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Monday, January 23, 2012 | 10:04am
[RANT] ‘RED TAILS’ is Trash and So Is the Premise of ‘Supporting’ It.
Have we not learned anything from Obama yet?
I have always loved the movies. For some odd reason over the years I have grown an affinity towards World War II films. I don’t know what it is, perhaps the high complexity of the war, all the players and characters from Mussolini to Hitler, from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima, Auschwitz to Normandy. It’s all a very sad tale granted given the lives on all sides lost but one that defines our globe in a way that no other event in history in my opinion ever had before.
One such subplot that has always been of particular interest to me as part African American and to many black folks is that of the Tuskegee Airmen experiment. This group of Army Air Corps pilots from the 332nd Fighter Group and 477 Bombardment were the first African American military pilots and were pretty damn good. Their story has been told several times over.
Way back in 1988 George Lucas of Star Wars fame began developing the film we now know as Red Tails about their experience. Several hold ups, technological issues, some bureaucracy and perhaps a bit of racism has held up the film until its eventual release this past weekend. Lucas covered the entire cost of production with his own dough and put in additional $35 million for distribution. A few weeks back on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show Lucas confirmed what we suspected. Film studios balked at financing his film because it was believed an all-black cast with no major white roles would never make money. I guess 19 Million people disagreed with that this weekend.
My question is why? I was actually torn as to whether to see the movie despite wanting to. Over the past few weeks black folks have taken to social media to encourage their counterparts to go out and SUPPORT this film. Support? Support!
I have a major beef with this. To me, support is what I did for the panhandler asking for spare change in the subway this morning. Support to me is when I dole out the few bucks I didn’t have a specific use for that someone else could perhaps do more with. Support, to me, is when I would attend some boring lecture sponsored by one of the social organizations on campus back in college. SUPPORT is doing something I don’t want to do.
I would end up going to see the film with my pops who was extremely excited to see the film given the fact his friend was being depicted in the film by Cuba Gooding Jr. But like him I was left disappointed when we left. The film was OK. I won’t go into why because it doesn’t matter. It was mediocre like a lot of films I have seen.
The fact is this isn’t the first black movie. In fact, Spike Lee’s “Miracle at St. Anna” a few years back though quirky told a better story of the black experience during WWII than this film could have ever have dreamed of. But the Black Social Media mob would try and convince you otherwise. “You MUST go and see this film” was the rallying cry. Their premise was the struggle and racism overcome to get this film made, the all black cast, the fact that it told a story about African Americans.
While some of the blind promotion was justified, did not that premise fly in the face of why the Tuskegee Airmen were successful? Does it not contradict the lessons we learned from Barack Obama’s presidency? Were these individuals not successful because they were GOOD, and ascended despite the obstacles, instead of a charity case in need of support? Why can’t we be encouraged or encourage others to see a film because it was good? And as I suspected the unfortunate result in the end was in fact it wasn’t. Not worth the time, my $25 bucks when you throw in popcorn etc and not worth George Lucas’s 25 years. Sorry. I wish I was wrong but it’s the truth.
FILED IN Editorials, Movies
From a strictly film standpoint, I know what you mean.
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I went and saw the film ‘Atlas Shrugged’ because it’s my favorite book and it’s the first and only film that tries to tackle the book. But wow, want a pile of dog sh*t that film was.
But aren’t you afraid that by speaking out against this film you’ll be kicked out of the black club?
.
If that happens, what then? I’ll tell you what… you’ll have to do a press conference with Jesse or Al, you’ll have to make a donation to some charity; and it will wind up costing you more than the $25 you blew at the theater.
I hope they kick me out the black club honestly. Its like any other “black club” I’ve ever been a part of. Always late, never organized, everyone talking over each other. But you’re probably right. Captain African America may launch a campaign against me. Gas prices are up so the payout might be steep.
But at least you’ll be some company for the Coz
I took my wife, son and daughter to see the movie. I paid my 50+ dollars, made my 9 year old pay for his and his little sister’s snacks. As Juan said, the movie was okay. It told a story, Star Wars it is not, even though it could have been. It tells of only four missions the Tuskegee Airmen went on and some of the politics involved to warrant such.
.
At this point I look at it like this, imagine the film that could have been made if it had the budget of saaaaaay, Bewitched, ummmmm Cold Mountain, uuuummmm, Arthur,…uuummmm any of the bullshit corny remakes, all white casts. Red Tails could have easily been a saving “A Private Ryan”, but there was NO BACKING. So I think that that’s where the public support comes in. The public support shows the big wigs in Hollywood that poeple do want to see movies with all black casts, about subject matters that are lesser known.
.
My son loved it, it motiviavted him. I was able to turn it into a learning opportunity, dealing with race relations, to worldly inventions, to military history. It proved its point….. to me anyway.
Well if it managed to serve as a learning tool for your son then it was well worth it. My main point is if you want me to support…make a better movie. He clearly dipped into the Wire/ HBO bag-o-actors and they left much to be desired. I agree it could have been Saving Private Ryan but wasn’t. I think a lot of good movies have been made with low budgets this wasn’t one of them. Why couldn’t the actors act better, the writers write better doesn’t make sense to me but my gripes were more with the blind support of the film. Want to make a point…make a better movie.
But you missed the point, Juan. Without the big Hollywood budget, all you get is Terrance Howard, who to me is a “B” actor at BEST, FUCK HIS OSCAR, and Cuba Gooding Jr, who is still riding the Boyz in the Hood and Jerry MacGuire train, and HBO series left-overs. Unfortunatley, Denzel, Samuel Jackson, Forest Whitaker, etc; arent going to work for the change George Lucas has left over after buying a Big Mac. As everything in life you get what is within your bugdet, and without the big Hollywood budget the budget for this movie was on a financial diet, and on this diet a better movie could not be made on this subject matter.
I didn’t go see it, but I will…I will go see it because there have been plenty of corny white movies that I have gone to see, and at least, I’ll be “Supporting,” lol…however, I feel you Juan. I absolutely abhorre the over-the-top stereotypical cliches in movies like this…and I really don’t care for Cuba Gooding Jr. or Terrence Howard….why can’t they just make a movie with Black people, without the added crap? They play up the stereotypes to get white people to go see it, as well. Because, for the most part, white people do not look at Black people as equals, rather as entertainment or someone to laugh at or marvel at our athletic ability or sexuality.
R u sure we are not brothers in another life? What up E.L. it was just ok but as u said there are bang of corny ass White films that I have supported like Due Date . Paranormal Activity just 2 name a few .
I think we must have been separated at birth, lol.
1st of all the movie was just ok as Juan stated I will have 2 agree and of course just when u thought the brutha was going 2 get BecKKKy or Sophia in this case he is killed aint that some shit?
I do notice that we have 2 go 2 these corny ass routes when it comes 2 promotion of films with African Ameicans as the main character unless it’s movie about get’n high or killing 1 another aka A Hood Movie or on some Sacrface level drug movie. I am just glad Madea wasnt in it or had Madea Meets the Tuskegee Airman .
I thank George Lucas 4 putn up the cheddar 2 get this movie made , yet ppl will say it was done already in 1995 with Laurence Fishborne…true but how many times has Superman or Batman been rebooted and people come out by the 1000′s to support those movies.
I also noticed in the film industry African American film-makers, writers,producers, and directors can not nor will not ever make fantasy or superhero movies or movies about space travel . I noticed most of our movies are reality based dealing with the Hood,or social issues or race. I 4 1 will SUPPORT any movie with color and some kind of substance 2 it. Red Tail is no Oscar worthy film and Cuba did better as Tre in Boyz in the Hood and T.Howard was better in Hustle and Flow just off acting . Go see it though bcuz maybe more movies with an African American story line might have a chance 2 see a Board room meeting before being rejected.
I’m sold. Well put. PREACH!
I haven’t seen it yet. But I will support it for the same reason 2na$$Tee said. I bet I have seen way worst white movies. ( the Green lantern ).
And I wish some black Gilmore maker would take up Hannibal Barcca, or queen Nzinga. Or some fantasy films.
This reminds me of a conversation I had with a girlfriend of mine. She was fussing at me because I, in her words, need to get up on my black movies. She was very adamant with thinking that it was because I was half white why I don’t go out of my way to see black movies.
She went on and explained to me that as a black woman she had a responsibility to support black movies (and to this day if black people are on the cover she buys it). So as she ignited a race war within myself, I decided to join her in her crusade and sat down with her and watched many a 90′s black films, and many more recent independent black films. As I did so, I realized something about a good 65% of the films…..they weren’t that good.
Thinking maybe it was just me and my mulatto complex holding me back from appreciating these fine black pieces of cinematic art, I said to her finally, “You think these movies are pretty good, huh?” Her reply was, “Hell no, most black movies are notorious for bad acting and low production value. I just like supporting black movies.”
I stopped watching movies with her after that, and I have no desire to see Red Tails whatsoever….
George Lucas is racist to try explain racism… today racism happens in all sides, not only with one group. He say “red tails support black people” wow! George Lucas think the black people are weak? he think is the first sample of challenges in black history? Another Retarded Wars Movie by this fat. George Lucas is a retard, selfish and ignorant.