TRASH IN MY EYE Reviews: Anthony Anderson

Showing posts with label Anthony Anderson. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Eight Disney Releases Earn a Combined 17 Wins at the 2021 NAACP Image Awards

Congratulations to Disney’s 2021 NAACP Image Awards Winners

The Walt Disney Company received 17 NAACP Image Awards for 2021, including eight for ABC, which marked the most for any network or distributor this year. The awards were announced during a special live broadcast of the 52nd NAACP Image Awards, hosted by Anthony Anderson, star of ABC’s black-ish, on Saturday, March 27, 2021 and as part of a weeklong NAACP Image Awards Virtual Experience that began Monday, March 22, 2021. As he kicked off the live event, Anderson said, “Tonight, we celebrate all that is amazing, outstanding and beautiful about our Blackness… Black people, we are amazing, limitless and remarkable.”

The NAACP Image Awards honor the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also recognize individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. This year’s nominees “have provided moments of levity, brought our communities together and lifted our spirits through culture when we needed it the most,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said when the nominations were announced in February.

ABC’s black-ish, which is currently in its seventh season on ABC, earned five NAACP Image Awards—more than any other show—including Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for Anderson and two awards for Marsai Martin, who was named Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series).

Disney General Entertainment Content also received NAACP Image awards for ABC’s Celebrity Family Feud and Disney Junior’s Doc McStuffins, which earned two apiece; Viola Davis, star of ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder, was named Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series; and FX’s The New York Times Presents “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” was honored as Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special).

In accepting her award, Davis thanked series creator Peter Nowalk, executive producer Shonda Rhimes and “the beautiful cast of How to Get Away with Murder,” which concluded in 2020 after a successful six-season run on ABC. “It was the joy and journey of my life to go on this ride with you,” Davis said and she credited Nowalk for “redefining what it means to be a leading lady, what it means to be a woman, what it means to be Black on network television.”

Four NAACP Image Awards went to Disney and Pixar’s Soul, which is streaming on Disney+, including Outstanding Animated Motion Picture and Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance—Motion Picture. The film’s music was honored with two awards for Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album and Outstanding Jazz Album—Instrumental. “Being able to tell a universal tale that explores the meaning of life through the prism of a Black man’s experiences was a special and incredible honor for all of us,” said Kemp Powers, co-director of Soul. “And though the details of all of our stories are very specific, the struggle to find meaning in our lives is universal.”

ESPN’s The Last Dance, which chronicled Michael Jordan and the 1997–98 Chicago Bulls, was named Outstanding Documentary (Television). Additionally, Hulu Originals’ Little Fires Everywhere received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series, which went to Attica Locke for her episode, “The Spider Web.”

Here is the full list of winners from across The Walt Disney Company:

black-ish (ABC)—5 awards

    Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: Anthony Anderson
    Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Deon Cole
    Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Marsai Martin
    Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series): Marsai Martin
    Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series: Anya Adams, “Hair Day”

Soul (Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Disney+ / Walt Disney Records)—4 awards

    Outstanding Animated Motion Picture
    Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance—Motion Picture: Jamie Foxx
    Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album: Soul Original Motion Picture Soundtrack; Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste and Tom MacDougall
    Outstanding Jazz Album—Instrumental: Music From and Inspired By Soul; Jon Batiste

Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)—2 awards

    Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)
    Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special)—Individual or Ensemble: Steve Harvey

Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)—2 awards

    Outstanding Animated Series
    Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television): Laya DeLeon Hayes

How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)—1 award

    Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Viola Davis

The Last Dance (ESPN / Netflix)—1 award

    Outstanding Documentary (Television)

Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)—1 award

    Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series: Attica Locke,“The Spider Web”

The New York Times Presents “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” (FX)—1 award

    Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)

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Thursday, March 11, 2021

Nickelodeon Announces Star Appearances for "Kids' Choics Awards '21"

Kim Kardashian, Gal Gadot, Robert Downey Jr., Millie Bobby Brown, Charli D’Amelio, BTS, Hailey Bieber, Addison Rae, Sofia Vergara, David Dobrik, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tiffany Haddish and More Scheduled to Appear at Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards ’21

Share It: @Nickelodeon #KCA

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2021, an epic celebration of fan-favorite stars across the worlds of film, television, music, sports and more, will feature appearances from today’s most popular stars including: Kim Kardashian, Gal Gadot, Robert Downey Jr., Millie Bobby Brown, Charli D’Amelio, BTS, Hailey Bieber, Addison Rae, Sofía Vergara, David Dobrik, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tiffany Haddish, Anna Kendrick, Liza Koshy, Jennifer Garner, Heidi Klum, Terry Crews, Tyler Perry, Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo, Marsai Martin, Joshua Bassett, Anthony Anderson, Dani & Dannah Lane and Iain Armitage.

Hosted by actor, comedian and Saturday Night Live legend, Kenan Thompson (Kenan, All That), and featuring show-stopping performances from Grammy® Award-winning global superstar Justin Bieber, Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 will air live on Saturday, March 13, 2021, at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

As Nickelodeon’s Orange Blimp takes fans on a virtual ride around the world and beyond, Nickelodeon’s iCarly cast members Miranda Cosgrove (Carly Shay), Jerry Trainor (Spencer Shay) and Nathan Kress (Freddie Benson) will reunite to present this year’s KCA for “Favorite Movie.” The hit show, which ran on Nickelodeon for six seasons, will be returning as a revival series on ViacomCBS’ rebranded streaming service Paramount+.

Stars from the worlds of TV, music, film and social media will be joined by Nickelodeon talent: JoJo Siwa; That Girl Lay Lay; Jules LeBlanc and Jayden Bartels (Side Hustle); Gabrielle Nevaeh Green and Darci Lynne (Unfiltered); and Young Dylan (Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan).

This year’s show will also feature live and interactive fan walls that bring celebrities and families at home to the main stage; second screen live voting all night long where fans stay in control; a KCA award presented by one lucky family chosen during the show; and an exclusive sneak peek clip from PAW Patrol: The Movie. Additionally, Nickelodeon is harnessing the power of augmented reality (AR) to bring the gooey green slime of the Kids’ Choice Awards into fans’ worlds in a brand-new way. In the Do Not Touch app, viewers can fly the iconic KCA blimp and dump slime all over their homes. The app creates the interactive experience by using a mobile device’s camera to detect real world objects.

Fans can currently cast votes on the official Kids’ Choice Awards website, www.KidsChoiceAwards.com, and on the Screens Up app on supported iPad, iPhone and Android devices in the U.S. International fans can cast votes through the Nick Play app in regions where it is available. Fans will also be able to cast their votes through social media on Twitter. Fans can also stay up to date on all the news by liking Nickelodeon on Facebook and following @Nickelodeon on Twitter and Instagram.

Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 is sponsored by Barbie®, Goldfish® Flavor Blasted® crackers, got milk?, LEGO® VIDIYO™, Olive Garden®, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury.

Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 is produced by Nickelodeon Productions and overseen by Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content. Michael Dempsey serves as executive producer, with Amy Johnson and Magda Liolis serving as co-executive producers. Nickelodeon’s Unscripted Content executives Rob Bagshaw and Paul J Medford also serve as executive producers. The ceremony is directed by Glenn Weiss.

Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).

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Sunday, April 19, 2020

"Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort" Airs Wed., April 22nd

Anthony Anderson Joins Kelly Rowland, Terrence J, and Regina Hall as Host of “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT” Special Set to Air on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 8 PM EDT

Performances by Alicia Keys, John Legend, Usher, Jhene Aiko, Chloe X Halle, CeeLo Green, H.E.R., Ella Mai, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Swae Lee, Tyrese Gibson, Buju Banton, DJ D-Nice, SiR, D Smoke and Charlie Wilson

Gospel Performance by Kirk Franklin, Fantasia, Jonathan McReynolds, Kelly Price, Tasha Cobbs, Le’Andria Johnson and Melvin Crispell III

Additional Appearances by Tiffany Haddish, Idris Elba, Ciara, Don Cheadle, Mike Epps, Deon Cole, Angela Rye, Dr. Rheeda Walker, Charlamagne Tha God, Symone D. Sanders, DJ Khaled and Chance The Rapper

Special to Simulcast Across BET, BET HER, BET International Channels and to Over-the-Air Broadcast Viewers via Bounce

BET Has Partnered with United Way to Create a Relief Fund to Receive Financial Donations That Will Be Disbursed to Local Charities That Provide Food and Emergency Assistance to Those Who Need Help Most

For More Information Visit BET.com/COVID19

#BETCOVIDRELIEF

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET announces comedian and actor Anthony Anderson as the fourth host of the upcoming “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT,” special. Anderson joins stars Kelly Rowland, Terrence J, and Regina Hall as host for the two-hour special broadcast. “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT,” is set to air on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at 8 PM EDT.

Performances include Alicia Keys with a special tribute to New York City, and a Gospel moment with Kirk Franklin featuring Fantasia, Jonathan McReynolds, Kelly Price, Tasha Cobbs, Le’Andria Johnson, and Melvin Crispell III. Exclusive performances by John Legend, Usher, Jhene Aiko, Chloe X Halle, CeeLo Green, H.E.R., Ella Mai, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Swae Lee, Tyrese Gibson, Buju Banton, DJ D-Nice, SiR, D Smoke, and Charlie Wilson.

Additional celebrity guest appearances will include Tiffany Haddish, Idris Elba, Ciara, Don Cheadle, Mike Epps, Deon Cole, Angela Rye, Dr. Rheeda Walker, Charlamagne Tha God, Symone D. Sanders, DJ Khaled and Chance The Rapper.

Expanding the reach of the telecast, BET will simulcast the special across BET and BET Her domestically, as well as their channels internationally bringing awareness to over 90 million homes. Additionally, BET will join forces with Bounce to help expand the audience to include free, over-the-air broadcast viewers with Bounce simulcasting “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT.”

Addressing the communities around the world, a global check-in segment for “BET SAVING OUR SELVES: COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT” will highlight how various regions around the globe are coping through COVID-19. BET Breaks’ International talent Nomalanga (South Africa), Flora Coquerel (France), and Jourdan Riane (UK) will report on how the pandemic is affecting their countries. British Hip Hop Artists behind the viral “Don’t Rush” social media challenge, Young T and Bugsy, and Idris Elba’s wife, Sabrina Elba, will make appearances as well. Internationally, the show will be broadcast on Saturday, April 25 in the UK at 9:00 pm BST, Korea at 9:00 pm KST, Africa at 6:00 pm CAT, and France at 10:30 pm CEDT.

The focus of the initiatives is to combat the racial disparities of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent findings have shown that Black Americans are being disproportionately harmed by the health and financial devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. BET, in partnership with the NAACP, United Way Worldwide, leaders in the African American creative, civil rights and business communities will provide critical financial, educational and community support directly to the African Americans hardest hit by this crisis. Corporate brand donors who have generously contributed to the fund include Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Toyota, Salesforce, McDonald’s, AARP, Pine-Sol®, Morgan Stanley, TJ Maxx, Weight Watchers, and NBA.

You can now donate to the fund online via BET.com or by texting BETGives to 51555. More information on BET’s partnership with UWW and additional extensions of our relief efforts are forthcoming. For further details, please visit BET.com/COVID19.

About BET
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news, and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa, and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

About United Way
United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.9 million volunteers, 9.8 million donors worldwide and $4.7 billion raised every year, United Way is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit. We’re engaged in 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our communities. United Way partners include global, national and local businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students and more. For more information about United Way, please visit UnitedWay.org. Follow us on Twitter: @UnitedWay and #LiveUnited.

About BOUNCE
Bounce (@bouncetv) is the popular multi-platform entertainment network targeting African Americans, with programming seen over-the-air, on cable, on DISH channel 359, over-the-top on Roku®, on mobile devices via the Bounce and Brown Sugar apps and on the web via BounceTV.com. Bounce features a programming mix of original series and movies, off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and events and more. Bounce is part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP).

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Thursday, August 15, 2019

Keegan-Michael Key to Host NatGeo's "Brain Games"

National Geographic Announces Keegan-Michael Key as Host of Brain Games

Hit Series Brain Games Gets Hollywood Reboot as World-Famous Mentalist Lior Surchard Joins Key to Challenge Celebrities With Interactive Mind Games

Produced by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz’s Alfred Street Industries and Magical Elves, the New Iteration of Brain Games Premieres Dec. 1, 2019, on National Geographic

NEW YORK & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic announced that it has tapped Keegan-Michael Key (“Friends From College,” “Toy Story 4,” “Lion King”) as host of its rebooted hit series, "Brain Games." The eight-episode season, produced by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz’s Alfred Street Industries and Magical Elves, adds a Hollywood twist to its classic mind-bending format by challenging some of the world’s biggest celebrities to realize their special brain power through fun and highly entertaining interactive games, illusions and social experiments.

“‘Brain Games’ is such an important part of National Geographic’s screen heritage. It is an honor to have the opportunity to produce the show and to be working with a giant talent like Keegan-Michael Key whose humor, magnetism and intellectual curiosity will elevate the series in an exciting new way.”

The first five celebrities confirmed are: Kristin Bell (“The Good Place”), Dax Shepherd (“Bless This Mess”), Drew Brees (QB, New Orleans Saints), Rebel Wilson (“The Hustle”), and Anthony Anderson (“Blackish”).

Brain Games premieres Dec. 1, 2019, on National Geographic and will air globally in 172 countries and 43 languages. For more information visit our press site www.natgeotvpressroom.com, or follow us on Twitter using @NatGeoPR.

In Brain Games, host Key will investigate mind-bending questions with the help of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Joining Key on stage in front of the live studio audience, world-famous mentalist Lior Surchard will assist with brain games and challenges for the celebrity guests. Meanwhile, field correspondent and science communicator Cara Santa Maria will take the cerebral challenges on the road and put everyday people across America to the test. With insight from some of the world’s leading neuroscientists, engineers and brain experts, we’ll explore the “why” behind the “wow” of questions like the following: Are women better communicators? How do our brains control what we love to eat? Can brain science help us with our dating lives? What is the magic ingredient to gaining, having and keeping power? And much more!

“I’ve always loved science, and when National Geographic called, I jumped at the chance to be part of this really amazing series,” said Key. “I’m going to be bringing some friends along, and together we are going to explore some really fascinating aspects of the human brain. I can’t wait to get started!”

“As we looked to revive this much-adored series with a colorful superstar twist, it’s a no-brainer to introduce Keegan-Michael Key as host of Brain Games,” said Courteney Monroe, president, National Geographic Global Networks. “He uniquely possesses the combination of charm, quick wit, intelligence and humor that’s ideal for in-studio scenarios, but beyond that, he’s a fan of the series and has a sheer passion for the science behind how our brains tick.”

Said Cutforth and Lipsitz, “‘Brain Games’ is such an important part of National Geographic’s screen heritage. It is an honor to have the opportunity to produce the show and to be working with a giant talent like Keegan-Michael Key whose humor, magnetism and intellectual curiosity will elevate the series in an exciting new way.”

“A show like Brain Games belongs on stage in front of a live audience, where celebrity guests, audience members, and viewers can experience science in a fun and interactive way. With Keegan-Michael Key as our host, this high-energy, reimagined version of the original Brain Games will definitely appeal to both the left and right sides of viewers’ brains,” said Toby Gorman, Executive Producer and Interim CEO of Magical Elves.

While some episode games — including “Battle of the Sexes,” “Kids vs. Grownups,” “Laws of Attraction” and “Movie Magic” — are tailored to the headlining celebrities, others — including “Laws of Attraction,” “Deception” and “Power of Persuasion” — draw from the most successful themes across the previous five seasons. The new season includes a mixture of in-studio and in-the-field game components, physical and mental games, and the introduction of “The Gauntlet,” a fifth-act combination of previous episode games to pit celebrity against celebrity.

About Keegan-Michael Key
Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning actor, writer and creator Keegan-Michael Key is one of Hollywood’s most in-demand forces. With his extraordinarily diverse skill set and wide-ranging talent in both comedy and drama, Key redefines what it means to be a chameleon and multi-hyphenate in the worlds of film, television and theater. He will next appear in two of 2019’s most highly anticipated films, Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” and Disney’s live action/CGI remake of “The Lion King.” In addition, he recently wrapped production in Vancouver on Paramount’s “Playing With Fire,” starring alongside John Cena, Judy Greer and John Leguizamo. He will soon star opposite Eddie Murphy in Netflix’s “My Name is Dolemite!”.

Key is represented by UTA and attorney Dave Feldman.

Brain Games is produced for National Geographic by Alfred Street Industries and Magical Elves. Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz are executive producers for Alfred Street Industries. For Magical Elves, executive producers are Toby Gorman, Casey Kriley, James Rowley and Lauren Williams. Elisa Key is also an executive producer. For National Geographic, Matt Renner is executive producer and vice president, original programming and production; and Geoff Daniels is executive vice president of global unscripted entertainment.

About Magical Elves:
Magical Elves is the veteran production company behind Emmy award-winning hits “Top Chef” (Bravo) and “Last Chance Kitchen” (Bravo), Peabody Award-winning “Project Runway” (Bravo), IDA Award winner “Time of Death” (Showtime) and the recent streaming successes “Nailed It!” (Netflix) and “Sugar Rush” (Netflix). Other credits include “Project Greenlight” (HBO), “Cleveland Hustles” (CNBC), “There Goes the Motherhood” (Bravo), “Braxton Family Values” (WETV), “Tamar & Vince” (WETV), “Shine On” (DirectTV), “All in With Cam Newton” (Nickelodeon), “Last Comic Standing” (NBC), “Cold Justice” (Oxygen), “Top Chef Junior” (Universal Kids) and the 2017 music documentary “Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul” (Showtime). Magical Elves is a part of The Tinopolis Group’s portfolio of production companies.

About National Geographic Partners LLC
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between the National Geographic Society and Disney, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information, visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

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Thursday, February 2, 2017

48th Image Award Nominations - Film and Animation Categories and Entertainer of the Year

The NAACP Image Award an award bestowed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The award honors outstanding achievements by people of color in film, television, music, and literature. The awards are voted on by members of the NAACP.

The NAACP announced nominees for its 48th annual Image Awards, which celebrate the accomplishments of people of color in Television, Recording (Music), Literary (Books), Motion Picture, Documentary (film and television), Writing (for film and television), Directing (for film and television), and Animated/CGI (for film and television). Winners will be announced Saturday, February 11, 2017 during a ceremony airing live on TV One at 9PM EST. Actor Anthony Anderson will host.

2017 / 48th NAACP Image Awards Film and Animation nominees:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
•    Beyoncé
•    Viola Davis
•    Regina King
•    Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
•    Chance the Rapper

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Motion Picture
•    “Fences” (Paramount Pictures)
•    “Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox)
•    “Loving” (Focus Features/Big Beach)
•    “Moonlight” (A24)
•    “The Birth of a Nation” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture – (Film)
•    Anthony Russo, Joe Russo – “Captain America: Civil War” (Marvel Studios)
•    Barry Jenkins – “Moonlight” (A24)
•    Garth Davis – “Lion” (See-Saw Films)
•    Mira Nair – “Queen of Katwe” (Walt Disney Studios)
•    Nate Parker – “The Birth of a Nation” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film)
•    Adam Mansbach “Barry” (Black Bear Pictures and Cinetic Media)
•    Barry Jenkins “Moonlight” (A24)
•    Jeff Nichols “Loving” (Focus Features/Big Beach)
•    Nate Parker “The Birth of a Nation” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
•    Richard Tanne “Southside With You” (Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
•    Denzel Washington – “Fences” (Paramount Pictures)
•    Don Cheadle – “Miles Ahead” (Sony Pictures Classics)
•    Nate Parker – “The Birth of a Nation” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
•    Stephan James – “Race” (Focus Features/The Luminary Group A Solofilms/Trinidad/Trinity/Trinity Race Production)
•    Will Smith – “Collateral Beauty” (Warner Bros. Pictures/New Line Cinema)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
•    Angela Bassett – “London Has Fallen” (Focus Features/Millennium Films/G-Base Production)
•    Madina Nalwanga – “Queen of Katwe” (Walt Disney Studios)
•    Ruth Negga – “Loving” (Focus Features/Big Beach)
•    Taraji P. Henson – “Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox)
•    Tika Sumpter – “Southside With You” (Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
•    Alano Miller – “Loving” (Focus Features/Big Beach)
•    Chadwick Boseman – “Captain America: Civil War” (Marvel Studios)
•    David Oyelowo – “Queen of Katwe” (Walt Disney Studios)
•    Mahershala Ali – “Moonlight” (A24)
•    Trevante Rhodes – “Moonlight” (A24)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
•    Aja Naomi King – “The Birth of a Nation” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
•    Lupita Nyong’o – “Queen of Katwe” (Walt Disney Studios)
•    Mo’ Nique – “Almost Christmas” (Universal Pictures)
•    Octavia Spencer – “Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox)
•    Viola Davis – “Fences” (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
•    “Lion” (See-Saw Films)
•    “Loving” (Focus Features/Big Beach)
•    “Miles Ahead” (Sony Pictures Classics)
•    “Moonlight” (A24)
•    “The Birth of a Nation” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Outstanding Documentary – (Film)
•    “13th” (Netflix)
•    “I Am Not Your Negro” (Velvet Film)
•    “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise” (The People’s Poet LLC)
•    “Miss Sharon Jones!” (Cabin Creek Films)
•    “Olympic Pride, American Prejudice” (Coffee Bluff Pictures)

ANIMATED/CGI

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – (Television or Film)
•    Dwayne Johnson – “Moana” (Walt Disney Studios)
•    Idris Elba – “Finding Dory” (Walt Disney Studios)
•    Idris Elba – “The Jungle Book” (Walt Disney Studios)
•    Kevin Hart – “The Secret Life of Pets” (Universal Pictures)
•    Loretta Devine – “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)

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48th Image Award Nominations - Television Categories

The NAACP Image Award an award bestowed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The award honors outstanding achievements by people of color in film, television, music, and literature. The awards are voted on by members of the NAACP.

The NAACP announced nominees for its 48th annual Image Awards, which celebrate the accomplishments of people of color in Television, Recording (Music), Literary (Books), Motion Picture, Documentary (film and television), Writing (for film and television), Directing (for film and television), and Animated/CGI (for film and television). Winners will be announced Saturday, February 11, 2017 during a ceremony airing live on TV One at 9PM EST. Actor Anthony Anderson will host.

2017 / 48th NAACP Image Awards Television nominees:

TELEVISION

Outstanding Comedy Series
•    “Atlanta” (FX)
•    “black-ish” (ABC)
•    “Insecure” (HBO)
•    “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)
•    “The Carmichael Show” (NBC)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
•    Anthony Anderson – “black-ish” (ABC)
•    Don Cheadle – “House of Lies” (Showtime)
•    Donald Glover – “Atlanta” (FX)
•    Dwayne Johnson – “Ballers” (HBO)
•    Kevin Hart – “Real Husbands of Hollywood” (BET)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
•    Issa Rae – “Insecure” (HBO)
•    Keesha Sharp – “Lethal Weapon” (FOX)
•    Niecy Nash – “The Soul Man” (TV Land)
•    Tracee Ellis Ross – “black-ish” (ABC)
•    Uzo Aduba – “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
•    David Alan Grier – “The Carmichael Show” (NBC)
•    Deon Cole – “black-ish” (ABC)
•    Laurence Fishburne – “black-ish” (ABC)
•    Miles Brown – “black-ish” (ABC)
•    Tituss Burgess – “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
•    Erica Ash – “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)
•    Laverne Cox – “Orange Is The New Black” (Netflix)
•    Marsai Martin – “black-ish” (ABC)
•    Tichina Arnold – “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)
•    Yvonne Orji – “Insecure” (HBO)

Outstanding Drama Series
•    “Empire” (FOX)
•    “Power” (Starz)
•    “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
•    “This Is Us” (NBC)
•    “Underground” (WGN America)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
•    Kofi Siriboe – “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
•    Mike Colter – “Marvel’s Luke Cage” (Netflix)
•    Omari Hardwick – “Power” (Starz)
•    Sterling K. Brown – “This Is Us” (NBC)
•    Terrence Howard – “Empire” (FOX)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
•    Jurnee Smollett-Bell – “Underground” (WGN America)
•    Kerry Washington – “Scandal” (ABC)
•    Rutina Wesley – “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
•    Taraji P. Henson – “Empire” (FOX)
•    Viola Davis – “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
•    Alfred Enoch – “How To Get Away With Murder” (ABC)
•    Jesse Williams – “Greys Anatomy” (ABC)
•    Joe Morton – “Scandal” (ABC)
•    Jussie Smollett – “Empire” (FOX)
•    Trai Byers – “Empire” (FOX)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
•    Amirah Vann – “Underground” (WGN America)
•    CCH Pounder – “NCIS: New Orleans” (CBS)
•    Cicely Tyson – “How To Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
•    Lynn Whitfield – “Greenleaf” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
•    Naturi Naughton – “Power” (Starz)

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
•    “American Crime” (ABC)
•    “Confirmation” (HBO)
•    “Roots” (History)
•    “The Night Of” (HBO)
•    “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
•    Courtney B. Vance – “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX)
•    Cuba Gooding Jr. – “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX)
•    Jeffrey Wright – “Confirmation” (HBO)
•    Malachi Kirby – “Roots” (History)
•    Sterling K. Brown – “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (FX)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
•    Anika Noni Rose – “Roots” (History)
•    Audra McDonald – “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill” (HBO)
•    Emayatzy Corinealdi – “Roots” (History)
•    Kerry Washington – “Confirmation” (HBO)
•    Regina King – “American Crime” (ABC)

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
•    Anton Cropper – “black-ish” – God (ABC)
•    Anton Cropper – “black-ish” – Good-ish Times (ABC)
•    Donald Glover – “Atlanta” – Value (FX)
•    Marta Cunningham – “Transparent” – Exciting and New (Amazon)
•    Melina Matsoukas – “Insecure” – Insecure as F**k” (HBO)

Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series
•    Anthony Hemingway – “Underground” – The Macon 7 (WGN America)
•    John Singleton – “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story: The Race Card” – (FX)
•    Millicent Shelton – “Empire” – The Lyon Who Cried Wolf (FOX)
•    Paris Barclay – “Pitch” – Pilot (FOX)
•    Sam Esmail – “Mr. Robot” – eps2.5_h4ndshake.sme (USA Network)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television)
•    Carl Seaton – “Bad Dad Rehab” – (TV One)
•    Mario Van Peebles – “Roots (Night 2)” – (History)
•    Rick Famuyiwa – “Confirmation” – (HBO)
•    Thomas Carter – “Roots (Night 3)” – (History)
•    Vondie Curtis-Hall – “Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart” – (Lifetime)

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
•    Donald Glover – “Atlanta” – B.A.N. (FX)
•    Issa Rae, Larry Wilmore – “Insecure” – Insecure as F**k (HBO)
•    Kenya Barris – “black-ish” – Hope (ABC)
•    Our Lady J – “Transparent” – If I Were A Bell (Amazon)
•    Prentice Penny – “Insecure” – Real as F**k (HBO)

Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series
•    Akela Cooper – “Marvel’s Luke Cage” – Manifest (Netflix)
•    Anthony Sparks – “Queen Sugar” – By Any Chance (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
•    Ava DuVernay – “Queen Sugar” – First Things First (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
•    Joe Robert Cole – “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story – The Race Card” – (FX)
•    LaToya Morgan – “TURN: Washingtons Spies” – Benediction (AMC)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture – (Television)
•    Alison McDonald – “An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win” (Amazon)
•    Alison McDonald – “Roots (Night 2)” (History)
•    Charles Murray – “Roots (Night 3)” (History)
•    Rashida Jones and Mike Schur – “Black Mirror: Nosedive” (Netflix)
•    Rhonda Freeman-Baraka – “Merry Christmas, Baby!” (UP TV)

Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
•    “Major League Legends: Hank Aaron” (Smithsonian Channel)
•    “Policing the Police” (PBS)
•    “Roots: A History Revealed” (History)
•    “Roots: A New Vision” (History)
•    “Streets of Compton” (A&E)

Outstanding News / Information – (Series or Special)
•    “AM Joy with Joy Reid” (MSNBC/NBC News)
•    “BET Love and Happiness White House Special” (BET)
•    “StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson” (National Geographic Channel)
•    “Stay Woke” (BET)
•    “Unsung: Sugarhill Gang” (TV One)

Outstanding Talk Series
•    “Steve Harvey” (Syndicated)
•    “SuperSoul Sunday” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
•    “The Real” (Syndicated)
•    “The Talk” (CBS)
•    “The View” (ABC)

Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series
•    “Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
•    “Little Big Shots” (NBC)
•    “Mary Mary” (WE tv)
•    “The Voice” (NBC)
•    “United Shades of America” (CNN)

Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)
•    “2016 Black Girls Rock” (BET)
•    “Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC)
•    “Lemonade” (HBO)
•    “Lip Sync Battle” (Spike TV)
•    “The Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards 2016″ (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Outstanding Children’s Program
•    “All In With Cam Newton” (Nickelodeon)
•    “An American Girl Story – Melody 1963: Love Has to Win” (Amazon)
•    “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)
•    “K.C. Undercover” (Disney Channel)
•    “The Lion Guard” (Disney Junior)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-series)
•    Emyyri Crutchfield – “Roots” (History)
•    Hudson Yang – “Fresh Off The Boat” (ABC)
•    Lonnie Chavis – “This Is Us” (NBC)
•    Marsai Martin – “black-ish” (ABC)
•    Miles Brown – “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Host in a News, Talk, Reality, or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
•    Anthony Anderson & Tracee Ellis Ross – “2016 BET Awards” (BET)
•    Joy Reid – “AM Joy with Joy Reid” (MSNBC)
•    Roland S. Martin – “NewsOne Now with Roland S. Martin” (TV One)
•    Steve Harvey – “The Steve Harvey Show” (Syndicated)
•    W. Kamau Bell – “United Shades of America” (CNN)

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48th Image Award Nominations - Music Categories

48th Image Award Nominations - Literary Categories

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross Return as Hosts of the 2016 BET Awards

They’re Back-ish! Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross to Host 2016 “BET Awards” for the Second Time

“BET Awards” to Air Live on Sunday, June 26 from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA at 8 P.M. ET

BET Experience at L.A. Live Presented by Coca-Cola® Takes Place June 23-26, 2016

#BETAWARDS

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), today revealed Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross as hosts for this year’s "BET Awards." Anthony and Tracee are also both nominated for “Best Actor” and “Best Actress” at the 16th annual event. The 2016 "BET Awards" will air LIVE on Sunday, June 26, 2016 at 8pmET from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA on BET.

“I can’t wait to host the BET Awards again with Anthony, who I always have a blast working with”

“Tracee and I are thrilled that BET brought us back to host the “BET Awards” for the second year in a row,” said Anthony Anderson. “We had a great time last year and can't wait for viewers to see the new surprises we have in store on June 26th!”

“I can’t wait to host the BET Awards again with Anthony, who I always have a blast working with,” said Tracee Ellis Ross. “The BET Awards is going to knock it out of the park again with a night full of amazing performances and presenters being honored in music, movies, television, and sports.”

As previously announced, Drake leads the list of entertainers with an impressive nine nominations including ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artist,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ and ‘Best Collaboration’ for his hit “Where Ya At” with fellow hip hop artist Future. Beyoncé and Rihanna follow with five nods each. Beyoncé is nominated for top nods of the night including ‘Best Female R&B/Pop Artist,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ and ‘Best Collaboration’ for “Feeling Myself” with Nicki Minaj. Rihanna is in the running for awards including ‘Best Female R&B/Pop Artist,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ and ‘Best Collaboration,’ for “Work” featuring Drake. Other nominees include newcomer Bryson Tiller who is up for four awards including ‘Best Male R&B/Pop Artist.’ Chris Brown is nominated for the same number including ‘Best Male R&B/Pop Artist’ and ‘Video Director of the Year.’ Future could also walk away with four awards including ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artist’ and the ‘Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Award.’

BET Networks recognizes artists, entertainers, and athletes across 20 categories with the "BET Awards" 2016 nominations. The nominations are selected by BET’s Voting Academy, which is comprised of fans and an esteemed group of entertainment professionals in the fields of television, film, music, social media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, and the creative arts.

A full list of the 2016 “BET Awards” nominees is now available here.

The “BET Awards” 2016 will premiere around the world on BET’s international network. It will air in the UK on Tuesday, June 28th at 9:00pm BST, in Africa on Tuesday, June 28th at 7:00pm CAT, and in France on Wednesday, June 29th at 9:00pm CEST.

Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment serves as Executive Producer. Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Programming; Connie Orlando, BET’s Senior Vice President of Music; and Specials and Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s Vice President of Specials serve as Executive Producers for BET Networks.

The “BET Awards” will take place along with the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles from June 23-26, 2016. BET.com is the official site for the “BET Awards” and will have all the latest news and updates about this year's show. VIP Packages for the BET Experience weekend are now on-sale. In addition to VIP amenities throughout the weekend and incredible seats for the STAPLES Center shows, three levels of BETX VIP Packages offer guests the only opportunity to purchase tickets to the highly anticipated BET Awards, broadcast live from Microsoft Theater. The 1,000+ VIP Packages sold out in 2015, so guests are encouraged to purchase now before the allotment is depleted. Full package amenities and pricing for the Diamond, Platinum and Gold VIP Packages can be found by visiting BETExperience.com or by calling (877) 234-8425.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.

BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA®
BET Networks, an entertainment powerhouse, and AEG, the leading world’s leading sports and live entertainment companies and developer/operator of L.A. LIVE, have teamed up once again to create the BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE (BETX), June 23 - 26, 2016 presented by Coca-Cola®. This four-day festival will be filled with music and comedy concerts taking place at The Novo by Microsoft and STAPLES Center; FREE BET Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center including seminars, celebrity basketball games, celebrity meet & greets; and other special appearances. The weekend will be capped off with the “BET Awards” on Sunday, June 26, 2016 at Microsoft Theater.

ABOUT AEG
AEG is the world’s leading sports and live entertainment company. AEG, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation, owns, operates or consults with a collection of companies including over 100 of the world’s preeminent facilities such as STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, CA), StubHub Center (Carson, CA), PlayStation Theater (Times Square, New York), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Shanghai, China), Qudos Bank Arena (Sydney, Australia), Mercedes-Benz Arena (Berlin, Germany), and The O2 arena and entertainment district (London, England). Developed by AEG, L.A. LIVE is a 4 million square foot / $2.5 billion downtown Los Angeles sports, & entertainment district featuring Microsoft Theater and a 54-story, 1001-room convention "headquarters" destination. In addition to overseeing privately held management shares of the Los Angeles Lakers, assets of AEG Sports include franchises such as the LA Kings, LA Galaxy and the Amgen Tour of California cycling stage race. Along with AEG Facilities, other global divisions include AEG Live, the world’s second largest concert promotion and touring companies comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions and AEG Global Partnerships, responsible for worldwide sales and servicing of sponsorships, naming rights and other strategic partnerships. In 2010, AEG launched its AEG 1EARTH environmental program featuring the industry's first sustainability report while in 2011, AEG introduced AXS a comprehensive entertainment platform serving as the company’s primary consumer brand including AXS Ticketing which provides fans the opportunity to purchase tickets directly from their favorite venues via a user-friendly ticketing interface, Examiner.com and the AXS TV network, a linear cable channel focusing on live entertainment and lifestyle programming available in nearly 40 million homes. AEG’s European headquarters are located in London. Global headquarters are in Los Angeles. For more information, visit: www.aegworldwide.com

ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, Collins has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Formerly Executive Producer/EVP of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, Soul Train Awards, BET Honors, UNCF An Evening of Stars, ABFF Awards and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins is an executive producer of the hit TV series, Real Husbands of Hollywood starring Kevin Hart and the upcoming original miniseries based on the iconic music group New Edition that will debut on BET in 2017. He has worked with a myriad of superstar talent including Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince and Mariah Carey. Follow Jesse Collins Entertainment @JesseCollinsEnt on Twitter and Instagram and go to http://www.jessecollinsent.com/ for more information on the company.

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Tuesday, February 23, 2016

"12 Years a Slave" Makes Its Basic Cable Premiere on BET Networks

BET Honors Black History Month with 2 New Specials

JAMIE FOXX, ROBERT DOWNEY JR., KERRY WASHINGTON, OCTAVIA SPENCER AND MORE ATTEND “ABFF AWARDS: A CELEBRATION OF HOLLYWOOD” AIRING ON BET AND CENTRIC, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD AT 8P/7C

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tune in Tuesday, February 23, 2016 as BET partners with American Black Film Festival (ABFF) to air “ABFF Awards: A Celebration of Hollywood” at 8P/7C. This first-ever televised award shows tributes film legends and TV’s hottest stars. Hosted by Mike Epps, the two-hour event honors Don Cheadle, Regina King, Ryan Coogler, Diahann Carroll and Will Packer for their achievements in entertainment. Don’t miss special appearances by Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Kerry Washington, Octavia Spencer, Loretta Devine, KeKe Palmer, Anthony Anderson and more!

2014 Best Picture Oscar Winner, “12 Years A Slave,” makes its basic cable premiere on BET Networks to wrap up Black History Month. The movie premieres Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. The film is based on an incredible true story of one man's fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon's chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist forever alters his life.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Complete List of Winners at the 2015 BET Awards

Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar and Nicki Minaj Win Big at the Annual “BET AWARDS” 2015

Janet Jackson Receives Inaugural Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award

Epic Evening Featured Performances by Puff Daddy & The Family, Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Big Sean, Meek Mill, Ne-Yo, Nicki Minaj, The Weeknd, Tinashe, Tyga and More

#BETAWARDS

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--From JANET JACKSON and PUFF DADDY & THE FAMILY to SMOKEY ROBINSON and KENDRICK LAMAR, it was a night full of electrifying performances, heartfelt speeches and unforgettable moments at the 15th annual “BET AWARDS" hosted by ANTHONY ANDERSON and TRACEE ELLIS ROSS, which aired live from the Microsoft Theatre at L.A. LIVE on Sunday, June 28, 2015.

Hosts ANTHONY ANDERSON and TRACEE ELLIS ROSS surprised the audience with a hilarious original opening song complete with Tracee flying over the stage in a money suit. The two captivated the crowd the entire night, thanks to their riffs on a range of hot topics, from Rachel Dolezal to Tyler Perry and impersonating celebrities from Sam Smith to Cookie and Lucius from “Empire.”

KENDRICK LAMAR kicked off the show with an explosive performance of his latest single “Alright” and graced the stage again after winning Best Male Hip Hop Artist. BEYONCÉ and CHRIS BROWN tied with 3 awards, followed by Oscar-winning film “Selma” and FOX’s “Empire,” which each took home two awards.

One of the most attention-grabbing moments of the evening was JANET JACKSON taking the stage to receive the inaugural Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award, presented by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The pop icon was honored with a tantalizing, high-energy dance tribute highlighting a mix of some of the most memorable and successful performances of her storied career, as told by a star-studded roster of a few of the hottest names in the 2015 class of pop music. It included a pulsating rendition of “Pleasure Principle” by TINASHE, followed by “All for You” by JASON DERULO and CIARA’s hard-hitting delivery of “If.” All three stars joined forces for an unforgettable dance-off to “Rhythm Nation,” which had the entire crowd on their feet and cheering. A humbled Jackson shyly thanked God and her fans for her 25 plus year career, along with BET for the honor, all while smiling brightly and clutching her trophy in hand.

ALICIA KEYS made a surprise appearance joining THE WEEKND on the “BET AWARDS” stage for a stunning performance of "Earned It" that drew a standing ovation. The ultra-talented JANELLE MONAE delivered an incredible performance of "Yoga,” which was amped up even more with an appearance by JIDENNA, who took over the stage to perform his own hit “Classic Man.”

Always one to keep the party going, NICKI MINAJ got the crowd popping when she joined MEEK MILL on stage with CHRIS BROWN to perform their brand new single “All Eyes on Us.” Then, today's hottest rising stars, AVERY WILSON and ANDRA DAY both had impressive performances during the evening as a part of Music Matters presented by Nissan.

Earlier in the night CHRIS BROWN had the audience moving to his latest hit with TYGA “Ayo,” then the crowd got on their feet when OMARION joined the stage to jump on “Post To Be” for a hot dance routine with Brown.

YAZZ, JUSSIE SMOLLETT and SERAYAH from the cast of “Empire” had the entire room dancing to “No Apologies,” “You're So Beautiful,” and “Drip Drop,” which JUICY J joined for on stage.

BIG SEAN got the crowd on its feet to “One Man Can Change the World,” “Blessings,” and “IDFWU” with special guest E-40.

Presenter LAVERNE COX got in on the night's fun with co-presenter GABRIELLE UNION, who played a round of “hip-hop trivia” to determine who would have to change after wearing matching dresses.

One of the nights top highlights was a surprise reunion performance from PUFF DADDY & THE FAMILY who brought out original members of Bad Boy Records including LIL’ KIM, MA$E, FAITH EVANS, THE LOX, 112 and a projection of NOTORIOUS B.I.G. as well as special guests FRENCH MONTANA and PHARRELL to perform classic records including “Peaches & Cream,””Feel So Good,” “Hypnotize,’” and “All About The Benjamins” as well as Diddy and Pharrell’s newest collaboration “Finna Get Loose.”

Following the performance, Diddy presented legendary recording artist and Motown executive SMOKEY ROBINSON with the Lifetime Achievement Award. TORI KELLY blew the audience away during the tribute performance for Robinson with her powerful vocals to a rendition of “Who’s Loving You,” followed by soulful performances from ROBIN THICKE and NE-YO, before Smokey himself took the stage to perform “Tracks of My Tears,” “Cruisin’,” and a crowd sing-along to “My Girl,” for which Kelly, Thicke and Ne-Yo returned to the stage.

PATTI LABELLE proved she hasn’t missed a beat joining TAMAR BRAXTON and K.MICHELLE who put their differences aside as they performed “If Only You Knew.”

FETTY WAP capped the epic night with smash hit “Trap Queen”, which delivered on its promise to be the hottest ticket in town. The "BET AWARDS" 2015 drew the biggest names in music, entertainment and sports, with appearances by Rihanna, Kevin Hart, Janet Jackson, Brandy, DeSean Jackson, Donald Glover, Gabrielle Union, Kelly Rowland, Laverne Cox, Michael B Jordan, Michael Ealy, Nicole Ari Parker, Sanaa Lathan, Terrence Howard, Tia Mowry-Hardict and Zendaya.

NICOLE ARI PARKER and BORIS KODJOE presented Bivian “Sonny” Lee lll (Founder and President of Son of a Saint) as a recipient of the 2015 Shine-A-Light. Michael B. Jordan also presented the honor to the #BLACKLIVESMATTER movement.

RIHANNA made an appearance to give BET the first look at her music video for “Bitch Better Have My Money” before its Thursday, July 2 release, which had the audience yelling “give her her money.”

In addition to all of these incredible moments, the complete list of “BET AWARDS” 2015 winners is:

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Beyoncé

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Chris Brown

Best Group
Rae Sremmurd

Best Collaboration
Common & John Legend, “Glory” from the Motion Picture Selma

Best Male Hip Hop Artist
Kendrick Lamar

Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Nicki Minaj

Video of the Year
Beyoncé, “7/11”

Video Director of the Year
Beyoncé, Ed Burke & Todd Tourso

Best New Artist
Sam Smith

Best Gospel Artist
Lecrae

Best Actress
Taraji P. Henson, “No Good Deed/Think Like a Man Too/From the Rough”

Best Actor
Terrence Howard, “St. Vincent/Lullaby/Sabotage”

YoungStars Award
Mo'ne Davis

Best Movie
Selma

Subway Sportswoman of the Year
Serena Williams

Subway Sportsman of the Year
Stephen Curry

Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Award
Nicki Minaj ft. Drake, Lil Wayne, Chris Brown “Only”

McDonald’s I’m Lovin’ It Award
Nicki Minaj

Fandemonium Award
Chris Brown

Centric Award
The Weeknd

Best International Act: Africa
Stonebwoy (Ghana)

Best International Act: UK
Stormzy

For performance clips of the “BET AWARDS” 2015, please visit: http://www.epklink.com/2015BETAwards

BET.com/Awards is the official site for the “BET AWARDS” 2015, and features all the incredible content from this year’s show. Join the conversation on social media by following BET’s multiple social media platforms dedicated to the BET Awards:

    On Twitter & Instagram: @BETAwards, Use hashtag: #BETAwards
    On Facebook: facebook.com/TheBETAwards
    On Tumblr: betawards.tumblr.com

The “BET Awards” 2015 will premiere around the world on BET’s international network on Tuesday, June 30 at 9:00pm BST / 10:00pm CAT and will air live on MTV Australia for the very first time (check local listings).

Encore viewings of the show will air on BET on:

    Sunday, June 28 at 12:30 a.m.* (immediately following LIVE post show)
    Monday, June 29 at 8:00 p.m.*
    Tuesday, June 30 at 4:30 p.m.*

*ALL TIMES ARE EST

Stephen Hill, BET’s President of Programming, Connie Orlando, BET’s Senior Vice President of Music and Specials, Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s Vice President of Specials, served as Executive Producers for the “BET Awards” along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.

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Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Chris Brown, Michael B. Jordan to Appear at 2015 BET Awards

Chris Brown, Kendrick Lamar, Michael B. Jordan and Zendaya – “BET Awards” 2015 is Pulling Out All the Stops for the 15th Anniversary of Music’s Biggest Night

HOSTED BY ANTHONY ANDERSON AND TRACEE ELLIS ROSS, “BET AWARDS” 2015 WILL AIR LIVE ON SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2015 ON BET FROM MICROSOFT THEATRE AT L.A. LIVE IN LOS ANGELES, CA

#BETX / #BETAWARDS

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, BET Networks revealed some of the industry’s most influential names in entertainment who are set to appear at the 15th annual “BET Awards” 2015 on Sunday, June 28, 2015. Hosted by Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross, the “BET Awards” will include a performance by Chris Brown and Kendrick Lamar. The star power continues as the network also announced that actor Michael B. Jordan and entertainer Zendaya will take the stage as presenters during the 15th Anniversary of the annual highly-anticipated televised event. Additional names to be announced.

A full list of the “BET Awards” 2015 nominations is now available at http://www.bet.com/awards.

Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Programming, Connie Orlando, BET’s Senior Vice President of Music and Specials, Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s Vice President of Specials, will serve as Executive Producers for the “BET Awards” along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.

The “BET Awards” 2015 will air LIVE on Sunday, June 28, 2015 on BET and will premiere around the world on BET’s international network on Tuesday, June 30 at 9:00pm BST / 10:00pm CAT and will air live on MTV Australia for the very first time (check local listings).

The “BET Awards” will take place along with the BET Experience at L.A. Live in Los Angeles from June 25-28, 2015. BET.com/Awards is the official site for the “BET Awards” and will have all the latest news and updates about this year's show. All information about the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola® can be found at BETExperience.com. The BET Experience VIP Package offers the only way to purchase a “BET Awards” ticket, great seats to 3-nights of concerts at the Staples Center, and exclusive access to events at the free Fan Fest. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to BET.com/BETX.Follow the Experience on Twitter @betexperience.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.

ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, Collins, the company’s CEO, has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Formerly Executive Producer/EVP of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, BET Honors, UNCF An Evening of Stars and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins is an executive producer of Real Husbands of Hollywood, (now going into its 4th hit season) alongside industry icons Stan Lathan and Ralph Farquhar; and has worked with superstar talent such as Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince, Mariah Carey and many more.

BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA®
BET Networks, an entertainment powerhouse, and AEG, one of the leading entertainment companies in the world and developer/ operator of L.A. LIVE, have teamed up once again to create the BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE (BETX), June 25 - 28, 2015 presented by Coca-Cola®. This three-day festival will be filled with music and comedy concerts taking place at Club Nokia and STAPLES Center; “106 & PARK”; FREE BET Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center including seminars, celebrity basketball games, celebrity meet & greets; and other special appearances. The weekend will be capped off with the “BET Awards” on Sunday, June 28, 2015 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE.

Follow us @BET_PR AND @BETAWARDS

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Friday, June 5, 2015

Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross Named Hosts of 2015 BET Awards

Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross to Host “BET Awards” 2015

“BET AWARDS” TO AIR LIVE ON SUNDAY, JUNE 28 FROM NOKIA THEATRE L.A. LIVE IN LOS ANGELES, CA AT 8 P.M. ET

BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA® TAKES PLACE JUNE 25-28, 2015

#BETAWARDS

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), today revealed Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross as hosts for this year’s "BET Awards" 2015 airing live on Sunday, June 28 at 8pm/ET on BET from the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, CA.

“I can’t wait to see all of my peers and the amazing performances that evening. We may even have a few surprises up our sleeves!”

“I look forward to the BET Awards every year! Tracee and I are going to have so much fun this year celebrating 15 years in black entertainment television,” said Anthony Anderson. “I can’t wait to see all of my peers and the amazing performances that evening. We may even have a few surprises up our sleeves!”

“I’m thrilled to be hosting the 15th annual BET Awards alongside my on-screen husband Anthony, and am so honored to also be a nominee! The BET Awards always deliver an epic evening with the best of the best across movies, sports, TV and music,” said Tracee Ellis Ross.

“We can’t think of a better way to ring in 15 years of BET Awards than with the talented on-screen duo of Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross as our hosts,” said Stephen Hill, BET’s President of Programming. “They are both comedic geniuses and we are ready for them to unleash the laughter and good times on June 28. It will be a night to remember!”

Actor, writer and Los Angeles native, Anthony Anderson is currently starring and Executive Producer of ABC's new comedy Black-ish alongside actress Tracee Ellis Ross and host on Food Network's Eating America. He is known for leading roles on NBC’s Emmy Award-winning drama Law & Order where he played Detective Kevin Bernard opposite Jeremy Sisto as Detective Cyrus Lupo, as well as the shows K-Ville and The Shield. Anderson also brought his talent and humor to the small screen in his own WB sitcom All About the Andersons, which was loosely based on his life. Anderson has appeared in over 20 films, and his performance on Law & Order earned him his second consecutive NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for the 2008 season. He also displayed his bountiful talent in the DreamWorks’ blockbuster Transformers directed by Michael Bay; as well as in Martin Scorsese’s Oscar winning feature, The Departed, alongside a stellar cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson. Anderson first gained attention as one of Jim Carrey’s sons in Me, Myself, and Irene, and has subsequently appeared in such films as Scary Movie 3, Barbershop, Kangaroo Jack, Exit Wounds, Cradle 2 the Grave, Two Can Play That Game, and Malibu’s Most Wanted.

Actress, model, comedian, producer and television host, Tracee Ellis Ross began her career acting in independent films, variety series and hosted the pop-culture magazine The Dish on Lifetime. She is best known for her lead role as Joan Clayton on the UPN/CW comedy series, Girlfriends. She starred in the show from 2000 to 2008. In 2007, Ross also starred with her brother Evan Ross and Queen Latifah in the HBO film Life Support. That same year, she appeared in the Tyler Perry theatrical movie, Daddy's Little Girls and in 2011 had a leading role as Dr. Carla Reed on the BET sitcom Reed Between the Lines. She won a third NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series in 2012 for her performance in the series. In 2012, the fashion influencer expanded her vast digital influence by launching her official website Traceeellisross.com. The lifestyle site utilizes Ross' unique cross-cultural and joyful point of view to inspire the soul, body and mind of her followers. In 2014, Ross began starring as Dr. Rainbow Johnson in the hit ABC comedy series, Black-ish, which will return in September 2015. For her role, Ross won the 2015 NAACP Image Award for “Best Actress in a Comedy Series”. This past April, Ross returned to the BET Network to co-host the popular award show, “Black Girls Rock,” with Regina King for the fourth televised installment. In May, Ross was awarded an honorary doctorate of fine art (honoris causa) by Brown University. She is nominated in the Best Actress category for the “BET Awards” 2015.

BET Networks recognizes artists, entertainers, and athletes across 20 categories with the "BET Awards" 2015 nominations. The nominations are selected by BET’s Voting Academy, which is comprised of fans and an esteemed group of entertainment professionals in the fields of television, film, music, social media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, and the creative arts.

BET Experience VIP Package offers the only way to purchase a “BET Awards: ticket, great seats to 3 nights of concerts at the Staples Center, and exclusive access to events at the free Fan Fest. For more information, including exclusive hotel rates, and to purchase tickets, go to BET.com/BETX.

A full list of the BET Award 2015 nominations is now available at http://www.bet.com/BETAwards

The “BET Awards” 2015 will premiere around the world on BET’s international network on Tuesday, June 30 at 9:00pm BST / 10:00pm CAT and will air live on MTV Australia for the very first time (check local listings).

Stephen G. Hill, BET’s President of Programming, Connie Orlando, BET’s Senior Vice President of Music and Specials, Lynne Harris Taylor, BET’s Vice President of Specials, will serve as Executive Producers for the “BET Awards” along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.

The “BET Awards” will take place along with the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles from June 25-28, 2015. BET.com/Awards is the official site for the “BET Awards” and will have all the latest news and updates about this year's show. All information about the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola® can be found at BETExperience.com. The BET Experience VIP Package offers the only way to purchase a “BET Awards” ticket, great seats to 3-nights of concerts at the Staples Center, and exclusive access to events at the free Fan Fest. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to BET.com/BETX.Follow the Experience on Twitter @betexperience, #BETX. @BETAwards #BETAwards

ABOUT BET NETWORKS
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

ABOUT “BET AWARDS”

The “BET Awards” is one of the most watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET's #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.

ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT

Jesse Collins Entertainment is a full service television and film production company founded by entertainment industry veteran Jesse Collins. For more than a decade, Collins, the company’s CEO, has played an integral role in producing some of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. Formerly Executive Producer/EVP of Cossette Productions, Collins has produced ground-breaking and award winning television programming including the BET Awards, the GRAMMY Awards, BET Honors, UNCF An Evening of Stars and the BET Hip Hop Awards. Collins is an executive producer of Real Husbands of Hollywood, (now going into its 4th hit season) alongside industry icons Stan Lathan and Ralph Farquhar; and has worked with superstar talent such as Will Smith, Chris Rock, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Prince, Mariah Carey and many more.

BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA®
BET Networks, an entertainment powerhouse, and AEG, one of the leading entertainment companies in the world and developer/ operator of L.A. LIVE, have teamed up once again to create the BET EXPERIENCE AT L.A. LIVE (BETX), June 25 - 28, 2015 presented by Coca-Cola®. This three-day festival will be filled with music and comedy concerts taking place at Club Nokia and STAPLES Center; “106 & PARK”; FREE BET Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Convention Center including seminars, celebrity basketball games, celebrity meet & greets; and other special appearances. The weekend will be capped off with the “BET Awards” on Sunday, June 28, 2015 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE.

Follow us @BET_PR AND @BETAWARDS

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Thursday, August 15, 2013

Review: "King's Ransom" is Funnier Than I Expected (Happy B'day, Anthony Anderson)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 138 (of 2005) by Leroy Douresseaux

King’s Ransom (2005)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for crude and sexual humor and language
DIRECTOR: Jeff Byrd
WRITER: Wayne Conley
PRODUCER: Darryl Taja
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Robert McLachlan with Daniel Villeneuve
EDITOR: Jeffrey Cooper
COMPOSERS: Luce Gordon and Marcus Miller

COMEDY/CRIME

Starring: Anthony Anderson, Jay Mohr, Kellita Smith, Nicole Ari Parker, Regina Hall, Loretta Devine, Donald Faison, Leila Arcieri, Brooke D’Orsay, Jackie Burroughs, Lisa Marcos, and Charlie Murphy

The subject of this movie review is King’s Ransom, a 2005 comedy from New Line Cinema. Starring Anthony Anderson, the film follows a despicable businessman who arranges his own kidnapping as a way to trump his gold-digging wife’s plans for his money, only to see the plot go awry. King’s Ransom was poorly received by professional film critics, but I like it anyway.

In King’s Ransom (a kind of loose take on the 80’s comedy hit, Ruthless People), Malcolm King (Anthony Anderson), the owner of King Enterprises, is a successful and wealthy man, worth millions of dollars, but he’s also an A-#1-asshole and jerk. He’s made a lot of enemies, from overworked and under-appreciated employees to his soon-to-be ex-wife, Renee King (Kellita Smith). He is very concerned about his messy and likely expensive divorce, in which he may have to give up at least half of his wealth to Renee, so he devises a plan to keep his money out of her hands. With the help of his mistress, Peaches Clarke (Regina Hall), Malcolm plots his own kidnapping in order to secure a fictitious ransom of $10 million – money he can keep away from his wife.

Malcolm, however, isn’t the only one with kidnapping him in mind. Bitter that she wasn’t made a vice-president at King Enterprises, long-suffering employee, Angela Drake (Nicole Parker), cooks up a half-baked kidnap plot, but a dimwitted, down-on-his-luck, local bumpkin named Corey (Jay Mohr) is also plotting to kidnap Malcolm. And it wouldn’t be a three-ring circus if Renee, with the help of her tongue-tied lover, didn’t have her own snatch and grab Malcolm plan go awry.

King’s Ransom was nearly dead on arrival when it opened in theatres this past spring, and it, of course, received awful reviews from movie reviewers. However, the film is a comical and occasionally side-splitting laugher full of dumb jokes, bawdy humor, and low brow comedy, which is was likely deliberately written to be. King’s Ransom is not great slapstick (and the timing seems a little off), but it works because the cast tries like heck to make it funny. They succeeded; King’s Ransom is funny as hell. I must repeat: it’s dumb, dumb, dumb again, but it’s supposed to be dumb, but funny, and it’s hilarious. An urban comedy, it’s three times better than Soul Plane, but not as good as the Barbershop movies or Malibu’s Most Wanted.

Anthony Anderson is a great comic actor. He’s as good as members of the so-called Frat Pack like Vince Vaughn and Jack Black, and is way better than Owen and Luke Wilson, but he won’t get the kind of primo movie parts they do. He’s just a funny guy, and his acting credentials show even in a simple-minded film like this. Almost all the cast shines, particularly Charlie Murphy (Eddie’s brother and a supporting player on “The Chappelle Show”), but Regina Hall stands out amongst the supporting players. She is superb at playing character roles in comedies. I hope that like Anderson, her skin color doesn’t keep her from getting at least one meaty comedy role per year.

6 of 10
B

Updated: Thursday, August 15, 2013

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Monday, April 22, 2013

Review: "Malibu’s Most Wanted" Still Funny

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 76 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Malibu’s Most Wanted (2003)
Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for sexual humor, language and violence
DIRECTOR: John Whitesell
WRITERS: Fax Bahr, Adam Small, Jamie Kennedy, and Nick Swardson
PRODUCERS: Fax Bahr, Mike Karz, and Adam Small
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mark Irwin
EDITOR: Cara Silverman
COMPOSER: John Van Tongeren

COMEDY

Starring: Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson, Regina Hall, Blair Underwood, Damien Dante Wayans, Ryan O’Neal, Bo Derek, Jeffrey Tambor, and Snoop Dogg (voice)

The subject of this movie review is Malibu’s Most Wanted, a 2003 comedy co-written by and starring Jamie Kennedy. The film focuses on the character “B-Rad,” which Kennedy initially used in his stand-up comedy act and later featured on his hidden camera television series, “JKX: The Jamie Kennedy Experiment.”

Brad Gluckman (Jamie Kennedy) is B-Rad, a white Jewish boy from Malibu who is a wannabe rap star and “acts like he’s from the ‘hood.” The problem is that his father Bill (Ryan O’Neal) is a California gubernatorial candidate, and B-Rad’s thuggish behavior might cost him the election.

Tom Gibbons (Blair Underwood), his father’s campaign manager, hires two actors to scare the black out of B-Rad. If Julliard-trained Sean (Taye Diggs) and Pasadena Playhouse thespian P.J. (Anthony Anderson) can convince B-Rad that they’re carjackers, they just might put the white back in Brad’s act. However, B-Rad ain’t having it; before long he’s in love with Sean and P.J.’s accomplice Shondra (Regina Hall), an ambitious young woman with business dreams.

First, let me say that Malibu’s Most Wanted is simply hilarious. I laughed as much as I did at any other recent film including Bringing Down the House. Malibu Most Wanted, like the latter film, involves a traditionally, but especially of late, touchy subject: the portrayal of African-American (or just plain black folks) and black culture in Hollywood films. The film allegedly pokes fun at white kids who embrace hip hop culture, but who also embrace it with such relish that they try to “act black.”

However, the film makes a point of differentiating between poseurs and whites who are really into that chocolate flava. A friend of mine called white poseurs, “Negro lite” – all the style and coolness without the persecution of being black. When it comes down to it, there’s nothing wrong with white people embracing hip hop culture or black language, style, fashion, attitude, and lifestyle. People of different backgrounds and cultures cross pollinate; the Romans certainly enjoyed copying the Greeks.

Some people seem to think that it was beneath African-American actors to participate in movies like Malibu's Most Wanted and Brining Down the House. Black actors just go where the work is. Lord knows that Taye Diggs, handsome, talented, and possessing a deft comic touch, should be a leading man fighting off producers who constantly beat at his door to have him be the star of their next film. That’s not happening. And Anthony Anderson is no less funny than Seann William Scott (American Pie and Dude, Where’s My Car?), so he should also have many comic vehicles coming his way, shouldn’t he?

Regina Hall is sexy and beautiful, capable of being more than just the black girl with an attitude. After seeing her in Malibu's Most Wanted, I left the theatre wondering why I haven’t seen more of her; then, I pass by a poster for the overexposed Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and a Ho. Oh, nothing on Reese. I love her, and all things being equal, Regina came into the world with the exact same chance for opportunity as Reese, right? So they go where the work is. Besides, I love the subtle, sly, and wink-wink/nudge-nudge performances by Diggs, Anderson, and Blair Underwood.

Jamie Kennedy, his writers and the director, John Whitesell (a veteran director of various episodes of many television programs) do a good job with what could have been a one-note joke that dies quickly. The script is pedestrian in a number of ways, but especially in the story’s resolution. B-Rad justifies himself and his interest in hip hop, connects with the black folk, and makes up with his dad, but there are also lots of nice touches. Hell, he even gets the black woman, which I thought the filmmakers would avoid like the plague. Even the predictable material has a nice, funny spin on it. The main point of this movie is to be funny, and it’s damn funny. Its secondary nature is to make a lot of good points, and despite Malibu Most Wanted’s often tactless script, it does that, too. When all is said and done, Malibu’s Most Wanted is funny, and in the long term, it’ll be an important work in the canon of films about black culture.

How many people notice that for all the parody of hip hop that is done in this film, B-Rad is absolutely and honestly in love with hip hop? For all the whining that many people do about how “black culture” is ignored, they should notice the adoration, even when it is disguised as a sow’s ear.

6 of 10
B