January 20, 2012

Three Reasons I'm Not Having an Orgasm About the Movie 'Red Tails'

There is a growing buzz about the movie 'Red Tails' that is opening today. The movie focuses on the heroic Tuskegee Airmen and their performance as pilots in World War II. The movie is directed and produced by George Lucas with a cast that is virtually all-Black. George Lucas gives some background on the challenges that he had to overcome in order to get the movie made in this video clip.




It isn't likely that I'll see this movie at the local cinema. I'll wait until it shows up on Netflix or at my local library. My main reason for waiting is simple -- I like to save money whenever possible and Netflix or the library are much less expensive then going to the movie theater.





There are three reasons I'm not all-out 'ga-ga' about this film:
  1. Give some credit to the 1995 television show! George Lucas makes it seem that this is the first film on the topic. I recall a great film called 'The Tuskegee Airmen' with Laurence Fishbourne, Allen Payne, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Courtney Vance, Andre Braugher, Cuba Gooding Jr., Mekhi Phifer and others.
  2. Terrance Howard is an asshole! The guy has some talent but he seems to always find a way to show disrespect with Black women ... whether it is his apparent hatred for women, his messy divorce, or his recent trysts with white women.
  3. No worthy story lines for Black women! There is some merit in recent blog post from Gina McCauley (What About Our Daughters).
That's my take on the movie. What say u?

5 comments:

Carolyn Moon said...

I totally agree with your 3 reasons, however, I did put the trailer on my blog under independent/cinema previews/shorts for a period.

Some of the well known and respected black actors have stated that it's important that we support these films because Hollywood will use any excuse not to make them. So, I'm just a little conflicted about it.
There is growing movement among indies but the masses usually aren't aware of them which is why I try to feature them as often as I can.

I have a feeling that the t.v. special is better but I'll wait and see.

Overall, it still bothers me when we have all these patriotic speeches in the film about a country that won't let you fight until they are against the wall.
I'm sure the loved ones of the Tuskegee men wanted them to return as well. A common refrain when I mention this is that you fight for the ideals and I might add that although society or the power brokers aren't having it...you continue to struggle until the "truths that are self evident" are realized for everyone.

I still say it's a damn shame that our men had to sit behind prisoners of war (Germans)after fighting for these democratic ideals.

Unknown said...

I also remember the Tuskegee Airmen television movie and it was actually good. I am also not in a rush to see this movie because I ABSOLUTELY DETEST Terrence Howard!! I agree that people are acting like this has never been done before. Overall I am not in a rush to see it. BUT if Hollywood wants to raise awareness (I'm sure they do not) they can do a movie about the Tuskegee syphilis experiments, telling the TRUE story of that.

Bj said...

Im saddened you use the excuses you provide as reason to not support a movie about Black Men. These are the images we should champion, not those of abuse, molestation, cheating, lying, killing etc. I'm often saddened because of the lack of support brothers get from sisters. You'll flock to Color Purple or anything Tyler Perry, anything that plays into that old tired rhetoric. This is a movie that our boys need. A film about men that look like them, doing positive things and sacrificing for something bigger than themselves. I don't care about George Lucas or Terrance Howard. I care about my sons. I care about my nephews. I care about their friends.

Unknown said...

All - I watched the 1995 version of 'The Tuskegee Airmen' last night. I must admit that it softened me up on the upcoming theatrical version. I may go check it out at the movie theater after all on Friday. We'll see...

Unknown said...

All - So ... did y'all see the movie? Was it worthy of the hype?