Da 5 Bloods

The Year After Year Blogathon: Malcolm X

BlacKkKlansman

Girl Week 2017: Girl 6

On My Mind: Do the Right Thing, Colin Kaepernick

Thursday Movie Picks: World War II

Chi-Raq

The Acting Black Blogathon: Denzel Washington in Malcolm X

Origin of an Auteur Blogathon: Spike Lee

Pointless Lists: Spike Lee's Top 5 Performances

Thursday Movie Picks: Black and White Movies Made Since 1970

Thursday Movie Picks: Movies with Colors in the title

Oldboy (2013)

Thursday Movie Picks: Movies with Ensemble Casts - Hidden Gems

It's Thursday once again, so it's time for another entry in Wanderer's Thursday Movie Picks Meme. In case you're just joining us on this little adventure, and please do, bloggers are asked to pick three movies every Thursday based on the subject she has selected. You can either go with the best (or your favorites), the worst (or least favorites), hidden gems, or take a crack at multiple categories.

This week's subject is movies with ensemble casts. As opposed to last week's meme, this one is an extremely broad topic. With so many out there, I chose to go with hidden gems. These aren't totally obscure, to be sure, but they've gotten a lot less recognition than I think they deserve. I just want to shed a little light on three pictures that have faded away with the 90s.

My hidden gems are:

The Big Hit

(1998)

The Ensemble: Mark Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bokeem Woodbine, Antonio Sabato Jr., China Chow, Christina Applegate, Lela Rochon, Avery Brooks, Robin Dunne, Sab Shimono, Lainie Kazan, Elliott Gould

Less than a year earlier, Mark Wahlberg had his first real big hit, another ensemble cast flick by the name of Boogie Nights. When this action-comedy flick hit theaters, it opened #1 at the box office, but was quickly forgotten in subsequent weeks. I find it to be a very funny movie about a team of underappreciated team of assassins. When they take a job kidnapping a rich Japanese businessman's daughter, their star player, Wahlberg, finds himself trying to protect the girl. Much like in Boogie Nights, he's just lovably goofy. Lou Diamond Phillips is amazing, here. So, too, are most of his co-stars. Most critics dismissed it. Audiences were rather lukewarm. I had a great time watching it.

Get on the Bus

(1996)

The Ensemble: Charles S. Dutton, Andre Braugher, Isaiah Washington, Hill Harper, Ossie Davis, Bernie Mac, Wendell Pierce, De'aundre Bonds, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Gabriel Casseus, Albert Hall, Steve Hall, Charles Robinson

A year earlier, Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam led The Million Man March on Washington, D.C. It was to be a day of atonement for African American men. It was well attended with many communities sending busloads of black men to the event. Spike Lee's Get on the Bus is a fictional account of one such trip. There are a broad cross-section of personalities representing all walks of life. It's a fun ride with something to say. As far as the public was concerned,  it was met with indifference. It was well reviewed, but has fell out of favor over the years. I'm not sure why. Sure, it's not one of Spike's best, but I found it thoroughly enjoyable.

Set it Off

(1996)

The Ensemble: Jada Pinkett Smih, Vivica A. Fox, Queen Latifah, Kimberly Elise, Blair Underwood, John C. McGinley, Ella Joyce, Charles Robinson, Dr. Dre, Chaz Lamar Shepherd

It's not a list of hidden gems unless it uncovers a 'hood classic. This one follows a group of four young ladies facing some serious financial woes. What other way is there to fix your money issues than to start robbing banks? Well, maybe there are other ways, but that's what these ladies decide to do. It becomes an inner-city crime drama that tells most of its story from the bad girls' point of view. There are a number of really good performances, but the real treat here is Queen Latifah. Her character Cleo is by far the most thugged out of the crew. Everything about Cleo runs completely counter to Latifah's well crafted public persona. I don't know how well known it is outside of 'hood movie aficianados, but it did well at the box office grossing roughly four and a half times its $9 million budget. Still, it was hardly a huge crossover success. That's why I call it a hidden gem. It's an underrated heist movie that deserves more eyeballs.

Click here for more of my Thursday Movie Picks.

Women in Film Blogathon: Troy Carmichael

John from Hitchcock's World has been on a roll and has several blogathons going simultaneously. One of them is titled Women in Film. His aim with this particular blogathon is a noble one. In his own words, he intends "to draw attention to some of the good, strong, female characters we do have in the movies." Indeed, there have been a number strong ladies throughout cinematic history. However, unless you're in complete denial, you know that there are far fewer great female characters than there are male. That alone makes this a worthwhile exercise. Since it is, I want to do my part. Before I get started, though, John did lay down the law...

1. The female character in question should have qualities that make her strong. That doesn't necessarily mean better than the guys, just well-written; we're trying to promote equality here, not reverse misogyny.

2. Unlike my previous blogathon, I'm going to be a bit stricter here and say that each entry should only focus on one character. However, if you like you can write mulitple entries examining different characters.

3. If you can, do try to find less obvious choices. There are a few that I can expect are likely to get picked: Ellen Ripley, Sarah Connor, etc. If you decide to write about any of the "obvious" choices, I encourage you to at least try and find something new to say about them.

4. You are allowed to pick characters from any film, genre, or time period you like.

No problem...

except I occasionally like to be difficult.

This means I'm going to kinda-sorta ignore the title of the blogathon and focus on what the rules say. By that, I mean that the character I've chosen is female, but not a woman. At least, not yet. When we meet Troy Carmichael, played by Zelda Harris in Spike Lee's Crooklyn (1994), she is a little shy of her tenth birthday.

Troy lives in Brooklyn, New York in the early 1970s with her sizable family. There's mom and dad plus four brothers for a total of seven. Chronologically, she's the second youngest of the five children. As the only girl, she wraps dad around her finger and has an extra special bond with mom. Much of her day is spent keeping up with and often outwitting her brothers. When she's not doing that, she's hanging out with her friends and getting into a little mischief.

Right from the beginning, we see that there is a strength to her, but it's something we suspect won't blossom for at least four or five more years. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, that timetable is sped up considerably.

Spoiler alert.

We eventually find out that Troy's mom Carolyn (a wonderful Alfre Woodard) is deathly ill. Near the end of our journey with Troy, Carolyn passes away. Remarkably, Troy steps into her mother's shoes. She literally becomes the woman of the house, running things as her mom would have. While her father Woody, the under-appreciated Delroy Lindo, appears overwhelmed, Troy picks up any slack. At the beginning of the movie, she was just one of the hordes of children in her neighborhood who had their play interrupted by being called in to dinner. By the end, she is the one letting her family know that dinner is ready. She assumes her mother's old post on the steps in front of their house and surveys the area, making sure her brothers are safe and behaving themselves. At ten, her maternal instincts have bubbled to the surface even as she misses her own mother.

What makes Troy a great character is that her transformation is entirely natural. None of it feels contrived, or impossible. Where she ends up feels like the next logical step after all of her earlier steps. She's not some super-child with extraordinary gifts none of us could ever hope to have. She is a kid dealing with a situation head-on. She realizes that a void has been created in her home and fills it as best she can. While her brothers will inevitably rebel against whatever authority she assumes, especially the older ones, they will always know that they cannot do what she does in a seemingly effortless manner. Regardless of what the future may hold for them, they will always respect the way she grabbed the reins of the household.

The most surprising thing about Troy is not anything she does, but in whose world she resides. She is a female character in a Spike Lee movie. Spike is one of my favorite directors, but even I have to admit that his female characters are lacking, to say the least. Troy is not. During the course of time we spend with her, we get a full portrait of what drives and motivates this little girl. Spike has let this young girl dance into our hearts and simply take them over. However, the lion's share of credit for the way in she was portrayed should go to the director's sister Joie. Over the years, she's frequently appeared in her brother's movies, including this one. The twist is that this time around, she has a much bigger role off the screen as she penned the screenplay. It's a wonderful, bittersweet narrative that rings true at nearly every turn.

Despite such an excellent performance at such a tender age, star Zelda Harris has not gone on to a long career as an actress. She would appear as the younger sister of the protagonist in Spike Lee's basketball flick, He Got Game, along with earning a handful of other credits. Her turn as Troy appears to be the high water mark for her. Even if she never again graces our screens, Ms. Harris can hold her head high. She gave us an incredibly strong, and still growing, young woman.

Red Hook Summer

Directed by Spike Lee.

2012. Rated R, 121 minutes.

Cast:

Clarke Peters

Jules Brown

Nate Parker

Toni Lysaith

Heather Simms

Thomas Jefferson Byrd

De'Adre Aziza

Colman Domingo

Tracy Camilla Johns
James Ransone

Spike Lee

Silas (Brown), aka Flik, has lived all of his very young life in Atlanta with his mom. This summer he's going to spend his vacation from school with his grandfather Bishop Enoch (Peters), whom he's never met before. To say the two are different is a massive understatement. The bishop lives in Brooklyn's Red Hook housing projects, is an intensely devout Christian, pastors Little Piece of Heaven, the neighborhood church, and is fully embedded in the community. He is also most definitely old school in his ways. All of them. Silas' house in Atlanta is in the suburbs, it seems he's never been to church, he walks around recording everything on his iPad and wants nothing more than to go back home. Nonetheless, he's stuck for a couple months. The two trying to understand each other while Silas learns the ropes of surviving in Red Hook ensues.

For director Spike Lee, it's a return to his Brooklyn roots. He even includes a brief reprisal of his role as Mookie from the classic Do the Right Thing. It's a place he knows exceedingly well and loves despite whatever blemishes it may have. This much is evident throughout the film. It is most easily identifiable during the totally unnecessary montage that closes the movie. Spike lets his cameras take longing looks at both his beloved borough and the entire city of New York. However, where Spike's movie really shines is when he's using that camera to create statements and metaphors. Simply put, there are some amazing shots in Red Hook Summer. The most poignant of these deal with the ceiling lights at Little Heaven. A section of them forms a cross and figures prominently in three very powerful shots. Between these shots is perhaps Lee's most frightening double-dolly sequence ever. If you're familiar with the director's work then you've seen the double-dolly shots, the portions of his films where the camera will be in tight enough on a character, or characters, that only the upper portion of their body is visible. He/she will be moving toward us viewers in a way that makes it seem as if they are floating. This is his signature move. Here, the movement is more subtle than usual, but grows in intensity, and has just a bit of shaky cam thrown in. It may only be ten or fifteen seconds of the movie, but it is a brutal moment.

Camera tricks are nice, but most people will be more concerned with the story and whether or not it holds their interest long enough for us to care by the time we get to the finale. The answer is yes...and no. The yes part is easy. Bishop Enoch is a rich character, full of faith, stubbornness, fear, and mystery. To many in the movie, he represents what's good about the community and he has uncompromising values. Still, he's leery of the local rif-raf even as he occasionally approaches them and tries to nudge them in the right direction. However, the most anyone knows of him before his arrival in Red Hook is that he came from "down south." Clarke Peters wraps all of this up into one dynamite package. He plays the role perfectly, both in the bishop's quieter moments and at his most boisterous, brandishing fire and brimstone.

The no part is a bit trickier. Much of it has to do with Silas and Chazz (Lysaith), the girl he hangs around. For starters, his story isn't sufficiently explored. After his mom drops him off in Brooklyn during the film's opening scene, she disappears from the movie for all but one brief scene an hour or so later. She could potentially add much in the way of context for Silas, but gives almost none. Similarly, little is done with what is revealed about his father. All we really get is that the boy is homesick. That's fine, but he whines so much about it, he's tough to like. Chazz is a much more fun personality with her unmistakably Brooklyn attitude and an interesting take on the world around her. The biggest problem with both of these characters is that they are poorly acted. Brown and Lysaith sound like they're using what they think to be their acting voices, like you might here in a school play. Many of their movements are too deliberate, artificial looking. It feels like Spike should have told them in rehearsals to just speak and act naturally. Since their exploits comprise a large chunk of the movie, it can be quite distracting.

The climax of the movie is where it will completely grab you or totally lose you. While this is true of lots of movies, the feeling is amplified here. The shot I spoke of earlier, which contains the big reveal, is the lightning rod moment. It may seem over the top and coming in from way out deep in left field. If that fits your line of thinking, you might just tune it out right then and there. If this is an "oh wow" moment for you, you'll be pulled into the fold, far more invested than you were before this instant. It turns into the sort of harsh social commentary Spike Lee is known for.

But is it too harsh? Viewed through the prism of the director's public distaste for Tyler Perry, it is hard not to see this as at least a partial backlash against the message Perry aggressively pushes throughout his body of work, a deconstruction, if you will. In that vein, it may feel heavy-handed and overly reactionary. However, I believe in judging each film on its own merit. Red Hook Summer makes no overt references to anyone else's work, so what I've written is pure speculation. Juicy, it may be, but still speculation. As a stand-alone, it ultimately succeeds by offering Bishop Enoch up for debate. Is his story one of redemption or does it end in eternal damnation? There is also the nagging question of how all of this affects Silas. While not among his best work, it is far from his worst. His return to Brooklyn seems to have re-invigorated him. RHS is intriguing, yet uneven. It is also the most passionate film he's made in years.

Blogathon: Life, Love, and the Movies

Lots of us bloggers have thought about how life, love, and the movies are intertwined. Now, I have an excuse to write about it. I swung by Mettel Ray and came across her post yesterday entitled just that. It is part of a blogathon put together by My Filviews and Karamel Kinema. Of course, the only logical thing for me to do was swing by those sites and see what was going on. When I got there, I saw an open invitation to participate in the Life, Love, and the Movies blogathon. It started up yesterday. so if you wish you can take a crack at it if you wish. Here's mine...

1. What was the first movie you saw in the cinema and what do you remember about that visit?
The first movie I remember seeing in the theater was one I blogged about a couple weeks ago, Enter the Dragon. I remember that it was a triple feature! Man, those were the days. I have no clue what the other two movies were, or even if we stayed to watch them all. The only thing I really remember is being completely under the spell of Bruce Lee.

2. Are there any movies you have very strong memories of which are not because of the movie (for example something which happened at the time you were watching it)?
I have a few of these. When I went to see House Party, a huge fight broke out in the aisle less than 20 feet away from me. When I saw Tim Burton's original Batman, my date and I got there early and saw a number of celebrities stroll into the theater. Another celebrity moment happened when I went to see Species. NBA star Grant Hill sat right across the aisle from me. More importantly though, it was the first date for my wife and I. I remember the eerie silence and stillness of the theater after the conclusion of The Passion of the Christ. My most recent odd theater experience happened when I took my family to see The Dark Knight Rises. It was the second weekend it was out and therefore after the shooting that took place in a Colorado theater where it was showing. My daughters were very concerned that something was going to happen. I comforted them, but couldn't help but be a little unnerved whenever one of the exit doors opened which happened several times.

3. Which movies had a big impact on you and changed a (small) part of your view on life?
One that immediately comes to mind is Spike Lee's School Daze. The movie's message about how stupid it is that we, as black people, spent so much energy discriminating against each other on the basis of complexion struck a chord with me. I had not only experienced this, but often participated in this as a youngster. From then on, I've tried my best to steer clear of such stupidity. It was tough when I was young, but part of who I am, now.

4. Do you have any comfort movies which you return to because you are in a specific mood (for example if you are feeling down/nursing a heartbreak)?
There are probably too many to name. From time to time, I'll just get in a mood for a specific genre and grab something that fits. Or, I'll just want to revisit something from my youth. I don't think I've ever picked a movie based on my emotional state.

5. If a movie would be made about your life, what type of movie would it be and who would you like to portray you?
It would be a "dramedy" and plenty of the secondary characters would be outlandish people. As for who I would like to portray me, I've no clue. Physically, Kevin Hart is about the closest thing to a match I can think of. However, I'm not that guy. Therefore, I'd prefer someone unknown who can bring across some of my unique qualities.

6. Which existing movie best represents you?
I have to return to Spike Lee again. In this case, two of his movies probably combine to do the trick. The first is Do the Right Thing and second is Crooklyn. I actually grew up in Queens, New York, not Brooklyn. Still, these two movies are perhaps the best representations of my formative years. In both, the screen is filled with people who seem like I've crossed paths with them while growing up.

7. If you knew you would die tomorrow, what would be the last movie you would want to see?
That's a tough one. I might have to go with Do the Right Thing. It's just a masterpiece as far as I'm concerned.

8. If you can spend your life working in the film industry, what would you be and why? (you know, director, producer, actor, cinematographer, costume designer, sound designer etc?)
I would definitely be a writer. It's what I love to do. Though I certainly wouldn't turn down the opportunity to direct.

1. Did you ever have a first kiss with someone while at the cinema and if so which movie was playing?
Honestly, I don't think so. I've had kisses at the theater, but none that I can remember as the first between myself and the person I was kissing.

2. What is your favorite movie relationship and why?
Another tough one. At the risk of turning this whole post into an ad for Spike Lee movies, I'm going to that well one more time. I'm a guy who grew up without my father around anywhere near as much as I would have liked. I am also someone who now cherishes my relationship with my own son. Therefore, I have to go with the relationship between Denzel Washington (as the father) and Ray Allen (as the son) in He Got Game. It represents both ends of the spectrum for me. And it's a wonderful movie, to boot.

3. When did your love for movies start and how has it grown?

It really started with Star Wars, the young'uns now call it A New Hope. It was just so huge in scope with really cool special fx, lots of action, the whole good vs. evil thing, and a funny love triangle to boot. As a wee tyke all of six years old, it just blew me away. For a long time, I watched almost exclusively what would be called 'guy flicks.' However, over the years I've grown to appreciate movies of all sorts. What remains with me specifically from Star Wars is the sense of wonder I have whenever I watch films with great special fx whether the movies themselves are any good, or not.

4. If you have to choose one film to watch with your loved one, what would it be and why?

I'd probably say Love Jones. It's one movie my wife and I both love and it's perfect for a date night. Added bonus for me, I can get away with ogling Nia Long.

5. If you can choose one character from a movie to be your significant other who would it be and why?

I did just mention Nia Long, didn't I? Therefore, I'd probably say just about any character she plays.

6. What was the first movie that made you fall in in love with film and cinema?

Star Wars really is "the one" for me. See my answer to question number three in this section.

7. How did your passion for movies turn you into a movie blogger?

A forum I used to frequent had a thread discussing movies. I started posting short reviews there. Before long, I created my own thread just for my reviews. At the time, I was working at Blockbuster and watching more movies than I ever had before. Continuing to do the reviews combined two of my great passions: movies and writing. It was only logical that I would become a movie blogger.

8. What is your favorite date from a movie?
Since Love Jones is now fresh in my mind, I'll go with one from there. It's actually the second date for our two leads played by Ms. Long, of course, and the very underrated and underused Larenz Tate. She regretted sleeping with him after their first date and wanted to see if there was something there besides sex. The two had just a wonderful "movie" date: lots of laughing and dancing and then ended the night trying in vain to keep their hands off one another. 

Okay, I've fulfilled my requirements for class participation. You can also be down. Just follow the rules below:

- Give answers to the 16 questions above
- Write a blog post about it
- Include one of the blogathon logos in your post
- Add a link to the blogathon announcement so others can participate as well
- Leave a comment with a link to your post

Greatest Basketball Movies

Another basketball season has come and gone. What should you do about getting your basketball fix? If you’re lucky, like me, you live in an area where there’s some good summer hoops to take in. Here in the Triangle (in North Carolina) we have an excellent annual pro-am event starting up next week. So last year I got an advanced viewing of John Wall against pro and major college talent. Some of you may have seen the youtube vid of him dunking on Jerry Stackhouse; same league. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there that night, but he did some impressive stuff when I was there.

If you’re not so lucky maybe you can catch some NBA summer league games on cable. Honestly, I usually don’t bother with that. How about mixing in some drama with your b-ball? If you go that route, these are my greatest basketball movies of all time...

10. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
Moses Gunn, played by the awesome Julius "Dr. J" Erving, is on a fictional pro team in Pittsburgh. He's great but the team sucks. One of Gunn's fans, who's like 15 years old, gets hired & he in turn brings in a psychic who decides the only way this team will succeed is if they bring in all new players that were born under the sign of Pisces cuz Moses Gunn is a pisces. I'm not even making this up. Movie critics the world over will tell how much it sucks but I love it.

9. Above the Rim
Tupac is the local gangsta that runs the street-ball world. The rest of the cast, including star Duane Martin, is capable but at the end of the day it's Pac's charisma that carries the movie. Throw in solid work by the always underrated Leon & we have the makings of a 'hood classic.

8. The Heart of the Game
We follow the Roosevelt Rough Riders, a Seattle high school girls’ basketball team. Their eccentric coach Bill Resler is infectious. He keeps things as loose as possible. However, the real heart of this documentary is star player Darnellia Russell and the trials and tribulations she goes through.

7. Love & BasketballOkay, so an all-out chick-flick makes the cut. Sanaa Lathan & Omar Epps grow up as extremely talented ball-playing next door neighbors who happen to have a thing for each other. Admittedly, even with plenty of basketball being played throughout (the movies even physically broken into four "quarters" like a game is) it boils down to being a romance. For this movie, and one other on this list, I can let that slide.

6. Rebound: The Legend of Earl “The Goat” Manigault
Based on the true rise, fall & rise of NY playground legend Earl "The Goat" Manigault. One of my faves, Don Cheadle, is in the lead-role. Growing up & playing a lot of ball in the city, I heard plenty of stories about "The Goat" so maybe nostalgia gets it this high up on the list but it really is a very good movie. The only one on the list that was made-for-tv. HBO did the honors & they generally make much better movies than other networks.

5. White Men Can't Jump
Woody Harrelson & Wesley Snipes take advantage of the stereotype that white guys aren't as good at basketball as black guys & hustle on various courts in L.A. Lots of basketball and hilarity ensues. Of course, it's the love story that plays out between Harrelson & one of the women of my dreams, Rosie Perez that provides the movie with balance. Well, it really makes it a bit of a chick-flick but for Rosie I'll make an exception.

4. Soul in the Hole
This documentary contains exhilarating, New York City streetball and gut-wrenching drama as we follow two basic storylines. First, we watch the “Kenny Kings” try to go undefeated through the summer. Second, and this is the tough part, we watch the relationship between the team’s coach Kenny Jones and his star player Ed “Booger” Smith, whom Kenny has taken in and cared for as if he were his own son. No one who has seen this movie will ever forget “Booger.”

3. He Got GameThe story of Jesus, Shuttlesworth, that is. Director Spike Lee takes on the college recruiting game & scores big. Real NBA baller Ray Allen plays the lead but helping to elevate a suspect cast are Rosario Dawson as the opportunistic (read: gold digging) girlfriend & the already legendary Denzel Washington as the dad trying to persuade his son. It’s edgy, funny & not given nearly enough credit for predicting the hype surrounding the high school career of LeBron James. Yup, that's what I said.

2. Hoosiers
For many, this is the quintessential sports movie not just basketball movie. It’s Rocky on the hardwood. Gene Hackman is pure genius as the new head coach who has to deal with all the local riff-raff telling him how to do his job. If the story of an underdog high school basketball team in Indiana doesn’t warm your heart, you don’t have one.


1. Hoop Dreams
The intertwining, yet independent tales of William Gates and Arthur Agee make for arguably, the greatest sports documentary of all time. We meet the boys just as they are about to enter high school and leave about a year after they graduate. What happens in between is touching, sad, triumphant, wonderful, bittersweet and just perfect filmmaking.


Just Rimmed Out (honorable mention):

The Air Up There
Blue Chips
Coach Carter
Glory Road
The Great Santini
Gunnin' For That #1 Spot
More Than a Game
Pistol: The Birth of a Legend
Semi-Pro
Space Jam
Sunset Park
Teen Wolf

Bricks (terrible):

The 6th Man
Celtic Pride
Crossover
Juwanna Mann
O
Rebound

DNP - Coach's Decision (haven't seen):

Eddie
Finding Forrester
Forget Paris
A Season on the Brink
That Championship Season