Beautiful Creatures
Film Review by Kam Williams

Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich) has lived his whole life in Gatlin, South Carolina, a tiny town in denial about the fact that the South lost the Civil War. The community is so backwards that it has banned books as seemingly innocuous as “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

This frustrating state of affairs has left the curious sophomore determined to attend a college far, far away from the Bible Belt. In the meantime, however, he is secretly reading any of the censored titles he can get his hands on.

For months, Ethan has also been haunted by a recurring nightmare in which he attempts to approach a gorgeous ghost, only to die right before reaching her. Consequently, he wakes up in a cold sweat every morning with a crush on an apparent apparition he thinks doesn’t really exist.

But, as luck would have it, a new transfer student who’s the spitting image of the girl of his dreams shows up in Ethan’s class on the first day of the fall semester. Recently-orphaned Lena (Alice Englert) has just been taken in by her Uncle Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons), the wealthy neighborhood weirdo whose family founded Gatlin generations ago.

Most of the locals know better than to trespass onto the unwelcoming, Gothic Ravenwood Estate, but not Ethan, who’s too smitten with Lena to care. It’s not long before he and Lena are an item, although the flirty 15 year-old does her best to warn her new beau that she’s nothing but trouble.

If only Ethan bothered to consult librarian/seer Amma Treadeau (Viola Davis), he’d know to steer clear of the entire Ravenwood clan. For, truth be told, they’re “Casters,” meaning otherworldly beings whose supernatural powers kick in when they turn 16. And with Lena’s impending 16th birthday just over the horizon, the burning question is whether she’ll be a good witch or drawn to the dark side by her cousin (Emmy Rossum) and late mother (Emma Thompson).

Thus unfolds Beautiful Creatures, a deliciously naughty adaptation of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl’s young adult novel of the same name. Directed by Richard LaGravenese, the picture’s plotline is a bit reminiscent of the vampire/human series Twilight, except with the human and non-human protagonists’ genders switched.

Between a talented cast and a compelling script, Beautiful Creatures is bound to do well with the targeted tweener/teen demo with which such cross-species romances seem to resonate nowadays. A viable jumpstart of yetta nudder escapist fantasy franchise.

Very Good (3 stars)

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexuality and scary images

Running time: 118 minutes

Distributor: Warner Brothers

To see a trailer for Beautiful Creatures, visit

Saving Lincoln
Film Review by Kam Williams

A bodyguard doesn’t have the luxury of making a single slip in the process of protecting the President, since a would-be assassin needs but one opportunity to succeed in his deadly mission. Ward Hill Lamon (Lea Coco) learned that lesson the hard way when John Wilkes Booth shot Abraham Lincoln in the back of the head on April 14, 1865.

Ironically, that was the very same day on which Honest Abe created the U.S. Secret Service. For, up until then, Lincoln’s security detail essentially consisted of just one person, the self-appointed Lamon.

In fact, the former law partner was the only pal Lincoln had brought with him from Illinois to Washington, D.C. As a banjo-playing, joke-telling confidant, he not only served as a sounding board but periodically provided the President with some well-needed comic and musical relief from the strains of the taxing job.

After all, The Railsplitter had been in the White House but a month when the Civil War erupted. Thus, he was burdened his entire tenure in office by the stresses associated with the conflict. And while he was trying to preserve the Union, he narrowly survived numerous attempts on his life (including a bullet passing through his stovepipe hat), the first of which was thwarted before his inauguration early in 1861.

Written and directed by Salvador Litvak, Saving Lincoln is an intimate buddy biopic chronicling the pair’s enduring friendship. The film unfolds from the perspective of narrator Lamon, who ominously concedes that, “I never could be at ease when absent from Lincoln’s side.”

Among the many plots the ever-vigilant escort managed to foil was a Rebel kidnapping scheme to hold the President ransom for 200,000 Confederate POWs. Sadly, Lamon was conspicuously absent the fateful night of the cowardly ambush in the box at Ford theater during the Third Act of the performance of a farce called “Our American Cousin.”

Having previously dispatched his trusted bodyguard to Richmond, Virginia, Lincoln ill-advisedly ignored the warning, “Do not go out, particularly to the theater.” A grieving Lamon later waxed philosophical about the tragedy, concluding, “I did not save Mr. Lincoln, because he did not wish to be saved. He completed his work and earned his rest.”

A fresh take on The Great Emancipator from the point-of-view of a constant companion who had been at the President’s side at Gettysburg and many an historical moment except the day he died.

Very Good (3 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 101 minutes

Distributor: Quad Cinema

To see a trailer for Saving Lincoln, visit

Haley Strode

The “Wendell & Vinnie” Interview

with Kam Williams

Establishing Rapport with “The Girl Next-Door”

Haley Strode has proven her skills on both screen and stage, effortlessly executing dramatic and comedic roles for which she has received significant praise. With charm, sharp intelligence and a vibrant personality, Haley is a multitalented actress who has showcased her talent across the board.

She was last seen onscreen co-starring as Marcia Keeler in Gangster Squad where she shared the screen with Josh Brolin, Giovanni Ribisi, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn and Emma Stone. And her impressive list of television appearances includes a recurring role on Important Things with Demetri Martin as well as guest appearances on Mind of Mencia, Lewis Black’s: Root of All Evil, Pack of Wolves, CSI: NY, Castle, Whitney, Vegas, L.A. Noir and The New Normal.

Bringing her charisma to the theatre stage, Haley received rave reviews for her performance in the Katselas Theatre Company’s production of Le Ronde de Lunch. The comedy, written by Peter Lefcourt, was awarded Stage Scene L.A.’s Best Production for 2009-2010. Her previous theatre credits include Oxford Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night as Viola, A Midsummer Night’s Dream as Hippolyta, Othello as Desdemona, Romeo and Juliet as Juliet, A Streetcar Named Desire as Stella, Noises Off! as Brooke, and The Importance of Being Earnest as Cecily.

Here, Haley talks about her new sitcom, Wendell & Vinnie where she plays a next-door neighbor named Taryn opposite Jerry Trainor and Buddy Handleson. The show is set to premiere on Nick at Nite on Saturday, February 16 at 8 PM ET/PT. (Check local listings)  

Kam Williams: Hi, Haley, thanks for the time.

Haley Strode: Of course, Kam!

KW: What interested you in Wendell & Vinnie?

HS: Taryn is the kind of role I've always wanted to play: the eternal optimist, sweet and thoughtful, but fiery when she needs to be. She's got it all, and then some. I was enamored, and after reading the entire script, I fell in love. It's classic sitcom through and through. One thing I absolutely loved about the show from the beginning was that not only are the characters hilarious, but they’re also incredibly relatable. When a poignant moment unfolds, as it does in every episode thus far, it has the ability to pull on your heartstrings. It'll make you laugh and cry, and it's one of that kind of show that I love and grew up watching, like Cheers, Friends, and Frasier. A lot of our writers actually worked on and have won Emmys on those shows.

KW: Tell me a little about the sitcom?

HS: The show revolves around a 30 year-old man-child, Vinnie Basset [played by Jerry Trainor], who is living the bachelor’s life in L.A., when he suddenly becomes the prime caretaker of his bookworm, brainiac nephew, Wendell [played by Buddy Handleson]. The two form a sort of odd couple duo, being that Wendell, on many occasions, can be more discerning and responsible than his uncle. And with the help of their next-door neighbor my character, Taryn, and Vinnie's sister, Wilma [played by Nicole Sullivan], a support unit is formed to help raise Wendell… and sometimes Vinnie. [Laughs]

KW: How would you describe your character, Taryn?

HS: As I said, Taryn is the kind of girl that has it all. She's the quintessential “Girl Next-Door.” In the pilot episode, we see her struggling with a new town and existence really, because she's newly divorced. There's definitely a vulnerability there, mixed with the fire she possesses to turn down Vinnie's advances from the beginning. But once she meets Wendell, and sees how much Vinnie loves his nephew and wants to be a good parent, the side of her that wears her heart on her sleeve becomes intertwined in the family unit.

KW: What message do you think the show is trying to deliver?

HS: I think ultimately the message is that no matter what life throws at us, no matter what our circumstances are, surrounding ourselves with people who love and support us is the key to leading a happy and fulfilled life. Family doesn’t have to be conventional; it just has to have love and laughter at its core.

KW: You recently played a serious role in Gangster Squad where your husband [Giovanni Ribisi] dies, leaving you a single-mom. Which do you prefer, drama or comedy?

HS: This is a great question, I'm asked this a lot. While I love working on dramatic characters and stories, it's comedy that I love the most. For me, it's incredibly rewarding to make a person laugh. Laughter is one of the greatest parts of life.

KW: What was it like working with such an accomplished cast that included not only Giovanni Ribisi, but Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte, Anthony Mackie, Michael Pena and Robert Patrick?

HS: It was truly an incredible experience. I've been a huge fan of Giovanni's for a long time; he's such a chameleon. It was an honor to work with him, as well as the rest of this stellar cast. Being that it was male dominated, it was often fun feeling like a part of the 'boys club’ that took place on set. Such a talented, fun and luckily for me, welcoming group of men that made the entire experience a memorable one. Our director Ruben Fleischer, was the most welcoming of them all. I can't say enough about how wonderful it was to work with him and watch him work.

KW: What would be your dream role?

HS: I've often tried to imagine my dream role and what that would truly mean. I'm not sure I've reached a clear picture of it yet, but I have always said the reason I wanted to act was ultimately to develop characters that evoke emotion and consequently change lives. So many incredible actors do that for me. It's something I've known about myself for as long as I can remember.

KW: What directors would you like to work with?

HS: Cameron Crowe, Michel Gondry, Charlie Kaufman, Wes Anderson, Jonathan Dayton, Rob Reiner and many, many more.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

HS: I wish someone would ask me about my big brothers so I could talk about how proud of them I am and all their accomplishments. My oldest brother owns and operates our family's fifth generation farm alongside my father, and is a member of the Kentucky Agriculture Leadership Development Program. Only 22 are chosen to travel worldwide to study and teach different methods of farming. They'll be heading to Washington, DC in the fall to speak to legislators about how to improve methods of agriculture in our country. My other brother, Matthew, is a general surgeon in Georgia, halfway through his residency and working on research that will hopefully be used to help children with specific deficiencies. This month he'll be presenting a paper he wrote on this at a national surgical conference. My brothers are incredible and I couldn't be more proud of them.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

HS: Yes, but I always manage to rework my fear into drive.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

HS: Extraordinarily so!

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

HS: Today, on set. There has not been one day I've left without my cheeks and stomach hurting from laughing so hard. It's the greatest workout routine ever.

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

HS: A badass pair of heels, and cookie dough ice cream

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

HS: The last book I read was a reread. Hemingway's “The Sun Also Rises.” It's one of my favorite books, and has one of my favorite characters: Lady Brett Ashley. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743297334/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song you listened to?

HS: Cheap and Cheerful from The Kills’ Midnight Boom album. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0012IWHKU/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

HS: I make a mean apple pie and, if I'm feeling really wild, with cheddar cut into the crust.

KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?

HS: As cheesy and melodramatic as it might sound, it's very simple: Love excites me more than anything… in all its forms.

KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?

HS: I love so many, but my favorites are the classics: Dolce and Gabbana, Chanel, Dior and Chloe.

KW: Dante Lee, author of "Black Business Secrets,” asks: What was the best business decision you ever made, and what was the worst?

HS: The best? Working with my longtime manager, David Rhee. The worst? I've grown from every mistake, so there is no 'worst' decision.

KW: The Michael Ealy question: If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be?

HS: There are many life stories I've heard that are so inspiring, that leave me with such cognizance of myself and the level of work that I want to reach. Mary Cassatt comes to mind as one the most attractive historical figures for a meeting, because her life story, to me, always sounded remarkable in every sense. She overcame the difficulties of having parents that loved her, but did not support her passions. She was a female artist at a time when women were meant to be married, have children and almost forbidden to have a job. She saw her passion clearly, and unapologetically went for it. I love and admire that great amount of gumption that it must have taken. I also read a quote of hers once about how she learned so much from her mentor and, later, best friend, Henry Matisse. She said "I used to go and flatten my nose against that window and absorb all I could of his art." I love this quote because I think this is how every artist feels while pursuing their art. We all want to scour what inspires us, and learn from and build on it.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

HS: A work in progress

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

HS: That my family and friends would be protected from harm always.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

HS: My dad coming home from the farm, spinning me around, and dancing with me. It was my favorite time of day.

KW: The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do? Would you do the bad stuff, you never got a chance to do, or would you do good stuff to make sure you make it into heaven?

HS: I'd gather with family and friends to tell stories and laugh over a bottle of my favorite bourbon.

KW: The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

HS: I would love be a bunny, but I'm clearly a golden retriever.

KW: The Pastor Alex Kendrick question: When do you feel the most content?

HS: After a live studio audience show. Nothing feels better than working in front of an audience. I grew up in theatre, so it's really my heaven. I feel exhausted from hard work and give myself time to acknowledge what I've done before I move on to the next episode. I think it's important to celebrate the strides we make.

KW: The Toure question: Who is the person who led you to become the person you are today?

HS: My mom

KW: The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

HS: I would say that all successful people are "fighters." They're passionate and determined. They see not only what they want out of life, but what they were built for, and fight for it.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

HS: My advice would be to enjoy every moment and to take the time to learn from every mistake.

KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?

HS: I want to be remembered as a passionate professional and compassionate human being.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Haley, and best of luck with the show.

HS: Thank you so much, Kam!

To see a trailer for Wendell & Vinnie, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc-XQqJJ9CY

Koch
Film Review by Kam Williams

Ed Koch (1924-2013) was the mayor of New York from 1978 to 1989, a three-term tenure over the course of which the city was beset by everything from racial strife to urban decay to the AIDS epidemic. To some, a feisty leader like Koch was precisely the right remedy for that mix of urban maladies. To others, he was simply too divisive a figure to forge a diverse coalition representative of every ethnicity.

To his credit, Koch did clean up Times Square and bring the city back from the brink of bankruptcy, even if he did irreversibly alienate the black community ab initio by closing Sydenham Hospital in Harlem right after entering office. That controversial move motivated Calvin Butts, pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, to say: “He’s worse than a racist. He’s an opportunist!”

Ever the optimist, Koch was nevertheless fond of always asking his constituents: “How’m I doing?” Although the feedback he received was generally positive, another African-American detractor, Reverend Tim Mitchell was prompted to respond, “You’re not doing well, you’re racist, and the people know it!”

So unfolds Koch, a warts-and-all documentary directed by Neil Barsky.

Overall, the movie might strike the viewer as a bit of a hatchet job, but that’s only because it opened in theaters on the very day he passed away. And when somebody dies, that’s a time for obituaries which tend to focus on the positive, not on “the evil that men do.”

Therefore, fans of the film’s recently-deceased subject might be distressed to see their beloved hero posthumously pilloried. For, the tough-talking politician frequently takes it on the chin here, from the gay slurs “Vote for Cuomo, not the homo!” which surfaced during the 1977 campaign to the allegations of corruption which sank his futile attempt to win a fourth term in office.

At one juncture, when asked his sexual preference, Koch sort of loses it, responding, “It’s none of your [bleeping] business!” To deflect rumors from spreading, especially after a longtime associate, Richard Nathan, claimed to be his spurned lover, he began making plenty of public appearances with Bess Myerson, the first Jewish Miss America on his arm.

Ultimately, the coup de grace was delivered to Koch’s career when many Democratic machine bosses holding powerful positions in his administration were exposed as crooks. This forced the voters to face the fact that the man who had originally run as a reformer on a platform promising to clean up City Hall had himself tragically morphed like the characters in Orwell’s “Animal Farm” into just another hack politician with his hands in the cookie jar.

The rise and fall from grace of a good Jewish boy gone bad who ostensibly sold out the Big Apple but never summoned up the courage to come out of the closet.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated

Running time: 95 minutes

Distributor: Zeitgeist Films

To see a trailer for Koch, visit

Side Effects
Film Review by Kam Williams

Martin Taylor (Channing Tatum) has just been paroled after serving four years in prison for insider trading. His wife, Emily (Rooney Mara), is eagerly anticipating his return, because she’s been depressed since being separated from him and losing the lavish lifestyle to which she’d become accustomed.

However, their long-awaited reunion proves to be bitterly disappointing for her, between the unsatisfying sex and her having to be the family’s breadwinner. After several months, the poor woman is so plunged into the depths of despair that she tries to kill herself by driving her car into a brick wall.

Emily is put on the anti-depressant Zoloft, by Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law), a shrink who discharges her from the hospital on the condition that she continue to see him on an outpatient basis. When that medication doesn’t agree with her, at the suggestion of her former psychiatrist (Catherine Zeta-Jones), he decides to switch her over to an experimental drug he will get paid to prescribe.

But Ablixa has even worse side effects, such as causing Emily to sleepwalk. Subsequently, while in somnambulant state, (SPOILER ALERT), she stabs her unsuspecting hubby to death.

Suddenly Dr. Banks finds himself on the griddle, since he got a $50,000 kickback from the pharmaceutical industry to promote Ablixa. It’s not long before his career is hanging in the balance, given that he had good reason to take his patient off the medication.

Not so fast, Kimosabe. For, what at first blush looks like an open and shut case of malpractice turns out to be something far more sinister. Might Martin have had an enemy who wanted him dead? Persons of interest soon emerge from the shadows, from his miffed mother-in-law (Ann Dowd), to the former colleague (David Costabile) suspected of snitching on him, to Dr. Banks’ estranged wife (Vinessa Shaw), with a few other red herrings tossed into the mix for good measure.

So unfolds Side Effects, an over-plotted whodunit directed by Steven Soderbergh. The movie marks the Oscar-winner’s (for Traffic) final film, unless he can be coaxed out of retirement for a future project.

A tad too complicated for its own good, this headache-inducing brainteaser feels more like taking an SAT test than a mere murder mystery. Still, the picture’s worth the investment just to witness Rooney Mara’s spellbinding performance as a beleaguered mental patient struggling to get her meds right.

The Girl with a Dragon of a Depression!

Very Good (3 stars)

R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and violence

Running time: 105 minutes

Distributor: Open Road Films

To see a trailer for Side Effects, visit