IDRIS ELBA INTERVIEW

Takers is the highly anticipated film about a group of hi-tech and organized thieves that only go after the big stakes allowing them to do a job a year keeping them ahead of the law. But soon everything is at risk when they get an offer they can’t refuse from a former member. Well, while in town promoting the movie The Reel Hustler got the opportunity to sit down and do some reel talking with Idris Elba who plays the mastermind behind the group of thieves in Takers.



The Reel Hustler: It seemed like good chemistry between the guys of the film. What was it like on the set while filming Takers?



Idris Elba: It was a lot of fun. Chris Brown and I snapped on each other the whole time. He always had something to say about me. My London accent cause he’s been to London all the time so he’s always doing that. And then I would have to say something about Chris, like his middle name is Maurice or like he’s still a little boy in big man’s clothe. We would get at each other a little bit.



The Reel Hustler: Being a DJ, how much input did you have on the soundtrack?



Idris Elba: None! None what so ever. It is in my contract that I can have meaningful discussion about soundtracks. But in this case, TIP and Chris are Executive Producers in it, so I left the music business to them cause that’s what they do and the music soundtrack is good.



The Reel Hustler: How difficult is it for you to adjust accents to conform to whatever the role requires?



Idris Elba: I don’t rely on an accent to act. That’s number one rule. If I’m using my accent to act then I’m not acting. So what happens is that wherever the character is that I have immersed myself in, the dialog, the cadence, all that stuff comes with the performance. If I’m playing an American character, I’m not thinking about the flaws because there will be flaws because again it’s not my natural tongue. What I do is spend time just building the character, So the more I know about my man, the better the accent is gonna be.



The Reel Hustler: Who would you like to work with next?



Idris Elba: Some great directors. Antoine Fuqua I’d like to, he did Training day. I’d to work with F. Gary Gray, the Hughes brothers. Those are great, great directors that I would like to work with.



The Reel Hustler: What about actors or actresses?



Idris Elba: Um, anyone good, famous or non-famous. It doesn’t matter for me, it’s about someone bringing that umph out of me. In this film I got to work with 7 or 8 actors and they all had different energy.



The Reel Hustler: So now that Takers is done, what’s next on your plate?



Idris Elba: I have a couple of things that’s going on right now. One that I have been working on is a film called Legacy. I star in the film and I also executive produced it.

It’s one of my best pieces of work to date as an actor and I really want people to support it.



The Reel Hustler: What would be the ideal or dream role for you?



Idris Elba: There is no such thing. If I had to say that, I would have to say Legacy was my dream role, but that means I could give up acting. But there are roles that I want to try and do. I’m interested in bringing some historic characters, some African historic characters to life that have sort of been brushed over in history. We all know how that goes. So I think that is something I would be interested in.



By: Corndog – The Reel Hustler

TAKERS

Plot:

Life couldn’t get any better for a group of high profile thieves, Gordon (Elba), John (Walker), A.J. (Christensen) and brothers Jake (Ealy) and Jesse (Brown), who are so precise and organized that they only do one job a year. Fresh off their yearly heist the group is visited by a former member Ghost (T.I.), who was just recently released from jail and proposes they do another job that offers the biggest stakes they ever encountered. The team of robbers who are normally elusive to the LAPD are now the primary target for a hard nose, unorthodox detective played by Matt Dillion as they prepare to tackle the high risk caper that can jeopardize everything they have accomplished.

Reel Talk:

This movie is that deal! Even though this movie is a combination of Ocean’s Eleven minus a few members, The Italian Job and Heat, it’s the all star cast that provides the freshness to this movie. The action is intense from beginning to end, with a few ridiculously unbelievable scenes but still this was an awesome movie. So get your snacks early, make your restroom pit stop before the credits because you will be glued to your seat for the duration of the film.

Starring: Idris Elba, Paul Walker, T.I. Harris, Hayden Christensen, Michael Ealy, Chris Brown and Matt Dillion
Directed by: John Lussenhop
Rated: PG-13

I give it 5 corn dogs and a soda

By: Corndog – The Reel Hustler

LOTTERY TICKET

Plot:


Kevin Carson (Bow Wow) can’t seem to catch a break. He’s bullied by neighborhood thug Lorenzo (Akinnagbe) and dissed by the local hottie Nikki (Mari). But his luck changes when he goes to the store to play the lottery for his grandmother and randomly plays one for himself. When he realizes that his ticket is the winner for the multi-million dollar jackpot and he cannot cash it in until three days later because of the holiday. Kevin - along with his best friends Bennie (Jackson) and Stacie (Naughton) must do whatever it takes to avoid getting mobbed or jacked for his lottery ticket.

Reel Talk:

This was one funny movie! Although it may be your stereotypical movie about African Americans and their reactions to playing the lottery, it is an entertainingly funny movie with an all star cast. But the laughs are not just limited to the main characters, even the cameos from some famous and lesser know cast members chime in on the hilariousness. Ice Cube, who also serves as the executive producer even gets in on the action as he portrays Mr. Washington, a laid back out of the way ex-boxer. This one is worth buying a ticket to see.

Starring: Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson, Naturi Naughton, Ice Cube, Loretta Divine, Keith David, Terry Crews, Charlie Murphy and T-Pain
Directed by: Erik White
Rated: PG-13

I give it 4 corn dogs and a soda on the side.

By: Corndog – The Reel Hustler

VAMPIRE SUCKS

Plot:

Vampire Sucks is the latest comedy parody movie that is a spoof of the Twilight movies series. The story is about a homely Becca that falls for the strange Edward Sullen who happens to be a vampire. She is also the object of local teen Jacob’s eye, who happens to be a member of a tribe of wolves.


Reel Talk:

This takeoff of the vampire trilogy starts out with some promising gags but it soon fizzles out fast, about midway through the movie I will say. Not since the earlier Scary Movies have there been a parody that has been consistently funny. They are good for a few laughs and then they become a bore fest. You can most definitely wait to catch this one on cable.


Starring: Jenn Proske, Matt Lanter, Diedrich Bader, Chris Riggi
Directed By: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer
Rated: PG-13

I give it 2 corn dogs


By: Corndog – The Reel Hustler