Where's The Blu-Ray Anniversary Edition Of The Original 'Sparkle'?

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• Andre Seewood | August 18, 2012 4:38 PMReply

  The lack of a blu-ray release for the original "SPARKLE" is emblematic of the disconnect between this fine and adored black film and the white controlled Hollywood studios. SPARKLE was directed by the late great Sam O'Steen, a white (Irish/Native American) man known more for his accomplished editing of the films of Roman Polanski (Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown and other films) and Mike Nichols (The Graduate and other films) than for his considerable directorial skills. During the film's initial release in 1976, to lukewarm reviews it ended up doing less than stellar box office grosses because the film itself was left adrift by Warner Bros. due to studio in-fighting. As Sam O'Steen explains in his memoir," Cut to the Chase," he was pissed at Warners Bros. at the time," Because they weren't doing anything for the picture, they weren't advertising it or anything. And when the picture opened, I bought all the New York papers to see what kind of ads they were running, and there were no ads. They said,"Black people don't read those papers." (pg.137) To make matters worse, O'Steen, his producers and the cast were shut out of the film soundtrack deal which instead of using the original score and actor's voices, it was re-recorded by Aretha Franklin. It wasn't until many years later that O'Steen himself was told by the film's producer Howard Rosenman, that SPARKLE was a 'cult' film that was adored by Blacks. This disconnect between the Hollywood studios, a white filmmaker who makes a Black film, and the film itself is typical of the tragic circumstances of what I have elsewhere described as," Race Traitors: White Filmmakers Who Make Black Films." It stands to reason given the lack of interest in the film shown by the big Hollywood studio at the time of the film's release that these many decades later after the film has been remade, that same lack of interest would poison the notion of any kind of a full treatment blu-ray release.

• Firebrand | August 18, 2012 4:20 PMReply

  Well, it's a pretty bad film, so they made the right decision by not re-releasing it, regardless of the hypocrisy when it comes to DMX films.

• A.J. | August 18, 2012 4:18 PMReply

  This may not answer your question, but we live in a disposable and youth obsessed society and the powers that be could care less about bridging the gap between the original cast and the new cast. It would've been great if Sony invited the original cast of Sparkle to the premiere and the fans would've loved it. Maybe since the original cast doesn't fit the demographic that Sony is targeting so that's why Sony didn't bother. The same thing happened with Dreamgirls and the accusations that the original Broadway cast members were shut out from participating in the production/consulting with the 2006 movie cast (except for Loretta). Now re: the blue ray version of Sparkle, I always find it interesting how Black older actors/artists are always undervalued and disregarded. Maybe Warner Brothers was "too busy" with the Dark Knight to care about releasing the blue ray version of Sparkle and getting the original cast to participate in extras which would've been great. But I'm not surprised that once again we are overlooked and our contribution to American culture (and world culture for that matter) is forgotten about. Warner Brothers fell down on the job on this one and it is a lost opportunity for the original cast, the remake cast and the fans who have kept this film in the public memory since it was released over 3 decades ago!