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Thursday, June 25, 2009
Found video / CL-TV Originals When Michael Jackson was cool
Posted By Carlton Hargro on Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 8:29 PM
Dunno if you heard the news, but Michael Jackson is dead. I write that with a lot of sarcasm because by now, everybody has heard the news. And it is sad news.
Now, from a musical perspective, the saddest aspect of his death is that the guy died being known as a weirdo.
I mean, if you're 25 years old, or even 30, and under you probably only know Mike as an eccentric, alleged child molester with bleached skin and an addiction to plastic surgery. But back before all that shit, Mike was really one of the most incredible soul/R&B performers ever.
I'm talkin' back before even Thriller.
I was born and raised in Jackson's hometown of Gary, Ind., so growing up I heard a lot about the guy. We'd drive by his house and kind of laugh at the weirdness that such a legendary icon was from our town. Him appearing on shows like Soul Train and Motown 25 was a big deal for folks in the city. And, taking a look back at some of those old performances, you can see that Jackson's vocal skills and dancing abilities were — even today — ahead of its time.
I guess I can't describe how amazing the dude was with words, so I found some video clips — arranged in no particular order — to illustrate my point. Forget the cheese of his later years, and listen to the vocals and arrangements. Fuck "pop." This is real soul music:
And here's the last one live from Gary. Rest in peace Mike:
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Found video / CL-TV Originals RuPaul's made-for-TV movies
Posted By Carlton Hargro on Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 4:02 PM
So, you may know that RuPaul is coming to Charlotte this week. But you may not know that everyone's favorite drag queen got her start starring in bizarre made-for-TV movies that aired on public access. Check out a few of said films right here:
Movie Trailers / CL-TV Originals The Proposal: Worth considering
Posted By Web Editor on Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 11:23 AM
By Matt Brunson
THE PROPOSAL
**1/2
DIRECTED BY Anne Fletcher
STARS Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds
After the stereotypical rom-com inanities of 27 Dresses, director Anne Fletcher partially redeems herself — as both an able filmmaker and a progressive woman — with her latest effort, The Proposal. Working with debuting screenwriter Pete Chiarelli, she’s managed to put out a picture that paints its heroine in one-dimensional strokes only part of the time.
True, The Proposal depicts protagonist Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) in the same manner as most Hollywood flicks (see New in Town for another recent example): Because she’s a career woman, she has no time for friends, lovers, hobbies or, apparently, even a rascally Rabbit (the battery-powered kind, that is). She’s a ruthless, soulless workaholic, and the only reason Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) works as her assistant at a New York publishing house is because he figures it’s a good career move. But when it looks as if Margaret will get shipped back to her Canadian homeland because of an expired visa, it appears as if his future will similarly get derailed. Margaret, though, has a plan: Force Andrew to marry her so that she can remain in the country. He reluctantly agrees, and they spend a long weekend in his Alaskan hometown so she can win over his parents (Mary Steenburgen and Craig T. Nelson) and 90-year-old grandmother (Betty White).
That these two will eventually fall for each other will come as a surprise to absolutely no one — not even your own 90-year-old grandmother — yet the predictability of the plot isn’t a detriment, since the film fits as comfortably around our expectations as a favorite old robe hugs our frame. And while the picture occasionally goes out of its way to make Bullock’s character a ninny, the actress refuses to let the role manhandle her, and she and the ever-charming Reynolds work well together. Furthermore, their characters’ relationship is rare in that it offers an older woman-younger man hookup that’s generally a nonentity in mainstream fare (Bullock’s 44 while Reynolds’ 32) and then goes the extra mile by never making their age difference a running, tittering gag at Margaret’s expense.
Unfortunately, Fletcher and Chiarelli can’t help but go for the easy, imbecilic laugh at several key junctures, and the film even stoops so low as to include one of those cringe-worthy moments in which a person declares his devotion to his beloved in front of a crowd of people — honestly, has this ever happened in real life, or do I simply hang out in the wrong coffeehouses/offices/parks/stores? Still, this Proposal has enough merit to warrant some consideration.
Movie Trailers / CL-TV Originals Year One, Quality Zero
Posted By Christian Yoder on Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 11:22 AM
By Matt Brunson
Biblical times were milked for raunchy but riotous laughs in Mel Brooks’ History of the World: Part I and Monty Python’s Life of Brian, but the well seems to have run dry when it comes to Year One, a disastrous comedy that’s the cinematic equivalent of an old-fashioned flogging.
Click here for the full review.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Found video / CL-TV Originals A collection of Iranian protest videos
Posted By Christian Yoder on Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 3:29 PM
As the struggle for power in Iran continues, street protests have remained steady. Here are some clips of protests that have taken place since the disputed elections on the 12th of June.
The final clip is a video that has been making headlines, as the victim, Neda, has become a symbol of solidarity for Iranian reformists.
Friday, June 19, 2009
CL-TV Originals A chat with Corey Smith
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 3:28 PM
Check out this interview music editor Jeff Hahne did with acoustic rocker Corey Smith backstage at The Fillmore Charlotte. His show tonight is the opener for the newly opened venue at the NC Music Factory.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Found video / CL-TV Originals 'I'm gonna take this right foot ...'
Posted By Carlton Hargro on Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 3:51 PM
Whatchu know about Billy Jack? Hippie/Native American/kung fu cinema at its best!
Movie Trailers / CL-TV Originals Tyson: Thug life
Posted By Christian Yoder on Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 1:37 PM
By Matt Brunson
As far as documentaries go, Tyson is a crock. Director James Toback is an acknowledged friend of former boxing great Mike Tyson, so for 90 minutes, he turns on his camera and allows the man to speak at length about his troubled life, both in and out of the ring. There are no other participants, no other voices to support or oppose whatever Tyson says -- even Toback himself refuses to ask any pressing questions.
For the full review, click here.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Movie Trailers / CL-TV Originals Derailed: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Posted By Christian Yoder on Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 1:37 PM
One of the many delights tied to the 1974 drama The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is that it's a New York picture down to its Big Apple core. Between a principal cast comprised almost exclusively by NYC natives (apparently, birth certificates were required at the auditions), screenwriter Peter Stone capturing the colorful colloquialism without lapsing into parody, and director Joseph Sargent never downplaying the grit and grime that defined the city during its most notorious decade, this film-buff favorite benefits as much from its pungency as from its nifty plot in which four men hijack a subway car and holds its passengers for ransom.
For Matt Brunson's full review, click here.
Monday, June 15, 2009
CL-TV Originals Street Talk!: U.S. Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor
Posted By Christian Yoder on Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 1:41 PM
