Month: February 2013
The Root Talks With Louis Gossett Jr. on Post Oscar Blues
A very good interview with Louis Gossett Jr. on the triumphs and challenges of winning an Oscar and then struggling to find work in the aftermath. Gossett speaks glowingly of working on the groundbreaking TV mini-series “Roots,” how he started out, battling alcoholism, and his current work with his foundation Eracism. Definitely worth the read.
Check it out here.
Image courtesy of The Root
Nelson George Looks at the Development and Prominent Role Black Characters Play at this Year’s Oscars
In a in-depth and well written article, author and filmmaker Nelson George looks at the significance of black male characters in some of 2012’s most heralded films. George gives a hard look at “Lincoln,” “Flight,” “Beasts of the Southern Wild,”and Quentin Tarantino’s “Django,” and the role the men in these movies play and their importance in overarching themes. I definitely suggest sitting down, having a cup of coffee, and taking a look at this NY Times piece.
You can read it here.
Image courtesy of the New York Times
48 Years After His Death, Malcolm’s Legacy Lives On in Media
When we talk about the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, there are a few names that stand above the rest. Dr. Martin Luther King. Rosa Parks. Jesse Jackson. All very important and influential people. However, it could be said that the legacy of Malcolm X — perhaps not as clean cut as those other Civil Rights icons — is no less important and should not be treated as such. Fortunately for Malcolm, on this day 48 years after his assassination, his legacy is more than just a man known as a fire-and-brimstone orator, but as a man whose rise and conversion later in life was nothing short of remarkable.
In 1992, the biographical film “Malcolm X” was released starring Denzel Washington as Malcolm X and directed by Spike Lee. The film portrayed a man far deeper than just the angry dude pointing his finger in most textbooks. In the film we see a young Malcolm terrified as the Ku Klux Klan burns a cross on his lawn at his home in Nebraska. We see Malcolm’s maturation from a young hustler, to an educated prisoner, and eventually into one of the key leaders for the nation of Islam. Along the way we watch Malcolm become transformed with a pilgrimage to Mecca. Finally, there’s the dramatic scene of Malcolm’s death.
Personally, I thought the film was well done. Denzel was of course excellent, and I felt Spike did a good job of showing the audience the different moods and complexities of Malcolm X. Too often it becomes easy to label people –especially historical figures– through the narrow prism of good, bad, or insignificant. “Malcolm X” doesn’t allow for such easy assertions.
It’s worth noting that while filming “Malcolm X” Spike Lee went over the initial budget set by the studio and hence was fighting to secure more money to get the film released. Warner Brothers refused to pony up more cash and that’s when some well known African Americans stepped up and contributed to the project. Micheal Jordan, Magic Johnson, Bill Cosby, Janet Jackson, and Prince, were just some of the people who contributed to making this movie a reality.
“Malcolm X” was critically acclaimed upon release and opened many people’s eyes (including mine) to who he was and the legacy he left behind. 48 years later after his death, people continue to be educated.
Jill Scott – Golden (2004)
Looking Back 20 Years Later at "Just Another Girl on the I.R.T."
Last month I had the opportunity to catch a screening of the profound and powerful film “Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.,” marking the film’s 20th anniversary. Even now, 20 years later, the film’s themes remain as strong as ever as it continues to educate, inspire, and enlighten.
“Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.” tells the story of Chantel Mitchell (played by Ariyan Johnson) as she navigates her senior year of high school. Chantel aspires to be a doctor, and she has the grades and aptitude to achieve it. Unfortunately, Chantel also has a bit of an attitude problem to go along with a foul mouth, much to the chagrin of her teachers. Later in the movie we see Chantel as she meets her new boyfriend at a party, gets pregnant, and undergoes a transformation from hopeful college-bound student, to pregnant teenager trying to grasp her new role as expectant mother, lover, and friend.
What makes “Just Another Girl” different from your classic teenager-gets-pregnant drama, is that Chantel doesn’t fit the stereotype. Here’s a young woman who plans on going to college and becoming a doctor. She has her head on straight and her academic aptitude is never in question. Even after becoming pregnant, Chantel continues to go to school and pursue her dream of going to college. The fact that this story is told through the eyes of a black woman was especially important for director Leslie Harris.
When “Just Another Girl” came out it in 1993, it was released at a time when there seemed to be a heightened interest in urban dramas. Flicks such as “Boys N’ The Hood,” “Menace II Society,” and “Straight Out of Brooklyn,” were captivating media attention and audiences unlike anything seen before. These films often overtly centered around men with women reduced to little more than ancillary roles. “Just Another Girl” broke the mold in not only featuring a black woman as the lead, but by also being directed and produced by a black woman.
In the videos featured below, director Leslie Harris and Ariyan Johnson discuss the impact of “Just Another Girl” and the significance of women of color in cinema and television.
Editors Note: For some reason there are about 10 seconds of audio missing in each video. Not sure why, but I blame the phone for that.
Gregory Hines on Entertainment
“The best entertainment speaks to the human condition in an honest way.“
– Gregory Hines, Parade, May 31, 1992
FilmSwag 