Black Films and Foolery

I saw a promotional video for the newest black dance movie “How She Moves” and all I could do is shake my head. I’ve often been accused of not supporting black movies but my response to that is …… give me something worth supporting! I am tired of all the dancing, pimps, college themed, get rich quick themed, same ole tired ass movies. The film industry is made mostly of white people who do not recognize black film makers, but I must say that most of these movies are not Oscar, Golden Globe or SAG worthy. The only time black movies seem to get nominated for these types of awards is for making movies about dead black musicians or dead movie stars.


Believe me I want to support black movies and we have plenty of great actors and actress who can fill great roles Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, Queen Latifah, Don Cheadle and Will Smith this is to name a few. Most of these actors chose their films wisely and only participate in films that show blacks in a positive manner. However, this rule keeps them out of work and out of the spot light. Anytime film makers want to represent the progressive Negro they use the same people like Morris Chestnut, Sanna Lathan, Gabriella Union and Taye Diggs.
Don Cheadle was quoted as saying, “Good scripts are rare. I still turn down a lot more roles than I accept," says Don Cheadle, nominated for a best-actor Oscar for Rwanda. "A lot of scripts still call for you to play the street hood or the sidekick. It can be discouraging."

When was the last time you saw a well written, great cast all around great black movie. I imagine Sidney Poitier, Lena Horne and Harry Bellefonte cry inside each time a movie like First Sunday and Soul Plane comes out. How can we expect black movies and black actors to excel when all we produce is ghetto slop? We want America and other nations to view African Americans as productive, successful, insightful, and intelligent group of people. Nonetheless, most of our films are exactly opposite of what we want to represent. I understand that all white films do not uplift white people and some of there movies are just as bad as ours…. Gigli, Wayne’s World, Step Up ect… All these white movies sucked, but they don’t have the responsibility of uplifting their people….we do. So with that said I will not spend my hard earned money on niggerish movies. I want more, more movies that reflect black life, more movies that uplift the black community, more movies that shows the black experience and more movies that inspire us as a people.


I saw a promotional video for the newest black dance movie “How She Moves” and all I could do is shake my head. I’ve often been accused of not supporting black movies but my response to that is …… give me something worth supporting! I am tired of all the dancing, pimps, college themed, get rich quick themed, same ole tired ass movies. The film industry is made mostly of white people who do not recognize black film makers, but I must say that most of these movies are not Oscar, Golden Globe or SAG worthy. The only time black movies seem to get nominated for these types of awards is for making movies about dead black musicians or dead movie stars.


Believe me I want to support black movies and we have plenty of great actors and actress who can fill great roles Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, Queen Latifah, Don Cheadle and Will Smith this is to name a few. Most of these actors chose their films wisely and only participate in films that show blacks in a positive manner. However, this rule keeps them out of work and out of the spot light. Anytime film makers want to represent the progressive Negro they use the same people like Morris Chestnut, Sanna Lathan, Gabriella Union and Taye Diggs.
Don Cheadle was quoted as saying, “Good scripts are rare. I still turn down a lot more roles than I accept," says Don Cheadle, nominated for a best-actor Oscar for Rwanda. "A lot of scripts still call for you to play the street hood or the sidekick. It can be discouraging."

When was the last time you saw a well written, great cast all around great black movie. I imagine Sidney Poitier, Lena Horne and Harry Bellefonte cry inside each time a movie like First Sunday and Soul Plane comes out. How can we expect black movies and black actors to excel when all we produce is ghetto slop? We want America and other nations to view African Americans as productive, successful, insightful, and intelligent group of people. Nonetheless, most of our films are exactly opposite of what we want to represent. I understand that all white films do not uplift white people and some of there movies are just as bad as ours…. Gigli, Wayne’s World, Step Up ect… All these white movies sucked, but they don’t have the responsibility of uplifting their people….we do. So with that said I will not spend my hard earned money on niggerish movies. I want more, more movies that reflect black life, more movies that uplift the black community, more movies that shows the black experience and more movies that inspire us as a people.