MovieChat Forums > Death at a Funeral (2010) Discussion > It's not the all black cast that bothers...

It's not the all black cast that bothers me....

posted 14 years ago by white-hume
106 replies | jump to latest

Said it once I'll say it again. It's the way they changed the movie. They took a great movie that had nothing to do with race and had to put race crap in it! Why?
Remake a three year old movie? Lazy.
All black cast? Whatever.
Take the humor that made the original so great and dumb it down? Rediculous.
"She may be in twelth grade, but dat ass is in grad school. Um" *Shudder*
Look, I'm not exactly an "anti remake nazi". Taking an older movie and modernizing it, I am not opposed to as long as it's done well. Heck, "I Am Legend" was great and I'm actually starting to get excited about seeing the remake of my favorite movie, Clash of the Titans. (we'll have to see)
However, how annoyed would people be if, lets say next year they came out w/ a remake of The Dark Knight...only Uwe Boll gets to direct it, and they get the comedic writer from all those aweful "American Pie" sequals get involved? Oh yeah!! And Michael Bay gets to add all the action scenes!! And just for fun how about an all hispanic cast?
I ask again...WHY???

[–] MVainn 14 years ago

"It's not the all black cast that bothers me...."

Hey Moron, I never knew that James Marsden, Luke Wilson, Peter Dinklage, and Liam Ferguson were black. How's that for your all black cast? Your such an ignorant bigot that seeing a couple black people as leads in a trailer causes you to label the film as an "all black cast". So is Bad Boys 1 and 2 "All black cast" too?

[–] Maximus-8 14 years ago

I'm really amazed at people using the argument that they're "The same exact scenes." Seriously? That's how low your standards are? It's one thing to have similar jokes in your movie, but the EXACT SAME jokes reworded just slightly to condescend to a black audience? There's simply no reason to remake this movie, whether you liked the British version or not. I mean, they weren't even creative enough to recast the midget! Come on, now. How half-assed can you get. This just reeks of a lack of effort and laziness.

[–] BarksdaleBaratheon 14 years ago

Wait a second, James Marsden is black now? The OP is a dummie. How is this post being taken seriously?

[–] Screenwriter_Brandi 14 years ago

It's not the all black cast that bothers me...

Is this the new "But I have black friends?"

[–] white-hume 14 years ago

Hey jackasses! I "AM" black!!
Why yes, I do have black friends!!! LOL!! Such ignorance...

[–] white-hume 14 years ago

*sigh*
As a black woman I find it annoying and unnecessary when a movie with a "predominantly" (for the crazies) black cast feel the need to put in race jokes! Personally I find it an insult and makes us all look racist.
Wow...I also love comic books, British comedy and Sci-Fi. Do I lose my "black card" now??? LOL!!

[–] bubbajo 14 years ago

In the UK we get bombarded with american films (naturally, as hollywood is a huge industry) but this means i know a lot more about american culture than i would otherwise and my ears are attuned to the different types of american accents. We even get loads of media promotions of american football films (a sport that is not popular here) for example. There are always going to be some jokes etc that escape me but the overall film is usually very good, and the same goes for other countries around the world. It annoys me when unecessary remakes are done as to me it just shows that american media execs think the viewing public will not be open to anything'foreign' even in the same language. However, if they actually tried to market foreign films as extensively as they do hollywood ones, I'm sure the american public would be smart enough to appreciate them and eventually learn more about different countries and accents.
A few years ago a british animated film was made with some famous names and was immediately re-dubbed with american voices for the american audience. the humour and jokes got 'lost in translation' so the american version did MUCH worse that the british one-its this type of thing that annoys me. Whether its an all black cast or not isn't the issue for me.

[–] white-hume 14 years ago

Thank you so much! One of the best responses in the thread! The humor and charm that made the original British film so great appears to be totally lost in the Americanized version. Over the top, overacting that is common in a lot of American comedies! Same thing, for example, when they take Japanese horror films and remake them in America. Many Americans who don't see the original subtitled(which can still be quite inaccurate) version, are sitting there at the end of the film saying "What the hell was that about?" To paraphrase you, the meaning does get "lost in translation".

[–] dustyb23 14 years ago

Well, as a young Filipina-American, race and race jokes are a part of my life. Cracking jokes about race is certainly a way to acknowledge racial/cultural tensions in a town that I currently live in that is not culturally diverse, or really knowledgeable about other cultures.

I didn't watch the remake thinking that they inserted race jokes to be racist. Jokes about race doesn't necessarily mean you're racist. For me, it reflected a sense of humor of people who've had to deal with racist stuff around them, from all types of people. If they didn't crack those jokes, it would be kind of ridiculous to me, because it would seem as if they had never dealt with racism in their life. Which would not be true to life, I should say.

Like The Cosby Show. I liked that show, but none of those characters dealt with racism on that show.

I haven't seen the original (however, I do want to see it, now that I've seen the remake) but there probably wasn't a race joke in that one because the characters are people who don't have to deal with race issues.

Again, I am speaking from my own experience and doesn't necessarily reflect the majority of American people of color, but a point of view to consider.

And I love Brit comedy and Sci-Fi as well! =)

[–] yeahright18 14 years ago

The original is all white, would you say the same thing if it was all black then remade to all white? Doubt it.

But I do agree that a re-make is uncalled for and completely stupid.

[–] white-hume 14 years ago

I am black! People would be equally annoyed with a predominantly white cast remake of a Tyler Perry movie 3 years after it was released! Honestly, probably down right angry! Hollywood is showing its true laziness when they are only waiting 3 years before a remake!

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] gr8One007-1 14 years ago

There ain't many Black movies that White people would WANNA remake. LoL. If anybody wants to remake ANY of the GOD AWFUL Tyler Perry movies they need to be shot!! Haha

I'm Black too btw

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!!!

[–] yeahright18 14 years ago

Hahah, fair enough. I'm with you, though, too many remakes, especially remakes that don't need to be remade.

[–] JahWoo 14 years ago

I'd like to see that...

i actually made your point on another thread..and was called a retard....probably because my example was roots....

aside from tyler perry movies or blackploitation films I'm not coming up with to many other "all black" movies...and IF there was a movie that was than remade by all whites.....al sharpton, jessie jackson, the ncaaa, and other extremists would be screaming about how racist it was....

though the question wasn't directed at me specifically I would have just as many problems with an "all black" movie that is remade 3 years after the orignal with all white people....but here's the thing....movies aren't demographically aimed at white people; when tyler perry makes a movie..we all know who his intended audience is and who the majority of the people watching the movie are...when certain other movies come out with an overwhelmingly black cast and oprah praises how wonderful it is and the black media and churches get a hold of it and spread the word....it's not bringing in the white people.

[–] Vermathrax 14 years ago

You see, here's my problem with all of this.

Let's say that the original version had the drugged out naked man on the roof and the dwarf/little person characters cast with black actors and there were jokes made at the expense of their ethnicity? You know........"why couldn't he at least have dated a "white" dwarf?" "Hey an out of control naked black guy on drugs...what a surprise!"

That film would have been labeled as racist now wouldn't it?

THAT'S my problem with this double standard crap. It panders to the lowest base level of ignorance and IMO xenophobia because they think that sells more to a "black" audience.....something that the original would have NEVER done.
That film, as silly as it was trying to be, had the class not to scrape the bottom of the pond for cheap laughs as far as fabricated racial divides go.

It was just trying to be funny.

None of you seem to understand.I'm not locked in here with you.You're locked in here with ME

[–] jet-van-cake 14 years ago

Except, when they remake a very recent foreign movie - worse than the original - and, with an all white cast, it wins an oscar. But thats alright, because all white = 'normal'. You know what I'm talking about, right?

[–] griffinesq 10 years ago

I concur. Scorcese's remake was inferior to the original and did not deserve an Oscar imo.

"...the dick swagger you roll with; I'd think you could spot crazy pussy".

[–] BitchesILikeEmBrainless 14 years ago

first of all, you're taking it to the extreme with dark knight Uwe Boll, when you make analogies it isn't a good argument to take something to the extreme, it weakens your point

secondly, it's simply a black family. how are they gonna add white people to a black family? What's wrong with using a black family in a movie.

There's nothing racist about this movie.

They're not dumbing down the humor from the original, they're simply using a different type of humor. it's not like they're taking the original movies jokes and turning it into fart jokes. they're using a different comedy

while i agree that the first movie was absolutely hilarious, witty,and simply brilliant, this movie will probably be funny too (at least the trailer is funny).

just look at it as two separate films, don't compare them simply because they have the same name

[–] itsalljustaride 14 years ago

"how annoyed would people be if, lets say next year they came out w/ a remake of The Dark Knight...only Uwe Boll gets to direct it, and they get the comedic writer from all those aweful "American Pie" sequals get involved? Oh yeah!! And Michael Bay gets to add all the action scenes!! And just for fun how about an all hispanic cast? "

I guarantee you there would be not only a lot of people who watch it (because lets face it, that would be an awesome trainwreck to witness) but who would also think it was better than the original. That should tell you just how widely taste varies in our world. There's room for everyone I suppose.

[–] white-hume 14 years ago

Firstly, to "BitchesILikeEmBrainless" (hehehe) your probably right. I wouldn't have as big a problem with the movie if it wasn't a remake of such a great movie and looked at it as a completely separate film. Fair enough... However it is and it annoys.
Secondly, to "itsalljustaride" it would be an awesome trainwreck to witness wouldn't it??!! I'ld buy a ticket!! (and that goes to prove your point that there is truely room for everyone!!!!)

[–] Iron_Machine 14 years ago

Racist thread stop trying to justify it with bull *beep* excuses. This movie will be funny regardless of the race.

[–] harmedandderangerous 14 years ago

"This movie will be funny regardless of the race."

Well, the one three years ago was funny. We know that at least.