The Wild Turkey landscape is where hunters are flocking (more than three million hunters a year, to be exact). With the ever-increasing popularity of turkey hunting has come the desire and drive to bring that gobbler home. Unfortunately, whether in the bottomlands or forests, it has been a truth that many hunters come home after a long day with no turkey in hand to show for it.

The shot is what must be improved in order to make sure those sad days become triumphant. Knowing the firearm, practicing on the range, picking the right ammo and choke tube combination – all of this must be done in order to know how your shotgun patterns to have a successful turkey hunt.

To achieve this goal a hunter must begin with making the right choice when it comes to a shotgun. The hunter must be comfortable in order to excel.

That turkey gun needs a choke tube, and it’s always good to be well-educated about chokes. Tighter chokes are designed for smaller pellets, and the more open constrictions are better suited for larger pellets. Depending on your gun and the ammunition you select, a hunter can over-constrict a shot and diminish the pattern. Pellets can bounce off each other, leaving large holes in the pattern. Many companies are coming out with the ‘ideal’ choke tube that basically states it does everything but clean and cook the turkey, so make sure you research exactly what your firearm needs.

Turkey shotguns have certainly evolved from the old 30-inch fixed-choke versions; now a hunter can purchase a shotgun that’s specifically designed to deliver dense, tight patterns to maximize a hunter’s range.

The ammunition chosen also affects your pattern. Each gun-choke combination will shoot a specific round better than others, so the only way to determine what’s best is to shoot a variety of ammunition. Varying shot sizes and brands from several distances is a must; that way you can choose the one that gives you the most reliable and consistent pattern.

When it comes to the pattern, the ideal for turkey hunting is 100 pellets in a 10-inch circle at 40 yards. This density allows for plenty of pellets to hit the vital area of the turkey’s head and neck for an ethical kill. Initial pattern tests should be on a 30-inch target. Beginning at around twenty-five yards, shoot two shots from each load and then record what has been accomplished with that specific combo of ammunition and choke. Continue this process, increasing five-yards until you reach the distance where you no longer have an acceptable number of hits in the kill zone – 40 yards is the goal you need to reach.

Always use a shooting brace of some sort to reduce error, and then pick the combo that gives you the densest pattern. You need to know that every turkey gun is not going to shoot centered patterns right off the showroom floor; there is a learning process when it comes to turkey patterning, so patience is necessary.

In the end, customized shotguns, state-of-the-art ammo, practicing calling – all factors are important when it comes to taking that turkey home; but not patterning your turkey gun is like playing in the Super Bowl without a helmet.

Source: Mossy Oak / Sportsmans Life / Baret News

Headline: Eco-Documentary Chronicles Trials and Tribulations of Selfless Planetary Patriot

The Bush administration’s announcement in 2008 of its intention to auction-off the mining rights to many square miles of virgin land located in national forests ignited waves of protests by environmental activists. But when picketing, petitioning and the lobbying of politicians failed, the government proceeded with its plan to grant oil and gas mega-corporations access to the pristine parcels.

Crashing the auction was Tim DeChristopher, a frustrated college student who had participated in the pro-nature preservation demonstrations. He impulsively joined in the bidding and by the end of the day had purchased the rights to 22,000 acres of real estate in the Utah wilderness for $1.7 million with the hope of somehow saving some soil from fracking.

Trouble is, he had neither funds nor the wherewithal to extract any minerals, which was a technical violation of federal law. And since the energy industry doesn’t cotton to tree-huggers interfering its their profit margins and inclination to “Drill, baby drill!” it prevailed upon the government to throw the book at Mr. DeChristopher.

By the time the dust settled several years later, the outspoken economics major was convicted and carted off to prison to serve a two-year sentence. While Tim’s trials and tribulations are the front story of Bidder 70, this eye-opening documentary co-directed by Beth and George Gage simultaneously issues an urgent call for non-violent civil disobedience on the part of citizens truly concerned about global warming and the unchecked consumption of non-renewable carbon.

A powerful, empathetic portrait of a selfless, planetary patriot willing to sacrifice his liberty for the sake of Mother Earth‘s long-term prospects.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 73 minutes
Distributor: First Run Features

To see a trailer for Bidder 70, visit: http://firstrunfeatures.com/trailers_bidder70.html

Headline: Delightful Banter with Boundless Brooks

Mel Brooks, director, producer, writer and actor, is in an elite group as one of the few entertainers to earn all four major entertainment prizes – the Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar. His career began in television writing for Your Show of Shows and together with Buck Henry creating the long-running TV seriesGet Smart.

He then teamed up with Carl Reiner to write and perform the Grammy-winning 2000 Year Old Mancomedy albums and books. Mel won his first Oscar in 1964 for writing and narrating the animated short The Critic, and his second for the screenplay of his first feature film, The Producers, in 1968.

Many hit comedies followed, including The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein,Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World Part I, To Be or Not to Be, Spaceballs, Life Stinks, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. His film company, Brooksfilms Limited, also produced such critically-acclaimed pictures as The Elephant Man, The Fly, Frances, My Favorite Year, and84 Charring Cross Road.

For three successive seasons, 1997-1999, Mel Brooks won Emmy Awards for his role as “Uncle Phil” on the hit sitcom Mad About You. Brooks received three 2001 Tony Awards and two Grammy Awards forThe Producers: the New Mel Brooks Musical, which ran on Broadway from 2001 to 2006.

The Producers still holds the record for the most Tony Awards ever won by a Broadway musical. He followed that success with The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, which ran on Broadway from 2007 to 2009, and both musicals continue to be performed and enjoyed by audiences all over the world.

In 2009 Mel received The Kennedy Center Honors, recognizing a lifetime of extraordinary contributions to American culture. His most recent projects include the Emmy-nominated HBO comedy special Mel Brooks and Dick Cavett Together Again, a follow-up HBO special Mel Brooks Strikes Back! and a career retrospective DVD box set titled The Incredible Mel Brooks: An Irresistible Collection Of Unhinged Comedy.

Here, he talks about Mel Brooks: Make a Noise, an American Masters profile chronicling his illustrious career. The PBS special is set to premiere nationwide on Monday, May 20, 2013 at 9 pm (ET/PT). [Check local listings] And in June, Mel will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Film Institute (AFI) at a gala tribute airing on TNT.

Kam Williams: Hello, Mr. Brooks. I’m honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.

Mel Brooks: Thank you, Kam. Hey, what the hell is Kam short for?

KW: It’s short for Kamau, an African name.

MB: I’m so sorry to hear that. I thought it might be short for my last name, Kaminsky. I was hoping you just took my last name and shortened it to become part of the family. 

KW: [Chuckles] No, I took the name back in the Seventies during my brief career as a jazz musician. You started out as a jazz musician, too, right?

MB: I did, I did. We were both jazz musicians, so it’s like we already know each other. In the early Forties, before I went off to World War II, I was in a little five-piece group that played at those Borscht Belt resorts in the Catskill Mountains. One night, the comic at the Butler Lodge got sick, and his boss, Pincus Cohen, begged me to perform in his place. I told him, “That name is redundant. Pincus and Cohen, you don’t need ‘em both. We know you’re a Jew.” [Laughs] He said, “I’ve watched you doing rehearsals. I can tell you’re a funny guy.“ I knew all those dopey jokes, so I went up on stage, and that’s how I got into comedy. I was only about 15 at the time.      

KW: I’ve been to the Catskills a couple times. Do you remember the Nevele?

MB: The Nevele! It’s still there. That was a big place, a real hotel, not like the bungalows that Jews rented for the whole summer. In Yiddish, those cottages were called “kuchalein,” which translates to “cook alone,” meaning you do your own cooking. Those places always had a little playhouse that would seat about two hundred people. So, I’d get booked to play them for around fifty bucks, which was a pretty good salary for one night.

KW: Speaking of hotels, the first time I saw Blazing Saddles was soon after it was released at a hotel where you could rent first run movies. I was so captivated by it I had to watch it four times in a row, practically ignoring the woman I was supposed to be sharing a romantic evening with. True story.

MB: That’s crazy! But it does sound like a true story.

KW: I have a million questions for you from fans, but let’s see how many we can get through.

MB: Sure, sure.  

KW: These two people have related questions. Editor/legist Patricia Turnier asks: Where did you get the inspiration to make a musical comedy about Adolf Hitler? And Bobby Shenker asks: How did you manage to get backing for a picture as bold as The Producers?

MB: Those are  two good questions. I kinda backed into the number “Springtime for Hitler.” I worked for a guy who lived in his office. He wasn’t supposed to. But he had laundry hanging, a hotplate to make coffee, and he slept on the couch. I can’t tell you his name because he has grandchildren. But he was a great guy. I was like [the character] Leo Bloom. I had a job working fifteen hours a day for him, doing anything he needed. For instance, I put cards in barbershop and other store windows advertising Tito Guizar, a Mexican balladeer, who periodically played Town Hall. That’s where I got this story. He would raise more money than he needed to put on Off-Off Broadway plays, and he’d keep some of it to live on. Let’s say the play cost $2,500 to produce. He’d raise $3,000 and, if it did okay, he’d skim the difference off the top for living expenses. I once asked him, “Why don’t you put on a $100,000 play and raise a $1,000,000? You know every little old lady in New York. You could get the money?” He used to screw wealthy widows on the cracked leather couch in his office. True story. He was just like Zero Mostel’s character. You know what he said to me? “You’re going to go places. I don’t think that big.” But that was the seed of an idea for a play. And then I backed into Hitler after I asked myself, “What if somebody did do that, raised a million for a $100,000 play?” It would have to be a flop, because if it were a hit, they could never pay all those backers off. There came the idea that you can make more money with a flop than with a hit. Then I had to figure out what would be a surefire flop, and I brainstormed for days and days until I came with Hitler. I thought, nobody’s going to stand up and cheer for Hitler, especially not in New York with so many Jews. When I realized a scene of just him with his generals wouldn’t be festive enough, I decided it had to be a musical. And that’s when I wrote the song “Springtime for Hitler.”          

KW: Bobby also says: You married on of the most brilliant actresses of the 20^th Century, Anne Bancroft. Is there a biopic in the works? Or at least a behind-the-scenes documentary about her outstanding performances in The Miracle Worker and The Graduate?

MB: So far, no. To be honest, Bobby, it’s certainly still too painful for me to be involved with it at all.  

KW: Ray Hirschman says: Hey Mel, how did you land such a beautiful wife? Was it your charm or your humor?

MB: I don’t know. I once asked her that. She said, “I never encountered anybody with so much energy. It’s daunting just to be with you.” When we were first married, she was a star and I was nobody.” I had been writing for Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows” which became “Caesar’s Hour.” Lawrence Welk was on at the same time and, strangely enough, he got the ratings, and we went off the air in 1959. So, I was basically out of work for a couple of years when I met Anne on February 5, 1961. She was on The Perry Como Show, and I was collaborating on a Broadway musical called All American with Charles Strouse, the great composer who wrote the music for Bye Bye Birdie, Annie and All in the Family.  I wrote the book, and he wrote the score. I thought it was a pretty good show but it never really made it. Anyway, he was playing piano for Anne at The Actors’ Studio where she was presenting a song as Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady, and he invited me to accompany him to a dress rehearsal. She came out onstage in a beautiful, white dress. She was gorgeous! My tongue was hanging out. When she finished, I shouted out, “Hey Anne Bancroft! I’m Mel Brooks. I think I love you.” Everybody stopped and looked, and I ran over to her and we talked. She said, “I have your new record. You’re a genius!” referring to the 2,000 Year-Old Man comedy album Carl Reiner and I had just released. Afterwards, she said she had to go somewhere, and I made believe I had to go there, too. For the next week, I would find out from friends what restaurants, clubs and theaters she’d be frequenting, and I’d show up, and ask, “What is this, Kismet?” until she finally said, “Okay, you can stop the B.S. Let’s hang out together.” It was all good. We were literally in love and together from that day until she passed away on June 6^th in 2005. We had a nice, long run.     

KW: Film student Jamaal Green says: Hi Mel! I am a huge fan of your work from Blazing Saddles to Young Frankenstein to Space Balls. But I would like to know, if you have any plans to do some new 2,000 Year-Old Man skits?

MB: Thank you for that question, Jamaal. However, I’ve become the 2,000 Year-Old Man now, and I have a 2,000 Year-Old Man brain. When I originally wrote it, I was in my thirties. I was young, and hip, and smart, and could think fast. I’m no longer there. Things have slowed-up incredibly. Synaptic connections are taking me to strange places in my brain. I think I probably could eke out one more. Carl, who recently turned 91 is hot to trot, but I’m not sure.    

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What was the hardest film to shoot because of laughing breaking out on the set?

MB: Blazing Saddles was pretty damn funny. The crew was constantly cracking-up and ruining takes. So, finally, I sent my assistant to Woolworths to buy a thousand white handkerchiefs. I gave one to everybody on the set. I told them, “If you feel like laughing at something, you stick one of these in your mouth, bite on it, and laugh through it.” Anytime I wasn’t sure whether a scene was working or not, I’d look over my shoulder, and if I saw a lot of white handkerchiefs, I’d know it was funny. That became my litmus test. The crew’s laughing could’ve ruined the picture, Bernadette, but we saved it with the white handkerchiefs. It also turned out to be a great way to test to see if something was funny.

KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: Thank you, and Ann, for that incredible performance of “Sweet Georgian Brown” in Polish to open your re-do of “To Be or Not to Be.” On the NBC Today show, you said “Annie is funnier than I am,” and I remember that side-splitting, incredible thing with her eyes. How did she speak to and influence your projects?

MB: Harriet, she was incredible right from the first time I met her. I was writing The Producers. She immediately became my sounding board. I didn’t trust anybody else. I’d write something and show it to her. Then she’d mark it up with “This is brilliant!” or “Never let this go!” and once in awhile she’d say “This stinks!” [Chuckles] She was really responsible for getting the best out of me, like the trainer of a racehorse.

KW: Hollywood Hills realtor Jimmy Bayan says: Mel, you once said you and Anne were glued together from the day you met until the day she died. She obviously really “got you.” Can you tell me, what made your marriage sizzle for so many years?

MB: I can’t, Jimmy. What is it, magic? Magnetism? Meant to be? Who the hell knows! We were very lucky. Fate may have had a hand in it.

KW: Roger Klein says: You are a great filmmaker. You are to movies what the Rolling Stones are to Rock & Roll.

MB: I was never recognized as a movie director, Roger. Never! They always talk about my being a great writer and comic, and an important producer, But I’ve never been saluted as a filmmaker, except by a few colleagues like Alfred Hitchcock. He once said to me, “Nobody appreciates your directing skills. High Anxiety is brilliant! The back lighting!” He thought of me as a wonderful director, but no one else did.

KW: Did it bother you?

MB: I never really got that upset about it because I was doing what I wanted to do. If you can do what you want to do in this life, the rest is gravy. Instead of going to work, you’re going to joy every day.

KW: And he was just as snubbed.

MB: [Laughs] Yeah, he was nominated for an Academy Award a number of times, but he never won one. And he might have been the best director who ever lived.

KW: Roger would like you to name some comedies that really make you laugh.

MB: Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot, Preston Sturges’ The Palm Beach Story, Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights, and Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last. Those are really my favorites. I thought The Hangover was really funny. But the sequel just exploited the first. 

KW: I gotta tell you, Mel, Get Smart is still my all-time favorite TV show. Was there ever a funnier sitcom?

MB: I don’t know. Buck Henry was very, very talented, and together we came up with some incredible ideas. He invented the Cone of Silence. And I think I invented the cell phone, because I dreamed up having Maxwell Smart talking on a shoe telephone.

KW: Harriet says: You set a very high standard for revamping old films, with To Be or Not to Be, Young Frankenstein, and The Producers. Do you have your sights on another old classic that you care to discuss?

MB: There’s a good-looking old lady who lives in Cincinnati that I have my eye on, but I’m not sure as far as show business. [Chuckles] Maybe musicalizing The Twelve Chairs, one of my overlooked films, for Broadway.

Or Blazing Saddles. They both cry out for music, and they both have good stories.

KW: Why do you think Blazing Saddles remains as fresh as ever?

MB: What makes it last so long is that there’s a black sheriff that everyone in that world of 1874 wants to see dead right away. But he endures and gains the respect of the townsfolk, especially the Waco Kid [played by Gene Wilder]. That’s the engine that drives it, and that’s why it’s still around. It’s around because there’s a tremendous amount of focused emotion in that movie.

KW: When I interviewed Quentin Tarantino about Django Unchained he attributed the demise of the Western to blazing Saddles. He said that you had parodied the genre so effectively that no one could take them seriously anymore.

MB: [Laughs] I don’t know. Maybe he’s right. But I wouldn’t take credit for that.

KW: What’d you think of his movies?

MB: I love Quentin for what he does. He doesn’t give a [bleep]. Freedom… fantasy moviemaking. In Inglourious Bastards, he’s got Hitler and Goering and Goebbels all in a theater in France and he kills them all. With Django, I would have been a little upset if Abraham Lincoln was run over by a Buick on 43^rd Street. But coming from Tarantino, I accepted it. He’s a genius who should be respected for his work.

KW: Harriet also says: The Critic is one my favorite works of art by you. How about getting it back out there so people who didn’t see it in 1963 can get a look at it on its 50th anniversary?

MB: Ooh, well thank you Harriet for being aware of it, for enjoying it, for getting it, and for understanding it. And, as a matter of fact, The Critic is in The Incredible Mel Brooks box set.  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008VIMLXM/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

KW: Harriet says: Remember the rock Dr. Haldanish put his hand on and said, “I’m a psychiatrist?” Well, I put my hand on that same rock and said, “I’m a life-long fan of yours!”

MB: That’s very funny! Harriet, I love you! I really appreciate it. 

KW: Kate Newell asks: Have you ever considered working with Monty Python alumni? I think that would trigger a comedic cosmic shift!

MB: We should’ve gotten together because Blazing Saddles and Life of Brian were on the same bill at the Baker St. Theater in London for three years straight. And they actually sent me a check. I couldn’t believe it.   

KW: Larry Greenberg asks: How does playing yourself on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” compare to some of the amazing characters you’ve played like Moses and President Skroob?

MB: I have no judgment and no perspective. When I’m playing myself, I dissolve into the character as a person, so I can’t really criticize my performance. I don’t know whether I’m good or bad. But when I’m playing Tikon, the Russian servant in The Twelve Chairs, I would say, yes, that’s a fine performance. And when I was Goddard Bolt in Life Stinks, I think I was pretty good. It was close to me, but not me, in the performance. I also think I was wonderful singing “The Inquisition” in History of the World.     

KW: In preparing for this interview, I went back and watched a lot of your appearances on Johnny Carson. They were phenomenal!

MB: He was a great catalyst. He’d get the best out of you. And he was a great audience, too. Carson was the best.

KW: Patricia says: I have a passion for tap dancing that I did for almost 15 years. You have been influenced by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. How can tap regain the status in movies that it once enjoyed?

MB: That’s a very good question, Patricia. When people ask me, what’s your favorite movie, I’d like to say Jean Renoir’s La Grande Illusion to make myself sound like such an intellectual. But my favorite movie is actually Swing Time with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and then maybe Singin’ in the Rain. My very favorites are American musical comedies of the Thirties, and tap dancing was my favorite dance form. To see Astaire tap like a maniac with such grace and charm was very magical. It was very balletic. How can you forget the Nicholas Brothers? They’re very hard to beat. Or Bill “Bojangles” Robinson and Shirley Temple’s duet up and down the steps. So, I agree with you Patricia. Tap is a glorious aspect of show business, and I’ll see what I can do about bringing it back.   

KW: Patricia also asks: What prepared you the most for your career in showbiz?

MB: I think the Show of Shows, because I didn’t spread my wings and do my movies until I had nine years of seeing the best comedy of its day with Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Imogene Coca, Howie Morris and Nanette Fabray under my belt, and, and of working with writers like Neil Simon, Woody Allen and Larry Gelbart. That set the stage for my going out on my own.

KW: Wow, what a group! I’d have to say Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple was my second favorite TV show of all time.

MB: Neil was one of my best friends.

KW: What is the best advice you can give to young people who would like to follow in your footsteps as a filmmaker?

MB: I have no advice for anybody. Something impels you, and you have to keep going. Something mysterious drives you, and you’ll have to take a thousand no’s before you get your first yes, and they let you do your stuff.

KW: Bobby says: One of my favorite comedies is Young Frankenstein. The casting was sheer inspiration. What could you tell us about your collaboration with Gene Wilder? With such a brilliant cast, was it a collaborative effort, or primarily carved out by you and Wilder?

MB: It actually came from Gene Wilder’s head. One day when we broke for lunch out in the desert during the shooting of Blazing Saddles, I saw him scribbling on a legal pad and on the top it says “Young Frankenstein.” And I said, “What the hell is that? What’re you doing?” And he explained to me his idea and asked me if I’d collaborate with him on it. I said, “Sure.” As far as the casting, there was a guy named Mike Medavoy who had in his stable of actors Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle and Marty Feldman. The only ones he didn’t have were Madeline Kahn and Teri Garr.  

KW: Wesley Derbyshire asks: For better or worse, how do you see comedy changing on the screen over the past half-century?

MB: That’s a good question, Wesley. I wish could answer it. Comedy is too vast a subject. I don’t know what it is. It’s reaching a place in us that is unrestrained. That place where we can no longer be a proper part of society, and just have to laugh. If you have the ability to reach it in yourself, you’ll reach it in others. But how it’s changed, I don’t know. All the sitcoms have gotten very sexual, but not necessarily funnier.

KW: I agree wholeheartedly, Mel. Thanks for being so generous with your time, and for sharing so many anecdotes, insights and remembrances.

MB: It was my pleasure, Kam. Nice talking to you.

To order a copy of The Incredible Mel Brooks: An Irresistible Collection of Unhinged Comedy on DVD, visit:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008VIMLXM/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

Rutgers University Press
Paperback, $22.95
200 pages, Illustrated
ISBN: 978-0-8135-5868-4

Book Review by Kam Williams

“I love pizza. Who doesn’t? The idea of this book started to form after I completed a six-month journey into true pizza obsessiveness…

From the beginning, I decided this book was not going to be simply a Zagat-like guide to New York pizzerias… It was going to be two books in one–profiles of at least twenty pizza personalities, then honest reviews of as many pizzerias as I could visit.

You’ll learn a lot in this book [like] what kinds of cheese and tomatoes and ovens pizzerias use… If it opens your eyes to the great big pizza world out there, makes you suddenly crave a couple slices, or leads you to embark on your own sleepless search for the city’s best pizza, then I did my job.”

– Excerpted from the Introduction (pgs. 1-3)

I was lucky enough to be born and raised in New York City, home to some of the best pizzerias around. I’ve loved pizza for as long as I can remember, but have admittedly been bitterly disappointed on many an occasion upon impulsively trying an unfamiliar joint.

. Trouble is, as any connoisseur could tell you, all pizza is not created equal. In fact there is a tremendous range to be found around the Big Apple, with an uninformed patron as likely to be left feeling ripped-off as satisfied after purchasing a slice or two.

I have a couple of personal favorite pizzerias in Manhattan, with Joe’s on Carmine Street in the Village being the best by far, provided money is no object. The other is 99 Cent Fresh Pizza on 9th Avenue, which still serves slices for under a buck for folks on a tight budget.

Before deciding whether to review this book, I perused its list of restaurants covered to see whether those faves had made the cut. So, when I saw that Peter Genovese had not only included both but recommended them as well, I figured that this was definitely an author who had taken his mission seriously.

You might be surprised to learn that this is the first guide ever devoted solely to New York pizza. Fortunately, it is well worth the wait. Besides assessing the quality of the offerings at hundreds of eateries, Pizza City is chock full of intriguing trivia.

For example, did you know that the first pizzeria opened in Naples, Italy in 1830? Or that Lombardi’s, the initial in the U.S., opened in Greenwich Village in 1905?

Or that Massachusetts has the largest number of pizzerias, per capita, followed by New Hampshire and Connecticut? New York isn’t even in the top ten. Guess it’s very much a New England delicacy, given how high on the list Rhode Island (5) and Maine (7) sit, too.

Genovese takes the time to explain the dough, sauce and cheese on different styles of pizza, which range from the traditional, Neapolitan, to the most popular, New York, to Sicilian to Chicago to Trenton to New Haven to California and beyond. He even talks about the Top Ten pizza movies (including Home Alone, Do the Right Thing and Mystic Pizza) and the Top Ten pizza chains (including Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s and Little Caesar’s).

Still, the author is at his best when eliciting insights from discerning devotees and chefs as to what makes a great pie and why first-rate places like Ray’s, John’s and Joe’s have endured and earn so much respect. The definitive pizza bible deserving to be consulted before you sample your next slice anywhere in New York City.

To order a copy of Pizza City, visit:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0813558689/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

For movies opening May 17, 2013

BIG BUDGET FILMS

Star Trek: Into Darkness (PG-13 for intense violence) Twelfth installment in the futuristic, sci-fi franchise finds Captain Kirk (Chris Pinne) and the crew of the Starship Enterprise summoned back to Earth to confront a seemingly-unstoppable evil force which has left the planet on the brink of extinction. Ensemble cast includes Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Simon Pegg as Scotty and Karl Urban as Bones.

INDEPENDENT & FOREIGN FILMS

Augustine (Unrated) Doctor-patient drama, set in the 19th Century, examining the bedside manner of a leading neurologist (Vincent Lindon) treating a malingering teenager (Soko) left partially paralyzed after suffering a seizure. With Chiara Mastroianni, Olivier Rabourdin and Roxane Duran. (In French with subtitles)

Bidder 70 (Unrated) Eco-documentary about a nature-loving college student sentenced to a couple of years in prison for successfully acquiring the drilling rights to 22,000 acres of federal land at auction in order to prevent a pristine national park from being spoiled by gas industry fracking.

Black Rock (R for sexual references, graphic nudity, grisly violence and pervasive profanity) Survival saga about the harrowing ordeal of three childhood friends (Kate Bosworth, Katie Aselton and Lake Bell) whose vacation on a remote island off the coast of Maine is rudely interrupted by the arrival of recently-discharged army vets hunting for humans. With Jay Paulson, Will Bouvier, Anslem Richardson and Carl Aselton.

The English Teacher (Unrated) Julianne Moore handles the titular role as a spinster with a pair of Siamese cats whose life is disrupted by the return to town of a former student (Michael Angarano) after failing as a playwright in the Big Apple. With Greg Kinnear, Nathan Lane and Lily Collins.

Erased (R for violence) Cat-and-mouse thriller about a former CIA agent (Aaron Eckhart) who ends up on the run with his estranged daughter (Liana Liberato) after they are both marked for termination as part of a wide-ranging international conspiracy. With Olga Kurylenko, Kate Linder and Neil Napier.

Frances Ha (R for profanity and sexual references) Greta Gerwig stars as the title character in this New York City dramedy about a homeless, aspiring dancer dealing with diminished dreams and an estranged BFF (Mickey Sumner) who won’t speak to her anymore. Supporting cast includes Adam Driver, Michael Zegen and Patrick Heusinger.

Pieta (Unrated) Korean tale of redemption about a loan shark (Jeong-jin Lee) forced to reconsider his line of work by a mysterious woman who claims to be his long-lost mother (Min-soo Jo). With Ki-Hong Woo, Eunjin Kang and Jae-ryong Cho. (In Korean with subtitles)

Stories We Tell (PG-13 for mature themes, smoking and brief profanity) Out of the closet documentary dissecting a dysfunctional family’s skeletons by interrogating each member of the clan in order to get to the truth.

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston announces the following list of events for May 16 to May 22, 2013.

$13 adults (19+); $8 seniors (65+); $6 students (19+ with ID); $6 youth (6–18); free for children 5 and under; $6 military (with ID).  Free general admission for all on Thursdays. Free admission on weekends for ages 18 and younger with a public library card. Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 12:15–7 p.m. Sunday.  1001 Bissonnet Street; 713-639-7300; TDD/TYY for the hearing-impaired, 713-639-7390; www.mfah.org.

The Audrey Jones Beck Building, 5601 Main Street. Permanent collection: selections of European art until 1920 and American art until 1945. Picasso Black and White: February 24, 2013–May 27, 2013

Happy Hour Thursdays: Bring your friends to enjoy a museum-style happy hour! Museum general admission is free on Thursdays, so take advantage of the opportunity to discover your museum at no cost. While you’re here, grab a drink at the cash bar, enjoy beats from a local DJ, and satisfy your hunger with delicious food-truck bites! Cash bar. Must be 21 or over to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages. Thursday, May 16, 6–8 p.m.

AAMD Art Museum Day: Enjoy free general admission today, in celebration of the Association of Art Museum Directors’ Art Museum Day. Art Museum Day emphasizes the essential role that art museums play in their communities, highlights the value of the visual arts in society, and provides new opportunities for audiences to participate in the wide-ranging programs offered by AAMD member museums. Join the conversation, and share your museum experiences via social media! #artmuseumday. Saturday, May  18, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.

Sunday Family Zone & Studio “Ganesh, the Elephant Prince: Exploring a Sculpture in the Arts of India Gallery”: Every Sunday, it’s ArtTime/FamilyTime at the MFAH. This Sunday, look for signs in the main lobbies directing you to activities in the Arts of India Gallery. In the Family Zone, spend time with the friendly family educators: sit on a pillow and read, sketch a work of art, and join an investigation of a work of art. In the studio, create an art project inspired by original works of art on display in the Family Zone. This suite of programs includes: Sunday Storytime​ Make connections between a storybook and a work of art in the galleries. (begins at 1:30 p.m.); Creation Station: Inspired by a sculpture of Ganesh in the Arts of India gallery, families will explore the idea of avatars and different animal attributes often found in Hindu stories by creating masks showcasing powers and features of different animals and heroes; Gallery Investigations: An MFAH educator at the Gallery Cart has an “I Spy” search, looking games, hands-on materials, and books for families; Sketching in the Galleries: An MFAH teaching artist guides adults and children of all drawing levels at this informal program; Indian Dance Performance Acclaimed dancer Shovana Narayan presents an electrifying demonstration of Kathak, one of the eight forms of Indian classical dance that traces its origins to the nomadic storytellers of northern India. Discover the many elements of this dance, including story, movement, music, and costume. (begins at 3 p.m.) Sunday, May 19, 1  – 4 p.m

Homeschool Workshop “Voices from the Past”: At this workshop, participants learn about long-ago civilizations and cultures through interactive discussions and looking activities focused on a select group of art objects. Among the stops is the Cyrus Cylinder—one of the most famous objects to have survived from the ancient world—on view at the MFAH as part of a limited U.S. tour. In the studio, participants create their own works of art with clay, a versatile and strong material that can survive centuries and has been used by ancient cultures throughout the world. This program is available only to homeschool families with children ages 4 to 12. Preregistration is required. Families with children ages 10+ are encouraged to register for the afternoon workshop held on the third Tuesday of the month. Tuesday, May 21, 1:30–3:30 p.m.

The Caroline Wiess Law Building, 1001 Bissonnet Street. Permanent collection: Arts of Islamic Lands: Selections from The al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait January 26, 2013-January 26, 2014; The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia: A New Beginning: May 3 –June 14, 2013; Three Decades of West Coast Ceramics, 1956 – 1986: February 23 – June 30, 2013

Artful Thursdays “Cuneiform in Context”: Speaker: Sarah Kielt Costello, University of Houston. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia: A New Beginning. The MFAH is one of five venues to host the U.S. tour of the famed Cyrus Cylinder, a 6th-century artifact discovered in 1879 among the ruins of Babylon in ancient Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq). Made of clay, now broken into several fragments, the Cyrus Cylinder was impressed with a declaration in Akkadian cuneiform script in the name of Persian king Cyrus the Great (reigned c. 559–530 BC). By the time of his death, the Achaemenid Persian Empire was the largest the world had ever seen, stretching from Asia Minor in the west to northwestern India in the east. In her illustrated talk, Sarah Kielt Costello looks at one of the world’s earliest civilizations, the structure and decoding of the world’s first known written language, and the significance of the Cyrus Cylinder. For questions, please e-mail lectures@mfah.org.Artful Thursday Tickets: Secure your free tickets in advance! Order online; by phone at 713.639.7771; or in person at any MFAH admissions desk. Thursday, May 16, 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Variations on a Theme: Pablo Picasso and Revisiting Old & Modern Masters: Speaker: Anna Tahinci

Instructor of art history, Glassell School of Art; affiliate professor of art history, University of Houston
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Picasso Black and White. Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) drew on paintings of the past as a source of inspiration throughout his entire career. During the last two decades of his life, he created three major series of painted and graphic variations on the theme of past masterpieces: Women of Algiers (Femmes d’Alger) after Delacroix, The Maids of Honor (Las Meninas) after Velázquez, and Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe (Luncheon on the Grass) after Manet. At the same time, Picasso was reinterpreting, more sporadically, themes used by Poussin, David, or Courbet. Anna Tahinci examines how Picasso revisited past masterpieces with the double intention of commenting on contemporary events and breaking free from all boundaries. By confronting the formal elements in the original pictures to his own pictorial language, Picasso renewed the “borrowing” genre and explored what belongs to the worlds of political activism, memory, and the unconscious with irony and humor. For questions, please e-mail lectures@mfah.org Lecture Tickets: $5 MFAH Members | $8 Nonmembers + museum admission. Secure your seats in advance! Order online (use your own printer); by phone at 713.639.7771; or in persona t any MFAH admissions desk. Friday, May 17, 1:30–2:30 p.m.  and Saturday, May 18, 4­–5 p.m.

Indian Dance in the Gallery: Performance by Shovana Narayan: See acclaimed dancer Shovana Narayan in an electrifying demonstration of Kathak, one of the eight forms of Indian classical dance that traces its origins to the nomadic storytellers of northern India. Discover the many elements of this dance, including story, movement, music, and costume. This performance in the Museum’s Arts of India Gallery is a special addition to today’s Sunday Family Zone & Studio program for families, a wonderful afternoon of art making and gallery activities devoted to the arts of India. Sunday, May 19, 3 – 4 p.m.

The “Cyrus Cylinder” and the Bible: Cyrus, the Anointed of the Lord: Speaker: Matthias Henze, Rice University
Presented in conjunction with the exhibition The Cyrus Cylinder and Ancient Persia: A New Beginning. Cyrus II of Persia, victorious over the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC, is mentioned more than 20 times in the Hebrew Bible. The prophet Isaiah praises the Persian king as “anointed” by the God of Israel, as Cyrus liberated the Israelites (along with other subjugated peoples), and encouraged them to return to their homeland and to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. In this illustrated talk, Matthias Henze shows why the remarkable legacy of Cyrus the Great remains so strong. A reception follows. For questions, please e-mail lectures@mfah.org Lecture Tickets: Secure your ticket in advance! Order tickets online; by phone at 713.639.7771; or in person at any admissions desk at the MFAH. Sunday, May 19, 3–4 p.m.

Rienzi: The European decorative arts wing of the MFAH, 1406 Kirby Drive, 713-639-7800. $8 adults; $4 MFAH members; $5 seniors and students (with ID). Rienzi’s gardens are open for free self-guided visits Monday–Sunday from 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. House tour hours: Wednesday–Saturday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended, drop-ins are welcome. On Sunday, Rienzi offers drop-in house tours from 1 – 5 p.m., with the last admission at 4 p.m. Group tours available, call 713.639.7800 for prices.

Twilight Tour Relax and see the Rienzi estate and beautiful gardens at twilight. Docents are stationed throughout the house to greet guests and to interpret the collection. Enjoy light hors d’oeuvres, wine, and live music. Admission is $12 for MFAH Members and $15 for nonmembers. For more information, call 713.639.7800. Thursday, May 16, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Rienzi’s Porcelain Masterpieces: A close exploration of the porcelain splendors at Rienzi, this tour introduces visitors to the inspiring development of “white gold” in Europe during the 18th century. Discover the monarchs and vibrant commercial markets that fed the rise of the extraordinary porcelain creations of Meissen, Sèvres, and Worcester. Fueled by rivalry and scientific innovation, the porcelain masterpieces reveal the ever-rising standards of patrons, the diverse function of wares, and the exquisite skill of Europe´s modelers, painters, draftsmen, and gilders alike. Admission: $8 Adults, $4 MFAH Members, $5 Senior adults (65+), students with ID, children (12–18) accompanied by adult. Saturday, May 18, 11 a.m.–Noon

Sketching in the Galleries: During Rienzi’s open sketching hours, guests are invited to draw from 18th-century decorative arts objects in the Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. The galleries hold treasures for every artist: space and light, interior design, historical narrative, decorative motifs, reflective surfaces, intriguing shapes, and form inspired by function. Wednesday, May 22, 1:30–4:30 p.m.

Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens: The American decorative arts wing of the MFAH, 6003 Memorial Drive, 713-639-7750. House Tour Tickets (60-min. or self-guided): $12.50 adults; $11 students; $11 seniors (65+); $6.25 children (10–18); free for children 9 and under; 20% discount for group (adult) and group (senior). House Tour Tickets (90-min. guided tour): $15 adults; $13.50 students; $13.50 seniors (65+); $7.50 children (10–18); children 9 and under not admitted; 20% discount for group (adult) and group (senior). Gardens Only Tickets: $5 adults; $5 students; $5 seniors (65+); $5 children (10–18); free for children 9 and under; no discount for group (adult) or group (senior).

Bayou Bend Family Day: An amazing day of fun and entertainment awaits visitors at Bayou Bend Family Days. Activities, music, demonstrations, performances, craft workshops, giveaways, and more abound throughout the home and gardens. Enjoy tours of the first floor of the house, hosted by volunteers from Houston Junior Woman’s Club. Last admission 4:30 p.m. May Theme: Houston Treasure. Learn more about the Bayou City’s fascinating history. Sunday, May 19, 1–5 p.m.

Preschool Story Hour at Bayou Bend: Bayou Bend offers Preschool Story Hour on the third Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. Stories are read aloud by an educator and are followed by an optional activity. Walk-ins are welcome, but advance reservation is appreciated. Call 713.639.7750. Admission: $5 per child. Location: Bayou Bend’s Lora Jean Kilroy Visitor and Education Center. May 21 Story: Doña Flor by Pat Mora. Tuesday, May 21, 10– 11 a.m.

The Glassell School of Art:  The teaching wing of the MFAH, 5101 Montrose, 713-639-7500. 

The Glassell Junior School of Art: 5100 Montrose, 713-639-7700.

Repertory Films

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Brown Auditorium Theater, Caroline Wiess Law Building, 1001 Bissonnet Street, 713-639-7515; $9 general admission; $7 senior adults and students with ID.

Pierre Étaix: French Comedy Master » As Long As You’re Healthy: (Friday, May 17, 6–7:30 p.m.) Pierre is a serious-minded young man with a lot of good will, but he doesn’t feel comfortable in the 20th century. Étaix’s third feature is comprised of sketches and is centered on a protagonist who undergoes different situations. Five years later, Étaix reedited the film as he had initially conceived it, dividing it into four distinct episodes. Followed by Feeling Good (En pleine forme) (1966/2010, 13 min.), a re-edited version of a sketch originally part of As Long As You’re Healthy.

Pierre Étaix: French Comedy Master » Yoyo: (Friday, May 17, 7:30–9:15 p.m.) This brilliant film follows the travels of a ruined millionaire (Pierre Étaix) and a horsewoman (Luce Klein) whose son becomes a clown. Claudine Auger also stars.

Pierre Étaix: French Comedy Master » Land of Milk and Honey: (Saturday, May 18, 6–7:15 p.m.) Just after May 1968, Pierre Étaix discovers the French on holiday. He captures live scenes that he edits, producing a documentary with a burlesque construction.

Pierre Étaix: French Comedy Master » Le Grand Amour: (Saturday, May 18, 7:30–9:15 p.m.) Pierre is married to Florence. Everything is fine in their relationship and at work. Manager of his father-in-law’s factory Pierre spends his days signing checks and his evenings watching TV. The years pass, monotonously, until a young new secretary arrives and Pierre starts to fantasize about a different love life. Followed by Happy Anniversary (Heureux Anniversaire) (1962, 12 min.) about a woman holding dinner for her husband on their anniversary.

Revivals » Trances: (Sunday, May 19, 5–6:30 p.m.) A concert film unlike any other, Trances presents extraordinary footage of Nass El Ghiwane, known as the Rolling Stones of Africa, whose legendary performances combined music, poetry, and theater. “We eavesdrop on the group, whose troubadour style has won them a large and rapturous following in their home country of Morocco. The debt owed to the musical traditions of their faith and land is freely acknowledged, and vividly brought to mind by the trance-like state their compelling, percussive music induces in their fans.” — Time Out London. “Nass El Ghiwane was singing their nation, their people—their beliefs, their sufferings, their prayers.”— filmmaker Martin Scorsese.

Special Presentation » Chasing Ice: (Monday, May 20, 7–9 p.m) Introduced by Anne Wilkes Tucker, the MFAH’s Gus and Lyndall Wortham Curator of Photography. Environmental photographer James Balog headed to the Arctic in 2005 for National Geographic. His assignment: to capture images as evidence of the Earth’s changing climate. Balog had been a skeptic about climate change, but that first trip opened his eyes and sparked a challenge within him that would put his career and his very well-being at risk. With the Extreme Ice Survey, Balog and his team deployed revolutionary time-lapse cameras across the Arctic to capture a multi-year record of the world’s changing glaciers. His hauntingly beautiful videos compress years into seconds and capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate.

Don’t miss Picasso Black and White. On view through Memorial Day Monday, May 27. Visit mfah.org/picasso for tickets.

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Book Review by Kam Williams

“Mimi’s fictional village is like thousands of real villages in the developing world, where health care, especially among infants and children, is poor or uneven. As a result, every day, 21,000 children under the age of five die, most of them from diseases that could have been prevented with basic health care.

Mimi’s Village is ultimately a story of hope and a vision of a better future. It shows how people working together can make changes for the better, and it gives young readers tools to help them improve the health of villages half a world away.”

– Excerpted from the Introduction

When I was growing up, my well-meaning parents often relied on the mantra “Don’t you know there are children starving in Africa!” to get me to finish my dinner. But I’m not sure whether that message or my relatively-privileged quality of life ever really registered. All I knew was that I was expected to clean my plate before I’d be allowed to proceed on to my favorite course, dessert.

Too bad my frustrated folks didn’t have a companion tool like Mimi’s Village at their disposal back then. For this entertaining and informative picture book would undoubtedly have captured my imagination while simultaneously helping me understand the deeper message they were desperately trying to convey.

Written by Katie Smith Milway and delightfully illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes, the story is set in rural Kenya where it revolves around a cute little girl with cornrows called Mimi Malaho. As the tale unfolds, we find the women of her village weeping and eating from a common bowl as they mourn the passing the previous night of a baby named Kanzi.

The death concerns Mimi, since her mother is pregnant. After all, their country has a high rate of infant mortality as a result of combination of poor sanitation, malnutrition, contaminated drinking water, disease-carrying mosquitoes, a need for vaccinations and more.

The narrative proceeds to delineate each of the aforementioned dangers before discussing some simple solutions, such as inoculations, sleeping under netting and boiling water. Plus, after the optimistic ending, the author shows where you can send donations, and exactly what that money will do. For example, $18 buys three bed nets and just $8 can save a hundred kids from dehydration.

An inspirational opus likely to inspire any spoiled-rotten, little monsters to appreciate that they have a lot to be thankful for and maybe even motivate them to minister to the needs of the least of their brethren.

To order a copy of Mimi’s Village, visit:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1554537223/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

STAR-STUDDED DOCUMENTARY SHINES LIGHT ON BACKUP SINGERS AND THEIR GOSPEL ROOTS

‘Millions Know Their Voices, But No One Knows Their Names’

Little wonder the engaging new documentary TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM earned the honor of opening this year’s documentary competition at the Sundance Film Festival. It’s three films in one.

● a touching, personal portrait of the backup singers to music’s biggest superstars, who displayed their undeniable talent just outside the spotlight.

● a fascinating history of how backup singing morphed from the clipped harmonies laid under the crooners of yesteryear to the emotive, soulful, integral component of modern music.

● an exploration of the church and gospel roots of so many of the backup singers to the stars.

“Backup singers pretty much all started in church choirs and can sing circles around most lead singers,” said Morgan Neville, the award-winning director of TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM. That fact has been commonly known in the Black community for decades, where the church has been seen as a treasure trove of talent, but it’s an ah-ha! for many.

At one point, Neville rapidly cuts from one interview to the next with one talented singer after another responding to the question, “Where did you start singing?” And the answers roll out: “My daddy was a preacher,” “I was a preacher’s kid,” “I sang in church.”

“You come up learning what part your voice fits in,” singer Darlene Love said of growing up in the church.

In fact, the trend started with Love and the girl group The Blossoms. Now a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, Love and many other African-American backup singers like her started singing in the church choir, were discovered by Southern California record producers and began adding a new dimension of sound to the hits . . . of others.

Producing legend Phil Spector had Love under contract in the early 1960s and while singles by Love and The Blossoms received scant attention, they were the sound behind such hits as Johnny Angel, The Poor Side of Town and Da Doo Ron Ron. Even some hit singles credited to other singers actually featured Love’s vocals.

“These gifted artists span a range of styles, genres and eras of popular music, but each has a uniquely fascinating and personal story to share of life spent in the shadows of super-stardom,”

Neville spent years interviewing (sometimes after much detective work to find them) singers who backed up such names as Elton John, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Bette Midler, and many, many more. The backup singers range from Love to former “Raelette” now preacher Mabel John. And the story gets current as well. Young backup singer Judith Hill is trying to move from the shadows to center stage now and currently is a contestant on The Voice.

Neville did more than talk to backup singers; he discussed them with the stars—Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and Sting, to name a few.

“It goes back to the church call and response,” Bruce Springsteen said. “There’s that guy out front testifying, and then there’s the community behind, ‘Amen-ing.’ That was the backup sound that came straight out of Gospel and the church and was secularized.”

One singer, TaTa Vega went so far as to play piano in the hallway and sing so Stevie Wonder could hear her. “I heard this girl doing all these (different) riffs,” Wonder said, “and I thought, ‘Is that the same girl?’”

Vega earned her shot at backup singing but never hit the spotlight. As Springsteen said, “It’s a bit of a walk from back by the drummer . . . That walk to the front is complicated.”

For “real musicians, there’s a spiritual component to what they are doing that’s got nothing to do with worldly success,” Sting said. “There’s this idea that you can go on American Idol and suddenly become a star. But you may bypass the spiritual work that you have to do to get there.”

Triumphant and heartbreaking in equal measure, the film is both a tribute to the unsung voices that brought shape and style to popular music and a reflection on the conflicts, sacrifices and rewards of a career spent harmonizing with others.

RADiUS-TWC releases TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM, which opens in New York and Los

Angeles June 14, followed by a nationwide rollout in theaters.

To learn more, visit: Facebook.com/TwentyFeetFromStardom

Documentary Poses Question: Does the GOP Even Want the Black Vote?
Have you ever noticed how few African-American Republicans there are? At any Grand Old Party gathering you see on TV, including the recent convention, there are generally so few blacks in attendance that they tend to stand out like a sore thumb.

That sorry state of affairs inspired Tavis Smiley to remark that “You can fit all the black Republicans with any clout into a phone booth.” And they’re probably also about as hard to find as a phone booth is nowadays.

This phenomenon was not lost on Kevin Williams, a white Republican from Trenton, New Jersey, who felt frustrated by the fact that the Democrats had a stranglehold on all the political positions in his predominantly African-American hometown. So, as a filmmaker, he decided to shoot a documentary getting to the bottom of why blacks aren’t represented in the Republican Party.

Is it that the GOP would prefer to remain lily-white or are African-Americans simply short-changing themselves by remaining so loyal to the Democratic Party? That fundamental question rests at the heart of Fear of a Black Republican, an eye-opening expose’ supplying a variety of intriguing answers.

In order to unravel the mystery, Williams approached some of the black Republicans crammed into the aforementioned phone booth, from former RNC Chairman Michael Steele to ex-U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Ed Brooke who warns of “corruption where there’s no two-party system.” Yes, there’s that danger in districts where a Democratic nomination assures a candidate of victory.

Still, there’s probably some truth to Tavis’ suggestion that once the Republican Party figured out that it could win national and statewide elections without blacks “then the needs of that constituency never rose to the top of its agenda.” Among the other pundits weighing-in here are Princeton Professor Dr. Cornel West, right-wing journalists Michelle Malkin and Ann Coulter, governor-turned-Fox TV host Mike Huckabee and Republican presidential-nominee Mitt Romney.

Nonetheless, the most meaningful interviews are with rank and file black Republicans, average folks who make heartfelt pitches for their fellow African-Americans to abandon the Democratic Party which they indict for taking the black vote for granted. Whether it’s up to white Republicans or jaded black Democrats looking for an alternative to make the first overture, Fear of a Black Republican might serve as a great conversation breaker. Who knows, it might encourage both camps to bury the hatchet and to give each other serious consideration as a viable political partner.

However, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for the GOP to embody the all-inclusive rainbow the Party envisioned during more enlightened times after Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves when a plethora of Reconstruction Era black Republicans ran successful campaigns for political office.

Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 111 Minutes
Studio: Shamrock Stine Productions
DVD Extras: Trailer.

To see a trailer for Fear of a Black Republican, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P1jC1h9LCM

To order a copy of Fear of a Black Republican on DVD, visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0093OQE36/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20

by Kam Williams

Headline: Top Ten DVD List for May 14, 2013

Save the Farm
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00C6705UK/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Of Two Minds
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00B9LNPA6/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Bink & Gollie and More Stories about Friendship
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00B9LNMCW/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Yossi
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00B2DGYQS/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Face 2 Face
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BC0JFVC/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Barrymore
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BC0WQWM/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

The Bletchley Circle: Cracking a Killer’s Code
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BCXW106/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Cloud Atlas
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00A8MGLAI/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Word Girl vs. The Energy Monster
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BCV3J6I/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Frontline: Raising Adam Lanza
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BCXW0OI/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Honorable Mention

10 Buildings That Changed America
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BZYIAFW/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Stripped
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BEZEHL8/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Superman: Unbound
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BBAQD6S/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Taz-Mania: Taz on the Loose – Season One, Part One
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00B1Z6MB4/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Back to 1942
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BC1UPI8/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Team Umizoomi: Animal Heroes
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BHWG1NU/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Dance Academy – Season One, Volume One
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00B9LNOPC/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Dance Academy – Season One, Volume Two
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00B9LNPYM/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Leonie
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BIYQOXY/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Frankie Go Boom
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00A0P17L6/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

The Oranges
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BT765YS/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Safe Haven
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BN3ECTS/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Escape
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BI6SRNM/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

A Glimpse into the Mind of Charles Swan III
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BN3DTVK/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Tomorrow You’re Gone
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BNH9NHK/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

Bunohan: Return to Murder
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00BM2JVCI/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20

The Custom Mary
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00AYLJOMA/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20