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'the get down' a look at the early new york hip hop scene comes to netflix

7/26/2015

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'THE GET DOWN' - AN ORIGINAL SERIES MADE FOR NETFLIX
Something definitely seems to be in the air, a yearning to look back at the early days of hip hop. In only a few weeks time the film chronicling the story of the notorious LA rap crew, N.W.A, the hard-edged 'Straight Outta Compton' will finally hit cinemas in America after much anticipation. Already this summer the Sundance Film Festival hit, 'Dope' (about an LA geek obsessed with 90's hip hop) has been entertaining audiences Stateside and there is more to come, including a documentary looking at the fashions of the old-school called 'Fresh Dressed'.

Now comes news that award winning Hollywood film director Baz Luhrmann ('Moulin Rogue!' 'Romeo & Juliet' 'The Great Gatsby') is making an original series for Netflix called 'The Get Down', looking closely at New York in the late 1070's with the emergence of hip hop, disco and the cultural art scene. The story will focus on young dancers, musicians and graffiti artists. Legendary hip hop dj Grandmaster Flash, who serves as an associate producer, will actually have an actor play a younger version of himself on the show. Flash noted that he was highly impressed with Luhrmann's extremely high standard of making sure everything on screen was as authentic as possible, saying "We're talking about a time-span of information that hasn't been asked about by most journalists." He has long felt that this important period during hip hop's infancy in the 70's has not been given the coverage it so richly deserves. He added, "When it comes to hip hop there was always an misunderstanding of (the) who, what, where, why and when".


Just a look at Baz Luhrmann's impressive movie credits will leave no one in any doubt that music has always played a very important role in his work, so expectations are naturally high for this project. I can't wait....

'The Get Down' will be shown on Netflix in 2016.
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DJ GRANDMASTER FLASH AND DIRECTOR BAZ LUHRMANN WORKING TOGETHER ON 'THE GET DOWN'
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richard pryor & maya angelou on screen together

6/5/2014

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PictureThe short lived on TV 'The Richard Pryor Show'
The greatest stand up comedian of all time, Richard Pryor actually had a TV show on NBC in the US in the late 1970's. It does seem somewhat amazing that this trailblazing, extremely gifted actor/funnyman was allowed into mainstream American homes during prime time. After all, this was the period when his humour knew no bounds and politically correct wasn't even a term. Pryor went straight for the jugular in terms of getting a laugh, and if that meant brutal honesty, all the better. Nothing or no one was out of his sight range, black people, white people, uptight folks, liberals, and of course, himself, especially himself. Everything was up for grabs and in his own way he would put a spotlight on the numerous injustices bestowed on the poor and the minorities struggling to survive in the richest country in the world. However, his popularity was so huge, stretching right across the board, that it was deemed appropriate to give Pryor a TV special, which eventually would be turned into a variety TV series.

'The Richard Pryor Show' would be a short lived affair, running for only 4 episodes. Pryor wanted (and expected) complete creative control of his own show, but unfortunately that was not to be. His variety show truly was ground breaking in television, using comedy sketches, song and dance and monlogues to show front and centre to the TV audience the plight of the underdog, and some of the subject matter, especially to do with sex, was felt far too risque for the network, and so feeling shackled by their restraints, Pryor walked away from the program, with his respect in tact. The 4 shows are now on US DVD and are well worth owning. Some fantastic moments can be found. For instance, this amazing sketch featuring Maya Angelou. It begins with Pryor as Willie the drunk guy in a bar (Watch out for the late John Belushi as the bartender), then the scene changes to Willie getting home to his wife, played by Maya Angelou, and passing out. After a comical start, the scene suddenly becomes real and sober when Maya delivers a monologue (written by herself) to her husband which is both moving and extremely profound. Ms Angelou gives emotional weight which is quite impressive. A fabulous moment with two of my idols together on screen. Savour this gem...

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'breaking bad' alternate ending - hal's bad dream!

11/17/2013

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PictureBryan Cranston
Actor Bryan Cranston has just finished his Emmy Award winning stint of playing Walter White, the chemistry teacher who became the ultimate 'bad man' in the groundbreaking epic TV drama 'Breaking Bad', but this exceptional performer has not forgotten his comic roots. Before the temptation of cooking meth in New Mexico, Cranston displayed his 'funny bones' talent on such successful shows as 'Seinfeld' where he played Tim Whatley, the dentist who it seems changed his religion to Judaism simply so he could make anti-Jewish jokes and Tim, the obnoxious neighbour to the Heffernans in 'The King Of Queens'. However he really made a dent in the psyche of TV viewers as Hal, the lovable, but foolish father in the smash hit 'Malcolm In The Middle', which ran from 2000-2006.

Now Cranston has brought Hal back to life in a very clever, funny and unique manner. He has filmed an alternative ending to 'Breaking Bad' in which it appears all 5 harrowing seasons of the show were in fact a very bad dream experienced by his 'Malcolm In The Middle' character. This scene is made even more enjoyable and believable with the inclusion of the very funny actress Jane Kaczmarek, who played Lois, Hal's long suffering wife. Anyone who has travelled the whole nightmare-ish journey Walter White took over the course of 'Breaking Bad' will thoroughly appreciate and enjoy all the references made by Hal, and will love the final touch right at the end.



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'run' - fresh, new uk drama from new kids on the block

7/23/2013

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PictureThe four main characters whose individual stories overlap within 'Run'
Last week the UK broadcaster Channel 4 presented a multi-layered drama, shown over 4 consecutive nights dealing with the harsh realities of urban life in London. It was simply called 'Run' and it had me hooked from the first night to the last. All credit to Channel 4 who thought it wiser to grab the viewer by the throat going in and not allowing their attention to be diverted by waiting a week for the next installment. In reality 'Run' felt very much as if it were an epic 4 hour independent movie, chopped into sizeable pieces. The elements contained within varied from love story to straight up crime thriller, social commentary to at times a dark humour. With all of this bubbling to the surface at any given time, it gave the show a realism. In fact at times I found myself so engrossed with the stories I felt I was watching a documentary.

'Run' is set in Brixton and the surrounding area and this is where it was filmed. I knew the settings to be authentic as growing up in this part of the capital I immediately recognised many of the locations used. Each of the four characters featured in the show in some way or another have to 'run' from whatever situation they were in. Carol (played by Olivia Colman) is a single mother having to deal with two layabout sons who bring tragic grief to her door, Ying (played by Katie Leung) is an illegal Chinese immigrant who to pay off debts owed finds herself on the street trying to sell black market dvd's, Richard (played by Lennie James) is a street bum with a drinking problem, also an ex crack addict to boot  who is trying to re-connect with his daughter and finally we have Kasia (played by Katharina Schuttler), a Polish hospital cleaner involved with illegal marriages. On the face of it the impression given is one long depressing journey, however as I stated earlier, this is not the case. One minute you are witnessing a scene so distressing it makes you want to cry and then next moment you find yourself laughing at an absurd gesture or comment heard from one of the characters, not unlike real life.


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actor james gandolfini, tv's tony soprano dies at 51

6/20/2013

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This morning I awoke to the truly awful news that extremely talented American actor James Gandolfini had died of cardiac arrest, while on holiday in Italy, aged just 51. It hit me, as I'm sure Hollywood and beyond like a sickening blow to the stomach, seemingly coming out of nowhere. This large, burly man, who from all accounts was a kind and gentle soul possessed extraordinary acting skills which allowed true emotions and thoughts to be translated to the audience without the use of dialogue. His immense screen presence proved he could hold a scene with the skill and range to capitivate from a growl to a whisper. No more was this shown than as his portrayal of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano in the Emmy awarding winning HBO series, 'The Sopranos'

The crime based drama ran for 6 seasons (1999-2007) and during it's triumphant run deservedly won Gandolfini 3 Emmy Awards, 3 Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Golden Globe as Best Actor. He and the show both found huge success with critics and audiences worldwide. Indeed, only earlier this month the esteemed Writer's Guild Of America released a list, 'The 101 Best Written TV Series Of All Time' and 'The Sopranos' came out on top! This came as no surprise to me as I believe the show is the greatest TV drama ever, and in no small part must some of the credit go to James Gandolfini, whose central role of Tony Soprano held the whole epic saga together. Though outwardly it may have looked like just another ganagster show that depended on the body count to hold viewers to the story, 'The Sopranos' (created by David Chase) was an animal of a different sort, really a morality tale about a man juggling between his professional and personal life. It just so happened that his professional life involved the murky world of organised crime. As we followed this character we learned he was a very complex person, who although being quite easily capable of hideous acts of violence (both mental and physical), actually was not a monster, but loved his family and had decent values  hidden deep within himself. Gandolfini played Soprano with such skill that with all his faults on display, he made him human, therefore enabling you the viewer to at times actually identify with this ruthless killer.




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sesame street does 'mad men'

4/17/2013

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The real 'Mad Men'
Here's a little fun piece. The Emmy Award winning US TV drama 'Mad Men' recently returned to our screens for it's 6th (and penultimate) season. This expertly written and acted show that revolves around Madison Avenue advertising executives, set in the 60's has fast become one of my all time favourite television shows. The main anchor for this foray into the minds of American business and culture during one of the most challenging times in the country's history is the suave, dapper Don Draper, played by actor Jon Hamm. Overnight, his dashing good looks have swept women (world wide) off their feet, even though his TV character is far from being an angel. Guess it's true, those girls really do like the bad boys.

I recently read that Jon Hamm paid a visit to the iconic PBS children's TV show 'Sesame Street', which intrigued me so much I went looking for any other connection between 'Mad Men' and 'Sesame Street' and lo and behold I came across this little gem. Some time back the 'Sesame Street' gang did a very funny 'take' on this very adult show. I enjoyed it so much I thought I would share it with you.

For those ladies out there who can never get enough of Don Draper, I mean Jon Hamm, here is his very recent appearance on 'Sesame Street'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCE0M-icUY0

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jeffrey wright joins 'boardwalk empire'

3/7/2013

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Some exciting news has just reached my ears concerning the acclaimed theatre and film actor Jeffrey Wright. This accomplished man with an undeniable screen presence has already proven his worth both on stage and in front of the camera, first bursting onto the scene in 1994 when he appeared in the award winning Broadway play, 'Angels In America', for which he won a Tony award. Incidentially, I should add he was the only actor from the original stage production to appear in the 2003 HBO TV miniseries version, which starred Al Pacino and Meryl Streep. For his efforts he received both the Emmy and the Golden Globe for Best Supproting Actor.

Wright made a lasting impression in 1996 playing the New York street artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in the film 'Basquiat' where he appeared alongside Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman and David Bowie. From this he launched himself into several high profile movies including John Singleton's remake of 'Shaft' (which I felt had a terrible script but showed Wright to be the powerhouse actor that he is), the Muhammad Ali biopic, 'Ali' and the story of Chess Records, 'Cadillac Records' where he played blues legend Muddy Waters. His knack for playing real life characters paid off in dividends when he portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King in the 2001 TV movie, 'Boycott'. So impressive was his performance that he received the Actor Of The Year award in a miniseries or movie from the American Film Institute
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al pacino is phil spector!!

2/6/2013

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Renowned record producer Phil Spector is currently lauguishing in jail, convicted in 2009 (after a mistrail in 2003) of second degree murder of actress Lana Clarkson. This eccentric figure made his mark on the pop music world back in the 1960's with his trademark 'wall of sound'  which he gave to such r&b groups as The Ronettes. His unique style helped to create Ike & Tina Turner's classic record, 'River Deep, Mountain High'. Later on he worked with The Beatles, John Lennon and The Ramones. Known for his odd behaviour and his extensive range of wigs, it came as no shock to some people when he was arrested for shooting dead Clarkson. Spector was eventually sentenced to 19 years in prison.
The US TV cable company HBO have produced a film, simply called 'Phil Spector', detailing the events leading up to his conviction. The project is written and directed by leading American playwright David Mamet and executive produced by 'Rain Man' director Barry Levinson. It stars the one and only Al Pacino (in another one of his very rare TV roles) as Spector with the talented Helen Mirren as his lawyer. HBO have just released a trailer for 'Phil Spector' before it's airing in the US on Sunday 24th March 2013. From the look of what's on offer, this could well be an interesting look inside the mind of someone who's been called both genius and madman.
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volkswagen super bowl 2013 commercial

1/31/2013

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 America's biggest sporting event of the year, Super Bowl 2013 is coming up this Sunday. So of course with the viewing audience being the largest of the year all the major companies have got their special ads lined up to entertain everybody during those all important commercial breaks. This year car manufacturer Volkswagen have produced a doosy of an ad which has already been labelled by some as racist towards Jamaica and black people in general. In fairness, I must point out that the official line from Jamaica is they love it, as do I. To me it's just plain funny. Also, for your information, the song used is the theme song from the old 70's David Cassidy led 'Patridge Family' TV show. It's called 'C'mon Get Happy' and it's sung by the one and only Jimmy Cliff. Take a look and you judge for yourself.
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    EON IRVING

     DJ, Remixer, Producer, Writer
    Involved in the music business since the very late 70's Beginning work at Island Records. DJing since the early 80's both in London and abroad, including the US and Europe. Along the way performing at many high profile events for such luminaries as Prince, Public Enemy and Lennox Lewis.
    Aside from radio and club djing, remixing and production work in the recording studio has meant working with the likes of Loose Ends, Junior Giscombe, David Morales, Gwen Guthrie, Sly & Robbie, Maxie Priest and Madonna.
    An intense lifelong love of cinema has blossomed itself in several ways including presenting to the UK public for the very first time such films as 'Boyz In The Hood', 'House Party' and 'A Rage In Harlem'.
    My passion for music, cinema and all other interests manifests itself through my writing. I am also a Contributing Editor for the music and entertainment website magazine, DeeperThe Beats  www.deeperthebeats.com



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