Throughout the last 4 months, I've spent my time watching several black inspired movies which, if I'm allowed to be perfectly honest here, I probably wouldn't watch on an ordinary day. However, as I went through my Black Film class, I've gained a much better appreciation for those kind of movies, realizing that there's more to them than just being overly tragic or funny. Because, I've to come up with my own black film that hasn't been created by anyone but myself.
To start off, I would want the film to have somewhat of a coming of age story around it. My main character would be a young African American boy, growing up in the slums as he strives to achieve a particular goal that he's had for the longest time. Along the way, he goes through several trials, most of which bring him down both physical and mentally. Showing all of those things in the movie would bring emotional investment for the character, allowing the audience to feel for his plight. In the end, the character comes to a strong realization about himself, one that ultimately gives him the motivation in the end to achieve his goal.
One reason why I would want to see this particular movie is because it's interesting. Let me give you an example. Tyler Perry is a famous black director, but I really hate his movies. The reason for that is that I don't find them to be interesting. Movies can have their sad moments, but his movies tend to be sad all the times. Bring in some humor and maybe so actions. Movies are meant to be a form of entertainment for your viewers and you won't be able to grab your attention if you make it sad all the time.
Although Black films try their best to show that sadness and tell the viewers about all the struggles that they went through, I want to be different. I don't want to be too sad, but not to silly either. I want a serious story that can not only make the audience laugh, but also make them feel something in their heart as well. One of my favorite movies is 2012's "The Amazing Spider-Man" and the reason for that is because it has a good balance between the emotional, exciting, and sad moments. I think all good movies needs that particular balance in them and my black film is no exception.
Now, I can pretty much guess what all of you are saying. "Such a movie has already been done before?" Here's what I have to say to that; I don't really care. Let's face it, a lot movies usually copy the same thing that other movies show, with the only difference being in a different setting or new characters. It isn't original, but it doesn't really have to be. Movies are meant to entertain you and that's what I for this movie. As long as the characters are nice, the story is good, and the audience enjoys it, that's all I really care about. Anything else can go right out the window for all I care.
In the end, my black film would be a strong coming of age story with good characters, a strong story, and mixture of funny and sad moments. By bringing all of those things together, I truly believe that something amazing can be formed and I hope that you all feel the same way.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
A couple of months ago, I took the time to review Panther, one of my favorite black films. The film is basically a dramatization of the formation of the Black Panther Party of Self-Defense and it shows the trials and tribulations that the organization had to go through in the early 1960's. So, when I learned that Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song was a somewhat similar movie, I decided to watch it with a open mind and see what it had to offer. After doing so, I'm glad to say that the movie impressed me greatly, even though some of the scenes were somewhat graphic.
The premise of the movie revolves around a black man named Sweetback as he tries to avoid the police, after he beat down some officers after they attacked another black man. As the movie continues, you see all the things that Sweetback has to go through in order to avoid being caught, like switching clothes with a sympathetic white man or having sex with a female member of the Hells Angels. However, I think the thing people will like the most about this movie is the ending.
In the past, most African Americans were protrayed in a negative light and were usually shown being either captured or killed by the police in the end of movies. However, that isn't the case with this black film. Although Sweetback is indeed forced to run for his life, and is even forced out of the country, he doesn't die. Back in the 1970's, which was when this movie came out, that was very uncommon for black people, who either die for suspense or the amusement of others. I can't quite explain it, but I found that quite satisfying and I wished that there were more movies like that during that particular era.
In conclusion, I really like Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song and I would recommend it to anyone who would like to see a very interesting movie. The only thing I have to say though is that should avoid watching it in the presence of viewers under the age of 13.
The premise of the movie revolves around a black man named Sweetback as he tries to avoid the police, after he beat down some officers after they attacked another black man. As the movie continues, you see all the things that Sweetback has to go through in order to avoid being caught, like switching clothes with a sympathetic white man or having sex with a female member of the Hells Angels. However, I think the thing people will like the most about this movie is the ending.
In the past, most African Americans were protrayed in a negative light and were usually shown being either captured or killed by the police in the end of movies. However, that isn't the case with this black film. Although Sweetback is indeed forced to run for his life, and is even forced out of the country, he doesn't die. Back in the 1970's, which was when this movie came out, that was very uncommon for black people, who either die for suspense or the amusement of others. I can't quite explain it, but I found that quite satisfying and I wished that there were more movies like that during that particular era.
In conclusion, I really like Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song and I would recommend it to anyone who would like to see a very interesting movie. The only thing I have to say though is that should avoid watching it in the presence of viewers under the age of 13.
When we were Kings
Throughout all the blogs that I've written, one of things that I've been constantly saying is that I don't like documentaries and that they should only be watched by those who don't know about the subject matter that it's discussing. Well, I'm happy to say that this one of those days in which I didn't know what it was about and I was quite pleased with the documentary film, When we were Kings. Not only was it very interesting, but it featured the fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, a confrontation that I've only been told about, not actually seen.
Personally, I think the main appeal to this film is the clips involving the fight between the two fighters. Although boxing isn't one of my favorite sports, I do watch it on occasion and most of the matches are very interesting to see. So, when the documentary switches in a out between the fight, although the momentum for both sides is interrupted slightly, it still gets you glued as you learn more about each fighter and how this match between them got to be so big.
One other thing that I like about When we were Kings is Ali's relationship with black people and how the residents of Zaire, the place where the fight took place, instantly came over to his side. Now, although I can't speak for him, I believe that one of the reasons why Ali refused to participate in the Vietnam War is because he believed it to be pointless. Back during those times a lot of people, mostly black people, were sent to their deaths in order to fight a battle that was completely wrong. Muhammad Ali knew that and that's why he refused to participate in it, despite costing him his heavyweight championship. So, when I learned that Ali won that match and regain his championship, it truly put a large smile on my face.
In the end, I really like When we were Kings and I strongly recommend it to those who know nothing about the fight between Ali and Foreman, especially to those who know knowing about the match or the things that led up to it. However, if you do know the fight, then you can go about your day as this film might bore you.
Personally, I think the main appeal to this film is the clips involving the fight between the two fighters. Although boxing isn't one of my favorite sports, I do watch it on occasion and most of the matches are very interesting to see. So, when the documentary switches in a out between the fight, although the momentum for both sides is interrupted slightly, it still gets you glued as you learn more about each fighter and how this match between them got to be so big.
One other thing that I like about When we were Kings is Ali's relationship with black people and how the residents of Zaire, the place where the fight took place, instantly came over to his side. Now, although I can't speak for him, I believe that one of the reasons why Ali refused to participate in the Vietnam War is because he believed it to be pointless. Back during those times a lot of people, mostly black people, were sent to their deaths in order to fight a battle that was completely wrong. Muhammad Ali knew that and that's why he refused to participate in it, despite costing him his heavyweight championship. So, when I learned that Ali won that match and regain his championship, it truly put a large smile on my face.
In the end, I really like When we were Kings and I strongly recommend it to those who know nothing about the fight between Ali and Foreman, especially to those who know knowing about the match or the things that led up to it. However, if you do know the fight, then you can go about your day as this film might bore you.
Dancing in September
Even as a little kid, I was always intrigued by what goes on behind the scenes of a TV show. I wanted to know how the actors really were, how were they like, and how much effort they go into making the show great. The same thing applies to the people who write the script, the camera men, and those were work on the set. So, when I watched Dancing in September, I was very pleased to see all of that, since the way everything was handled was very similar to how a company sets up a live television show. The process is a lot more difficult than it looks.
The film revolves around a young script writer named Tomasina, who hopes to create a positive show for the African American public, without falling into the typical stereotypes that sometimes accompanies them. At first, things seem to be looking well for her, but as time goes by and the show begins to lose ratings, she begins to follow the stereotypes that she didn't want to follow in order to improve things.
In my point of view, this movie tells us two things. The first that they stereotypes surrounding African Americans can sometimes be a poison, especially when it comes to film and TV shows. Because of the way they've been protrayed over the years, most people only see them in a certain way. So, when one person decides to change things up, it's sometimes natural to believe that most of the people will be turned away by it. It isn't a good thing, but then it's something that we can't seem to completely avoid.
The second thing is that Dancing in September tells us is that the television business isn't as easy as it appears to be. A lot people have to work to work several hours a day, without any rest, just to create the shows that we watch. Not only that, but most of the time, people don't even like them so the writers have to work even harder in order to make those particular fans happy. It isn't a easy line of work and people should only do it if they're truly willing to put in the work.
In the conclusion, I really liked Dancing in September and I would recommend it to anybody. Not only is it a good black film, but it's a good film in general.
The film revolves around a young script writer named Tomasina, who hopes to create a positive show for the African American public, without falling into the typical stereotypes that sometimes accompanies them. At first, things seem to be looking well for her, but as time goes by and the show begins to lose ratings, she begins to follow the stereotypes that she didn't want to follow in order to improve things.
In my point of view, this movie tells us two things. The first that they stereotypes surrounding African Americans can sometimes be a poison, especially when it comes to film and TV shows. Because of the way they've been protrayed over the years, most people only see them in a certain way. So, when one person decides to change things up, it's sometimes natural to believe that most of the people will be turned away by it. It isn't a good thing, but then it's something that we can't seem to completely avoid.
The second thing is that Dancing in September tells us is that the television business isn't as easy as it appears to be. A lot people have to work to work several hours a day, without any rest, just to create the shows that we watch. Not only that, but most of the time, people don't even like them so the writers have to work even harder in order to make those particular fans happy. It isn't a easy line of work and people should only do it if they're truly willing to put in the work.
In the conclusion, I really liked Dancing in September and I would recommend it to anybody. Not only is it a good black film, but it's a good film in general.
Classified X
I'm going to try and make this as quick as possible since I don't have that much to say about this film. As I already stated in previous reviews, I'm not a big fan of documentaries, especially of ones that tell you the same thing that other documentaries talk about. To me personally, it feels very repetitive and it really begins to get on my nerves. Now, that's not to say that subject isn't important, because it is. It's just that once I hear one documentary about one topic, I can pretty much guarantee that over 50% of what I heard will be said in another documentary of the same subject.
It's for that reason why I wasn't a pretty big fan of Classified X, which is a documentary by Mark Daniels that talks about the history of black people in cinema. Earlier, I did a review on the movie Ethic Notions which covered the same topics as this film, only with different people talking. No offense, but I'm not going to get anything different just because someone else is talking about it. In the end, I still get the same information. As a result, I don't have too much to say about Classified X and I only recommend it to those who don't know about the struggle black people went through when they were being protrayed in either TV or in plays.
It's for that reason why I wasn't a pretty big fan of Classified X, which is a documentary by Mark Daniels that talks about the history of black people in cinema. Earlier, I did a review on the movie Ethic Notions which covered the same topics as this film, only with different people talking. No offense, but I'm not going to get anything different just because someone else is talking about it. In the end, I still get the same information. As a result, I don't have too much to say about Classified X and I only recommend it to those who don't know about the struggle black people went through when they were being protrayed in either TV or in plays.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Lackawanna Blues
About 2 weeks ago, a came across a movie called Lackawanna Blues and I decided to check it out and see how it was. At first, I figured that I was going to be a pretty basic black film that involves a young child trying to grow up his nanny, since his mother pretty much abandon him after he turned 7. For the most part, that is pretty much the entire premise of the movie. However, as you continue to watch it, you can see that there's much more to the movie than just that. In a lot of ways, Lackawanna Blues tells you from a first person perspective how some African Americans grew up.
The story is about a young boy name Ruben, who's promptly raised by his guardian Rachel after the separation of his parents. The two of them live in Rachel's boarding house, with a large number of other characters, some of home play a positive or negative part in each of their lives. As the movie continues, you see both characters grow up and how they become extremely close due to all the events that they go through.
The main reason why I liked this movie is because it's based on the true story of Ruben Santiago Jr and not some fictional piece. Although there are indeed some fictional stories that a lot of people can relate to, it's clear that you can relate to the tale more if it's true. Watching the real-life trials of an African/Hispanic child is really interesting, especially Ruben's because he was so young and yet he went through a lot. It allows you to appreciate what he went through and the people he met that helped forged him into the person he is now or, at the very least, the person he became at the start and end of the film.
In the end, I strongly recommend this film, especially to those who want to know how certain African Americans grew up. I can't make any promises, but I'm pretty sure that you'll come away with a much better appreciation for the problems that had to go through.
The story is about a young boy name Ruben, who's promptly raised by his guardian Rachel after the separation of his parents. The two of them live in Rachel's boarding house, with a large number of other characters, some of home play a positive or negative part in each of their lives. As the movie continues, you see both characters grow up and how they become extremely close due to all the events that they go through.
The main reason why I liked this movie is because it's based on the true story of Ruben Santiago Jr and not some fictional piece. Although there are indeed some fictional stories that a lot of people can relate to, it's clear that you can relate to the tale more if it's true. Watching the real-life trials of an African/Hispanic child is really interesting, especially Ruben's because he was so young and yet he went through a lot. It allows you to appreciate what he went through and the people he met that helped forged him into the person he is now or, at the very least, the person he became at the start and end of the film.
In the end, I strongly recommend this film, especially to those who want to know how certain African Americans grew up. I can't make any promises, but I'm pretty sure that you'll come away with a much better appreciation for the problems that had to go through.
Ethnic Notions
Earlier today I took the time to talk about a film called Wattstax and stated how much I liked it because it was a black documentary that had more of a first person reaction from the people. I also stated that having such a reaction was really important as something from someone who was actually there is more helpful than an expert who's, at best, assuming what happened. So, when I watched a black documentary called Ethnic Notions, I was kinda disappointed since it was basically just an ordinary documentary with experts talking and some clips.
Now, don't get me wrong, I liked the film since it informed me about how blacks were protrayed in film in the early 1900's. It's just that the chances are very high that you've seen something like this before in the past. It's nothing different so it feels like you can get the same information if you heard it from someone else. I don't like documentaries like that as it feels like I'm in grade school, even though I a Senior in college.
In the end, I recommend that you only watch this movie if you have no knowledge about how black people were shown on TV in the early 20th century. If you have, then this movie will mostly likely not give you anything that you already do not know.
Now, don't get me wrong, I liked the film since it informed me about how blacks were protrayed in film in the early 1900's. It's just that the chances are very high that you've seen something like this before in the past. It's nothing different so it feels like you can get the same information if you heard it from someone else. I don't like documentaries like that as it feels like I'm in grade school, even though I a Senior in college.
In the end, I recommend that you only watch this movie if you have no knowledge about how black people were shown on TV in the early 20th century. If you have, then this movie will mostly likely not give you anything that you already do not know.
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