Leslie Jones says that her friend Chris Rock sought counseling after being slapped by Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars.
“That shit was humiliating,” she told People. “It really affected him. People need to understand his daughters, his parents, saw that. He had to go to counseling with his daughters.” (Rock shares two adult daughters — Lola, 21, and Zahra, 19 — with ex-wife Malaak Compton-Rock.)
Jones, who was watching the show from home that night, said she was “infuriated” upon seeing the incident take place on live television.
“You don’t know that I was going to jump in my car and roll up there,” she said. “I was so fucking mad on so many levels.”
She added that Smith, who won a best actor Oscar for his role in King Richard only moments later, should have tried to make amends with Rock when he accepted his award. While Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees in his acceptance speech, he stopped short of saying he was sorry directly to Rock.
The shocking moment at the March 2022 Oscars ceremony came after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, before presenting the award for best documentary feature. Rock suggested Pinkett Smith was getting ready to film a sequel to G.I. Jane — which was seemingly a reference to the actress’ shaved head. (Pinkett Smith has been open about her hair loss due to alopecia.)
Smith took the stage and slapped Rock. Returning to his seat, he yelled at Rock: “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!”
A day later, he apologized directly to Rock in an Instagram post. He offered a second apology via video message in July of 2022.
“There is no part of me that thinks that was the right way to behave in that moment,” he said.
After the incident, Smith announced he was resigning from the Academy and has been banned from appearing at Academy events for 10 years. He is still, however, eligible for future Oscar nominations and wins, and will retain the Oscar that he won during the 2022 ceremony.
Jones said she believes that Smith could have “fixed” the situation that night when accepting his Oscar. She suggests that he could have said something along the lines of: “I shouldn’t have did that. Bring Chris out. I can not accept the Oscar right now because that was fucking wrong.”
For his part, Rock slammed Smith earlier this year in his live Netflix special, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage!
“Will Smith practices selective outrage,” Rock told the audience. “Outrage because everybody knows what the fuck happened. Everybody that really knows, knows that I have nothing to do with that shit. I didn’t have any entanglements.”
He continued, “His wife was fucking her son’s friend. OK, now, I normally would not talk about this shit, but for some reason, these n—-s put that shit on the internet. I have no idea why two talented people would do something that lowdown. What the fuck? And we’ve all been cheated on. Everybody in here has been cheated on. None of us have ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us on television.
“She hurt him way more than he hurt me. Everybody in the world called him a bitch. I tried to call the motherfucker, I tried to call that man and give him my condolences, he didn’t pick up for me … Everybody called him a bitch, and who did he hit? Me — a n—a he knows he could beat. That is some bitch-ass shit.”
Rock wrote the forward to Jones’ new memoir, titled Leslie F*cking Jones. The two comedians met in the mid-1990s and have been friends ever since.
“He’s like my brother,” Jones said of Rock, who also convinced her to (successfully) audition for Saturday Night Live. She added: “He’s just always there to give me the perfect advice when I need it.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Outlaw Johnny Black is a nice, simple, silly, and funny comedy that has been missing on the big screen for a while. While it seems like all the recent comedies now are too deep or adult, Outlaw Johnny Black is light-hearted with plenty of action and silliness that everyone can enjoy.
Written, produced, directed by, and starring Michael Jai White, Outlaw Johnny Black is a Western parody that opens with Johnny Black (MJW) on his mission to kill Bret Clayton (Chris Browning) the man who killed Black’s father, a pastor who preached forgiveness when he finds himself arrested and thrown in jail. He escapes and is now a wanted man. He ends up passed out in the desert when Reverend Percival Fairman, played by the movie’s co-writer Byron Minns, finds him on his way to the little town of Hope Springs to meet his pen-pal love Bessie Lee (Erica Ash). After Black and Fairman are ambushed by Indians, Fairman is captured while Black takes his identity and goes to Hope Springs as the reverend. While there he learns that the town is threatened by an evil land baron, Thomas Sealy (Barry Bostwick). The town’s leader Jessie Lee (Anika Noni Rose) is on a mission to stop him. Black falls for Jessie Lee, who happens to also be Bessie Lee’s sister, and after the real Reverend Percival Fairman makes his way into town, Black is now committed to helping the townspeople love him and gets the reverend to go along with his plan. Meanwhile, Sealy has already called on Brett Clayton and his notorious gang to burn down and level Hope Springs for not turning over their land. In the end, Black who’s now a changed man, finally kills Clayton.
The beginning starts off a little slow with just a few laughs until Johnny Black meets the reverend. From there, the rest of the movie will have you laughing out loud. Bessie Lee and the real Reverend Fairman really brought out most of the laughs. While Black and Jessie Lee carried out more of the situational humor and took on the more serious roles to keep the plot moving. The exaggerated aspects of the old, original Westerns were very obvious and I thought that made it even more funny. Johnny Black, a rugged outlaw on the run gets his man in the end and falls for the sweet, kind-hearted Jessie Lee even down to the settlers versus the Indians who were played by everybody but Native Americans (Russell Peters plays the chief).
It’s been 14 years since Michael Jai White’s Black Dynamite and it’s definitely in White’s own style that we saw before but very different in content. It’s not a sequel. It doesn’t seem like a version of blaxploitation more so than a parody. It puts me in the mind of all the Black comedies that were released in the early to mid 00’s, where it’s not so deep or explicit, it’s just a funny movie. It even vaguely reminds me of The Fighting Temptations and First Sunday where there are some provocative parts but also has the spiritual aspect and a PG-13 rating. Outlaw Johnny Black also features virtually an all-Black cast with quite a few recognizable faces including Tommy Davidson, Kim Whitley, Gary Anthony Williams, Tony Baker, and Jill Scott.
The movie premiered in theaters September 15, 2023.
By McKenna Fuller
Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning team up again almost 20 years since Man on Fire for the action thriller The Equalizer 3. The Equalizer 3 is a great movie, a must see for action fans, and a reminder of why Washington is a legend and the Equalizer movies are so successful.
The third and final chapter in The Equalizer trilogy, Washington is back as retired US Marine and former DIA officer turned vigilante, Robert McCall, to deliver harsh justice to protect the people of a small town in Italy. Regardless, if action thrillers are your type of movies, the movie gets right into it and keeps you on your seat the whole way through and shows us that Karma hits hard. While traveling to Italy to take down a crime ring based out of a vineyard that is responsible for trafficking drugs and terrorism in Sicily, he is injured and finds himself in the small coastal town of Altamonte in the care of the beloved local doctor Enzo. During his recovery, he connects with the people of the town and discovers that the good people are being plagued by the brutality of the mafia organization Camorra. He anonymously tips off CIA agent Emma Collins (Dakota Fanning) about the Sicilian vineyard, and she and other CIA agents journey there to deal with that situation. While there she tracks “Roberto” down and locates him but he continues to keep his identity private. (It is revealed at the end that she is the daughter of Robert’s friends Brian and Susan who were murdered in The Equalizer 2). In the meantime, Vincent Quaranda (Andrea Scarduzio) and his mafia members terrorize and kill people in villages on the Almafi Coast for commercialization. He uses his younger brother, Marco Quaranda (Andrea Dodero) and his gang members to crack down and terrorize those in Altamonte for his purposes. Roberto gets better and gets involved and single handedly takes down the Camorra starting with Marco and it’s violent leader Vincent in an equally brutal way.
I’ll mention that for those like me who haven’t seen the first two Equalizers, you will be able to follow the whole way through without getting lost because the storyline can stand alone. The movie doesn’t hold back with a lot of action packed scenes that were hard to watch if you’re like me and typically don’t watch a lot of graphic, bloody violence but even if it’s not your thing you can’t look away. Also, like the other Equalizer movies the bad guys are based on real life things around the world including ruthlessly pushing people out of their communities, drugs, and terrorist organizations and those like Vincent and the Camorra who hurt and kill innocent people without conscience for greed and power. It’s hard to feel anything but satisfaction when the Equalizer comes through and takes everything from them. Karma hits hard.
The Equalizer 3 directed by Antoine Fuqua released in theaters September 1, 2023.
By McKenna Fuller
Directed by Reginald Hudlin
Written by Kelly Younger
Produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Eddie Murphy, Karen Lunder, Charisse Hewitt-Webster
Executive produced by Doug Merrifield
Starring Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, D.C. Young Fly, Riki Lindhome,
Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Lombardo Boyar, Danielle Pinnock, Timothy Simons.
Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After Chris (Eddie Murphy) inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life, and wreaks havoc on the whole town. At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross), and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper’s spell, battle deviously magical characters, and save Christmas for everyone.
It seems a disaster was averted for Chris Rock as he was at The Burning Man over the weekend, but was able to get out by hitching a ride on the back of a fan’s pickup truck. Rock was able to escape with the DJ known as Diplo.
“I legit walked the side of the road for hours with my thumb out cuz I have a show in dc tonight and didnt want to let yall down. Also shoutout to this guy for making the smart purchase of a truck not knowing it was for this exact moment,” reads the caption of Diplo’s Instagram post.
The video features a handful of people walking through a muddy field, and then that same handful of people, plus Chris Rock, sitting in the back of a moving pickup truck.
“All Chris could think about was a f**king cold brew,” Diplo wrote over the shot of Rock perched on the edge of the truck bed in a blue windbreaker.
Rock, for his part, documented the chaos on his Instagram stories. They’ve all since expired, but he shared updates about the plumbing situation: “Because of the flooding, the port-o-potties reportedly can’t be emptied. And because the gates are closed, people can’t get in to fill generators or deliver supplies.” He also posted one about the very mud that he and Diplo trudged through in their quest for rescue, which was apparently ankle-deep in some places, making it impossible to get around.
The Burning Man powers that be posted a sober warning late Saturday night saying that all travel in and out of Black Rock City was halted, and “no driving is permitted on playa except for emergency vehicles.” And, as Diplo pointed out, that one very enterprising young man who had the good sense to purchase a truck!
Don’t worry, Rock posted a story from the Renaissance tour last night, so he made it out okay. And hopefully got that cold brew.
By Emma Chance
Oscar winners Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx star in this rousing David and Goliath courtroom drama about one family’s struggle to hold onto their mom-and-pop funeral home in the face of heartless corporate exploitation.
Based on true events, this rousing David and Goliath courtroom drama stars Oscar winners Tommy Lee Jones (also at the Festival in Finestkind) and Jamie Foxx as two unlikely allies united by a shared desire for justice. Directed by Maggie Betts (TIFF ’17’s Novitiate), The Burial generates suspense and laughter as it chronicles one family’s struggle to hold onto their funeral home in the face of heartless corporate exploitation.
As he turns 75, Biloxi, Mississippi funeral director Jeremiah O’Keefe (Jones) feels blessed by his wife and children and the legacy he’s proud to leave to them. But debts force Jeremiah to sell parts of his business to a corporation rapidly buying up funeral homes, cemeteries, and insurance companies to profit from what its CEO, Ray Loewen (Bill Camp), refers to as “the golden age of death.”
When Jeremiah’s contract with Ray is in dispute, he solicits the services of Willie E. Gary (Foxx), a flamboyant personal-injury lawyer who hasn’t lost a case in 12 years — but who doesn’t know a thing about contract law. After Ray hires a hotshot defence team, it becomes clear the odds are stacked against Jeremiah and Willie. But despite their different backgrounds, they recognize qualities in each other they feel certain will see them through: faith, integrity, and a tireless fighting spirit.
The Burial takes a probing look into a multibillion-dollar death-care industry poised to take advantage of people during the most vulnerable moments in their lives. It is also wildly entertaining, capitalizing on Jones’ magnetic decency and Foxx’s singular ability to balance showmanship with heart. The way these men join forces will have you cheering.
Pictured above-Filmmakers Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz
Today, it was announced that Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story, will be available to stream on Prime Video beginning November 17 in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz directed the documentary under the Bekele Films banner, and Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story becomes the latest addition to the Prime membership.
Writer, actor, filmmaker, studio head, and media titan, Tyler Perry, is America’s consummate multihyphenate. But underneath this entertainment behemoth is a man working humbly to heal his childhood trauma by transforming his pain into promise. Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story, a nod to his mother’s love, is a tender and intimate portrait of visionary and innovator Tyler Perry: his harrowing but faithful road to the top of an industry that didn’t always include him. Nearly a decade in the making, with unfettered access, directors Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz lead us into the inner-world of a man, whose story has never fully been told, as he becomes a father and a media mogul with a mission to pave his own road to the top. The product is a profound lesson on remembering where you came from to know where you want to go.
Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story is produced by Gelila Bekele, Jasmine K. White, and Asante White.
Armani Ortiz is represented by WME.
STARZ announced the highly anticipated season three premiere for “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” set to return on December 1st, and revealed several first-look photos from the new season. New episodes of “Raising Kanan” will be available weekly on Fridays at midnight ET/PT on the STARZ app, all STARZ streaming and on-demand platforms, and internationally on the LIONSGATE+ premium streaming platform in the U.K. and Ireland. On linear, it will debut on STARZ at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT in the U.S. and Canada.
With emotions high and the stakes even higher, we return to Southside Jamaica, Queens right where we left the Thomas family at the end of season two, with the family in turmoil and reeling from the Mob’s coordinated attack on Raquel, Marvin, and Lou-Lou. The photos include a first look at new cast members Wendell Pierce and Erika Woods as “Snaps” and “Pop” Henry, as well as Grantham Coleman as “Ronnie,” whose casting was announced earlier this year. The new images also include Tony Danza reprising his role of Italian mobster Stefano Marchetti, and of course, returning series regulars including the formidable Patina Miller as “Raquel Thomas” and MeKai Curtis in the titular role of “Kanan Stark.”
Over the last two seasons of “Raising Kanan,” Kanan Stark has slowly learned the truth about not only his mother, but also himself. It has been a tortuous journey for him and everyone around him. With each new revelation, Kanan has been forced to confront his family’s seemingly never-ending web of secrets and lies. He has spent much of this time in a state of denial, but now, Kanan’s blinders are finally off, and he doesn’t like what he sees. In season three, Kanan finds himself grappling with the very notions of right and wrong. Good and evil. Fidelity and disloyalty. And he’s not alone. Every member of the Thomas family must confront an existential crisis that challenges their very identity. Whether it’s Marvin, who’s still trying to redeem himself, or Raq, who’s finally coming clean, or Lou, who’s wrestling with his own evil, or Jukebox, who’s simply trying to break free from her family’s pathology, they are all attempting to redefine and reinvent themselves. They won’t all be able to complete this intensely personal quest, but for those who do, the destination may reveal the most terrifying secret of all. There is no right and wrong or good and evil. There are no absolutes. In the end, there’s just you.
In addition to Miller, Curtis, Pierce, Woods and Danza, “Raising Kanan” stars Omar Epps as “Detective Malcolm Howard,” London Brown as “Marvin Thomas,” Malcolm Mays as “Lou-Lou Thomas,” Hailey Kilgore as “Jukebox,” Joey Bada$$ as “Unique,” Shanley Caswell as “Detective Burke” and Antonio Ortiz as “Famous.”
“Power Book III: Raising Kanan” is the second series in the expanded “Power” Universe franchise. Sascha Penn serves as showrunner and executive producer for season three. The “Power” Universe series is executive produced by the creator and showrunner of the original “Power,” Courtney A. Kemp through her production company End of Episode, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson through G-Unit Film and Television, and Mark Canton through Atmosphere Entertainment MM. Chris Selak, Kevin Fox, Santa Sierra, and Tash Grey also serve as executive producers. Lionsgate Television produces the series for STARZ.
Follow “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” on Social Twitter: @RaisingKanan Instagram: @RaisingKananStarz Facebook: @RaisingKanan Join the conversation with #RAISINGKANAN and #STARZ
SHOWTIME will debut HEIST 88, led by two-time Emmy Award-winning actor Courtney B. Vance (The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, Lovecraft Country) and produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, Bassett Vance Productions and Gunpowder & Sky. Inspired by one of the largest bank robberies in U.S. history, the film will stream exclusively on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME starting on Friday, September 29th, and on SHOWTIME Sunday, October 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Inspired by true events, HEIST 88 is the unbelievable story centered on Jeremy Horne (Vance), a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything, who decides to pull one last job before going to prison. He recruits four young bank employees to steal close to $80 million dollars in a daring and brazen assault on the U.S. banking system. The film takes place in a time before widespread computerization and the vast cybersecurity of today. It also reunites Vance with Keesha Sharp, who portrayed Dale Cochran in the award-winning limited series The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, and Bentley Green, who recently starred alongside Vance in the drama series 61st Street. HEIST 88 also stars Keith David (The Nice Things), Xavier Clyde (City on Fire), Nican Robinson (Beef), and Precious Way (Days of our Lives). Additional character descriptions include:
Keesha Sharp will play Bree Barnes, an elegant, smart, political consultant that possesses a criminal mind and is Jeremy’s love interest.
Keith David will play Buddha Ray (Raymond Oliver), a master safecracker and mentor to Jeremy.
Xavier Clyde will play Danny Pugh, a nerdy, comic book collector who is brilliant with numbers and data and loves research but has given up on his job at the bank.
Bentley Green will play Marshall King, a cocky, energetic, house music DJ and Jeremy’s nephew.
Nican Robinson will play Rick Windom, a young loyal bank employee working in “the back of the bank” for nearly six years with dreams of becoming a stockbroker.
Precious Way will play LaDonna Sanders, a beautiful, bright, bank employee who is ambitious but unseen at First Chicago Bank.
HEIST 88 is written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran (Minor Adjustments) with Menhaj Huda (Kidulthood) serving as director. The film is executive produced by Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Lynnette Ramirez and Dwayne Johnson-Cochran for Bassett Vance Productions and Van Toffler and Barry Barclay for Gunpowder & Sky. Amal Baggar, Mychael Chinn, and Donny Hugo Herran serve as executive producers for MTV Entertainment Studios, with Carlos Lugo serving as executive in charge of production.
Watch the trailer above.