FILM(S) MONITORED
SHADOWBOXER
MIAMI VICE

We’re taking a short summer break, so this should be a much quicker read than usual with only a few links this time around.   For this monitor, we saw “Shadowboxer” and “ Miami Vice,” and that information is farther down in this eNewsletter.  

This past weekend, we also had an opportunity to see a really good Off Broadway play starring Malik Yoba and Daphne Rubin-Vega called Everythings Turning Into Beautiful.   You can get the tickets for $36.25 by going to Broadway Box.   Below is a link with more information on the show:

Everythings Turning Into Beautiful - Playbill Article

INTERESTING WEB SITES/LINKS/ARTICLES OF THE DAY :

As a follow up to the “Black Hair” documentary piece sent in BN-W #66 , here’s a link to the Black Owned Beauty Supply Association Web site.

Two ways of looking at one aspect of the “race” story as told by one White male:   Race Is Always Part of the Story

As we mentioned in BN-W #54 the conclusion of Part II:   Black-Jewish Relations will be included with the Winter/Spring 2006 Music Monitor (it’s obviously late, but it’s definitely coming!).   As we also stated, we’ve got a lot of information, and, for that reason, until Part II comes out, we’ll be filtering stuff to you so it won’t be too overwhelming in the buildup to Part II’s conclusions.   Refer to BN-W #53/54 if you need a repeat of our feelings on the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).  

Will the real Noam Chomsky please stand up?

American Media Unquestioningly Defends Israel Violence

If you missed any other BN-W monitors, just send an e-mail to bannword2@yahoo.com and request that it be sent to you.   As always, we highly encourage you to see these films for yourself and, if applicable, make your own judgment call on the N-word usage – appropriate/inappropriate? necessary/unnecessary? sensible/nonsensical? does it add to or take away from the film’s concept? does the N-word have to be used at all? is there a valid reason for doing so? is it mandatory for the scene(s) to be effective? what are the circumstances/situation that necessitate any use of the word? is it just thrown in for humor, fear, crime, insult? are other culturally insulting slang terms used as much as the N-word in the film?   Lots of questions and a whole lot of reasons to wonder what’s the real purpose and thought process behind why these entertainers, writers, directors, producers, executive producers, distributors, and studios/studio heads and executives give the “greenlight” for these crews to liberally use (or allow to be used) the N-word.

FEATURE FILM(S) :

S H A D O W B O X E R

[Release Date:   7/21/06]

Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Mo’Nique; screenplay written by William Lipz; directed by Lee Daniels; produced by Lee Daniels, Brook Lenfest, Lisa Cortes, Dave Robinson, Damon Dash; executive produced by Dawn Lenfest, Tucker Tooley; studio – Teton Films
 

NOTE :   Disappointingly, the N-word is used once through a rap song by Nas.   Another disappointment is the overall negative portrayal of the very few Black female characters.   Lee Daniels, who also produced Monster’s Ball (with Halle Berry and Sean Combs) and the BN-W monitored The Woodsman (with Kevin Bacon and Mos Def), always take a different and more gritty angle with the films he makes.   So this is a film where you can expect the unexpected in terms of predictability.   You may find yourself thinking did they have the balls to just do that.

M I A M I   V I C E

[Release Date:   7/28/06]

Starring Jamie Foxx, Colin Farrell; screenplay written by Michael Mann; directed by Michael Mann; produced by Michael Mann, Pieter Jan Brugge; executive produced by Anthony Yerkovich; studio – Universal Pictures
 

NOTE :   We thought we may have heard a very quick and fleeting mention of the N-word, but we weren’t sure.   This isn’t Jamie Foxx at his best, but hopefully – with the exception of his portrayals in Ray and Collateral – the best is yet to come from him, including with his music.   Colin Farrell is also mediocre in this film.   Both seemed to be elsewhere and not really into the characters of this film.

BN-W Monitor Coming Soon:  “Idlewild” [Andre Benjamin, Antwan Patton, Terrence Howard]; “Snakes on A Plane” [Samuel L. Jackson, Julianna Margulies]

Also Coming :   Part II:   Black-Jewish Relations; Music Monitors