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Friday, September 12, 2008

Somebodies Preys on Van Wilder then the Preacher's Kid Gets Religion

This has been a good week for filmmaking in the A and Georgia.  

Somebodies had its debut on BET earlier this week and most of the reviews have been fairly positive. For BET, Hadjii definitely gives the network a cred it's never had before. Eschewing standard sitcom mechanics for a show populated by folks of color, it may seem prescient in a few year. Somebodies in combination with Medicine for Melancholy may inspire a whole new generation of African American filmmakers and writers to find new ways of the bringing stories about folks of color to the small and big screen.

Also a winner? Georgia's logo at the end. A few more turns and the logo's appearance should definitely work wonders as it reminds and, in some cases, introduces Georgia as a serious contender when it comes to being film friendly.

The Family That Preys opens in over 2000 theaters today and most estimates are banking on a 20 million plus opening. With a combination of Tyler Perry, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard, the film should easily achieve that, plus a little more. I didn't get to see it at the preview screening last week, but from what I can tell, The Family That Preys makes me think of Peyton Place with a spiritual message. Hadjii started the week strong, hopefully Tyler will deliver his usual knock out punch.

And between Van Wilder 3, The Preacher's Kid, Footloose and the other various productions I've heard about, it appears that the next few months will be quite busy for crews in town.

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