Allegations against Will Smith - 12.26.2007.1

So I’ve read the response of Will Smith on the allegation that he claimed “Hitler was a good guy”. It is complete idiocy. How someone can come to that conclusion is beyond comprehension to me.

Let’s take the actual quote made by Will Smith.

“Even Hitler didn't wake up going, 'let me do the most evil thing I can do today.' I think he woke up in the morning and using a twisted, backwards logic, he set out to do what he thought was 'good.’”

Now when you think about that, I find it hard to see that as an endorsement. You really have to reach to come to any conclusion that is positive about Hitler. Add to that fact that Mr. Smith is an actor, and a very good one.

I do not know how many times I’ve heard actors discuss the motivations of their characters. From Forest Whitaker discussing playing Idi Amin, to Denzel Washington discussing his crooked cop in Training Day, to Gary Oldman in the Fifth Element or The Professional. You can go on and on, but the consistent thought has always been that an actor needs to find what motivates their character. And for the bad guys it’s often that the character does not see their actions as bad or evil. Often that character views their actions as a positive, either for themselves or the world at large.

This applies to the Will Smith lead character Neville in I am Legend. For those that are not familiar with the original book, or the prior 3 movies, Neville is the bad guy. He is the monster in the night that kills people in their sleep. He is the Dracula, or Frankenstein’s monster. He is the thing under the bed. Net result, he is the bad guy that the people of the world fear, and speak of in legends and ghost stories late at night.

But Neville does not realize this, and the audience is not given that perspective until the end of the movie and book. It’s a perspective few films take on, and it changes the view of the world and our traditional views of it.

Thus in looking at the motivation of the character, and preparation of the role the actor must look at it in a manner where you would say “he set out to do what is good.” And there are far too many real life figures that did the same. Vlad the Impaler (who is a positive figure in his native land), Genghis Khan, the first emperor of China, Idi Amin, Alexander the Great, and yes Hitler all thought they were improving the world. That fact that they were repulsive, to at least parts of the world if not all the world, does not change their motivations. To say this is not to endorse their actions but to state a truth of their mind set, and a motivation for actors portraying them.

So when a writer states, immediately before Mr. Smith’s quote,

“Remarkably, Will believes everyone is basically good.”

That is out of context and an insult to Mr. Smith. It’s an attempt to sensationalize a common acting tool and a historical truth. It’s a twisting of words for the monetary gain, and an attempt at international fame for the gratification of the Daily Record writer. And it offends me.

There is no reason to slap the image and personal character of Will Smith. It’s an affront I have never seen made of any other actor. I have heard dozens of actors of note that have made similar statements when portraying questionable or reviled characters. None have ever been accused of promoting the base nature of the character they portray.

You have never heard say Kevin Kline advocating animal cruelty or violence (Fish Called Wanda), or Al Pacino advocating devil worship (The Devil’s Advocate). How about Al Pacino being a role model for cocaine use (Scarface), Sir Anthony Hopkins being Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs), or Henry Fonda as an assassin for hire (Once Upon a Time in the West). Of course not. To claim such a thing is ridiculous. But if you look at each character you can see where they have a motivation that is positive (from the bad guys perspective) and that makes the character engaging and deeper.

Some might say this is a racial thing. I feel it’s more an American thing, and a rich thing. Will Smith is a successful American, and Black. Overseas there are many that would love to poke at Americans, and the wealthy. The additional fact that Mr. Smith is African American is just another bonus. It’s a trifecta for a mean-spirited and self-aggrandizing writer. And it has no place in fact or criticism of Mr. Smith and his acting ability.

If anyone believes that Will Smith advocates or excuses the actions of Hitler, they are far too small minded to understand actors portraying roles or the difference of a personal motivation and the actual effect of those actions. It would appear that the Daily Record employs such a writer. I feel bad for the readers of that publication as they are being given a disservice.

I can only hope that the American major media stand by Will Smith, and recognize the insulting and defamatory nature of this writing in the Daily Record. And I ask the Daily Record print an apology to Mr. Smith for the actions their writer and editor allowed to appear in their publication. It’s the least they can do.

Previews of 2008 films - 11.30.2007.1

Recently I was in the movies watching the Hitman movie and of course before the film there were several trailers. One of the trailers was for the new Will Smith film I Am Legend. I think that will be a good remake, this is the 4th reiteration of the film. I’ve spoken about this film before.

But there were 2 other trailers that also caught my attention. Both have A-list stars in them, and in each one of those stars is also African American. Both are Sci-fi films, and as longtime readers know I love comic books, video games and scifi. (Yes I’m a bit of a geek) But the big differences in the 2 films are the date they will be coming out and the quality of the films. One will bomb almost assuredly, the other should do well as long as it’s not up against Iron Man.

I’ll start with the worst and go to the best.

Jumper is trash. Not only did I get that impression from the trailer, but it is confirmed when the trailer states the movie will be out in mid-February. The worst of films almost always start off the year and appear between the middle of January thru February. It’s a dead time, with only a slight break for romance movies targeting the Valentine’s Day holiday. But romance movies don’t bring in the money.

This film has several fatal flaws. They are so big even Mr. Samuel Jackson can’t save the film with his presence. The big problem? They went for CGI heavy effects and forgot about the plot, and you can’t blame this on the writers strike. As you can see in the clip, the main character is a X-men-esque type with the power to jump from anyplace in the world to any other. Ok. Anything he holds onto goes with him. OK. So when he jumps to some other place in the world how can a rope catch him half a world away and pull him back? The rope was after the fact, and once it went through shouldn’t Mr. Jackson be pulled to the kid? Sci-fi films that rip off good ideas for quick bucks on a gimmick tend to fail. So will this I bet. See for yourself.



On the other end of the spectrum we have a more action based film with sci fi elements. WANTED looks to do quite well. It has Mr. Morgan Freeman (as a headmaster assassin – a bit different if he really is a bad guy), and the lovely Mrs. Angelina Jolie. It a movie about top assassins, so good that the laws of physics fail. [Yes a Matrix rip off, but it looks like they paid for a plot too] Our everyday guy, turned super killer looks plain vanilla enough. The chance for massive gunfights with really hi-tech guns seems excellent. And Mrs. Jolie looks great in those outfits.



Neither film will win an Oscar, granted. But my money says that WANTED is a winner, and Jumper will only look like a strong film when compared to Redacted or Lions for Lambs (the theme of both I hate, and happy to see them burning up in red tape).

Well you know what I think, what do you think of them. Which does better? And I still say Iron Man is the early leader for best blockbuster, and overall best film, of the year 2008.

Iron Man, Dark Knight, Darfur Now, I Am Legend and more movie previews Part 2 - 11.3.2007.2

Continued from Iron Man, Dark Knight, Hitman and more movie previews Part 1...

Then there are the films that are seriously interesting. Most notably is the film Darfur Now.



I am a fan of this film. I support the call to action that people like Mr. Don Cheadle and others have been championing for years. I am angered by the failure of the United States to address or act in behalf of the people being killed in Darfur. This movie deserves to be seen. Not because it is a fantasy, or escapism, but because it is real and we can do something about it. The major media has failed to address this. Politicians have stuck their heads in the sand about this. Even ultra-liberals fail to discuss this, let alone having had this as part of a single Presidential debate to my knowledge. Watch this film and then do something. Or just do something. Seriously.

Another film for the holiday season goes in a very different direction. A family oriented film, The Ten Commandments will be brought back to the theaters. This is a remake of the classic Charleston Heston film. But the difference this time is that it will be animated. Similar to the Heston classic the voice actors are a group of renowned actors including Mr. Christian Slater (as Moses), Mr. Ben Kingsley, and Mr. Alfred Molina.

Sadly after so many years we still don’t get a decent racial diversity in the telling of this story. The characters may look Black, as they should, but the voices are solidly not. I will never get over how in the Heston Classic, which is well done, everyone except Yul Bryner is White. Now it seems that in this animated film we will have virtually no one that is African or Black, yet this is happening in Egypt.

Oh, add to that the fact that it will also probably be dumbed-down as it is targeted to children. Still the artwork is quite good, and the story it is based on is quite good. And the actors are well up to the task, if not a diverse group. It will easily make $100 million, but the quality I’m not so sure of.

Not to be forgotten is the Will Smith lead remake I Am Legend. I’ve already spoken about it but here is that trailer now. It should do well, and the storyline is quite good. Good enough to have been made into 3 different versions over the years. Definitely a winner.



Of course if this is all too high a quality, you can always watch Harold & Kumar 2 or Fred Claus. But I wouldn’t advise it.

On the far horizon, keep an eye out got Hulk 2 (pray they don’t have Eric Bana in it, and they get a real story), Captain America (now who will play that enigmatic role?), and Wolverine. Not to mention the next installment of Star Trek with the young versions of Spock, Kirk, Bones and the rest of the crew.

Winning Awards in 2008? - 6.11.2007.2

There were 2 very interesting movie previews that can be seen before Ocean’s 13, and I’m looking forward to both. Not much has been said about either of these movies, but I expect a lot more buzz to arrive as their release time approaches. One film stars Mr. Will Smith, the other Mr. Don Cheadle.

The film with Mr. Don Cheadle is Talk To Me. It’s a film based on the real life of Mr. Ralph “Petey” Greene. From the clip we can quickly see that the film takes place around the late 60’s to early 70’s. It’s a volatile time in America, the Viet Nam war and riots over race and equality are leading the change in everyday life. Mr. Greene is an ex-con, who gets to work as a radio DJ.


In a way he is similar to the character played by Mr. Robin Williams in Good Morning Viet Nam, that is he is direct, humorous, and anything but the status quo. There are 2 great lines from the theatrical trailer that stick in my mind. The first is the character Mr. Greene telling the listening audience,

“I am a recovering alcoholic. I’ve been sober… 5 hours…”

The other line is even better. Mr. Cheadle as Petey states,

“I am about to introduce a pimp that I wouldn’t let was my car, but you [N-word] saw fit to elect him your mayor.”

[For those who are to young to know, being called a pimp in the 70’s was not a compliment. It meant its actual meaning, an unsavory and untrustworthy individual. Suffice to say, the statement was not a compliment.] These lines may not catch you, but when you see the trailer you will understand why they stand out. Expect to hear a great deal about Mr. Cheadle’s performance in this.


The other film, coming out later in the year, is I Am Legend. Its star is Mr. Will Smith and the film is a remake. Actually this is the 3rd version of the film, which is derived from a book by Mr. Richard Matheson. The depiction of the trauma in New York City reflects the somber story and images from its predecessor films.

For those film buffs out there you may recall [potential spoiler alert – the links may give away the plot of the new film] The Last Man on Earth with the remarkable Mr. Vincent Price. A classic film, in black and white, that doesn’t get enough attention these days. Others may be more familiar with the cult film The Omega Man with Mr. Charlton Heston. Both films are based on the same storyline as the up-coming version.

There is little I can say about the film without giving away vital elements. What I will say is that there are many compelling elements to this story, depending on how it is developed. There is a stark harshness, and reality in the film that did not exist when the first 2 versions were made some 30+ years ago. The theatrical trailer fills you with a deep sense of loneliness, loss and painful change. That is the heart of the films.

I can only hope that several elements of the Mr. Vincent Price original, particularly the last 15 minutes, are incorporated in this latest version. There is no question that aspects of the Mr. Charlton Heston remake will carry through, conveying more of a chance for special effects. Given what may be a sparse first half of the film, I expect Mr. Smith’s acting ability to shine brightly.

As many know I generally don’t like the trend of remakes and re-visioning that has enveloped Hollywood. Most films that have been re-done are virtually absent any of the qualities that made the original films worth watching. Often the original remains far superior to the remake. One example would be the re-make of Halloween, the original had scares and intensity without ever showing a drop of blood. I severely doubt its remake will capture the same qualities and will have lavish amounts of blood, much to its loss. Considering the quality of Mr. Smith, and the nature of the prior films, I think this will be an exception to the rule of how bad Hollywood does re-makes these days.

As I mentioned above, the trailers caught my attention as well as all in the theaters. Both leading men are known for their ability and choice of quality films. I’ll even go so far as to say that critical nods will probably go to both performances, based on what I have seen. I’m going out on a limb but mark my words, one or both films will be up for an award. Now that I’ve said that, see the films and see if I’m right. If I am wrong I will mention it, I hope though that my first impression is correct.

This is what I think, what do you think?