African-American movies: Best of...

As always, choosing the "best of..." list is extremely difficult that everybody can agree on. So I chose my own list :)

Not in any particular order:

Boyz N the Hood (1991): Tale of three friends growing up together in the hood.
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HOLLYWOOD SHUFFLE (1987): Spoofs of Siskel and Ebert, and Rambro.
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Malcolm X (1992): Spike Lee in top form.
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LEAN ON ME (1989): How can you go wron with Morgan Freeman.
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A Raison in the sun (1961): A true acting talent, Claudia McNeil!
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Harlem Nights (1989): Not a strong directorial debut by Eddi Murphy, but it got Redd Foxx, Della Reese and Ricahrd Pryor.
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Do The Right Thing (1989): The exchanges of "cornermen" are side splitting :D
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Honorable mention (1971): A Tour De Force.
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I've got some choices too. Interesting subject.

1. "In the Heat of the Night" - Poitier and Steiger tear of the screen in this tale of murder, predjudice and pride. Including 5 of the most explosive words ever uttered on the screen... "They call me Mr. Tibbs." Wow...

2. "Glory" - The rare instance where film educates and entertains at the same time. Most of America assumed that Blacks just waited like sheep for other's to free them... now we know different. I can't watch the campfire scene without tears... As a veteran I know what a "frontal assault" means...

3. " When We Were Kings" - He was as great a figure of liberation as either Malcom or Martin. Muhammed Ali, boxer, rebel, icon man.

4. "Zulu Dawn" - The other battle that took place, the one Hollywood never showed before, where the natives, with spears ans shields defeated the the British Army at the height of its power.

5. "Boyz n' The Hood" - To live and Die in L.A. A world hitherto unseen.

6. "X" - Spike Lee's bio-epic of power and scope rarely equalled in Hollywood. Amazing film.

7. "Do the Right Thing" - Lee's best film and most complete film. Shwed that despite all taht had occured since the 60's we still lived in a divided nation ready to tear itself apart at a moments notice.

8. "Black Orpheus" - Black Brazil in all it's beauty wonder and sensuality.. I recently viewed this film in color for the first time... Stunning.

9. "A Soldier's Story" - Superb film that shows that the wounds of predjudice strike deeper then you could ever know. Sometimes the slave, hates himself as much as he hates his master.

10. "Men of Bronze" - A documentary of Black Soldiers in WWI. Unwanted in Pershings "Rainbow Division" they fought under the French Tricolor. According to Pershing, "black is not a color of the rainbow".

11. "The Spook who sat by the door" - Small blaxplotation film far more dangerous in what it says then any of its day.

As you can see I left "Shaft" and "Superfly" off the list. Medicocre detective film at best and flawed story as well. Both are significant only in that they showed a desperate Holloywood a new source of money to be exploited and did they. :cool:

It's a shame that people are still separating a person's colour with race. call me an idealistic fool but it's "human race" no qualitifer or quantifier or any other fier needed.

It's also interesting because if you look at cop buddy movies like Lethal Weapon what would this be viewed as? Is this considered an African American movie and if not why not and if so why?

Is it ruled out because there is a white character? Really Danny Glover and his family play a prominant role moreso than the Gibson character in some respects. And it is Glover who takes out the top bad guy.

How about the movie Grand Canyon. It's a shame that the media is so perverse with heightening fear of differences. I was watching Bowling for Columbine the other night on TV and it was amusing but also sinister when the news media were reporting on the killer bee epidemic... the evil "African" killer bee is mean and violent and will "getcha" but the good European Bee is pleasant and won't hurt a fly. :rolleyes:

Someone once said that everyone is prejudiced to some degree which is no doubt true -- but some ways of proving this is just crazy.

This fellow asked me that if I was on a Subway at 1am and a group of four black guys wearing gang colours got on would I be afraid they would get me. I said yes I would feel certainly apprejhensive and my heart reate would raise to border on fear. So he said see you're stereotyping.

The only problem with that argument is that if a group iof white guys came on wearing gang colours or the Hell's Angels I would have the exact same fear!! Maybe I'm just paranoid.

Sorry off topic but I'm taking a class right now on stereotyping prejudice racism and surprisingly it brings up some issues withon oneself you never thought was there.

Also really liked Lean on Me - quite an uplifiting movie. Boyz was very good and so was Malcolm X. And I thought that Angela basset was royally hosed for not winning the Academy Award fo "What's Love Got to Do With It"

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Originally Posted by Worf101

As you can see I left "Shaft" and "Superfly" off the list. Medicocre detective film at best and flawed story as well. Both are significant only in that they showed a desperate Holloywood a new source of money to be exploited and did they.

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Good selections Worf.

But I may not agree with your commnet about Shaft. Before Shaft, african-american movies were very low keyed and centerd about their sruggle. But Shaft changed that image to a in your-face-kick-butt kind of movie that was not seen before. Just look at how many movies tried to immitate Shaft, but failed. It was very refreshing :)

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Originally Posted by RGA

It's also interesting because if you look at cop buddy movies like Lethal Weapon what would this be viewed as? Is this considered an African American movie and if not why not and if so why?

Is it ruled out because there is a white character?

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Lethal weapon probably does qualify as African-American movie, but then catagory becomes too broad. Most movies that were listed had mostly afrcica american charactors or directed by one.

In movies like LW or Beverly Hill Cop, one probably could replace the leading black actor to a white guy, and story still come out the same. But you can not say the same thing about some movies that were listed :)

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Originally Posted by Smokey

Good selections Worf.

Lethal weapon probably does qualify as African-American movie, but then catagory becomes too broad. Most movies that were listed had mostly afrcica american charactors or directed by one.

In movies like LW or Beverly Hill Cop, one probably could replace the leading black actor to a white guy, and story still come out the same. But you can not say the same thing about some movies that were listed :)

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so how does it qualify? does Hustle & Flow count? (white director) Roots? (multiple white directors) Does From Hell count? (white cast, directed by the Hughes Brothers) or Spikes' Summer of Sam? Is it just a primarily african-american cast? I-Robot? Independence Day? Ali? Finding Forrester? Do they count?

It's an unfortunate subject as to what is classified as an 'african-american movie' (or more appropriate marketed exclusively to an african-american audience) by the industry and one just has to look at Soul Plane as an example of this. Although, i guess Dukes of Hazzard is a "white" movie to help even things out.

And it really depends on who is replacing who as far as the story still coming out the same. Bad Boys was originalls pitched with Dana Carvey and John Lovitz as the leads. No way that's the same movie. :)

but... for some that unequivocally qualify (imo) i'd say:

Hoop Dreams - excellent documentary following the lives of two nba hopefulls while still in highschool and how they're lives progress.

Standing in the Shadows of Motown - the impact of the Funk Brothers on nearly every group coming out of motown.

Lilies of the Field - mr. poitier finally breaks through, winning the academy here (although screwed over by not even being nominated for In the heat of the night. also could toss in Stir Crazy, directed by Poitier).

peace
k2

I don't wanna talk about race, I have already talked it to death in the off topic section.

Aside from the other movies mentioned above, I would like to add

1. Diary of a mad black woman.
2. Big Momma's house
3. The Preachers Wife (even though I dislike Whitney Houston profoundly)

I liked these three movies alot. Along with the ones mention previously.

Watch the scene where the Spanish slave traders "dump some of their cargo" to save money. It makes me cry every time. "Give us our Free!" very powerful.

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Originally Posted by Hairsonfire

Watch the scene where the Spanish slave traders "dump some of their cargo" to save money. It makes me cry every time. "Give us our Free!" very powerful.

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I completely forgot about this movie!! I am really surprised I did with all this conversation of slavery in the off topic section.

Would "Soul Man" be an "African American" movie? :confused:

Regardless, it was good.

JSE

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Originally Posted by Kam

And it really depends on who is replacing who as far as the story still coming out the same. Bad Boys was originalls pitched with Dana Carvey and John Lovitz as the leads. No way that's the same movie. :)

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That movie might have been better with latter actors you mentioned. It had alot of potential (like the opening scene), but it end up in the gutter :mad:

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Originally Posted by Sir TT

I don't wanna talk about race, I have already talked it to death in the off topic section.

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Thanks Sir TT. As it was said, this movie is not about the race. Was just trying to narrow the catagory of this genre. Btw, Big Mama's house was hilarious :D

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Originally Posted by JSE

Would "Soul Man" be an "African American" movie?

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Forgot all about that movie. Thanks for mentioning it.

As far as if it qualify as african-american movie, the decision is pending :D

Sorry I miss this posting earlier but here is my list:


Once upon a time when we where colored
Boomerang
The Best Man
Soul Food
Rosewood
PeaceMaker
Coach Carter
Higher Learning
The Tuskegee Airmen
Biker Boyz
How to be a Player
Head of State
Deliver Us from Eva
The Wood
School daze

Now what I like about my list is that all of these films could have been made with white or black cast (maybe not How to be a player.....lol) Just good films and having a black cast made the story better.
I could go on with my list but a few have been posted with others. I would like to add Training Day, but that is cause of it reminded me of myself way too much when I was a Cop. I got chills watching it.

You totally forgot the best "B" movie of all time- DOLAMITE motha ****'as

can we include: The color purple
The Great White Hope
The inkwell
all Pam Grier movies
Jungle Fever
does " Blade " count?

...and in my limited experience..."Glory"...

jimHJJ(...I thought "Ray" was very good also...)

Beauty Shop and Beauty shop II Both damn hilarious movies I caught this weekend. Queen Latifah is so good in comedy and the rest of the supporting actors where just too good. Good story line, gut busting laughter.

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Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible

Beauty Shop and Beauty shop II Both damn hilarious movies I caught this weekend. Queen Latifah is so good in comedy and the rest of the supporting actors where just too good.

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Haven't seen those movies, but have you notice that Queen Latifah's booty have gotten bigger lately :D

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Originally Posted by Smokey

Haven't seen those movies, but have you notice that Queen Latifah's booty have gotten bigger lately :D

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LOLOLOL, she wants it that way!!