I support strongly both "Precious" and Tyler Perry's films. The former is painful to watch, and I get that some blacks are upset that its overall negative portrayals will reinforce the mainstream idea of what we are as a people. I get that, but it's an unfortunate truth: too many young black people deal with abuse, broken homes, etc. So i celebrate its unblinking (though admittedly extreme) look at that part of the world. By the same token, I strongly supported "Boyz in Da Hood" and "Menace 2 Society" as tough but necessary looks at one aspect of black life. What I don't support is that part of black life become the only thing shown on screen. After a while, the glut of "in da hood" flicks became too much and too one-sided.
That's one reason I support Tyler Perry. Yeah, his stuff is cartoonish and predictable. Yeah, his villains are so bad they need Snidley Whiplash mustaches to twirl. But he also conveys a strong sense of family, and that there's nothing wrong with having a spiritual life. He also tackles in his own way the very negative images of blacks: showing in one film that for all the negative stereotypes of us that exist (which he showcases), there are many more positive ones. So that drug dealer or wife beater or child abuser is shown as only one jacked up aspect of black life, and the aunts, uncles, best friends, and cousins are shown as the positive side that are often overlooked. The broken family isn't the all, if only the hapless man or woman can find the strength to lean on that good family just waiting to embrace him or her. The fancy player is shown to be a fool, and the good, steady guy is shown to not only be desirable, but more importantly, present, if only black women (and white producers) would look for him. His skills as a writer are arguable, but Perry shows movies in which black people have morals, strong families, jobs, a strong, positive spiritual life, and don't have to lean on or marry white people to be successful. Indeed, one reason Perry had to do his own thing is because the Hollywood suits doubted his movies would have widespread appeal. He has whites in his cast, true, but the movies still center around black-on-black love, which is still too lacking in H'wood. I'm wondering what else is needed for black directors to go through the door as you mentioned. We've had Spike Lee, the Hughes and Hudlin brothers, and Tyler Perry. We've had Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, and and a host of other black actors and actresses. So why is black love still rare on the big screen? Why is H'Wood still focusing on white male fantasies of getting black women, while ignoring black male love interests? Why are the only black movies that show black romantic love things like "Brown Sugar". "Love Jones", etc., with actors that sometimes are considered B-listers? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Street" <streetfor...@gmail.com> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 12:00:52 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Knowles, Crowe to Star in "A Star is Born" The diaspora has space for positive and negative movies. I think Precious is great film and everyone did a great job regardless of the subject matter. Cause a Tyler Perry pic is all we seen to get these days and we are not talking about any real topics. So I hope Precious allows other blk directors a foot in the door. Cause it seems we have all disappeared. On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 11:36 PM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > wrote: You're right, but that goes back to my whole original point: H'Wood caters to prejudices and blacks suffer. At some point, doing what's easy and quickly profitable turns into stagnation and resistance to change. It's why in 2010 we still have major discussions about why "Precious" gets all the raves, but the mainstream ignores movies with blacks in more positive roles. Sorry, off my soapbox now! :) I wanna go read up on your quantum entanglement post. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 11:13:03 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Knowles, Crowe to Star in "A Star is Born" Movie making isn't reality. They are shooting for stars that will have a big draw. If it wasn't Russell Crowe it would have been Depp, or some other white guy. Two black people in the roles would equal a "BLACK MOVIE." Having one of each equals a cross over. On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 7:39 PM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > wrote: Worf, case in point (although i know you weren't arguing against prejudice in H'Wood). With all the people out there who could be cast opposite Knowles, they skip all the potential black men to pair her up with a white dude? I'm already reading some stuff hailing the "bold" move of the interracial relationship. Got nothing against that, but again, in a world where black-on-black love doesn't get much play on the big screen... Yes indeed, we must make our own stuff... ********************************************************** http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/feb/09/russell-crowe-beyonce-star-is-born In what may strike cynics as a case of life imitating art, Russell Crowe looks set to take a leading role in A Star Is Born, a remake of the classic Hollywood melodrama about a fading, drunken superstar who finds himself eclipsed by a younger model. The former Gladiator star is reportedly in talks to appear alongside Beyoncé in the Warner Bros production. The original 1937 version starred Fredric March and Janet Gaynor as an aging Hollywood actor and the bright young ingenue he takes under his wing. The film was remade in 1954 with James Mason and Judy Garland. The hugely successful 1976 version cast Barbra Streisand alongside Kris Kristoffersson and re-routed the story from the film industry to the music business. Elvis Presley was initially approached to take the Kristoffersson role but reportedly bailed out after he was refused top billing. The latest overhaul apparently casts Crowe as a down-on-his-luck musician who embarks on an affair with a rising young singer. Nick Cassavetes is pencilled in to direct, while the supporting cast will be fleshed out by the likes of Mad Men mainstay John Hamm and singers Alicia Keys and Rihanna. Crowe, now 45, won a best actor Oscar for his role in Gladiator. His recent films include Cinderella Man, American Gangster, Body of Lies and State of Play. He will next be seen as the hero in Ridley Scott's revisionist take on Robin Hood . -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! 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