James L. Tolbert was in love. Marie Ross was, too. But she had little interest in marrying a man who pieced together his income by hosting parties and concerts in empty buildings. One of his gimmicks: selling food and drink out of an old hearse. “He was just hustling,” said Mr. Tolbert’s son, Tony. “She said he needed to have some kind of career. She said, ‘doctor, lawyer or Indian chief.’ ” Mr. Tolbert, a high school dropout, chose option 2, and went on to become one of the first black lawyers to represent black entertainers in Hollywood and to [...]
Washington — On a recent muggy Friday, the director Zal Batmanglij was ranging up and down Georgetown’s brick sidewalks, giving a kind of tour of his past. Mr. Batmanglij lives in Los Angeles, but he grew up around here. There was Montrose Park, where he and his friends used to drink as teenagers; nearby was Rock Creek, which Mr. Batmanglij used to run along nearly every day after he graduated from college, during the year that he worked at a shampoo company and daydreamed about the films he wasn’t yet making. To the north, at the top of a hill, [...]
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Anyone who has ever confronted a dissertation deadline with blank pages and a paralyzed mind will identify with “Nancy, Please,” a darkly comic psychodrama about academic pressure and irrational paranoia. More About This Movie Overview Cast, Credits & Awards
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LOS ANGELES — How does Superman shave? If he is a “Man of Steel,” impervious to nearly everything, what could possibly remove that formidable stubble? Gillette is posing those questions in an unusually playful promotional campaign tied to the June 14 release of the new movie, “Man of Steel.” It is part of a renewed effort by the men’s grooming company to find new ways of connecting with customers. Starting on Monday, Gillette will begin soliciting fan theories via HowDoesHeShave.com and rolling out related Web videos from five superhero enthusiasts: the director Kevin Smith; Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, hosts [...]
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LOS ANGELES — Will Ed Cunningham’s movie about a loose leg find its footing on Kickstarter? This week should tell. Jeff Willhelm/Charlottte Observer John Wood, left, an amputee, with Shannon Whisnant in a scene from “Finders Keepers,” a film about the disputed limb. Mr. Cunningham, an ESPN sports analyst who has produced documentaries like “Undefeated” and “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters,” on Sunday turned to the crowdfunding service Kickstarter. He is trying to raise money to finish what has been a nearly six-year labor of love: a film about the peregrinations of a severed leg that turned [...]
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