Isaac Hayes

After seeing a few clips of Soul Men a little while ago, I was intrigued by this comedy starring Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac (it also includes one of Isaac Hayes's final performances), which is why I was happy to recently find an actual trailer.

Everyone knows that Jackson is perfectly suited for roles in dark comedies, but to see him as one half of a straight-up buddy movie is kind of unexpected and fun. He looks quite comfortable playing the straight man here. Of course, there are pangs of grief that come with watching this trailer, but it's also joyful to see Bernie Mac on the screen in a warm, bumbling, and funny role. He's the kind of comedian who makes me laugh just with his gestures and the inflection in his voice.

Needless to say, I will definitely be in line with bells on for this one when it hits theaters November 7. To take a look for yourself, read more

I knew this movie was being made, but I wasn't paying a ton of attention to it, since there was nothing to check out yet. But now that I've seen a few clips of Soul Men, I honestly can't wait to see it. Sadly, these are now some of the final performances for both Bernie Mac and Isaac Hayes, but the good news is that this movie looks great, and yes, soulful. It makes me happy for the two entertainers, may they rest in peace.

Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson star as Floyd and Louis, "two estranged soul-singing legends [who] agree to participate in a reunion performance at the Apollo Theater to honor their recently deceased band leader." Isaac Hayes appears as himself. In one brief clip, Hayes goes to wish Floyd and Louis luck backstage, and Jackson says, "Thanks, we're gonna need it," and then the clip ends right there. Of the three people in that scene, two died in the same weekend. It's a little spooky.

The video will just redirect you to MTV's site anyway, so click here to see all four clips of Soul Men.

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• After winning his 10th and 11th career gold medals earlier today, Michael Phelps has earned the most gold medals of any Olympic athlete ever. He is currently five for five at the Beijing games. — People
• Madonna is reportedly in the process of adopting a 3-year-old girl, Mercy James, from Malawi, although the members of the girl's family are against her being adopted outside of the country. — The Sun
• Dennis Quaid is suing Steven Mendelson for allegedly defaulting on a $70,000 loan more than four years ago. — TMZ
• Mexican actors Diego Luna and Camila Sodi had their first child, a baby boy, on Tuesday in LA. — People
• Although no autopsy has been performed, authorities say Isaac Hayes's cause of death was probably a stroke. — AP
• Rachel Hunter is engaged to her 26-year-old Canadian ice hockey player boyfriend, Jarret Stoll. — New Zealand's 3 News
• Jay-Z might be selling a 50 percent stake of his Las Vegas sports club, 40/40, to Las Vegas Sands Corp. for $44 million. — Page Six

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It was a pretty depressing weekend in the world of entertainment as we lost first Bernie Mac and then Isaac Hayes. Hayes passed away on Sunday in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 65.

Many people know Hayes as the deep-voiced singer who brought the theme song to Shaft into the world. In 1972, he won the Oscar for that song, becoming the first African-American to win an Oscar in a non-acting category. Hayes went on to pick up three Grammy awards and was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

For people of a younger generation, however, Hayes will be remembered as the voice of Chef on South Park. To enjoy a video set to Chef's "Chocolate Salty Balls" in Hayes's honor, just read more

• Isaac Hayes, 65, died early Sunday morning in Memphis after relatives found him collapsed on the floor near a treadmill. The cause of death is unknown but thought to be natural causes. — E! Online
• Prior to Bernie Mac's death, he was admitted to the hospital on July 24 and in intensive care during his entire stay, despite previous reports to the contrary. A public memorial service will be held this Saturday in Chicago. — People
• The Dark Knight was No. 1 at the box office for the fourth week in a row bringing in another $26 million. Pineapple Express came in second with $22.4 million for the weekend and $40.4 million total since its Wednesday release. — BuzzSugar
• Angelina Jolie is undecided on who she will vote for in the presidential election this year and is waiting to hear the candidates' stances on refugees, international justice, and children in crisis. — Wilshire & Washington
• Rumor has it Tori Spelling pulled out of the 90210 spinoff series because she is upset that Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth were being paid more than her. — Deadline Hollywood
• Bruce Springsteen is rumored to be this year's halftime performer at Super Bowl XLIII on Feb. 1 in Tampa. — Page Six
• Richard Dreyfuss filed a lawsuit against his father and uncle on Friday over an $870,000 loan that has allegedly remained unpaid since 1984. — AP

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Tina Fey will host the first post-strike episode of Saturday Night Live on Feb. 23, and Ellen Page will follow the next week, writes The New York Times.
• John Legend and Isaac Hayes have joined the cast of the comedy Soul Men, which includes Samuel L. Jackson and Bernie Mac, writes Billboard.
• ComingSoon has news that Wes Craven's first horror project since 1994 will be 25/8, based on the 1972 George Romero film.
• Benjamin Bratt will star in a new series for A&E about an interventionist, while Timothy Hutton will portray a modern-day Robin Hood in the TNT series Leverage; details on both are at The Futon Critic.
• Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Jason Leigh will star together in the indie sex comedy titled Spread, reports Variety.
• Aretha Franklin is not pleased with Beyonce after Beyonce's Grammy intro referred to Tina Turner, not Franklin, as "the queen," the Associated Press reports.
• Zap2It writes that Joel Surnow, co-creator of 24, is leaving the show to pursue other projects.
• According to Billboard, this summer's tour will be the last for The Police.
• Fox is remaking a Japanese TV show in which people must fit into shapes like human Tetris pieces, according to Variety.

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