“Emancipation” (Will Smith)

[kvz5]

 

[MadVillainy]

We don't need anymore slave movies

 

[Pennywise]

‘Emancipation’: Bids North Of $75 Million For Antoine Fuqua-Will Smith Movie – Deadline

 

[Gold Samurai]

It will probably be filmed at Tyler Perry's sprawling Atlanta studios no doubt

 

[samsnee]

We don't need anymore slave movies

I’m divided on this. We might as well say we don’t need anymore comic book movies or romantic comedies. Slave movies is just another genre and if an interesting story can be told in a way that hasn’t been done before, I want to see it.

But I want more black mainstream movies that allow black actors to do more than just show pain and suffering. And no, I don’t mean Tyler Perry movies that are generally made for black audiences and are generally horribly reviewed. If the only time we recognize and reward black movies is when they are about slavery, that’s not progress at all

 

[terry78]

As much as we like to claim otherwise, movies featuring black folks in pain a or being buffoons is what sells. You get the occasional Black Panther.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Eddie Murphy sold an all black cast in a sexy romantic comedy which became a big hit circa 1992. Can’t believe that didn’t spawn more at the time.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

We still need a Schindler's List like masterpiece for slavery. 12 Years of Slave is good but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece.

Having said that Will Smith doing these kinds of movies always come off as corny.

 

[MadVillainy]

I’m divided on this. We might as well say we don’t need anymore comic book movies or romantic comedies. Slave movies is just another genre and if an interesting story can be told in a way that hasn’t been done before, I want to see it.

But I want more black mainstream movies that allow black actors to do more than just show pain and suffering. And no, I don’t mean Tyler Perry movies that are generally made for black audiences and are generally horribly reviewed. If the only time we recognize and reward black movies is when they are about slavery, that’s not progress at all

There's a massive difference between slave movies and constantly primarily showing black people suffering and CBMs and rom coms.
Stop it. Really. That's just nonsense. One has to do with the way a whole race of people is largely portrayed. The others don't. They are not comparable in this instance. Not at all

Slaves, poor, gangstas, social justice causes, struggling, etc. is how most movies with a majority black cast are shown. And with slavery what way can they show slavery that hasn't been done before? And I like some slavery movies a lot. 12 Years, Django, etc. But it's too much. And of course I like plenty of media that feature poor, gangsta, etc. black people. But it's way too much and Black Panther isn't enough.
If we were getting more of a balance, I'd be fine. But what does a slavery movie even do? "Wow I didn't know slavery was like that." And then people move on. We have enough movies of black people being victimized.

It's weird cuz in the 90s we had a good amount of predominately black movies that weren't all downtrodden and they actually were really good movies. All those Taye Diggs, Omar Epps, Sanaa Lathan, Richard T Jones, Nia Long, etc. movies still resonate today, but today it's so limited.

 

[samsnee]

Eddie Murphy sold an all black cast in a sexy romantic comedy which became a big hit circa 1992. Can’t believe that didn’t spawn more at the time.

A good write-up on why the movie didn’t inspire more black films that featured successful black people. Basically studios felt white audiences didn’t want them
For one brief, wonderful moment, Eddie Murphy reinvented himself as a romantic-comedy star

 

[MadVillainy]

Last year actually wasn't bad.
From what I count there were 11 wide release movies featuring largely a black cast

1. What Men Want
2. Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral
3. Us
4. Little
5. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
6. Shaft
7. Dolemite Is My Name
8. Harriet
9. Waves
10. Queen & Slim
11. Just Mercy

5/11 of which had a largely positive reception. 1/11 "coonish" movie. And 4/11 which were black struggle movies.

They need to a) just start making better movies featuring largely black casts, b) start pushing a black star other than Michael B Jordan who will be the big crossover guy...I mean Trevante Rhodes is right there c) make more like The Best Man, The Wood, Love & Basketball, Think Like a Man that doesn't only show us as victims

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

There's a massive difference between slave movies and constantly primarily showing black people suffering and CBMs and rom coms.
Stop it. Really. That's just nonsense. One has to do with the way a whole race of people is largely portrayed. The others don't. They are not comparable in this instance. Not at all

Slaves, poor, gangstas, social justice causes, struggling, etc. is how most movies with a majority black cast are shown. And with slavery what way can they show slavery that hasn't been done before? And I like some slavery movies a lot. 12 Years, Django, etc. But it's too much. And of course I like plenty of media that feature poor, gangsta, etc. black people. But it's way too much and Black Panther isn't enough.
If we were getting more of a balance, I'd be fine. But what does a slavery movie even do? "Wow I didn't know slavery was like that." And then people move on. We have enough movies of black people being victimized.

It's weird cuz in the 90s we had a good amount of predominately black movies that weren't all downtrodden and they actually were really good movies. All those Taye Diggs, Omar Epps, Sanaa Lathan, Richard T Jones, Nia Long, etc. movies still resonate today, but today it's so limited.

You said it all.

And another thing, Hollywood always loves to see us as slaves and get off from black pain but they never/seldom show us before slavery which really pisses me off.

For example, they would never give us a Shaka Zulu movie in the style of 300 or Spartacus. But they would greenlight a slave movie in a heartbeat.

I hate that.

 

[Schlosser85]

I don't think Will Smith is enough of a character actor for when he tries to do these kinds of movies.

 

[samsnee]

I don't think Will Smith is enough of a character actor for when he tries to do these kinds of movies.

Didn’t he turn down Django because he thought white audiences wouldn’t accept him as a slave?

 

[Schlosser85]

Didn’t he turn down Django because he thought white audiences wouldn’t accept him as a slave?

I know he turned it down, I don't remember the reason.

 

[DarkKnight88]

According to Smith it was because he wasn’t the lead, Christoph Waltz was. How true that is, we may never know.

Will Smith rejected Django Unchained role because it wasn't big enough

But later he said he wanted it to be a love story, not a vengeance story.

Will Smith Explains Why He Turned Down 'Django Unchained'

 

[MadVillainy]

He turned it down because it was too hateful. He said it in an actor's roundtable with SLJ

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

I hope after all these years QT wrote Aaron McGruder a nice check for Django. After all he stole two of his characters for that movie.

 

[MadVillainy]

I hope after all these years QT wrote Aaron McGruder a nice check for Django. After all he stole two of his characters for that movie.

???
I know you're not talking about Ruckus and Catcher Freeman because that'd be ridiculous

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

???
I know you're not talking about Ruckus and Catcher Freeman because that'd be ridiculous

No the better question is how don’t you see it?

Uncle Ruckus/Steven were the Uncle Tom trope so that’s a given for any of those kinds of stories but outside of being like Batman, you deadass don’t see the similarities between Django and Catcher?

 

[MadVillainy]

No the better question is how don’t you see it?

Uncle Ruckus/Steven were the Uncle Tom trope so that’s a given for any of those kinds of stories but outside of being like Batman, you deadass don’t see the similarities between Django and Catcher?

I don't see it because Aaron McGruder didn't invent the Uncle Tom. Other people have done similar things in works for years going back to stuff like Mildred D. Taylor. Other than being self hating dark skinned black guys SLJ's character and Ruckus aren't similar. Especially when one is meant for completely satirical and comical effect. Maybe SLJ based his performance of Ruckus. But again it isn't the first time a character like that has existed.

And how were Django and Catcher similar? Other than being slaves who revolted? Completely different personalities, completely different looks, completely different methods of going about things, completely different ways for how they were handled. Catcher Freeman was treated like a superhero or a savage beast or something fake. Django wasn't.

This is just lazily associating two things that have some very basic similarities.
So far as I know, QT never said that he was inspired by Boondocks and it's not like the characters are so similar that he owes MacGruder anything. That's dumb

 

[Schlosser85]

I’m divided on this. We might as well say we don’t need anymore comic book movies or romantic comedies. Slave movies is just another genre and if an interesting story can be told in a way that hasn’t been done before, I want to see it.

But I want more black mainstream movies that allow black actors to do more than just show pain and suffering. And no, I don’t mean Tyler Perry movies that are generally made for black audiences and are generally horribly reviewed. If the only time we recognize and reward black movies is when they are about slavery, that’s not progress at all

It's how LGBT movies used to only be about AIDS or some real-life hate crime. Or be totally depressing and angsty like Brokeback Mountain about closeted miserable people in the sixties. An actual high-profile mainstream feel good gay rom com like Love Simon is still rare.

 

[Shinobi Shaw]

I don't see it because Aaron McGruder didn't invent the Uncle Tom. Other than being self hating dark skinned black guys SLJ's character and Ruckus aren't similar. Especially when one is meant for satirical and comical effect

And how were Django and Catcher similar? Other than being slaves who revolted? Completely different personalities, completely different looks, completely different ways of going about things, completely different ways for how they were handled. Catcher Freeman was treated like a superhero or a savage beast. Django wasn't.

This is just lazily associating two things that have some very basic similarity

Nah.

As far as Django and Catcher, different goals yes, but same outline and character traits. Good hearted ex-slave who goes back to free the ones they love; with Django it was Kerry Washington, with Catcher it was the rest of his people. And then they both were good at combat, one just had the silly ninja things going on (according to Granddad).

But I agree with you about SLJ's character and Ruckus, that's basically what I was driving at.

 

[kvz5]

It's how LGBT movies used to only be about AIDS or some real-life hate crime. Or be totally depressing and angsty like Brokeback Mountain about closeted miserable people in the sixties. An actual high-profile mainstream feel good gay rom com like Love Simon is still rare.

Same thing with Asian movies too which was why Crazy Rich Asians was such a moment because it presented Asians in a different light.

 

[MadVillainy]

Nah.

As far as Django and Catcher, different goals yes, but same outline and character traits. Good hearted ex-slave who goes back to free the ones they love; with Django it was Kerry Washington, with Catcher it was the rest of his people. And then they both were good at combat, one just had the silly ninja things going on (according to Granddad).

But I agree with you about SLJ's character and Ruckus, that's basically what I was driving at.

That's just silly. They didn't have the same outline and character traits at all. Other than that very basic: they're both ex slaves who revolt
Catcher was the stoic, well built no nonsense superhero like character who is just fighting to free all slaved people.
Django was this mild mannered, meek slave who we eventually see rise to be this deadpan snarky, gun toting bad ass who just wants to get his wife back.

They're really not that similar at all other than that very base thing.

But I digress