Fade In, Scene One, Cue the Devil

So, I’m watching “Runaway Jury” starring Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman and other well-known actors on Sunday night and there is a scene where John Cusak’s character buys candles at a Voodoo shop in New Orleans -- and for some reason, that had some sort of influence on the creation of this week’s Monday Movie Meme theme: Members of the Underworld.

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring demons or related occupants of Hell. Yes, I know it’s a dark subject but sometimes, everything isn’t all sun and roses. Here are my selections for this week’s Members of the Underworld meme.

The Golden Child

It’s probably hard to believe that this is a comedy but Eddie Murphy plays a social worker who is chosen to protect a young boy who possesses supernatural powers. Why does the boy need protection? Well, a vicious man who is actually a demon, wants to destroy the child.

Little Nicky

In another comedy, Adam Sandler plays an evil guy who is sent to earth to help his father Satan sustain life and control over Hell. I’ve only watched this movie once because I thought it was dumb.

The Devil’s Advocate

It’s not often that I opt to watch horror films, but hey, how can anyone pass up an Al Pacino flick?! So, Keanu Reeves plays a lawyer who wins cases even if his clients are guilty. Long story short -- a whole lot of weird crap starts happening after he joins a law firm where his boss, played by Pacino, is Satan. The sad thing is, that isn’t the only revelation for Keanu Reeves’ character but I’m not going to tell any of you who haven’t watched this movie -- you’ll just have to find out by checking it out!

Just like “Little Nicky,” I’ve watched “The Devil’s Advocate” only once but unlike the former film, I didn’t come away from the latter movie too disappointed. Instead, I just thought it was one weird, crazy motion picture!

What films have YOU watched that feature members of hell?

‘Player Hating: A Love Story’ - The Extended Edition (Movie Review) #indiefilm #documentaries

The Indie Fest USA International Film Festival’s Audience Impact Award winning documentary “Player Hating: A Love Story” had a well-received theatrical debut in the Spring. I managed to score an advance peak at the film for my Birthplace Magazine review and am reminding those who may not have had the chance to see the movie in theaters, that it is available On Demand, to download and on DVD.

In preparation for a soon-to-be-posted interview that has been a long time coming, I attempted to write an In a Nutshell review of this documentary but after two revisions, it still clocks out at way over my minimum word count -- placing it among the growing Extended movie review files. Here are the results.

“Player Hating: A Love Story” is a documentary chronicling the weeks leading up to a Brooklyn-bred hip-hop artist’s first major album release. Live concerts and in-store appearances are a mere backdrop to what lies behind those microphones, hard beats and brutal lyrics. Rapper Half-a-Mill and his Godfia Criminals give filmmaker Maggie Hadleigh-West an all-access pass into their daily grind of passion, fears, motivation and struggle to navigate the treacherous neighborhood that seems to breed violence, poverty and despair.

Judgment of these men and their associates may come easy within the first few scenes -- even going so far as to condemn them for the choices they make. After all, what man in his right mind would drive around in a car laced with bullet holes as his infant child sits in the passenger seat? It doesn’t take long, however, to get wrapped up in the lives of the few who dream of better possibilities outside of the dire circumstances they face every day.

From the blunt stairwell interviews in the housing projects to street fights and tragic hospital visits, “Player Hating: A Love Story” shows a genuine connection with Half-a-Mill and his crew while championing their efforts to change the course of what seems like an inevitable fate of either imprisonment or death.

It’s not that hard to like them or maybe also grow to understand them, even if you don’t relate to them.

All of their hopes and dreams of escaping this assumed destiny rides on the back of one man’s music career. Having the weight of the Crown Heights neighborhood on his shoulders does not deter Half-a-Mill’s unstoppable and passionate quest to create a better life for his family -- maybe even going so far as to buy an ocean.

In an environment that thrives on gangs, drugs, broken families and unemployment, Half-a-Mill is often reminded that all of the talent, record deals and drive in the world may not be enough when he is surrounded by more people who will do whatever it takes to sabotage his progress -- people who want him to fail because he has the audacity to try.

Yet, he prevails in his journey while viewers watch in support of this 26 year-old man’s tenacity for music, money, fame and most importantly, safety -- hoping that he can make it there in one piece.

In a Nutshell - “Player Hating: A Love Story” is about more than music and screaming fans who wait in line for autographs. It does not feature corporate-backed and manufactured gangstas who brag about all of the marijuana they smoke in the expensive cars that they drive on exotic lands where they go through women like we go through soap. This is the kind of movie that you probably wouldn’t find on MTV, BET or related “music” channels unless a censored version is released. All in all, I think it’s well worth watching.

Have YOU ever experienced player hating in your life? If so, how did YOU handle it?

What is the most recent Hip-Hop themed movie that YOU watched?

Movie Clowns of Note

I haven’t been feeling very well at the moment. So, let’s make this short and simple. The theme of this week’s Monday Movie Meme is: Under the Big Top.

Share on your blog, or in the comments section, movies featuring clowns. It would also help to share how the clown or clowns that are depicted in the films you list fit into the story. Here are my two (yes, two! That’s all I could come up with) selections for this week’s Under the Big Top meme.

It
Based on a Stephen King novel, this made-for-television movie is about a group of outcasts who try to save the children of their town from being murdered by a monstrous clown. I’ve watched the movie one too many times, thanks to it being favored by one of my family members and I know it’s a horror film -- but it has seemed to be quite funny at times.

Warner Bros. currently appears to be moving forward with a big-screen adaptation of King's novel, that could be released in two parts, with Cary Fukunaga directing.

Capturing the Friedmans

Andrew Jarecki’s documentary film features video clips of David Friedman when he worked as a clown who performed at children’s birthday parties. What began as an effort to highlight party entertainers, however, became a look into the professional clown’s family after his father was convicted of child molestation.

What kind of clowns have YOU noticed in movies?