The Oscars

I haven't seen a lot of the Oscar nominated films. In fact, the only film I know for sure is The Dark Knight. I have other films I've been watching and I've been trying to watch my pennies. I'm sure I'll buy some of the films when they are available, but in the mean time I catch up on some films I missed. I still haven't sat down to watch Spike Lee's Documentary When The Levees Broke. I hope to do that this weekend and I have another film I need to watch called The Trip to Bountiful. These films are not part of my collection so I need to watch them so I can return them to their owner.

Last night I watched the last 15 minutes of a documentary on Billy Strayharn who was very instrumental in Duke Ellington's success. Its interesting how the people behind the scenes sometimes go unnoticed. I didn't know a lot about Billy Strayharn, and he doesn't show up in a lot of books. I'll have to do some research and see if I can find this documentary. I also have a documentary on Miles Davis that I need to watch. A film on the life of Billy Strayhard would be very interesting and a great role for the right actor.

Friday the 13th

I had debated since I saw the first commercial for the first film whether or not it was a remake or a new film. I was planning to see if since it was from the same people behind the remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre which I truly enjoyed. As the day got closer I wasn’t sure if it was a remake or a new film and then finally the midday news spot on films opening for the weekend said it was a remake. I’m not sure if they got it right because it did show Jason with a hockey mask and Jason didn’t get the mask until the third installment of the film. After Jason took Manhattan I was fed up with him. There were rumors when that there would be 13 films before Jason would be killed. You tend to lose something after a while.

Last night I had my own marathon of sorts. I watched Friday the 13th followed by Part III which was filmed in 3D and then ending with The final chapter which the ending is my favorite. It’s Corey Feldman looking like a young Jason from a newspaper clipping of an artist rendering of what the last survivor of the first film thought the boy looked like. Crispin Glover is also featured in this one. There were many killings that were similar to the first and third film. The arrow in the eye, a piercing through the neck while someone laid in bed. One day I’ll probably add Part II to my collection since it also had an interesting ending with Amy Steel pretending to be Jason’s mother by donning the old sweater and speaking as if she were channeling Mrs. Voohries.

I think Jason has certainly killed more people that Michael Myers or Freddie Kruger, but it has gone too far. What drugs does he take so that he can endure such pain? Then he was killed and resurrected… Then he took on Freddie Kruger, that was certainly just a way to get some money. LOL.

Some of us love to be scared, but the scariness isn’t what it used to be. It’s more gruesome then chilling. We turn out head instead of jumping or shrieking. They don’t make them liked they used too.

Halloween still remains my all time favorite horror film, with H2O coming in 2nd.



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http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights/

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Time to get back to reality. Rebuilding my life, one step at a time.
Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind. What is meant to be…

Black Cinema, Black History

Coffy - My favorite of all of Pam Grier’s films and the film that launched her career and gave her the title of the Queen of Blaxploitation films. Coffy is the story of a nurse who takes revenge on the drug pushers who got her little sister hooked on smack. It’s a no holds barred retaliation film on getting back when the system doesn’t seem to work.
I think of all of the films of this era this one still hold up quite well.

A Soldiers Story - Another film with a stellar black male cast that includes, Howard Rollins and Adolph Caesar. It involves an investigation into the death of a black soldier. Patti Labelle also makes an appearance as the singer in the bar.

Claudine - James Earl Jones and Diahann Carroll bring this film about a mother with several kids living on welfare to life. It was a love story for the time.

Menace II Society - Larenz Tate gives the performance of a lifetime in this tale of two friends looking for a way to make it in the world. The film also stars Jada Pinkett. This is one of my top 200 films.

School Daze -My favorite Spike Lee film. The musical numbers are a little long, but it’s a great story set in the weekend of Hell week at a fictitious black college. The cast includes Lawrence Fishburne, Spike Lee, Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Tisha Campbell, Giancarlo Espisito, and Joi Lee among other up and coming stars of that time.

Do The Right Thing - Another Spike Lee film, I had issues with the films message when I first saw the film. It’s very controversial and makes you think. The film stars Spike’s usual players which have become a staple with him as with other famous film directors.

Get on the Bus - This is my second best Spike Lee film. It’s the story of a bus load of black men heading to the Million Man March which was put on by Louis Farakan. I think Spike captures the various images of a black man as they try to understand themselves and each other.

The Feast of All Saints - This film was adapted from the novel by Anne Rice and it deals with race relations among blacks in Louisiana. It gives us an insight on the Octoroon balls which were so famous. It’s an all star cast including, Ben Vareen, Pam Grier, and Jasmine Guy.

Eve’s Bayou - This film as I’ve written before assembles a black cast of some of Hollywood’s most beautiful women. Lynn Whitfield, Diahann Carroll and Debbi Morgan. It’s truly an interesting tale of a local doctor and the love of his daughter and his female patients.

Also check out: Cornbread, Earl and Me, Juice, Jungle Fever, Scream Blacula Scream, and Buck and the Preacher.


www.artbydlonzo.blogspot.com

www.dcinemafile.blogspot.com

www.filmloverpg.blogspot.com

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=38275088

www.n4cersworld.com

http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights/

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind.

Black History

I’m not going to get into the fact that it’s the shortest month of the year. I’ve written about it before and every day some black person is making history.
Here are some movies that I recommend for those of you that really like film. As much as I do.

Carmen Jones - The musical of the famous Opera, features an all black cast, starring: Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll, Olga James and Joe Adams. Dorothy Dandridge was the first black actress to be nominated in a starring role. The film is directed by the then controversial director, Otto Preminger and music by Roger Hammerstein. It’s a must see film.

Ray - Which stars Academy award winner Jaimie Foxx for his portrayal of the legendary singer Ray Charles. The majority of this film was shot on location in New Orleans.

Dream Girls - The musical based on the Broadway play of the same name which was loosely based on the singing group The Supremes. Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar for her role as Effie White, the singer with the voice, but just not the look.

Sparkle - Another film about the music industry surrounding three sisters from New York who have talent, but the times create obstacles for them. The film stars Phillip Michael Thomas, Irene Cara, Lonette McKee, Dawn Smith, Mary Alice, Dorian Harewood and Tony King. Features a great sound track and a must see film.

Cooley High - The ultimate party film about High School antics and getting laid in Chicago in the early 60’s. The film stars Lawrence Hilton Jacobs and Glynne Turman.

Blacula - The first film that I know of to feature a black vampire. Part of the Blaxploitation films of the 70’s, the film starred the great stage actor, William Marshall. Also starred Denise Nichols from the television show Room 222, Thalmus Rusalus, and Vonetta McKee. It’s a little bit campy, but interesting as Dracula curses Mamawaldi for not letting Dracula have his wife. He in turns bites Mamawaldi turning him into Blacula.

If you wish to access any of my other blogs, go to:

http://www.artbydlonzo.blogspot.com/
http://www.dcinemafile.blogspot.com/
http://www.filmloverpg.blogspot.com/
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=38275088
http://www.n4cersworld.com/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/civil_rights/

I’ll add more links soon.

Time to get back to reality. Rebuilding my life, one step at a time.
Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind. What is meant to be…