Reel Talk (Jan. 31)

Legendary actress Diahann Carroll will be honored at the 2013 San Diego Black Film Festival with a lifetime achievement award for television and motion pictures. A pioneering actress whose career spans decades, she starred opposite Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Bellefonte and Pearl Bailey in the classic film Carmen Jones.

When she was cast as the lead in Julia, she became the first African American woman to star in her own TV series. She won a Golden Globe Award in 1968 and was eventually nominated for an Emmy Award for the series in 1969.

In the 1970s she took on what many believed was a risky role with her portrayal of welfare mother Claudine opposite James Earl Jones. It turned out to be a great move as she was nominated for an Academy Award in 1974 for her portrayal of Claudine. 

The glamorous star made television history again for her role in Dynasty as Dominique Deveraux opposite Joan Collins making her the first “black bitch,” in prime time television. In fact, Dynasty creator Aaron Spelling once remarked, “when Diahnn came in, Esther Shapiro and I looked at her, looked at each other and said, My God, she is Dynasty.” 

“We’re honored to bestow our Millennium Award for Lifetime Achievement in Television & Motion Pictures on her because she’s a classic pioneering star. And when it comes to television and motion pictures, they don’t come much bigger than Diahann Carroll,” said Karen Willis, director of the San Diego Black Film Festival. 

The award will be presented to Ms Carroll during the festival’s Awards Dinner & Gala, February 2, 2013, 7pm at the Westin Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego. 


Can You Smell What The Rock is Cookin?

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has got a busy 2013. ‘Snitch‘ is his first film of the year, which will be followed by ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation,’ then ‘Pain and Gain,’ and finally this summer’s ‘Fast Six.’ And though ‘Snitch’ might be the least interesting of the four, it’s got a good hook, as the latest trailer emphasizes.

And that’s that Johnson must take down criminals to get his son out of jail. That’s a solid B-movie premise, and can be used for good tense action scenes as Johnson tries not to get caught. Also, the film features ‘The Wire’s Michael K. Williams, and it’s always worth checking out what Omar’s up to.

Here’s the synopsis:

Action superstar Dwayne Johnson headlines this fast-paced thriller as a father whose teenage son is wrongly accused of a crime and is sentenced to 10 years in jail.  In order to clear his son’s name, he dangerously goes undercover and risks everything, including his own life, to reduce his son’s sentence.

The ensemble cast includes Academy Awards Winner Susan Sarandon, Emmy Nominee Benjamin Bratt, and Golden Globe Nominee Barry Pepper.

Inspired by a true story, the screenplay was written by Justin Haythe (THE LONE RANGER, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, THE CLEARING) and adapted by the film’s director Ric Roman Waugh.

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