Is BARBERSHOP right about Rosa Parks?
Simply reinforcing Eddie's point - there are some things we, as Black people, need to get real about. What's interesting to me is that the mindset that unfairly criticized this movie is similar to that which led to certain Rosa Parks progenitors being denied their place in history, i.e. we need perfect symbols, not flawed human beings, to rally around.
September 30, 2002
Eyes Half Closed
A few weeks ago, LA Weekly published a teaser from a new book called "The Conversations", in which Michael Ontdajee, author of "The English Patient", interviews Walter Murch, long-time editor for Francis Ford Coppola on films like The Godfather Trilogy, Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, and others. The coolest comment Murch makes: he believes that story telling in film is in the same stage today as music was before they figured out how to articulate sounds in the form of sheet music, and that he looks forward to the day when someone develops a similar kind of notation for motion pictures. Of course, this gives the engineer in me a warm-fuzzy. Years ago, I saw Delroy Lindo interview Spike Lee, where he said something similar - i.e. we haven't seen a Duke Ellington or Miles Davis of filmmaking yet, but it's coming.
A few weeks ago, LA Weekly published a teaser from a new book called "The Conversations", in which Michael Ontdajee, author of "The English Patient", interviews Walter Murch, long-time editor for Francis Ford Coppola on films like The Godfather Trilogy, Apocalypse Now, The Conversation, and others. The coolest comment Murch makes: he believes that story telling in film is in the same stage today as music was before they figured out how to articulate sounds in the form of sheet music, and that he looks forward to the day when someone develops a similar kind of notation for motion pictures. Of course, this gives the engineer in me a warm-fuzzy. Years ago, I saw Delroy Lindo interview Spike Lee, where he said something similar - i.e. we haven't seen a Duke Ellington or Miles Davis of filmmaking yet, but it's coming.
Gleefully Pagan Quote of the Day
"But they are... are naked!"
"Naturally! It's much too dangerous to jump through the fire with your clothes on!"
- Sargeant Howie (Edward "The Equalizer" Woodward) & Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), discussing a bunch of nymphs in THE WICKER MAN (1973)
Christopher Lee considers this the best performance of his career. I think it's wholly incorrect to catagorize this movie as a horror film, but it definitely has it's moments. As always, the less you know going in, the better. But I give it a pretty affirmative thumbs up. Neophyte filmmakers take note: the making of featurette on the DVD is worth the price of admission alone. Check it out.
"But they are... are naked!"
"Naturally! It's much too dangerous to jump through the fire with your clothes on!"
- Sargeant Howie (Edward "The Equalizer" Woodward) & Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee), discussing a bunch of nymphs in THE WICKER MAN (1973)
Christopher Lee considers this the best performance of his career. I think it's wholly incorrect to catagorize this movie as a horror film, but it definitely has it's moments. As always, the less you know going in, the better. But I give it a pretty affirmative thumbs up. Neophyte filmmakers take note: the making of featurette on the DVD is worth the price of admission alone. Check it out.
September 27, 2002
BROWN SUGAR in Theatres October 11th
I saw a trailer for this when I saw BARBERSHOP. Now, I've been talking for years about the need for more movies about Black romance, and it looks like Rick Famuyiwa & Michael Elliot have beaten me to the punch. But it looks really good. Definitely worth checking out.
I saw a trailer for this when I saw BARBERSHOP. Now, I've been talking for years about the need for more movies about Black romance, and it looks like Rick Famuyiwa & Michael Elliot have beaten me to the punch. But it looks really good. Definitely worth checking out.
September 26, 2002
Getting Whitey
A 25 year old article about Black Exploitation films, written during their heyday. Very interesting, in light of the ongoing debate about BARBERSHOP. Particularly this quote, that I've taken completely out of context: "The superhero creates elitist, worshipping attitudes and enforces your sense of personal worthlessness." Revs. Jackson & Sharpton: please take note.
A 25 year old article about Black Exploitation films, written during their heyday. Very interesting, in light of the ongoing debate about BARBERSHOP. Particularly this quote, that I've taken completely out of context: "The superhero creates elitist, worshipping attitudes and enforces your sense of personal worthlessness." Revs. Jackson & Sharpton: please take note.
"Are you SURE The South lost the Civil War?"
Interesting footnote: Although my home state of Maryland fought on the side of the Union, it remained a slave state up until Lincoln officially outlawed slavery. To this day, there are more monuments to Robert E. Lee in Maryland than any other Civil War figure.
MGM Stands by Beleaguered 'Barbershop'
This is the first article I've seen about the subject that seems to give a bird's eye view of the community
reaction, rather than just shilling for our self-appointed "leaders".
Film Revisits Biggie, Tupac Murders
Things like this make me believe that the L.A. Times article was a plant by certain parties to throw suspicion off of themselves.
September 24, 2002
Greetings! Well, after eons-worth of complains of all the mail traffic I generate with my "this looks interesting" e-mails, I think I've finally found the proper vessel for my daily brain dumps. I'll store all of the news & quotes & little bits of internet minutae, all for your amusement and re-education. This is still very much a work in progress, so bear with the broken links. Enjoy.
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