Exclusive: MPI Original Films and BET have added to the cast of their feature Kemba, inspired by the life of criminal justice reform advocate Kemba Smith, with Michelle Hurd (Star Trek: Picard), Sean Patrick Thomas (Till), Siddiq Saunderson (Wu-Tang: An American Saga) and June Carryl (Helstrom) signing on for roles. Nesta Cooper will lead the cast of the film directed by Kelley Kali, which is currently shooting in Atlanta, as previously announced.
The upcoming film follows Kemba (Cooper) as a young college student who falls in love with a man, only to learn he is a drug kingpin who leads her down a path of abuse and manipulation, placing her in the middle of the government’s “war on drugs,” and ultimately landing her in federal prison. While Hurd and Thomas will play Kemba’s loving parents Odessa and Gus, details as to Saunderson and Carryl’s roles haven’t been disclosed.
The upcoming film follows Kemba (Cooper) as a young college student who falls in love with a man, only to learn he is a drug kingpin who leads her down a path of abuse and manipulation, placing her in the middle of the government’s “war on drugs,” and ultimately landing her in federal prison. While Hurd and Thomas will play Kemba’s loving parents Odessa and Gus, details as to Saunderson and Carryl’s roles haven’t been disclosed.
- 11/4/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Cleopatra Entertainment has obtained the North American distribution rights to Get Gone, a thriller starring Lin Shaye (Insidious franchise), Rico E. Anderson (Apple TV+‘s Truth Be Told), Robert Miano (Girls Trip), Adam Bitterman (Chicago P.D.), and Weston Cage Coppola (Lord of War). Written and directed by first-timer Michael Thomas Daniel, the plot centers on a group of Internet hoax busters on a team-building retreat led by a local outdoor guide (Bitterman). Things quickly go sideways when the hoax team crosses paths with the backwoods Maxwell family who’s currently warring with an invasive drilling company. And once the hoax team’s hidden agenda comes to light, things get much worse. Bailey Coppola, Bradley Stryker, and Emily Shenaut also co-star. The pic will be released theatrically in NY, La, and Ohio on January 24 followed by a VOD release on January 28, as well as a DVD/ Blu-Ray...
- 1/15/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Doug Spearman, writer/director of Hot Guys With Guns
With a title like Hot Guys With Guns, the gay action comedy has been getting attention on the film festival circuit and for good reason. Taking elements of film noir, buddy comedies and a dash of gay romance, writer/director Doug Spearman has crafted a layered story that follows two exes, Danny (Marc Anthony Samuel) and Pip (Brian McArdle) as they try to solve a West Hollywood crime ring. Of course, the two men are also trying to solve the matter of their hearts as lingering feelings from their past relationship are just as paramount as the clues they’re searching for to solve the crime.
The film, which also deftly sends up Hollywood, gay culture and race, screens at the 31st Annual Outfest Lgbt Film Festival in Los Angeles this Friday, and brings a full circled-ness to the project since...
With a title like Hot Guys With Guns, the gay action comedy has been getting attention on the film festival circuit and for good reason. Taking elements of film noir, buddy comedies and a dash of gay romance, writer/director Doug Spearman has crafted a layered story that follows two exes, Danny (Marc Anthony Samuel) and Pip (Brian McArdle) as they try to solve a West Hollywood crime ring. Of course, the two men are also trying to solve the matter of their hearts as lingering feelings from their past relationship are just as paramount as the clues they’re searching for to solve the crime.
The film, which also deftly sends up Hollywood, gay culture and race, screens at the 31st Annual Outfest Lgbt Film Festival in Los Angeles this Friday, and brings a full circled-ness to the project since...
- 7/17/2013
- by Jim Halterman
- The Backlot
A surprisingly delightful family comedy starring Canadian funny man Harland Williams, Disney's "RocketMan" has plenty of slapstick and silly humor for kids, while its satire of the space program is inspired enough to engage their elders.
Looking to easily achieve orbit its opening weekend, director Stuart Gillard's often-hilarious space odyssey has a good chance to draw healthy crowds for several weeks and successfully complete its mission.
Playing a NASA software engineer who against all odds joins the crew of the first manned mission to Mars, Williams starts off in turbo-nerd mode and rarely slows down. Following in the footsteps of Pee-wee Herman and Ace Ventura, Williams' lead character has that oblivious-but-talkative geek personality that draws one into a very goofy scenario.
Much of the credit for "RocketMan"'s crowd-pleasing entertainment value goes to Williams, but Gillard, screenwriters Craig Mazin and Greg Erb and a shipshape supporting cast have a lot of fun spoofing NASA and such movies as "The Right Stuff" and "Apollo 13".
Not unlike the studio's surprise summer hit "George of the Jungle", "RocketMan" is continually saved from being swamped by juvenile humor with snappy lines and partly serious physical action. Not every gag works, of course, but there are more than enough that do, and the actual landing on and exploration of Mars is just convincing enough to make the final reels exciting.
Call it "The Nutty Astronaut". Fred Z. Randall (Williams) has programmed the computer for a Mars lander with glitches that come out in training. Called in to fix the problem, the star-struck Randall is soon a dark-horse candidate to join the mission, but he has to outperform and otherwise drive a rival (Blake Boyd) crazy in a wacky sequence of physical endurance tests.
With the help of a fatherly ex-astronaut (Beau Bridges), Randall wins the endorsement of the mission flight director (Jeffrey DeMunn) and NASA's big cheese (James Pickens Jr.). In a shuttle-like craft on its way to Mars, the lead causes havoc in the routines of his fellow travelers -- a straight-laced space veteran (William Sadler), a voluptuous mission specialist (Jessica Lundy) and Ulysses the chimp.
By the end, some audiences will be cheering as "RocketMan" gives Randall the chance to be a hero, win the girl, and save the mission. Along with homages to classic science-fiction cinema -- including a cute Fred Astaire-meets-Stanley Kubrick moment -- "RocketMan" is a winning combination of believable and fanciful visual styles.
The same can be said for Williams ("Down Periscope"), who animates his fairly plain person into a comic whirlwind, including several imitations and a horrific shriek in one memorable scene. Indeed, "RocketMan" is loaded with dumb but harmless stuff, and one is amazed that NASA was so cooperative.
Kudos to Gillard and crew. The well-realized production boasts superb cinematography by Steven Poster, nifty production design by Roy Forge Smith and super costumes by Daniel Orlandi.
ROCKETMAN
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures presents
In association with Caravan Pictures
A Roger Birnbaum/Gold/Miller production
A Stuart Gillard film
Director Stuart Gillard
Producer Roger Birnbaum
Screenwriters Craig Mazin, Greg Erb
Executive producers Jon Turteltaub, Oren Aviv, Jonathan Glickman
Director of photography Steven Poster
Production designer Roy Forge Smith
Editor William D. Gordean
Music Michael Tavera
Costume designer Daniel Orlandi
Casting Rick Montgomery, Dan Parada
Color/stereo
Cast:
Fred Z. Randall Harland Williams
Julie Ford Jessica Lundy
"Wild Bill" Overbeck William Sadler
Paul Wick Jeffrey DeMunn
Ben Stevens James Pickens Jr.
Bud Mesbitt Beau Bridges
Gordon A. Peacock Blake Boyd
Running time -- 94 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Looking to easily achieve orbit its opening weekend, director Stuart Gillard's often-hilarious space odyssey has a good chance to draw healthy crowds for several weeks and successfully complete its mission.
Playing a NASA software engineer who against all odds joins the crew of the first manned mission to Mars, Williams starts off in turbo-nerd mode and rarely slows down. Following in the footsteps of Pee-wee Herman and Ace Ventura, Williams' lead character has that oblivious-but-talkative geek personality that draws one into a very goofy scenario.
Much of the credit for "RocketMan"'s crowd-pleasing entertainment value goes to Williams, but Gillard, screenwriters Craig Mazin and Greg Erb and a shipshape supporting cast have a lot of fun spoofing NASA and such movies as "The Right Stuff" and "Apollo 13".
Not unlike the studio's surprise summer hit "George of the Jungle", "RocketMan" is continually saved from being swamped by juvenile humor with snappy lines and partly serious physical action. Not every gag works, of course, but there are more than enough that do, and the actual landing on and exploration of Mars is just convincing enough to make the final reels exciting.
Call it "The Nutty Astronaut". Fred Z. Randall (Williams) has programmed the computer for a Mars lander with glitches that come out in training. Called in to fix the problem, the star-struck Randall is soon a dark-horse candidate to join the mission, but he has to outperform and otherwise drive a rival (Blake Boyd) crazy in a wacky sequence of physical endurance tests.
With the help of a fatherly ex-astronaut (Beau Bridges), Randall wins the endorsement of the mission flight director (Jeffrey DeMunn) and NASA's big cheese (James Pickens Jr.). In a shuttle-like craft on its way to Mars, the lead causes havoc in the routines of his fellow travelers -- a straight-laced space veteran (William Sadler), a voluptuous mission specialist (Jessica Lundy) and Ulysses the chimp.
By the end, some audiences will be cheering as "RocketMan" gives Randall the chance to be a hero, win the girl, and save the mission. Along with homages to classic science-fiction cinema -- including a cute Fred Astaire-meets-Stanley Kubrick moment -- "RocketMan" is a winning combination of believable and fanciful visual styles.
The same can be said for Williams ("Down Periscope"), who animates his fairly plain person into a comic whirlwind, including several imitations and a horrific shriek in one memorable scene. Indeed, "RocketMan" is loaded with dumb but harmless stuff, and one is amazed that NASA was so cooperative.
Kudos to Gillard and crew. The well-realized production boasts superb cinematography by Steven Poster, nifty production design by Roy Forge Smith and super costumes by Daniel Orlandi.
ROCKETMAN
Buena Vista Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures presents
In association with Caravan Pictures
A Roger Birnbaum/Gold/Miller production
A Stuart Gillard film
Director Stuart Gillard
Producer Roger Birnbaum
Screenwriters Craig Mazin, Greg Erb
Executive producers Jon Turteltaub, Oren Aviv, Jonathan Glickman
Director of photography Steven Poster
Production designer Roy Forge Smith
Editor William D. Gordean
Music Michael Tavera
Costume designer Daniel Orlandi
Casting Rick Montgomery, Dan Parada
Color/stereo
Cast:
Fred Z. Randall Harland Williams
Julie Ford Jessica Lundy
"Wild Bill" Overbeck William Sadler
Paul Wick Jeffrey DeMunn
Ben Stevens James Pickens Jr.
Bud Mesbitt Beau Bridges
Gordon A. Peacock Blake Boyd
Running time -- 94 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 10/10/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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