Rattlesnakes - Film

(C) 2019 by Rych McCain, All Rights Reserved. No part of this column may be reprinted, re-posted or duplicated without written permission from Rych McCain Media/Syndication. Violation is subject to applicable laws

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Rattlesnakes - Film

Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

Actor/Producer Jimmy Jean-Louis Scores Big At 2019 PAFF With Rattlesnakes!

    

      As with every year, the Pan African Film Festival always deliver good films and of course, there are the one or two that standout more than the others. One of the exceptions this year was “Rattlesnakes,” starring Jimmy Jean-Louis who also produced it. The screenplay was written and directed by Julius Amedume and is an adaptation of the original acclaimed British stage play by play write Graham Farrow of the same name.

     The film is a nail biting, suspense thriller focused on Jean-Louis’ character Robert McQueen whose day takes a turn for the worst when he is kidnapped and held hostage by three angry husbands who are hell bent on getting revenge after accusing him of sleeping with their wives. The project went on to win the PAFF Audience Award Narrative Feature and saw a limited theater release.

    

Actor/Producer Jimmy Jean-Louis

 
      Jean-Louis was just grateful that they were able to finish the movie. They shot in December of 2018 in Santa Barber and wildfires caught up to them. They had to abruptly scramble out while leaving their equipment inside a house. During the following two or three day down time several crew members left. Luckily, they were able to retrieve their gear and pick up shooting again.

     Another sticking point was the rattlesnakes. They rented them for an allotted 8 hours only and had to have three just in case one wouldn’t act right. They also required wranglers for each snake. Plus shooting at night, the snakes were kind of sleepy but in the grand scheme of things, they performed like they were supposed to. Writer/director Amedume says it took him 16 months to write the script after conferring with Farrow and the producers. 

Angry Husbands ready to do McQueen in

     In terms of casting, crew and other logistics, Jean-Louis reiterates that this project was a cooperative collaboration of friends who knew each other from working together. The entire movie was shot in 12 days with 10 hour days. Both cast and crew showed up each day hitting the ground running. In short, they were all in it to win it.

    

A beat up hostage Robert McQueen (Jean-Lewis)

Jean-Louis was born in Haiti and spent the first years of his life in the slums thereof until he moved to Paris to be with his mom at age 12. He basically led an off-on homeless street life until he broke into theater and worked 3 years in the stage musical “La Belle Epoque,” in Spain. He them embarked on a successful modeling career in France, Spain, Italy, South Africa and the England.

Packed theater for the screening

     In 1998, Jean-Louis relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting and soon began booking TV and movie roles. He may best be know for his role on NBC’s “Heroes,” as the charismatic Rene aka The Haitian. He co-starred with Oscar winning actress Mo’Nique in the classic film “Phat Girls.” His most impressive role to date was playing the true life Haitian Revolution leader Toussaint Louverture were he won Best Actor at the Pan African Film Festival and a nomination for Best Actor at the Africa Movie Academy Awards.

     Jean-Louis is fluent in English, French, Italian, Creole, and has worked in many parts of the world including France, England, Indonesia, Cuba, Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico to name some.

© 2019 Rych McCain Media/Syndication TM 

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Blue Note Records - Film

(C) 2019 by Rych McCain, All Rights Reserved. No part of this column may be reprinted, re-posted or duplicated without written permission from Rych McCain Media/Syndication. Violation is subject to applicable laws

This blog is ranked #15 in the Top 20 Hollywood Blogs from the
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Blue Note Records: Beyond The Notes - Movie

Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

 

An Intimate Chat With Sophie Huber, Director of The Documentary Film “Blue Note Records.”

     One of the more significant films of this year’s Pan African Film Festival was titled “Blue Note Records Beyond The Notes.” It explores the unique vision behind the iconic jazz record label. Through rare archival footage, current recording sessions and conversations with Blue Note artists, the film reveals a powerful mission and illuminates the vital connections between jazz and hip hop.

Theolonious Monk

 

John Coltrane

 

Jimmy Smith

     One of the most important record labels in the history of jazz — and, by extension, that of American music — Blue Note Records has been home to such groundbreaking artists as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Bud Powell and Art Blakey, as well as present-day luminaries like Robert Glasper, Ambrose Akinmusire and Norah Jones. Founded in New York in 1939 by German Jewish refugees Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff, the history of Blue Note Records goes beyond the landmark recordings, encompassing the pursuit of musical freedom, the conflict between art and commerce and the idea of music as a transformative and revolutionary force.

Herbie Hancock

Wayne Shorter

 

Freddie Hubard

      Through rare archival footage, current recording sessions and conversations with jazz icons Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and today’s groundbreaking Blue Note musicians, BLUE NOTE RECORDS: BEYOND THE NOTES reveals a powerful mission and illuminates the vital connections between jazz and hip hop.

L-R Blue Note artist Derrick Hodger, film director Sophie Huber and artist Keith Qmillion Lewis

     The film’s producer/Director is Sophie Huber. In making a documentary about a subject as large and challenging as one about a record company that practically wrote the jazz history of the United States, it is a daunting task to say the least. One of the main complaints that die hard jazz fans will have is that some of Blue Note’s biggest stars had to be left out. For this interviewer it was the originator of the modern Hammond B3 jazz organ style Jimmy Smith. With limited time and a subject that has hundreds of elements to it, you can’t get everybody in. When asked about that Huber agrees saying, “Especially if you have a story that covers 80 years and over a thousand records. So you have to stay with the absolute classics and some you have to miss out on. What I wanted to do with the film is put it in a manageable lengths so people who do not know anything about jazz get an idea of what it was and what it still is.”

        As with most people who criticize; they aren’t doing squat to pick up a camera to make a documentary themselves. Huber adds, “Especially if you do something that people know of like Blue Note. You always get criticism of why you didn’t do this or that. That’s the way it is. You can’t change that.” Huber obviously is a huge jazz fan. She says, “I grew up with jazz. I’m from Switzerland where they have amazing jazz festivals. My dad had the records at home so I had at least a rough idea of what it was.”

Clifford Brown

Art Blakley

 

Horace Silver

      Huber did put together an informative film that not only chronicled the story of the history of the iconic jazz label Blue Note Records, her founders and the musicians who paved the path of jazz in an entertaining manner that makes the film both enjoyable and a joy to watch. 

 

© 2019 Rych McCain Media/Syndication TM 

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