But why not just write original black material? Surely we don't have to copy "white" films to tell universal stories? You don't have to write a "black" movie just because you're black. I know a lot of folks in this group disparage Tyler Perry's work, the "Why Did I Get Married?" films are an example. They have a lot of Perry's trademark slapstick, and some of what can be called "Black" humour, but they deal with larger, more universal themes that could be done by any cast, no matter the race. I have no problem with remakes within reason, but I don't see why blacks need to mine white-based themes in order to tell good stories, be they comedy or drama.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kelwyn" <ravena...@yahoo.com> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, April 18, 2010 10:05:45 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: "Kick Ass" lightly taps butt Chris Rock, who is one of the producers of "Death in a Funeral," has discovered something I have known for years: the best way to upgrade the quality of black films is to remake white ones. His "I Think I Love My Wife" (the thinking man's "Why Did I Get Married") is loosely based on Eric Rohmer's obscure "Chloe in the Afternoon." What remaking little known white movies (especially foreign ones) offers the black filmmaker is usually a sturdy chassis on which to construct a reel black world populated with doctors, lawyers or, in this case, a tax accountant and a best-selling author. It allows the black filmmaker the opportunity to mine comedy from universal themes instead of from primarily African-American antecedents - which, this being America, often aren't very savory. When you remake a white film with black actors, you don't have to explain anything. It just is. Just like it was in the white original. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Martin Baxter <martinbaxt...@...> wrote: > > I can offer nothing in regard to "Kick-A$$"'s box performance, but I can say > that I see no need whatsoever to have remade "Death at a Funeral". > > On Sun, Apr 18, 2010 at 8:09 AM, Kelwyn <ravena...@...> wrote: > > > > > > > http://www.imdb.com/news/ni2121050/ > > > > Perhaps the fanboy audience that was panting for Matthew Vaughn's > > reinvention of the superhero movie Kick-Ass was just too young to get in. > > The R-rated movie has been well-received by critics, but grossed less than > > $8 million Friday night, putting its weekend gross closer to the $20 > > million > > territory, rather than the $25-$30 million that many were predicting. The > > similarly R-rated Death at a Funeral, also struggled to lure an audience, > > even though Roger Ebert, calling it the "funniest comedy since The > > Hangover." The film may have grossed less than $6 million on Friday, > > putting > > its three-day gross at a likely $17 million. > > > > The above supports my view that audiences will not support anything > > spoofing (or exposing the lunacy) of people fighting crime in their > > underwear. > > > > Below is my review of "Death at a Funeral." > > > > http://blackplush.blogspot.com/2010/04/death-becomes-them.html > > > > ~rave! > > > > > > >
