Thursday, June 4, 2009
REST IN PEACE: David Carradine 1936–2009
Actor David Carradine, a born seeker and cult idol who broke through as the willing student called "grasshopper" in the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" and decades later as leader of an assassin squad in "Kill Bill," was found dead Thursday in Thailand. Police said he appeared to have hanged himself.
The officer responsible for investigating the death, Lt. Teerapop Luanseng, said the 72-year-old actor had been staying in a suite at the luxury Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel.
"I can confirm that we found his body, naked, hanging in the closet," Teerapop said. He said police suspected suicide.
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, said the embassy was informed by Thai authorities that Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday. "We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and his loved ones," he said.
Carradine came from an acting family. His father, John, made a career playing creepy, eccentric characters in film and on stage. His brothers Keith, Robert and Bruce also became actors. Actress Martha Plimpton is Keith Carradine's daughter.
"My Uncle David was a brilliantly talented, fiercely intelligent and generous man. He was the nexus of our family in so many ways, and drew us together over the years and kept us connected," Plimpton said Thursday.
Carradine was "in good spirits" when he left the U.S. for Thailand on May 29 to work on the movie "Stretch," said Tiffany Smith of Binder & Associates, his managers.
"David was excited to do it and excited to be a part of it," she said by phone from Beverly Hills, noting that Carradine was the sole featured American in the movie, whose other top cast members were French and Chinese. "When he was on a set he was in heaven."
Filming on the thriller by French director Charles de Meaux began Tuesday, she said, adding that the crew was devastated by Carradine's death and did not wish to speak publicly about it for the time being.
"It is shocking to me that he is no longer with us," said Michael Madsen, who played an assassin in "Kill Bill."
"I have so many great memories of David that I wouldn't even know where to begin," he said. "He has a very special place in my heart."
The Web site of the Thai newspaper The Nation said Carradine could not be contacted after he failed to appear for a meal with the rest of the film crew on Wednesday, and that his body was found by a hotel maid Thursday morning. It said a preliminary police investigation found that he had hanged himself with a cord used with the suite's curtains and that there was no sign that he had been assaulted.
Police said Carradine's body was taken to a hospital for an autopsy that would be done Friday.
Carradine appeared in more than 100 feature films with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman and Hal Ashby. One of his early film roles was as folk singer Woody Guthrie in Ashby's 1976 biopic, "Bound for Glory."
But he was best known for his role as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest traveling the 1800s American frontier West in the TV series "Kung Fu," which aired in 1972-75.
"I wasn't like a TV star in those days, I was like a rock 'n' roll star," Carradine said in an interview with Associated Press Radio in 1996. "It was a phenomenon kind of thing. ... It was very special."
Actor Rainn Wilson, star of TV's "The Office," tweeted about Carradine's death on Twitter: "R.I.P. David Carradine. You were a true hero to so many of us children of the 70s. We'll miss you, Kwai Chang Caine."
Carradine reprised the role in a mid-1980s TV movie and played Caine's grandson in the 1990s syndicated series "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues."
He returned to the top in recent years as the title character in Quentin Tarantino's two-part saga "Kill Bill." Bill, the worldly father figure of a pack of crack assassins, was a shadowy presence in 2003's "Kill Bill - Vol. 1." In that film, one of Bill's former assassins (Uma Thurman) begins a vengeful rampage against her old associates, including Bill.
In "Kill Bill - Vol. 2," released in 2004, Thurman's character catches up to Bill. The role brought Carradine a Golden Globe nomination as best supporting actor.
Bill was a complete contrast to Caine, the soft-spoken refugee from a Shaolin monastery, serenely spreading wisdom and battling bad guys in the Old West. He left after three seasons, saying the show had started to repeat itself.
"David's always been kind of a seeker of knowledge and of wisdom in his own inimitable way," his brother, actor Keith Carradine, said in a 1995 interview.
After "Kung Fu," Carradine starred in the 1975 cult flick "Death Race 2000." He starred with Liv Ullmann in Bergman's "The Serpent's Egg" in 1977 and with his brothers in the 1980 Western "The Long Riders."
But after the early 1980s, he spent two decades doing mostly low-budget films. Tarantino's films changed that.
"All I've ever needed since I more or less retired from studio films a couple of decades ago ... is just to be in one," Carradine told The Associated Press in 2004.
"There isn't anything that Anthony Hopkins or Clint Eastwood or Sean Connery or any of those old guys are doing that I couldn't do," he said. "All that was ever required was somebody with Quentin's courage to take and put me in the spotlight."
One thing remained a constant after "Kung Fu": Carradine's interest in Asian herbs, exercise and philosophy. He wrote a personal memoir called "Spirit of Shaolin" and continued to make instructional videos on tai chi and other martial arts.
In the 2004 interview, Carradine talked candidly about his past boozing and narcotics use, but said he had put all that behind him and stuck to coffee and cigarettes.
"I didn't like the way I looked, for one thing. You're kind of out of control emotionally when you drink that much. I was quicker to anger."
"You're probably witnessing the last time I will ever answer those questions," Carradine said. "Because this is a regeneration. It is a renaissance. It is the start of a new career for me.
"It's time to do nothing but look forward."
Associated Press writer Polly Anderson and Entertainment Writers Erin Carlson and Jake Coyle in New York contributed to this report.
The officer responsible for investigating the death, Lt. Teerapop Luanseng, said the 72-year-old actor had been staying in a suite at the luxury Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel.
"I can confirm that we found his body, naked, hanging in the closet," Teerapop said. He said police suspected suicide.
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy, Michael Turner, said the embassy was informed by Thai authorities that Carradine died either late Wednesday or early Thursday. "We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and his loved ones," he said.
Carradine came from an acting family. His father, John, made a career playing creepy, eccentric characters in film and on stage. His brothers Keith, Robert and Bruce also became actors. Actress Martha Plimpton is Keith Carradine's daughter.
"My Uncle David was a brilliantly talented, fiercely intelligent and generous man. He was the nexus of our family in so many ways, and drew us together over the years and kept us connected," Plimpton said Thursday.
Carradine was "in good spirits" when he left the U.S. for Thailand on May 29 to work on the movie "Stretch," said Tiffany Smith of Binder & Associates, his managers.
"David was excited to do it and excited to be a part of it," she said by phone from Beverly Hills, noting that Carradine was the sole featured American in the movie, whose other top cast members were French and Chinese. "When he was on a set he was in heaven."
Filming on the thriller by French director Charles de Meaux began Tuesday, she said, adding that the crew was devastated by Carradine's death and did not wish to speak publicly about it for the time being."It is shocking to me that he is no longer with us," said Michael Madsen, who played an assassin in "Kill Bill."
"I have so many great memories of David that I wouldn't even know where to begin," he said. "He has a very special place in my heart."
The Web site of the Thai newspaper The Nation said Carradine could not be contacted after he failed to appear for a meal with the rest of the film crew on Wednesday, and that his body was found by a hotel maid Thursday morning. It said a preliminary police investigation found that he had hanged himself with a cord used with the suite's curtains and that there was no sign that he had been assaulted.
Police said Carradine's body was taken to a hospital for an autopsy that would be done Friday.
Carradine appeared in more than 100 feature films with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Ingmar Bergman and Hal Ashby. One of his early film roles was as folk singer Woody Guthrie in Ashby's 1976 biopic, "Bound for Glory."
But he was best known for his role as Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin priest traveling the 1800s American frontier West in the TV series "Kung Fu," which aired in 1972-75.
"I wasn't like a TV star in those days, I was like a rock 'n' roll star," Carradine said in an interview with Associated Press Radio in 1996. "It was a phenomenon kind of thing. ... It was very special."
Actor Rainn Wilson, star of TV's "The Office," tweeted about Carradine's death on Twitter: "R.I.P. David Carradine. You were a true hero to so many of us children of the 70s. We'll miss you, Kwai Chang Caine."
Carradine reprised the role in a mid-1980s TV movie and played Caine's grandson in the 1990s syndicated series "Kung Fu: The Legend Continues."He returned to the top in recent years as the title character in Quentin Tarantino's two-part saga "Kill Bill." Bill, the worldly father figure of a pack of crack assassins, was a shadowy presence in 2003's "Kill Bill - Vol. 1." In that film, one of Bill's former assassins (Uma Thurman) begins a vengeful rampage against her old associates, including Bill.
In "Kill Bill - Vol. 2," released in 2004, Thurman's character catches up to Bill. The role brought Carradine a Golden Globe nomination as best supporting actor.
Bill was a complete contrast to Caine, the soft-spoken refugee from a Shaolin monastery, serenely spreading wisdom and battling bad guys in the Old West. He left after three seasons, saying the show had started to repeat itself.
"David's always been kind of a seeker of knowledge and of wisdom in his own inimitable way," his brother, actor Keith Carradine, said in a 1995 interview.
After "Kung Fu," Carradine starred in the 1975 cult flick "Death Race 2000." He starred with Liv Ullmann in Bergman's "The Serpent's Egg" in 1977 and with his brothers in the 1980 Western "The Long Riders."
But after the early 1980s, he spent two decades doing mostly low-budget films. Tarantino's films changed that.
"All I've ever needed since I more or less retired from studio films a couple of decades ago ... is just to be in one," Carradine told The Associated Press in 2004.
"There isn't anything that Anthony Hopkins or Clint Eastwood or Sean Connery or any of those old guys are doing that I couldn't do," he said. "All that was ever required was somebody with Quentin's courage to take and put me in the spotlight."
One thing remained a constant after "Kung Fu": Carradine's interest in Asian herbs, exercise and philosophy. He wrote a personal memoir called "Spirit of Shaolin" and continued to make instructional videos on tai chi and other martial arts.
In the 2004 interview, Carradine talked candidly about his past boozing and narcotics use, but said he had put all that behind him and stuck to coffee and cigarettes.
"I didn't like the way I looked, for one thing. You're kind of out of control emotionally when you drink that much. I was quicker to anger."
"You're probably witnessing the last time I will ever answer those questions," Carradine said. "Because this is a regeneration. It is a renaissance. It is the start of a new career for me.
"It's time to do nothing but look forward."
Associated Press writer Polly Anderson and Entertainment Writers Erin Carlson and Jake Coyle in New York contributed to this report.
COMEBACK: Whitney's album scheduled for September 1, 2009 release
Whitney Houston’s new album will be released worldwide September 1, 2009 on Arista Records. This is Whitney’s 7th studio album. Since her 1985 self-titled debut, she has built an illustrious career that has generated over 170 million combined worldwide sales of albums, singles and videos
THROWBACK THURSDAY: Ideal - Get Gone
Who remembers this group? This takes me back! There's a great message here...anything that is causing you pain, regret, heartbreak it's time to let it go.
Chrisette Michele at the 2009 Harlem Renaissance Ball
A great friend of BLAKstar, Chrisette Michele performed at the 2009 Harlem Renaissance Ball. Of course she handled her business on the mic as always. She possesses REAL skills so anytime she shares her talent it's definitely a treat.If you have done so already go get her album, Epiphany which debuted at #1!!
She is also on tour so make sure you check out when she is coming to a city near you!
NEW MUSIC VIDEO: Kanye West - Paranoid featuring Rihanna
Kanye released the REAL VERSION of the Paranoid video!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
BLAKstar: Parys Dickson & Darryl Dunning II
Parys Dickson
Parys Dickson is a 22 year old graphic designer from Miami, Florida. For her age she has an extensive media portfolio, lending a designing hand to some web sites that her fellow Ohio peers use on a daily basis. She is currently expanding development of her skills by creating web layouts for a popular online social network & recently adding photography to her skill set. Upcoming events include the Flawless Magazine Launch , the Lights, Camera, Flawless! Broadcasting debut and The Dru Mathews project.
She will be on the air tonight @10pm EST of course with BLAKstar. Her contact information is below:
www.myspace.com/hat3d
www.twitter.com/italyjames
Facebook
Darryl Dunning II
He offers his insight on men thought process, relationships, women, dating and any interesting issue, conversation or thoUght! He keeps it real ladies so if you're offended by truth do not subscribe to his blog. He quotes my one of my favorite lyricists on his blog which gives you a little insight of his posts. "Ladies and Gentlemen these are my thoughts [just my thoughts], right or wrong it was just the way I was feeling at the time ..." - Jay
Parys Dickson is a 22 year old graphic designer from Miami, Florida. For her age she has an extensive media portfolio, lending a designing hand to some web sites that her fellow Ohio peers use on a daily basis. She is currently expanding development of her skills by creating web layouts for a popular online social network & recently adding photography to her skill set. Upcoming events include the Flawless Magazine Launch , the Lights, Camera, Flawless! Broadcasting debut and The Dru Mathews project.She will be on the air tonight @10pm EST of course with BLAKstar. Her contact information is below:
www.myspace.com/hat3d
www.twitter.com/italyjames
Darryl Dunning II
He offers his insight on men thought process, relationships, women, dating and any interesting issue, conversation or thoUght! He keeps it real ladies so if you're offended by truth do not subscribe to his blog. He quotes my one of my favorite lyricists on his blog which gives you a little insight of his posts. "Ladies and Gentlemen these are my thoughts [just my thoughts], right or wrong it was just the way I was feeling at the time ..." - Jay He will be on the air tonight @10pm EST of course with BLAKstar. His contact information is below:
www.myspace.com/DDunning23
www.twitter.com/IamTwitSwag
Facebook
Darryl Dunning Infamous BLOG: Reality Through the Eyes of a Realist
www.twitter.com/IamTwitSwag
Darryl Dunning Infamous BLOG: Reality Through the Eyes of a Realist
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
NEW MUSIC VIDEO: Classic Kanye West - Spaceship Featuring GLC & Consequence
Featuring GLC & Consequence. The song was on College Dropout; it’s fairly old. Kanye never released the video though. But now, GLC decided to let it go. Great song. Great video.
TECH: Microsoft says "TAKE THAT!"
Microsoft unveils The 'Project Natal'
I LOVE technology and this new gaming system is taking us to the next level. Steven Spielberg helped introduce a new prototype camera yesterday that allows you to play the Xbox 360 with NO hands. The camera tracks your body’s movement and responds to commands, directions and a shift of emotion in voice without the need for a controller. What you guys think about it???
I LOVE technology and this new gaming system is taking us to the next level. Steven Spielberg helped introduce a new prototype camera yesterday that allows you to play the Xbox 360 with NO hands. The camera tracks your body’s movement and responds to commands, directions and a shift of emotion in voice without the need for a controller. What you guys think about it???
TALENT: R. Erskine Weekes IV
Have you ever came across someone you just know is destined to make their mark? You just know that they are going to plateau? Well I definitely try to surround myself with people of this caliber. Their energy is contagious and that is a key variable in the formula of success. Let me introduce to one of those vibrant people that hold those qualities and so much more.MEET R. ERSKINE WEEKES IV...
Some may be aware of him and his work but trust me the World...forget that the UNIVERSE will know him soon enough.
The globe-trotting R. Erskine Weekes IV was born in New York City and raised in New Jersey and Atlanta. His outspoken but contemplative manner is coupled with razor sharp intelligence, worldliness and a graduate film certificate from NYU film. Erskine has also earned a B.A. Degree in Pre-Med/Biology from Hampton University with a minor in physics. His career started as an event director.
In 2005 armed with a graduate film certificate from NYU, Weekes has started his Atlanta based film company 9nine films, that has worked on projects such as "making the video" for all BadBoy artist from 2004-2009, has directed commercials and video's for numerous national music artist, filmed the TV One series "Full Plate". Directed commercials for Mychael Knight of Project Runway and the ESPN 2 weekly show called the 2 live Stew's. Weekes recently worked on filming the Sean Jean Campaign for 2008. 9nine films is currently releasing its 1st feature film The 1st 4 Minutes that Weekes produced, directed, and was director of photography.
Monday, June 1, 2009
TECH: DJ HERO
Yeah so what I'm a BIG KID! I'm not alone Mea is too. So I love me some guitar hero but the songs are a little limited as to the type of songs I really enjoy. With DJ Hero not only will I be jammin' to some songs I adore but I'll be pretending like I'm as good a DJ as Krate Digga...LOL!
Recently Jay-Z and Eminem have signed on to allow their music to be featured as well as provide some new tracks.
It is set to be released in October 27, 2009 In North America.
Check it out and pre-order at DJ Hero
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen...Countdown Begins!
I love action packed movies with a great story line and tactful use of special effect and animation. Therefore I certainly can not wait until Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen hits theaters June 24, 2009! I am definitely seeing this the day it comes out so stay tuned for my review :)
MOTIVATIONAL MONDAYS
Hey BLAKstar Family
It's Monday so let's start it out right! Here's the quote for today:
It's Monday so let's start it out right! Here's the quote for today:
"Always do what you are afraid to do."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Is there something you've always wanted to do? Something you've dreamed about? Life is not a rehearsal you have to live it while you can. So I urge you to step out on a limb and grow wings. Never let fear control you it will only let the world see you as inadequate when you have the power to be far greater. It's a lesson we learn...but we must learn, correct it, adapt and follow through.
WE ♥ you all and reach for the STARS!
WE ♥ you all and reach for the STARS!
~Bridging Love, Art & Knowledge
Something Different
I already know what you are thinking...I have not lost my mind. What you will soon learn about me is I go against the grain. I like all kinds of things especially music. I get new music all the time and came across this group Major Lazer. Read up on them before you dismiss them...trust me if you love dancehall you'll appreciate these two white boys from the UK. Promise me you'll give it a chance! Mea I know you will give them a chance!
Wesley (Diplo) Pentz and Dave (Switch) Taylor received Grammy nominations last year for their work on M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes,” the hit collage based on the Clash’s “Straight to Hell.” They now work as a team called Major Lazer, whose primary source material is dancehall. Their début album, “Guns Don’t Kill People . . . Lazers Do,” uses bona-fide dancehall vocalists like Mr. Lex and Busy Signal, and some songs even sound like vintage reggae from the eighties. But then there are the left turns that set the genre on its ear: the bass line from Black Flag’s “Six Pack,” the sound of a crying baby, run through the warble of Auto-Tune software. Make your own decision about the purported leader of the team. According to Mad Decent, the record label, Major Lazer is a Jamaican commando who fought in the “secret Zombie War of 1984” and lost both arms in combat. Then the U.S. military equipped him with experimental lasers that double as prosthetic limbs.
To get a better understanding of the duo READ THIS ARTICLE
MAJOR LAZER MYSPACE
SOURCE: The New Yorker
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