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THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2006
D
Section
PHOTO/RUN AND SHOOT FILMWORKS
Floyd Ranee and wife Stephanie Tavares-Rance of Lake Norman host the Run and Shoot Flimworks Martha’s Vine
yard African American Fiim Festival.
Cinema noir
Lake Norman residents host national festival of black filmmakers
By Cheris F. Hodges
cheris hodges@lhechurhtteposl icom
North Carolina transplants
Stephanie Tavares-Rance and Floyd
Ranee are champions of black film
making.
The couple is hosting the fourth
annual Run and Shoot Filmworks
Martha’s Vineyard African American
Film Festival and will premiere Out-
Kast’s ‘Tdlewild.”
The native New Yorkers, who now .
live in Lake Norman, started the fes
tival in 2001 to honor the works of
independent and established black
filmmakers.
“We used to vacation in Martha’s
Vineyard a lot,” said I^vares-Rance,
“and saw it was a beautiful location,”
When Tavares-Rance, who was
working in publicity, hosted an event
that showed a film, the couple saw
how people flocked to see the movie.
That’s how they came up with an idea
-for theYestival.
Ranee, who has worked in film since
he graduated from Howard Universi
ty, is a successful commercial director
and cinematographer. He’s shot spots
for Reebok, Martell Cognac and Foot-
locker. His first job was on the set of
Spike Lee’s “Mo Better Blues.”
The couple has grown the festival
into one of the biggest black film festi
vals in the country. Tavares-Rance
said many of the pieces that are
shown at the festival have ended up
on HBO, one of the event’s sponsors.
3 BLACK/2D
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - The Federal
Communications Commission
Wednesday ordered Time Warner
Cable to reinstate the NFL Net
work on systems the company
acquired from defunct operator
Adelphia Communications Inc.
The commission issued an
emergency order to reinstate the
network on a temporary basis
after NFL Enterprises LLC com
plained the network was booted
without giving subscribers the
required 30-day notice. The cable
network is scheduled to show 54
NFL preseason games and eight
NFL regular-season primetime
games this season. Preseason play
begins Aug. 11.
Time Warner picked up about
3.5 million subscribers from
Adelphia in western New York,
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Funk legend Rick James’ gravestone in place
BUFFALO, New York - The two-ton, jet-black gravestone
for funk legend Rick James was hoisted into place last
week, just in time for the second anniversary of his death
Sunday. The Buffalo-bom James lives on in his leather
image from the 1981 hit album “Street Songs,” etched
into stone in tight pants, jacket and guitar.
“Tasteful. Simple. Nice,” said Molly Amigone,
who runs the monuments division of Amigone
Funeral Home.
The album sold 3 million copies and made
Denzel and Spike make potent
combination with ‘Inside Man’
Inside Man
Denzel Washington,
Jodie Foster and
Christopher Plummer
Spike Lee, director
Sony Home Video
Before “Inside Man,” Spike Lee and Denzel
Washington had not worked together since the bril
liant “He Got Game.” The break seems to have done
both good. “Inside Man" - a well-written, superbly
acted heist film - is certainly worth the wait.
This is Lee's best outing as a director in years. It’s
his unique stamp that makes this thriller go. His
scene setup, and multiple camera angles have always
been intriguing, but Lee seems to be on another level
in this film.
It also never hurts to have a massive cast, and Lee’s
got that with this film. Oscar winner’s Washington
and Jodie Foster; Clive Owen. Willem Dafoe,
Christopher Plummer and Chiwetel Ejiofor give fine
performances - particularly, Washington, Foster
Owen and Ejiofor. There's no bad performance in
the bunch. Even the minor characters are strong. Pai-
ticularly interesting is Amir Ali Said, a new kid that’s
got lots of potential.
The story is fairly conventional. What spears to
be a bank heist is pulled off during which hostages
are taken. Police standoffs, ridiculous demands and
the chess game between hostage negotiator and kid
napper ensue. Yet it becomes clear that this heist has
nothing to do with the bank full of money. There’s
something else that plays out at the end that lifts this
film above the genre. Ground-breaking no, but very,
very entertaining. That credit goes to first-time
screenwriter Russell Gewirtz for throwing in nice
twists to keep the film moving.
The DVD features a great conversation between
Lee and Washington on their fourth outing. It’s near
ly worth the price of the disc to see Washington
relaxed and open. Deleted scenes, a directors com
mentary and a “making of’ feature round out the
bonus stuff.
Montgomery Bus Boycott
exhibit at Public Library
\ Winfred Cross
Lyfe keeps
rising with
sophomore
‘Phoenix’
FCC reinstates NFL channel to Adelphia customers
Ohio, Texas, southern California,
Maine, North Carolina and South
Carolina, according to the FCC
records.
Lyfe Jennings
The Phoenix
Lyfe Jennings,
producer
Sony/BMG Music
Lyfe Jennings’ first CD was
nearly spoiled by his need to talk
between songs. Not that his life
isn’t interesting, but he can save
the drama for a biography.
Jennings has done the same on
his latest, “The Phoenix,” an odd
title considering his career has
continued to rise since his first
CD. Despite the title and chatter,
Jennings offers a stunning set of
meticulously crafted songs that
speak volumes.
Jennings’ life has been filled
with tragedy and triumph, and his
lyrics reflect that. He isn’t afraid
to share the pain or happiness
through his music, which makes
it worth listening. Jennings does
n’t have to set up each song, but
he chooses to do so. Call it thera
py, self-indulgence or whatever,
if keeps him writing meaningful
songs, he needn’t stop.
Jennings is blessed with a
raspy, elastic voice that, when
pushed, is very good. He’s acm-
ally better at ballads, which is
rare these days. “Goodbye” is a
bittersweet song about a breakup.
It borrows a little from Gladys
Knight’s “Neither One Of Us,”
which is a good thing. The
arrangement is sparse, featuring
Jennings and a piano. His vocal
treatment is heartfelt and stylish.
On ’The River,” Jennings bor
rows from Sam Cooke’s “A
Change Is Gonna Come,” one of
the greatest songs of the last cen
tury. Jennings uses the song as an
autobiographical tool, bearing his
soul to the public. It’s far more
effective than the 13 interludes
included. It’s achingly beautiful,
but way too short.
The best song may be “More
Than A Girl," about his current
love. It gives Jennings a chance
to be happy and not so intfospec-
tive. That mood suits him.
James a superstar.
His family chose the portrait and the words on the grave
stone, lyrics to a song the “Superfreak” singer never released:
“I’ve had it aM’ve done it all/I’ve seen it all/It’s all about
love/God is love.”
Older brother .Carmen Sims said the monument shows the
softer side of the man who once told an interviewer, “I wanted
to be Rick James, wild man, party machine, lady slayer, and
the cocaine told me I could.”
The monument says, “I’m at peace,” Sims said.
James’ ashes are interred at the site.
Ratings
PHOTO/CURTIS WILSON
In celebration of Rosa Parks’ legacy, The Public Library
of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County is hosting the exhib
it “381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story.” The
exhibit was developed by the Smithsonian Institution,
where Marquette Folley, above, is project director.
No stars - A mess
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