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Picturing The Fresh Prince in 2017…
Will there or won’t there, Will?
With everybody fondly remembering how awesome sitcoms were from the mid-’80s through the first several years of the 21st century, “renewal” and “reboot” have become certifiable buzz words in today’s popular culture. From the writing to the casting to the sets to the clever laugh-out-loud humor to the heartwarming moments wrapped in subtle life lessons, it seems that virtually any show with most of its primary cast living these days is being asked about bringing their show back on primetime TV.
Enter Will Smith and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
While The Fresh Prince will remain in reruns (that’s still a plus), that photo of Will Smith looking exactly like James Avery (Uncle Phil) is enough of a gift for fans. It’s a sign of the true specialness and staying power of that sitcom. A unique sign of that once-in-a-lifetime television era.
Like this heartfelt moment between Will and Uncle Phil.
Trust me, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air will live on forever.
A Fresh Return
“Throwback Thursday” got a little jazzy today.
https://youtu.be/QAPrNuX03ug?t=1m25s
Nostalgia has a very special place in all of our hearts and the past few years has been glorious/surreal in celebrating the 20th, 25th and 30th anniversaries of amazing films and television shows that made up a golden era of funny and witty entertainment.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a prime example and Smith’s announcement is great news that DJ Jazzy Jeff will be known to multiple generations as “their DJ.” The positive feelings and memories towards this show and characters is great. Kids who grew up with the series are now showing their kids the reruns cleverly filled with humor, life lessons and the official dance moves to Tom Jones.
The good news for Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff is that parents today just may understand what they’re singing about.
Shock and Awesome
As we enter the weekend, able to take some deep, reflective breaths before having some unbridled fun, this seems like the perfect time to be inspired. We don’t always see where motivational moments will come from and usually the surprise has a profound effect as a result.
Here’s Will Smith’s explanation of his distinctive vocabulary.
This childhood anecdote is one of the main reasons why Will Smith is everyone’s fresh prince.
There’s No Independence Day After Earth
Now this is what I call a close encounter…of the sequel kind.
The follow-up to Independence Day was announced a few months back, but during a recent forum in the secret alien hotbed of Albuquerque, New Mexico with the stars (including Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman) and director Roland Emmerich, the most pressing question was discussed:
Why didn’t Captain Steven Hiller Will Smith return?
Emmerich shed some light on this issue.
In the very beginning, I wanted to work with him and he was excited to be in it but then after a while he was tired of sequels, and he did another science fiction film, which was his father-son story, so he opted out.”
Keep in mind that the science-fiction film with the literal father-son story was a movie called After Earth, which was heavily panned and was a box office flop. Still, an Independence Day sequel would have revived a favored father-son relationship, while being just one of many character plot lines. The scale of this science-fiction saga stretches far and wide, both with its story and characters. It would not have been “the Will Smith movie,” yet he is a critical part of this newly created franchise. Plus, the 1996 alien summer blockbuster is still loved by fans and Will Smith is a major reason for that.
Smith’s excuse, therefore, is weak and unacceptable. He is one of the few actors in Hollywood that earns a fresh look from the audience with each new project. Arriving in theaters next year, it’s probably safe to say that Smith will regret passing on this movie. It’s essentially impossible to bring something back from yesteryear and for it to be as good as the original. Except, with this movie and its original director, all of its big name stars returning and the initial plot (it’s 20 years later and David Levinson is/has been leading a global initiative to prepare for any future alien attacks), the potential is high for a fun return to some exciting 1996 cinematic nostalgia.
As a bonus for fans, the official title was revealed:
Independence Day: Resurgence.
The aliens will try to blow up Jurassic World’s box office records next summer starting June 24th.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 