Well this is one “good deed“!!!

Zimbabwe’s own actress, Thandie Newton graces the covers of the Winter 2012 issue of Monarch Magazine. The Zimbabwean/British actress is co-starring in Tyler Perry’s upcoming movie, “Good Deeds“:

“It is so beautiful and I’m so proud. It’s about family, making choices, being an involved adult..[the film] is about, “Love and letting go of things…The film is very liberating!”

On working with Tyler Perry for a second time: 

He is evolving so and I’m proud to have come to know him.

On raising her kids Ripley, 11, and Nico, 7 to be opinionated and strong:

Yeah, kids have to abide by their parents, but there is so much more when you put them equal, you are able to apologize and let them know when you are wrong… I want to give them as much as I can. Give them all of me. How is anything better?

Here’s the trailer to Good Deeds:

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Will you be watching?!?

Via Popsessive

Just released official stills from Tyler Perry’s new movie, Good Deeds, coming out February 24th, 2012…

Tyler Perry plays the role of a successful entrepreneur Wesley Deeds, who is about to get married to his beautiful but restless fiancee,  Natalie, played by Gabrielle Union. However, things spice up when he suddenly finds himself more interested in a “down-on-her-luck” single-mother played by Zimbabwean/British actress, Thandie Newton.

More on the film from Vibe:

A successful, wealthy businessman, Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry) has always done what’s expected of him, whether it’s assuming the helm of his father’s company, tolerating his brother’s misbehavior at the office or planning to marry his beautiful but restless fiancée, Natalie (Gabrielle Union).

But Wesley is jolted out of his predictable routine when he meets Lindsey (Thandie Newton), a down-on-her-luck single mother who works on the cleaning crew in his office building. When he offers to help her get back on her feet, the chance encounter with someone so far outside his usual circle ignites something in Wesley. This one good deed may finally spark his courage to exchange the life that’s expected of him for the life he’s always really wanted.

Hey peeps!

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This movie, dropping November 4th, I cannot wait to watch! Eddie Murphy & Ben Stiller combo was an instant seller for me….add Gabourey (Gabby) Sidibe and her safecracker character and I am so in with this movie!

Here’s a poster of Tower Heist, of Gabourey Sidibe in her character of The Safecracker…

*Kinda looks photo-shopped to me but Gabby has lost weight (remember her in the movie, Precious. Nuff said!) She is funny in this movie. My folks over at BlackTree TV were recently in Chicago, doing press junket for the movie. So we’ll have those interviews up soonest!

In the mean time, check out the trailer for the movie:

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Will You Be Watching?!?!

Hey! Hey!

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I thought this interview with Darrell Roodt, Director of the biopic, Winnie (featuring Jennifer Hudson as Winnie as herself & Terrence Howard as Nelson Mandela) was interesting…

I will say that I am very biased towards Mama Winnie Madikizela Mandela. I believe that our hero’s are as human as we are. I am discouraged at the negative media attention that Mama Winnie receives. She kept the struggle against apartheid alive while Tata Mandela was in prison. She had a family to look after. I wonder if there was a blue-print for her on an African shero that she could reference as she navigated the political waters of her time….anyway I digress.

I truly believe that the story of Mama Winnie or any African hero/shero for that matter, can only be told & reflected accurately through the lens of Africans. African actors & actresses who can bring the full breath & depth of the lives of the men and women that shaped that course of Africa. Anyone who lived outside of the context of the trials & triumphs of Africa will be limited in their delivery of that story. I understand fully the economics that are factored into these decisions. J Hud may (potentially) draw in the box office numbers but at whose expense?!…I seriously digress.

Read on & let us know your thoughts!

How is a Winnie Mandela biography not some studio’s prestige awards season baby?

Darrell Roodt: Well, it’s an independent film. We made it independently because we wanted to make the film. It’s a very hard film to try and finance through a studio if you know what I mean, but hopefully a studio or whoever can just pick it up and try and get it further out there because I think it’s got some merits.

Don’t studios make topical dramas about public figures?

DR: You know, films about South Africa are a no no. Look, ‘Invictus’ did disprove that to a degree. It was remarkable how much money Invictus did make at the box office, but I don’t think they go out actively seeking these kind of films. But hopefully we can sell it after we made it. That’s what we’re trying to get at the moment.

Did you look at other biopics for a sense of structure, like Gandhi or Malcolm X?

DR: Yes, I know both films very well. I love ‘Gandhi.’ I think Gandhi is an incredible film. It was amazing how that writer, John Briley, was able to distill such a life into such a short period of time. So I did watch it a few times when I was writing it. I’ve been a big fan of the film prior to that anyway. I think it’s for me a great film. So yes, I did look at that. I looked at Malcolm X again as well.

You picked several key years to highlight: 1963, 1976, 1985 and 1997. Why were those the key years for the story you were telling?

DR: I guess because there was a culmination of all the incidents in life getting to that point, each turnaround in her life. When Nelson was sentenced to life in prison, she had to take over the fight. It was not random but it wasn’t a blow by blow account of her whole life. It was just things we focused on.

Each year had a key event happen, but did they also illustrate what daily life was like in the years in between?

DR: That was the tricky thing to do. How do you follow through the storyline? So I think when those titles do come up, 1976 the most famous one in terms of the year in South African history, I think they’re just meant there to be guidelines, to just keep the viewer aware of where you are in the film. I had a problem with the aging process because if you look at pictures of Winnie, she never aged. It’s remarkable. She’s only aged in the last 10-15 years of her life. She’s always radiant, beautiful, with light pouring out of her so I made a conscious effort not to age her. I thought dammit, I’m going to play her where Nelson will age but not her until the very end.

I noticed, it’s only in 1997 that she starts to age.

DR: Yes, because it was then that she came apart. When it all fell apart for her, suddenly the weight of the world descended upon her. You can even see those pictures of Winnie. It’s incredible. She remains incredibly youthful and beautiful until that period. Then the ugliness kind of sets in.

Is age makeup a tricky thing to pull off?

DR: Yes, it is. You can even see with Terrence, we battled a bit to a degree but I think we pulled it off more successfully. It was a conscious decision not to age her.

Because we know what they look like now, as soon as we see them old we’re looking for how it’s done.

DR: Yes, exactly. Absolutely. Unless you’ve got the best makeup artist in the world, it’s a hard thing to do, I’ll be honest. Jennifer had so much to deal with anyway. She was dealing with an accent, she was dealing with being in South Africa, dealing with being Winnie Mandela, it’s a lot she was dealing with. The last thing I wanted to do was put her in a makeup chair.

Is every detail of the movie accurate? Making her stand on a brick, the ant in the prison cell…

DR: Yes, all the little details like that are true, as true as I’m aware. I’ve read many books about her, of her own books. So yes, it was informed but obviously it’s not a documentary. It’s not a blow by blow account of her daily life so sometimes you have to use an incident to illuminate other incidents. She might not have been there technically on that day, but that broadly is what happened.

Were there any you wanted to include but still couldn’t?

DR: The film you saw is a distilled version of a much bigger film that we shot. We shot a hell of a movie but it was long. It was almost three hours. It worked at that three hours but it was more challenging at that length. So there was a lot more detail in there. When I watched it last night, I was aware that maybe we should’ve gone there or more there or wherever. That’s what you have to deal with. Ultimately you put the film out there that you think is the best film.

Would you have spent more time in the third act after Nelson is released from prison?

DR: Yes, absolutely but for me, what was starting to happen there, that for me was an entire movie on its own. Initially when I was discussing making the film with the producer, I said, “Why don’t we just do the third act as a movie?” Because it’s a fascinating film because in that third act we can explore the fallen hero because it’s a great tragic kind of character. But he persuaded me to go in the bigger overall picture.

Can you imagine that audiences want to know more details about the divorce, getting ostracized from the ANC?

DR: I think it comes across in the film though. It’s the end. For me the love story ends when he does divorce her and then he leaves her, he cuts her loose. It’s a very sad thing that he was ultimately, I believe, forced to do. He was compelled, he wasn’t forced but he was definitely leaned on. They definitely said, “Nelson, you can’t let this lady by the First Lady without bringing us all into disrepute and we’re trying to go forward.” So he made a big sacrifice and I think to this day he regrets it. I think you can see it in pictures you’ve seen afterwards where he invited Winnie back into the fold.

Winnie herself did speak out against the film because she wasn’t consulted for her rights. Why didn’t you go to her?

DR: I thought it was a prudent thing to do and the producer said not. He said, “If you get her endorsement, then you’re dead in the water because there’s a perception of Winnie.” So he constantly said, “It’s not a film for Winnie. It’s a film about Winnie.” Ultimately is it for her or not? That’s up to the audience to decide.

Her support would’ve made it political?

DR: It was a tricky thing to do because there was nothing more that I wanted. It would’ve been amazing if I in preproduction could have gotten those two together in a room, Winnie and Jennifer. Jennifer would have certainly been inspired. However, she might have been too inspired by her and sometimes it’s not best to meet the person that you’re going to bring to life.

Winnie said her story should not be a love story. Since that was your vision for the film, how do you feel about that?

DR: That’s a valid comment, but for me as a filmmaker, writer, with what I wanted to do I truly believe it is one of the world’s greatest love stories and that’s the way I told the story. Come on, that’s an amazing story. It’s about a woman who falls in love with this guy who happens to be Nelson Mandela and what he goes through. Then he’s thrown in jail and she keeps his name alive over 27 [years]. An incredible love story, she doesn’t just divorce him and marry some other guy and move on.

What are your distribution prospects after the premiere last night?

DR: I don’t really know about that unfortunately. I’m just a boring filmmaker.

But you appeared in Cannes also.

DR: What happened there was there was a sales agent, a very nice sales agent, a very nice woman who was a champion of the film but she wanted the film to be shown at Cannes and it wasn’t ready by any stretch of the imagination. They showed an in between version of the film. It wasn’t the long version and it wasn’t the short version but it was a less successful version of the film and unfortunately it was the wrong thing to have done because a lot of distributors did see it and say, “Well, what is this crazy film?” It was a bit more crazy. We were cutting and you must never show a rough cut. You must show the film that you end up with. It took us a long time to achieve what we achieved, be it good, bad or whatever.

Can the TIFF screening undo the damage the Cannes screening caused?

DR: I think so, yeah. I think definitely. If a smart distributor sees the film, they can see the potential to get it out there to a reasonably big audience. I think it’s got a chance for a little audience. It’s not going to make huge money.

How did you get Jennifer and Terrence?

DR: I aimed at them both straightaway. I went to both of them and that’s a true story. They didn’t go through the casting roster and say, “Who do you want?” I said I wanted Jennifer Hudson and I wanted Terrence Howard. And Andre [Pieterse], the good producer that he is, got them for me. We only had a limited budget so we could only pay them a little amount but they came to do it.

If Jennifer didn’t meet Winnie, what did she do to prepare?

DR: Exhaustive material that was sent to her. I had a fantastic research assistant who tracked down every interview with Winnie ever shot, any newsreel footage, any photograph, everything. We just bombarded her with information and it was really interesting watching Jennifer on the set. I could see what she had been watching, the way she would raise her hand and the way she would talk and the way she would express herself was directly influenced by a lot of the Winnie footage that I gave her.

Was the solitary confinement scene the toughest for her?

DR: I think those are the easiest scenes to do actually because it is what it is. Yes, you’re going to a dark place and she certainly went to a dark place and it’s awful as a director when you push an actress into a strange place. You feel reluctant to call action in the first place. You always want to call cut quicker than you really should because you want to get her out of that suffering. I think the whole thing was a challenge for her, it really was. This was really out of her comfort zone. Jennifer Hudson is a Chicago girl. Yeah, she did well and she won her Oscar but she’s Chicago. Now suddenly she’s playing Winnie Mandela in South Africa, every day was a challenge for her. I know, I could see it in her eyes.

Did she really spend days in the solitary confinement cell to get into character?

DR: She spent a lot of time there, yeah. Yes, she did.

But not like she slept there.

DR: No, no, it’s probably exaggerated for effect.

Was she always going to sing a song for the credits?

DR: I don’t think so initially, no. Then when Diane Warren came on board and wrote this beautiful song, it just seemed like the perfect choice to do. It’s the first time I’ve heard the complete song. I’ve only heard the temp version because you can’t release the single and it was recorded someone else. I was not in the room with her when she did that song. I was blown away by the song. I think she did a great job.

Did Terrence Howard meet Nelson Mandela?

DR: He didn’t want to. If you’re in awe of someone, it’s very hard to go beyond that awe I believe.

So how did he get the character?

DR: Oh, he was amazing. He really went there. He also did his research. Again, we supplied him with every interview you could imagine and there’s a lot of stuff on Nelson. It was amazing. A year before shooting, when I went to meet him, he was already being Nelson Mandela. It was very strange to go to lunch with Nelson Mandela in Cannes. It’s very weird but an amazing actor, I’m a huge fan.

Did you meet Nelson Mandela?

DR: I’ve met him many times over the years as well. I was going to do Long Walk to Freedom but then a British director came on board. Actually Tom Hooper so I was sidelined on that.

Is the South African government accommodating for a film production?

DR: They were very accommodating. We shot in Robben Island, we shot in the courtroom where Nelson Mandela was sentenced, blah blah blah. Look, that’s another reason why I wanted to do it. Perhaps it was a churlish thing or perhaps a naïve thing to say it’s a love story but it was very interesting to me. I read that line in one of the books, right at the end of this books that we got the rights to, it said: “One of the world’s great love stories came to an end.” I thought wow, that’s such an interesting way of seeing the story because it’s not the way you would generally perceive it. You would want to see the sticks and the stones and the missiles and the hatred and the abuse like you’ve seen 100 times before. I’ve made 20 of those films as well where it’s just constant black/white horror of Apartheid blah blah. In this one I just thought let’s go further than that.

I am not convinced with the reason why Mama Winnie was NOT consulted on this project.

“If you get her endorsement, then you’re dead in the water because there’s a perception of Winnie. It’s not a film for Winnie. It’s a film about Winnie.”

Huh?!?! Say what?!?! Uuuurrggghh!!!

I think it is an insult & a large part of the reason why Mama Winnie has not bought into this project. “…there’s a perception of Winnie“!!! Humph! Well then, you have the opportunity to change that perception & NOT feed into it!

I will not be watching (love ya J Hud & Terrence H…)

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YOUR THOUGHTS?!?

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Source / Photo: BlackFilm

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Last night I attended the exclusive ‘DIMES’ premier of the movie ‘Friends with benefits’ hosted by the lovely Bonang Matheba courtesy of Brutal Fruit. I don’t usually like going out on Monday nights (for obvious reasons), but Justin Timberlake was enough reason for me to go watch this movie.

The Zone in Rosebank, Johannesburg was the venue and on my arrival it was already packed with lovely ladies and a few guys. I believe Brutal Fruit/ #BFDIMESwithB gave away tickets on their social networks to lucky fans who of course joined a select few VIP’s including media. While waiting for the movie to start, guests socialized over Brutal Fruit drinks and some snacks (couldn’t get enough of the sushi). Ticket winners also got a chance to rub shoulders with the ‘who’s who’ in the entertainment industry, while also taking pictures.

Chatting to Bonang…

To be honest I had already summed up my own conclusion of the movie, this after watching ‘no strings attached’, which kinda followed the same script. Hence I didn’t think ‘Friends with benefits’ would be any different, except the cast. ‘Friends with benefits’ stars the yummy Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, two strangers who meet because of work, become friends, then friends who just have sex without emotion and finally fall in love. Compared to Aston Kuchter who starred in ‘No strings attached’, Justin pulled off a better job, I actually think he should focus more on his acting career than his singing and who knows he may just bag an Oscar or two. Mila “Jamie” for me was so effortless, charming, bubbly, cute, sexy, feisty almost everything about her character made you fall for the movie. Let me stop before I ruin the movie for those who are yet to see it.

I asked a couple of people what they thoughts about the movie and this is what they had to say…

• “I thought it was f*cken awesome. I loved it! Justin is so hot OMG”- Boitumelo Thulo

With Boitumelo “Boity” Thulo

• “It was a good movie to watch, one of those romantic movies that were kind of predictable but still good. Like you knew it was gonna happen, they were gonna fall in love”- Lerato Kganyago

• “For me it was one of those movies you pass time with and it really entertained you. The sex scenes were…WOW, they really worked out for those I mean their bodies were just proper, lol”- Nthato Mashishi

• “I thought it was great hey, I enjoyed it…so cute but I would have preferred for them to stay friends and not fall in love. Friendship first, relationship second”- Zizo Beda

Bonang Matheba

• “It was fabulous hey, just fabulous. I loved it…I think Justin is so hot, they really looked good together”- Bonang Matheba

I spotted a couple of celebrities including:

Hulisani “CC” Ravele, who was accompanied by her long term partner Psyfo (I love them  )

Sipho “Psyfo” Ngwenya (below)

Celebrity make-up artist and now the new SA Elizabeth Arden Ambassador Nthato Mashishi

Soweto TV presenter Lerato Kganyago

Cga Bopha and partner Kiki Marli

Well done to the organizers for hosted such a fab event Cc Brutal Fruit, Melanie Ramjee, Raphael Benza and his team and the hostess Bonang Matheba.  I hear another #BFDimeswithB event is going down next week, time to fix me another outfit

Images: Monde Nyovane

From your girl Allegro Dinkwanyane- “I’m just saying”, so have your say…

I am on Twitter: @Allegro_D

YOUR THOUGHTS???

Hey! Hey!

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From my homies over at BlackTree TV comes this uber fab interview with the deliciously HOT [#nohomo] Zoe Saldana

Zoe sat down with Jamaal to chat about her action packed new movie ‘Colombiana’. In the action film Colombiana, Zoe Saldana plays Cataleya, a young woman who has grown up to be an assassin after witnessing the murder of her parents as a child. Turning herself into a professional killer and working for her uncle, she remains focused on her ultimate goal: to hunt down and get revenge on the people responsible for her parents’ deaths.

Watch the interview:

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Your Thoughts?!?

Hey my lovely ones!

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So I missed you yesterday & so sorry for neglecting y’all yesterday! But we are cooking something YUMMY good at Afrotainment Music TV Channel…watch this space!

Jamie Foxx

Had to do this post coz of two men that I love, adore & admire. Well two comedians at least. One American, Jamie Foxx & other is African, Lexx Ore!

Lexx Ore

If you have not done so, please go over to LEXXISTALKING to purchase his HILARIOUS comic book, “Ubuntu, Coming to America. Vol 1“. You’ll thank me later!

I am featured in the comic book! So please support (for my shoe habit! hahahaha!)

Jamie Foxx is starring in an the all-star cast workplace murder comedy Horrible Bosses.  The movie centers on three best friends (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day & Jason Sudeikis) who decide to kill their overbearing bosses (Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey & Colin Farrell), when they become frustrated by their jobs and they realize their bosses are standing in the way of their happiness (o_O)

The comedy is in theaters nationwide (U.S.A) on July 8th.

Jamie Foxx‘s character’s name in the movie, you ask?

Yeah, “Motherf****r Jones“.

Excuse me?

You heard me, Motherf****r….o_O (oooooohhh, I cannot wait for this movie to come out!!!)

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Will You Be Watching Jamie Foxx in…

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Horrible Bosses?

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Happy, Happy Tuesday!

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Hope you guys are #WINNING! Hahaha! Seriously, you have to keep up with the momentum. Stay STRONG to finish off the week great!

Winnie Madikizela Mandela

So we have not really heard much about the Winnie Mandela biopic, starring Jennifer Hudson as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela herself and Terrence Howard as Nelson Mandela, except for the much derided TRAILER.

See below:

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Well, Jennifer recently spoke about the sacrifices that she had to make in order to give a realistic portrayal of one of Africa’s most powerful but enigmatic woman, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. I think a South African accent would have been first thing but then again, the movie is mostly for a Western audience who may have limited knowledge of African accents *sigh*. I will always contend that roles of significant African men & women should be played by African actors & actresses. I do understand the economics of the movie business. Bottom line. But at the sacrifice & expense of whom? I seriously digress…

Jennifer Hudson

More on what Jen had to say about the sacrifices she made for her role as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela:

Jennifer Hudson has revealed she didn’t see her son during filming for her upcoming movie, because she wanted to get into character.

The 29-year-old is starring alongside Terrence Howard in the title role of Winnie which is due for release later this year. Jennifer plays anti-apartheid activist and former South African President Nelson Mandela’s wife in a new biopic about her life.

Part of Jennifer’s preparations for the role was to remain locked inside of a cell day and night during filming where she went through the motions of Winnie’s confinement.  The star – who has an 18-month-old son David Daniel Otunga Jr. with her partner David Otunga – has revealed that she didn’t have any contact with her child throughout filming in South Africa in order to mentally prepare herself for the role.

“I was only playing her for four months, but this was her life, what she went through, and that’s a story that is so worth being told. I wanted to make it as real as possible, even down to being away from the baby – I didn’t see him the whole time I was away,” she revealed in an interview with Pride magazine.

The singer-and-actress says that even though the crew tried to convince her it was OK to have contact with her son, Jennifer decided to live in absolute solitude. The American star says that she wanted to do the role justice and so pushed herself to her absolute mental limits in order to make it as realistic as possible.

“I remember the crew saying to me ‘We can bring the baby here,’ and I was like ‘It’s OK.’ Winnie was away from her children, and she couldn’t see them either. It made it that much more real to me, being away from my baby too. I got to feel what Winnie felt, and that’s basically what it takes to make the character that much more real to me.”

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Your Thoughts On Jen As Winnie Mandela?!

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Photo: Zimbio / Getty Images

Happy Saturday Y’All!

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Check out Tyler Perry interviews on the Jay Leno show!

Tyler Perry as Madea as Snooki (MTV Jersey Shores)

Part One (talks about his love for Real Housewives of Atlanta & living out of his car when he first started out):

Part Two (talks about how his famous character MADEA helped him while on stage in NYC theater & living in Atlanta vs. L.A):

Part Three (talks about his inspiration behind his latest movie, Madea’s Big Happy Family):

Here is funny clip of the up-coming movie:

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WILL YOU BE WATCHING?!
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Hola guys & dolls!

So a new Tyler Perry poster has surfaced, courtesy of Hitfix, for ‘Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Family.’ First was this “The Godfather” inspired poster (lol at The Godmother on this poster. Did you notice it?!):

The most recent poster is labeled as ‘The Real Black Swan‘. The poster lampoons Darren Aronofsky‘s thriller, ‘Black Swan‘ which is up for several Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress.

According to BlackVoices:

Written and directed by Perry, ‘Big Family’ stars Shad “Bow Wow” Moss, Loretta Devine, Cassi Davis, Lauren London, David Mann, Tamela Brown Mann, Isaiah Mustafa, Rodney Perry, Shannon Kane, Natalie Desselle Reid, Teyana Taylor, and Tyler Perry (as Madea and her brother Joe).

Madea, everyone’s favorite wise-cracking, take-no-prisoners grandma, jumps into action when her niece, Shirley, receives distressing news about her health. All Shirley wants is to gather her three adult children around her and share the news as a family. But Tammy, Kimberly and Byron are too distracted by their own problems: Tammy can’t manage her unruly children or her broken marriage; Kimberly is gripped with anger and takes it out on her husband; and Byron, after spending two years in jail, is under pressure to deal drugs again. It’s up to Madea, with the help of the equally rambunctious Aunt Bam, to gather the clan together and make things right the only way she knows how: with a lot of tough love, laughter…and the revelation of a long-buried family secret.

Tyler Perry’s Big Happy Family will hit in theaters April 22, 2011.

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Will You Be Watching

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Tyler Perry’s Big Happy Family…

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Holla back & let us know your thoughts….

Muah & ♥ ya for it!

Terry’s daughter…