Lee Daniels

The “Empire” Interview

with Kam Williams

Daniels Builds a TV “Empire”

After directing and/or producing such successful feature films as The Butler, Monster’s Ball [for which Halle Berry won an Academy Award], and Precious [for which Mo’Nique won hers], two-time Oscar-nominee Lee Daniels [for Precious] has set his sights on TV for the first time. Here, he talks about directing the new nighttime soap opera Empire, co-starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson.

Kam Williams: Hi Lee, thanks for another opportunity to speak with you.

Lee Daniels: Great, Kam. How are you?

KW: All is well, thanks. What was the source of inspiration for Empire?

LD: My partner, Danny Strong, came to me with this idea of telling a story about my life, and merging that with music and the Hip-Hop world. He wrote The Butler and originally wanted to do Empire also as a movie.

KW: I had no idea it was semi-autobiographical. Why TV, as opposed to the big screen?

LD: What happened was we decided that’s enough with movies, let’s do it for television so that we could bring this to life for America on a weekly basis. It picks up, historically, where The Butler left off, and deals with race relations. It’s a little bit like my family, a little like some friends of mine with money, their world, and a little like some of my friends without money, their world. I think it’s the African-American experience.

KW: Which character are you? Lucious Lyon [played by Terrence Howard]?

LD: I’m Lucious… I’m Jamal… I’m all of the characters. My sister and my cousins are Cookie [played by Taraji P. Henson]. Cookie’s  little bit of all of them.

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: How do film actors like Terrence and Taraji make the transition from the big screen to the small screen?

LD: That’s a very good question and a very complicated one, because with film we get the luxury of time. It works at a different pace. It’s nice and slow. As a film director and as film actors, you get used to a certain rhythm that’s slow. But with TV, it’s hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry. It’s a different pace. So, it’s about adjusting to the pace. It’s not meant for everybody.

KW: Has the frenetic pace frustrated you?

LD: No, I think it’s made me a better director, because I have to think fast. I no longer have the luxury of taking my time. Does that make any sense?

KW: Absolutely! Chalyn Toon asks: Did you consider other actors or did you always envision Taraji and Terrence for the lead roles?

LD: I always considered Taraji, but even though Terrence and I are very good friends and had worked together on The Butler and were thinking about doing The Marvin Gaye Story. But I didn’t know if he’d do TV. I was thinking of Wesley Snipes for the role, but word on the street was that Taraji wasn’t feeling it anymore. Then she told me, “I’ll do it, but only if Terrence does it.” I went, “girl, you ain’t even got the job yet.” And I was like, “Terrence ain’t going to do TV.” But then he said he would, and there you go.  

KW: Chalyn also says: Most writers avoid dealing with homosexuality within the black community. What made you choose that path? Unlike your counterpart, Shonda Rhimes, who has depicted white males in a passionate relationship, perhaps to target a whiter audience, you’ve put two males of color in a gay relationship. Why did you choose to do so?

LD: I did it because I think it’s time to destroy a myth in the black community about gay men. When I was doing research for Precious, I went to the Gay Men’s Health Crisis here in New York City, because the movie dealt with AIDS. What I expected to see was gay men, but what I found were African-American women and children who’d been infected with HIV by black men on the down-low. They were on the d-l because their pastor says, because their minister says, because their neighbor says, and their homeboy says, “You can’t be gay.” Black men on the d-l are killing our women. I can’t hate the men on the d-l, I only hate that they’re on the d-l, because our people forced them to be. So, this is really dedicated to educating. This is the civil rights movement of our generation.

So, this is really dedicated to educating   

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier: You are working on a Richard Pryor biopic. What does he mean to you?

LD: The more research I do, the more I uncover not only his brilliance, but how much of a pioneer he was at a time that was harder on African-Americans than it is right now, if that’s imaginable. His experience as a black American was very similar to mine. We both come from troubled backgrounds. He was very open about his sexuality, and what he did, and he spoke the truth. And he fought for the truth for everybody. And because he was so tormented, he was a drug addict, and so was I. Our similarities are strangely connected. So, he speaks to me. He was ahead of his time, and he didn’t even know that he was changing the world through humor. He was uniting African-American and white Americans through his humor. He didn’t know, and I hope to do him justice.

KW: Marcia Evans says: Lee, I'm major proud of all your work, and I'm digging Empire. Congratulations on your weight loss. You’re looking good. Vegan is working for you.

LD: [Belly laugh] I’m not really vegan. I’m vegan-ish. I have a piece of lamb every now and then.

KW: Thanks again for the time, Lee, and best of luck with Empire.

LD: Thank you, Kam. Talk to you soon.

To see a trailer for Empire, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBzu_jKLJek     

The Imitation Game
Film Review by Kam Williams

At the outset of World War II, the Nazis gained the early advantage with the help of its Enigma, the encrypting machine which enabled the German military to communicate without having to worry about any messages being intercepted. In response, Winston Churchill deputized eccentric, math genius Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) to handpick a group of fellow savants whose appointed mission would be to crack the Enigma’s inscrutable codes.

Operating on the campus of a cypher school located in Buckinghamshire’s Bletchley Park, Turing’s exceptional eggheads immediately embarked upon a surreptitious race against time every bit as important as the fighting simultaneously unfolding on the battlefield. And when they finally did manage to decipher German communications, it remained important that they keep that fact a secret.

You see, the info unearthed afforded the Allies fighting on the front lines a competitive advantage. So, if the Nazis ever caught wind of the fact that their supposedly inscrutable commands were actually being intercepted, they would undoubtedly have immediately altered their encrypting.

The British government credited Turing’s team with saving millions of lives while shortening the conflict in the European theater by a couple years. That important achievement is the subject of The Imitation Game, a bittersweet biopic directed by Norwegian Morten Tyldum (Headhunters).

Nominated for eight Oscars including Best Picture, Director, Lead Actor (Cumberbatch), and Supporting Actress (Keira Knightley), the film is based on “Alan Turing: The Enigma,” Andrew Hodges’ belated tribute to the unsung hero. Unfortunately, despite the pivotal role he had played, Turing was never really recognized as a national hero because of his homosexuality.

Instead, after the war, he had to suffer the indignity of being persecuted, arrested, convicted, and ultimately chemically castrated for being gay. That led the brilliant visionary to commit suicide while on the brink of inventing the computer.

Though that tragedy can never be undone, at least we live in more enlightened times, when an icon of Turing’s order might finally be afforded his due. A well-crafted character study which just might land the talented Benedict Cumberbatch a coveted Academy Award.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG-13 for sexual references, mature themes and smoking

Running time: 114 minutes

Distributor: The Weinstein Company

To see a trailer for The Imitation Game, visit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5CjKEFb-sM

Big Muddy
Film Review by Kam Williams

Martha Barlow (Nadia Litz) is a femme fatale with a checkered past and plenty of skeletons in her closet. Consequently, she’s done her best to keep off the grid, raising her son, Andy (Justin Kelly), in relative seclusion in rural Saskatchewan.

Seems like everybody around their tiny prairie town is the sort of unsavory character you cross the street to avoid, including Martha’s boyfriend/ and partner in crime, Tommy (Rossif Sutherland). The couple’s favorite haunt is the local racetrack which is where they concoct cockamamie con games, like robbing a bar patron who has propositioned a prostitute by waiting to pounce until the john is in a compromising position. The pair’s felonious antics don’t sit well with teenaged Andy, who hangs out at the track because the girl (Holly Deveaux) he has a crush on works there.

The plot thickens during an attempted shakedown gone wrong, after Tommy shoots the horse of an owner who refuses to be intimidated. The situation further degenerates when the tables are turned and Tommy takes a bullet from the barrel of the victim’s gun.

Seeing his mother’s life threatened, Andy reluctantly gets involved, and the next thing you know mother and son are on the run. As fugitives from justice, Martha and Andy seek refuge at the home of her estranged father (Stephen McHattie), a geezer disinclined to offer them a port in the storm, especially since he’s never even met his grandson before. Another fly in the ointment is the fact that Andy’s father (David La Haye) has escaped from prison and is intent on tracking down Martha.

Thus unfolds Big Muddy, an intriguing neo noir marking the impressive directorial debut of Jefferson Moneo. Atmospheric and absorbing, this well-crafted whodunit is rather reminiscent of Red Rock West (1999), for folks familiar with that cult classic co-starring Nicolas Cage and Dennis Hopper.

A deliberately-paced, multi-layered mystery, tailor-made for nostalgic, pulp fiction fans.

Excellent (4 stars)

Unrated

Running time: 104 minutes

Distributor: Monterey Media

To see a trailer for Big Muddy, visit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn3ds0i3f_s

Tara Ochs
The “Selma” Interview
with Kam Williams

Tara Ochs is an actress and voice-over artist residing in Atlanta, GA. She has also been a comedy improviser her entire career and credits that skill with opening many doors.

Tara can currently be caught performing with Atlanta-based theatre company Dad’s Garage, where she also teaches improv to people of all ages. Previously, she worked with The Second City troupe, and was a company member of the L.A.-based improv companies ComedySportz and ACME Comedy Theater.

Tara’s television credits include Crossing Jordan, CSI:Miami, One Tree Hill, Army Wives, Close to Home, Samantha Who? and Single Ladies. And her voice-over credits include numerous national and regional radio spots, as well as over 40 audio books with Audible and Hachette Publishing Groups.  She lists M.M. Kaye’s “Shadow of the Moon” and Dale Kushner’s “Conditions of Love,” as among her favorite reads.

A graduate of Florida State University, Tara considers Pensacola, Florida her hometown, although her family moved around quite a bit when she was a child due to her father’s enlistment as a Navy pilot. His service has inspired Tara’s love of country, while her mother’s dedication as a schoolteacher has motivated her to work with young people in the arts.

Here, she talks about portraying civil rights martyr Viola Liuzzo in the Academy Award-nominated film, Selma.

Kam Williams: Hi Tara, thanks for the interview.

Tara Ochs: Thank you Kam! You look really nice today. Is that a new sweater?

KW: Thanks! And, yes, it was a Christmas gift. What interested you in Selma? Were you aware of the march?

TO: I was NOT aware of anything to do with Selma or the marches. Living in Atlanta, you can’t help being surrounded by the vestiges of the civil rights movement, so naturally it interests me. But this particular moment in history, I was unfamiliar with. Once I was introduced to the story via the audition, I was thrilled to come across an example of such a large number of people coming together to support the movement.

KW:  How about the character you played, Viola Liuzzo? Had you heard of her?

TO: I also knew nothing about Viola Liuzzo. It wasn’t until I received the script that I learned of her enormous contribution to the movement. It was a surprise – I had no idea that a white woman had lost her life in the struggle for civil rights.

KW: How did you prepare to play her? Did you speak to her children or anyone who knew her?

TO: At the time of the filming I had not yet gotten in touch with her family--the turnaround for this film was incredibly fast. From script to screen in just about a year! I am currently in touch with them however, and so thrilled to have their support.

To prepare I did my good actor research--I Googled. The resources I came across that had the most value for me as a performer were the book “From Selma to Sorrow” by Mary Stanton, and the documentary Home of the Brave.

KW: Did you feel any responsibility to portray Viola right, given that she was martyred?

TO: Absolutely! The weight of that responsibility was overwhelming. I speak a little about that on my blog [ www.taraochs.blogspot.com ] In short, I wanted to approach Viola as a woman, not as a saint--so I looked for those details that made her seem human to me.

KW: Is there a cause bigger than your own self interest, for which you might be willing to pay a big price, perhaps even sacrificing your life?

TO: The first answer that comes to mind is my family. But I suppose that’s not a cause. [Chuckles] In a way, though, it contributes to the things that I feel passionate about. For example, my father is a veteran, so patriotism runs deep in my family.

KW: Did it ever get emotional on the set, given the historical importance of Selma?

TO: [LOL] Constantly! CONSTANTLY! I can’t tell you how difficult it was to keep it together as we marched on that bridge with actual survivors of Bloody Sunday. And the final speech back in Montgomery? There was no need to act that day.

KW: What message do you hope people will take away from the film?

TO: Hope. And perhaps a clearer understanding of why non-violent protest is the most effective way to agitate.

KW: What do you think of the criticisms being leveled at the film, suggesting that LBJ is being portrayed unfairly?

TO: What controversy? The film clearly shows LBJ for who he was--a master politician. And it clearly shows Dr. King for who he was--a master activist. It just doesn’t seem like a controversy to me. I am cheering for both LBJ and MLK by the end of the film.

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

TO: I’ll have to think on this one.

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

TO: This past Saturday – I was practically in tears. My high school outreach improv team had their tournament and they were absolutely brilliant. I could barely catch my breath.

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

TO: My Dungeons and Dragons group. We play weekly, and I play a Battle Cleric who worships a sun goddess. Pathfinder edition, if that means anything to you.

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

TO: I’m working my way through the “Wheel of Time” series because I want to get to the ones written by my favorite author, Brandon Sanderson.

I’m taking turns with that and “Misquoting Jesus” by Bart Ehrman. I’m sort of nerdy about theology.

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

TO: “Glory,” of course. 

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

TO: Shrimp Creole, my grandma’s recipe.

KW: Was there a meaningful spiritual component to your childhood?

TO: Absolutely. I grew up in the Episcopal Church, and it was a key part of my social and spiritual life

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

TO: About 50 different people. When I was little, my mom used to put me in the corner when I misbehaved for time out. But the corner she stuck me in had a mirror. I love making faces.

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

TO: I have a terrible memory, but I used to have a recurring dream which I later realized was a childhood memory. I lived in Japan from age 2 to 4. The memory was of me in a park with the Great Daibutsu [Buddha] at one end. I got to climb inside that statue. I remember perhaps being awed for the first time.

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

TO: Faith.

KW: The Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what would that be?

TO: I would have gone with astronaut, but I heard that’s harder than being an actor. [Chuckles]

KW:  The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you'd like to star in?

TO: The Apartment.

KW: What’s in your wallet?

TO: It’s lean. Just the cards I need, always some cash, a MARTA card [Atlanta Transit] and a Fox Bros BBQ [restaurant] sticker. [Laughs]

KW: Thanks again for the time, Tara, and best of luck with Selma and the rest of your ventures.

TO: Thanks Kam! I’m going to go memorize my rap battle lyrics now. Have a good evening!

To see a trailer for Selma, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPgs2zshD9Y

Academy Award Nominations 2015
by Kam Williams

Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel have emerged as the early Oscar favorites after garnering nine Academy Award nominations each. Both of those films are excellent movies and well-deserving of all the accolades they’ve received.

Nevertheless, the simultaneous snub of Selma is a little mind-boggling. The critically-acclaimed civil rights saga is enjoying the highest Rotten Tomatoes rating (99%) of any of the Oscar hopefuls, yet was only rewarded with nominations in the Best Picture and Best Song (“Glory”) categories.

Why didn’t Ava DuVernay become the first African-American female director nominated, as most insiders had predicted? Her slot was ostensibly given to Bennett Miller, the director of Foxcatcher, which wasn’t even nominated for Best Picture.

And why wasn’t Selma star David Oyelowo recognized for his powerful portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King? To add insult to injury, the Academy Award nominations were announced on January 15th, Dr. King’s birthday. Given the glaring omission, one can’t help but note that all of the nominees in the acting categories are Caucasian, perhaps a reflection of the predominantly-white Academy voting membership.

Another contributing factor to Selma’s stock suddenly tanking, undoubtedly, was the sharp criticism directed at it by Joseph Califano in a scathing op-ed printed in the Washington Post. The former assistant to Lyndon Johnson takes issue with the movie’s suggestion that the President’s was a reluctant supporter of the march and the Voting Rights Act, when “in fact, Selma was LBJ’s idea.” Califano he concludes his piece with the assertion that the picture “should be ruled out for consideration” this awards season.

Granted, the film was inaccurate in its portrayal of President Johnson. However, anyone who as actually seen the movie knows that LBJ was not cast as a villain, but more as a sympathetic figure in need of persuasion.

To her credit, director DuVernay avoided the familiar Hollywood formula which would have a group of imperiled blacks folks rescued by a great white savior on a pedestal. Instead, she opted to spread the praise around, acknowledging pivotal roles played not only by such icons as Dr. King and John Lewis, but by lesser-known, Selma local activists like Annie Lee Cooper and Cager Lee.

What I find very disheartening about the Selma smear campaign is that other historical dramas in the Oscar race, including The Imitation Game and American Sniper, have basically been given a pass despite whispered rumors of their having also taken liberties with the truth. For, such license didn’t prevent Lawrence of Arabia, A Beautiful Mind, Schindler’s List, Argo, The Last Emperor or The King’s Speech from winning the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Given how moving and meaningful a film Selma is, it’s sad to think that a few narrow-minded detractors with a patently-political agenda might have actually succeeded in derailing it.

Complete List of Academy Award Nominations

Best Actor

• Steve Carell, "Foxcatcher"
• Bradley Cooper, "American Sniper"
• Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Imitation Game"
• Michael Keaton, "Birdman"
• Eddie Redmayne, "The Theory of Everything"

Best Actress

• Marion Cotillard, "Two Days, One Night"
• Felicity Jones, "The Theory of Everything"
• Julianne Moore, "Still Alice"
• Rosamund Pike, "Gone Girl"
• Reese Witherspoon, "Wild"

Best Supporting Actor

• Robert Duvall, "The Judge"
• Ethan Hawke, "Boyhood"
• Edward Norton, "Birdman"
• Mark Ruffalo, "Foxcatcher"
• J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

Best Supporting Actress

• Patricia Arquette, "Boyhood"
• Laura Dern, "Wild"
• Keira Knightley, "The Imitation Game"
• Emma Stone, "Birdman"
• Meryl Streep, "Into the Woods"

Cinematography

• "Birdman"
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "Ida"
• "Mr. Turner"
• "Unbroken"

Costume Design

• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "Inherent Vice"
• "Into the Woods"
• "Maleficent"
• "Mr. Turner"

Directing

• Alejandro González Iñárritu, "Birdman"
• Richard Linklater, "Boyhood"
• Bennett Miller, "Foxcatcher"
• Wes Anderson, "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• Morten Tyldum, "The Imitation Game"

Foreign Language Film

• "Ida," Poland
• "Leviathan," Russia
• "Tangerines," Estonia
• "Timbuktu," Mauritania
• "Wild Tales," Argentina

Makeup and Hairstyling

• "Foxcatcher"
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "Guardians of the Galaxy"

Original Score

• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "The Imitation Game"
• "Interstellar"
• "Mr. Turner"
• "The Theory of Everything"

Adapted Screenplay

• "American Sniper"
• "The Imitation Game"
• "Inherent Vice"
• "The Theory of Everything"
• "Whiplash"

Original Screenplay

• "Birdman"
• "Boyhood"
• "Foxcatcher"
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "Nightcrawler"

Best Picture

• "American Sniper"
• "Birdman"
• "Boyhood"
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "The Imitation Game"
• "Selma"
• "The Theory of Everything"
• "Whiplash"

Animated Feature Film

• "Big Hero 6"
• "The Boxtrolls"
• "How to Train Your Dragon 2"
• "Song of the Sea"
• "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya"

Documentary Feature

• "Citizenfour"
• "Finding Vivian Maier"
• "Last Days in Vietnam"
• "The Salt of the Earth"
• "Virunga"

Documentary Short Subject

• "Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1"
• "Joanna"
• "Our Curse"
• "The Reaper (La Parka)"
• "White Earth"

Film Editing

• "American Sniper"
• "Boyhood"
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "The Imitation Game"
• "Whiplash"

Original Song

• "Everything Is Awesome," "The Lego Movie"
• "Glory," "Selma"
• "Grateful, "Beyond the Lights"
• "I"m Not Gonna Miss You," "Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me"
• "Lost Stars," "Begin Again"

Production Design

• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "The Imitation Game"
• "Interstellar"
• "Into the Woods"
• "Mr. Turner"

Animated Short Film

• "The Bigger Picture"
• "The Dam Keeper"
• "Feast"
• "Me and My Moulton"
• "A Single Life"

Live Action Short Film

• "Aya"
• "Boogaloo and Graham"
• "Butter Lamp"
• "Parvaneh"
• "The Phone Call"

Sound Editing

• "American Sniper"
• "Birdman"
• "The Hobbitt: The Battle of the Five Armies"
• "Interstellar"

Sound Mixing

• "American Sniper"
• "Birdman"
• "Interstellar"
• "Unbroken"
• "Whiplash"

Visual Effects

• "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"
• "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"
• "Guardians of the Galaxy"
• "Interstellar"
• "X-Men: Days of Future Past"