Last week I was wondering what happened to a certain film I'd written about a couple years ago. It was called "Frankie And Alice" (horrible title) and was to star Halle Berry as a woman with dual personalities, one of which was a white racist. Interesting concept, but when I saw the stills from the film, it looked like typical Halle fare; perfectly awful.
Yes, I am a bad girl. I admit it. But really and truly, when I am away, I really miss you guys. I wish there was some kind of device that would write all of the Black Cinema thoughts in my head automatically....but alas, there isn't, so you are stuck with Number One Supreme Slacker, aka Ms. Invisible. But please know that I love you, and your comments make life worth living! haha
Okay, my seventh husband The RZA aka Bobby Digital seems to be adding to our future family fortune by getting into filmmaking. I laughed my ass off when I saw this uber-serious profile on him from The New York Times, I guess to give someone even a small clue who doesn't know anything about him (aka YT):
I know Sergio wrote a snippet on this already, and I tweeted about this the other day (the picture above came up when I image Googled NAACP--it seemed apropos). How the holy f*ck can the NAACP Image Awards nominate Michael Jackson's Funeral as "Best Variety Show"? If I wasn't already done and buried with them for almost a decade, this f*cktastic f*ckery would have definitely sealed the deal anyway. The founders of the NAACP must be spinning in their graves at 100 mph. Oh, and by the way, they also nominated Sandra Bullock as "Best Actress". And here I was thinking she wasn't Black the whole time...silly me.
How many of you saw the film "Four Brothers"? I did, just to see Andre 3000, who, by the way, was a complete and total dud in it. I do not believe acting is among his many talents. But Tyrese, whom I normally don't pay much attention to, looked eyeball-breakingly foin in it. Good try, but really, do we honestly need a sequel? That is what I have been reading. I vote no.
So many thoughts....so much slacking...
Big Mamma's House 3: Why?
Why are serial mash-on-anything-that-moves Hill Harper and 3 times married Steve Harvey suddenly considered "relationship experts" after writing suspect books? I am seriously scratching my head over that one.
Speaking of Sammy Davis, why does Nick Cannon dress and act just like him on "America's Got Talent"...velvet jackets and boutineers? Really?
I think it's safe to say that our infatuation with the promise of a "post-racial America" is officially way over. Not that I ever bought into it, for sure. Much about race is bubbling up these days, and while a tiny bit of it just has me shaking my head, the rest of it just makes me wanna kick somebody's ass sometimes. Like Field Negro said, it's just exhausting trying to keep up.
And finally, a cinema related statement on race; a post that my blogging soulmate Tafari did for The Afrospear, which he relayed got him a lot of heated haterade comments:"Yesterday, I made it a point to go see “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” in IMAX. Ever since the last Transformers theatrical release I had been giddy for more.
Hours before I headed to the movies, I started reading posts online that discussed racism in the movie but still I pressed on to Showcase Cinemas and dropped $10.50 for my ticket.
Fast forwarding 2.5 hours later. I’m walking out of the theater with my mind blown for many reasons; 1st, the movie was so action packed I thought I was going to slip into a seizure. 2nd the movie was overtly sexual, which made it seem like an R rated movie instead of PG-13 and 3rd the racism that was built into the movie was billed as comedic relief.
As I drove home, I tried to reconcile the racism but I could not, so I decided to sleep on it.
So this morning, when I woke up, I actually got mad about what I saw in “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” The racism that I’m talking about in case you don’t already know is dealing with the Autobot twins “Skids” and “Mudflap” or the “ Little Black Sambo[ts].
(Wait, for extra measure, if you want to see another relevant countdown list, you have to read this. “7 reasons why Transformers 2 might be racist…”)
With all this now parsed out, I’m wondering why and how this stereotypical bullshit slipped past Michael Bay and Paramount Pictures. Did they care? Did they know? Did they think it was ok?
I feel bad and torn because I actually liked the movie a lot, but how could I in good conscious? Maybe it’s the kid in me remembering watching the cartoon way back in the mid 80s.
Although the racism pisses me off about this flick, I was also disturbed about the adult content and overt hypersexuality. But like I said, I liked the movie, so what does this mean about me?
I know I won’t see the movie again, nor will I purchase the DVD. I do not want my kids seeing this mess and not only that it’s so not a kids movie. Don’t let the PG-13 rating fool you!
Transformers used to be all about the kids way back when, but not so much now thanks to Michael Bay and Paramount Pictures. I’m just saying.
Side note: This post is not nearly what I wanted it to be. Not at all! My thoughts are with and on Michael Jackson. As I wrap this up, I’m chair dancing to “Off The Wall” while I try to control my urge to cry about a man that reached my soul through song, dance and beauty."
So there are rumors that there will be a new "Catwoman", and no mention at all about Halle Berry being in it...no one even seems to be considering her. That is understandable, but why anyone is considering another Catwoman movie seems to be the bigger question.
Spotted this on my girl Purple Zoe's Ultraviolet Underground:
Ummm....have read that Will Smith is going to do a remake of "Uptown Saturday Night". I'm trying to keep calm about this tidbit, as that movie is one of my very all times faves, but all I have to say is this: You bet not f*ck it up! Seriously, if this legacy is tainted I'll be runnin' folks down like "The Punisher"!
OK, here is the new trailer for "Black Dynamite" that I really wanted to post the first time (it is much more detailed, with a lot more scenes), but I couldn't find the embed code for it....the narrator has obviously been listening to a ton of Rudy Ray Moore:
In YT cinema news....
Why am I so stoked to see "The Wrestler" after hearing so much about it this weekend? Darren Aronofsky is one of the most talented directors out there by far; his "Requiem For A Dream" was off the charts. Full disclosure--I used to have a huge crush on Mickey Rourke back in the day, and as an added attraction it will be interesting to see what he's doing with that mangled face of his (he's the wrestler). Marisa Tomei is one who consistently challenges herself, so I'm looking forward to watching her too (she's the girlfriend/stripper). Here is the trailer:OMG! This sounds soooo interesting and hilarious--it will be on lots of folkses "to see" list I'm sure in the Black community--and it will actually be shown at Sundance. Chris Rock is finally bringing it again--in a film called "Good Hair". From Black Film Academy:
The film has Rock traveling far and wide to examine the complexities of African American hairstyles – from everyday maintenance to the origins of hair weaves.
Okay, just want to get some thoughts out; bear with me.
Excuse me if I'm a bit grouchy--it did nothing to help that I had to wait an hour (after getting some fancy stuff done to my nails for freaking 2 1/2 hours) for a screening of "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button" yesterday. Listen people, I mention your stuff on my blog, for free and without you even asking 99% of the time. Could you at least send a screener DVD to a Negress?
I was shocked to see Bow Wow was on the list of "Sexiest Men Alive" (just one more reason why that the list is completely laughable). I saw this video on another blog, and was deeply disturbed by it. It is a clip of Bow Wow in a sex scene on "Entourage". To my female readers, please tell me, how sexy is this to you?
The whole problem with another Beverly Hills Cop movie is that the basic idea that Axel Foley is this rough and tumble Detroit cop who is a fish out water in upscale Beverly Hills is played out. He's done a lot of time in Beverly Hills. In this movie they mention that they teach his cases at the police academy and that a restaurant had an Axel Foley sandwich on the menu! (It's been renamed the Timbaland) Axel Foley knows his way around LA better than his new partner on the case who was born there.
Speaking of falling asleep, a big thank you to reader Madame Z (not) for pointing out a film to me called "Constellation", which also had Premium co-stars Hill Harper and Zoe Saldana involved in a love relationship. They weren't the central characters of the story, as it was a disjointed ensemble piece, but holee nuclear bombs, Batman, this movie was bad.
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