to rekindle a little of the macho magic of their glory days.
But even before arriving in Sin City, the long-in-the-tooth senior citizens are forced to face up to the fact that they’re no spring chickens. After all, Archie is still recovering from a mild stroke, and has to tell his son (Michael Ealy) he’s attending a church retreat to sneak out of the house.
Meanwhile, Sam, who suffers from a futile case of erectile dysfunction, packs Viagra and condoms for the trip with his frustrated wife’s (Joanna Gleason) blessing. And recently-widowed Paddy has entirely lost his zest for life since the passing of his childhood sweetheart (Olivia Stuck).
Even groom-to-be Billy seems to be having second thoughts about walking down the aisle with a woman half his age (Bre Blair), especially after his head is turned at first sight by the hotel’s sultry, lounge singer (Mary Steenburgen). Consequently, the reassembled Rat Pack’s highly-anticipated reunion turns out to be less a licentious last hurrah than a nostalgic trip down Memory Lane. For the guys end up spending more of their time reminiscing and teasing each other than in pursuit of potential sexual conquests.
Directed by Dan Turtletaub (National Treasure 1, 2 and 3), Last Vegas is a laff-a-minute comedy, with most of the humor coming at the expense of members of this self-effacing quartet as they grudgingly make concessions to old age. They remain good sports, whether being the butt of jokes about hair transplants, hair color, medications, looking old or mistakenly flirting with transvestites.
Not surprisingly, the principal cast (featuring four Academy Award-winners in Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline) has no trouble generating a convincing sense of camaraderie onscreen. What is more remarkable is how another Oscar-winner, Mary Steenburgen, makes the most of her support role, upstaging he male co-stars by exhibiting an endearing vulnerability in a most memorable performance.
The Hangover, geezer style!
Excellent (3.5 stars)
PG-13 for profanity and sexuality
Running time: 105 minutes
Distributor: CBS Films
Jeremy Lin
The “Linsanity” Interview
with Kam Williams
Oh, the Linsanity!
Jeremy Lin was born in Los Angeles, California on August 23, 1988 to Taiwanese immigrant parents. Encouraged by his father, he developed a love of basketball at an early age.
Raised in a Christian family, Jeremy’s faith guided and supported him as he chased his hoop dream of playing basketball in the NBA. Known for his relentless work off court and on, the young phenom led his Palo Alto high school team to a state title against nationally-ranked Mater Dei, an overwhelming favorite.
Despite his All-State level play, however, no Division 1 college recruited Jeremy. So, he enrolled at Harvard University, which does not offer athletic scholarships.
Undrafted by the NBA out of college, he nevertheless impressed scouts in the summer league going up against the No. 1 draft pick. He was eventually signed—but later cut—by the Golden State Warriors.
A brief stint in Houston ended unceremoniously on Christmas Day, 2011. Jeremy was subsequently picked up by the New York Knicks. In early 2012, on the verge of being cut again, he rose to prominence as a starter, unlikely team leader and improbable NBA sensation.
“Linsanity” was born! He’s been the Houston Rockets’ starting point guard since landing a three-year, $25 million deal. Whether facing racial taunts as a child, or being underestimated on the court, Jeremy Lin consistently points to his faith as his means of dealing with both disappointment and success.
Here, he talks about Linsanity, the new documentary chronicling both his commitment to Christ and his meteoric rise to superstardom.