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Tag: film director

  • He Got Game Sequel? Spike Lee and Ray Allen Are Considering It

    Does anyone remember the 1998 Spike Lee movie He Got Game starring shooting guard Ray Allen? Well if you didn’t see the first one, you may have a chance at seeing the sequel, because Lee and Allen are seriously mulling over taking the film back to the big screen.

    According to the Associated Press, the fictitious basketball phenomenon Jesus Shuttlesworth could be lacing up his sneakers to hit the basketball court again in the near future.

    Allen has even stated that he and the famed film director have spent time discussing the potential film over the past few months, making a collaborative effort to come up with storylines and concepts for the film.

    ESPN reports that Allen briefly touched on the subject of the possible file before the Heat-Pelicans game last night. “Sequels to most movies are always fluff and not as good as the first,” said Allen. “But it’s something we’ve been talking about for the last couple months. If we get a really good story line and are able to bring everybody back, then it would be something worth doing.”

    Lee has even hinted toward a ‘Jesus Shuttlesworth return’ with several pictures he’s posted on his Instagram account. Back in Dec., the Jungle Fever film director shared a picture of a customized Miami Heat jersey with Allen’s #34 on the back. However, the name ‘Shuttlesworth’ was stitched on the back of it.

    The picture’s caption read, “For A Few Select Games My Main Man Ray Allen Will Wear JESUS SHUTTLES WORTH On THe Back OF His Jersey. The Legend Of HE GOT GAME Continues To Grow.Da Greatest Joint About BALL Ever Made.YA-DIG? SHO-NUFF.”

    Back in October, Lee posted an image of Allen holding up the fictitious Lincoln High School jersey from the movie. He stated that he and Allen were having dinner. The picture was posted twice with two different captions. The captions read, “Ray”Jesus Shuttlesworth”Allen Holds Up The Jersey He Wore In He Got Game. Dinner With Jesus Shuttlesworth In New York.”

    However, the Instagram picture Lee posted back in August was a definite hint that the two are considering the sequel film. The “Malcolm X” director said, so himself. The caption read, “Jesus And I At The US Open Tonight. We Talked About The Possible Sequel To HE GOT GAME.”

    Fans of the original film will have to wait how the details unfold over time. But, it looks as though the sequel may definitely be a go!

    Image via Wikimedia Commons | He Got Game (Movie)

     

  • Jeffrey Ian Pollack, Film Director, Dies At Age 54

    A younger presence in the film industry was taken from the world recently, and while most people might not recognize his name, his work might sound a bit more familiar.

    Jeffrey Ian Pollack died at the age of 54, and was a presence in African American cinema in the early 90s, but has not been seen much seen since then.

    Pollack was a producer of The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air, the work that would be most familiar to his audiences, and the popular comedy that jump-started the career of actor Will Smith.

    In addition, he was the director of the films Above The Rim, which starred Tupac Shakur, and Booty Call, a comedy with Tommy Davidson and Jamie Foxx.

    He also directed the David Spade comedy, Lost And Found, which was released in 1999.

    Jeffrey Ian Pollack was found collapsed early Monday morning in the Greenbelt jogging area of Hermosa Beach, which is about 20 miles southwest of Los Angeles. He was discovered by an unidentified woman who was out jogging, and called the police.

    Tommy Thompson, the police captain, reported that there were no signs of foul play, and said “It’s still unknown how he died, we’re not sure if it was a heart attack. But there were no signs of foul play.”

    Thompson also mentioned how important it is to carry someone’s ID on them at all times, even when running, because if something happens, then people will not be able to identify them. Pollack did not have an ID or a cell phone on him at the time.

    Jeffrey Ian Pollack was an avid runner and a softball player. However, he has died of natural causes while running, and it appears that he may have had a heart attack despite being in good physical shape.

    He was also the founder of Handprint Entertainment with his partner Benny Medina. Clients that he had with management team included Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, and Tyra Banks, although the firm closed in 2008.

    Jeffrey Ian Pollack graduated from the University of Southern Califronia School of Film. At the age of 54, he was taken far before his time, and he had not directed a film in several years. While he does not have a well-known name, his films were popular with certain audiences.

    Image via Youtube

  • Quentin Tarantino Has Officially Shut Down Any Rumors Of Kill Bill 3

    Unfortunately for fans of the original Kill Bill films, Quentin Tarantino has officially shut down the rumors that a third film would be made. There has been speculation about a third film ever since the second one finished, and he has been continually teasing about the idea in order to get his fans excited.

    During an interview in 2010 after fans had seen a third film in the series yet, he said that there would be a third film 10 years after Kill Bill Vol. 2, and we were not there yet.

    As this year marks the 10th anniversary of Kill Bill Vol. 1, we would expect some news from the director about what is to come, and unfortunately Quentin Tarantino has nothing but bad news for Kill Bill fans.

    Tarantino shot down any ideas of a hopeful sequel when saying “There are no genres I absolutely want to do any more, like ticking boxes – ‘This, done.’ I don’t think about ‘Kill Bill 3’ that much as we already visited them.”

    Quentin Tarantino is also one of the directors who is rooted in the tradition of filming with film, and the transition to digital has even made him reconsider his career, saying that he might retire soon.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jRMQeuynqQ

    Anyone who is familiar with Tarantino’s style or the type of directors that he likes to emulate will know that he is not in favor of the recent switch to digital, and where the future of appears to be heading. However, the question remains to be, how long will he keep on working and keeping his fans happy?

    Kill Bill Vol. 1 was released in 2003, while the second film in the franchise was released the following year. The films chronicled a revenge story that focused on Beatrix Kiddo, a woman who was betrayed by Bill and had her wedding party murdered, causing her to take on everyone who was involved with the act.

    At the age of 50, Quentin Tarantino is happy with the way that his career of more than 20 years has gone, and while he has no desire to work on a third Kill Bill film, he may want to rework Japanese films, or try out a horror movie. He has previously worked in the horror genre with From Dusk Till Dawn, along with Robert Rodriguez, who directed the film in 1996.

    In addition to Kill Bill, he has had great success as an independent filmmaker, gaining popularity with a bit of a niche audience, and while he has never won the Best Director Oscar, he has won twice for Best Screenplay for his films Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained. He was also nominated for his screenplay for Inglorious Basterds.

    Despite the fact that Kill Bill fans will not see another film in the epic franchise, Quentin Tarantino did tease at a new film that he has coming out on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno. He says it will be a western, although it will not be a sequel to his 2012 hit, Django Unchanined.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • French Director, Patrice Chereau Dead at 68

    Notable screenwriter and actor, Patrice Chereau, died on Monday in Paris, France due to complications of lung cancer. He was 68 years old.

    Chereau was widely known for his role as the French director of opera, and served as a dominant figure in the French film industry for more than 40 years. He played a significant role in more than 20 French films throughout the tenure of his entire career. He also directed 9 operas, and 10 theatrical productions over a 38 year span.

    In 1975, Chereau penned his first film production script for “The Flesh of the Orchid.” His 1984 screenplay, “The Wounded Man” was also another plausible production he was lauded for. He received a Cesar award in honor of his directional role in the play.

    Some of his most prominent film and theatrical productions were “Queen Margot” and “Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train.” His “Queen Margot” production garnered two honorary prizes in the 1994 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar for Costume Design. The Cannes Film Festival commemorated “Queen Margot” this year, debuting a newly restored version of film.

    In 2001, Chereau embarked into new film territory with his production “Intimacy.” The sexually charged film marked yet another successful milestone in Chereau’s career as it was his first and only English-language film production. The film went on to win a Berlin Film Festival award for Best Film.

    Chereau’s latest work was a theatrical production of Richard Strauss’ “Elektra.” The New York Times reports that “Elektra” premiered at the Aux-en-Provence earlier this summer, and is slated to open at the Metropolitian Opera House in 2016.

    http://youtu.be/0D-u1cW7N1o

     

    Image via Wikimedia Commons