MovieChat Forums > Breakin' All the Rules (2004) Discussion > Black movies are all the same!!!!!!!!!!!

Black movies are all the same!!!!!!!!!!!

posted 20 years ago by Ozyre Cekda
21 replies | jump to latest

I'm just curious.

Is it just me or is any other black person tired of all movies aimed at us being tired romantic comedies with bulls#!t plots and the same actors recycled from the last romantic comedy playing recycled characters?

Hollywood, listen up! There are some black folks who would like to see movies other than romantic comedies, action/hip-hop flicks, and urban comedies/teen flicks.

I'm desperately trying to get my foot in the door as a writer so I can start producing some screenplays that feature black folks in different dimensions.

I love Gabrielle Union, but if I see her in one more movie with Morris Chestnut . . . well, I'm sure you get the point.

Holla.

[–] rwalker-6 19 years ago

This movie was a good romantic comedy...period! The movie was not a black or white thing, just a typical romantic comedy...an enjoyable one at that.

[–] MotherMayI 19 years ago

I'm with you Ozyre - Totally. I didn't mind the movie but IT IS played out. It is much like how the only shows on mainstream television with all black characters or all latinos for that matter are comedies - no dramas. Smallville, Beautiful People, the OC, Seventh Heaven...I watched 7th heaven the other day and thought "Wow this sure has been on long and it is not very interesting". While I appreciate the messages of getting married before having children and raising a family, and responsibility etc, I wonder if a drama about a non-white family would have lasted this long.

However if you're trying to get your foot in the door you better go the independant route, because most of what I have read in books and heard in forums from black filmmakers, is that a lot of times the material that has characters with different dimensions is usually not accepted by big companies or they try and make you change the characters and put in stereotypical ones. Also if you are just a writer you may know that you would NOT have any control if someone even buys your script so you would have to be a writer/director/producer to get your vision out close to the way you want it or get other friends who share your view to assist you.

Thats why most all black shows are comedies - and not good ones (except for Bernie Mac right now) and the movies are romantic comedies or comedies or buddy comedies/action.

[–] AuthorKamichiJackson 19 years ago

I have to agree with the remark about going the independent route. Unfortunately, most of the few "black" films that make it to the big screen tell the same stories over and over again. That actually goes for most movies in general, don't you think? When is the last time we saw a new and truly original storyline? The angles and approaches may change, but the stories rarely do.

I'm guilty of penning a mainstream romantic comedy that I've been trying to peddle for the past few years. But I'm also working on my first adult novel and I'm sure that if it is ever successful enough to go from book to film, it'll be an indie project and that's just fine with me.

Kamichi Jackson
Author

[–] MotherMayI 19 years ago

Yes I do think that most stories today - and for the past few years have been unoriginal. I have not been to the movies in a loooooooong time and I have not desire to do so. The movies that I want to see and haven't seen this year are Hitch, Million Dollar Baby and Hotel Rwanda.

I was watching Shawshank Redmeption and Forest Gump last weekend and thinking about how no good stories like Shawshank are being told and in the case of the latter Forest Gump - original stories. Forest Gump was a love story ultimately but it was educational at the same time and it was unpredictable. Shawshank while dealing with the larger issue of being wrongly sentenced, gave a real prospective about how some prisoners become institutionalized.

A good story teller uses that point of familiarity or identification whether it be a love story or a family problem or a substance abuse issue, but still finds a way to be creative and original in telling that story and giving a different perspective. I mean I would have never thought that a person with a low IQ could be romantically involved, or fight in a war or whatever!

I think that as people our struggles are relatively similar and so that is why we can relate to certain movies or stories - because we latch onto the familiar. Thats why I would like to see more stories from more cultures, because we all have similar issues but at the same time other cultural elements and people from different countries are interesting and educational.

I AM what I AM

[–] jbmarcy 15 years ago

"I mean I would have never thought that a person with a low IQ could be romantically involved, or fight in a war or whatever!"

Black people have fought in a LOT of wars...and it's not always about irresponsible sex and abandoning their children, sometimes they are capable of romance! Don't be so close-minded.

Also, your last paragraph is completely hypocritical. The bulk of your post is about the overall quality of stories being put on film. Shawshank and Forrest Gump aren't "black" movies, and as such they don't let "making sure we get the right, black, message out with this movie and our target audience, namely black people" bog the story down. We don't need more movies from "other cultures."

That was what CREATED the problem with "black movies" in the first place: people thought, Yeah, regular movies are fine, but let's get some movies FOR BLACK PEOPLE! Thus, the formula was created. More and more money and time was put into figuring out "what black people want to see."

We need more GOOD movies, period. The "Black Film" needs to die.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] MotherMayI 19 years ago

I would love to have positive movies produced by black filmmakers that my grandparents can see or that my parents can relate to. It's really sad that there are no black movies that come out (or are given the 'greenlight') in theaters for people in their age bracket.

So true... and there are a lot of other things that are sad about the whole issue but I don't blame white studio heads anymore because they do what they do for themselves, their family and those like themselves much like Asians. However there are now A LOT of prominent black actors who make money who could finance and assist in the production of such ventures (like Spike Lee proved when he needed extra help with funding for Malcolm X) but they don't! So whose fault is that?!

I DO what I see my Father DO, I SAY what He SAYS...I AM what I AM

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] methodxp30 19 years ago

man this isnt a black and white thing. the people in charge are just giving people what they want to see. people like black romantic comedies. so thats what they are going to produce. they wont take very many risks with movies.

[–] do-bye 18 years ago

I know it's about that cliche.

[–] carpediem2020 16 years ago

please shut the F up about white and black movies

what we have are MOVIES. black or white, i don't care what it is. they are MOVIES made by HUMANS. we are all HUMAN, so please shut up.

there is no need for more divides. when you watch a 'white' movie as you say, don't think of it as black or white. think of it as a freaking movie and stop complaining. when I watch a white or black movie, I don't care if the actors are black or white, I care about the movie and just watch it and enjoy it.

you sound like a freaking racist. maybe we need segregation back. black movies, white movies, black bathrooms, white bathrooms.

a drama is a drama, give me a break.

[–] moviegiraffe01 18 years ago

Yes! And I'm sick of seeing sports movies and "actors" like Bow Wow and Nick Cannon in the movies too.

Good luck with your writing, some black people want to see something new and I hope you can bring it!

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] jericho1337ocelot 18 years ago

the man is holding you guys back!

[–] JackBauer19 18 years ago

If you want to see good movies with minorities cast in the title roles, stop throwing money away on movies like Get Rich or Die Tryin' or Hustle and Flow. Hollywood is just putting out junk that it thinks you want to see. Just to give you an example. I was standing in line at a theater for tickets to Click, which was a decent movie. I look behind me and two young black girls are discussing which movie they would rather see, The latest Fast and the Furious or Waist Deep. It's like that's all they saw up on the screen. A movie with fast cars or a violent movie with Tyrese. Hollywood thinks you guys want to see Tyrese in more movies, that's why he keeps gettings roles! Hollywood made superman returns for white people, pirates of the carribean for white kids and their white parents and you guys get Waist Deep. Go figure.

[–] davisboy803 17 years ago

In many ways I consider myself as a film critic, and I havent really looked at this point that YOu have made, but I strongly agree since I really remember what Ive seen. You are correct I wish they would give BLACKS MORE complex roles, dramas instead of comedies, also if they could start the plot at a different time like 1800's or older. I want to see blacks in more SUSPENSE, DRAMAs and Adventures.... The hip-hop thing is played out, its Sad that HOLLYWOOD only know us for THAT!
THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE ALWAYS OBVIOUS IN A BLACK FILM.

1. A FINE WOMAN, that jus about everyone is after.
2. A Man that has many friends
3. The girl always have a group of friends and one is very very funny
4. The Man also has this one best friend who is funny.

To me some of the best Africain Americain films are these (NOT ALL IN THAT PARTICULAR ORDER)
The Color Purple
Love Jones
Fresh
She Hates Me
The Color Purple
Beloved

My point is that they all have something different about them that other AFRICAIN AMERICAIN FILM dont.

[–] JackBauer19 17 years ago

Sorry it took so long to reply, I didn't check this message board since I wrote my statement. I have not seen any of those movies I must confess. I have seen some of the crap that's put out that critics say are good movies like Jungle Fever, Girl 6, other Spike Lee joints. Hispanics don't get anything better, we get movies like Empire and Chasing Papi.

[–] methodxp30 17 years ago

well i think they just need to put don cheadle in every movie

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] enso_giovanni 16 years ago

The whole "typical" black movies thing is starting to change. Take I am legend for instance. Sci-Fi thriller. Good look on will's part. I'm an african american actor coming out of florida and any chance I get I try and play a diferent role. Unfortunately the typical stuff is what people like seeing and what hollywoood is offering. But, trust, once my foot is in the door i'm making different movies.

Rell