SEXYBLACK FIRST LOOK: Spring Breakers Trailer starring James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens & Selena Gomez

I was lucky enough to catch Spring Breakers at TIFF last year.  It's a very interesting movie by the same director, Harmony Korine, that brought you the raw Docu-drama, Kids that launched Rosario Dawson's career.  This movie takes actors that you think you know and asks them to play their antitheses.  Selena Gomez grows up in this film.  Vanessa Hudgens does an amazing acting job and taps into her dark side in a well-executed way.  But once again, James Franco, proves that he can do anything, and perfectly pulls off a white-trash rapper from the South.  Despite what you've seen in the media and the exuberance of the poster above, this is a VERY dark movie.  One of the darkest I've seen, with a very explosive ending.  If you're interested in anti-films (films that break the rules of it's predecessors) you will enjoy Spring Breakers.  The direction is real, and the shooting is raw.  Halfway through, it may not even matter that these girls have been in their bikinis the entire time, because you would've seen other stuff that is more shocking.  I enjoyed Spring Breakers for it's creativity.  It's different.  Very different.  Check the trailer below.

Spring Breakers with Selena Gomez – Official... by FanReviews

SEXYBLACK REVIEW: Drake -- Take Care

My boy recently asked me my take on the new Drake.  So I gave it to him.  Remembering that that's what blogs are for, I am Now giving it to you:

On Take Care, Drizzy Drake simply maintains.  This album has a lot more slow cuts than his previous work, or any other notable hip hop record.   Although the beats have slowed, his talent for lyricism hasn’t waned.  It hasn’t improved, but it hasn’t gotten worse.  A lot of times, when artists reach the level of success that he has, whether it be the pressure to repeat, or the cockiness that comes with fame, the very thing that makes them talented becomes distorted and a watered-down version of itself.  But with Drake’s lyrics, he’s proven on Take Care, that it’s hard to improve on something that is almost perfect. 

The features are nice.  Rihanna’s is wasted on Take Care.  The song is good, but not epic.  His best flow comes on the Rick Ross collabo, which, oddly enough, seems to be who Drake REALLY shines with.  It is that song, and probably only that song, which will really have legs on radio.  This album has ended up being another ART piece, a good one at that, but not meant for commercial consumption, although, with the loyalty of Drake fans, I imagine he’s not concerned about his sales.  But with all the slow-cuts and the lack of hot hooks, you have to wonder how this album will perform live.  The Stevie Wonder feature is memorable and well-used.  It’s nice to here Three Stacks again, yet you gotta feel like his heart may not be in it.  Chantal Kreviazuk surprises on the heralding opening track, another possible single.  This album, however, does not move the crowd or get backbones sliding.  It is, none-the-less interesting, and a good listen.  Drake’s already starting to talk about his next project, which could be a collabo album with Rick Ross.  Now, I am not a Rick Ross fan, but the production he employs from such heavyweights as Just Blaze and more notably, the J.U.S.T.U.S. League, seems to be one of Drake’s hottest jump off points (Aston Martin Music was probably the best hip-hop joint of last year), so I am looking forward to more noise being made there than here.  That is my review.

The Best of 2011 Review Coming Soon... Stay Tuned

- Sexyblack