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When Eminem dropped the Marshall Mathers 2 lp late last year, I gave it an honest listen. Only two tracks really caught my ear and one straight up broke my heart. "Headlights" is the song about closure with his estranged mother that we've all been waiting for. Spike Lee directed this tear-jerker of a video and they released it on Mothers Day. 

When The Original Kings of Comedy came out in 2000, I was slow to get onboard. I knew what Bernie Mac could bring to the table, but I wasn't in a hurry to see Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer or D.L. Hughley (all three of whom had been affilated with pretty weak sitcoms on the WB). Eventually I bit and what followed was both surprising and refreshing. Spike Lee captured one glorious night of this tour (a stop in Charlotte, NC) and it remains one of my favorite concert films. Dig this bit from Steve Harvey about the Titanic.

I get frustrated when American studios insist on remaking foreign films for two reasons. A) they assume the American public is too impatient (or dumb) to read subtitles (and maybe they're right) and B) they feel the need to capitalize on a piece of art that already exists. More recently, studios have been quick to make their own versions without allowing the originals any time to establish their places in cinematic history. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), Let the Right One In (Let Me In) for example. 

I just found out that Spike Lee has plans to remake Chan-wook Park's Oldboy. A film that needs no improvements. As much as I trust Spike (even after Girl 6 and She Hate Me) I think masterpieces should be off limits. 

Took the family to see the new Wes Anderson flick, Moonrise Kingdom. It was excellent and Anderson continues to build on his already solid body of work. Even amongst my favorite storytellers (Spike Lee, Woody Allen, Coen Brothers, Tarantino, Chan-wook Park) his filmography just might be the most consistent.  Dig the reel and tell me I'm wrong.

The Roots have been at it for 19 years. They've been hip-hops premiere live band, they were the house band in Spike Lee's Bamboozled, they scored monster hits with Erykah Badu ("You Got Me") and Cody Chestnutt ("Seed 2.0") and are now the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Some footage surfaced this week of The Roots' first live show ever from 1993. Check out the clips.