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Hollywood's New 'It Girl' Keeps It Real
(The Root) — On the night before the Oscar nominations, Quvenzhané Wallis was a 9-year-old hopeful working the room at the party Quincy Jones threw for filmmakers at Spago in Beverly Hills. Two days later, after she became the youngest person ever to be nominated for best actress, Wallis, now a seasoned pro, entered the…
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Does 'Django' Use the N-Word Too Much?
(The Root) — As a filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino has always gone there. When other people wouldn’t hire has-been superstars, he offered them work in Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction. When other people were afraid to take an irreverent look at one of history’s most heinous crimes against humanity, Tarantino poked fun at the Nazis in…
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Gabourey Sidibe: Not Just 'Precious,' Part 2
The Root) — Gabourey Sidibe, who scored an Oscar nomination for her starring role in Precious two years ago, was happy to take on another role portraying a troubled teen in Yelling to the Sky. But she had one big problem with writer and first-time feature-film director Victoria Mahoney’s script. She wasn’t really keen on…
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11 Reasons 'Malcolm X' Still Moves Us
In the 20 years since Malcolm X defied the odds and became a bona fide Hollywood hit, Spike Lee has made other memorable films but none as significant. The 1992 film, which starred Oscar winner Denzel Washington in the title role, was a hard sell. Although Malcolm X was an iconic historical figure, he wasn’t…
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Naomie Harris Packs Heat as New Bond Girl
(The Root) — Being cast in a James Bond flick as a Bond girl in the franchise’s 50th year might be the ultimate thrill for some women. That holds true for Naomie Harris, but for her, the coolest thing about starring in Skyfall opposite Daniel Craig’s 007 was handling the hardware. Dressed in a formfitting…
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Denzel on the Guts, Pain, Tears of 'Flight'
(The Root) — When it comes to playing complex characters, there are few actors who have as much swagger as Denzel Washington. It’s his walk, the way he talks and how he makes that one teardrop descend from his right eye. That’ll get you every time. And, of course, he’s not too hard on the…
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African Reverie
Looking for a great big vacation this year? Two words: Mother Africa. Sure, there is HIV/AIDS, poverty and war. But you can find all those things at home in the U.S., too. The blessings of the African continent make themselves apparent the moment you step off the plane. Nowhere else in the world will you…
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Riffs on Freedom
CAPE TOWN—While the rest of the world concerned itself with North Korean rocket launches, the G-20 summit meetings in London and the brief embrace shared between Queen Elizabeth and Michelle Obama, thousands of music lovers—perhaps seeking some refuge from those issues and more—descended on Cape Town for its 10th annual jazz festival. And although the…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
