Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 16th to 22nd, 2021 - Update #16

by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"

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ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURE NEWS:

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Recent "Superman" actor, Henry Cavill, is in talks to play the lead in the Lionsgate's reboot of the 1986 film, "Highlander."  Chad Stahelski ("John Wick") is scheduled to direct.

STREAMING - From THR:   Tony Award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. has joined the cast of "Knives Out 2."

TELEVISION - From Deadline:   Alice Englert ("Ratched") and Nicholas Denton ("Glitch") have been cast as the notorious lovers "Merteuil" and "Valmont" in Starz’s original series, "Dangerous Liaisons," a reimagining of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ classic 18th century novel, from Lionsgate TV, Colin Callender’s Playground Entertainment and Tony Krantz’ Flame Ventures.

COVID-19 - From YahooEntertainment:   Oscar-nominated actress Salma Hayek has revealed her secret and near-fatal battle with COVID-19.

HEALTH - From YahooWashPost:   Nineteen percent of adults with high blood pressure take drugs that worsen the condition.

STREAMING - From Deadline:  Reports indicate that Amazon is in talks to buy movie studio, MGM.

MOVIES - From Deadline:   Writer-director Joe Cornish is reuniting with actor John Boyega for a sequel to their cult sci-fi film, "Attack the Block," the film that launched Boyega's career.  Cornish and Boyega are also among the four producers of "Attack the Block 2."

BOX OFFICE - From Variety:  The winner of the 5/14 to 5/16/2021 weekend box office is "Spiral: From the Bok of Saw" with an estimated take of 8.7 million dollars.

AT&T/DISCOVER - From YahooFinance:  AT&T admits it made a terrible mistake getting into media business with Discovery deal as it spins off WarnerMedia and merges it with Discovery.

From Variety:  WarnerMedia and Discover are officially merged, and Discovery Inc. President and CEO David Zaslav will lead the combined companies.

From Deadline:  AT&T, which owns WarnerMedia, is considering combining its media assets with Discovery.

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BROADCAST TELEVISION - From Deadline:  The site presents a photo gallery of broadcast network TV series that were cancelled during the 2020-21 television season.

From Deadline:  CBS has cancelled its courtroom drama, "All Rise," after two seasons.

CABLE TELEVISION - From Variety:   CNN personality Don Lemon is getting a new show.  "CNN Tonight with Don Lemon" has been replaced with "Don Lemon Tonight."

MOVIES - From YahooTelegraph:  Irish actor Liam Cunningham talks about "Game of Thrones" and wealth and privilege and the working class.

OBITS:

From Deadline:    Comedian, writer, actor, and social critic, Paul Mooney, has died at the age of 79, May 19, 2021.  Mooney may be best known as Richard Pryor's writing partner, writing for and with the legendary Pryor.  Mooney was the head writer on Pryor's groundbreaking show, "The Richard Pryor Show," which ran for four episodes in September and October of 1977.  He co-wrote material for three of Pryor's comedy albums, including "Live on Sunset Strip" (1982).  Mooney is also well-known for his appearances on Comedy Central's late sketch comedy series, "Chappelle's Show."

From Deadline:  Actor, talk show host, comedian, and author, Charles Grodin, has died at the age of 86, Tuesday, May 18, 2021.  Grodin was best known as a supporting actor in many high profile comedies in the 1970s and 1980s, including "Heaven Can Wait" (1978), "Real Life" (1979), and "Seems Like Old Times" (1980).  He co-starred with Robert De Niro in the 1988 action-comedy "Midnight Run."  Grodin made numerous TV appearances, and in 1978, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work on "The Paul Simon Special."  Lesser known about Grodin is his work for fair sentencing for non-violent drug offenders.

Review: "PAUL MOONEY: Know Your History - Jesus is Black and So is Cleopatra"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 59 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Paul Mooney: Know Your History – Jesus is Black and so is Cleopatra (2007) – video
Running time:  83 minutes (1 hour, 23 minutes)
DIRECTOR:  Bart Phillips
WRITER:  Paul Mooney
PRODUCERS:  Shane Mooney and Malik Levy, Adrian Z. Sosebee, and Shawn Ullman
EDITOR:  Donnie Leapheart

CONCERT - Comedy

Starring:  Paul Mooney

Paul Mooney (August 4, 1941 – May 19, 2021) was an African-American comedian, writer, social critic, and actor.  Mooney was best known for his association with legendary comedian Richard Pryor, writing for and with Pryor.  Later, Mooney gained fame for his appearances on comedian Dave Chappelle's television sketch comedy series, “Chappelle's Show.”

Mooney was a comedian who seemingly loved controversy.  After all, he was also the creator of the character, “Homey the Clown,” for the early 1990’s TV sketch comedy series, “In Living Color.”  Mooney returned to the small screen with the DVD release of his stand-up comedy film, Paul Mooney: Know Your History – Jesus is Black and So is Cleopatra.  Mooney took center stage at Hollywood’s Laugh Factory for a stand-up comedy performance, which was recorded and became this film.

In Paul Mooney: Know Your History – Jesus is Black and So is Cleopatra, Mooney delivered his incendiary brand of comedy.  From the opening moments, he charged into his fiery subjects, which usually included racism, white people, racial tension, and, in this performance, the finer points of Black History.  He talked about divas, living in White America, President George W. Bush, Scientology, and various social and political topics.

Know Your History is edgier, darker, and perhaps a bit more mean-spirited than a previous Mooney DVD release, Paul Mooney: Analyzing White America (2004).  I am sure Analyzing White America was once known as Paul Mooney Live, and it was much funnier than Know Your History...  Still, in this second film, Mooney discussed racism and racial issues in America like no one else, and did so with the passion and honesty that most mainstream American political and social commentators could never match.  For all his bluntness, Know Your History... still had me doubled over with laughter.  Know Your History... is funny, but white people, the politically correct, and the sensitive are warned.  Professor Mooney’s history lesson might burn your mind to a crisp.

The stand-up is interspersed with some documentary footage and also testimonials from a number of celebrities including David Alan Grier, Lori Petty, and Sandra Bernhard, whom Mooney once mentored.  In light of his recent passing (as of this writing), I recommend that you seek out Paul Mooney: Know Your History – Jesus is Black and So is Cleopatra, dear readers.  If you don't know him, Mooney, as sharp social critic, is worth discovering, and if you only know his TV work, here a chance to discover Mooney at his best.

7 of 10
A-

Saturday, March 31, 2007 / Revised Wednesday, May 19, 2021


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Review: "Good Hair" Hilarious, But Fairly Empty

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 49 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Good Hair (2009)
Running time: 96 minutes (1 hour, 36 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some language including sex and drug references, and brief partial nudity
DIRECTOR: Jeff Stilson
WRITERS: Lance Crouther, Chris Rock, Chuck Sklar, and Jeff Stilson with Paul Marchand
PRODUCERS: Jenny Hunter, Kevin O'Donnell, Nelson George, and Jeff Stilson
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Cliff Charles (director of photography) and Mark Henderson
EDITORS: Paul Marchand and Greg Nash
COMPOSER: Marcus Miller

DOCUMENTARY

Starring: Chris Rock, Maya Angelou, Eve, Melyssa Ford, Megan Goode Ice-T, Nia Long, Paul Mooney, Cheryl “Salt” James and Sandra “Pepa” Denton, Rev. Al Sharpton, Raven-Symoné, and Traci Thoms

At the beginning of his documentary, Good Hair, Chris Rock says that his daughter, Lola, came up to him crying and asked, “Daddy, how come I don't have good hair?” Bewildered, the Emmy-winning comedian, talk show host, and actor decided to find out what in African-American culture would put such a question in his little girl’s mind. To find answers, Rock, the film’s star and narrator, crosses continents and oceans. Traveling from New York to Atlanta and from India to Los Angeles, Rock visits a hair show, a scientific lab, a hair products manufacturer, and an Indian temple. Rock also visits numerous hair salons.

Along the way, he explores the way Black hairstyles impact Black people’s lifestyles and activities, pocketbooks, and sexual relationships. He even gets African-American women to talk about how their hair affects their self-esteem. A number of celebrities, entertainment industry figures, and public figures (from Maya Angelou and Rev. Al Sharpton to Ice-T and Salt-N-Pepa) candidly offer their stories and observations about Black hair. He may not get his answers, but Rock will discover that Black hair is a big business that doesn't always benefit the Black community.

The truth is that Good Hair, directed by Jeff Stilson, is less a documentary than it is like a feature news piece one might see on “20/20” or "Dateline NBC." There is a lot of funny stuff here, some of it quite shocking, but most of this movie really lacks a social or historical context. Rock and his co-writers certainly get close enough. For instance, the film reveals the fact that a large segment of the “black hair industry” is controlled by Asian-Americans who shut out African-American entrepreneurs. Rock touches upon it, but never really delves into that. He just skims the fact that in the 1980s, white-owned corporations like Revlon set out to remove Black-owned companies and corporations from the hair care business, where over 80 percent of the money comes from African-American customers.

No, rather than really examine the lack of Black ownership, Good Hair brings it up and then, it’s on to the next freak show. And that’s what this movie is – a freak show. It is very entertaining – often hugely entertaining, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who is African-American or is interested in African-American culture. There is even a touch of sadness here, as if the filmmakers were recording an on-going tragedy. Good Hair, sadly, is a documentary that touches upon greatness, but ultimately decides to be little more than a delightful and hilarious puff piece.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2010 Black Reel Awards: 1 win: “Black Reel Best Documentary”

2010 Image Awards: 1 win: “Outstanding Documentary (Theatrical or Television)”

Saturday, July 03, 2010

Review: "Bamboozled" is Clever and Truthful, But Too Angry

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 121 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

Bamboozled (2000)
Running time: 135 minutes (2 hours, 15 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong language and some violence
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Spike Lee
PRODUCERS: Spike Lee and Jon Kilik
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ellen Kuras
EDITOR: Sam Pollard
COMPOSER: Terrence Blanchard

COMEDY/DRAMA

Starring: Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tommy Davidson, Michael Rapaport, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Paul Mooney, Sarah Jones, Mos Def, Al Sharpton, Mira Sorvino, and MC Search, Cameron Diaz, meet Jada Pinkett-Smith. Jada, meet Cameron. There but for the grace of God.

Pierre Delacroix (Damon Wayans) is a frustrated African-American television writer, tired that the television industry and entertainment in general ignores the cultured (he thinks) taste of the black middle class in favor of lowbrow and stereotypical so-called ghetto entertainment. Determined to show up his crude boss Thomas Dunwitty (Michael Rapport, Deep Blue Sea), Delacroix, with the help of his able assistant Sloan Hopkins (Jada Pinkett-Smith, Set It Off), develops a blackface program, The New Millennium Minstrel Show. Blackface shows were crude forms of entertainment in which whites wore black face paint to imitate blacks, and Delacroix and Hopkins create their blackface TV program in a secret pact to protest the way white media bosses disrespect black viewers. Sure that the show will fail and get him fired, Delacroix watches the show become a huge sensation.

Bamboozled is writer/director Spike Lee’s (Malcolm X, Summer of Sam), most incendiary and most passionate film since his heralded Do The Right Thing. It is a biting satire with razor teeth and an unrelenting surrealistic farce. Lee aims the satirical portion of his film, the behind the scenes making of the minstrel show, squarely at the entertainment establishment and the audiences for American entertainment. Lee severely heightens the farcical nature of the minstrel show beyond what one would expect of a “real” minstrel show. He does it make his jabs at blackface, tom shows, minstrel shows, and other forms of drama that belittle minority groups hit that much harder.

As passionate as the film is (and as well intentioned as it may be) it is horribly inconsistent. I’m not sure if the inconsistency is deliberate, a means to show how complex issues of race and culture in America are, or if that’s just a sign of poor screenwriting (of which Lee has been accused on a few occasions). Bamboozled is at times uneven, mean-spirited, and confusing; at other times, it is hilarious, pointed, intelligent, and witty. The main problem is that those two sides jumble the film’s messages. The viewer may have an idea of what the film is about, but the viewer may have a difficult time figuring out what exactly Lee wants to say or what he is actually saying.

Some of the acting is very good. Tommy Davidson as Womack, one half The New Millennium Minstrel Show’s star team, Sleep’n Eat, is a fine comedian and a very funny, but underutilized comic actor with some strong dramatic chops. Savion Glover, both as Manray and as his minstrel alter ego Mantan, is known for his work on Broadway, but he is very good here, and the camera loves him almost as much as the lights of Broadway love him. Wayans as Delacroix swings from funny to unbelievable; his character’s mannerisms and speech patterns are so mocking that the character is unbelievable and, at times, too unsympathetic to watch. The waste in the film might be the under use of Ms. Pinkett-Smith: sympathetic and intelligent, the story could well have revolved around her, as she is the only character connected to all the main players.

This is a missed opportunity to make a point about the exploitation of black entertainers, past and present, and about the stereotypical portrayal of African-American in the media and in popular culture. As a film, it is daring in its subject matter, and that’s worth points in its favor. However, movies tell stories and entertain. Lee fills Bamboozled with so much ire while seemingly ignoring his story. The movie is too disjointed for many viewers to follow and too angry and preachy to be entertaining.

It is good that Spike Lee uses film to communicate daring subject matter, even if when get a mixed bag like this. He hit it right on the head with Do The Right Thing, I’m hopeful and sure that he’ll get it right again.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2001 Black Reel Awards: 4 nominations for best director-theatrical, screenplay-theatrical, supporting actor-theatrical (Tommy Davidson) and supporting actress-theatrical (Jada Pinkett Smith)


2001 Image Awards: 1 nomination “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” (Jada Pinkett Smith)


2000 National Board of Review: Freedom of Expression Award

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