FYI - It's Black History Month!
fyi
Yay! It's Black History Month! And you know what that means... every media outlet implements whatever plans they have to celebrate "us," and those who came before "us." And for that, I suppose "we" all should be eternally grateful for the effort. Yay!
First...
Thanks to director Kasi Lemmons and star Don Cheadle, the world became aware of one Emmy Award-winning television and radio talk show host, Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene, in 2007's Talk To Me.
Unfortunately, the film failed in its attempts to capture the essence of the man, his cause, as influenced by the ethos of his day; Greene, as well as his generation, likely deserved better.
If you saw Talk To Me, then you surely have your own opinions of it, which might resemble or differ from mine. But, if you haven't seen it (or even if you have), skip it, and instead watch the documentary titled, Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Greene, premiering this month on Independent Lens on PBS, in celebration of Black History Month. Get broadcast listings at http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/adjustyourcolor.
Second...
Also on Independent Lens this month is another documentary titled Tulia, Texas - about the small town of Tulia, in Texas, obviously, which gained notoriety following a drug sting in July 1999 that rounded up 46 people, forty of whom were African Americans, or about 15% of the town's black population, all based on the word a single white undercover police officer. Some of you may already know that a feature film adaptation based on the real-life events, has been in development for at least a year, with Billy Bob Thornton set to star as the racist white cop, and the always polarizing Halle Berry as an ACLU lawyer who fights to expose police corruption in the case. I wonder if they eventually fall in love, and... you know :o)
John Singleton was once attached to direct, but I later read that Carl Franklin (Devil In A Blue Dress) would helm the project. As of right now, the production is on hold until further notice.
Third...
A special treat for you New Yorkers. The Film Society of Lincoln Center is hosting a screening series from the 6th through the 19th called FADED GLORY: Oscar Micheaux and Black Pre-War Cinema. For obvious reasons, this, I believe, is a must-attend for all of you living in New York City, or planning on being here for any stretch during the next 2 weeks. The series includes films by Oscar Micheaux, Spencer Williams, as well as works by non-black directors, like King Vidor's Hallelujah!, and Vincente Minnelli's Cabin In The Sky, and a few others. In total, 26 films will be screened. Learn more HERE. I'll certainly be present for some of them.
It's Black History Month folks! Yay! Make the most of it and consume all these films that you probably wouldn't get to see anywhere else during any other month. You know very well that once the calendar strikes March 1, we'll go back to being invisible again.
Below is a 20-minute preview of Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Greene, courtesy of SnagFilms.com.
Yay! It's Black History Month! And you know what that means... every media outlet implements whatever plans they have to celebrate "us," and those who came before "us." And for that, I suppose "we" all should be eternally grateful for the effort. Yay!
First...
Thanks to director Kasi Lemmons and star Don Cheadle, the world became aware of one Emmy Award-winning television and radio talk show host, Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene, in 2007's Talk To Me.
Unfortunately, the film failed in its attempts to capture the essence of the man, his cause, as influenced by the ethos of his day; Greene, as well as his generation, likely deserved better.
If you saw Talk To Me, then you surely have your own opinions of it, which might resemble or differ from mine. But, if you haven't seen it (or even if you have), skip it, and instead watch the documentary titled, Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Greene, premiering this month on Independent Lens on PBS, in celebration of Black History Month. Get broadcast listings at http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/adjustyourcolor.
Second...
Also on Independent Lens this month is another documentary titled Tulia, Texas - about the small town of Tulia, in Texas, obviously, which gained notoriety following a drug sting in July 1999 that rounded up 46 people, forty of whom were African Americans, or about 15% of the town's black population, all based on the word a single white undercover police officer. Some of you may already know that a feature film adaptation based on the real-life events, has been in development for at least a year, with Billy Bob Thornton set to star as the racist white cop, and the always polarizing Halle Berry as an ACLU lawyer who fights to expose police corruption in the case. I wonder if they eventually fall in love, and... you know :o)
John Singleton was once attached to direct, but I later read that Carl Franklin (Devil In A Blue Dress) would helm the project. As of right now, the production is on hold until further notice.
Third...
A special treat for you New Yorkers. The Film Society of Lincoln Center is hosting a screening series from the 6th through the 19th called FADED GLORY: Oscar Micheaux and Black Pre-War Cinema. For obvious reasons, this, I believe, is a must-attend for all of you living in New York City, or planning on being here for any stretch during the next 2 weeks. The series includes films by Oscar Micheaux, Spencer Williams, as well as works by non-black directors, like King Vidor's Hallelujah!, and Vincente Minnelli's Cabin In The Sky, and a few others. In total, 26 films will be screened. Learn more HERE. I'll certainly be present for some of them.
It's Black History Month folks! Yay! Make the most of it and consume all these films that you probably wouldn't get to see anywhere else during any other month. You know very well that once the calendar strikes March 1, we'll go back to being invisible again.
Below is a 20-minute preview of Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Greene, courtesy of SnagFilms.com.
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