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Is this for real?

Posted by: Brett Davis

Sure, I had the same reaction everyone else had when the news was make public of a Kiefer Sutherland—ahem, K. Sutherland—R&B album in works for his Ironworks record label. I myself pondered on what the album would sound like. Would it be a tounge-in-cheek affair? Was he even being serious about the R&B part? Was he being serious?

Luckily, he was. And unlike most actor-forays-into-music records, this album shockingly delivers.

Although it’s a bit jarring to hear Jack Bauer singing velvety slow-jams, like “I Need U To Be Mine” that sounds like a cross between Usher’s “U Got It Bad” and George Michael’s 80’s hit, “Careless Whisper,” somehow it all makes sense. Even more jarring are the songs with the less-than-subtle innuendos. For example, in “After The Sunrise,” which recalls Prince’s “The Beautiful Ones,” Sutherland narrates an especially steamy morning, brewing his lover coffee and offering to be “on the bottom.” There are even songs made for the dancefloor, like “Havin’ Sex In The Bathroom” which bites its melody from Carl Carlton’s “She’s A Bad Mamma Jamma” and just may be this year’s summer jam.

Then, before he starts repeating himself, the guest stars come in. Jadakiss breaks out a rapid flow on the Swizz Beatz-produced “Night Drive” and American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino trades come-ons with Sutherland on ”Heart 2 Heart”. T-Pain even drops in on the party, letting Sutherland borrow his vocoder on “Video Love,” a fun track about those “dirty, freaky, sexy webcam girls.”

Be warned: this is not the same man you watch on the tension-filled 24 every week. This is a smooth, confident, soulful singer that never ceases to amaze on this album. In fact, My Obsession just may possibly the best R&B album of the year so far. Usher, take some notes.

CORNELIUS, N.C. (July 30, 2007) – DLP®HDTV is teaming up with 20th Century Fox to support the upcoming action thriller, “Mirrors,” in a promotional partnership for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Aug. 3 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.

“Mirrors,” starring Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton and Amy Smart and directed by Alexandre Aja, will be featured on J.J. Yeley’s No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota Camry during the race, while Sutherland will serve as grand marshal of the event and will give the “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines” command. Since DLP Technology uses millions of microscopic mirrors to produce stunning pictures on the best HDTVs, the connection with this new movie and the DLP HDTV Toyota Camry is particularly well-suited.

In “Mirrors,” which opens in theatres everywhere Aug. 15, Sutherland portrays a troubled ex-cop who must save his family from an unspeakable evil that is using mirrors as a gateway into their home. The movie will be shown nationwide in a digital format at select theatres on DLP Cinema® projectors. DLP leads the cinema movement from film to digital movie theatres powered by DLP Cinema Technology with over 6,700 screens in more than 40 countries.

In addition to “Mirrors,” Sutherland has starred in “The Lost Boys,” “A Few Good Men,” “Stand By Me,” “Young Guns” and “A Time To Kill.” In addition to his incredible movie career, which includes more than 50 films, Sutherland stars as Jack Bauer in the popular FOX show, “24.” He won an Emmy for “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series” in 2006 for his work on the show.

Yeley has competed in four Sprint Cup Series events at Pocono and finished 11th in 2006.

“This will be a pretty cool weekend for everyone at DLP and Hall of Fame Racing,” Yeley said. “It’s exciting to have ‘Mirrors’ on the DLP Toyota and we’re going to show Kiefer a good time. I’m a big fan of his work and I’m looking forward to meeting him and seeing the movie.”

Brandon Igdalsky, President of Pocono Raceway, said he is looking forward to hosting Sutherland at beautiful and scenic Pocono Raceway.

“We are very proud to have Kiefer Sutherland as a guest of Pocono Raceway for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500,” Igdalsky said. “He is a terrific actor and we look forward to seeing ‘Mirrors’ when it comes out in theatres on Aug. 15.”

The Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 begins at 2 p.m. (EDT) with live, high-definition coverage provided by ESPN beginning with its pre-race show at 1 p.m. The race will also be broadcast live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio Channel 128.

Tickets are still available for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 online at www.poconoraceway.com or by phone at 1-800-RACEWAY. Use Promocode: REDCROSS and 10 percent of your ticket price will be donated back to the American Red Cross, in addition, you will receive a FREE pre-race pit/paddock pass and souvenir program with collectible die-cast car (while supplies last).

Fans of 24 probably did a double take when they saw actor Carlos Bernard holding court with Kiefer Sutherland at a California comic book convention – after all his character, Tony, died after an explosion back in series five. But Kiefer’s one-time sidekick is set to make a mysterious return in season seven and the two counter-terrorist agents were on hand to explain the hows and whys – without giving too much of the game away, of course.

“Obviously the real-time aspect is the real star of the show. So when I was asked what I thought of bringing Carlos back, I said, ‘Um, how?’” recalled Kiefer, who was joined at this weekend’s Comic Con festival in San Diego by a host of other stars promoting their shows, including Joshua Jackson, star of new sci-fi series Fringe.

The writing team’s innovative solution to the problem proved impossible to resist, however. “The way he came back was so extraordinary and unexpected and very ’24′ and so clever. So we went for it,” added the Canadian actor.

Other season seven revelations at the three-day extravaganza, which drew 125,000 film and comic fans, included the arrival of a female president and veteran actor Jon Voight playing a good guy – or, as is the 24 way, possibly a baddie.

Article courtesy of Hellomagazine.com

Spoiler Geeks: SPOILERS!!!

Melanie in Winter Garden, Fla.: What is going on with 24? I miss Jack & Co.

can offer a little scoop from Kurtwood Smith, who is a recurring character this season. He said, “I’m doing what I think is six episodes [this season]. I’m in the first episode, and then I don’t come back until episode 10. I’m a U.S. senator, and the first episode is in a hearing room—where I’m grilling Jack—and then a good deal of the rest of it takes place in the White House, and what we’re shooting this week is my last big scene, and it’s just Kiefer and I. It’s a very interesting scene. It really addresses the argument between my character and Kiefer’s attempt at justifying what he has to do.” Kurtwood Smith vs. Kiefer Sutherland? Awesome.

NEW YORK

The award winning documentary film “An Unlikely Weapon” featuring the life of world-renowned photojournalist Eddie Adams will premier Friday, Aug. 8 and run through Thursday, Aug. 14 at “Docu Week” in New York at the Village East Cinema, 181 2nd Ave, New York, NY.

Eddie Adams photographed 13 wars, six American presidents, and every major film star of the last 50 years. In 1968, in 1/500th of a second Eddie Adams photographed Saigon police chief, General Nygoc Loan, shooting a Vietcong guerilla point black. Some say that photograph ended the Vietnam War. The photo brought Eddie fame and a Pulitzer Prize, but Eddie was haunted by the man he had vilified. He would say, ‘Two lives were destroyed that day, the victim’s and the general.’ Others would say three lives were destroyed.

Eddie was comfortable with kings and coal miners and won hundreds of awards for his photography. During his time with Parade magazine, he photographed Clint Eastwood, Louis Armstrong, Mother Teresa, and Pope John Paul, and he carved out many careers shooting covers for Life, Time, and even Penthouse.
Eddie’s 1977 photo-series of “The Boat People”, refugees escaping Vietnam, persuaded Congress to admit two hundred thousand Vietnamese into America. ”It was the only good thing I did in my life,” Eddie said, “but I am not a good guy.”

The film, directed by Susan Morgan Cooper and narrated by Kiefer Sutherland and a score by Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens (Letters from Iwo Jima), and appearances by Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings, Morley Safer, Gordon Parks, Peter Arnett and many others, is a retrospective on a n incredible photojournalist that was never satisfied with himself, but others knew the good he did and how he changed their lives forever.

“An Unlikely Weapon” was recently honored by being named the best documentary film at the 25th Avignon Film Festival in France. It has also been selected to screen at the Rhode Island International Film Festival on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008 and in Los Angeles Aug. 22-28 at the ArcLight (Sherman Oaks).