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What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:30:48 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to the titles below you can now rent the Diane Lane thriller Untraceable, Francis Ford Coppola's Youth Without Youth, and Mad Money.

The Great Debaters
The Great Debaters stars Denzel Washington (who also directs), Forest Whitaker and newcomer Nate Parker in a movie that is maybe formulaic but also poignant and powerfully acted. As I pointed out in my review, the film borrows the the same elements of storytelling you find in underdog sports movies and inspirational teacher movies. However the film, based on a true story, is no less inspiring thanks to some moving performances.

The movie takes place in Texas circa 1935 when schools were segregated and economic times were hard all around. A group of young black college students work to become a debate team worthy of challenging Harvard. Washington plays the hard-driving debate team coach who encourages his students to succeed. You've definitely seen this all before in one form or another, but it's a great family rental with an inspirational message. The movie was honored earlier this year with an NAACP Award to boot.

Special features include deleted scenes and featurettes titled, "The Great Debaters: An Historical Perspective," and "Learning the Art: Our Young Actors Go to Debate Camp."

One more release to go so read more

Autism: The Musical
I have been curious about this documentary ever since it showed at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and I'm so glad it's out on DVD now, as I missed its airing on HBO a couple of months ago. The film has earned high praise and was even one of the Academy's 15 documentaries considered for an Oscar nod.

As Netflix puts it, the documentary follows "five autistic children as they develop and rehearse The Miracle Project, an original musical about autism." Between this flick and The Great Debaters I'd say you've got yourself a great family movie night here.

Special features include deleted scenes, a featurette called, "About Autism Speaks" and a filmmaker biography.

The Great Debaters Wins Big at NAACP Image Awards

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:08:18 -0800

The Golden Globe-nominated drama The Great Debaters won big Thursday night at the 39th NAACP Image Awards. The NAACP, which uses the annual Image Awards to honor outstanding achievements and performances by people of color and individuals and groups who work to promote social justice, recognized the film with four awards, including Best Motion Picture, Best Actor for Denzel Washington, and Best Actress for Jurnee Smollett.

Talk To Me also nabbed a couple of awards, including one for director Kasi Lemmons. On the television side, Grey's Anatomy won for Best Drama, while Tyler Perry's House of Payne won three awards, including Best Comedy. Alicia Keys won four awards in the music categories, and American Idol alum Jordin Sparks took home the award for Best New Artist.

To see a complete list of winners from Thursday's awards, just read more.

MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES

Motion Picture
The Great Debaters

Actor in a Motion Picture
Denzel Washington, The Great Debaters

Actress in a Motion Picture
Jurnee Smollett, The Great Debaters

Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Denzel Whitaker, The Great Debaters

Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Janet Jackson, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?

Directing in a Motion Picture
Kasi Lemmons, Talk To Me

Writing in a Motion Picture
Michael Genet and Rick Famuyiwa, Talk To Me

Independent or Foreign Film
Honeydripper

Documentary
Darfur Now

TELEVISION CATEGORIES:

Comedy Series
Tyler Perry's House of Payne

Actor in a Comedy Series
LaVan Davis, Tyler Perry's House of Payne

Actress in a Comedy Series
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Lance Gross, Tyler Perry's House of Payne

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
Vanessa L. Williams, Ugly Betty

Directing in a Comedy Series
Ken Whittingham, The Office, "Phyllis's Wedding"

Writing in a Comedy Series
Ali LeRoi, Everybody Hates Chris, "Everybody Hates Guidance Counselor"

Drama Series
Grey's Anatomy

Actor in a Drama Series
Hill Harper, CSI: NY

Actress in a Drama Series
Regina Taylor, The Unit

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Omar Epps, House

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy

Directing in a Dramatic Series
Seith Mann, Friday Night Lights, "Are You Ready For Friday Night?"

Writing in a Dramatic Series:
Shonda Rhimes and Krista Vernoff, Grey's Anatomy, "A Change is Gonna Come"

TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special
Life Support

Actor in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special
Wendell Pierce, Life Support

Actress in a TV Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic Special
Queen Latifah, Life Support

Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Kristoff St. John, The Young And The Restless

Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Christel Khalil, The Young And The Restless

News/Information, Series or Special
In Conversation: The Senator Barack Obama Interview

Talk Series:
Tavis Smiley, "Crisis in Darfur"

Reality Series
Run's House 4

Variety Series or Special
Celebration of Gospel '07

Children's Program
That's So Raven

Performance in a Youth/Children's Program, Series or Special
Raven-Symone, That's So Raven

RECORDING CATEGORIES

Album
Alicia Keys, As I Am

Song
"Like You'll Never See Me Again," Alicia Keys

Male Artist
Chris Brown

Female Artist
Alicia Keys.

Duo or Group
Eddie and Gerald Levert

New Artist
Jordin Sparks

Jazz Artist
Herbie Hancock

Gospel Artist
Kirk Franklin

World Music Album
Angelique Kidjo, Djin Djin

Music Video:
"Like You'll Never See Me Again," Alicia Keys

LITERATURE CATEGORIES:

Fiction
Blonde Faith, Walter Mosley

Nonfiction
Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond, Don Cheadle, John Prendergast

Debut Author
The Women Who Raised Me: A Memoir, Victoria Rowell

Biography/Autobiography:
Obama: From Promise to Power, David Mendell

Instructional
The Covenant in Action, Tavis Smiley

Poetry
Acolytes: Poems, Nikki Giovanni

Children
Nothing but Trouble: The Story of Althea Gibson, Sue Stauffacher, author; Greg Couch, illustrator

Youth/Teens
More Than Entertainers: An Inspirational Black Career Guide, Charles B. Schooler, author; Gary Young, illustrator

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The Great Debaters: Good Story, Not-So-Great Film

BuzzSugar — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 10:28:51 -0800

Even in a movie as formulaic as The Great Debaters, Denzel Washington manages to create a character who keeps us guessing. The truth-based tale of a debate team at a small Southern black college in 1935 borrows familiar elements from both underdog sports movies and inspirational teacher movies, but Washington's portrayal of the complicated debate coach is anything but clichéd. His performance, combined with equally subtle character renderings from Forest Whitaker and newcomer Nate Parker, makes this predictable movie worth watching.

Though its plot devices are very familiar, The Great Debaters, also directed by Denzel, benefits from an inspiring story and a unique premise. It's set in segregation- and Depression-era Texas, when middle-class blacks attended college even as lynching was still a fact of daily life.

It is both a hostile and fitting backdrop for a determined team of college debaters: the graceful Samantha (Jurnee Smollett), who aims to be a lawyer; well-read but angry young man Henry (Parker); and the optimistic and overachieving 14-year-old, James Farmer Jr., played by the improbably named Denzel Whitaker (no relation). We get the requisite scenes of Tolson's tough training techniques, as well as a budding romance, family drama, and plenty of impassioned speeches as the Wiley College debaters handily defeat a string of opponents. After a victory over the much larger Fisk, Prof. Tolson sets out to get a match against Harvard, who eventually extends an invitation.

Unfortunately, the script isn't as smart as I would have liked it to be; the supposedly brilliant debaters aren't given very poignant lines to work with. But, particularly because the story is based on fact, you can't help but get caught up in the characters' astounding ambition and victory over seemingly impossible adversity. Of course, the phrase "victory over adversity" should suggest that this isn't the most original movie ever, but it's a fitting feel-good drama for the holidays.

To see the trailer and more clips from The Great Debaters check out movies.ivillage.com.

Source

Movie Preview: The Great Debaters

BuzzSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:26:01 -0800

Right as everyone's buzzing about Denzel Washington's award-worthy turn in American Gangster, we get a trailer for The Great Debaters, another movie that has Washington's magical charm all over it. Add to that an inspirational historical plot fraught with race tensions, and a tight-looking cast - which includes another Oscar favorite, Forest Whitaker - and you've got the makings for a huge Hollywood success.

Washington plays Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at the all-black Wiley College in Texas in 1935. He helps form the school's first debate team which goes on to challenge Harvard's team in the national championship.

Weird sidenote: One of the young actors in this movie is actually named - and I'm not kidding - Denzel Whitaker. He's not a relative of either Denzel Washington or Forest Whitaker, though he was named after Denzel. Weird, right?

To watch the heartwarming trailer for The Great Debaters which opens December 25, read more

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