Issue #1

THE PREMIER VOICE OF A NEW, DIVERSE HOLLYWOOD

To join The A-List,
email us TODAY for
your free "membership":
thealistmag2@gmail.com

Welcome readers, you are now about to be in the know. From the creators of the respected Hollywood trade "The A-List2" we give you Hollywood scoop for the sophisticated. Leave the trash gossip and paparazzi photos to the others, the cream of the crop deserves Hollywood talk on it's same level issues to think about, disucss and debate. You're project and A-List sensibility so should your entertainment info reflect that level. So put your feet up dear reader. We're happy to have you and your discerning style.

OVERSEEN & OVERHEARD

ENEMY TERRITORY...If you loved watching Alfre Woodard on "Desperate Housewives," you'll be happy to hear the actress is returning to TV. She will join the cast of Christian Slater's new NBC series "My Own Worst Enemy." In the Jekyll-and-Hyde-themed drama series, Slater plays a suburban dad named Henry whose alter ego, Edward, is an international spy. Woodard will play Edward's hard-as-nails boss at Janus HQ. Here's the twist: She also has an alter ego. With "Girlfriends" canceled, it's good to know at least one Black actress--an Emmy winning one at that--will be on primetime.

HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE...Talk about great collabos. Set It Off director F. Gary Gray is making a film about the life of Marvin Gaye. Yeah, there's already another flick in the works--starring Gaye lookalike "Law & Order" alum Jesse L. Martin. Called Sexual Healing, the film is slated to be released in 2010. It, however, focuses on the tragic last years of Gaye's life. The Gray biopic will cover Gaye's life, career, and music from beginning to end. Either way, Marvin Gaye fans should be happy.

LIFE IMITATING ART?...Lately Wesley Snipes' life has been full of government intrigue, especially now that the U.S. Government says he's a "wanted man." But while the feds attempt revoke Snipes' bail and have him surrender himself to prision, the sequel to his hot film The Art of War will be soon heading straight to DVD. The Art of War II: Betrayal drops this August and again features Snipes as Agent Neil Shaw. Shaw once again gets embroiled in Washington cloak and dagger drama as he uncovers a plot to assassinate a slew of senators. Readers: Send us your thoughts about Wesley's current situation and we'll post the best ones next issue!

NEW ROUTE FOR SOUL TRAIN...If you've been yearning to see the "Soul Train" line once again, the wait won't be much longer. The music show's founder Don Cornelius has sold the company to a Black-owned production company called MadVision Entertainment, that promises to not only revive the show but to issue vintage epsiodes on DVD. So get out your platform shoes and best bell bottoms and get ready to ride the Sooooooooooooooul Train again.

THE BATTLE OF THE SMITHS...Guess who Will Smith will be going head-to-head with at the box office this summer? His own daughter, Willow. The 7-year-old's film, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl , will be released the same day--July 2nd--as daddy's new action adventure, Hancock. Sorry Willow, our bets are on Will for this one.

HIP HOP HOLLYWOOD

T-PAIN DOES IT ONLINE…Hip-Hop artist/producer T-Pain, who holds the record for the largest number of ringtones sold at 15 million, has launched a digital record label. Nappy Boy Digital (http://www.nappyboyonline.com/). Nappy Boy will off music via all the major digital download retailers. The first release will be “Beam Me Up” by Tay Dizm. Hip Hop is once again leading the technology pack.

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

CAN WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

Welcome Readers! The media has played such a role in the campaign thus far, it might as well be another candidate.

With bloggers and The Internet often beating seasoned media pros to the punch on breaking news, the mainstream media has decided to become even more outlandish to grab ratings. Objective journalism has seemingly been tossed out the window for opinion pundits, with some even spewing racist and sexist soundbytes. One minute, you have a "Meet the Press" moderator laughing as a guest calls Sen. Clinton a "bitch." The next you have a FOX News producer referring to Michelle Obama as "Obama's baby's mama."

There have been accusations of media favoritism for Obama one week, then media attacks the next. So what's a candidate to do? Monitor his media interaction and try if possible to control his image--at least this has been the plan of late from the Obama camp. With this done, it wasn't surprising when recently a pool of journalists started grumbling about limited access to Obama. In fact, a few weeks ago several of the major media outlets crafted the below letter (show in part) and sent it to the Obama camp.

To Barrack Obama Team:

There are many ways in a campaign to control your message and conduct private meetings that do not involve deceiving the press corps. Last night, the press corps traveling with Senator Obama was misled, and was also flown to Chicago without the Senator. The Washington bureau chiefs of ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, NBC News, and the Associated Press strongly protest the events of last night...The decision to mislead reporters is a troubling one..

Ah, the power of the almighty pen. With a stroke of the fingers, a masterpiece is created and shared with the world for their viewing pleasure! Reading the above letter, one can't help but think of a jilted lover scenario whereby one partner in the relationship felt betrayed and therefore the other partner must be punished. However, we all know that this is not a jilted lover scenario, but six powerful media entities welding their power and they have every right to do so since they can skillfully make or completely break a candidate.

The losers in this game aren't only the candidates and their mates, who get shrunk down to stereotypes (i.e. the boss bitch, the angry black woman, the crazy old man, the uppity N***), but the viewers lose out. In the past, voters and viewers counted on the media to ask the hard pertinent questions, to be their advocate in the search of truth, to be the check and balance of the pr hype.

Where is Ed Gordon when you need him? --Clemetine Clarke

Clemetine Clarke, owner of the governmental affairs, political strategy, fundraising and community relations firm CMH & Associates, strives to help women of color get elected to political office. Clarke has also served as the Executive Director of the San Francisco Democratic Party.

FEATURE

LORI PETTY ANTES UP

ACTRESS TALKS DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, FORGIVENESS & DIVERSITY

After nearly 20 years in the business, actress Lori Petty should be used to press days where she promotes her latest project to the media. But this one is different, and the usually confident Petty seems rushed and a bit stressed this sunny day in L.A. Maybe because editors and the like had just finished screening Petty's directorial debut, The Poker House. Besides opening up her filmmaking skills for critique, the film is also autobiographical. Set in a poor rural Iowa town in 1976, it lays Petty's life--the troubles, struggles, molestation, success, and loves--out for all to see. But what is also interesting about The Poker House is Petty's aggressive push for diversity in her film and behind the scenes. Newcomer Jennifer Lawrence plays Petty. Sophia Bairley and Chloe Grace Moretz play Petty’s two sisters; and their drug-addicted, abused mother is portrayed by Selma Blair. Also starring is co-screenwriter David Alan Grier (pictured), Bokeem Woodbine, Tyla Abercrumbie, and Clarke Peters. The A-List chatted with her about this and more.

This is a movie that took place in Iowa back in 1976. Was the town depicted in the movie that as racially diverse as in the movie? "Iowa and Illinois have a lot, have had a lot of black and Spanish living there. And when you're poor, race just dissolves. If you're poor, you really don't have time to be racist. Its like you're too busy trying to handle it. If you noticed like all the states that went to Obama are poor states because poor states they don't have the racist problems. But its those middle states like Indiana that go for those white candidates because they have just enough money to be, you know, F----- up. When we filmed League of Their Own in Kentucky, everybody was great. We went across the river to Indiana, F------ Klan was there, with a can asking for money. This was in 1992. People would quit because we had a black PA and she would tell people that they had to sit in certain areas and people would say "F--- You!" and storm off and leave, this was in 1992. But Henderson, Kentucky was fine."
What were some of the valuable lessons that you learned as a director, as an artist, as a woman? "I learned that men can't hear you when you talk. Unless you say 'yes I will take my clothes off'. (Laughs) No, not all men, but there were a few men, and it wasn't personal at all, they respected me but I would be talking to them and they would just walk away. I would have to say to them 'come here'. I would have to send Peter Quartaroli, my producing partner over to get them and they would come back and say 'yea', and I would be like 'I'm still talking to you', and they would be like, 'oh, sorry.' "

Do you think sexism was involved? "No. Its just programing. They're use to that type of environment. During the basketball game scene, I had a microphone because the place was just huge but I ran into the same problem, the guys weren't listening...I'm not being sexist but, give a guy a basketball, a car, a gun, you might as well forget it, he's not going to listen to you."

At one of the screenings, I over heard a conversation you had with a woman about forgiving your mother and your response to her that you learnt a long time ago that if you go through life carrying around baggage you are crazy. "Yea, you just have to put it down. She was all serious, she was like 'how can you forgive your mom?' She was molested as a child, she was beaten as a grown up, she was addicted to drugs and alcohol. She's not the bad guy, she was doing the best she can. Now she's doing great. and she's been doing great. If you live long enough, you go through shit. And once you get older you can choose as to how you're going to deal with stuff. People feel that they need to react to things. Instead of reacting, how about not reacting. "

Did you intend for this movie to be cathartic, to be a healing tool for those who experience it? "Yes. I believe that at least 80% of the women on the planet have been sexually molested based on how many woman just come up to me. This movie has given them the ability to say something about what happened to them, they could be 50 years old and never told anyone. And this happens a lot. If you go to my website at http://www.loripetty.com/, I've written about it there under The Poker House blog.

In making movies, what is most important to you? "I don't know if you saw the TV series I was in 'Lush Life' on Fox with Karen Parsons, did only seven episodes before they canceled everything on Fox. She was biracial, there was this Puerto Rican kid, this white kid and me, and Karen's mom was white, and we never mentioned race ever, we never say the word, that is just one thing that I'll never do with my films is never bring it up because people don't bring it up, people don't sit and talk about it. The whole issue of race is just silliness." --Anthony Davis

EVENT COVERAGE

TOYOTA CAMPAIGN LAUNCH PARTY & ESSENCE FASHION SHOW, NYC

The A-List arrived at Eyebeam fashionably on-time! We approached the PR people after our names were not spotted on the guest list (ugh). Luckily, they knew who we were, and things rolled smoothly! We entered inside, and dazzled around the red carpet for a minute. Flashing pics of not only our glamorous selves, but ofcelebrates such as R&B singer Mashonda, Eric Benet, America's Next Top Model contestant Bianca Golden. After a few flashes, we made our way into the party! The setting, of course, went well with the host of the evening--Essence Magazine. The venue was chic and sexy with pinkish/purple lighting, and the fashion runway and bar setup accordingly. But before the fashions by designer Alexis Phifer of GHITA, Keyshia Cole performed--and it was the highlight of the night, which was organized to introduced Toyota's new marketing campaign called "If Looks Could Kill." The campaign is aimed at attracting African-American female car buyer. --L e e S a B*

SPOTTED
All of the members of New Edition–including singer-turned-reality-show star Bobby Brown–pickin’ up the Golden Note Award at the 21st Annual ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

Recording artist and judge on the TV show "Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew," Lil Mama (nominated for Best Female Hip Hop Artist) tunin' into jams on the new COBY MP4 Player at the COBY Electronics backstage area at the BET Awards.

The A-List is: Lauren Coleman, founder/co-publisher…Ann Brown, co-publisher…Melissa Ross, European correspondent…LeAnne Lindsay, contributor…Anthony Davis, contributor…Gil Robertson, contributor…Dan Williams, contributor…LeesaB, contributor…Clemetine Clarke, columnist