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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (April 16, 2014)
Arts & Entertainment Wayans Weighs In on ‘Haunted House 2’ B orn in New York City on July 23, 1972, Marlon Wayans graduated from the High School of Performing Arts before matriculating at Howard Uni- versity’s Film School. He started out in Hollywood on TV as a cast member of the Emmy Award-winning variety series, In Living Color. Next, Marlon created and starred in the hit sitcom The Wayans Bros. Some of his other noteworthy screen credits include: The Ladykillers, Scary Movie, Scary Movie 2, Little Man, White Chicks, Norbit, Behind the Smile and Dance Flick. The versatile thespian also exhibited an impressive acting range while delivering a powerful performance as a drug addict in Requiem for a Dream. More recently, Marlon starred opposite Channing Tatum in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. And last summer he appeared in The Heat, a blockbuster featuring Sandra Bul- lock and Melissa McCarthy. Here, he talks about his latest film, A Haunt- ed House 2, a sequel spoofing the Paranormal Activity franchise. Kam Williams: Hi Marlon, thanks for another interview. Marlon Wayans: You got it, bro. KW: Why did you decide to make A Haunted House sequel? MW: Because the audience really, really enjoyed the first one. And I also felt like I could find a nice, natural progression for my character, Malcolm. Plus, comedically, I ‘ I knew I could match or exceed what we did in the original, and make a bigger, broader movie that could appeal to a wider audience’ knew I could match or exceed what we did in the original, and make a bigger, broader movie that could appeal to a wider audience just by making some adjustments and by adding a few pieces to the puzzle. One of those pieces was Gabriel Iglesias, and another one was Jaime Pressly. KW: Harriet Pakula-Teweles asks: How do you rev up a sequel so the faithful return for more while simultaneously enticing some newbies? MW: I think you have to make sure you have a little bit of the old, while adding something knew. We kept Cedric the Enter- tainer, Affion Crockett and Essence Atkins and, like I said, we added Gabe and Jaime, and also Ashley Rickards. I think you have to stick with the integrity of the comedy or lack thereof, and keep in stride with the humor of the movie. I don’t believe you try to sell it out. Instead, you just keep your tone and your sense of humor, because that’s what they bought into the first time. It’s all about being authentic to whatever that movie is, and not reaching too hard. KW: Harriet also asks: Is there a remake of a classic film you’d like to star in? MW: I’d love to redo Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. KW: Paranormal facilitator Kate Newell asks: Have you had any paranormal experi- ence in real life? MW: No, I haven’t, but I wish I had. KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks: Is it important to you not to get killed off in the first five minutes, as so often hap- C ELEBRITY I NTERVIEW by Kam Williams pens to black actors in horror films? MW: Yeah, it’s very important to me, being I’m a black actor, and I don’t want my black ass to die in the first five minutes. KW: Irene has a follow-up. Is storytelling in the horror genre different from story- Marlon Wayans See WAYANS on page 11 Book Reviews: Life Lessons, Cooking The China Study: All-Star Collection Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipes from Your Favorite Vegan Chefs, By LeAnne Campbell, Ph.D. Things I Should Have Told My Daughter: Lies, Lessons and Love Affairs, by Pearl Cleage “In addition to being one of the most popular living play- wrights in America, Pearl Cleage is a best-selling author with an Oprah Book Club pick and multiple awards to her credit… In this deeply personal work, Cleage takes readers back to the1970s and ‘80s, retracing her struggles to hone her craft amidst personal and profes- sional tumult… Lies, Lessons and Love Affairs charts not only the political fights, but also the pull she began to feel to focus on her own passions, including writing… as she grappled with ideas of feminism and self-fulfillment. In the tradition of greats like Susan Sontag, Joan Didion, and Nora Ephron, Cleage’s self-portrait raises women’s confes- sional writing to the level of great literature… This fascinating memoir follows her journey from a columnist for a local week- ly to a playwright and Hollywood scriptwriter whose circle came to include luminaries like Richard Pryor, Avery Brooks, Phylicia Rasha, Shirley Franklin, and Jesse Jackson.” — Excerpted from Book Jacket P earl Cleage is the daughter of Reverend Albert Cleage (1911-2000), the legendary Detroit cleric and founder of the Shrine of the Black Madonna. The author of such groundbreaking books as The Black Messiah (1968) and Black Christian Nationalism: New Directions for the Black Church (1970), he also spearheaded a seminal movement to reposition Jesus Christ as a darker-skinned man of African descent. Given the times and her charismatic father’s prominence, it only makes sense that Pearl would develop an interest in the Civil Rights Movement during her forma- tive years. In fact, she would become fascinated with the tactics and philosophy of progressive student organizations like SNCC and SDS. We are now privy to this because, begin- ning in 1970, Pearl kept a detailed diary of her intimate insights about her day-to-day life. And like a lot of sisters, she had her concerns about the patriarchal attitudes of leaders which left females feeling marginalized. For example, on March 27, 1970, she mused, “What a revo- lution. Stokely [Carmichael] said the place of the woman in the revolution should be prone.” So, it is no surprise that Pearl, would eventually tire of such sexist subjugation, and reject being relegated to second-class status in favor of a path of self- fulfillment. Her ensuing transformation into a feminist writer juggling marriage and motherhood is the subject of Things I Should Have Told My Daughter: Lies, Lessons and Love Affairs. The memoir is essentially a series of refreshingly-frank journal entries recorded by the author between 1970 and 1988, covering periods of both quiet reflection and tremendous upheaval in what’s been a very eventful life thus far. A revealing peek into the ever-evolving soul of an African- American literary icon. “In many ways, the world has changed dra- matically since The China Study was released in 2005. Ten years ago, more doctors thought the idea that diet might solve seri- ous health problems was fantasy. Now I hear more and more doctors actually recommending a plant- based diet to their patients… In over five decades of biomedical research, I have learned, in so many ways, that a whole food, plant-based diet promotes optimal health and the prevention even reversal, in many cases, of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and brain disorders. I’ve received overwhelming feedback from people who’ve seen incredible health results… But I’m still often asked… ‘What do I eat?’ In this follow-up, [my daughter] LeAnne has gathered some of the most popular and influential plant-based chefs to share their best dishes, all following the nutrition prin- ciples laid out in The China Study.” — Excerpted from the Foreword (pages 9-10) W hen I interviewed Russell Simmons last month, I asked him what the last book he read was. His answer was The China Study, which took a compre- hensive look at the relationship between diet and disease based on 20 years of research conducted in 100 Chinese villages. That illuminating opus by Dr. T. Colin Campbell basically extolled the virtues of vegetarianism while warning of the risks associated with eating meat and chemical-laced, industrial prod- B OOK ucts manufactured by agribusiness. Well, R EVIEWS now his daughter LeAnne has published The China Study: All-Star Collection, a companion cookbook for folks interest- by Kam ed in adopting a vegan regimen. Williams Its 150+ recipes come courtesy of a num- ber of celebrated, natural food chefs, including Ani Phyo, Christina Ross, Christy Morgan and Tracy Russell, to name a few. Each of the entries is accompanied by a mouth-watering color photo refuting the notion that a strict vegetarian diet has to be boring. The offerings range from breads and breakfast food to appe- tizers and entrees to soups and salads to sandwiches and sumptuous desserts. Among the exotic dishes which piqued my interest were Aloo Gobi, an Indian concoction containing pota- toes and cauliflower, and Daikon Kimchi, a Korean side order. Converted ex-carnivores might enjoy such faux substitutes for flesh favorites as chickpea burgers, spaghetti and wheat- balls, mock tuna and b-b-q Portobello sandwiches. And gourmets with a sweet tooth are apt to be enticed by the pump- kin chia pudding, coconut pillows and sweet potato and black bean brownies with dark chocolate. A tasty collection of healthy, easy-to-make recipes designed for anyone interested in making the shift to plant-based meals. April 16, 2014 The Portland and Seattle Skanner Page 9
