Just yesterday we were showing you the first poster for the David E. Talbert film, Baggage Claim (above), and just a day later, a trailer has finally been released. The movie is set to come out on September 27, and no lie, I’m thinking I might go check it out. The trailer had your girl giggling.

As we told you, the plot centers around a 30-something flight attendant named Montana (Paula Patton), who finds herself as the last woman in her family to not be married. Anxious to turn that around with the pressure of her sister’s upcoming nuptials, with the help of her flight attendant friends (Jill Scott and even The OC‘s Adam Brody), she embarks on a 30-day journey back to a few of her exes (and some new interested suitors) to get one of them to put a ring on it.

I know the storyline might be eye roll worthy, but the trailer actually had me laughing–seriously, it did. Some of her new and past boos in the film include Trey Songz (whose crazy girlfriend is Tia Mowry), Boris Kodjoe, Derek Luke, Taye Diggs and Djimon Honsou. And I know you know who her mother is in the movie…Jenifer Lewis of course. Anywho, the romantic comedy is actually based on Talbert’s first novel of the same name, which was a best-seller. So can he have the same success at the box office? If you support him! Check out the trailer and let us know if you’re feeling it.

I think the fall is going to be a promising time for black film. We’re already anticipating the sequel to “The Best Man” in November and from the looks of this first trailer for Lee Daniels’ “The Butler,” October will bring good things are way as well.

We’ve heard a lot about this new cinematic feat — most recently because of Terrence Howard’s comments about Oprah’s tig ‘ol bitties — thankfully, this film is so much for than that. “The Butler” is the story of Eugene Allen, the African American White House butler who served several presidents over his 34-year post before retiring as head butler in 1986. Forest Whitaker plays the rple of Allen, but he is far from the only big name in this feature film. Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, David Oyelowo, Colman Domingo, John Cusack, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, Melissa Leo, Liev Schreiber, Jesse Williams, Aml Ameen, Lenny Kravitz, and Cuba Gooding Jr all have parts in this gripping story that, as you can see from the trailer, is about much more than Allen, capturing race relations between blacks and whites from the ’50s through the ’80s and how that shaped Allen’s own family dynamic.

I’m personally pretty excited about this one, and I think it will be much better received than “The Help,” although criticism has already reared it’s ugly head due to the subject of servitude. Check out the trailer and tell us what you think? Will you head to the theater to see this October 18?

It seems like just a few months ago we were talking about Mary J. Blige and Angela Bassett taking on the roles of Betty Shabazz and Coretta Scott King in the Lifetime original movie, “Betty & Coretta,” and now we’re already looking at a two-minute sneak peek of the new flick which will debut in a couple of weeks.

This film tells the story of the relationship between the wives of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. and how they developed a strong friendship as single mothers following their husbands’ assassinations. Miss Bassett, who can do no wrong when it comes to movies, is always expected to be stellar in this movie, and this will be Mary J.’s chance to prove herself as a serious actress since we’ve only seen her in minor rolls thus far. Malik Yoba will play Martin Luther King Jr, while Lindsay Owen Pierre has the part of Malcolm X.  According to Shadow & Act, Ruby Dee will also appear on-screen as a historical witness to narrate the story as someone who is familiar with the events of both wives’ lives.

“Betty & Coretta,” which will premiere Saturday, February 2 at 8 pm, is the first of three African American-centered films set to premiere on Lifetime during Black History Month. The second movie will be “Twist of Faith,” starring Toni Braxton as a single Christian mother who makes a love connection with a widowed Orthodox Jewish man who loses himself and his faith after watching the murder of his wife and son. The third film, “Pastor Brown,” will feature Sally Richardson-Whitfield as the daughter of a dying pastor who is asked to take over the dealings of her father’s beloved church as his last dying wish.

Judging from the trailer of “Betty & Coretta,” February will be an interesting month to tune into Lifetime. Let us know what you think.

If it seems like it was just yesterday that Tyler Perry was rolling out another movie, it probably was. We know how he does when it comes to pushing his flicks and the time has come for yet another to hit the big screen. On March 29, 2013, the controversial film, “The Marriage Counselor,” will make it’s big screen debut and Lionsgate has just released the first trailer for the movie.

If you recall earlier this year, everyone was up in arms about Kim Kardashian being cast in this production — and Tyler Perry getting brand new and trying to act like he had no idea who she was — but thankfully she has just a small part in the movie. The film’s real stars are Jurnee Smollet, Lance Gross, Vanessa Williams, Robbie Jones, Ella Joyce, and Brandy.

According to the synopsis:

The film tells the story of Judith (Smollett), an Ivy League-educated relationship expert who makes her living dispensing marital advice, but is so bored with her own marriage (to Gross) that she breaks her professional code and cheats with a smooth talking client (Jones) only to realize she has made a huge mistake.

As for the other characters, Vanessa Williams will play the owner of the firm where Jurnee practices; Brandy will portray Lance’s co-worker; and Kim K. will play Smollett’s friend and co-worker.

The plot falls somewhere between extremely far-fetched and undoubtedly entertaining for me so I’m sure I’ll be heading to the theaters to see this. Check out the clip below and tell us what you think.

Will you be watching?

It’s about that time for another dose of “Love & Hip-Hop” back up north on the east coast. A couple of weeks ago, we learned who the new members of the New York cast would be, and now VH1 has released a short trailer for season 3 which is set to air in just another couple of weeks.

Mona and then went the dramatic route again which makes it look like they’re definitely going to try to make the NY cast keep up with the ATL, but from this 1-and-a-half minute trailer I don’t see anyone who even comes close to the spectacle that is Joseline. Still, there does appear to be some interesting new characters and even some man tears.

Season 3 premiers Monday, January 7th at 8pm. Check out the trailer and tell us what you think. Will you watch?

Love & Hip Hop New York Season 3 Trailer | Video by Get_Heard

Source: Vibe Vixen

Last week we told you that the reality show, “Chrissy & Mr. Jones” is going to replace the now defunct “Ev & Ocho.” In the process, we also showed you a clip from the upcoming series, which will showcase the lives of Chrissy Lampkin and rapper Jim Jones outside of their “Love and Hip Hop” friends (and enemies) as they try to build said lives together. In it, we saw the couple discussing Chrissy’s hopes to put baby plans on hold, and Jim’s (and Mama Jones’) disappointment at her choice. In the longer clip that has been released, we see what a full season will be like, and it includes more baby drama, relationship drama (it looks like Chrissy moves out!), and some shots of SOMEBODY’S wedding. I won’t directly assume it’s Chrissy and Jimmy’s, but after all the fuss she made over getting engaged, it would be nice if they could knock some nuptials out quickly. Anywho, check out the full trailer from their upcoming season and let us know if you’re excited to watch their drama unfold. And yes, we know that with Chrissy there can be nothing but that. If you’re down for the clowning and the love fest, you already know where to catch the show, and it premieres on Sept. 24. at 9:30/8:30c.

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Image: Raw-Hollywood.com

Watching Brandy unveil her video for “Put It Down” on 106 & Park this week, it’s easy to see why the world fell in love with her in the first place.  In her early thirties, she still has the sweet likeability of an innocent 15 year old that makes you want to smile with her.

That makes this that much harder.

She looks gorgeous in the video. Her close-ups are undeniable proof the woman hasn’t aged since Never Say Never  in 1998. But, it wasn’t “Thriller.” And to warrant three months of hype – the song hit the blogosphere in April – it needed to be “Thriller.”

“Put It Down” is the lead single for Two Eleven, the singer’s comeback album slated for release in October. I want Brandy to win. When I heard the single, in April, I was fully on board. But, she’s not going anywhere if she doesn’t pick up the pace. By the looks of things, she and her team are living in 2001.

“Put It Down” dropped on April 26 , but was not available on iTunes until May 8. For twelve days people downloaded her song illegally. Hardcore fans may have gone back to buy the single, but the rest of us kept it moving as illustrated by the song entering Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart at number 98.

Filming for the video started on July 10^th. What was Brandy doing for three months? She received a lot of attention for her July performance at the BET Awards. Brandy’s tribute to Whitney Houston was arguably one of the best performances we’ve ever seen her do. This would have been a good time to release a video. The purpose of content is to extend the conversation around your brand. It’s a great tool for prolonging buzz. But, it would be another month before we saw a glimpse of the clip.

For two weeks the four-minute clip was parceled out. Video stills on August 1, a trailer five days later, and a preview the week after online and on 106 & Park. It was a valiant effort to sustain interest in the song. But keep in mind a whole summer has taken place, countless dramas have unfolded, and Brandy is still talking about “Put It Down” repeatedly. It was the equivalent of someone who keeps interrupting your conversation talking about the same thing. If you’re not bringing anything new to the table, your content is worthless. Audiences can see through repackaging.

When a brand struggles in an area, it is a smart business move to look at what other brands dominating that area of the industry are doing and learn from their success. I want Brandy to learn from Rihanna. Rihanna has mastered the changing nature of the music industry and content in general. She doesn’t have a number one album, the classic measurement of an artist’s success, but she is the best-selling digital artist of all time. Rihanna’s last single, “We Found Love,” premiered on September 22, 2011 and was available for digital download on the same day. The music video was shot in late September, and premiered shortly after on October 19.

I don’t know what the personal issue is for Brandy, but the handling of this single reflects a strategic problem many brands, especially older ones, struggle with. Old models don’t work. The news cycle is too quick and our attention spans are too short.

The level of success Brandy once had now requires that she provide more new content, more often. When done correctly it will extend the work she puts into her music and performances. For her second single, let’s hope she gets it right.

Cortney Cleveland is a freelance writer and content strategist in New York City. You can follow her on Twitter @CleveInTheCity and visit her personal column The Red Read.

Source: chicagofabulousblog.com

The all-black “Steel Magnolias” movie remake is coming right along. The film idea was first announced in October and already there’s a trailer for the made-for-TV movie, which means the feature-length flick shouldn’t be too far behind.

The film, which is set in Louisiana, will air on Lifetime and stars Executive Producer Queen Latifah as M’Lynn, Alfre Woodard as Ouiser, Phylicia Rashad as Clairee, Jill Scott as Truvy, Adepero Oduye as Annelle, and Condola Rashad as Shelby. As for male co-stars, Lance Gross, Tory Kittles and Michael Beasley all have parts in the remake as well.

I don’t remember much from the original but according to other sites some of the scenes and lines in the trailer should be recognizable from the 1989 film. Either way, this looks like a good one to watch from my view. Check out the trailer and tell us what you think.

Will you watch?

Brande Victorian is the news and operations editor for madamenoire.com. Follow her on twitter @Be_Vic.

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Source: soulculture.co.uk

Let’s just say people weren’t too enthusiastic at the thought of Jennifer Hudson playing Winnie Mandela in the biopic Winnie, particularly with Terrence Howard playing her husband, South African apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. Less than stellar reviews from the screening at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival also confirmed that lack of enthusiasm but now the general public is getting a chance to make up their own minds about the film.

Winnie has been scheduled for a Fall release and a new trailer is giving us a first look at what to expect from the movie, which is directed by Darrell Roodt and follows the life of Winnie from her early childhood through to her marriage and later imprisonment of her husband. According to Soul Culture, the film chronicles her continuous harassment by the security police, banishment to a small Free State town, betrayal by friends and allies, and more than a year in solitary confinement.

Brande Victorian is the news and operations editor for madamenoire.com. Follow her on twitter @Be_Vic.

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Source: nerdbastards.com

It’s not every day that a trailer is released for a Quentin Tarantino movie (he’s only directed seven in his long career), let alone one led by our main man Jamie Foxx. But today is that day! We’ve been hearing since last year about Django Unchained, the big names in it (Christopher Waltz, Kerry Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, etc.) and the story behind it: A shout out to the spaghetti western where man is slave, slave meets bounty hunter, bounty hunter trains slave to find murderous brothers who took his wife, slave gets MAD revenge in the process and possibly freedom. Sounds like something Tarantino would be into right? Well, what about you? The trailer dropped today and it looks mighty interesting! I must say, I like that the director likes to do movies that are odes to different genres (kung fu, blaxploitation, spaghetti westerns, etc.). Plus, we finally get to see Leonardo DiCaprio play something other than the lead, heroic good-guy. Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think!

Will you check this out when in drops in theaters on Christmas?

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