Actress Viola Davis talks to an audience at a preview screening of 'Fences' at the National Film Theatre in London

When the Oscar nominations were announced earlier this week, the talented Tony and Emmy Award winning actress Viola Davis found herself being nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance as Rose in the film adaptation of the Tony Award August Wilson play, 'Fences'.This major achievement arrived mere weeks after winning the Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe for the same role. Her co-star, and director of the movie, Hollywood heavyweight, and 2-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington, also finding himself nominated for Best Actor. It is fitting that both actors should be recognised for their extremely fine work in the film as it measures up to the performances they delivered on the Broadway stage in the 2010 production of 'Fences', earning them both Best Actor and Best Actress Awards, respectively. As someone who actually caught the play in New York, I can honestly say seeing  these two acclaimed actors deliver their powerhouse performances in the flesh gave me one of my most memorable theatre experiences ever. It is now refreshing to see after the debacle of last year's nominations, with it's distinct lack of people of colour, causing the widespread emergence of #OscarsSoWhite on social media and beyond, Ms Davis and Mr Washington, along with several other non white actors achieve acknowledgement for their outstanding work from the industry. 


Amidst all the joy and celebration of a nod from the Academy for Viola Davis is the fact she has made Oscar history. After becoming the first black woman to win an Emmy for a lead actress in a drama series in 2015 for 'How To Get Away With Murder', she is now the first  black actress ever to receive 3 Oscar nominations. Her first Best Supporting Actress nod came in the 2008 drama 'Doubt', which starred Meryl Streep (close friend to Ms Davis, even appearing with her when she was given a Star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame earlier this month) and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Though her contribution to the film consisted of only two scenes, one being an extended conversation with Streep and the other only appearing on screen for 10 seconds in silence, it was felt her heart wrenching performance clearly warranted a nomination.The Academy chose to highlight her work again in the  civil rights 1960's set 'The Help from 2011, and though she did not receive the Best Actress Oscar, her co-star Octavia Spencer (yet another actress of colour who has been nominated this year, in the US surprise box office hit 'Hidden Figures') managed to collect the big prize for Best Supporting Actress. So now we come to 'Fences'. Will the third time be the charm? It has already been stated on many occasions by many of the Hollywood industry, including by the aforementioned Meryl Streep, it is only a matter of time before Ms Davis has that little golden statuette in her hand.  I, for one am a believer and simply for what she brings to the film 'Fences', if there is any justice, come 26th February 2017, Viola Davis will join the ranks of Oscar winners, and it will be richly deserved.

Viola Davis discusses her role in 'Fences'

Viola Davis wins Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe 'Fences'

In 1973 Jalal Mansur Nuriddin, a member of The Last Poets, the group of poets and musicians who rose to prominence in the late 1960's commenting on the plight of African Americans during the civiil rights struggle, released a solo album under the name of Lightin' Rod. It would be called 'Hustlers Convention' and its creation would introduce the world to rap music. Though I feel sure Jalal did not realise this at the time, this record would heavily influence many who would follow in his footsteps and go on to enjoy major worldwide success in their own right. Indeed Jalal's intention was simply to tell a visual story on record of one strand of urban African American life, a tale of two hustlers attending the so-called convention and ending up in a shoot out and dramatic police chase. Along the way the rapper brings many colours and textures, such as culture, greed and ambition so skilfully to the fore, that the imagery in listeners minds were made vivid. Many people felt here was an honest view of the street. The impact and popularity was so strong that soon after many people in different neighbours could recite the whole record world for word. Unfortunately, as is so often the case in the music business, the success of 'Hustlers Convention' was stifled before it really began. Rap's 'best kept secret' was known to a 'select' number, but ultimately would be brushed under the carpet and remain unknown to the majority of hip hop fans the world over. Most would be totally unaware of its significance until in recent years.

Director Mike Todd spent 3 years making the documentary 'Hustlers Convention' precisely to redress the balance, not only introducing the record to a brand new audience, but also telling the story of how the record came about and showing the reason why Jamal can truly be called 'The Grandfather of Rap'. The documentary displays the roots of the art form (this was a time long before hip hop was seduced by money, corporations and big business), allowing Jamal the chance to explain the social backdrop on which the record was made. The calibre of the interviews goes a long way to show how huge an album this was. Melle Mel says 'Hustlers Convention' was a direct influence on his ground breaking rap on the Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's classic 'The Message'. Other contributors include Public Enemy's Chuck D (who served as associate producer), Ice-T, KRS-One, MC Lyte and Fab Five Freddy. The documentary shows clear proof that the record changed the course of music in a major way. So it feels only fair and just that its importance and relevance, even to this day, should be acknowledged. Hopefully this documentary will help 'Hustlers Convention' the album it's rightful place in hip hop history.

'Hustlers Convention' is being shown at selected cinemas in the UK right now.

An American release is planned for the autumn of 2015.


    

As the much lauded and critically acclaimed film 'Selma', looking at the civil rights struggles led by Dr. Martin Luther King in 1965 to allow blacks the right to vote in overtly racist Alabama, is on the eve of its UK release (6 February), I thought it would be highly appropriate to present an interview given by the film's star, British actor David Oyelowo, who plays the icon, Dr, Martin Luther King, at a Screen Actors Guild gathering in Hollywood. The interview took place on 28 November, 4 weeks before 'Selma' would be released in America on Christmas Day, and although at that time it was unknown how well its reception would be at the box office, there was already a huge buzz of anticipation within the film industry, as you will be able to tell by the captivated audience, who had just seen the movie. The signs were in the air that 'Selma' would be making a major noise and there seem to be no doubt it would be in the running for major awards. This was indeed a time before the 'snubs' would tell a different story.

So it was under this glow of across the board outstanding reviews from the American film critics that Oyelowo takes to the stage and gives a very personal and quite revealing interview, which runs at 35 minutes. In it he talks about the vision he had from God that he had to play the role of Dr. King, how he had a hand in getting the job of directing the film to the talented Ava DuVernay, who did such a tremendous job that at the very least, she surely deserved a Best Director Oscar nomination. In his very articulate and intelligent way Oyelowo 

Fans of the successful US cable HBO comedy series, 'Entourage', which ran from 2004 - 2011, and looked at the crazy lifestyle of Hollywood through the eyes of a major movie star, Vince Chase (Adrian Grenier) trying to navigate his career with the help of his buddies, Eric, aka E (Kevin Connolly), Drama (Kevin Dillon) and Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), and of course not forgetting his agent, Ari (Jeremy Piven), will be pleased to learn that after much discussion, the movie version is now on course for a summer 2015 release. The very first teaser trailer has just arrived online and the general mayhem seen on the TV show (girls, booze, drugs etc.) looks set to continue, to what I am sure will be a delight to its many fans.
 
We now find the power hungry and egotistic Ari the head of a movie studio, where he has given Vince and E $100 million to make a film, in which Vince plays a DJ who is not entirely human. Of course the film goes over budget and Ari, in his own distinctive manor, begins to panic. As was a regular item in the show, many famous faces appear (sometimes as themselves) and these include Billy Bob Thornton and Liam Neeson. Mark Wahlberg, who actrually co-produced 'Entourage', which was based on his own early experiences as a young actor hanging out with his friends in Hollywood, also provides a cameo. There is a nice touch of reality thrown in the trailer as a girl asks Turtle "Didn't you used to be really fat?!!!". Regular viewers to the TV show will remember Turtle was the pretty heavy set member of the crew, but since those days the actor Jerry Ferrara has slimmed down to a svelte t-shirt hugging size.

'Entourage' hits US cinemas on 5th June 2015. As always, hopefully a UK release will not be too far behind. In the meantime, take a look at what's in store.