It's black history month

(This painting was from an exhibit at the Blanton Museum in Austin, Texas, on Caribbean artists.)

I really don't feel we need to have a month to celebrate black history. Everyday there is a black person making history in some form. They may not realize the impact they are making at the time, but they'll see it in time.

Here are a list of 29 films I will be watching this month. Of course there are many black films that I have in my collection, but I watch them at other times during the year so that is the reason they are not a part of this list.

Create your own list and watch the films that are relevant to you.

I was trying to put the films in order to tell a story, but what I watch will be based on my mood. Some of the films are not easy to watch so I have to be in the right frame of mind.

Amistad, Lincoln, Glory, Miss Jane Pittman, The Color Purple, The Long Walk Home, Selma, The Soul of the Game, Josephine Baker, Lady Sings the Blues, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, Malcolm X, The Great Debators, Rosewood, Ray, Mahogany, Men of Honor, Remember the Titans, Island in the Sun, The Defiant Ones, Something The Lord Has Made, The Mack, Brother to Brother, Boomerang, Dead Presidents, Get on the Bus, School Daze, and Ali.

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Over lapping blogs

Fruitvale Station (DDDD) -  I had heard about this film, but I didn’t know the story. So many films I’ve been watching have been relevant to what is happening in the world today. I often have conversations with family, friends and people I meet that eventually touch on those subjects. We all have opinions on the direction in which the world seems to be going. We ask ourselves if the world is worse than things were.
In my opinion, with technology being what it is today, it makes things seem worse. There has and always will be crime. We now hear and see it sooner in this digital age.
We used to have to wait for police reports to be filed or for someone to call 911. People are filming things as they happen. We are being bombarded with everything via the Internet, smart phones, texts and those that still use a television to get their news.
I new it was only a matter of time before we would actually see someone shot on television and yesterday I saw a police officer roll over someone in his police car at top speed on television and another man shot accidentally by a police. Too many police officers are calling the draw of their gun an accident. ( Feel police are scared. They are not equipped with what is needed to deal with criminals mentally. It’s a kill or be killed mentality similar to the military.)

The first time I remember seeing any get killed on television was when six women jumped from the Rault Center because of a fire. Days later Mark Essex would be killed atop the Howard Johnson’s on Loyola Ave. Many years later, I would find out that Mark Essex was the cause of the fire which caused the death of the six women.
Fruitvale Station is based on a true story that may have been the first incident where people caught the incident with their cell phones. Cops held and brutally beat several black men, but one was killed. There was no justification for this.
I had no idea where this film was going, but I was not expecting that outcome.
Watching anything tragic is not easy to watch whether on the big or small screen. Some people grow up seeing this sort of thing often; it becomes second nature.

Coming soon:  Lincoln, Silver Lining Playbook, Django Unchained, ARGO, August: Osage County,

The rating system - (d) it’s okay, if you like the stars (D) worth a look, especially if you are a fan of the stars (DD) Great cinematography and costumes (DDD) good script, cinematography, (DDDD) Not to be missed (DDDDD) I highly recommend this film



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12 Years A Slave

12 Years A Slave -DDDDD

 There are some films that don’t need a lot of dialogue to tell the story. 12 Years A Slave is one such film. This is an intense film filled with emotions. There is no way a person can sit and watch this film and not have some sort of reaction.  Every actor in this film gave an incredible performance.

It’s the sorry of Solomon Northup played incredibly well by Chitwetel Ejiofer, a free black man who is lured into a scam and sold into slavery. It’s his struggle to not be broken and to be reunited with his family.

Sometimes all it takes is a few minutes on screen to make an impact and I think that was just the case with Lupito Nyong’o in her Oscar winning performance as slave girl who is the obsession of her master played by Michael Fassbender. I think one of the most intense scenes in the film is that way because of the reasoning behind the act. It wasn’t your typical slave not obeying the master. It was a misunderstanding.

The beauty of the art of film is that it brings to life what you read on a page. It gives you a completely different visual than what you have imagined for yourself. Director Steve McQueen, Sean Bossett and Hans Zimmer bring the intensity to the story. Music adds to our emotional state and the cinematography lets us see it in all its horrendous detail.
Other members of the cast include Dwight Henry, Bryan Batt, Quevenzhane’ Wallis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Giamatti, Brad Pitt, Sarah Paulson and Alfre Woodard.

Coming Soon: The Butler, Lincoln, Savages, Nebraska, Silver Lining Playbook

More Movies 2-13-14

Titanic - (1953) DDDD Clifton Webb, Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Wagner and Thelma Ritter star in this version of the film. There have been many versions of films to retell this historic event. Although there are no over the top special effects, there is an interesting story. We follow one family in their own personal crisis aboard the luxury liner. The film is in black and white and is very entertaining.

Fathom - (1967) D Raquel Welch is a sky diver recruited by a secret agency to recover a detonation device known as the fire dragon. You can call it a female version of James Bond based upon the novel of the same name. If you are a fan of Raquel Welch you will enjoy this one as she is scantily clad in almost every scene. Raquel Welch does work the screen, but she was always used for her assets. The opening sequence made me think of Jane Fonda in Barbarella. We watch Raquel in a red bikini roll up her parachute before her jump.

Bernie - DDDD This is one of those films that I picked up at Dollar Tree. It stars Jack Black, Shirley Maclaine and Matthew McConaughey. The film is based on a true story of a funeral director in Carthage, Texas. Jack Black gives a great performance as Bernie, the man with compassion and a personality that everyone likes. He begins a relationship with a recent widow who is not liked by the townspeople. Bernie shows Mrs. Nugent, played by Shirley Maclaine that she can still enjoy her life and so they do. Taking trips, buying things and being a good companion. When Mrs. Nugent becomes overly protective, Bernie starts to get fed up and what happens next is a chain of unbelievable events. As Bernie is charged with murder, the towns people go into denial and don’t want Bernie to go to jail.

Walk Don’t Run - DDDD this is a fun film which was Cary Grants last film. It’s the story of an older gentleman who arrives in Hong Kong two days early and his hotel room isn’t available because of the Olympics. He answers an ad and cons his way into the apartment of a young woman. He sublets his half of the room to a young man who is part of the Olympics, but also came to town early. It’s a film about customs, misinterpretations, love and keeping up appearances.

Here is my new rating system. DDDDD highly recommend. DDDD It should be watched. DDD Entertaining DD So, so if you like the stars. D Just out of curiosity watch it.
(I like all movies. Even those that most people don’t like, it makes for great conversation.)


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The Soul of the Game

I’m trying to watch films I’ve not seen in a long time. Since this is black history month I’m trying to watch the films in my collection that reflect this. Last week I watched the series Roots. I hadn’t seen it in a couple of years. It’s still a powerful mini series. It was a chance for black actors to shine.

Soul of the Game is about the negro leagues and the push to integrate the game of baseball. The film focuses on Josh Gibson and his bout with mental issues. Hershel walker trying to hold on to his celebrity status and hoping to be the first black to play for the Dodgers. And Jackie Robinson who was the choice because of his background. Jackie Robinson had dealt with racism in the military and was educated which made a bigger difference in him being selected.

The film stars Delroy Lindo, Blair Underwood, Salli Richardson and many of the best black actors around. If you’re looking for some great films with some of Hollywood’s great black actors check out the following. Introducing Dorothy Dandridge starring Halle Berry. Carmen starring Dorothy Dandridge. Get on the Bus starring Charles S. Dutton. Tuskegee Air Men starring Allen Payne. School Daze starring Laurence Fishburne. Lady Sings the Blues starring Diana Ross.

Some of the actors you may not have heard of, but the film and performances are worth watching. You may recognize other stars in the film and you learn a little something in the process.

Coming up:  More movie reviews, Rubbing elbows with celebrities

Blaxploitation Films

In the 70’s a new genre was invented, and like all things there are some good and some bad memories. I applaud anyone that gets a film made doesn’t matter if it is bad. I have sat through my share of films that critics would say are bad. Movies are entertaining and provide a place for us to get lost for a while. For someone like me who loves movies, I can always find something interesting and it also inspires me to do better.

I remember as a kid some of the scripts I wrote. I hadn’t really grasp the language yet. I hadn’t learned to listen to people and watch how they react when they are in conversation. When I began recording my cousins and I doing different skits I began to see the flow of language.
I then began recording television shows and movies. I remember writing the original King Kong film so that I could see how the dialogue looked on paper.

This past weekend I watched four movies that were part of a set billed as Bad Mothers and Mean Brothers. The films starred Fred Williamson, Roddy McDowell, Lola Falana, Billy Dee Williams, Elliot Gould, Gene Washington, Martin D’Urville and “Mean” Joe Greene.

A film entitled Velvet Smooth was the funniest of the quartet. It starred a bunch of unknowns who never went on to do anything better. It was a lot of bad acting and even worse karate moves.

Lady Cocoa was a film vehicle for Lola Falana, the first lady of Vegas. It was okay, but when you’re used to someone singing on stage they don’t always make a great cross over into film. It made for an entertaining night.

Final Comedown starred Billy Dee Williams and dealt with the racial struggles of the 70’s. Sort of a take on the Black Panthers. This was very low budget.

Then there was Mean Johnny Barrows which starred Fred Williams as a Vietnam Veteran trying to get back into society, but having nothing available to him. He gets an offer from a mob boss to use his military skills and soon he’s raking in the money.

There was a large abundance of films which as young kids we were eager to see and imitate what we saw on the screen when we got home. Some of the films I had seen I shouldn’t have even been allowed into the theater. As long as no one was doing an inspection the theater just wanted to make money. There were some films we didn’t dare attempt to get in to see alone. Usually we got someone older to get us into the theater. I remember going to the movies with one of my uncles and my aunt.
At least once a week I was going to the movies with friends after we got our allowance.

I remember films like Shaft, The Mack, Superfly, The Doberman Gang (which I’m still trying to find on DVD.) Cotton Comes to Harlem, Come Back Charleston Blue, Shaft in Africa, Watermelon Man, Cleopatra Jones, Blacula, Scream Blacula Scream, Foxy Brown, Slaughter and Bucktown to name a few.
The one film that had a big impact on me was Coffy. I’m sure it had more to do with the voluptuous Pam Grier than the film itself, but I still feel the film holds up. Pam Grier was beautiful. I had never seen anyone on the screen like her before. Pam Grier for me is like my black version of Marilyn Monroe. (I’m also a big fan of Marilyn’s but she had already passed before I knew who she was.) Pam Grier though was more like an obsession. I felt something whenever she was on the screen. (I still do.) I read everything there was to read about her. Once I started collecting movies I knew her films had to be included, but they weren’t that easy to find. It wasn’t until the late 80’s early 90’s that her films became available. There are still some films that I don’t have either because they were just really bad or I have yet to find them on DVD.

I was talking to a friend about actresses who wait until they are older to show off their bodies and it bothers me sometimes. With Pam Grier she started out showing off her body. In later years she had stopped showing her body in love scenes and I respect that. Pam Grier has had an interesting life. One day I would hope to meet her and I know if it is meant to be it will happen.

I remember when I was a senior in High School, Pam Grier was in New Orleans to film Drum. It was a slave picture which starred Ken Norton. Pam Grier was his love interest as she later became in several movies. She had become the wife or the girlfriend.
I was tempted to skip school so that I might get a glimpse of her, but I didn’t want to make my mother angry at me and I decided against it.

I tried many times to write letters and meet her, but it never worked out.

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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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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.

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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…