Not Satisfied ::: Spike Lee on Eastwood Ommitting Black Troops in his WWII films

Spike Lee is not pleased as to the lack of interest in Clint Eastwood's camp for for the lack of African American Soldiers in his WWII Iwo Jima Epics. From my opinion he does have good reason to point out the obvious lack of African American representation in the films. However he will not be heard much during the festival. Then again, he knows that, but to him if two hear, then he spoke his piece.

Lee who's upcoming film project tiled "Miracle at St. Anna," which is a story of an all black U.S. Division fighting in Italy during the war. He said that Mr. Eastwood's films were "whites Only affairs."

"He did two films about Iwo Jima back to back and there was not one black
soldier in both of those films," Lee stated at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.

"Many veterans, African-Americans, who survived that war are upset at Clint
Eastwood. In his vision of Iwo Jima, Negro soldiers did not exist. Simple as
that. I have a different version," stated Lee.

As I reported yesterday, Clint Eastwood was at the Festival, promoting his upcoming missing child drama, the "Changeling," starring Angelina Jolie. As usual a reporter was redirected when an attempt was made to get answers from Mr. Eastwood. The reporter was told to only ask questions on the new film.

Well we know that Mr. Lee will not let this one go that easy, but for now we will just wait it out. Since he has to promote his own film I would take it that he will fall back a little and do just that. With " Miracle at St. Anna" due out this October it is high time he get to promoting it. The film stars Derek Luke, Michael Ealy, Laz Alonso, and Omar Benson Miller - in the Buffalo Soldiers division in Tuscany.

Should be a good watch.


Source

American Idle :::: It's a Different world for many, but in the eyes of SINBAD it is the same.

As reported on Entertainment Weekly blog, Sinbad the comedian from TV, 1987's A different world and Movie past(Cherokee Kid and first Kid), has decided to bless us with his take on current events. The comedian has taken a serious stance on what SNL's Fred Armisen; Barack Obama Sketch and also feels that the issues that Barack Obama's Pastor has raised are important topics that need to be discussed.

He stated; "If you have not lived as a minority you don't have to pay attention to a lot of things in America. And then when it's brought up...they get mad, they don't want you to bring it up, they get angry," Sinbad told EW.com. "I mean sometimes, even as minorities, you don't want to say it. But you know what, you gotta say it, you can't let it go and people get all bent out of shape. That's why I'm glad the whole thing came up with Barack; I'm glad everything came up with the pastor. Everybody's freaked out like... this man was anti-American. How can he be anti-American? He's a marine. He's saying what he felt about America at a given time."

As for the Black face SNL skit, Sinbad sees the whole thing as simple economics. "It's just Hollywood," he said. "Hollywood could care less. Hollywood is about bank, it's not about finding a black entertainer. As long as it's bringing money to the box office. It's cut and dry. It is what it is."

The last statement goes well with a dose of Spike Lee's comments about movie budgets and financing, for African Americans films. The topic of race rounds out the meal. A full course one; that Americans, African and European decent, need to sit down and eat slowly, digesting every fortified point of interest. coming to a common ground that they will realize they have always live on in the first place. They just have to be willing to listen to one another and not overshadow with their own points of interest. Each longstanding idea is more of a way of life, and needs care if it is to be molded to fit into the global picture of peace and upward social progress.

Understanding race for what it really is does something for all life on this planet. Something really good, like a glass of milk and a bowl of warm cereal does for your mourning. It is time that all citizens of the worlds biggest brother has a face with diverse characters. Hollywood has gotten away with Tunnel Vision because it is focused on the earnings and the old way of doing things( which is complex in of itself). Guess what American love to watch black folk, we watch them in the stores, cant wait to see them on the news, grab our purses tighter and stare at them like side show animals. Since Americans are looking so intently it is time to give them something to look at that is honest and true, and not this one note song and dance routine that has become quite old and annoying like the Wayens Brothers.

As far as reverend wright goes he is addressing a need out of anger much like a disgruntled mate that loves, its family and spouse, but would like to see universal consideration in their agreement and disagreements. Americans needs to stop ignoring what it has been married to for so long. Divorces are ugly and in the end neither party wins if separation is all that is possible. So for America to remain married to itself it has to be first honest with what that marriage is facing, in order for the relationship to stay intact.

These issues have a need, and that is attention and respect. However it starts in our homes. We are the consumers and we have to show America that we require more than the typical coin toss to see who gets what on television, in the movies, in music, on the socioeconomic scale, and in general American Society( education, greeting your neighbors, etc.). America has been drunk on its own lies for far too long, and the misconceptions are ruing otherwise great relationships and opportunities for growth in one of the greatest empires man has ever known.

America needs to heal and it can only do that if it eats the right food. A food that goes by the name of honesty, with a side of consideration, alongside truth, and wash it all down with opportunity for true growth. Frederick Buechner, an American Clergyman born in 1926 said;

" Compassion is sometime the fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else's skin. It is the knowledge that there can never really be any peace and joy for me until there is peace and joy finally for you."

America is real, and can grow to be honest and one nation for all. Who are we kidding we are all related some how any way whether we are 9th cousins twice removed or not. We share something and if Barack Obama is related to Brad Pitt and more than a handful of our American Presidents, that tells you that perhaps that guy or girl that you shunned is your possible relative.

Remember America the truth will be told whether by science or rhetoric.

American Idle :::: Spike Lee pushing the envelope and calls for proper funding

I was over at the Riskybusiness blog and Leslie Simmons posted an interesting find on Director Spike Lee. Stating that this past Wednesday he pushed the Envelope and might I add, yet again.

He was being honored with the Chrysler sixth annual behind the lens award at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and ballroom, receiving tributes, from actors that he has worked with, from films, such as School Daze (Laurence Fishburne), Do the right Thing( Rosie Perez), Bamboozled (Savion Glover), all which thanked Lee for pushing their careers into the direction that garnered them the success they have. Then Spike lee took the stage, allowed us his thank you speech and from there it was quickly turned into a moment to speak ones true mind.

He shared his feeling about not getting the funding he needs to put together successful projects, stating " I took my ass on a plane to Europe and got the financing for this film," he said pertaining to his latest world war II Drama" Miracle of St. Anna." " So, As Malcolm (X) said, the struggle is far from over."

He went on for a time longer and then he introduced his Italian producing partners in the film, Luigi Musini and Marco Valerio Pugini, in which they happened to be seated in the far back corner.

" Don't get the wrong idea with them being in the corner," he joked " When I was disgusted about not getting the financing for James Brown or the L.A. riots, I went to Italy." Which Are two projects that had budgets lower than the $60 million, which is below the price tag on films these days.


Spike Lee, did what is interpreted as a horrible impression of the Italian Money Men, highlighting the moment in which they agreed to finance the project. Lee also went on to say " It's amiracle this film got made."

Now keep in mind Spike is not a fool and has been speaking on the following subject in one way or another over the past twenty some odd years now. He wants to see justice in the film industry and clowning on film does not equate to what he is asking for. Spike Lee is looking for solid drama, action, love stories, suspense, fiction, and the list goes on, that include African American film ideas, in which he thinks has gone unnoticed for far too long. You may get one or two films a year showcasing a positive African American Family and they are not even in the wide release realm of other films. They are likened to the low budget, independent crowd, and in most cases because a lack of budget backing most of the original ideas, and concepts behind the films are lost. Financing is key to creating films that match the times, and which will allow production teams to set up the proper parameters for filming and editing and being able to pay quality actors, etc.


Spike Lee Continued on what he called his "little tirade," talking directly to the African-American industry players, within the audience, focusing in on the material aspects of what they may think success to be. It does not matter what car you drive or house you live in, " we're way behind in film," adding " none of them look like you. The only black guy I see is the brother man at the security gate." Allowing us the opportunity to see that their are not enough power roles for African Americans in the movies coming out of Hollywood.

He went on to Joke some more that the studios are "Sneaking Black Faces" into the board room to make it appear that they are integrated, but what they're really doing is plucking blue-collar workers and dressing them up for the meeting. " Then you leave and they kick their asses back to the mail room," He quipped.

Those comment may be lack of accurate calculations to the amount of lead roles allowed to African American Males, however it is true that the roles are limited and African Americans are not getting the face time to be the artist they are. Yes you have Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Denzel Washington, Laurence Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, and Cuba Gooding Jr., to name a few. However the fact, of the matter is, it is only a few compared to the many of European males, that grace the Big screen as well as the small screen I might add.

As far as the boardroom goes, you have a set up filled with minds that do not see entertainment from a global perspective, in which they will tell you they do, but it means, globally-white perspective. The time and research does not go into the African American communities, it goes into the European American Communities, and what ever they wish to see it is shown with out quips or qualms.

You may meet with a film producer one day and you may get rejected however you do not stop there you find alternative ways to fund your film as Spike has done. Many films have been made this way whether African American or otherwise.

I understand where spike lee is coming from and the race issue has festered for far too long within the walls of Hollywood and the country over. The time has come in which there needs to be a balance in films representing America and American Life and the live's in it as a whole. From Television, the Silver screen, all the way to Broadway, and might I add musical diversity, not all African Americans Rap or sing R&B, Rock N Roll is just as much African American as it is American.


In the end all Spike Lee and all the other silent African American Directors, Actors ( male and Female), are asking for a level playing field in which they can produced the quality films they have perceived in their initial visions. I want to to take it a step further and make it clear that, although I love to watch Tyler Perry films, his approach is too subliminal and goes unnotitice the majority of the time, mainly if you are not of the Christian faith you have no clue as the deep rooted message in his film. Those in secular society only see a Big Black Dude in a dress, slapping a boy on a bus, or brandishing a weapon every time someone pisses of the character. I get it, but to the naked eyes and ear of the new un educated generation of American no progress has been made.

Comedy will receive funding but it is almost always slapstick, with no real substance to liken your self to. Yes we have Jim Carey who does the same, however that may be Jim Carey stands out, Steve Martin Stands out, and other who have taken their path to comedy fame. Comedy is clowning, but we all know that there is a science behind it that does not get seen past the stand up stage.

America needs to think, and think hard about its direction(s), in which it is headed. Art imitates life and it is the other way around at this point, so with garbage films representing the African American art world, you can imagine what is being imitated.



Comments? Let me know what you think of this.