KEEP YOUR HANDS OF THE HAIR
Genre: Documentary movie with a Comedy written all over
Studio: Roadside Attractions and Kinosmith

Tagline: Daddy, how come I don’t have a good hair?

Director: Jeff Stilson (winner of Primetime Emmys for The Osbournes and The Chris Rock Show).He was a writer, producer, director and even actor in critically acclaimed shows like: Da Ali G Show, MTV VMA’s, Academy Awards Show, and Late Show with David Letterman. Stilson is a true legend among writers and directors of live award shows, and especially reality TV programmes which he has been doing for over a decade. This documentary – Good Hair – gained excellent reviews and established Jeff Stilson as a remarkable documentary director.

Co-writers: Chris Rock is the main idea developer and the person who gathered the whole creative team on this documentary. Co-writers are Jeff Stilson (also a director of this film), Lance Crouther, Paul Marchand, and Chuck Sklar – they are all Rock’s friends and were working with him on Everybody Hates Chris (his super successful TV series).

Cast: This documentary is edited and presented as a series of interviews with famous African American people, who talk about their obsession with hair.

Chris Rock is critically acclaimed actor and he has a wide range of fans among celebrities, so it comes as no surprise that more than 20 famous African Americans agreed to be a part of Good Hair.

Here is a list of those who talk about their “good hair” in this documentary:
Sandra Denton a.k.a Pepa (singer, from a band called Salt’N’Pepa)
Maya Angelou (actress – Down in the Delta, How to make an American Quilt)
Eve (famous rap, r’n’b musician)
Meagan Good (actress – The love Guru, Kevin Hill)
Ice-T (legendary rap musician, and actor – Law&Order: SVU)
KRS-One (famous r’n’b artist)
Raven Symone (actress – Cheetah Girls, Kim Possible, Tinker Bell: The Winter Story)
Kerry Washington (actress – Boston legal, I think I love My Wife, Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

Plot summary: What would you do if your 5-year old daughter would ask you this question: “Daddy, how come I don’t have a good hair?” Well, if you were Chris Rock, you’d make a movie about the “good hair” and investigate the $9 billion dollars industry revolving around black hair.

Rock found a perfect balance between a serious aspect of this topic and funny approach we are all used to, when it comes to this stand-up comedy king. Many famous artists talk about their hair “insecurity” and passion and discuss their experiences (some are hilarious, others are seriously shocking).

Recommendation: Good Hair received excellent critics and won a Special Jury Prize on Sundance Film festival. It is an excellent documentary about the world we live in, beauty and aesthetic norms we are exposed to, and eventually about our need to change our natural look, for no good reason, most of the times. Touchy and hilarious – a definite must see!

This year’s highly anticipated horror movie “The Stepfather” is actually a remake of a popular thriller/horror from 1987, originally directed by Joseph Ruben. This comes as no surprise if you follow the movie industry nowadays, because this year is certainly the year of remakes, in all genres.

The idea about the remake of “The Stepfather” exists for few years now, but the production started last year and film was wrapped in 2009. Since the release the movie gathered mostly negative critics, because unlike the original (which is considered a cult movie in its genre) it lacks tension, drama and thriller part. As for the profit, it made more than $24 millions, which is more than invested budget (around $20 million) so it gained profit after all.

Terry O’Quinn, an actor who played the original stepfather in 1987, was approached by the director Nelson McCormick, with an offer to appear in this remake, but he decided to turn down the offer. In this reworked “The Stepfather” Dylan Walsh (Dr. Sean McNamara from “Nip/Tuck”) is playing the role of the bad father and main villain David Harris.

One more famous actor is in the cast – Penn Badgley, known as Dan Humphrey from ultra successful TV show “Gossip Girl”. He is playing a smart, suspicious young man Michael Harding who eventually finds out something’s wrong with his stepfather. Rising star Amber Heard (from “The Informers”, “Pineapple Express” and “Zombieland”) is playing Kelly, his girlfriend and a companion in his fight against the sneaky, evil stepdad.
Here is the plot summary of new version of “The Stepfather”. When young Michael Harding returns home from military camp where he goes to school, he finds his mother with her new man she’s deeply in love with – David Harris. He looks like a perfect partner, carrying father, great role model and the nice, warm and loving person. Eventually, Michael starts suspecting that this picture perfect gentleman is perhaps not the guy he seems to be.

Michael gathers his girlfriend, father and mother’s friends together, and they start solving the David Harris mystery. There’s only one question left – what are his motifs, and more important, are they too late to stop him?

This is an intense movie, strong psychological thriller with various horror elements. Music is excellent and actors are very persuasive. But, if you are a fan of an original, then you may not be thrilled with this remake since it is very similar, and maybe lacks some tension which was included in the original.

Anyhow, fans of the genre will certainly be satisfied because “The Stepfather” is definitely bringing some drama and chills to the theater. If you decide you want to see a good horror movie at the cinema, put “The Stepfather” on your list.