YO! Can we discuss Black movies (or the lack thereof) ?...

[tmukg21]

Originally Posted by derryj3

Do yall know how hard it is to get a movie made? Let alone a major motion picture? The reason we dont have that many good "black" movies is because most of the studios do not believe they will succeed.

Basically the same principle why Jay-z and co. had to start roc-a-wear because gucci/LV didn't think blacks could sell clothes

damn if you support a black movie, damn if you don't.

I believe its based on society's view on black people; whatever they see in the news is always negative, so on film the only image they think will sell isnegativity

Which black actor has that much clout (sp?) as basic actors let alone execs/shot callers? 3 maybe

 

[kix4kix]

Edit: Post Limit
As far as my comment on race not being a factor I was talking about employment.

So I still am missing out, "Black" films meaning what? All black actors?...What topics haven't been touched?

 

[tmukg21]

Originally Posted by kix4kix

I fail to see your point? Are you saying there needs to be more "Black" films.

Or black films with better topics?

Only black films I know of are Blackploitation Films in the 70's and Tyler Perrys @@!$ pictures.

Entertainment is one place where color rarely has an influence, kind of like athletics. SO I don't see what you are getting at OP

better topics and overall film quality (production, scripts,budget,the whole deal, whatever they do out there in hollywood

).

its basically blacks seem to not have a lot creative freedom overall

 

[elpablo21]

Entertainment is one place where color rarely has an influence, kind of like athletics. SO I don't see what you are getting at OP
I dont see how you can say that, race seems to be a huge subject used within Hollywood and it's films ala Crash

To say it doesnt have an influence is off base

 

[derryj3]

I tried acting sort of, mostly just extra work....but I dont think its that hard if you got talent and looks. If you're a young black man, acting is easierto get into vs young white man....just my opinion though, from what I seen

 

[airant23]

YO!

Only black films I know of are Blackploitation Films in the 70's and Tyler Perrys @@!$ pictures.

Entertainment is one place where color rarely has an influence, kind of like athletics. SO I don't see what you are getting at OP
"By Black filmmakers" or "with predominantly Black casts" would be more thorough in representing what I mean...


But those who are down, knew what I was talking about to begin with.



My gripe is with the lack of accurate portrayals of my life and the lives of my friends and family. Also, the lack of imaginative and creative film work basedaround the lives of Minorities altogether.

DF!!!

 

[darthska]

Methinks:

It's not at all that film makers (white or black) are honestly of the opinion that black people are collectively interested in movies portraying blackpeople a either gangsters, religious people, or involved in some serious relationship problem.

It's more that film makers (white or black) are of the opinion that WHITE PEOPLE hold the collective opinion that black people are either gangsters, reallyreligious people, or involved in some serious relationship issue.

 

[scotthallwithapick]

Originally Posted by JohnnyRedStorm

Na what I'm saying is acting and filmmaking isn't appealing enough to black people to go through all the hassle to make the living. If it was, I think we would see an increase in actors and filmmakers.

I strongly disagree and dont see any validity behind your statement

 

[jimmybeanz]

couple things:
- you and i agree that the movies are dumb. but a lot of people disagree, and are going to these movies...maybe we're wrong?

- don't you find it ironic that john singletary could not get financing either from hollywood or the so-called black elite to pay for "Hustle &Flow"; he had to mortgage his house, etc., to get money for it.

 

[mytmouse76]

Would we really go see a vampire movie or a Curious Case of Benjamin Button type movie with an all black cast? I've wondered myself when they would switchit up.

 

[worldbeefreeg]

Originally Posted by AirAnt23

I'm glad he was mentioned. Because my sister brought him up before I could. She used him as an example to say that it took him nearly 20 years to have the opportunity to make an Inside Man.

My argument on Spike was that his early movies were clever, damn near brilliant in their social commentary. She says, in any case, he still had to produce the same "type" of film with the support of the Black audience before being able to do something larger.


DF!!!

Spike's early movies were the same? Are all serious movies by flack filmakers just viewed as movies that harp on "race." I hardlyconsider Spike's early movies all the same, on the contrary, I think they are quite diverse. Inside man, a cool flick in my mind, is just a Hollywoodmovie. Spike's early movies challaenge people and make them truly think about our own values and lives.

Malcom X, Do the Right Thing, Crooklyn, Mo Better Blues, He Got Game, Jungle Fever and Bamboozled are hardly the same type of movie.

 

[elpablo21]

Originally Posted by mytmouse76

Would we really go see a vampire movie or a Curious Case of Benjamin Button type movie with an all black cast? I've wondered myself when they would switch it up.

I was just thinking this to myself a second and honestly I would....If a cast was talented enough to pull it off I would...The pool of blackactors/actresses doesnt seem big enough to make that happen.

It's more that film makers (white or black) are of the opinion that WHITE PEOPLE hold the collective opinion that black people are either gangsters, really religious people, or involved in some serious relationship issue.
and that's it right there

Word to:

 

[rexanglorum]

A big reason why they don't have films with mostly black casts, that do not fit the formula of a "black movie," is because blacks and Hispanicsand Asians go, along with whites, to see the mainstream block busters. There is a similar reason why there are that many movies with mostly females casts thatare also not distinct "chick flicks."

It is most economical for a production company to make their most expensive movies appeal first to white males, who make up the biggest share of the moviegoing audience. Girlfriends are more likely to be dragged to their boyfriends' choice of movies rather then the opposite occurring. The same is true forminorities, they tend to go and see the movies as enthusiastically as white males but white males usually do not see a movie that is bad first with non whitesin mind.

If you want a black block buster, not seeing mainstream, big budget films would be the best bet for seeing more mainstream movies with a largely black cast.

 

[abeautifulhaze]

Great post Ant. Very valid points.

The problem is that with bootlegging and digital downloads Hollywoods profits have shrunk dramatically since its heyday about a decade ago. There are a handful(under a dozen) of Hollywood bigwigs (all Jewish/caucasain) that call the shots on all major film releases and they have been ultra-conservative when it comesto the "urban" demographic in the last half a decade or so.

They would rather take their chances with the cookie-cutter, tight budget, low risk, Tyler Perry type films, than put their bucks behind an edgy "Do theRight thing" type film.

Our age group needs to stop supporting the crap thats out completely and eventually the movie houses will get the picture. Our demographic breaks bread and weare too valuable to completely ignore. Once they see that the hip-hop generation isn't satisfied with the products that they are releasing, they will beforced to shake things up a bit. What African-Americans need to do is go independent, use the net and hip-hop guerilla marketing tactics to breath some lifeback into the genre. Look at the African movie industry. Nigerian (west African) films are BLOWING UP worldwide, all independently.

AND JRS...you are way off...there is a HUGE number of black actors/actresses/directors...the problem is that they can't get their work greenlighted. Whensome one as acclaimed as Spike Lee can't get funding for his pet projects...you know things are bad.

 

[ezflash26]

Spike Lee talks about this all the time, look up one of his interviews...thats why he's gone the route he's gone with his movieslately (black "blockbuster" type movies, finally a black War Movie, etc)...he thinks it goes deeper than just "the production companies onlygreenlight what they think makes money" theory, I dont think he's lying either....

but what we do know is, the industry is full of copycats, when they see a movie "work", beat it into the ground until its broken, ESPECIALLY blackmovies for whatever reason... after the success of that late 90's/early 2000 era of "black" movies (the most underrated era of black culture,films especially, best of my generation easily imo)...

The Wood
Best Man
Love & Basketball
Baby Boy
Brown Sugar
etc...

they OD'd on it...how may of these damn movies have Morris Chestnut starred in? Seriously? About 30 of 'em...

Black movies have regressed just as black culture in general has regressed, real talk...

Good thread btw...

 

[lrrr]

Originally Posted by AirAnt23


this coming from someone who watches House of Payne regularly - and it enjoys it!

 

[derryj3]

So the new question... yall gonna support "Notorious"

 

[airant23]

YO!

Spike's early movies were the same? Are all serious movies by flack filmakers just viewed as movies that harp on "race." I hardly consider Spike's early movies all the same, on the contrary, I think they are quite diverse. Inside man, a cool flick in my mind, is just a Hollywood movie. Spike's early movies challaenge people and make them truly think about our own values and lives.

Malcom X, Do the Right Thing, Crooklyn, Mo Better Blues, He Got Game, Jungle Fever and Bamboozled are hardly the same type of movie.
You're preaching to the choir, bruh. Those were the opinions of my sister and my cousin. They were going back and forth without letting meinterject. I took the L on that point.

after the success of that late 90's/early 2000 era of "black" movies (the most underrated era of black culture, films especially, best of my generation easily imo)...
may of these damn movies have Morris Chestnut starred in? Seriously? About 30 of 'em...

Another point I made! I mentioned that I grew equally frustrated that a lot of those movies started to show groups of friends who were allincredibly successful (4 friends: one's a lawyer, one's a doctor, one's a ballplayer, etc.). That got stale, too.

All of a sudden they peg me as damn near a race traitor and accuse me of not believing that Black people can achieve things.

And I'm with the notion that we should go independent. I'd be more willing to supporting a GOOD independent Black film, almost no matter the premise.DF!!!

 

[coolnificent]

Originally Posted by derryj3

So the new question... yall gonna support "Notorious"

 

[mextra45]

Well you have to look at the Black movies that get made you have a bunch of piss poor straight top DVD movies that star rappers which are terrible . Most of itis in the writing because we have a bunch of talented black actors out there if we wrote better movies with more range and not the typical brotha trying tomake it out scenario we would be better off . Some black actors get stuck in the same roles over and over IE Gabrielle Union and Morris Chestnut wihile theyare capable of doing a great job they have to push themselves for better stuff. You can dilike Tyler Perry all you want but his grind was tremendous he wentfrom being homeless to making stage plays to making movies creating a TV shows and the biggest it all OWNING his own Studios he can green light whatever hewants . From the reviews ive read "Not easily broken" Is a solid movie . They make terrible white movies too but they just get better promotion .Keanu Reeves cant act to save his life but he makes 20 mil a picture .
And Spike Lee for as great as he is still doesnt get support from Hollywood the man had to beg for money to make "Miracle at St. Anna's" . Thetruth of it is Go and support what you think you will like . And if you want to take it a step further Write a movie something might happen for you (Affleck& Damon )

 

[worldbeefreeg]

Originally Posted by AirAnt23

Another point I made! I mentioned that I grew equally frustrated that a lot of those movies started to show groups of friends who were all incredibly successful (4 friends: one's a lawyer, one's a doctor, one's a ballplayer, etc.). That got stale, too.

All of a sudden they peg me as damn near a race traitor and accuse me of not believing that Black people can achieve things.

And I'm with the notion that we should go independent. I'd be more willing to supporting a GOOD independent Black film, almost no matter the premise. DF!!!

And the idea that "blacks" can only make black media is ridiculous. The Wire is some of the best film/television made about blackculture in a long time.

I agree with you on the lawyers, doctors type movies because while there are plent of Blacks in America who are, it doesn't really aptly describe theAfrican-American state in America. The black upper middle-class that these people show in the movies is such a small minority that it really isn'tperteanant to many people's every day lives.

 

[frankie valentino]

Because you need to stop thinking of movies as a chance for black people to tell a story. It's about a studio making money off an investment, and if it sohappened that a movie like "Love & Basketball" was a a $200 million blockbuster, you better believe they would churn out more predominantly-Blackmovies.

 

[i drink your milkshake]

My students and a teacher today were laughing offa something that happened on "meet the browns".....guess people do really watch that show

 

[toast1985]

People that know me, already know how I feel about Black Movies. Not too off from hip-hop, at a all time low when it comes to creativity.

...And people as me why am I into "white people things", lol we really need to expand our horizon.

Now that I think about it, pretty much Black everything runs stale to me,...of course for every Tyler Perry, there is a Spike Lee. For every Solja Boy/Gucci Mane South, there is a Nas, or Blu. and for Every Katt Williams, there is the obvious Chappelle.

And for all of the Chappelle's of their respective fields, they do not take being Black for granted, in fact their art exemplifies their race. However,they are unconventional in their approach to their art. Which is really sad.

 

[yeezy st laurent]

Spike Lee's World War II movie about Black soldiers.
Budget $45,000,000
Gross revenue $9,282,871

Tom Cruise's World War II movie about a Nazi soldier.
Budget $75 million (official) to $90 million (reported)
Gross revenue $61,831,659

Both movies are based on historical facts and Spike's joint isn't anything like the movies AirAnt mentioned. I guess the world would rather watch TomCruise as a German (with an American accent no less while the other Germans had British accents).

And Daniel Craig is starring in an upcoming World War II movie... I wonder how well it'll do in the box office