'A Nightmare on Elm Street' Remake Trailer: Meet the New Freddy Krueger - Inside Movies

This Dude is still Scary!

A Nightmare on Elm Street in HD



'A Nightmare on Elm Street' Remake Trailer: Meet the New Freddy Krueger - Inside Movies

Whitney Houston - Million Dollar Bill

Make sure you purchase Whitney's New CD...lend your support to one of our greatest singers of all time!

Alicia Keys, "The Other Woman?"

There's been a serious buzz on gossip blogs and entertainment websites about the illustrious Alicia Keys. She has a new love, Swizz Beatz, a very talented super producer and rapper, responsible for hits for Beyonce, Jay-z, Alicia Keys and a long list of others. Well, unfortunately, love doesn't always come packaged in an ideal fashion. Swizz's soon-to-be ex-wife Mashonda twitted an open letter to Alicia Keys demanding that they have a discussion. She outlined what she perceived was a torrid affair that began during her marriage, while she was pregnant with her son, now two years old. I won't list the link, many have already read her rant. I'm not commenting about whether or not Mashonda should have taken this approach to find closure with the end of her marriage. I believe she has her motives and we live in a scandal and media driven society, what better way to capitalize on a loss, but to go pubic. Kanye West recently created a spectacle with the VMA Awards and it backfired. Mashonda is getting her spotlight, but is she really shining?

I can't take the open letter too seriously when Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz haven't issued a public statement to Mashonda's allegations. She says she's worked things out with her husband and they're in a good place. He's paying child support, she and their son are well provided for and the divorce hasn't been finalized. The settlement portion hasn't been worked out and some say she's holding up the divorce proceedings. I can understand, I greatly sympathize with any woman who's marriage fails and especially, when there's a child involved. But, blaming anyone other than her husband is unrealistic. If Alicia Keys was the catalyst for this man leaving his home and family, then Keys will have to deal with the backlash and it's not for us to judge, consequences will settle any debt owed. I'm sure AK will rebut this in her own time and fashion. She may lose some fans, but, she'll definitely survive this time and space! No one perception or misstep can define a person's whole life, career or persona. This is the price of fame, everyday situations are completely blown out of context without reason or having the facts!

Many women feel disappointed, the reality is that these celebrities or superstars are first human beings, who falter like the rest of us. This incident shouldn't cloud all of the great music she has bestowed upon us or her humanitarian work in Africa. In the end, Mashonda still won't be satisfied, no matter how much grief she causes Alicia. Stars are put on pedestals and eventually they fall or fade and the fortunate ones emerge.

I won't stop loving Alicia Keys' music, it's so needed!!! I don't hold her to a perfect standard, knowing we're all imperfect. Women are held to a higher standard than men, Russell Simmons, Usher, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Eddie Cibrian, Sean Penn and others, date and are photographed with the new women in their lives before their divorces were final without a firestorm of criticism.

Why don't we hold back assumptions and judgments and get all three sides of the story before we condemn and crucify Alicia Keys! I listen to what people say, watch their actions, not the headlines or media spins. Mashonda has done a well-crafted spin. Wouldn't you want someone to get your version of what happened before writing you off as a home wrecker. If Alicia was the cause of this marital breakup, don't worry, she'll never feel completely secure and truly at peace once the honeymoon is over!

Mashonda is a scorned woman, striking out because of her pain and loss. She should have equal anger for her husband, but she doesn't, she's in a good place with him. What could Alicia Keys possibly say to her to heal her wound? Of course, she'll have a relationship with Alicia and her child is involved, but this isn't the conversation she wants to have right now. I wish all them the absolute best and know someway, somehow this messy situation will work itself out and the child will be loved by all three adults and isn't this the most important issue at this point?

Mariah's New Music and It's Hot!!!

Memoirs of An Imperfect Angel

Mariah's enjoyed a very long and successful career in a very fickle industry. While this Diva has seen many come and many go, she's maintained a place for herself through all the storms and triumphs. Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel is yet another musicial vision of a woman who seems to keep us guessing and wanting more!

Making Work and Romance Live Happily Ever After

Making Work and Romance Live Happily Ever After

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Ciara "Mama I Want To Sing" Trailer

I'm a Ciara fan and from the clips, she looks like she can act, we'll see. This film looks like a winner! With its top notch cast, great music and a film adapted from the Broadway stage play of the same title, I'm sure "Mama I want to sing" will thrill audiences!

Mecedes Benz Gottex Spring Show

Miley Cyrus and Sheryl Crow VH1 Divas Live 2009

Loved It!!!

Miley Cyrus really surprised many people, including myself. She's definitely growing as a performer, she'll be around for some time come!

VH1 Divas | Divas Video

Jennifer Hudson and Stevie Wonder VH1 Divas Live 2009

Wow!!!

What a performance, two artists beautifully sharing the stage, one's a legend and the other's a diva, Jennifer Hudson and Stevie Wonder artists we love!

VH1 Divas | Divas Video

Whitney Houston's New Video

MILLION DOLLAR BILL

She looks amazing and the song is definitely hot and being played around the world.

Go Whitney!!!

Why Are People So Mean?

One can really observe human behavior by reading blogs and message boards. Sometimes the downright meanness startles me! I know it's easy to hide behind a computer screen and say really awful things because there's no penalty or consequence. The worst that can happen is the moderator may remove a post or ban an excessive offender.

I believe we live in a society that truly lacks empathy and compassion. It's indicative of the mass numbers of individuals quietly and loudly suffering, tormented and in severe pain for a multitude of reasons. Once upon a time, let's say in the 50s, people just wanted to be "middle-class." Then in the 80s came designer labels and luxury cars, lifestyle marketing started to define and dictate what the good life was supposed to look like. People wanted to be affluent, upscale and moving upward toward becoming rich. In the 90s, the heat was on, people just wanted to be rich as fast and as young as possible and the new entrepreneur was born. The dot.com industry took off, software engineers were Gods, information technology was where all the jobs were. Teens were opting to skip college and go directly to work with leading information technology companies. Bill Gates and Microsoft led the personal computer operating and office software industry. Hip Hop dominated the music industry and poor kids from inner cities, college students and even hoodlums could become millionaires overnight.

The new Millium, people wanted to be rich and famous, working in the entertainment industry. The doctor, lawyer, engineer or athlete were no longer revered by young people as a path to living a wealthy and prominent lifestyle. "Fast-track has taken on a new meaning, especially, with the invention of Google, YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools on the Internet, it's now much easier to become "famous." That's where we are today, people just want to be famous for no reason at all.

Since we've moved way beyond desiring to be "middle class," the "white house and picket fence," the "American Dream" has turned into being on Forbes richest lists, our contacts, who we know. There's so much to measure up to if you watch TV, especially, reality show, films, surf the Internet or read magazines. Celebrities are instant role models with legions of devotees watching their every move and sighting. As we've become a more visual and graphic society, gossip sites, tabloid magazines and blogs only need to post pictures, mostly of celebrities attending events, entering or leaving restaurants, caught in questionable positions that a photo may capture to create headlines, hot topics and news stories. Video footage or salacious photos can go viral instantaneously and new media darlings and stars are born or crucified. In between those capitalizing on the perrenial 15 minutes of fame, we're bombarded with music videos, television commercials and red carpet coverage of "the good life."

So I would imagine that it's disconcerting for the average joe to really feel good about his or her own life, when the bar is raised so high with unrealistic standards of gold for the masses. No one really celebrates "character" or "kindness." Most of the praise and accolades go to those who perform the best or the people deemed worthy of our attention, money and praise, regardless if they're great performers or not. Often, they're engineered media and marketing stars, if you see it long enough and often enough you'll buy it is the method to the madness. Quality is second to numbers, whether it's magazine circulation numbers, rankings, championships, ratings, music charts, website hits, visitors or box office receipts. We only respond to numbers that wow and we don't care how it happens and who becomes a causality in the process.

Many can't phantom how they'll possibly achieve the celebrity, fame or fortune as those we worship or detest and I believe this one component really makes many people just downright mean. At the end of the day, we all basically want the same things; we want comfort, warmth, admiration, consideration, peace and some of the material things life has to offer. Through all of our lifestyle marketing campaigns, prosperity preachers or life coaches, no one really teaches us how to become lifestyle specialists. A specialist that knows how to take a little and make it a lot, whether it's backyard barbecues, picnics, visiting museums and parks and above all things shaping a value system that's full of mutual respect and integrity. Instead of chasing A-listers, prominent people, movers and shakers or worshiping celebrities so much, let's value the people around us, people we do have access to and try to grow these relationships or bounce! We all possess untapped resources and talents just waiting to be set free! In doing so, I really believe living a passion-filled life is just as good, if not better than anything we can see on on TV or read about because it's ours!

Good people make good lives, not just the jewels and other fine things, but courage, generosity, integrity and WISDOM...

Taylor Swift's Silver Lining

So much has been written and said about the now infamous 2009 MTV Music Awards. This year's VMA's and the Kanye West fiasco involving country music's teen sweetheart, Taylor Swift and the superstar Beyonce Knowles has made television history in company with the legendary Madonna and Britney Spears' kiss, Michael Jackson and Marie Presley's Kiss and other iconic moments during the show's history. But, nothing could prepare us for the crude outburst of Kanye West, taking the microphone out of Taylor Swift's hand to say Beyonce deserved her award, "Best Female Video."

Taylor Swift's an awesome rising superstar, an artist I truly like and appreciate. It was quite arrogant to say Beyonce was robbed, as if country music is less than other genres. We don't all like the same thing, but Taylor Swift is a very talented singer, songwriter and musician. Granted Beyonce's "Single Ladies" was a big hit, not everyone in this country and around the world loved it, I didn't. The song was a showcase of her splendid body and unusual beauty backed with a catchy anthem song, played in heavy rotation. But, to say it was the best is a matter of opinion. I was happy that she won video of the year because it was so popular, but to say the best is something else. Music has turned too much into the visual and not the quality of the music. I enjoy Taylor Swift's music because she invites you in to listen to her stories, remembering these are songs written by a teenager and as we all know, most writers write about what they know.

There's always good to come from any situation and Taylor Swift and Beyonce were inadvertently gifted by this awkward and rude moment presented by Kanye West. The very day after the awards, Taylor's star is bigger and brighter than ever and Beyonce's appeal widened. Nothing can erase the horrifying moments Taylor Swift endured that night, but at least, there's a silver lining to those clouds.

People Famous For No Reason...Amber Rose

Today it's commonplace for people to be famous for absolutely no reason at all. The perennial 15 minutes of fame now stretches way beyond the usual time span. Reality shows can make instant millionaires for those prepared to seize the moment. Elizabeth Hasselbeck, co-host on the Emmy Awarding winning show "The View," got her celebrity start as an contestant on "Survivor" in 2001, placing 4th ranking in cast-offs. The most notorious villain of reality TV, Omarosa, still commands headlines and interviews after her stint on the first Apprentice Show season in 2004.

It’s just the times we live in. When I see Nicole Richie on the the cover of magazines, I still kinda wonder how and why? But, her celebrity has grown on me and being a mom agrees with her. Nicole's really using her celebrity in very positive ways and she's a role model and cautionary tale to young girls who battle teen issues, drugs and eating disorders.

Paris Hilton and Perez Hilton kinda got this ball rolling to this megastar degree. We’ve always had celebutantes, but never this much media and wide exposure 24/7, the internet, cable broadcasters, magazines and shows like Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight.

Celebrity moms and girlfriends of famous guys generate many photos and gossip for websites, magazines and entertainment news shows. One of the latest hot girlfriends to be celebrated and grace infinite blogs, websites and magazines is Kanye West's girl, Amber. These two seem to enjoy the paparazzi and being fodder for online gossip sites and magazines. Amber has also signed with the Ford Modeling Agency. Some question why is she getting so much press? The Louis Vuitton ad campaign pic kinda sums it up...they're simply hot couple!

Amber’s sense of style is so striking because many women had stopped dressing for themselves and exhibiting a unique personal style. Instead, allowing trends (fashion designers and magazine editors) to dictate their fashion sense. Often, the trendy styles aren’t always flattering for a lot of people, even if they are expensive designer labels and looks. Amber is sharp with clean lines and silhouettes, colors that pop, a mix of classics, contemporary and couture! Shows like "Gossip Girl" are definitely setting fashion trends as did the "Sex In The City" series. But, a single "it girl" always stands out!

We were going through the bohemian and retro looks and often looking too casual and peasantry. So fashionistas Rihanna and Amber kicked it up several notches and we love it and it makes news. Megan Fox is stunning, but she's also famous for being an actress. Jessica Alba's beauty and style is undeniable and more often than not, she's a red carpet favorite.

Amber is the new girl, an “eye candy” star!

Ellen DeGeneres New Idol Judge

Ellen DeGeneres is the new American Idol judge to fill the Paula Abdul seat. I think it's a great fit. Ellen is so well-loved and her comic sense will add to the cast. I think she'll has the tack and honesty to make a very good judge.

But, my beef with American Idol is that it's really a voting contest as with all the talent contests where viewers decide the winner. The last season of "Dancing With The Stars," "So You Think You Can Dance" and "American Idol" were disappointing because the talent was exceptionally good and the winners, while they were good were chosen based on popularity and not the best or even second best in my opinion. This is a reality that I've come to terms with in watching these seeming talent competitions. I usually avoid the finals and not invest in who the winner will be because it's about votes over talent. This won't ever change, so I might tune in early, but no more finales. I missed "The Fashion Show" finale and was pleasantly surprised when viewers chose the fashion designer Anna as the winner in the new Bravo reality show that replaced "Project Runway." So sometimes there's a happy ending, someone's always going to be disappointed since there can only be one winner!

I believe Ellen will blend in well and offer some of the comfort that Paula offered to nervous and vulnerable contestants.

Jay Leno's Back!!!

Well, Jay Leno is definitely making history with his new prime time show! The Jay Leno Show premiers September 14th, Rihanna,Jay-z and Kanye West Kick-off this "must-see" TV event! Leno says he's not doing the "Tonight Show." Whatever the format, I'm just happy that our beloved Jay Leno is back! It just seemed to soon to say goodbye to a man who's been in our lives via late night television from 1992 - 2009, taking the helm as the legendary Johnny Carson bid us a fond farewell after 30 seasons. Many thought NBC was completely nuts to replace Leno with funny man Conan O'Brian. As the pot simmers and the plot thickens, this may very well work out for both veteran comics. At the heart of the matter, they just want to continue to do what they do best, make us laugh!

We'll be tuning in and watching as this Fall brings forth a new Leno show and some interesting TV programming in a depressed economy, when people need a distraction and a really good laugh!

George Clinton and Sly Stone @

African Festival of The Arts


20th Year Anniversary

September 4-7 2009

Review

[Chicago] Celebrating its 20th year, the African Festival of The Arts continues to deliver an action packed weekend of sheer fun every Labor Day Weekend. Title sponsor, Chrysler Financial shares the vision of keeping the African culture and heritage alive! This festival has had some of the most internationally renowned musical artists to grace its stage, from the late James Brown and Isaac Hayes to Chaka Khan, Rachelle Ferrell, George Duke, Roy Ayers, MC Lyte and the list is just way too long to name them all and this year was no different, for the exception of reaching a twenty-year milestone. Given a very anemic economy, this festival offer much bang for the dollar. For the admission price of $10 in advance or $15.00 at the gate, festival goers were treated with a wonderful shopping experience with vendors from all over the country and abroad, showcasing beautiful works of art, jewelry, apparel, body potions and plenty of incense and a scrumptious array of African, Caribbean and America food vendors.

Now if that wasn't enough, you have the pleasure of watching the Ohio Players, I should say, the legendary Ohio Players, Booker T. Jones, Ahmad Jamaal and George Clinton as headliners. Sharing the stage with these music icons were the lovely and talented Julia Huff, South African lady of soul and song, Lorraine Klassen, native Chicagoan, Ugochi (a must-see) and so many other artists, dancers and drummers, a kids' stage and plenty to do and see for the whole family!

How delightful it was to be surprised at the closing of this milestone weekend with yet another legend, Sly Stone. He joined George Clinton on stage in unbelievable fashion and played a medley of his hits as the audience sang along with "Everyday People," "Thank You," "Family Affair" and other classic jams!

Festivals like the African Festival of The Arts are so vital to our humanity and community! In losing Isaac Hayes, James Brown, Michael Jackson and others, we're always fortunate that a venue such as this still continues to exist in the worst of times to brighten up the Southside of Chicago and put smiles on thousands of faces.

See you next year, visit their website, check out video and pics of 2009 Festival, it's a rare opportunity!

www.africanfestivalchicago.com

PUB!