mariah carey Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Oprah is pushing both Precious and the book it's based on, Push by Sapphire, on her show, and I'm seriously curious to know what her audience will think about it. How many people will be able to watch a film told from the point of view of an illiterate high schooler who is raped by her father, physically (and, in the book, sexually) abused by her mother, hates herself for not being white, has given birth to one child with Down's Syndrome who's nicknamed Mongo (short for Mongoloid), and is pregnant for a second time with her father's child?

Let's assume that Oprah's reach is strong enough and far enough to get her demographic to plunk down their eight to 12 dollars to see Precious – the Oprah Effect in full effect. (You can find out where and when Precious is playing near you on the official movie website.)

I'm not talking about critics and journalists or the people in big cities who like to participate in a friendly Oscar pool or want to be up on what was in the New York Times. They're already seeing the movie in droves; it made $1.8M in limited release its opening weekend. The latest numbers I could find on her demographic are from 2007, back when people were wondering if Oprah could help get a president elected. (Answer: Yes, she can.)

According to Nielsen via MSNBC, "Oprah's audience is predominantly female, white, and over the age of 55. Nationally 7.4 million people watch Oprah daily -- about 2.6% of American households. Four percent of American women (about 5.7 million) watch her daily, compared with 1.2% of men (1.7 million people). Overall, 2% of all 18- to 49-year-olds watch Oprah."

There is no denying that Precious has got critics and audiences in a lather, with audiences at Sundance, Cannes, and TIFF lauding the harrowing adaptation of Sapphire's first novel. Mo'Nique's performance as Precious' horrendously abusive mother monster Mary has also gotten folks humming about an Oscar nomination for the comedian, who readily acknowledges the dark places she had to go for this role. She told Eric Kohn in an interview at last year's Sundance that she herself was sexually abused and "The person who molested me was a monster. So I had to go to that person, because I know what it was like for me. [Daniels] said action, and be that monster." And wow, what a monster she became; each scene she was in cut closer to the bone. I covered my eyes in at least one scene and left the screening room slack-jawed.

But Roger Friedman at the Hollywood Reporter writes that Mo'Nique skipped press for the film at Cannes, TIFF, and the New York Film Festival, and that her newest publicist of just two weeks quit. Friedman writes "that Mo'Nique has gotten herself a reputation for demanding money for showing up to promote Precious. It's a first in Oscar history."

Ah, the road film. The formula is tried-and-true: usually two people, taking to the back roads of America in order to get somewhere by a certain time or for a particular reason. Along the way, cars break down, trains are jumped, and quirky characters are encountered. It can be funny, sweet, or darkly dramatic. But the formula rarely strays. Because of this, the key to a good road film is what happens during the journey. You want to see lessons learned, growth, and bonding. But you also want to see interesting characters and maybe a good car chase thrown in, too.

Tribeca seems to have at least one of these films every year. Last year it was Chasing 3000. This year, it's Tennessee, a slow-moving but sweet story of two brothers who go back home to find their abusive father; what they find, though is that there's more than one reason to go home.

We're going to have plenty of Tribeca Film Festival coverage here as the festival revs up in the next week. In the meantime, if you're fortunate enough to be headed to the pricey, exclusive fest, Variety has posted a primer to the movies that have a good chance of getting picked up for distribution based on their reception there -- movies that are "piquing interest among execs." Making the list are the William H. Macy comedy Bart Got a Room; a psychological thriller called From Within that sounds oddly similar to this summer's The Happening; a documentary about a senior citizen hip hop dance team called Gotta Dance (also known as Young@Heart 2); Tennessee, a road movie starring Mariah Carey; and 6 others.

Not too much is known about most of these, but I can tell you that Bart Got a Room features the big screen debut of one Brandon Hardesty, who became a YouTube sensation by posting dead-on reenactments of famous movie scenes in which he played all the characters. He's one of the few instances of YouTube popularity that stems from actual talent -- he's an amazing impressionist, and a really funny guy -- so I'm thrilled for him. I hope the movie's good.

Stay tuned for Erik Davis's dispatches from Tribeca, including his own must-see list.

Continuing our pre-coverage of the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival, above you will find a clip from the indie film Tennessee, aka that flick co-starring Mariah Carey as a struggling singer/diner waitress. The clip originated over at New York Magazine (where you can also find clips for a few other Tribeca films), and the sound is a little off-sync in the conversion above. Tennessee isn't all about Mariah, though, as it centers on two brothers who embark on a journey from New Mexico to Tennessee to find their estranged father. Adam Rothenberg and Ethan Peck play the brothers; the film was directed by Aaron Woodley from a script by Russell Schaumburg.

Despite a very successful music career, Carey has yet to break out in a big way on the big screen -- with films like Glitter, Wisegirls and State Property 2 not doing much to bolster her appeal as an actress. However, sometimes a role in a small indie film can help a career find its way back on track, so we'll see how far Tennessee takes her. For more on when it's playing and where, check out the film's Tribeca fest page here.

What will comedy look like in 2008? Here's a taste ...

Is there a sport Will Ferrell hasn't taken on yet? Competitive idiot throwing? Is that a sport? Anyway, a whole set of pics from his latest sports comedy, Semi-Pro, have just landed on the internets (courtesy of Cinema Blend). And if you're itching for plenty of Ferrell with a giant afro, then these photos might just make your day. The pic, which co-stars Andre Benjamin and Woody Harrelson, revolves around Jackie Moon (Ferrell), the owner-coach-player of the ABA's Flint Michigan Tropics. In between a ton of ridiculous physical comedy, Moon will try to rally his team together to make their NBA dreams come true. Semi-Pro slam dunks into theaters on February 29. (Bonus: See a photo after the jump.)

The first image from You Don't Mess With Zohan has arrived online (courtesy of JoBlo), showing the pic's star, Adam Sandler, surfing the top of a car a la Michael J. Fox in Teen Wolf. In the film, Sandler plays a Mossad agent who fakes his death and travels to New York City to become a hairdresser. Mariah Carey and Rob Schneider co-star. On paper, it sounds cheesy and the kind of film you take on when in need of a quick fix, however Judd Apatow co-wrote the screenplay and, well, that's gotta be a good thing, right? Frequent Sandler collaborator Dennis Dugan directs, and this flick is set to arrive in theaters on June 6. (Bonus: See the photo after the jump.)

Finally, guess who's baaaack? Yup, our favorite ethnic pot smokers are heading back to the big screen in 2008; this time, however, there's a lot more at stake than a trip to White Castle. Oh yes, when Harold and Kumar attempt to fly to Amsterdam, they're mistaken as terrorists and soon find themselves on the run from authorities and all wrapped up in an hour and a half's worth of shenanigans. Five words for you fans out there: Neil Patrick Harris Will Return. Harold and Kumar 2 (aka Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay) will smoke you out on April 25. (Bonus: See an additional photo after the jump, or check out more over at Cinema Blend.)

Seeing as she's had some problems making the transition from singer to actress (I wouldn't exactly consider Glitter, WiseGirls and State Property 2 must-see entertainment), it's only fitting that Mariah Carey would toss aside any Carey-like characters for the time being, and opt to play herself instead. And, in doing so, she may have just landed her biggest film to date. JoBlo tells us that Carey will star alongside Adam Sandler in You Don't Mess With The Zohan; a film that finds Sandler teaming with the brilliant comedic minds of Judd Apatow and Robert Smigel (of SNL fame). Dennis Dugan, who's had his fare share of hits and misses (Big Daddy and Happy Gilmore being hits, with National Security and The Benchwarmers being misses) will direct, while production is set to begin this summer with an eye on a summer 2008 release.

In the film, Sandler will play Zohan, a Mossad agent who's so fed up with his life that he fakes his death to pursue his dream of becoming a hairdresser in New York City. That right there is scary in and of itself. Carey will play herself (a singer who's gone through more transformations than the Autobots) who becomes all mixed up with Zohan's former nemesis The Phantom, thus forcing the former agent to return to his roots and kick some ass. As far as other cast members go, all we know right now is that Rob Schneider has signed on to play an East Yistannen cab driver. Oh joy. Pic will mark back-to-back projects for both Sandler and Dugen; the actor and director also partnered up on this summer's I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, which hits theaters on July 20. What do you think of Mariah Carey, the actress? Does her involvement automatically ruin the film for you, or are you happy that someone is finally giving her the big break she so desperately deserves?

Last year, we told you how Mariah Carey was gearing up to star in a new indie film as an aspiring singer/waitress who ditches her abusive husband to join two brothers on a road trip. Unfortunately, it's not Glitter 2 -- no, this one is called Tennessee, and it's currently filming all over Nashville where Carey was heard belting out the tunes at a local spot called Second Fiddle. Yes folks, Mariah Carey has officially gone country ... but only for this movie, we think.

Not only did she share the stage with Mickey Raphael (who plays harmonica for Willie Nelson), but she sang a song she co-wrote with Nelson specifically for the film called "Right to Dream." According to Tennessee director Aaron Woodley, the film crew -- wait for it -- wept as Carey sang the song, adding "It's very moving, especially in the context of the film and her character." Now, I haven't been on too many movie sets -- and I wasn't present while they were filming Glitter, WiseGirls or State Property 2 -- but is it common for a film crew to openly weep while shooting a scene? Or, perhaps they wept for a different reason? Shooting wrapped Friday, and I'm sure we'll see Tennessee wind up in one or two film festivals later this year ... unless, of course, it goes straight to DVD.

[via Pop Candy]

Despite the fact that Glitter (not to mention her skanky wardrobe) has rendered Mariah Carey a perpetual cinematic punchline, she's been hired to star in Tennessee, an indie drama from Lee Daniels, the producer of Monster's Ball. While Daniels claims to have been impressed by Carey's performance in a movie called WiseGirls, the hiring was also admittedly motivated by the massive success of The Emancipation of Mimi (Carey's most recent album) so perhaps he's thinking more of ticket sales than quality.

In the film, to be directed by Aaron Woodley, Carey will play a mixed-race waitress (she "struggles with all sorts of issues because of" her ethnicity) who "sets off with two brothers to find their estranged father." The brothers are hoping to get their father reengaged with the family, specifically their younger brother, who is suffering from leukemia. How cool would it be if Mariah wears, like, big sweatshirts and baggy pants and acts her ass off? Yeah, not very likely. I know.