Communities of color are often underrepresented in the executive boardrooms of movie studios and production companies. Black American communities comprise 12 percent of the national theatrical audience, but our input is undervalued in the spaces where crucial components of movies are decided. We can’t depend on Tyler Perry to advocate for and deliver quality, accurate…
The Oscar nominations are in, and they certainly have people talking. Lincoln, Steven Spielberg’s biopic about the 16th president, led the group with 12 nominations, and Life of Pi was second with 11. The much-talked about Django Unchained was nominated for Best Picture, but Quentin Tarantino was left out of the Best Director category, and only…
Last year, the film Red Tails shined a light on the oft-forgotten story of the Tuskegee Airmen, an all-black group of fighter pilots during World War II. Despite the inspirational story, many were a bit perturbed by the lack of black women in the film. While black women were an integral part of that time…
Much has been said, written, and discussed about black women the past few years. From how our education levels affect our marriage prospects to whether or not our hair plays into our fitness routines, black women have been at the center of the media’s attention. In the midst of this focus, many black women and…
I’m going to keep my sarcasm to myself on this one, but as R. Kelly prepares for the debut of his R&B theatrical opera on IFC this weekend, word on the street is he may be adapting it for the stage. During a press preview for the IFC premiere, which hits TVs on November 23,…
I’m not sure how I feel about this, but according to film blog Shadow & Act, Universal Pictures has announced that a sequel to the classic black romcom, The Best Man, will hit theaters next fall. Talk of a sequel spread across the web last year when the cast reunited for a dinner celebrating the…
There has been a lot of talk around the black blogosphere regarding Zoe Saldana’s casting as Nina Simone in an upcoming unauthorized biopic of the legendary singer’s life. While most have roundly criticized Saldana’s selection to play the role because the Afro-Latino beauty looks nothing like Simone, others have decided to wait and see how…
Growing up, many of us had our fair share of dolls. From Cabbage Patch Kids to Barbie Dolls, we happily spent hours playing house, pretending to diaper babies, or styling their hair. While many of us had white dolls (they were widely available after all), some of us opted to have black dolls. Perhaps we…
The critically acclaimed movie, Beasts of the Southern Wild, has been ruled ineligible for ineligible for the Screen Actors Guild Awards because it was not made under the terms of SAG-AFTRA‘s Low Budget FeatureAgreement, which mandates the use of professional actors. Because of budget constraints and wanting to keep to the authenticity of the movie, Beasts’ director, Benh Zeitlin, used locals who had never acted before…
Last year Aretha Franklin announced her autobiography, “From These Roots”, was heading to the big screen. She now has approved a story treatment on her biopic and has ordered a script, according to a release from her rep. She is also in negotiations with top directors and producers. Who would play Aretha? That was the…
