Day 19: Black Movie Month "The Inkwell"

Today's Black Movie Month spotlight is that of the 1994 romantic comedy/drama film The Inkwell. It would star Larenz Tate, Joe Morton, Suzzanne Douglass, Glynn Turman, and Vanessa Bell Calloway.

Here is a classic "coming of age" tale of a 16-year old boy on Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 1976. This was a movie that I think was not supported as much as it could have been, and it screams "real life story".  The main character Drew is drawn out in such a vivid way that his character becomes a bit complex, and you almost forget that he is just a teenager. This film will definitely having you wanting more.

For me it had a vintage feel to it that made it very eye-cathing and engaging. I'm sure we all had a summer just like this one or very close!

Day 15 of Black Movie Month "Hollywood Shuffle"

It is Day 15 of Black Movie Month!! Today's highlight will be the 1987 classic, Hollywood Shuffle. It would star Robert Townsend, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Anne-Marie Johnson, John Witherspoon, Helen Martin, Roy Fegan, and Dom Irrera.

The film tracks the attempts of Bobby Taylor to become a successful actor and the mental and external roadblocks he encounters, represented through a series of interspersed vignettes and fantasies. The film is semi-autobiographical in that it reflects Townsend's experience as a black actor when he was told he was "not black enough" for certain roles.

Hollywood Shuffle brings into light the lack of substantial roles for black actors and the misrepresentation of people of color in film and television. Through satire, the film is able to use negative stereotypes put out by mass media and turn them against Hollywood. The film's plot reveals the perceived racism behind the camera that has relegated black actors to take demeaning roles for money and a chance at stardom. This point is personified in the casting director's constant demand for actors to “be more black.”

The script also levels some criticism towards black actors who are willing to take demeaning roles. This is highlighted in the protest skit, when an NAACP spokesman (played by Paul Mooney) states at a press conference, "they'll never play the Rambos until they stop playing the Sambos." The film also offers an authentic glimpse into real middle-class African Americans in stark contrast to the roles they are offered in the film industry, and Bobby Taylor's final words in the movie's final scene can be seen as encouraging pride and respect in the community. With a budget of $100,000, of which $60,000 was funded from Robert Townsend's own credit cards, and grossing over $5 million over the first ten months of release, the film was a resounding independent success, propelling Townsend into stardom.*

Hollywood Shuffle is the quintessential film that inspired a generation of filmmakers both through its use of satire and messages of racial stereotypes about African Americans in film and television. It would also showcase the "DIY" independent style of filmmaking.

The humor in this film is so gripping and relevant that it truly shows off the skills of Townsend's in such a way that it is almost genius. And interestingly enough today this issue is still rampant and relevant in today's Black Hollywood. If only there were more directors like Townsend!

Any chance you get to support a film such as this one and others you should jump on it like "white on rice" folks. Movies like Hollywood Shuffle help to get the message across that so many would like to push to the side and forget about them. 

At the close of Black Movie Month will be the Hollywood Black Film Festival, which will feature "Chicken and Beef Presents: Monkey Gang, The Mockumentary" a movie that was heavily influenced by Hollywood Shuffle in its satire and parody of negative stereotypes, as well as its style of independent filming. 

As a special treat check out this clip with the creators of Hollywood Shuffle, talking to the creators of "Monkey Gang" about independent Black film.

**The Hollywood Black Film Festival, founded by industry insider, Tanya Kersey, will happen in Los Angeles, California from October 27th-30th. For more information go to www. hbff.org .

Day 13: Black Movie Month: Top Black Movies That Need a Sequel"

Earlier on today Essence Online featured an article about some of the top Black Movies that needed a sequel, or already have one in the works. Well I had to take a look at this list and see what they came up with, and they had some great ones and then some that well, should have been reconsidered. So I kept some of the films from the list to give you a condensed version.

Already in the Works

 *The Best Man (1999): Luckily as we saw earlier this week this one will actually happen!!

 *Sparkle (1976): Here is another one that will be coming back to the screen! This 70s classic sequel will be starring Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks and Tika Sumpter.

 *Waiting to Exhale (1995): This one will be a definite MUST SEE!!

Would Be Nice

 *Set It Off (1996): What happens after Lida escapes? That has always been a mystery to me...

 *How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998): Now this one would definitely be interesting and I am sure we can think of the perfect folks to be cast in their roles.

*Harlem Nights (1989): Three names Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, and Kevin Hart

*Love Jones (1997): This would be #1 on my list of sequels no questions asked!

*Love & Basketball (2000): Will the basketball genes flow to the child?

*Eve's Bayou (1997): Even 14 years later this story would resonate in our minds...Just that deep

 *Deliver Us From Eva (2003): Not too sure about whether this one is really needed, but maybe someone else might see something that I don't see

*Coming to America (1988): Just because we wanna laugh!!

 *Brown Sugar (2002): Just to see the story all over again...

 *Juice (1992): It's a classic tale, why not?

 *Crooklyn (1994): Gotta love a good family story

*School Daze (1988): I would be curious to see Spike Lee take on this project with an up-to-date look of the HBCU life and culture

 *Precious (2009): This just might happen, considering the success of its predecessor

 *New Jack City (1991): "This story of money, power, and respect never gets old."

 *Boyz In the Hood (1991): What happened after Tre (Cuba Gooding, Jr) and Brandi (Nia Long) went to college?

Now every single movie on this list may not need a sequel but just the idea of it maybe happening is all that matters here. So what do you think? Any to add or delete? Share your thoughts...

Day 12 Black Movie Month Spotlight: "Soul Food Junkies"

Today's spotlight is just a little bit different. I wanted to spot the upcoming film Soul Food Junkies from award-winning filmmaker Byron Hurt. It doesn't hurt to get a heads up on some new and innovative films.

In Soul Food Junkies, Hurt will explore the health advantages and disadvantages of soul food, a quintessential American cuisine.

Hurt is also known for his thought-provoking and provocative films I Am A Man: Black Masculinity in America and Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. 

Soul Food Junkies is set to be released in 2012.

Day 11 Black Movie Month: "The Best Man" and a SEQUEL

Day 11 of Black Movie Month!! Today's spotlight is special because not only are we featuring the film The Best Man but it is official there will be a SEQUEL!!!

And to top it off our dreams have come true folks, after some speculations began when the cast the cast met up for a reunion a few months ago, director Malcolm Lee has decided to make it a reality.

Universal Pictures has officially signed on to be the studio home of Best Man 2! Deadline Hollywood reports reports the original director, Malcolm Lee, will return to the helm. And he's working on locking down the original YBF cast featuring Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Monica Moore, Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Morris Chestnut, and plenty more:

Universal has set Malcolm D. Lee to write, direct and produce Best Man 2, a sequel to the 1999 film. Lee wrote and directed the original, a comedy in which a writer (Taye Diggs) is preparing to be the best man for his football player buddy (Morris Chestnut), but the timing is bad because the writer’s autobiographical novel is about to pop and it describes how the best man bedded the bride. Terrence Howard, Harold Perrineau, Nia Long and Sanaa Lathan also starred. The original grossed $35 million. Lee’s plan is to ask the original cast to reprise; in fact, I’m told the whole idea came out of a reunion dinner he held with most of the cast members, and they sparked to the idea of a re-team and so did the studio.

I am usually not a fan of certain sequels happening, but this is definitely the exception to the rule! Check out the trailer for The Best Man and look back on the memory of a classic black film!!

Black Movie Month Day 10: "He Got Game"

Now today's Black Movie Month spotlight is an interesting pick. I remember watching this movie like it was yesterday. What is it you ask...Spike Lee's 1998 sports-drama film He Got Game. Starring Denzel Washington, Milla Jovovich, John Turturo, Jim Brown, and a young, budding NBA star Ray Allen. It definitely has a powerful message behind it with a great supporting cast. It's an interesting pick because I am a huge fan of just about every single movie that Denzel Washington is in, but this one is definitely not one of my favorites. However, a special request was put in so I wanted to make sure I give the fans what they want!!

Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen), an extremely talented high school basketball player from Brooklyn, New York is being pursued by the top college programs in the nation. His father, Jake (Denzel Washington), is a convicted felon serving time at Attica Correctional Facility for accidentally killing his wife (Jesus's mother) by pushing her while arguing with Jesus at the age of 12. The father is temporarily released by the governor, an influential alum of "Big State", one of the colleges Jesus is considering, so that he might direct his son to sign with the governor's college in return for an early release.

Here is a film that truly has a voice with regards to making the right choice. In particular I think this movie speaks to every father-son relationship and every black male in the sport of basketball. All can appreciate the message that Lee is trying to convey especially now with increased amount of athletes making that huge transition from high school to NBA. He Got Game had the huge promise of showcasing the intersections of patriarchy, economic injustice, and racism, that was one of the things that I wish Lee had developed just a little more!!

If nothing else is gained from this film its that  in real life, there is a bigger benefit to forgiving, and sometimes just being able to let go and release.

Day 6 of Black Movie Month "Hav Plenty"

Some time ago I did a feature today's Black Movie Month spotlight so I figured why not showcase it again. I mean it is that good!! Today's post is on the 1997 film, Hav Plenty.

Based on an eventful New Year's Eve weekend in the life of Lee Plenty (Christopher Scott Cherot). Lee Plenty is an almost broke would-be novelist and Havilland Savage is rich and very beautiful woman and his friend. When she invites him to her home for New Year's Eve, they start to build up a romance.

Based on the true story of Cherot's unrequited romance with Def Jam A&R executive, Drew Dixon. This film takes a look into love and what can come of it if you act on it or if you let it go. Its one of those movies that makes you think about life and the many choices that one must make all in the name of love.

In June 1997, Hav Plenty would be the opening night film at the inaugural Acapulco Black Film Festival (now the American Black Film Festival), it would also be the first film at the first festival. After seeing Hav Plenty at the Acapulco Black Film Festival, Tracey Edmonds and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds offered to attach their names to the film and record a new soundtrack, consequently attracting an intense amount of media attention to what was previously a small, obscure independent movie.

 
Some might would call this film a "low-budget goodie" and that actually kind of works too! Something interesting that I would learn about the production of this movie was that financing for the film came from Cherot's time as a New York City cab driver and a third mortgage on his mother's home. Principal photography took eighteen days in and around New York City and New Jersey.

"With his self-deflating cool and amused insight into the shallowness of the buppie world in which he drifts, Lee is one of the most original and likable characters to pop up in a movie in quite a while." ~Stephen Holden of the New York Times

Check out one of my favorite songs from the soundtrack...

Day 5 of Black Movie Month "Daughters of the Dust"

It's Day 5 and we are full steam ahead...

Today's Black Movie Month spotlight is that of the1991 independent film Daughters of the Dust which was written, directed and produced by Julie Dash.

It tells the story of three generations of Gullah women at the turn of the 20th century and focuses on the family's migration from the Sea Islands to the American mainland.

What was unique about this film was the unusual narrative device, Daughters of the Dust is told by an unborn child. The movie gained critical praise, for both its rich language and use of song, and for its use of imagery.

And as a treat check out the first segment of this conversation on Left of Black * with host Duke University Professor Mark Anthony Neal talking with filmmaker Julie Dash. 

This year marks the 20^th Anniversary of the release of Dash’s ground-breaking film Daughters of the Dust which was the first feature by an African-American woman to gain national theatrical release.   The film draws on Dash's South Carolina heritage and focuses on three generations of women with roots in the Sea Islands and Gullah culture. Dash discusses how she became a filmmaker and the challenges she faced along the way. (There's a little bit 


In 2004, Daughters of the Dust was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

*Left of Black is a weekly Webcast hosted by Mark Anthony Neal and produced in collaboration with the John Hope Franklin Center at Duke University.

Day 4 of Black Movie Month "Cabin in the Sky"

 Now you know I had to take it back and today's spotlight is just perfect.  

Cabin in the Sky is a 1943 American musical film. The film would star Ethel Waters as Petunia and Rex Ingram as Lucifer Junior. Eddie "Rochester" Anderson of Jack Benny fame took over the role of Little Joe, Kenneth Lee Spencer portrayed The General, and Lena Horne co-starred as the temptress Georgia Brown in her first and only leading role in an MGM musical. Louis Armstrong was also featured in the film as one of Lucifer Junior's minions, and Duke Ellington and his Orchestra have a showcase musical number in the film.
 
The first film directed by Vincente Minnelli (who directed the original Broadway version), this musical offers its pleasures, but also may make you squirm at the racial stereotypes that were considered both acceptable and entertaining in 1943. A story of the struggle between good and evil for the soul of a man named Little Joe (Eddie "Rochester" Anderson), the film plays with the same kind of racial notions that made Stepin Fetchit a star.

Cabin in the Sky is one of those classic films that all ages can relate to, and it takes you back to the days of the Harlem Renaissance. This film truly hits the marker of how African Americans have contributed to the film industry and well worth the title of one of life's best kept African American secrets. With an all-black cast Cabin in the Sky is filled with so many real emotions that you can't help but be mesmerized by the performances. Many might even say that this movie was ahead of its time, definitely music wise.

Something is to be said for Director Vincente Minnelli. He was able to pick the RIGHT" black actors/actresses to provide a stellar performance as well as to portray the various characters that had the ability to get the point(s) across effectively. Despite the time period of when this film was premiered it still brought a delightful element that is worth remembering.

The film would be nominated for an Academy Award in 1944 for Best Original Song for "Happiness is a Thing Called Joe" sung by Ethel Waters.  After years of unavailability, Warner Home Video and Turner Entertainment released Cabin in the Sky on DVD on January 10, 2006.

Day 2 of Black Movie Month "Set It Off"

We are moving right along folks with Day 2 of Black Movie Month, and today's spotlight is the 1996 crime/action film directed by F. Gary Gray, Set It Off!!

The story of four women in Los Angeles, CA who have to turn to the life of robbing banks in order to survive. All for different reasons they decide to plan and execute a robbery. And although you want to feel sorry for them, the characters performance will not allow that to happen. Each of them fight "tooth and nail" until they can't fight anymore. The great thing about this film is that it can be applied to just about any situation in life and still be credible. Lest I not forget the movie's central focus is about four black women taking charge of their lives and the people in them, that in itself speaks volumes.

In my eyes this film would jump start the career of Kimberly Elise more than anyone else. Her role was so innocent and heart-wrenching you truly felt her pain. Although she was the most shy and timid she was also the most surprising. Elise has the ability to really transform into a character and play it all the way to the end! Also Set It Off would be one of the few films where we would get to see Blair Underwood in a positive light. So often he plays the bad guy, and don't get me wrong he plays it well, but it is refreshing to see a loving sensitive side to him as well.

Set It Off is another great black film with a matching soundtrack!! Some of the hits would include "I'll Be Missing You" (one of my personal favorites) performed by Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Brandy, and Tamia, "Don't Let Go" by En Vogue, and "Come On" by Billy Lawrence featuring MC Lyte.

Make sure you add this to your library if you have not already!!

Set It Off (Theatrical Trailer) by NakedBrotha2007

14th Annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Winners

Film Life's 14th annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) announced the winners of their independent film awards at the Lincoln Theatre on June 26, 2010. And here are the results:

The Grand Jury Prize for Best Film: Legacy, directed by Thomas Ikimi. Starring Idris Elba, the film centers on a Black Ops operative Malcolm Gray (played by Elba) returns home after a botched mission in Eastern Europe. Holed up in a Brooklyn motel room, he is torn between retribution and personal salvation as he mentally unravels. When the walls close in, his story may be all he can leave behind. (He also received film stock valued at $5000.)

The Grand Jury Prize for Best Performance by an Actor: Golden Brooks for her performance in The Inheritance. Robert O'Hara makes his directorial debut with this film, also being produced by Effie T. Brown and her production company, Duly Noted Inc., the story centers on family friends (played by Golden Brooks, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Rochelle Aytes, Shawn Michael Howard, and D.B. Woodside) who gather during a winter storm for a 'secret' reunion at the family estate. The connection to their tortured history is one of only passing fascination. The reunion turns deadly when the elders have to make good on an ancient pact with a spirit of an ancestor. Now, it's this generation's turn to make the ultimate sacrifice. It is their duty and their destiny, but they won't give up without a fight to survive. (Prize includes $5000 sponsored by Gold Peak Tea.)

The HBO Short Film Award: Stag and Dow, directed by Daniel Patterson and John Staley. Stag and Doe is the story of Christian and Camille on the eve of their wedding night. With the promise of "forever" looming, Camille presents Christian with a unique proposition: one last "freebie" before the wedding, on the condition she gets to do the same...What will they decide?

The HBO Star Project grand-prize winners: Emayatzy Corinealdi of Los Angeles and Stephen Hill of New York. Emayatzy Corinealdi has played a range of characters, from a naive and tough teenager in the cable pilot Katrina, to an over-zealous and independent divorcee in indie flick Cordially Invited. Her latest projects include an episode of the ABC show 'Romantically Challenged;' independent films entitled Legend of The Black Lotu's and The Dating Game of which the short version has been chosen as an official selection for the Cannes Film Festival. Stephen Hill is noted as a genuine talent with onscreen charisma. He receives positive industry nods from Susan Batson (Black Nexxus Inc.) NYU Graduate Film, HBO/HBO Sports, the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) and Adcolor, among others. (Star Project is an international acting competition for emerging multicultural artists.)

The Career Achievement Award: Lee Daniels in celebration of his success and in recognition of his great talent. (ABFF Honors Past honorees have included Spike Lee and Melvin Van Peebles.)

The 1st Annual National 'Rising Icons' Award: Chrisette Michele talented Def Jam R&B singer. 'Rising Icons' is a TV series on BET network honoring the spirit of musical excellence by recognizing the world's most influential new-found artists.
 
The event was hosted by director Robert Townsend.

New Film 'Takers' to premiere at American Black Film Festival

Recent reports have just found out that the new summer flick Takers will be the opening night film for the 14th annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF), which will run in Miami from June 23-26, 2010.

Produced by Will Packer of Rainforest Films (Stomp The Yard, Obsessed), the film stars Matt Dillon, Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Zoe Saldana, Jay Hernandez, Tip "T.I." Harris, Michael Ealy, Chris Brown, and Hayden Christensen.

Takers revolves around a notorious group of criminals (Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Michael Ealy, Chris Brown, and Hayden Christensen) who continue to battle police by pulling off perfectly executed bank robberies. They are in and out like clockwork, leaving no evidence behind and laying low in between heists. But when they attempt to pull off one last job with more money at stake than ever before, the crew may find their plans interrupted by a hardened detective (Matt Dillon) who is hell-bent on solving the case.



Screen Gems will release the film in theaters on August 20th, 2010.