due to hit theaters on October 7th 2016, let US ALL Make sure WE put pressure on EACH of the local theater chains in advance to ensure that "THE BIRTH OF A NATION" gets the same treatment as all other movie releases. And be sure to check your ticket stub to make sure it says "THE BIRTH OF A NATION" on it. Let us not forget the fuckery that went on back in 1992 when "MALCOLM X" moviegoers were given tickets labeled for "Batman," thus credit for how many people went to see/box office revenue was steered away from its true intended place. If "THE BIRTH OF A NATION" is successful, then this gives much more leverage for other filmmakers to put out more biopics about our true Black Heroes...
So as I clicked on the link to the first trailer for Actor/Director Nate Parker's upcoming Nat Turner Biopic "THE BIRTH OF A NATION," I found myself just a tad bit overwhelmed by the vibrations coming from watching the images of Nat Turner evolving from a preaching pawn to that of a Revolutionary-imagery made ever so much more powerful as Nina Simone's rendition of "Strange Fruit" provides a fitting background. For years I and others complained about how many movies there have been made about watered-down representations of slavery-but almost none about True Freedom Fighters. But then came Nate Parker to the rescue. From first glance, it appears that we not only get to see one of our True Heroes; but also a more grittier look at the violent and oppressive reality that was chattel slavery. For those unaware, Nate Parker's biopic about Nat Turner's 1831 Slave Rebellion not only won the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize at The 2015 Sundance Film festival-but also commandeered the highest investment from a Major Motion Picture Company in Sundance history at $17.5 Million Dollars. due to hit theaters on October 7th 2016, let US ALL Make sure WE put pressure on EACH of the local theater chains in advance to ensure that "THE BIRTH OF A NATION" gets the same treatment as all other movie releases. And be sure to check your ticket stub to make sure it says "THE BIRTH OF A NATION" on it. Let us not forget the fuckery that went on back in 1992 when "MALCOLM X" moviegoers were given tickets labeled for "Batman," thus credit for how many people went to see/box office revenue was steered away from its true intended place. If "THE BIRTH OF A NATION" is successful, then this gives much more leverage for other filmmakers to put out more biopics about our true Black Heroes...
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Most of us have seen some of the artwork that was featured in "The Black Panther" Newspaper, but few of us know the man behind the beautiful imagery of the movement. Emory Douglas first joined The Black Panther Party in 1967, and shortly thereafter was promoted to The Minister Of Culture post, and also placed in charge of the Black Panther Publication. Emory Douglas began his career in graphic design after being placed in a California Youth Authority program for youthful offenders. He began working in the print shop, and would later go on to college to pursue his dreams. Once linked up with The BPP, Douglas was tasked with communicating the ideals of Black Empowerment, seeing the enemy for who it truly was, and espousing on the ideals of The Party's Ten Point Program to masses that either did not actively read or could not read very well at all. At its height, the paper reached a circulation level of more 400,000 papers per week internationally. Emory Douglas used his art to Fight the Good Fight, from 1967, right up to the Black Panther Party's bitter end in the early 1980's. Today his is a semi-retired father of three, and has toured the world featuring his art to those who his art has inspired over the past 40+ years. #RespectThePioneers #PowerToThePeople "DR. BLACK, MR. HYDE" 1976"Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde" is a slightly humorous 1976 Black Exploitation Era Horror flick from the same director that brought us "Blacula" in 1972. The movie tells the story of Dr. Henry Pride, who operates a Free Health Clinic in Watts, and is seeking to come up with a cure for Liver Disease. Initially testing his serum on mice, he eventually becomes frustrated and desires to take his work further (and this is where the fun begins). Highly reminiscent of the story of Yacub, Dr. Pride watches as his previously Brown mouse mutates/turns pale white and becomes violent with all within its immediate circumference. The same repeats once he injects a dying patient with the same drug concoction. When said patient dies the next morning, the good doctor then begins injecting himself, and mutates into this uncontrollable pale monster that begins wreaking havoc in the community-culminating in a fantastic finale at The Watt's Towers. Like many of the better movies of this era, "Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde" including its fair share of Beautiful sistas, Pimps, prostitution, Poverty, doing good in The Community, Exploitation From Those Outside Of The Black Community and more. The film also features several familiar faces, including Bernie Casey, Rosalind Cash, Ji-Tu Cumbuka, Stu Gilliam, and more... Enjoy! Alternate Link:When I first heard that yet another "Rocky" sequel was on the way, my first instinct was to frown & vomit. But upon learning that this one centers around the emergence of one Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed, that got me to paying attention. Add in learning that Michael B. Jordan, of whom I've been a long time fan, was cast to play Creed & then the excitement began to flow so much that I began writing this post before even watching the trailer. So here it goes. Enjoy! Oh by the way, the movie is scheduled to hit theaters on November 25th and also features Wood Harris & Phylicia Rashad. Far to often, the contribution of those who broke down barriers go unrecognized & stay under the radar. And after quietly having put in more than 30 years in the game, Don Cheadle certainly deserves to considered among the greatest talents Hollywood has ever seen. And he did it HIS WAY... Actor, Writer, Producer & Director. Don Cheadle has come a long way from his small reoccurring role on TV's "Fame" in 1986. Per imdb.com, Cheadle's first credited role came in the 1984 short Story "3 Days." By 1986 his acting career was in full swing, and as of 2015, Don Cheadle has a total of 78 Acting Credits (along with 9 as a Producer, 3 Director Credits, and 2 Writing Credits). While few would remember him as Henry Lee on "Fame," Cheadle definitely left his mark in the roles of Rocket in 1988's "Colors" and as Private Johnny Washburn in 1987's "Hamburger Hill." He also made cameos on several of the most popular television shows of that time, such as "Hill Street Blues," "L.A. Law" & "Night Court." Rolling into the nineties, Don would be all over both the Big & Small Screens with roles in "The Golden Palace" TV Series, "Meteor Man," "Devil In A Blue Dress," "Picket Fences," "Rosewood," "Boogie Nights," "The Rat Pack," "A Lesson Before Dying," and multiple others. Cheadle won a Los Angeles Film Critics Award for his role in "Devil In A Blue Dress." He won a Golden Globe Award & was nominated as Best Supporting Actor Emmy for his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr in "The Rat Pack." He would also receive an Emmy Nomination for his role (with Cicely Tyson) in 1999's "A Lesson Before Dying." “I also believe that you are what you have to defend, and if you're a black man that's always going to be the bar against which you are judged, whether you want to align yourself with those themes or not. You can think of yourself as a colourless person, but nobody else is gonna.” In the new millennium, don's star only grew BRIGHTER, and now he he could focus energy on roles that could tell more effective stories of The Black Experience & more Positive Black Characters. Notable film & television appearances include: "Traffic" 2000 - "er" (TV Series) 2002 - "Crash" 2004 - "Hotel Rwanda" 2004 - "Ocean's Twelve" 2004 - "Talk To Me" 2007 - "Brooklyn's Finest" 2009 - "Iron Man 2" 2010 - "Flight" 2012 - "Iron Man 3" 2013 Cheadle would win Oscars for his roles in "Crash" & "Hotel Rwanda," and be nominated for several others. He continues to shine as Writer/Actor/Executive Producer on the Showtime Series "House Of Lies," and is set to appear in the Highly Anticipated upcoming Films "Avengers: Age of Ultron" & The Miles Davis biopic "Miles Ahead." Don Cheadle was born in Kansas City, Missouri on November 29, 1964 to a a school teacher & clinical psychologist; and has been honored for his work to bring attention to the crises in Rwanda & Darfur. “I've been doing this since I was 10 years old, inhabiting different people and playing different roles. Thirty years later, there's still the same sort of excitement I get from it. It's still fun to inhabit different characters and play different things, so it's all in that panoply of acting.” |
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