Sparkle Midnight Showing!

[ArtMan]

Thanks Carlos. I did a search on the song and found it to be written by Harmon & Kelly, (Not R kelly) who are contemporary songwriters. If you listen to the song, I think it is perfect to blend in the soundtrack with Curtis Mayfield's songs. Why R Kelly could not do this as a songwriter, is beyond me. When you see the movie or hear the songs Sparkle sings at the end, they sound like songs from 2012. And really not good ones at that. Celebration is kind of catchy, but again, not 60's, and is sung over the credits. Goaple sings Running on the soundtrack. I'm not sure if she was in the movie, but the singer in the movie was hot and worked it. I was more impressed with her "flash of a character" than Sparkle.

[CarlosAlberto]

You're welcome ArtMan. "Running" is actually one of my favorite tracks. I haven't seen the film. I was going to wait for home video, but some of my boys are "peer pressuring" me, so I may just have to give in...lol.

I do like one other new track from the film written by R. Kelly: "One Wing". That song is just beautiful and Sparks really does a nice job with it. But then again, I love gospel music.

[silent]

Goapele does indeed appear in the film, singing her song "Running."

[CarlosAlberto]

Okay. I went to see it. The original has a special place in my heart, especially it's Curtis Mayfield score and Lonette McKee's performance as the tragic "Sister" a performance so good for a feature film debut that she almost walked away with the picture.

Yes the story is the standard cautionary tale of the dangers and pitfalls of show biz and anachronisms abound but it expertly directed by Salim Akil and the cast elevates the material. It definitely is not a dull movie. It's actually quite an entertaining film and I was taken by surprise by none other than the very beautiful and talented Carmen Ejogo. She achieved what I thought to be the impossible: to equal and perhaps even surpass Lonette McKee's performance from the original.

Ejogo damned near stole the movie from everyone, including and I don't mean any disrespect, but even from Whitney Houston.

Rogert Ebert and Mike LaSalle from the San Francisco Chronicle among other critics are singing her praises.

LaSalle went as far as to suggest in his review that Ejogo's performance might place her under serious consideration for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. LaSalle comments: "...very few people will walk out of Sparkle talking about either Sparks or Houston, at least not at first. Instead they will be saying, "Who was that?" And they'll be referring to Carmen Ejogo...If there is any justice, Ejogo will become very famous very soon. As in, maybe today...It's rare to see someone become a movie star right before your eyes, but that's what happens with Ejogo in Sparkle....For an actress, this was the opportunity of a lifetime, and Ejogo plays it that way. She leaves nothing out, holds nothing back.

I wholeheartedly agree. I don't know if she'll get an Oscar nod or not but I do predict bigger and better things for her. It's amazing after an a middling screen career spanning roughly 15 years Ejogo is poised for stardom with this one performance. She is THAT GOOD.

I'm going to see it again. She just got a new fan.

[Calvin]

How Jesus-y is it on a scale of Carrie Underwood to Mandisa?

[CarlosAlberto]

Jesus-y is not a bad thing. So I'll take that on a positive note Calvin.

[Calvin]

Jesus-y is not a bad thing per se. I haven't seen it yet. I was just asking how preachy it was, because the trailer I saw made it seem quite so -- but I know how deceiving those can be.

[CarlosAlberto]

It's not overtly preachy at least I did not think so.