WAKE UPPPPPP!!! 25th Anniversary of the Spike Lee's 'School Daze'

This closing line was a line that would stay embedded in my heart and mind forever!!

Can you believe it has been 25 years since the release of Spike Lee's second feature film, School Daze. This movie in addition to watching A Different World were two of the main reasons I would attend an HBCU (specifically Clark Atlanta University).

School Daze was based on the collegiate experiences of Spike Lee at the historical AUC (Atlanta University Center campus (Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, and Morris Brown College). In addition, it would discuss fraternity and sorority life, HBCU homecoming, and even tackle issues of race/racism, skin tone bias, apartheid, and other issues affecting the African American community/diaspora. 

We may laugh, sing, dance, and cheer with this movie; but when it is all said and done there was some hard-core solid material that hit the screen. Even to this day we are still discussing many of these issues. I remember when I was an RA back at CAU, I would make sure to always show the incoming class this film. When it all boiled down there was this sense of "black uplift", pride, and an understanding that we always have to do better.

Interestingly, Roger Ebert would state, "There is no doubt in my mind that 'School Daze' in its own way, is one of the most honest revealing movies I've ever seen about modern middle-class black life in America."

So tell me...Are you awake?

Django Unchained: A Story Worth Revisiting!!

Prior to watching this film I was very much on the fence as to whether or not I was going to see it. However, once I saw it there was no question, this was a movie to see. Despite all the controversy and the overwhelmingly one-sided critics Quentin Tarantino's tenth directed film Django Unchained is right on the money. It might be one of his best yet. This is a film that has many roles to captivate, cultivate, amaze, shock, and everything in between.

Django Unchained is movie that is your typical American spaghetti western film, entertaining, funny, and even educational. It was obvious that Tarantino and his team clearly did their research with this film, as the viewer is presented with the subject of slavery right smack in your face (check out the actual/authentic masks that the slave had to wear). Not only do we see a clearly painted picture of the institution of slavery, but the film addressed specifically slave trading, code-switching, prostitution, and mandingo fighting. Even though the film is filled with violence and gore (at moments enough to make you cringe) one has to realize the context of the film...and let's not forget the fact that it is Tarantino's style...IJS.

This is not simply a story about a former slave who is trying to rescue his long lost wife and seek revenge towards her slave master, this is a game of winner take all, literally. Sometimes you have to go for the gold, "by any means necessary". And just in Tarantino style the writing is over the top brutal, genius and hilarious. A movie clearly written on his own terms. His style of dialogue and perfect scenery is a true trademark of a fine filmmaker. Grant it I will admit there are moment where the film comes off botchy and stagnant, but not enough to ruin the film. Interestingly the film has a running time of 165 minutes, however it actually moves quite swiftly.
 

Thankfully with this film Tarantino and the casting director offer a great balance of actors. Each character in this film contributed a great deal to the success of this film. Obviously each actor really had to step outside of who they are as an individual in order to play their respective roles. The acting is actually quite stellar. They truly make you believe them from the talk, walk, and dress!! He pulled out the big guns with this one. I even got chills watching them it was just so real. (Also the fact that the main part of the movie took place not to far from where my family is from, Greenville, MS.)

Playing the lead role of Django Freeman, Oscar winner Jamie Foxx delivers on all levels playing this former slave. Clearly playing a character like Django for Foxx is not easy, it is actually very evident and fitting. It actually makes the role seem more real. His discomfort adds to the authenticity. With this character Foxx walks a very thin line between sadistic and empathetic. It takes a special character to play this role and I think Foxx embodies it well (maybe it was a good thing Will Smith turned it down, not sure I would be convinced seeing him play Django). And then here come the high rollers. Now you gotta love a character who is a former German dentist turned bounty hunter, Dr. King Schulz (Christoph Waltz). This is definitely a standout role for him, nailing every nuance of his complex, obsessive character. Opposite of character personality is Calvin Candie (aka Monsieur Candie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio) who is ruthless plantation owner and slave master. In this role DiCaprio is delightfully vicious and strangely comfortable in his role...kinda of scary. Both Schulz and Candie are quite impressive and add the perfect touch to what the film needed.

Now what would a film be without an uppity negro slave, and Samuel L. Jackson fills the role perfectly. Jackson's role in this film is brilliant, think of him as an extreme Uncle Ruckus character. Here he plays the quintessential "Uncle Tom".  Jackson truly nailed this role. I have never had such a love hate relationship for a character like Stephen since Denzel Washington in Training Day. It is as though in a weird and twisted way, he appeared to be enjoying playing the role, almost borderline parody-like. And then there is the dame. Although her role is the driving force of the main character Django, Broomhilda (played by Kerry Washington) what we get to see of her acting wise is rather limited. She is actually rather riveting maybe even dreamlike. Through Washington's character we get to see the dynamics of the house and field slave and those who are there simply for pleasure sake. You feel her pain, her passion, and her love and devotion for Django.

As you will see there are several big names, but many of the characters in this film are not veterans. And that is ok sometimes the veterans do not need to outnumber the rookies. In this case with many of the actors having limited roles it makes the viewer really appreciate and pay attention to each interaction. Little words can be just as significant as several words. And for all my folks who have seen the original Django (1966) film, you will be pleased to see a cameo appearance from the main man himself, Franco Nero.

Overall with a great script and a close to perfect cast, the only thing left to be mesmerized and entertained with is the cinematography and the musical score. The scenery is absolutely amazing and scarily beautiful. I can only imagine what it felt like to walk on the plantations in the steps of former slaves and slave masters. The spirit of the ancestors I'm sure loomed over on a daily basis. The score and soundtrack is just as stunning. As a whole is quite classic using such songs as Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" and "La Corsa", and Ennio Morricone's "Sister Sara's Theme". And the icing on the cake, it's nothing like watching a fighting scene and hearing Tupac and Rick Ross...oh how fitting!! When you hear you will know exactly what I am talking about, trust me.

Hopefully people will not just believe the hype and truly make their own opinion about this film. To be honest, it is a perfect discussion starter regarding such issues as the use of the 'n-word' (if you really think about it the use of the 'n-word' in the film is actually more historically correct than in previous Tarantino films), double consciousness (wearing the mask, the veil), drapetomania, and the unique science of phrenology (measurement of the skull). And speaking as someone who is an African American woman there was no point in the film where I felt disrespected or made to look like a fool. I imagine the goal of this film is not to bring or keep Blacks down, but rather to re-introduce a myth/story of a classic narrative to make us aware of what DID happen over some 300+ years ago. Anytime when a film deals with such a controversial and touchy topic as slavery there is always this feeling that it is a conspiracy from "the man".

Slavery is a reality!! You can run from it, but there is no hiding the truth. Tarantino said it best in the 2007 The Daily Telegraph, "I wanted to do movies that deal with America's horrible past with slavery and stuff but do them like spaghetti westerns, not like big issues movies. I want to do them like they're genre films, but they deal with everything that America has never dealt with because it's ashamed of it, and other countries don't really deal with because they don't feel they have the right to."
   
Sometimes it really is just simply a movie. One thing that I will say is that Tarantino is one exceptional genius! Django Unchained is a point blank awesome and brilliant film! A definite must see folks! [Oh by the way the 'D' is silent :-) ]

Rating: 9.5 out of 10 stars

Throwback Thursday: Pulp Fiction

Today's Throwback Thursday flick is one of my favorites, this is one of those movies that was just the complete package. Good acting/actors, good plot/story, just a good movie! Pulp Fiction is that type of movie that will force you to pay attention from beginning to end, but at the same time still enjoy it.



In keeping with writer-director Quentin Tarantino's trademark of nonlinear storytelling, the narrative is presented out of sequence. With every movie that he has done the set-up is always the same, which actually makes his movies stand-out and be unique. Pulp Fiction is no different, its structured around three distinct but interrelated storylines—in Tarantino's conception, mob hitman Vincent Vega is the lead of the first story, prizefighter Butch Coolidge is the lead of the second, and Vincent's fellow contract killer, Jules Winnfield, is the lead of the third.

The one unique thing about this movie is that it has an abnormal sequence that actually gets you from point A to point B. This is where it is important to pay attention to the scene changes because although it appears confusing, everything works and ties together. In the film, there are a total of seven narrative sequences—the three primary storylines are preceded by identifying intertitles on a black screen:

1. Prologue—The Diner (i)
2. Prelude to "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife"
3. "Vincent Vega and Marsellus Wallace's Wife"
4. Prelude to "The Gold Watch" (a—flashback, b—present)
5. "The Gold Watch"
6. "The Bonnie Situation"
7. Epilogue—The Diner (ii)

If the seven sequences were ordered chronologically, they would run: 4a, 2, 6, 1, 7, 3, 4b, 5. Sequences 1 and 7 partially overlap and are presented from different points of view; the same is true of sequences 2 and 6. There are many films now that are edited out of sequence and have multiple plots etc but this is the one they all want to be, or all want to beat, but never will.

The great thing about this film was that it was, and still is, a major critical and commercial success. At any point, one can pick up this movie and watch it over and over still getinng the same excitement if not more. Matter fact, it revitalized the career of its leading man, John Travolta, who received an Academy Award nomination, as did costars Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman.

Pulp Fiction is viewed as the inspiration for many later movies that adopted various elements of its style. The nature of its development, marketing, and distribution and its consequent profitability had a sweeping effect on the field of independent cinema.

This was literally an all-star cast that proved they can get the job done by giving us a successful and enjoyable film. Pulp Fiction is by far one of the best film of the 90s and to be honest no Tarantino film has surpassed the quality of this movie, although Kill Bill does come very close. Pulp Fiction is a modern classic and a must-see!!

Check out some of the classic scenes of the film: