About Cynfinite

One day, when I was in the 5th grade, my mother received my progress reports. In one of them, my english teacher Ms. Depre wrote, "Frenchie is a lovely student to have. She's advanced in reading and her creative writing is impecable! But . . . she daydreams a lot. Causing her to not pay attention." I haven't stopped daydreaming, btw. ------------------------- I'm Cynfinite (codename). 22 yrs young. Former hippie, current yuppie. Spoonfeeding the masses.

KICKSTARTER BACK THIS: Kiandra Park’s “C’est La Vie,” film

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Cynfinite

With the power of social media and the growing amount of content that is being produced for the web, anything has become possible for artists trying to gain some money to push forward content they believe the world would be interested in seeing through crowdfunding. Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, to name a few, have birthed numerous projects, from film to comics to video games, all by letting creators pitch their content to the web, and letting anyone who’s interested (within a certain time frame) donate money (for perks in exchange) to see this project come to life.

Kiandra Parks, old student of Spike Lee at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and writer/director of the short film based on the novel, “Black Girl In Paris,” has turned to Kickstarter to bring us another film she’s created, and in which she will be writer, director, and now starring actress in! The film in question? “C’est La Vie,” and if the title didn’t tell you, it takes place in the most romantic city in the world.

Kiki and her boyfriend met on New Years Eve. They fell in love in Paris. Their long distance relationship endures ups and downs, but Kiki is sure he is her soul mate; her psychic told her so. Kiki relocates to Paris in a final attempt to make her relationship work, but on her journey she discovers the thing she least expects and learns to surmount her biggest obstacle.

Completely in black and white, the film discusses the ins and outs of love, while being quirky, hip, classic, and effortlessly beautiful.

“C’est La Vie,” is in its last week till the Kickstarter timeline ends. Help Kiandra reach her goal of $15,000 by clicking here!

(photos via blackgirlproductions.com)

The Lupita Hate Must Cease

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Cynfinite

Lupita Nyong’o receiving her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress
(photo via x)

Too many people who are disliked on social media for being trollers/haters get excited when there is something new the world is unfolding for.

That just happens to be Lupita.

Lupita Nyong’o, the 31-year old Yale grad, has been turning heads and giving seizures in the form of “YAAAAAAS, HUNTY! SLAY!” since her portrayal of Patsey in Steve McQueen’s 2013 hit film, “12 Years A Slave.” From her performance in the film that was truly nothing less than superb, to her plethora of colorful and captivating red carpet and television appearance looks that has her on the top of the radar on every style magazine, blog, and television special around, Lupita is WINNING. Add her absolute humbleness, her adorable demeanor, and the public speeches she’s made about beauty and validation of dreams, she’s a bonafide badass.

But unfortunately, many people don’t like this. They don’t like this sudden advocacy for Lupita and what she stands for, which is a woman from the motherland who came to America, attended one of the top schools in the United States, did superb in her first film, and won a crapload of awards, including the most prestigious film award out there: an Oscar, all while having very little to no hair (against the ideas of femininity) and being dark skinned (a shade automatically considered ugly). Lupita is winning against the norm, and that is rattling chains. Men and women, black and white, have tried to compare Lupi to men, have tried to get us to confess that she’s not that cute, and that we’re just hyping her up, have tried to say that we, as People of Color, haven’t won through her and the cast/crew of “12 Years A Slave,” because white people get off on seeing slavery films… The list combats the Great Wall of China in longest shit ever.

But why are you mad?

Lupita has done nothing but educate herself in her craft, done her research, show up to work on set and SLAY, remain humble and adorable during interviews, waltzing onto red carpets in garments blessed by The Lord and SLAYING, and inspiring dark skin black girls (especially), and everyone else who has a dream they think they can’t conquer, that you and those dreams are valid.

Lupita is living in her truth. She is succeeding, which is more than I can say for the rest of you who feel compelled to attempt degradation for your own insecurities. She works hard to be praised to oblivion. She works hard for recognition. She works hard, man. Those who work hard and who live with an open mind and heart deserve the world.

And she’s gonna get it.

You don’t HAVE to find her beautiful, and you didn’t HAVE to cry in the scene everyone knows oh too well that had us biting at our fists, trying to hold back the rivers of empathy that strolled down our eyes. If you don’t care for her, that’s fine. This is for the people that don’t care for her and want to make it KNOWN. The ones who find tweets and posts of people who care deeply for her and who make rude, unnecessary, and ignorant comments to have their mentions filled with response. For those who want to start an uproar, who want to disagree with the majority, and who, at the end of the day, sign out of twitter/facebook/tumblr feeling empty because this is their only means of attention.

So if you wanna waste your time trying to blow our, and Lupita’s, high because your life is in shambles and you don’t know how to fix it except to make others feel shitty so you’re not the only one, you can keep on dreaming.

Lupita is out here trying to tell us (ladies especially) that folks are gonna try and knock our crowns off, but wear that beacon like a halo, and you’re salty because you can’t take that advice and do something with your life other than to troll?

Goodbye.

CASTING CASTING! Read All About It!

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Cynfinite

The film and television world has been taking an interesting turn with a lot of the casting choices being made.

On the corner of film, it has been rumored for a while now that Michael B. Jordan (Friday Night Lights, Fruitvale Station) would be playing the role of Johnny Storm in the Josh Trank reboot of “Fantastic Four.” Well, it’s official. Michael has signed on, making this film being the second project he and Trank have teamed up for! From what it’s been said, Trank wanted Michael specifically for the character, who’s been portrayed as caucasian in the comics, animated television series, and films. Now the question is, who will play Sue Storm, Johnny’s sister?

In the television corner, both Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games) and Jill-Marie Jones (Girlfriends) will be joining the (awesome and diverse) cast of “Sleepy Hollow.” Jill will play Orlando Jones’ characters ex-wife, with Amandla as their daughter. Their appearance episode airs November 25th.

And last but not least, it has just been announced that NBC will be rebooting “Murder, She Wrote,” with Octavia Spencer to star!Keep your eyes on the look out for more casting news!

New Show Alert: Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black”

Posted on August 3, 2013 by Cynfinite

Netflix is on a role with their original series. The first to triumph is “House of Cards,” starring Kevin Spacey, which just got nominated for a few Emmy’s. The political drama is, by far, one of the smartest shows to watch, and if you aren’t, you should be. Triumphing in second is the return of “Arrested Development,” which Netflix picked up for a fourth season, to the delight of their fans (new and old, thanks to Tumblr). And last but not least, “Orange is the New Black.”

Created by Jenji Kohan, the birth mother to the Showtime hit “Weeds,” OITNB hails from the memoir of Piper Kerman, played by Taylor Schilling, a privileged, blonde haired, happily engaged to a great guy, “Let’s do a cleanse!” anxious girl whose past catches up to her when she is trialed and charged up to 15 months in prison for smuggling drug money ten years ago with her then lover/drug dealer, Alex, played by “That 70s Show,” Laura Prepon. The show goes through her triumphs and failures of the jail life, and the person she realizes she is while in there.

The series is great, in that it’s comedic and dramatic in the right places, sexy and scandalous in other places, and down right interesting in that the ensemble cast, which includes an effortlessly badass Russian chef, Red (Kate Mulgrew), Sophia, a transsexual hairdresser (Laverne Cox), Dayanara, whose mother also happens to be an inmate and obviously wants nothing to do with her daughter (Dascha Polanco), Tasha, the hilarious loudmouth troublemaker (Danielle Brooks), Lorna (Yael Stone), the girl engaged to the love of her life but getting her sexual favors from Lyonne, and Nicky, the sexually engrossed druggie (Natasha Lyonne).

Of course, there are numerous characters, each with archetypes we never knew could exist in one small universe such as this one, and that’s the beauty of the show. It’s extremely diverse, with a multitude of women, from different races to different sexualities, and its ensemble, as a whole, keeps you watching. You think you know them, each and every character, based on what is broadcasted in the first few episodes. As you go on, though, you see that you are extremely wrong, and glad that you are, because the surprises are worth the surprise.

Lucy O’Brien of IGN calls it “Brilliance behind bars,” Emily Nussbaum at the New Yorker says it’s the “…love child of ‘Oz’ and ‘The L Word’,” and The Guardian deemed it in their list of one of the Best Shows of 2013.

Do us a favor? Watch it. It’s not one to regret.