Viola Davis
The “Beautiful Creatures” Interview
with Kam Williams

Viola Davis is a critically acclaimed actress who garnered her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her stellar work in "Doubt,” co-starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams. She received her second Oscar nomination, this time in the category of Best Actress in a Leading Role, for her portrayal of Aibileen, in "The Help," based on Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel. Davis also received a Screen Actor’s Guild Award and an NAACP Image Award for that powerful performance.

Next fall, Viola will be seen in the sci-fi action adventure "Ender's Game" opposite Harrison Ford, as well as in the drama "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby," alongside Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy and William Hurt. And she is currently in production on "Prisoners," starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Her other feature film credits include "Won't Back Down," for which she just won another NAACP Image Award, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close," with Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock; "It's Kind of a Funny Story," with Emma Roberts, Lauren Graham and Zach Galifianakis; "Eat Pray Love," starring Julia Roberts; "Knight and Day," with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz; "Law Abiding Citizen," with Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler; "Nights in Rodanthe," based on the Nicholas Sparks novel and starring Diane Lane and Richard Gere; "Madea Goes to Jail"; "State of Play"; "Disturbia"; "The Architect"; "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," opposite 50 Cent; "Syriana," starring George Clooney; "Far from Heaven," with Dennis Quaid and Julianne Moore; and the Steven Soderbergh-directed films "Solaris," "Traffic" and "Out of Sight."

On the small screen, Viola was most recently seen in a six-episode arc on Showtime's hit series "United States of Tara." Her extensive television credits include roles on "Law & Order: SVU"; "Jesse Stone"; "Life is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story"; "Traveler"; "Century City"; "Lefty"; "City of Angels"; Oprah Winfrey's "Amy and Isabelle"; and Hallmark Hall of Fame's "Grace and Glorie."

A veteran of the stage, in 2010 Viola returned to Broadway in the highly anticipated revival of August Wilson's "Fences," alongside Denzel Washington. Her performance in the 1987 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning play earned her a Tony Award, as well as the Drama Critics' Circle Award, Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award. In 2001, she was awarded a Tony for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Tonya in "King Hedley II."

A graduate of The Juilliard School, Davis also holds an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts Degree from her alma mater, Rhode Island College. Here, she talks about her latest outing as Amma in the screen adaptation of the romantic fantasy novel “Beautiful Creatures.”

 

 

Kam Williams: Hi Viola, thanks for another opportunity to interview you.

Viola Davis: Absolutely!

 

KW: Congratulations on winning another NAACP Image Award. I loved your performance in Won’t Back Down.

VD: Thank you very much, Kam.

 

KW: Do you think the movie suffered from political blowback, the way that Zero Dark Thirty has been hurt at the box office because of controversy?

VD: Yeah, I think it definitely suffered from that because we were in an election year and because education is a hotbed issue. And people have strong opinions about public school education, unions, charter schools, and parent-trigger laws. Occasionally, the timing of a movie is just bad and I think, in the case of this movie, it was probably the worst. 

 

KW: What interested you about Beautiful Creatures?

VD: What interested me was that the character wasn’t what she appeared to be. That she had different secrets to be discovered. When you first meet her, she’s kind of just woven into the fabric of this family. But then you see the tribal scarification on her back, and you see her channeling spirits. And then you learn that she’s the keeper of a library that’s the gateway to different worlds. I like that. I like when there are different layers to peel away. It was just subtle enough to play and to craft. That’s what appealed to me about the role.

 

KW: Have you ever made a romantic fantasy before? Is Kate & Leopold the closest you’ve done to something like this?

VD: I didn’t think of Kate & Leopold, but yeah, I guess so. It’s the only other time I’ve tried this genre.

 

KW: In this case, the film is more akin to the Twilight and Harry Potter series. 

VD: I love young adult fantasies. While I say that, I have not seen all of the Twilight and Harry Potter movies. But I’ve read all of the books, and I love them. I love them because I enjoy being transported to a different world and having my imagination challenged. That’s a huge part of what we do as actors. We have to imagine ourselves in a different world. And when you are in a young adult fantasy, it challenges you in the best way.

 

KW: Did you see The Hunger Games? That’s another adaptation of a young adult book that targeted teens and ‘tweeners.

VD: Yes, it was fabulous!

 

KW: Editor/legist Patricia Turnier asks: Among all the characters you played, which one is closest to your personality and why?

VD: You know who? The character I played in Nights in Rodanthe, a movie I did with Diane Lane. Jean was kind of fun, and tough, sarcastic, artistic, creative, quirky and a little sexy. She was probably the closest to the real me. 

 

KW: Patricia also points out that you’ll be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this year. She’d like to know what that means to you.

VD: I keep forgetting about that until someone reminds me again. I kid you not. What does it mean? It’s hard for me to say that I’ve made it, because no real actor feels that way. But it does represent a physical manifestation of my dreams coming to fruition, if that makes any sense.  

 

KW: Professor/curator/author/documentary director Hisani DuBose says:

Please ask this beautiful woman what has been the public’s response to her natural hair? I'm so glad she's working and bringing a different kind of beauty to Hollywood.

VD: The response to my natural hair has been huge, Hisani! And bigger than to anything else. I think people admire the boldness of it, and the courage of it. For me, personally, it represents my coming into who I am, not apologizing for it, and being comfortable with the way I look. I have been amazed by the testimonies coming especially from women of color who have thanked me for it.

 

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles says congratulations on your Image Award to add to your Tony Awards and Oscar nominations. She asks: How have these accolades affected your career and the quality of scripts you are offered?

VD: Recognition has brought me more work, because your name suddenly comes to mind when some directors are trying to cast a character. And my stage work has specifically enabled people to have faith that I can handle a role, even when it’s not specifically written for an African-American. So, I’d have to say that recognition brings work. A successful movie brings more work, and that been the biggest blessing. 

 

KW: Harriet was also wondering with so many directors giving some 'classic' films a 'new look,' whether there is a particular role you'd like to reprise either on stage or the big screen?
VD: I would love to star in a remake of Thelma and Louise. Yep, that’s the one I’d be interested in redoing.  

 

KW: Marcia Evans says: I'm grateful to see you receiving rewards after putting in so much work into perfecting your craft. I wish you continued success with your career and lovely family, and I’m proud that you represent an example of a sister of worth. She asks: Do you have any personal charity benefitting your hometown of Central Falls, Rhode Island?
VD: Definitely! I’m very committed to its educational institutions, including my alma mater Central Falls High School’s drama program, because I know that’s what got me my start. I do everything I can to keep it alive since it made me feel like I had something to give to the world. I also support the Segue Institute for Learning, a charter school in Central Falls run by a friend of mine that my niece attends. I’m committed to that because of its proven results. They have the highest math scores of any charter school in Rhode Island.

 

KW: Marcia has a follow-up question. Are you concerned about art programs being removed from so many public school systems?

VD: I’m very concerned. I do as much as I can in my community. I’ve gone back to do fundraisers and to offer my services. My sister started a thespian society that my husband [actor Julius Tennon] and I have done workshops with in Central Falls. 

 

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

VD: That’s a hard one. But I would have to say I can make a great big mac and cheese.

 

KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?

VD: Lately, my daughter. I get so excited when she says something new, which she is doing every day. I can leave the house for a few hours, come back and meet a totally different person. That’s very exciting to me.

 

KW: Would you mind giving me a Viola Davis question?

VD: Okay. Let’s see… Who do you really believe you are when you go home as opposed to the person you pretend to be on the red carpet?

 

KW: That’s a great question. Thanks. So, who do you really believe you are when you go home as opposed to the person you pretend to be on the red carpet?

VD: When I go home, I am a slug. I want to do everything completely opposite of what I do on the red carpet. [LOL] I like to take off all my makeup, put on a t-shirt, be completely unassuming and just do stuff with my husband and my daughter.

 

KW: Thanks again for the time, Viola, and best of luck with Beautiful Creatures.

VD: Thanks, Kam.

To see a trailer for Beautiful Creatures, visit

Sly Stallone
The “Bullet to the Head” Interview
with Kam Williams

Sylvester Stallone has been known worldwide as a true screen legend since creating the title role in the seminal 1976 Oscar-winning Best Picture “Rocky,” for which he also wrote the screenplay. Over the course of his long career, he has been recognized for his work as an actor, writer and director.

A cultural phenomenon, “Rocky” grew into a six-film franchise, successfully spanning four decades. He wrote, directed and starred in “Rocky II, III and IV,” and wrote and starred in “Rocky V.” Stallone brought the character’s story to a close in 2006 with the critical and box office hit “Rocky Balboa,” which he also wrote and directed. That year, to commemorate one of the most iconic scenes in motion picture history, a bronze statue of Rocky Balboa was placed at the foot of the now-famous steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum—called the “Rocky steps”—at a dedication ceremony presided over by the mayor.

Beginning with the 1982 blockbuster “First Blood,” Stallone has also embodied another indelible character: John Rambo. Following that film, for which he also wrote the screenplay, he wrote and starred in “Rambo: First Blood Part II” and “Rambo III.” In 2008, he directed, wrote and starred in “Rambo,” which continued the saga of the scarred Vietnam vet more than 25 years after his screen introduction.

Stallone more recently wrote and directed perhaps his most ambitious project to date, the action thriller “The Expendables,” in which he also led an all-star cast, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Jet Li and Dolph Lundgren. The film opened at number one in August 2010, making Stallone the only actor to open a film at number one in five consecutive decades. In 2012, he co-wrote and starred in “The Expendables 2,” which reunited the cast, this time under the direction of Simon West.

Upcoming, Stallone is set to star with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the action thriller “The Tomb,” and then stars opposite Robert De Niro in “Grudge Match.” In addition, he wrote and is producing “Homefront,” directed by Gary Fleder and starring Jason Statham and James Franco.

Born in New York City, Stallone attended school in suburban Philadelphia, where he first started acting and also became a star football player. He then spent two years instructing at the American College of Switzerland in Geneva. Returning to the United States, he enrolled as a drama major at the University of Miami and also began to write.

But Stallone left college to pursue an acting career in New York City where the jobs did not come easily. During this period, he turned more and more to writing, churning out screenplays while waiting for his acting break. The opportunity came in 1974 when he was cast as one of the leads in “The Lords of Flatbush.”

With the money earned from the film, Stallone moved to Hollywood, where he landed a few small roles in television and movies. He also continued to pursue writing. Fighter Rocky Balboa was born in a script Stallone wrote in longhand. Several producers offered to buy the screenplay, but wanted to cast a name star in the title role. Despite being nearly broke, he held fast in his determination to play the part, and his perseverance was finally rewarded and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Kam Williams: Hey, Mr. Stallone. I’m so honored to be speaking with you.

Sly Stallone: Thank you very much.

 

KW: Thanks for the opportunity.

SS: Sure, Kam.

 

KW: I asked my readers if they had any questions for you. I won’t be able to get to them all but I must say that I was very impressed with the uniform reverence they have for you.

SS: That’s great. Thank you.

 

KW: Let me start by asking what interested you in Bullet to the Head?

SS: Well, I liked the idea of a very simple story with a dark morality. There’s  humor in that later on, but you start with the basic idea that you have two total opposites having to work together for a common cause who you know are going to have to take each other out at the very end, at least that was the original premise. I also really liked the idea of doing it with Walter Hill after the first director bowed out. That made the project especially enticing.

 

KW: Was that because of his track record with unlikely-buddy flicks like Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte in 48 Hours?

SS: Yes, and also because he’s kind of gone down the same path as I did. There was a period when I was pretty much untouchable for about 8 or 9 years until I got a big break with Joe Roth when he helped produce Rocky Balboa. That was a big, big, long shot. Everybody thought it was a joke, but it worked. [Chuckles] I think there’s a lot of music left to play in a lot of these old instruments. And I felt that Walter Hill is a pro at this genre, yet he’s not getting the opportunity. So, when I saw the opportunity present itself, I decided, “If he does the movie, I’ll do it.” And it worked out that way. 

 

KW: Documentary director Kevin Williams says: Your sticking to your guns when you wrote and then wanted to star in Rocky inspired me to do the same when many told me I couldn't make my documentary film, "Fear Of A Black Republican." As a matter of fact, I thank you for your great inspiration in my film’s credits. Do you have any idea how many filmmakers and actors you have inspired and does that experience with making Rocky still come into play for you today? 

SS: Actually I don’t, Kevin, but I’m very flattered whenever I hear stories like this, or about a student who has written a graduate thesis on Rocky or Rambo. I’m always surprised to see that the films had that kind of impact. Having that sort of faith in something that only you truly understand and believe in is still prevalent today. If I just know in my gut that a film is going to work, I’ll fight to the death over it, and I convince myself. When a movie is purely a money job, the film doesn’t have the same sort of intensity, and the audience almost senses it, at least that’s the way I perceive it. So, yeah, the idea is to do something that you truly, truly believe in. I understand that a lot of other actors don’t have a choice. They have to eat so they need to work and they’ll do films that they’re not so proud of. But I’ve been fortunate enough to be given a second wind, so I try to pick projects I know will provide the audience the kind of escapism they want from me.    

 

KW: Larry Greenberg asks: How did you develop your character, Jimmy Bobo?

SS: I decided to approach it this way. I, Sylvester Stallone, am really not much like Rocky. Rocky is a much more ethical, moral person than I am. [Chuckles] He’s really a great guy. And Rambo is a much darker person than I am, and much more reserved and withdrawn. I thought, let me try something different. What if I, Sylvester Stallone, were transported into the world of hit men? In other words, what if I were the hit man but just played myself. So, that’s the way I approached this character. I wanted to be as casual and comfortable with the character as possible. I said, if Sylvester Stallone were a hit man, this is how he would be. So, pretty much what you see up there is Sylvester Stallone as a hit man. Rather than trying to create a character that was different from me, I tried to make the character the same as me, and just add the story. I don’t know if that makes sense to you. It’s like as if you were going to play a hit man and asked me, “What do I do?” And I went, “No, no, you Kam, you just have to play yourself.” It would be your personality, but you would play a hit man. That would be an interesting choice. That’s different. That’s unusual. So, this was the first time I’ve ever said, “Let me just be myself, but pretend I’m a hit man.”

 

KW: Larry also asks: How did you go about create the father-daughter dynamic with Lisa [played by Sarah Shahi]?

SS: Having children, they tend to be very angry, if you’re not there growing up. Of course, he was never there for her growing up, and she has done everything that’s rebellious. So, I tried to think how I would approach that in my own life. I decided that he would be a little remorseful, but he’d have a little resentment because she’d ask for a favor every time he came to see her. When she decided to be a tattoo artist and to cover herself in tattoos that weren’t exactly the most flattering, I realized she was doing it out of spite and for attention, and as a way of getting back at me. So, there are all sorts of possible approaches to developing that kind of relationship. 

 

KW: Is there a message you want people to take away from the film?

SS: That a tiger never really changes his stripes and that Jimmy Bobo is what he is, without regret. But he’s not an amoral person, since he only takes out, as he puts it, “the hard to get at stains.” That his job. He takes out the trash. In effect, he’s doing a service. He’s a people person. He removes the bad people.

 

KW: Marcia Evans says: I've been a fan of yours since Rocky. I was particularly blown away by your outstanding performance in Copland. My question is: Have you considered getting into the fitness industry and opening a chain of gyms?  

SS: [Laughs] I thought about that for a long time, Marcia, but it’s such a competitive business. I tried a line of vitamins once, but that didn’t go over well, because I didn’t realize how hard and time-consuming it was. So, I decided to leave it to the people who are truly dedicated to that 24 hours a day.   

 

KW: Are you still an art collector?

SS: Yes, an avid art collector. [Chuckles] In fact, every day, I’ll read a chapter of some art book. I don’t know why. It’s just a habit.

 

KW: Film student Jamaal Green asks who is your favorite director and how has he or she influenced your work?

SS: Hmm… It’s not a modern director. To me, the greatest director ever was Elia Kazan whom many of your readers probably never even heard of. But he did On the Waterfront with Brando, and he did East of Eden. He made some truly epic, monumental films, when no one else was really doing it. His contemporaries were making relatively lighthearted movies. I’d say he was far and away the best. Everyone today is pretty well much derivative of Kazan. So, to me, he was the real master.

 

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier says: I am a fan of your work since childhood. Being versatile and taking control of your career in show business surely helped you succeed and achieve longevity. What advice do you have for aspiring actors who want to follow in your footsteps? 

SS: In this day and age, if you’re aspiring to be an actor, and you’re putting all your eggs in one basket, you could be disappointed. I started out as an actor, but I forced myself to be a writer, even though I wasn’t very good at it and had never written. I don’t think I ever passed an English course in my life. My first 8 to 10 scripts were pretty horrendous, but I stayed at it, stayed at it, and stayed at it, until I eventually found a voice and a subject like Rocky that people were interested in. So, I recommend that you go out and try to be as versatile as possible: writer, actor, producer and especially director. Look at Ben Affleck. He’s literally had a career reversal. I tell so many young actors that if I hadn’t written, directed and acted, I’d have been long gone. I would not have made it out of the Nineties.   

 

KW: Patricia also asks: Are you interested in writing a memoir which gives us more of look into your life than Sly Moves did?

SS: [LOL] I don’t know. It all depends on how deeply I’d have to delve into it. I’d be willing to do it, if I only had to write about what inspires and motivates me. But I couldn’t go into the personal aspects of my family, because I’m way too private. But my career, absolutely.

 

KW: Kate Newell asks: Would you ever consider running for public office?

SS: No, I talked to Arnold [Schwarzenegger] about running for office, and he said he loved it. But he is also much more of a people person. You have to have an almost boundless reservoir of energy and interest to enter politics because quite often it’s thankless and fruitless and you can’t accomplish much. But he loved it. I don’t have that. I’m much more of an introvert.    

 

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: How much of an offer they couldn't refuse did you make to assemble the cast of matinee idols, not once, but twice, for The Expendables?

SS: [LOL] This was an idea I got thinking about how there’s strength in numbers. I would always see these Rock & Roll revivals comprised of 25 different bands that had once been very famous, but weren’t anymore. However, the name value was still there. I said to myself, “Why don’t I do this with actors?” Every one of these guys had had phenomenal careers but had fallen on hard times, including myself. I thought that together this might generate the same sort of interest that fans have when they go to see a Rock & Roll revival. Instead, they’d be going to see a revival of action stars. I didn’t know if it was going to work, but I thought of it as an experiment. And since I had known them for years, I could call on favors, and all of them could trust me that I wasn’t going to embarrass them. And that’s how I was able to make it happen, Harriet.   

 

KW: Thanks for a great interview, Mr. Stallone, and best of luck with the film.

SS: Thank you, Kam. I appreciate it. Bye.

 

To see a trailer for Bullet to the Head, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzcvSoCqq1w  

Marlon Wayans
“A Haunted House” Interview
with Kam Williams

 

Multi-talented Marlon Wayans graduated from the prestigious High School of Performing Arts in New York and Howard University’s Film School. He is best known for getting his start in Hollywood as a cast member of the Emmy Award-winning comedy series, In Living Color. Marlon then went on to create executive produce and star in The Wayans Bros on the WB.

Together with brothers, Keenen and Shawn Wayans, and producer Rick Alvarez, he formed the successful production company, Wayans Brothers Entertainment. Some of his noteworthy credits include: The Ladykillers, directed by the Coen Brothers; the record breaking Scary Movie and Scary Movie 2, Little Man, White Chicks, Norbit, Behind the Smile and Dance Flick.

Marlon’s compelling dramatic performance as a drug addict in Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream proved he could do more than comedy. Most recently, Marlon was seen starring opposite Channing Tatum in the box-office smash, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.

Projects in development include: Super Bad James Dynomite, based on his comic book series of the same name, Pretty Ugly, The Year of Living Biblically, and an animated series for TBS entitled The Black Family.

Next, he will be seen playing the title role in Sony Pictures, Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? Marlon will also star in the upcoming Harmony Korine film Twinkle, Twinkle.

Marlon continues to publish books under the 101 Ways title including 101 Ways to Know You're a Golddigger, 101 Ways You Know It's Time to Get Out Of Your Mama's House and 101 Ways to Know You’re Having a Ghetto Christmas as well as the children’s series Boo Crew which stemmed from the animated series the Wayans’ created for Nickelodeon.

Here, he talks about his latest film, A Haunted House, a spoof of the Paranormal Activity franchise.  

Read the rest of this story »

Quentin Tarantino
The "Django Unchained" Interview
with Kam Williams

With a vibrant imagination and dedication to rich, layered storytelling, Quentin Tarantino has established himself as one of the most celebrated filmmakers of his generation. His World War II epic, "Inglorious Basterds," was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Achievement in Directing, and landed an Oscar for Christoph Waltz for his memorable portrayal of Colonel Hans Landa. .

Prior to "Inglorious Basterds," Tarantino thrilled audiences with "Death Proof," starring Kurt Russell and Zoë Bell. In "Kill Bill Vol. 1″ and "Kill Bill Vol. 2," Uma Thurman, as "The Bride," enacted a "roaring rampage of revenge" on her former lover and boss, played by David Carradine.

Quentin wrote and directed "Jackie Brown," a crime caper starring Pam Grier in the title role. Loosely based on Elmore Leonard's novel "Rum Punch," the picture netted Robert Forster an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Tarantino co-wrote, directed and starred in "Pulp Fiction" which won an Academy Award for Best Screenplay. He wrote, directed and starred in "Reservoir Dogs," which marked the beginning of his career and made an auspicious debut at the Sundance Film Festival.

Here, he talks about his new movie, Django Unchained, a Western featuring Jamie Foxx in the title role as a slave-turned-bounty hunter, and co-starring Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kerry Washington.

 

Kam Williams: Hi Quentin, thanks for the interview.

Quentin Tarantino: Oh, it's my pleasure, Kam.

 

KW: The last time we spoke, the conversation went so well, the interview is going to be published in the new edition of Quentin Tarantino Interviews.

QT: Oh yeah! Edited by Gerald Peary! Volume 2. Cool!

 

KW: Let me start with a question from Larry Greenberg, a reader who also sent in a question for that interview: He says: When I got to ask Mr. Tarantino a question about Inglorious Basterds his answer changed my life and inspired me to go into filmmaking. It gave me permission to pursue my dream. If that had not happened, I doubt that I would be sitting here today with a script and an insane deadline. It was a key turning point in my life. This time, I'd like to know how you came up with the characters Django and Dr. Schultz [played by Christoph Waltz] and how did you dream up their relationship?

QT: Wow, Larry! That's great! As for the scriptwriting process, it was kind of funny. I always knew I wanted to do a Western. And trying to think of what that would be, I always figured that if I did a Western, it would have a lot of the aesthetics of Spaghetti Westerns, because I really like them. They're really brutal and operatic with a surreal quality to the violence. So, about eight years ago, I came up with the idea of a black man who was an ex-slave who had become a bounty hunter. And his job would be to track down white outlaws who were hiding out as overseers on Southern plantations. Now, that's not a story; that's just an idea. That was kicking around in the incubator for about eight years, waiting for its time. At the same time, I was writing a film criticism book on Sergio Corbucci, the director who did the original Django. So, I was kind of getting immersed in his world. Towards the end of the Inglourious Basterds press tour I was in Japan. Spaghetti Westerns are really popular there, so I picked up a bunch of soundtracks and spent my day off listening to all these scores. And all of a sudden the opening scene just came to me. It just came to me, and I knew I had to sit down and write it, even though I didn't even have my notepad with me. So, I was just writing it on the hotel stationery. During those previous eight years, I never had a German, dentist bounty hunter in mind for the character. [Chuckles] But during that time, I did get to direct Christoph Waltz who was one of the best actors I'd ever worked with. Nobody does my dialogue better than he and Sam Jackson do. They just sing it! And now I think it's going to be hard for me not to write for him. Anyway, I just started writing that scene, and this German bounty hunter shows up.

KW: What was the most challenging aspect of writing the script? Addressing racial issues? Historical accuracy? Did you feel any pressure to conform to political-correctness, or did you feel free to take poetic license, given the glowing reception of audiences to Hitler's dying in a movie theater in Inglorious Basterds?

QT: I felt no obligation to bow to any 21st Century political correctness. What I did feel an obligation to do was to take the 21st Century viewers and physically transport them back to the ante bellum South in 1858, in Mississippi, and have them look at America for what it was back then. And I wanted it to be shocking.

 

KW: Have you seen the film yet with a black audience?

QT: Yes I have!

 

KW: And what was their reaction? I know how an all-black audience feels comfortable enough to talk back to the screen and let you know exactly how they feel about what's happening.

QT: [Laughs] Let's put it like this: We screened it for heavily-black audiences quite a few times, where the audience was between 40 and 60 percent black. That's pretty black. We also screened it for a 100 percent black audience, and you would've thought it was 1973 and they were watching the end of Coffy [A blaxploitation era flick starring Pam Grier]. It's funny because I was sitting next to [executive producer] Harvey Weinstein and he turns to me and says, "I guess we know who we made this movie for." [LOL] But the film really has a lot of ups and downs, and taps into a lot of different emotions. To me, the trick was balancing all those emotions, so that I could get you where I wanted you to be by the very end. I wanted the audience cheering in triumph at the end. So, as rough as some of the things I show in the movie are, they couldn't be so rough that you're too traumatized to enjoy the movie any longer.

 

KW: Gil Cretney doesn't have a question, but he just wants to say thanks for not filming the movie in 3-D.

QT: [LOL] You're welcome, Gil!

 

KW: Irene Smalls: Why this film? Why now, in the Obama era?

QT: [Chuckles] I would've written this story if Obama were president or if he never existed. For one, I think it's time to tell a story that deals with this subject America has avoided for so long. Most countries have been forced to deal with the atrocities of their past that still affect them to this day. But America has been pretty slippery in the way that it has avoided looking slavery in the eye. I believe that's a problem. We should be talking about it to get past it and to get over it. Not only that, frankly, this is an American story that needs to be told, when you think of slavery existing in this country for 245 years. In slave narratives there were all types of tales and drama and heroism and pain and love that happened during that time. That's rich material for drama! Everyone complains that there are no new stories left to tell. Not true, there are a whole bunch of them, and they're all American with a capital A.

 

KW: Why do you think you're the first director to confront slavery in such a frank fashion?

QT: I hate to sound full of myself but maybe I just have the shoulders.

 

KW: Nick Antoine says: Westerns seem to have fallen out of favor in recent years. Even Rian Johnson's Looper, which was sort of a subtle homage to the genre, didn't enjoy as much success as I think it deserved. Why do you think Westerns are so unpopular? I think Westerns are the best!

QT: If you ask me, I'd say Westerns have been doing really well. True Grit did great, and 3:10 to Yuma did pretty well, too. I actually think there's something else going on. There was that last blast of Westerns that came out in the Seventies, those Vietnam/Watergate Westerns where everything was about demystification. And I like that about those movies. And there's another aspect about the Seventies. Blazing Saddles, as wonderful as it was, sort of hurt the Western. It made such fun of them, that you almost couldn't take them seriously from that point on. That's why only Westerns that had the stink of Watergate or Vietnam could be taken seriously. There were so few Westerns made since then, from the Eighties on, that the few directors who did were so pleased with themselves and so happy to have the opportunity that they got lost in visuals, they got lost in the vistas and the pretty scenery. Suddenly, Westerns, which were our action films and what the working man went to see to blow off steam and have a good time, became boring to most people growing up from the Eighties on, because they're kind of pastoral.

 

KW: Interesting. I never thought of them that way. Film student Jamaal Green asks: What are your three favorite Shaw Brothers films?

QT: Great question, Jamaal! My three favorite Shaw brothers films would be The Avenging Eagle directed by Chung Sun, King Boxer, AKA Five Fingers of Death, and the last would have to be one by Chang Cheh. So, I'm going to go with Five Element Ninja, AKA Chinese Super Ninjas.

 

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles: What would you say were the most essential components in a script you consider working on?

QT: That's kind of a tough question. Well, maybe not. The dialogue. But the dialogue and the characters would be wrapped up in each other, because if I'm doing my job right, then I'm not writing the dialogue; the characters are saying the dialogue, and I'm just jotting it down. So, it's all about me getting into the heads of the characters. I prop them up a little bit, and then they take over from there.

 

KW: Since you're also the director, do you ever have trouble adapting your vision to the screen?

QT: Sometimes. But usually the process is that it gets better, because when I'm writing in my bedroom, in a bar, at my kitchen table or wherever, I'm conjuring it all up on the page. That's all well and good, but it is going to be a limited perspective at that point and time. Occasionally, what I write might read really well initially, but then you change your mind while hunting for locations when you discover settings which offer even better opportunities for drama or dramatic staging.

 

KW: Keith Kremer asks: How do you feel about the end of the year award season? Is it too much? Are you honored when recognized or do you not even care?

QT: [Laughs] For some reason, everyone thinks I'm always too cool for school when it comes to competing for trophies. But I worked extremely hard on this movie all year long, so it's really nice to get recognized and be considered one of the best in the end. And it's nice to get invited to the parties and to be able to hobnob and celebrate a job well done with your colleagues. However, I have it all in perspective. If the film is nominated for awards, and even if it wins them, it doesn't make the movie any better, just as if it's ignored that doesn't make the movie any worse. A lot of the movies I love didn't get nominated the years they came out. The Wild Bunch didn't win best picture in 1969, Oliver did. [Laughs]

 

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

QT: So far, I see a happy guy doing what I'm supposed to be doing. So far, so good.

 

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

QT: Frankly, my earliest childhood memories are of watching Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed. I remember not liking Frankenstein then and going, "Who is this bald guy?" But I love it now.

KW: Well, thanks again for the honor, Quentin, and best of luck with the film.

QT: I always look forward to talking to you, Kam. Good talking to you.

To see a trailer for Django Unchained, visit

Jamie Foxx
The "Django Unchained" Interview
with Kam Williams

Academy Award-winning actor, talented Grammy Award-winning musical artist and comedian Jamie Foxx is one of Hollywood's rare, elite multi-faceted performers. He was last seen in Horrible Bosses and also recently lent his vocal talents to the popular animated adventure RIO, as a canary named 'Nico.'

Meanwhile, Jamie recently executive produced a sketch comedy series called "In the Flow with Affion Crockett" as well as "Thunder Soul," a documentary chronicling the achievements of Houston's Kashmere High School Stage Band.

In addition to his outstanding work in film, Foxx has enjoyed a thriving career in music. In December 2010, he released his fourth album, "Best Night of My Life," featuring Drake, Justin Timberlake, Rick Ross, T.I., and other artists. In January 2010, Foxx and T-Pain's record breaking #1 song "Blame It" off of his previous album, "Intuition," won "Best R&B performance by a duo/group with vocals" at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.

In 2010, Foxx delivered a hilarious cameo appearance in "Due Date," and appeared in the hit romantic comedy "Valentine's Day." The year before, he starred opposite Gerard Butler in Overture Films' dramatic thriller Law Abiding Citizen.

Jamie demonstrated his affinity and respect for fictional portrayals with The Soloist in which he played Nathaniel Anthony Ayer, a real-life musical prodigy who developed schizophrenia and dropped out of Julliard, becoming a homeless musician who wonders the streets of Los Angeles. Prior to that, he played the leader of a counter-terrorist team in The Kingdom.

In December 2006, Foxx was seen in the critically acclaimed screen adaptation of the Broadway musical, Dreamgirls. That came on the heels of his Best Actor Academy Award-winning performance as the legendary Ray Charles in Ray.

His big-screen break came back in 1999 when Oliver Stone cast him as star quarterback Willie Beamen in Any Given Sunday. The versatile thespian's additional film credits include Ali, Miami Vice, Jarhead, Stealth, Bait, Booty Call, The Truth about Cats and Dogs, The Great White Hype, and an Oscar-nominated supporting role in Collateral.

Jamie first rose to fame as a comedian, from which he initiated a potent career trajectory of ambitious projects. After spending time on the comedy circuit, he joined Keenan Ivory Wayans, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans and Tommy Davidson in the landmark Fox sketch comedy series, "In Living Color," creating some of the show's funniest and most memorable moments. In 1996, he launched his own series, "The Jamie Foxx Show," on the WB Network.

Here, he talks about playing the title role of slave-turned-bounty hunter Django opposite Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington and Leonardo DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained.

Kam Williams: Hi Jamie, thanks so much for the time. I'm honored to have another opportunity to interview you.

Jamie Foxx: [Playfully clears his throat, before answering in a very refined tone] Why thank you. [Chuckles. Then, speaks in his normal voice] What's happening with it, Kam?

 

KW: I suppose I should start by asking if you'd like to comment on the recent shootings in Connecticut?

JF: I got two daughters, man, and all I want people to do is to mourn the loss of these precious kids and their teachers and to pray that their families heal.

 

KW: What interested you in Django Unchained?

JF: Quentin Tarantino... Leonardo DiCaprio... Samuel L. Jackson... Christoph Waltz... Kerry Washington... Oh, man! It was like an all-star team. What's funny is that I didn't know anything about Django, and I was hearing all this buzz and then I saw online how the biggest actor in the world, Will Smith, was going to work with Quentin Tarantino. And I was like, "Damn! There's another project I didn't know nothing about." But luckily, I somehow got a chance to meet Quentin and read the script which I thought was brilliant. Next thing you know, I was in a room talking with him about trying to make it happen.

 

KW: Did you have any reservations?

JF: I didn't have a knee-jerk reaction like some people did to the language and the violence. My stepfather was a history teacher at Lincoln High School in Dallas. So, I was already familiar with the N-word and the brutality of slavery. What I was drawn to was the love story between Django and Broomhilda and how he defends and gets the girl in the end. I thought it was just an amazing and courageous project.

 

KW: Children's book author Irene Smalls says: In this film you turn the docile stupid black man myth on its head. You also portray the enduring love of a black man for his woman.

JF: Most definitely! When you see the slave who's been chained and whipped with no way out, and he finally catches up to this, some people call that revenge. But I say, "No, it's righting a wrong at that time." You've been wronged for so long, and here's your karma personified, standing in this funny blue suit. And on the end of that suit is your maker. You've never seen that in a movie before, at least not when it comes to slavery. Ordinarily, when the slave gets a chance to hold the whip or the gun, they start singing a hymn or doing the speech about "If I do this, I'll be as bad as you." We come out with a mix-tape, and that's it. But with Quentin Tarantino, it's just like a regular Western. The bad guy has to pay, and the good guy gets his woman.

 

KW: Have you seen the film with a black audience? Were people talking back at the screen?

JF: Yeah, they were yelling like crazy.

 

KW: Irene also says: In both your stage name and your career choices you've paid homage to great black artists who have come before you. Is this film another acknowledgement of that legacy?

JF: Absolutely! I know this might sound strange, but some of the people I actually studied for this film were a little more contemporary. Of course, I started with the original film Django and Clint Eastwood's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but I also watched Wesley Snipes in New Jack City, and Denzel Washington in Glory and A Soldier's Story. Those performances moved me in a way that I cannot explain. So, you're seeing me tip my hat to those guys in this film.

 

KW: Film student Jamaal Green says: Jamie, you are such a talent in so many areas, it seems like there isn't anything you can't do. Is there any chance that directing will be something you may try next?

JF: We're doing a directing thing with Canon and Ron Howard, a special where we have people send in pictures. I would also like to direct some comedies with people like Chris Tucker, Kevin Hart and Mike Epps, and go to work with them on some fun stuff.

 

KW: Nick Antoine was wondering whether you're ever going to get around to doing Skank Robbers, that long-rumored film based on the characters Wanda and Sheneneh that you and Martin Lawrence played on In Living Color?

JF: No, that's not going to happen.

 

KW: This question is from your co-star Kerry Washington: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

JF: Wow! If I were an animal, I would be an eagle.

 

KW: The Melissa Harris-Perry question: How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?

JF: Guys don't adapt as well as women do to getting their heart broken for the first time. It's tragic. I really wanted to be in love, get married, have kids and buy a wood-paneled station wagon for the family. But it didn't work out, and, boy, it wrecked it!

 

KW: Would you mind coming up with a Jamie Foxx question I could ask other celebrities when I interview them?

JF: Hmm... [Thinks] 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?

 

KW: Great question! Thanks! Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: You have so much fun singing. What would be your dream band, if you could select the members from any group?

JF: My dream band? Jesus Christ! I would start with Prince, and then Questlove and Buddy Rich on the drums, Rick James on the bass, and Herbie Hancock on the piano. The horn section would be Miles Davis on lead trumpet, with Wynton and Branford Marsalis. I'd have Santana on lead guitar and Sheila E. doing percussion. My hype man would be Jerome [Benton] from The Time, and my singing group would be New Edition. There it is!

KW: Great band! Thanks again for the time, Jamie, and best of luck with the film.

JF: Thanks, Kam.

To see a trailer for Django Unchained, visit:

Peter Ramsey
The "Rise of the Guardians" Interview
with Kam Williams

The Rise of Ramsey!

Rise of the Guardians is Peter Ramsey's first feature film after directing the hit DreamWorks Animation Halloween special, "Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space." This project followed the feature film, "Monsters vs. Aliens" on which Ramsey served as Head of Story. While at DreamWorks Animation, Ramsey also served as a story artist on "Shrek the Third," and as a story board artist on "Shark Tale."

Before joining DreamWorks Animation in 2004, Ramsey's talent as a storyboard artist was on display while working on a notable number of live action feature films, including "Adaptation," "Minority Report," "A.I. Artificial Intelligence," "Cast Away", "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "Fight Club," "Godzilla," "Men in Black," "Independence Day," "Batman Forever," "Far and Away," "Backdraft," and "Predator 2" amongst others.

Ramsey's directing skills were also honed early, as he served as Second Unit Director on live action feature films including "Godzilla," "Tank Girl," "Higher Learning," and "Poetic Justice." A lifelong resident of Los Angeles, California, Peter grew-up in Crenshaw, and graduated from Palisades High School before attending UCLA.

Here, he talks about his life and career, and about being the first African-American to direct a full-length, animated feature.

Kam Williams: Hi Peter, thanks for the interview. I'm honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.

Peter Ramsey: Oh, the pleasure's all mine, Kam. The pleasure's all mine.

 

KW: I really enjoyed Rise of the Guardians. Let me start by asking you what it meant to make history as the first African-American hired by a big studio to direct a full-length, animated feature?

PR: I thought about it a little bit when I first got the job, but then rapidly got lost in the work. It wasn't until later, when my mom and dad read that fact about me in the newspaper, and I saw how it affected them, that it came back to me. Since I talk to a lot of groups at schools, one good thing is that kids can look at me and have direct knowledge of someone who's doing something they might be dreaming of doing themselves.

Read the rest of this story »

Bob Zemeckis
The "Flight" Interview with Kam Williams

Born in Chicago on May 14, 1951, Bob Zemeckis won an Academy Award for Best Director for the hugely successful "Forrest Gump." The film's numerous honors also included Oscars for Best Actor (Tom Hanks) and Best Picture. The Library of Congress recently selected the film to join the esteemed National Film Registry.

Zemeckis re-teamed with Hanks on the contemporary drama "Cast Away," the filming of which was split into two sections, book-ending production on What Lies Beneath. Earlier in his career, Zemeckis co-wrote and directed "Back to the Future," which was the top-grossing release of 1985, and for which Zemeckis landed an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

He then went on to helm "Back to the Future, Part II and Part III," completing one of the most successful film trilogies ever. In addition, he directed and produced "Contact," starring Jodie Foster, based on the best-selling novel by Carl Sagan; and the macabre comedy hit "Death Becomes Her," starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Bruce Willis.

He also wrote and directed the box office smash "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?," cleverly blending live action and animation. And he directed the action-adventure hit "Romancing the Stone," pairing Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner.

In March 2001, the USC School of Cinema-Television celebrated the opening of the Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts. This state-of-the-art facility is the country's first fully-digital training center, and houses the latest in non-linear production and post-production equipment as well as stages, a 50-seat screening room and a USC student-run television station, Trojan Vision.

Here, he talks about his latest film, Flight, a combination special f/x and legal thriller starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, John Goodman and Melissa Leo.

 

Kam Williams: Hi Bob, thanks so much for the interview.

Bob Zemeckis: You bet.

 

KW: I'm honored to have this opportunity to speak with you. I loved the film and found it fascinating. I told my readers I'd be speaking with you, so I'll be mixing my questions in with theirs. What interested you in making Flight?

BZ: I thought it was a wonderful, beautifully-written screenplay with some really interesting, complex characters, including Denzel's, obviously. I found it to be very bold and very courageous.

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Daniel Craig
The "Skyfall" Interview with Kam Williams

Born in Chester, England on March 2, 1968, and raised on the Wirral Peninsula outside Liverpool, Daniel Craig has gone from waiting tables as a struggling actor to playing the legendary James Bond. In between, the versatile thespian has tackled a variety of roles, which is reflected in a resume which includes outings in Elizabeth, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Road to Perdition, The Mother, Sylvia, Layer Cake, Fateless, Munich and Infamous prior to his 2006 debut as 007 in Casino Royale.

Since then, the Brit beefcake has also appeared in The Invasion, Defiance, Cowboys & Aliens, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and another Bond flick, The Quantum of Solace. Here, Daniel talks about his third go-round as the secret agent with the proverbial "License to Kill" in Skyfall, a riveting adventure which establishes him as the best 007 since the standard was set by Sean Connery back in the Sixties.

 

Kam Williams: Hey, Daniel. Is that you? I'm surprised, because most celebrities have their publicist place the call and then put them on the line.

Daniel Craig: I can dial the phone myself. Amazing! [Chuckles]

 

KW: We'll, thanks for the interview. I loved Skyfall. How did you enjoy making it?

DC: Immensely! Immensely! It's been the culmination of a lot of effort by many different people. We've been very busy prepping over the entire, four-year hiatus. I won't lie, it was very hard work and sometimes very intense, but with a cast this good and a crew that's just out of this world, it added up to a great, great experience.

 

KW: I told my readers I'd be interviewing you, and they sent in a lot of questions. Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: How is Skyfall different from all the other Bond movies?

DC: I suppose the only way I could say it's different is that it's a modern take. But we've been very careful that, throughout the film, you never forget that you're watching a James Bond movie since that, of course, is what people come to see. And we want you to make all the sort of nods to the past, and to make sure that we not only reintroduce characters that everybody knows by now but also introduce some new ones as well. We had a great story with a unique plot.

 

KW: Children's book author Irene Smalls asks: Do you feel at all intimidated as the face of such an enduring and beloved film franchise?

DC: Well, I don't know about feeling intimidated. But there is a little pressure in the back of your mind when you've been afforded a chance to make a movie of this stature. But it's a good pressure. It spurs people on. I know that Sam [director Sam Mendes] and I were in total agreement that we just wanted to make the best Bond we could, not only because of the 50 year anniversary, but because you don't have a chance to make one very often. So, we had better make a good one.

 

KW: Film student Jamaal Green asks: How did you prepare yourself physically and mentally to play 007 this time around?

DC: I just hit the gym for the physical side of it. I'm training about six months before we start shooting. Three months out I kind of up the rate, and try to get as fit as I can. The mental preparation involves long, long, long discussions with the writers and the directors to make sure we're all on the same page.

 

KW: Larry Greenberg asks: What is the coolest gadget we will get to see you use in the film?

DC: I can't tell you that, Larry. [Chuckles, then pauses to think] The DB5! [The Aston Martin first driven by 007 in Goldfinger] It's still there and it's still one of the best gadgets there ever was.

 

KW: Director Kevin Williams asks: What did you bring to your interpretation of James Bond to make the role your own?

DC: I don't know, just my knowledge of the way I like to act. I've always felt that I could never be as good as the guys who've gone before, or even like them in any way, shape or form, so I have to kind of try to create something. I always had a grand plan that if I ever had the chance to make a few of these that something would emerge, and I'm really sort of pleased with how things have worked out, because it gave us an opportunity to get into Bond's head a little bit.

 

KW: Well, I think you're being extremely modest. Yes, Sean Connery may have set the standard as the originator of the role, but I think you've done a phenomenal job and eclipsed all the other Bonds while making the role your own.

DC: Thanks, Kam.

 

KW: Ilene Proctor says, Daniel. You are such a phenomenally talented actor. What has been your favorite role to date?

DC: Ooh, wow! That's a really hard question to answer. I've loved a lot of what I've done. It's a very difficult question to answer because each individual movie has a very specific memory. I'd have to put James Bond near the top for sure.

 

KW: I've enjoyed the versatility of your work which ranges from a relationship drama like Mother to the historical thriller Munich to the Holocaust drama Defiance. What a mix!

DC: Yeah, I get around.

 

KW: Laz Lyles asks: Do we discover anything new about Bond's mental make-up, motivations or fears in this film?

DC: Without giving anything away, Laz, yes we do.

 

KW: Kate Newell says: I loved your performance with the Queen in the Olympic opening ceremonies. Is she going to be your new Bond girl? Is there any chance of you two working together again?

DC: I shouldn't think so. I believe that was just a one off. [Director] Danny Boyle did such an extraordinary job with it. I was very proud to be part of the opening ceremony and it was an extraordinary opportunity for me to act with the Queen and to go to the palace.

 

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: did you play a role in picking the Bond girls? DC: Oh, no, not really, that's Sam's job, although I certainly encouraged him when I thought he was on the right track.

 

KW: Harriet also asks. Which was your favorite location to shoot on?

DC: I enjoy them all, but London was the best one this time around, because we shot at a number of places there that you don't normally get to shoot. And I think that plays very beautifully in the film.

 

KW: Eddie Von Der Schmidt asks: Have there been moments in your career where you personally doubted the likelihood of breaking through and finding success?

DC: I never really had that in mind. I got rid of my desire to make it a long time ago. I actually have just enjoyed working. I've always felt that when you're only trying to strive to be successful, and you're always worried about the grass being greener somewhere else, then you've failed. I've simply enjoyed the experience of working with people more than anything else, and that's where I've put all my energy. Of course, I had a desire to be successful, too, but when I first started acting, all I wanted to do was pay the rent. I counted achieving that as the biggest success.

 

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

DC: God, no! [LOL]

 

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

DC: Spaghetti vongole. It's spaghetti with clams in a white wine sauce.

 

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

DC: Me, I see me.

 

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

DC: To banish hate. That's a bit of a Miss World beauty pageant question, but I really do wish people would stop hating each other.

 

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

DC: Playing in my backyard. At about the age of 3, I would imagine.

 

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

DC: The people I admire are the ones who allow the people around them to do their job. The most successful people I've met in my life are the ones who've had the ability to encourage and get the best out of people.

 

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What is your favorite charity?

DC: I have several: Dr. Bernardo's children's charity... a friend of mine runs a charity called Safe Africa, which is dedicated to the eradication of disease and poverty in Africa... another is the RNLI, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which I try to help out as much as I can... and a few others. But you know what? It may be a cultural thing, but I kind of keep my charity work private, maybe because I'm English. I think it's a private matter. That's the way I grew up.

 

KW: Thanks again for the time, Daniel. It's been an honor.

DC: Nice to talk to you, Kam. Bye!

 

To see a trailer for Skyfall, visit

Neal Shapiro

The "WNET/THIRTEEN 50th Anniversary" Interview
with Kam Williams

Big Bird's Boss Shares His Vision for PBS

Neal Shapiro is President and CEO of New York City's WNET, America's flagship public media outlet, bringing quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. The parent company of public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, WNET produces such acclaimed PBS series as Great Performances, American Masters, Nature, Need to Know, Charlie Rose, and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online.

Shapiro is an award-winning producer and media executive with a 25-year career spanning print, broadcast, cable and online. At the helm of WNET, Shapiro has revitalized programming, nearly doubled arts and culture programming, placed a new emphasis on local programming and community engagement, set new fundraising records and inaugurated a new, state-of-the-art studio at Lincoln Center.

In addition to WNET's signature national series, Shapiro has overseen the launch of a number of innovative local programs (including American Graduate, MetroFocus, NYC-Arts, Need To Know and Women, War & Peace) which make the most of New York City's rich resources and vibrant community.

Before joining WNET in 2007, Shapiro was President of NBC News, leading its top-rated news programs, including Today, NBC Nightly News and Meet the Press, as well as Dateline NBC. Shapiro was executive producer of Dateline NBC when it was a mainstay of NBC's schedule. And in his 13 years at ABC News, he was a writer and producer for PrimeTime Live and World News Tonight.

Mr. Shapiro has won numerous awards, including 32 Emmys, 31 Edward R. Murrow Awards and 3 Columbia DuPont awards. He serves on the Boards of Tufts University, Gannett Company, the Investigative News Network and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Neal lives in New York City with his wife, ABC News Correspondent Juju Chang, and their three sons.

 

Kam Williams: Hi Neal, thanks for the interview.

Neal Shapiro: My pleasure, Kam.

 

KW: I feel like I already know you from watching you introduce movies every Saturday night.

NS: [Chuckles] I have to admit that of all the things I do that's actually the most fun.

 

KW: What is your favorite genre of film?

NS: Film noir. I'm especially a big fan of Humphrey Bogart.

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Ann Coulter

The "Mugged" Interview with Kam Williams

Beware the Coultergeist!

Born in New York City on December 9, 1961, arch-conservative Ann Coulter is the author of eight New York Times bestsellers and of a nationally-syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate. She also serves as the legal correspondent for Human Events and is a frequent guest on such TV shows as The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Sean Hannity, The O'Reilly Factor, The Glen Beck Show and HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher.

The ever-controversial, flame-throwing firebrand has been on the cover of Time Magazine and profiled in publications like TV Guide, the Guardian, the New York Observer, National Journal, Harper's Bazaar, and Elle Magazine, too. In 2001, she was named one of the top 100 Public Intellectuals by federal judge Richard Posner.

A Connecticut native, Coulter graduated with honors from Cornell University and received her J.D. from University of Michigan Law School, where she was an editor of The Michigan Law Review. Here, she talks about her ninth book, Mugged: Racial Demagoguery from the Seventies to Obama.

 

Kam Williams: Hi Ann, thanks for the interview.

Ann Coulter: Thank you, Kam.

 

KW: I'm a fellow Cornellian, but I went there a decade ahead of you.

AC: Wow! It was such a beautiful campus. But were you there during all the turmoil?

 

KW: No, I arrived the year after the famous, black student takeover with guns that made national news. But while I was there, we did have plenty of strikes, takeovers and demonstrations about everything from Apartheid to the War in Vietnam. There was so much chaos on campus it seemed like finals were cancelled every spring semester.

AC: Didn't you people ever learn anything? [Laughs]

 

KW: Rather than reminisce, let me get right to the questions, since my readers sent in more than I could ever get to. Troy Johnson was upset by a quote from your book where you counter Michael Moore's Stupid White Men by asking: "Shall we compare SAT scores, cultural contributions and inventions?" Troy wonders whether you're aware of all the cultural contributions that can be traced back to Africa, including Christianity? And are you aware that blacks tend to outperform whites from similar socioeconomic backgrounds on standardized tests?

AC: Yes, in fact, in an early chapter of Mugged, I rely heavily on Thomas Sowell's magnificent book, Black Rednecks, White Liberals. He points out that blacks in the North perform better, academically, than whites in the South where they did not have much of an emphasis on learning. But please note that I'm not the one making that argument in that section about Michael Moore. And by the way, I'm not a man. White men have done a lot. It's silly to write a book titled, Stupid White Men.

 

KW: Filmmaker Kevin Williams, director of Fear of a Black Republican asks: Why do you think the Republican Party doesn't reach out more to African-Americans on its own terms today? Have you seen the documentary?

AC: No, but I've heard of it.

 

KW: It's excellent. You figure prominently in it. So does Michael Steele. Kevin says he'd like to get you a copy.

AC: Oh, I would love that, and I love Michael Steele.

 

KW: Kevin's basic thesis is that the Republican Party is hurting itself by failing to court the black vote.

AC: Oh, I don't believe that's true at all. Republicans have reached out so much to black Republicans because it's part of our tradition. Blacks have been in this nation longer than most other Americans with the possible exception of WASPs. The first blacks in Congress and the first black Governor were all Republicans. It was Republicans who fought the Civil War over slavery and who introduced the Civil Rights legislation over the next hundred years. So, suggestions to the contrary drive Republicans like me crazy.

 

KW: Marcia Evans says she agrees with your recent comment that the U.S. is only indebted to African-Americans. What prompted that statement?

AC: I was being a little cross with a right-wing black friend for throwing in the Hispanics and the Asians into a Jesse Jackson-type Rainbow Coalition. No! No! Blacks have a special history, since they were enslaved and were here as early as the first Americans. I hate to sound like a liberal but these are facts. That makes blacks a special group and I really don't appreciate all these hangers on coming along. Yes, of course, black Americans are a special group, and I'm disappointed that they're not Republicans, given our traditions. We're not getting much love in return, despite our efforts.

 

KW: Why do you think that's the case?

AC: Part of the reason is that it's really hard to be a black Republican. I see what they go through. It's a good little trick the entire mainstream media has pulled by describing Republicans as "Racist! Racist! Racist!" and then turning around and laughing at us for not having more blacks in our party. That's why I hope a lot of black people will read my book because I think it will change minds.

 

KW: One discussion I found interesting in Mugged was where you point out that Strom Thurmond was the only segregationist U.S. Senator to change his affiliation from Democratic to Republican. I would've guessed that there had been a wholesale flight of Southern conservatives to the Republican Party.

AC: Thurmond's the only segregationist anyone can name. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party had former Klansmen, members of a terrorist group that was lynching and murdering black people. That was an outgrowth of the Democratic Party. FDR put a Klansman [Hugo Black] on the Supreme Court, and Democrat in good standing Bob Byrd [U.S. Senator Robert Byrd] was a recruiter for the Klan.

 

KW: Nonetheless, I still have the sense that most of the Southerners who would've been segregationists in the Fifties and Sixties are now in the Republican camp.

AC: No, that's only because liberals say this over and over and over again to hide the actual history, which is why I go through the specifics on the big segregationists in the United States Senate, the ones who signed the Southern Manifesto and the ones who voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act. There's a panoply of issues to consider. These were aggressively-liberal Democrats who loooooooved big government when it came to The New Deal and Great Society programs. The first time they objected to the Federal government doing something was when it came to civil rights legislation. This is in stark contrast to the very few Republicans who voted against the '64 Civil Rights Act.

 

KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles asks: What do you hope will be people's reaction to being "Mugged" by you?

AC: [LOL] I like that! Two reactions. The main point is: don't make the mistake, America, of voting for Barack Obama who, by the way, does not come out of the American black experience and everything white Americans feel guilty about. He's a Hawaiian born in 1961. Weirdly enough, the best thing that ever happened to black people in the last twenty or thirty years was the O.J. verdict because it shut down the white guilt bank. And white guilt has never led to anything good. It's brought us spiraling crime rates, mostly with black victims, and a permanent underclass living in public housing projects. For years, liberals cried that "law and order" and "welfare reform" were racist code words. Yet, when Republicans were finally able to push through tough policies on crime and welfare which they'd supported for decades, they were magnificent successes for the entire country, but especially for black people. Release us, and great things will happen!

 

KW: Yale grad Tommy Russell asks: Are you familiar with Dr. Nina Jablonski and her important work that helps debunk the myth of race? Do you feel it's important to get past the notion of race as something that separates us, and use our understanding of its at times painful history to move forward as a country, civilization and world?

AC: I have not heard of her work, and I have not thought about the issue in those terms, but I would say "Yes!" based on the way it was phrased in the question.

 

KW: Tommy also asks: As a former smoker, do you feel a special kinship with President Obama?

AC: [LOL] Yes, though I think he's a little more uptight than most smokers. We're usually pretty relaxed.

 

KW: Why do you make the point in the book that he might have slave trader ancestors?

AC: Because of all our presidents, Obama is the one most likely to be descended from a slave trader, since Kenya had a major slave-trading port, and the Muslims were heavily involved in the slave trade. Right before The Civil War, only 8% of white people owned slaves. Some plantations would have hundreds and hundreds of slaves, but the vast majority of whites didn't have any.

 

KW: Larry Greenberg says: When Alan Ball launched the HBO-series True Blood with his pilot "Strange Love" episode, he mentioned right in the script that he wanted the conservative commentator on the show to be as much like Ann Coulter as possible. How did you feel about that and about how you are portrayed, vis-a-vis vampires coming out of the coffin?

AC: I had no idea. I'm not familiar with show. As soon as the subject moves to TV shows and movies, I'm a total failure. And I‘d been paying for all those premium channels for years, but recently cancelled them, since I never watched any of those networks. Now, I may have to get them back. As far as True Blood, I haven't seen my portrayals, but I could guess that I probably wouldn't like ‘em.

 

KW: Richie the intern asks: What did you think of how the cartoon The Boondocks depicted you?

AC: I've at least heard of The Boondocks. But again, I have no idea how that was done. I wouldn't know all that I do about history, if I spent my time watching cartoons and other TV shows. [Chuckles]

 

KW: Richie was also wondering what Christian denomination you are affiliated with.

AC: I don't really talk about it much, but I'm a Presbyterian.

 

KW: Ilene Proctor says: Beware the Coultergeist! She asks: Why did you recently say that civil rights should only be limited to African-Americans?

AC: Because, historically, that's what civil rights were. The Democrats pretended to care about black people for about five minutes to help their electoral process, and then civil rights suddenly became abortion on demand, gay marriage, rights for the homeless, etcetera. Frankly, I'd be a little ticked off if I were black that, after the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow, everybody else wants to get to the head of the parade. Well, no! Listen, I like white women. I am a white woman. But we didn't go through slavery and Jim Crow. Knock it off with this stuff!

 

KW: What inspired you to write this book?

AC: I was morose that the Era of Obama has returned us to a period where everything is racist, everyone is walking on eggshells, and you get the moral preening from white liberals who don't actually even know any black people. But, oh, do they love to get on their high horses and accuse Republicans of being racist for opposing very liberal government policies and a very liberal Democratic president. It's an extension of the civil rights label being slapped on gay marriage and abortion. Allow me to be bi-partisan for a moment, and love this moment because it won't last long. In my last chapter, among the public officials I mention who I think are spectacular and unaided by white guilt is the Democratic Mayor Cory Booker of Newark. He was Mau-Maued for not being black enough. He's been like Giuliani in Newark. He's got to become a Republican.

 

KW: Kate Newell asks: Would you consider debating Stephen Colbert ala the upcoming face-off between John Stewart and Bill O'Reilly? What do you think of the use of satire in getting your views across?

AC: Obviously, I'm a fan of satire. I'd debate anyone, but it would have to be the actual person. That would be my only hesitation about debating Colbert. If he were playing a character, it wouldn't really work. But I'd pretty much debate anybody. I prefer to debate smart liberals. I'm not saying this about Stephen Colbert but, unfortunately, the most famous liberals generally aren't the smartest ones. I have a list of the smarter liberals I recommend.

 

KW: Fellow attorney, fellow Cornellian and, in his opinion, fellow fiction writer Peter Brav says: Where do I start? I worked really hard to come up with a question for you, telling myself that your act is just an act, that you might actually help my wheelchair-bound mother across the street and not push her into traffic to help reduce the Medicare deficit, because I don't want to risk Kam's not making it onto your website's short list of seven "Interviewers Who Are Allowed to Interview Ann Again." But I just couldn't.

AC: [LOL] Read the book, Peter! You'll come up with a lot of questions. I don't know why liberals find it comforting to say this is an act. If you like saying that, okay. But it's an act that apparently you can't respond to, and an act that is intellectual and well thought out enough that you don't have a response to, otherwise you would.

 

KW: Peter's wife, Professor Janet Brav says: Since things are not going as well as you might have hoped for Mitt Romney, with the benefit of hindsight, whom would you have preferred to head the Republican ticket this year?

AC: No, it's still Romney. And I don't think things are going that badly. I believe the media's lying. I think it's part of their attempted suppression of the Republican vote to discourage them by announcing that the campaign is over.

 

KW: Marcia Evans also asks: What has been your personal relationship with blacks that qualifies you to write this book about blacks?

AC: Well, Marcia, this is why you should read the book. It is not about black people. It is about white liberals using race and lying about race to wreck the country. By the way, there are many black heroes in this book that you've never heard of before, and it drives me crazy that there aren't any movies made about them.

 

KW: Marcia asks: How do you feel about reparations?

AC: I'm against reparations. At this point, blacks should just be handing money to themselves. But I am an enthusiastic supporter of Professor Henry Louis Gates‘ project to get black people admitted to the Daughters of the American Revolution, of which I am a member. He's done some amazing things with DNA testing and tracing ancestry.

 

KW: Marcia asks: How do you feel about Bob Dylan's recent statement that "America was founded on the backs of slaves" and that the country would be much further along if slavery had been ended peacefully.

AC: That's an interesting point. I was unaware that he'd said that. I'm not sure I disagree with his statement but, unfortunately, it wasn't going to end peacefully. It wasn't going to happen. You could not get Democrats to stop holding slaves, and America had waited long enough. It was right there in The Declaration of Independence that the slaves would be freed. My favorite Founding Fathers, Christians like John Adams, were absolutely appalled by slavery, and did not own slaves. I think we're going to have to call on God's grace not only for slavery, but for what we're doing now with abortions.

 

KW: You dedicated your book to "the freest black man in America."

AC: Yes!

 

KW: Who is it?

AC: It's a Cracker Jack surprise to trick everybody into reading my book.

 

KW: Let me guess. Is it comedian Jimmy ".J'J." Walker? Many of my readers mentioned rumors about the two of you being romantically linked.

AC: [LOL] Jimmy started that rumor. The little sneak.

 

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

AC: Probably, although we got to a lot of good ones on this book.

 

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

AC: I'm a little afraid right now, but I think I'll be calm by November 7th.

 

KW: Can you give me a good question I could call the Ann Coulter question when I interview other celebrities?

AC: Oh, that's a good question. The only question I'd be interested in is what books they've read recently, which is part of my campaign to promote reading.

 

KW: It's already the bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

AC: Mugged.

 

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

AC: If I've just had my makeup done for Fox, I see the hottest chick. [LOL]

 

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

AC: Mitt Romney as president, or for lots of people to read my book. One of the two.

 

KW: What is it like to be such a controversial figure? There are so many things you've said that have touched a nerve, like when you said Jews needed to be corrected.

AC: "Perfected." You, as a fellow Cornell grad and a fellow Christian, which is another part of your tradition, should know that "perfected" means "completed." The Old Testament calls for a Messiah. You turn the page to the New Testament, and there He is. There was nothing insulting about it. And who really cares? It was just Donny Deutsch who wanted press for his TV show. He screamed anti-Semitism, and I was going on vacation and didn't really feel the need to respond to point out how the English language works. And boy they say Jews are smart.

 

KW: But that's not the only statement that's landed you in hot water.

AC: Usually, they're my greatest hits and they make me happy. I give a lot of college speeches, and usually the Young Spartacus League or the Democrats will put up posters on campus with all the quotes they consider outrageous. But I think they're my best quotes. [LOL]

 

KW: Well, thanks for the time, Ann. I hope I get added to that short list of reporters you'll interview with again.

AC: Yes, I think you will, Kam. This has been a fun interview.

 

To order a copy of Mugged, visit

Viola Davis

The "Won't Back Down" Interview

with Kam Williams

Voila! It's Viola!

Viola Davis was born on August 11, 1965 on her grandmother's farm in St. Matthews, South Carolina, but raised by her parents in Central Falls, Rhode Island. After earning a degree in theater from Rhode Island College in 1988, she went on to do post-graduate work at the prestigious Juilliard School prior to embarking on a critically-acclaimed professional career.

Ms. Davis made a memorable mark on Broadway, winning Tonys for stellar performances as Tonya in King Hedley II and as Rose in the revival of Fences. She's also been nominated twice for an Academy Award, for her powerful portrayal of stoic Aibileen in The Help and for her equally-sterling interpretation of Mrs. Miller in Doubt.

Viola's other noteworthy screen credits include impressive outings in Traffic, Nights in Rodanthe, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Eat Pray Love, Madea Goes to Jail, Antwone Fisher, World Trade Center, Trust, Knight & Day, Get Rich or Die Tryin' and State of Play. And her upcoming films include Enders Game with Harrison Ford, Beautiful Creatures with Emma Thompson and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby with Jessica Chastain.

Here, she talks about her new film, Won't Back Down, a female empowerment saga, where she plays Nona Alberts, a jaded teacher who joins forces with a frustrated single-mom (Maggie Gyllenhaal) to turn around an underperforming public school.

 

Kam Williams: Hi Viola, thanks for the interview.

Viola Davis: Thank you, Kam.

 

KW: Music teacher Steve Kramer asks: What interested you in Won't Back Down?

VD: My interests in the film were two-fold: the backdrop of education and also the human story within it about a woman who, when she was in her twenties, had all these high ideals and hopes of taking the world by storm as a great teacher and also as a great mother. But all of that was just blown to bits, and we find her at a low point where she's totally disillusioned. For me, the movie is about her story of coming back to life again. And that journey is a very human one. It intrigued me, and I saw it as a very interesting challenge as an actor.

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Selena Gomez
The "Hotel Transylvania" Interview with Kam Williams

Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania!

Born on July 22, 1992 in Grand Prairie, Texas, Selena Gomez got an early start in show business as Gianna on "Barney & Friends." She made her screen debut soon thereafter in "Spy Kids 3-D," and subsequently appeared on such TV shows as "Walker, Texas Ranger," "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody," "Hannah Montana" and "The Suite Life on Deck," before skyrocketing to fame starring as Alex on the Disney Channel's Emmy-winning sitcom, "Wizards of Waverly Place."

In 2008, the versatile entertainer embarked on her musical career when she recorded several songs for the soundtrack of her Disney film, "Another Cinderella Story." She has since had many hit tunes, including duets with Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, as well as with her own group, Selena Gomez and The Scene.

In 2009, Selena became the youngest UNICEF Goodwill ambassador in history at 17. The following year, she launched her very own fashion line, the Dream Out Loud Collection.

In terms of her private life, Selena has long been romantically-linked to pop idol Justin Bieber, and the couple was recently rumored to be building a love nest together in the San Fernando Valley. Here, she talks about her new movie, Hotel Transylvania, an animated adventure where she plays Dracula's daughter Mavis who, over her father's objections, falls in love with a mere mortal.

 

Kam Williams: Hi Selena, thanks for another interview.

Selena Gomez: Of course, Kam thank you.

 

KW: I really appreciate that last time you were gracious enough to take a photo afterwards with my intern, Richie. Thanks.

SG: Thank Richie for asking. That was so sweet.

 

KW: Editor/legist Patricia Turnier asks: What interested you in Hotel Transylvania?

SG: It had a really good script, it's really funny, and has an amazing cast, so it was kind of a no brainer.

 

KW: How would you describe the movie?

SG: I think it's a really cute father-daughter film that kinda touches on growing up, and on experiencing your daughter wanting to have independence. It's a really sweet story that daughters and dads can relate to.

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt

The "Looper" Interview with Kam Williams

In the Loop!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt was born on February 17, 1981 in Los Angeles where he began acting at the age of 4 when he played the Scarecrow in a community theater production of The Wizard of Oz. He subsequently grew up in front of the camera, appearing in television commercials for Pop Tarts and Cocoa Puffs and on such shows as Family Ties, Murder She Wrote, L.A. Law, Roseanne and Dark Shadows.

Joseph first enjoyed widespread fame on TV playing Tommy Solomon on 3rd Rock from the Sun which led to his breakout role on the big screen in 10 Things I Hate about You. He has since blossomed from a teen heartthrob into a truly talented thespian with both big box-office and art house appeal.

That versatility is reflected in a resume with acting credits ranging from sleepers such as 500 Days of Summer, The Lookout, Brick and Uncertainty to bona fide blockbusters like The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Premium Rush and Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, which is set to be released in November.

Here, Joseph talks about Looper, a mind-bending sci-fi thriller where he and Bruce Willis play the same character. The story revolves around a hit man who has no problem traveling 30 years into the future to murder for the mob until the day he is ordered to assassinate his future self.

 

Kam Williams: Hi Joseph, I'm honored to have this opportunity to interview you. I think of you as the best actor never to have been nominated for an Oscar.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: Thanks, Kam. That's very kind of you.

KW: I love a lot of your artsy films that many people might have missed. Movies like 500 Days of Summer, Uncertainty and The Lookout.

JGL: Why, thank you!

KW: What interested you in doing Looper?

JGL: First of all, having a chance to work with Rian [director Rian Johnson] again. He's a dear friend of mine. We've known each other since making Brick [2005]. I also found the story incredibly intriguing, as well as the role.

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Interview with Kam Williams
Carmen Sparkles

Carmen Ejogo was born in London on New Year's Day 1974 to Elizabeth Douglas and Charles Ejogo, a couple of Scottish and Nigerian extraction, respectively. She made her U.S. film debut opposite Eddie Murphy playing Veronica 'Ronnie' Tate in the 1997 comedy Metro.

Carmen then went on to star in films such as Kenneth Branagh's adaptation of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost, What's the Worst that Could Happen? opposite Martin Lawrence, Neil Jordan's The Brave One opposite Terrence Howard and Jodie Foster, Gavin O'Connor's Pride and Glory opposite Ed Norton, and in Sam Mendes' 2009 indie hit Away We Go opposite Maya Rudolph. Ejogo can next be seen starring opposite Tyler Perry in the feature I, Alex Cross, a psychological thriller based on the James Patterson novels about Washington DC detective Alex Cross.

Additionally, Ejogo garnered the attention of television critics and audiences alike for her portrayal of Sally Hemmings, the title character in the 2000 CBS miniseries Sally Hemmings: An American Scandal. Later, Ejogo starred as Coretta Scott King in HBO's critically acclaimed film Boycott opposite Jeffrey Wright and Terrence Howard. Her role earned her a 2001 NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a TV film or miniseries. In 2005, Ejogo starred in HBO's Emmy nominated Lackawanna Blues. Her role as Aalen earned her a second Image Award nomination. Ejogo will next star as FBI agent Baca Sunjata in the highly-anticipated ABC television series Zero Hour opposite Anthony Edwards.

Carmen and her husband, actor Jeffrey Wright, live in Brooklyn which is where they are raising their two children. Here's she talks about her latest role as Sister in Sparkle opposite Jordin Sparks and the late Whitney Houston.

 

Kam Williams: Hi Carmen, thanks so much for the time. I really appreciate it.

Carmen Ejogo: Thank you.

 

KW: My brother Larry is the librarian at a Friends school that I think you're very familiar with.

CE: Oh, wow! That's so cool! That's where one of my kids got their start. Small world!

 

KW: What interested you in Sparkle?

CE: You wouldn't ask that question, if you'd seen the movie, Kam. This role is to die for. It's such a great role. The highs and lows of the character's sister [Sparkle, played by Jordin Sparks] are so dramatic and nuanced and layered that you'd be a fool to turn this role down.

 

KW: Did you go back and Watch Lonette McKee's performance in the original version of Sparkle in preparing to do this role?

CE: No. No, I don't know how you make a role your own if you do that. So, watching another actress play the same character in preparation for my own performance is the last thing I would ever do, particularly with Sister, since Lonette made it so iconic that it would be a crazy idea to watch her. I think our movie pays homage to the original, but it's definitely different in numerous ways.

 

KW: What message do you think people will take away from the movie?

CE: It's essentially about not letting your light be dimmed by anybody who doesn't appreciate the dream that you're trying to pursue. It's about knowing who you are, and following your path even if you're not given support by those around you. And it's also about family.

 

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier says: I looooooved your performance in Metro. She asks: Do you enjoy being a member of Mensa and what is your IQ?

CE: [LOL] That is hilarious! Oh my God! I had no idea until recently that my being in Mensa was even on Wikipedia or somewhere else. It is true, but it's funny that it should come up as interview question.

 

KW: So, how high is your I.Q.?

CE: 156, for anyone that's interested. But I probably wouldn't be able to get as high a score after raising two kids and losing a lot of brain cells in the process.

 

KW: Patricia also says: Musicals are an amazing art form. We used to see a lot of them with people like Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and The Nicholas Brothers. They were an integral part of Hollywood and it was common to see actors sing, dance and act. But by the 1950s, the decline began and we rarely see big musicals anymore besides Chicago. How do you explain this phenomenon and what do you think it will take to reverse the trend?

CE: I'm not a film historian, so I couldn't say for sure. But my guess is that the costs involved in making musicals was pretty high, and that the taste of what was pleasing to movie audiences changed by the time you got into the Sixties and Seventies. I was a big fan of John Cassavetes, his wife, Gena Rowlands, and that era of filmmaking which was about realism and which represented the antithesis of the dreamy escapism you found in musicals. I'm guessing that musicals didn't make sense anymore because of the changes in the political environment that began in the late Sixties, an era of self-awareness and social revolutions. Musicals are finally kind of coming back to a degree now, perhaps out of a sense of nostalgia.

 

KW: Marcia Evans says: I'm a huge fan of yours. I loved your role in my favorite film, Lackawanna Blues. I was so proud that HBO showcased such an amazing story about a piece of the patchwork to our cultural history quilt. You PLAYED that role! What was it like for you to portray Alean, and to be paired opposite the gorgeous and talented Jimmie Smits?

CE: What's interesting is that that role was actually Halle Berry's. She had to pull out at the very last minute, which meant I literally had only a couple of days to prepare for that role. Honestly, it was like baptism by fire, because I was so underprepared that I had to work on instinct. I was feeding off the energy of those excellent actors while trying to find my place which made it a really exciting experience for me.

 

KW: April Hughes asks: What was it like working with Whitney Houston?

CE: Amazing! She is an icon, and she brought a passion from the heart for telling Sparkle's story that made her an inspiration to watch every day and it also made it a pleasure to perform opposite her.

 

KW: April would also like to know if you have any advice for aspiring actresses/singers?

CE: Yes, go back and watch the great performances in your business so that you can understand the heights that should be aspired to. There are many mediocre entertainers who don't aspire to much more than fame and glory. It's very easy to have them as your role models because there aren't as many greats. Go back, discover the greats, and take it from there.

 

KW: Larry Greenberg says: I read that your director, Salim Akil, worked with schizophrenics before he started working with actors. He asks: Did that make him a more patient director than others you have worked with?

CE: Oh my God! I had no idea. But that makes sense. He is literally the calmest director I've ever worked with. He was so willing to step back and let us do our work without feeling that he had to interfere and tell us what to do just for the sake of looking like a director. He had such confidence in himself. So, it wouldn't surprise me, if he's had experience outside of the business, because he has much deeper soul than that. Working with people troubled in that way could be great training for working with actors who themselves can be a little schizophrenic at times. [Laughs]

 

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

CE: Oh yeah. A lot. The great fear I've had to overcome, particularly this past year, is the fear of failure. It can be safer to stay in a comfort zone that's not stretching yourself. I tried to overcome that fear playing Sister. You have to be willing to be afraid, if you're going to be an artist.

 

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

CE: Yes. I'm happier than I've been for a very long time, for all kinds of reasons. I'm glad my kids are happy. I'm grateful that my work is going well. I'm happy that this moment in my career arrived at this age, because I'm ready for it in a way that I might not have been at 20.

 

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

CE: I don't have a lot of guilt.

 

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

CE: Darwin's Cathedral. It's about evolution and religion and it's gonna serve me well for Zero Hour, my new TV show that I start filming soon. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0226901351/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

 

KW: I see that you'll also be starring opposite Tyler Perry in Alex Cross this fall.

CE: That's right! That's coming out in October. That was fun, too!

 

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

CE: I make a really delicious eggplant and squash curry that's inspired by Vij of Vij's Restaurant, a great chef and restaurateur in Vancouver. I like to cook that dish because it's really simple but the flavor is so pungent and intense that I feel like I'm a real chef whenever I create it.

 

KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles says: You've portrayed Coretta Scott King and Sally Hemmings. She's wondering whether there's another historical figure you'd like to play in a biopic?

CE: I'd love to play Betty Davis, one of Miles Davis' wives. She was sort of like Madonna before there was a Madonna. I'd love to play a full-out rocking chick. Like a Sister 2.0.

 

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

CE: Leaving my first agent was both my best business decision and my worst business decision. It depends on how I want to look at my career because of opportunities that may have come had I stayed with him and because of the opportunities that did come because I had to fight harder for roles.

 

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

CE: Oh, my goodness me! [Chuckles] A mommy.

 

KW: How hard is it to balance working and parenting, giving that you and Jeffrey are both actors?

CE: It explains why I haven't been onscreen very much the last ten years. [Laughs] It's very hard. It's been getting easier as I give myself permission to work again. It's all about my guilt level.

 

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

CE: Great question! Ooooh, gosh! You know what? That is a question I don't have an answer for. You've stumped me!

 

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

CE: That Sparkle's a huge hit! [LOL]

 

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

CE: Summers in Scotland when I was 3.

 

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

CE: That depends on how you define success. Success for me will be where the body of work I've done afforded me the opportunity to be as good as I can be, and to explore myself and to see what I'm capable of. People like that share a willingness to be scared and to take chances.

 

KW: The Rudy Lewis question: Who's at the top of your hero list?

CE: Oh man, it's so hard to answer that. In terms of dignitaries, Nelson Mandela's up there. In terms of artists, this will change, but I'm really into a performance artist named Marina Abramovic' right now.

 

KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?

CE: My children.

 

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

CE: There's a lot of laughter in our house. I get their American/British sense of humor and they get my British sense of humor.

 

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

CE: Oh my! I'm a bit young to be asked that. [Laughs]

 

KW: Yes, you are. Sorry. Thanks again for the time, Carmen, and best of luck with Sparkle.

CE: Thank you, Kam.

To see a trailer for Sparkle, visit

 

The "Marley" Interview with Kam Williams
Getting Ziggy with It

David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley was born in Trenchtown, Jamaica on October 17, 1968 to Bob and Rita Marley. A five-time Grammy-winning musician, actor, artist, activist and humanitarian, Ziggy has enjoyed a prominent presence on the public stage for over a quarter-century.

At the age of 10, Ziggy first sat in on recording sessions with his father's band, the legendary Bob Marley and the Wailers. Later, he joined with his sisters Sharon and Cedella and brother Stephen to form Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers, which enabled him to craft his own soulful sound blending blues, R&B, hip-hop and roots reggae. The Melody Makers earned their first Grammy (Best Reggae Recording) for their third album Conscious Party (1988), produced by Talking Heads Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, which included the hit songs "Tomorrow People" and "Tumbling Down."

Subsequent albums included the Grammy-winning One Bright Day (1989), Jamekya (1991), Joy and Blues (1993), Free Like We Want 2 B (1995), Grammy-winning Fallen is Babylon (1997), Spirit of Music (1999) and Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers Live, Vol. 1 (2000), featuring some of their biggest hits, as well as a cover of Bob Marley's "Could You Be Loved." While selling millions of records and selling out numerous concerts, Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers never lost sight of their foundations in faith, fellowship and family.

Involved with a breadth of charities, Marley leads his own, URGE (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment), a non-profit organization that benefits efforts in Jamaica, Ethiopia and other developing nations. The charity's missions range from building new schools to operating health clinics to supporting charities like Mary's Child, a center for abused and neglected girls.

The title of his latest album, Wild and Free, is a little ironic, given his time-consuming commitments to family, philanthropy, songwriting, producing, studio work and touring. Ziggy also continues to head Tuff Gong Worldwide in honor of his father's own music label Tuff Gong Records, working on the re-launch of the official Bob Marley website and an exhibit at the Grammy Museum in L.A.

Ziggy divides his residency among Florida, Jamaica and California, and has his own website at: www.ziggymarley.com. Here, he talks about Marley, a new documentary about his father.

 

Kam Williams: Hi Ziggy, thanks for the interview.

Ziggy Marley: Thank you, Kam.

 

KW: Do you remember Ras Karbi, who played with your dad in Jamaica before embarking on a solo career?

ZM: Jah, mon.

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Interview with Kam Williams
A Tete-a-Tete from 2006 with the Late Author

Gore Vidal (1925-2012) was a celebrated author and progressive political activist. His first novel, Williwaw, written when he was just nineteen years old and serving in the Army, appeared in the spring of 1946. He went on to publish two-dozen novels, five plays, numerous short stories, over two hundred essays and his autobiography.

Vidal was also an accomplished screenwriter, evidenced by his scripts for Ben Hur, Caligula and Myra Breckenridge. A true Renaissance Man, he even found the time to appear in a dozen films, including Gattaca, and to found a political party, the US Peace Party, and to run for Congress.

Because this indomitable firebrand was been a thorn in the side of the Establishment for so long, some might forget that he was a very well-connected blueblood. On one side of his family tree, he is related to former Vice President Al Gore, on the other to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

This interview was conducted in 2006, at a time that Vidal was campaigning for Marcy Winograd, an anti-war, pro universal healthcare candidate for Congress in California's 36th District in Congress.

Kam Williams: You have such an illustrious career I don't know where to begin. Why don't I start with the present and ask you why you've decided to endorse Marcy Winograd for Congress?

Gore Vidal: Well, it's a Democratic primary, and I thought it would be nice to endorse a Democrat against the incumbent, Ms. Harman, who is sort of a Republican Bush-ite. That was my first instinct, before I listened to Marcy and watched her campaign. I thought she's very well-suited for this time and place. So, I've gone as all-out as I can.

KW: Do you think she has a decent chance of unseating Harman? The rate of re-election of incumbents is incredibly high.

GV: Well, we all know about the safety for incumbents laws that come out of gerrymandering and so on. I think that Harman's been around a little bit too long, to the extent that her constituents really think about her at all. She's not been a Democrat in the progressive sense, by which I simply mean she's not been against the war. Nor has she had much intelligent to say about Intelligence, and she sits on the Intelligence Committee. In other words, she's pretty hollow while Marcy's alive! The living candidate usually wins.

KW: What makes Marcy alive?

GV: She's organized the progressive Democrats across the State of California, as opposed to the ones who pretend to be Democrats and vote Republican, like her opponent. So, it's not as though she came wandering in on a whim. She came marching in out of a sense of duty, and also with a fire in the belly to get rid of the sort of candidates like the incumbent.

KW: Why are so passionate about a congressional election in the House?

GV: The House, you see, is the closest thing to the people that we have. Every two years they have to go out for an election. To the extent that we have any form of democracy, it's the House of Representatives.

KW: My sense of American politics is that most of our politicians are for sale, whether they are out and out crooked, or simply beholden to corporate interests because they've taken so much money from their lobbyists. I believe that's a big part of the problem.

GV: Of course it is. It's been like that for quite some time. With Marcy, she's not beholden to anybody, except me and Susan Sarandon. She got a check from me, and I think that's not quite enough to buy her.

KW: I reviewed your book Dreaming War in which you predicted that Bush would attack Iraq. At the time, he had already invaded Afghanistan, but people didn't realize...

GV: ... that the target was also Iraq, and American mastery of the entire Middle East which is what seems to be going on now, as we head toward Iran.

KW: How would you describe the State of the Union?

GV: This is an Empire gone berserk. You've got a President who had every intention of militarizing the economy and militarizing the society. This had nothing to do with governance. He was mostly smearing people who pointed out his shortcomings. Now we don't have the money anymore... We don't have the will... People are disgusted... Katrina has turned off half a nation... And there's all the nonsense about borders... and so on... This is the worst period that I've ever seen for the United States. And Marcy Winograd, at least, is a good candidate who is intelligent.

KW: Given your WASPy, blue-blood background, where did you find the strength to buck the system?

GV: If you study the Gores, and you don't really have to study Albert who's a worthy person who does good work, the Gores were the founders of the party of the people at the end of the late 19th Century. They represented the people who'd been wrecked by the Civil War and by Reconstruction, people who'd lost their farms. And they made common cause with the city machines, which turned out to be a big mistake. Like in New Jersey, which is how we got Woodrow Wilson as President. But the whole family has been, from the very beginning, totally aligned with the people against "The Interests" as they used to call them back in the 19th Century. So, it just comes to me naturally.

KW: I suspected something was funny about the 2000 Presidential election when, instead of conceding, Bush's confidently responded to all the networks projecting Gore as the winner in Florida with, "That's not what my brother tells me."

GV: I think that tells it all. They already knew about the Diebold voting machines, and how an election like that could absolutely be switched around. In other words, you could beat them and beat them and beat them in the popular vote, but it will not be recorded, as long as these machines are out there.

KW: The same thing happened in Ohio in 2004.

GV: Congressman John Conyers, as you know, went up there and did a very thorough analysis with a lot of first-rate detectives to determine who had stolen that election, starting with Mr. Blackwell [J. Kenneth Blackwell], Ohio's Secretary of State, who was also in charge of the Bush campaign. The whole thing was shocking beyond belief. To have two Presidential elections stolen in a row means that you have no republic.

KW: I've called it a post-democracy.

GV: To use the word "democracy" is nonsense. And here we go again. This coming November, we're going to have the same machines with no paper trail.

KW: And besides manipulating machines, they've used a variety of other tactics to disenfranchise black voters.

GV: Oh yeah, it was well thought out. After 2000, I said, "Watch out for 2004. They'll have four years to perfect that one." After 2004, you know I wrote the preface to Congressman Conyers' book [What Went Wrong in Ohio: The Conyers Report on the 2004 Presidential Election], thinking that might help get it off the ground. But it wasn't reviewed by The New York Times, The Washington Post, or any daily paper in the United States, after this highly-respected Congressman and ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee had taken the time and gone to all the personal expense to do the book. When nobody would even mention it, that sounded to me like the end of the republic.

KW: What do you think was Bush's agenda for this Presidency he wanted by any means necessary?

GV: To give his corporate friends jobs and tax cuts, from the oil people to General Electric. To make sure Halliburton wouldn't have to bid on its contracts to rebuild a country we first knocked-down with our tax dollars.

KW: By deliberately ruining Iraq so war profiteers could rebuild its infrastructure, he ended up ruining this country in the process, given the record federal deficit, which is why so much of the Gulf Region looks the same as the day after Hurricane Katrina hit. I wonder whether Bush has a sense of the irony about that.

GV: He has no sense at all. That's the problem. I don't think he deliberately set out to wreck the United States, but he has. It'll take two generations to get this country back, if we can ever get it back.

KW: Why aren't the people up in arms?

GV: Acquiescence. What used to be called citizens are now just a bunch of consumers waiting to be told what to do next, and automatically voting, even though they know the machinery is going to reverse their vote. We've lost too much in the way of the Bill of Rights.

KW: How do you think Bush feels about his disastrous Presidency?

GV: I don't think he cares. There are so many different kinds of stupidity. In American politics, you get to meet every kind. But he's a little exceptional. Very few politicians who got to be president are as ignorant as he is. Usually, they knew something about economics, something about how the world works. I would say even some of them have a bit of conscience, not much, not much, and talk about impossible dreams. Aside from ambition, they do have an idea that they're going to serve a certain group.

KW: How has this played out with Bush?

GV: So, if there's a really difficult job, like running FEMA, you pick the dumbest person you know, because he's a really good guy. To watch Bush do this time and time again, I sit there and my jaw drops. Each time he does it he's in deeper trouble. He learns nothing.

KW: What will be the Bush legacy?

GV: If you remember, in one of my other books, I prophesied at the time of his election in 2000, "He will leave office the most hated President in our history."

KW: How'd you know?

GV: I put it together just from things he was saying along the way and from what I knew of his career in Texas.

KW: What do you think of his War on Terrorism?

GV: First of all, it's a metaphor. Secondly, "terrorism" is an abstract noun. It's like having a war on dandruff. It's something from advertising, it's meaningless. You have to have a country for a war. Congress also has to declare it. So, he has no declaration, and no countries to fight, except the ones he chooses to attack. This is against all the rules of the United Nations which we've sworn to uphold, since we started the damn thing back in 1945.

KW: Do you think he deserves to be impeached?

GV: He's totally illegal on every level, which is impeachable. And that's not partisan talk. That's patriotic talk, Constitutional talk. He's got to go. He's got to be punished for what he's done.

KW: Your cousin, Al Gore, has a new movie out about global warming entitled "An Inconvenient Truth." Do you think he's going to run for the Presidency again?

GV: I have no idea at all. I assume so, as he's very much on the scene. Politicians do that when they're getting ready to run. But I know nothing from the family about what he's up to. I know he's had trouble raising money, which I think is going to be a great barrier for him, if he does decide to run.

KW: How did you feel watching what unfolded in New Orleans in the wake of Katrina?

GV: That was wanton cruelty shown toward the native inhabitants who were left there to die. But you might say that someone was really very eager for the City to go. Putting Brownie in charge had to be a slap in the face of the people. I used to live there. Have you ever lived there?

KW: No, and I had a friend there, Randy, who urged me come visit every year, till he left town.

GV: It was a wonderful city, but everybody who lived there knew we were all living with danger. It is below sea level, and those levees just looked like humped sand castles on the beach. We all knew that they were extremely fallible and probably couldn't withstand a major hurricane. But they hadn't had a major hurricane in quite some time. Then, Albert's [Al Gore] predictions all came true. The climate has changed and gave us Katrina.

KW: Yet Bush arrogantly lied after the fact, praising Brownie and saying we had no idea such a disaster was possible, when now we see videotapes of the National Weather Service warning him.

GV: He'd been warned. It was like 9-11, for God's sake. They'd been warned by President Putin of Russia. They'd been warned by President Mubarak of Egypt. They'd been warned by elements of Mossad. They'd been warned by our own FBI out in the Midwest. There was a hell of a lot of evidence that we were going to have unfriendly visitors to our serene skies. Bush pretends he knew nothing about it. Well, he probably didn't read the reports. But you'd think that at least somebody in the government would be on top of it and say, "You've got to pull yourself together, Mr. President. Otherwise, something terrible might happen to us." He did nothing.

KW: How about his behavior on the morning of 9-11?

GV: That famous shot of him reading the children's book about a goat to the school kids in Florida tells it all. After the Secret Service agent whispers in his ear, his eyes just go out of focus. You can see that he's so stunned he doesn't know what to do, because there's nobody to tell him. Can you imagine the leader of any country on Earth who would just sit there staring straight ahead? We'd been hit. The Twin Towers were hit. The Pentagon was hit. But he just sat there KW: And he actually continued reading the picture book to the kids for a while.

GV: He just wanted to prove that he could read. Finally, somebody decided to race him across the country to find bunker to put him in, so he wouldn't get hurt, as if that would've made any difference.

KW: Former counter-terrorism czar Richard Clarke, in his book [Against All Enemies] made it clear that when he warned the then National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice about bin Laden, her response was to cut his staff. And even before 9-11, Bush was already more interested in attacking Iraq than in tracking down Osama.

GV: He should've at least pretended to be interested in getting Osama bin Laden. But they wanted that war and that oil. They want control. They want to knock things down and to frighten the world. But Bush isn't the first. It goes straight back to Harry Truman who started The Cold War because he wanted to frighten Stalin, because he believed that the Russians were coming. The Russians had just lost 20 million people in World War II. They weren't going anywhere.

KW: What do you think of Truman ushering in the atomic age by dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?

GV: Did you know that every single major military officer tried to get Truman not to drop the two atomic bombs? Contrary to what our history books try to tells us, Japan was already defeated. They had been defeated and the Emperor was trying surrender, but Truman would not respond, because he wanted to drop the bomb.

KW: I never knew that.

GV: These are all things American people ought to know, but history was the first subject to be jettisoned when they decided all they wanted was docile workers and loyal consumers. Why educate them? You don't want to tell them anything.

KW: I remember reading something scathing you wrote about Harry Truman and Zionists.

GV: Yeah, getting the bribe.

KW: Did he really take two million dollars in return for supporting for his support of Israel?

GV: I don't know whether it's true, but I'll tell you who told me. It was Jack Kennedy. They did not like each other, Truman and Jack.

KW: Why would Kennedy divulge such a damning secret?

GV: When Jack was running the first time, and Truman said he wasn't going to support him, Jack started telling this story about how a suitcase with two million dollars was delivered to Harry.

KW: Do you believe it?

GV: It sounds in character.

KW: In the Fifties, you wrote a trio of murder mysteries under the pseudonym Edgar Box. I use to be a big fan of that genre until I read those three novels. They were the best, nothing else ever measured up to them, not Agatha Christie, Dick Francis, Raymond Chandler, anybody. I've said that in print before, so don't think I'm just buttering you up.

GV: Thank you. Well, I certainly enjoyed writing them. They were a lot of fun.

KW: What made you decide to adopt the sobriquet?

GV: I did it, because I was then being blacklisted by The New York Times. So, in order to make a living I wrote as Edgar Box, and got wonderful reviews from The Times. Eight of my books did not get reviewed.

KW: And what got you blacklisted in the first place?

GV: Homophobia over my novel The City and the Pillar. They were deeply into homophobia. The Times was really the center of it in American culture, and didn't give it up until they were threatened in other directions. It's a very bad newspaper.

KW: I agree. Even though I'm published regularly in over 100 publications around the U.S., Canada, England and the Caribbean, and I email their editors every op-ed I write, The Times has never seen fit to publish even one of my pieces.

GV: You don't need The Times. Just keep getting them out there in any form you can.

KW: Thanks so much for such an informative and forthcoming tete-a-tete. I didn't mean to monopolize your time, but there was just so much to talk about.

GV: That's okay. It was good to talk to you, too, though I need to finish writing a preface I was working on.

5 BROKEN CAMERAS is a very powerful and emotional piece of filmmaking. Now, it was never your original intention to set out to make a documentary, is that correct?

EB: Actually, when I started filming my village in 2005 I was filming and documenting for many purposes. But after a few months, the idea of making a film came to me. I saw other films had been made about the subject so I decided not to do it at that time. Instead, I started to focus on my friends, my family, and my son growing up. It was like constructing the story.

GD: When Emad asked me to work with him, it was in 2009, a few months after the killing of Bassem Abu-Rahme - El Phil. The name of the project was "Elephant in Bil'in". I actually was skeptical, since the Bil'in moevement had been portrayed in the media a lot, (think of the 2006 film "Bil'in My Love"). I didn't think it would be logical to make another film on the characters of the village and the movement. Plus, I grew up with so many films that commemorate the deaths of soldiers (Israelis of course) that I didn't like the idea of making another film that commemorates death.

Read full interview on Alive Mind Cinema

 

Premiering in the documentary competition at the Tribeca Film Festival this week, Alex Mar’s American Mystic is a poem of a film, following three young people in America who have chosen to make their spiritual practice the center of their lives. A pagan priestess who proudly defines herself as a witch, Morpheus has moved to the outskirts of rural California to create a pagan sanctuary on a small plot of land. Kublai, a Spiritualist medium, works on a farm in upstate New York but spends his off hours with his head in the hands of elderly women, learning to channel spirits. Chuck, a Lakota Sioux, barely scrapes by at his day job in the city, but he and his wife are raising their child with their ancestors’ way of life as their guide, taking long trips to the reservation to participate in the traditions that are still alive.

Read full review and an interview with the filmmaker

Watch a film clip or Download to Own

Filmmaker Niko von Glasow dishes about his early days in the film industry, when he was as an assistant fetching coffee for the legendary and temperamental although undeniably brilliant Rainer Werner Fassbinder, for which he received a production assistant credit. He charts his course from there before talking about his days at NYU and the Actor's Studio and closes with an honest assessment of his on work, placing the NOLA-winning NOBODY’S PERFECT, and his first film WEDDING GUESTS, at the top of the heap.

Watch the interview or download "Nobody's Perfect"

Q. Why is it important that this story be told?

A. My films always begin with something that is happening inside myself, but that I also see reflected in the world around me. I think people are starting to feel like they're coming to a dead end with the old models of creating change in the world, especially some of the forms of activism that are focused on what we're against, as opposed to what we're for, and that are anger-based. I definitely found that with myself, and so I discovered a new kind activism that has its roots in the attitudes of Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. You could call it compassionate activism or spiritual activism -- positive, celebrating life, and solution based.

Read full interview at National Post

Read Velcrow Ripper Blog at MyFilmBlog