But "Eraser" wasn't a romance, was it? I don't recall them getting together as a couple. And let's be clear: i'm not fighting against interracial relationships. They exist, and should not be overlooked. But do the math: from TV to film, for decades, Hollywood has either ignored black love (which is still the majority of black relationships), or put black women with white men, or, as in "Hitch", put black men with non-white women. This despite the fact that the vast majority of blacks in America still marry other blacks--NBA players notwithstanding! :)
Now a movie dealing with the topic I did like, and do watch all the time, is "Something New". That's the one where Sanaa Lathan plays an uptight lawyer who ends up falling in love with a white guy. I like the movie because it wasn't something put together to draw in white people: it had no "A-listers" to appeal to the mass audiences, and thus, was more honest. It was straight up with discussions of inter racial relationships and the hurdles they bring, both minor and major. It had the courage to have the black woman ask "Are you one of those white guys who just get off dating black women?". It made me laugh when the white dude asked innocently why Sanaa's character needed to wear a weave. "What's wrong with your real hair?", he asks all wide-eyed, not having a clue as to the storm he'd just unleashed. It had realistic conversations where her black female friends said "It's okay to have fun with him for a while, but you're not actually going to *marry* a white man are you?" It also dealt with issues of class: Sanaa's character's main problem is that she's trying to live a certain type of life, to be the proper type of upper class person, but she's not happy. The dude she falls in love with is a guy who's very happy, who just happens to be white. Thus, it didn't sugarcoat things the way mainstream films do. And, I like the fact that her friends all had black men, and were happy, especially the judge who had to learn she could love a black man who wasn't quite on her financial/social level. Of course, Sanaa Lathan being in it didn't hurt. I could watch her read the dictionary and still be transfixed! Again, curious that a movie dealing with the issues of black/white love honestly was not a big budget release, and had no "A-listers". And note that the only movies we get that show realistic black romance in a positive manner are those starring the likes of LL Cool J, Taraji P. Henson, Gabrielle Union, Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Tamala Jones, etc. Guess that's the FUBU scene eh? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mr. Worf" <hellomahog...@gmail.com> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 10:35:18 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Knowles, Crowe to Star in "A Star is Born" Because it is a subtle manipulation of the audience. I think the last movie like that I saw was Eraser with Ahhhhhnald and Vanessa Williams. On Wed, Feb 10, 2010 at 6:47 AM, Keith Johnson < keithbjohn...@comcast.net > wrote: Why is that? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mr. Worf" < hellomahog...@gmail.com > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 11:33:20 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Knowles, Crowe to Star in "A Star is Born" That's automatic for me. I never watch movies like that. On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 8:24 PM, Mike Street < streetfor...@gmail.com > wrote: I'm gonna have to Boycott this pic. It just sounds like they are going for too much. On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 11:13 PM, Mr. Worf < hellomahog...@gmail.com > wrote: 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! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Get Social and Follow Me: Join me on Facebook http://facebook.com/mikestreet Follow me on Twitter Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/streetforce1 Join the Harlem NY Community http://www.facebook.com/harlemny and at http://HarlemSocial.com -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ -- Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
