Kathleen McGhee-Anderson, showrunner on "Lincoln Heights," started writing television in the late 1970s. A Columbia U. grad with a master's in filmmaking, she was predisposed to write drama, but Hollywood mostly offered her African-American sitcoms instead.
"There was a very narrow window of opportunity and a very narrow prism through which we were viewed as writers of color," McGhee-Anderson recalls.
Thirty years later, in an era in which stereotypes are being smashed for actors and in the nat…
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Added by Tony Lankford on June 10, 2009 at 5:42pm —
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Predictably ratcheted up a few notches from the original 1974 film and cloaked in contemporary sociological relevance, "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" is an efficiently reworked version of a tense, ticking-clock suspense story. More than anything a fascinating portrait of how much New York has changed in 35 years, the film delivers the goods in excitement and big-star charisma, with the contrasting low-key and cranked-up acting styles of Denzel Washington and John Travolta playing off one another n…
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Added by Tony Lankford on June 10, 2009 at 5:39pm —
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Arguably the most innocuous pic of Eddie Murphy's career to date, "Imagine That" is an undemandingly pleasant, mildly amusing fantasy in which nothing -- not even those elements that actually define it as a fantasy -- is ever allowed to get of hand. Arriving amid the summertime cavalcade of comedies suffused with raunchy tomfoolery, it may be greeted as a godsend by parents who want to spend an afternoon at the megaplex with their preteen daughters. It's difficult to imagine, however, that this…
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Added by Tony Lankford on June 10, 2009 at 5:32pm —
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ABC will pace its fall launch over the first few weeks of the season, taking advantage of “Dancing With the Stars” to get things rolling.
Net kicks off the first official night of the 2009-10 season, Sept. 21, with its normal Monday sked: the two-hour premiere of “Dancing With the Stars” and the return of “Castle.”
The following night (Sept. 22), a second two-hour “Dancing” will lead into the launch of frosh skein “The Forgotten.” Regular 8 p.m. entry “Shark Tank” will bow the following week, S…
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Added by Tony Lankford on June 10, 2009 at 5:30pm —
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WMCN-DT Channel 44 is an independent full-power UHF DTV station licensed to Atlantic City, New Jersey and assigned to the Philadelphia TV market.
Lenfest broadcasting, LLC, the licensee of WMCN is dedicated to providing an “independent voice” in the Philadelphia television market. WMCN’s programming schedule features a variety of religious, entertainment, community affairs, children’s and response television programs.
Lenfest Broadcasting, LLC is affiliated with Lenfest Media Group, a Pennsylv…
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Added by Tony Lankford on June 10, 2009 at 5:21pm —
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MiND: Media Independence is the newest initiative of Independence Media, the non-profit organization which owns and operates WYBE Channel 35 in Philadelphia, PA. In 1990, WYBE debuted as one of the nation’s only independent public TV stations. WYBE has served its community with international news, documentaries, and unique programs on diverse topics.
In 2005, Independence Media started developing MiND, a new multi-platform television and internet channel. Deeply rooted in WYBE’s local and globa…
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Added by Tony Lankford on June 10, 2009 at 5:17pm —
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Milla has played Joan of Arc, a supreme being, and a genetically transformed superweapon and/or savior, but this year she’s kicking butt in a more down-to-earth way, in MGM’s The Perfect Getaway, in which she plays a terrorized honeymooner who strikes back, and in The 4th Kind, a…
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Added by Tony Lankford on May 20, 2009 at 7:34am —
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By Paul Haber
If you're lucky and you've been around a while, you'll invariably know a few casting directors who've become fans and call you in for auditions all the time. But what happens when the love ends? It can occur for any number of reasons, but the irony, according to the CDs I spoke with, is that most actors are oblivious to how their own actions can adversely affect a CD's day. And that behavior can get an actor blackballed from a casting office. I spoke with two commercial casting dir…
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Added by Tony Lankford on March 20, 2009 at 1:04pm —
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In many ways, I'm precisely the kind of movie fan J.J. Abrams' big-budget Star Trek reboot will need to attract in order to be a hit. While I love science fiction, I've never been much of a Trekkie (or Trekker, if you prefer). I've watched bits and pieces of Gene Roddenberry's original series and its various spin-offs, and seen only two of the feature films, Wrath of Khan and First Contact, in their entirety, and while I generally liked what I saw, I was never inspired to join the ranks of the S…
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Added by Tony Lankford on February 25, 2009 at 4:33pm —
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The latest featurette for Star Trek revealed by MTV shows a few behind-the-scenes shots and short interviews from the cast that really show the love to director J.J. Abrams. If the cast's fawning over Abrams doesn't get you excited, how about this from Abrams himself:
"When they asked me to be involved with 'Star Trek,' I realized it was an opportunity to do everything I love in one movie."
Tom Cruise
So, Star Trek's filled with giant monsters, time traveling islands, and Tom Cruise?
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Added by Tony Lankford on February 25, 2009 at 4:29pm —
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Remember those late '80s commercials where a victorious athlete would exclaim "I'm going to Disneyland"? Well, that ad campaign could be recast with the young stars of Slumdog Millionaire.
Following the movie's Oscar sweep, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar (who plays middle Latika), Madhur Mittal (older Salim), Azhar Mohammed Ismail (young Salim), Ayush Mahesh Khedekar (young Jamal), Rubina Ali (young Latika), Tanay Hemant Chheda (middle Jamal) and Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala (middle Salim) visited Disneyland on…
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Added by Tony Lankford on February 25, 2009 at 4:25pm —
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(Cue Don LaFontaine voiceover) In a world...
where studios once made Cecil B. DeMille-sized epics and independents cobbled together pictures on a shoestring and a cash advance comes gatecrashing, globetrotting Babel.
Just how is last year's co-financed arthouse affair an "independent" film if it makes The Ten Commandments look like a kitchen-sink drama? Not long ago there was no such thing as an "indie studio." Things have changed.
Sure, back in the 1990s the six major studios owned specialty…
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Added by Tony Lankford on September 19, 2007 at 4:52pm —
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Like it or not, Michael Bay is a successful moviemaker. His films make obscene amounts of money, which in turn allows him to continue to practice his craft, a fairly reliable definition of success. Recently he has become a lightning rod for criticism on all aspects of his work, with an entire song devoted to him (Why does Michael Bay Keep Getting to Make Movies? in 2004's Team America: World Police. He's a guy that people really love to hate. His movies are considered bloated, heavy on effects a…
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Added by Tony Lankford on September 19, 2007 at 4:48pm —
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David Cronenberg has had a long and interesting career. While most of his movies have been labeled “cult” fare (and not for the general public), his most recent pictures have begun changing that image. His last film, A History of Violence, was well received and featured such non-Cronenberg staples as a straightforward narrative and no weird monsters. His latest project, Eastern Promises, will further this idea of a “new Cronenberg.”
Not that there was anything wrong with the old Cronenberg, who…
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Added by Tony Lankford on September 19, 2007 at 4:42pm —
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Many of us have made films (short films, long films) and we take great pride in saying, “I made that.” But did we really? We say we’re “directors.” We say we “make films.” We may even call ourselves “moviemakers.” But what do we really do?
Think about it: You had a script, maybe you wrote it, and you decided to turn it into a film. You found some money and then you began the process. You worked with the writer, found yourself a producer, hired or begged for the services of a cinematogra-pher, p…
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Added by Tony Lankford on September 19, 2007 at 4:38pm —
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John Cassavetes and Orson Welles were both individuals who tried to function within the system and learned that they couldn't. It wasn't a choice with them, or with those of us who have followed in their footsteps. After my third film, Sitting Ducks, achieved a certain bit of success (which followed my being unable to get anyone to see my first two films, A Safe Place and Tracks), I was approached by the producer of one of the big commercial hits of the time to see if I would direct "two-thirds"…
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Added by Tony Lankford on September 19, 2007 at 4:13pm —
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On Learning
There is no greater thing than to keep learning, and you do that when you have the opportunity to work with the most creative people in the world, as you do in the movie business.
On Being Serious
Taking yourself too seriously is the silliest thing you can do.
On Being a Director
It looks great from the outside, but, from the inside it’s quite intense. Be prepared to work very hard and sometimes under brutal conditions.
On Succeeding
If you really are going to be a director, the o…
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Added by Tony Lankford on September 19, 2007 at 4:07pm —
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Nothing matters but the characters and the acting.
As a production designer, I would put so much effort into making the set perfect and then I would watch some movies I had done and realize none of it mattered. There are a lot of films with great sets, but we don’t care to watch them if the story and the characters aren’t compelling.
Always concentrate on what you’re doing.
No matter what happens on the set—who’s having a bad day, whether two actors are fighting or the studio doesn’t want you…
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Added by Tony Lankford on September 19, 2007 at 4:06pm —
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Every where I look I see someone with a video camera.
Small large,medium. it's every where.
When will it stop?
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Added by Tony Lankford on September 19, 2007 at 8:12am —
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