Shadow and Act

Film Franchises Built Around Black Characters (Survey)

By Tambay A. Obenson
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November 4, 2011 9:50 PM
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1 Comment

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This all came to me thanks to a virtual chat I had recently with a friend about the reboot of the the Alex Cross detective thriller series, based on the novel franchise written by James Patterson, which Idris Elba was once attached to take over, only to be recently replaced with Tyler Perry. Alright so... my research tells me that Virgil Tibbs was the first black fictional character to have a film franchise centered around him, that was backed by a Hollywood studio. Sidney Poitier starred in 3 successive films as Virgil Tibbs: In The Heat Of The Night (1968), They Call Me MISTER Tibbs (1970), and The Organization (1971). The last 2 were not as good as the first, but I'd say that The Organization was superior to They Call Me MISTER Tibbs.

By Cynthia Reid
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November 1, 2011 9:19 AM
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16 Comments

It seems whenever we mention certain raptors (rappers-turned-actors) on this blog, we seem to get a plethora of moans and groans from S&A readers. And yes, some of us have taken our own swipes regarding a few of them as well--rightfully so in my opinion. Considering the vast pool of talent one can pick from for a film, it's hard to believe that producers still resort to this practice. However, while ruminating over the directorial debut of The Man With The Iron Fist being helmed by RZA, I started to wonder...Who can be considered great raptors?

By Tambay A. Obenson
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October 31, 2011 7:48 AM
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15 Comments

If I had to come up with a list of my 10 favorite scary movies (today is Halloween, in case you didn't know), it probably would comprise almost exclusively of films made before 1990. Why? Well... I really can't say that I've been much affected by the majority of the so-called horror movies I've seen in the last 21 years, the way those I saw as a kid growing up in the early 80s (when I was finally allowed to watch some of these flicks) worked me over psychologically, and stayed with me long after I saw them.

By Tambay A. Obenson
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October 26, 2011 7:48 AM
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10 Comments

Thinking further about Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained and Inglorious Basterds... also, with Halloween just around the corner... I’d like to see some famous black literary characters given similar revisionist film narratives, or fantastical mash-ups like Seth Grahame-Smith’s Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, to name one.

By Tambay A. Obenson
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October 17, 2011 4:48 AM
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10 Comments

Watched The Black Power Mixtape again recently which led me to further research on Stokely Carmichael, aka Kwame Ture (he's featured heavily enough in the movie)...

By Tambay A. Obenson
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October 7, 2011 2:14 AM
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22 Comments

In short, to assist an upcoming screening program aimed at the under-18 crowd of African descent (black kids), I'd like some help from y'all in coming up with suggestions for feature films that would appeal to that specific audience.

By Tambay A. Obenson
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October 5, 2011 12:00 PM
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7 Comments

I believe it was about a year or so ago when the possibility of this was announced, with theaters owners balking at the idea, and with good reason. I believe we even performed a random survey, asking you all who were readers at the time whether you found this new option appealing and if you'd take advantage of it; many of you said you would.

By Tambay A. Obenson
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September 28, 2011 11:16 AM
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7 Comments

Nikyatu Jusu - the first Shadow And Act Black Filmmaker Challenge winner, who also claimed her rightful spot on the Shadow And Act Black Filmmakers To Watch list, lists her 5 favorite films. It's a few months old, but I'm only just finding out about it *ahem.*

By Tambay A. Obenson
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September 28, 2011 3:34 AM
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16 Comments

Uh-oh... from The Hollywood Reporter:

By Tambay A. Obenson
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September 23, 2011 5:28 AM
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8 Comments

With the summer movie season officially over, I thought I'd take a quick look at what's left in the "black cinema" department expected to debut in the next 4 1/2 months.

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