ha-ha! ----- Original Message ----- From: "Martin Baxter" <[email protected]> To: "SciFiNoir2" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2009 5:52:18 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [scifinoir2] Fwd: Fred Williamson Hates on 'Black Dynamite'
(standing ovation) Martin (intends to try the buck-naked thing, once he gets an SO) "If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:12:43 +0000 Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Fwd: Fred Williamson Hates on 'Black Dynamite' so again, how is 'Tropic Thunder" a more fitting homage? I think it'd be hard to pull off a serious period piece specifically dealing with Blaxploitation without it being somewhat comedic. For one thing, Blaxploitation is itself a built-in caricature of the times and some of our fantasies. Black men didn't roam with abandon in the late '60s and early '70s, wearing fly clothes, beating up white criminals and pillars of society, with impunity. Tough PI's or "Fixers" didn't literally spit in the Man's face, or threaten bigoted white cops, while their more with-it peers stood around in awe of the tough black men. Brothers weren't running around gunning down criminals in the streets, then going home to have sex with the black, white, or Asian woman of their choice every day (or sometimes all at once). White police commanders didn't let Black vigilantes take out their own justice in the street, trusting that they'd let them know if and when they needed to get involved. Some of that revenge fantasy fed--and feeds, in some cases--a long-simmering need to get back at Da Man, but it was also a bit over the top at times, and made one chuckle as often as cheer. The Brothers were so cool it hurt, the white guys so slimy, stupid, racist, or incompetent, they were often like cardboard characters. And our Sisters certainly weren't always as manifestly subservient as depicted in those films. One of my fav scenes from "Shaft" is when his hardworking girlfriend comes home, arms loaded down with groceries, to find Shaft lying buck naked on her couch. "I felt like a machine today, baby", he croons, "that's no way for a man to feel". Next thing you know, she's put the groceries down and gives him what he needs. What a woman, huh: works all day, buys grocery, gives out sex on demand, does as she's told, never questions her man. Of course the day before/after that tender moment, Shaft has bedded other women. I've lost count of how many times Bernie Casey, Roundtree, Williamson, etc., walked up to a woman, all but snapped his fingers at her, beds her, then unceremoniously tells her something like "Get lost baby. I got work to do". Can you say "fantasy"? And let's not even get started on the pimps, prostitutes, street snitches and other supporting characters that added more than a bit of color and flavor. There's a lot of exaggeration in those flicks, a magnification of what was good and bad of the times, of our greater goals and baser desires, of needs to protect our people, and thirst to get back at white folks. and sometimes, of dreams for men simply to run around like some kind of modern-day conqueror, slaying his fellows and dominating his women. A movie like that can be played straight, certainly, and I hope someone will do that. But many of those movies were already comedic by their amplification of the very cliches they were depicting, and I think White is just playing on that, the same way Keenan Ivory Wayans did with "I'm Gonna Get You Sucka". ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mr. Worf" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, October 16, 2009 11:19:20 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Fwd: Fred Williamson Hates on 'Black Dynamite' It could be that he feels that because his character was an important icon to black cinema that it shouldn't be compromised by comedy. Like not being able to make a joke about Jesus. But he fails to realize that most people under 30 don't know who the hell he is! On Fri, Oct 16, 2009 at 4:46 AM, Martin Baxter < [email protected] > wrote: Keith, I'm thinking that the cumulative effects of all of those shots to the head he took when he played for the Rams are showing. "If all the world's a stage and all the people merely players, who in bloody hell hired the director?" -- Charles L Grant http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Date: Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:57:15 +0000 Subject: [scifinoir2] Fwd: Fred Williamson Hates on 'Black Dynamite' I think Williamson might be playing this up a bit for kicks. I mean, how can one decry this movie as offensive for being too comedic, then say that Robert Downey Jr's role in "Tropic Thunder" is a proper homage? ***************************************************************** http://www.blackamericaweb.com/?q=articles/entertainment/movies/13439/1 Fred Williamson Hates on 'Black Dynamite' Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 12:18 pm By: Chris Richburg Despite a healthy buzz, the blaxploitation spoof "Black Dynamite" has received a thumbs down from one of the era’s top stars. In an interview with EURweb’s Lee Bailey, Fred “The Hammer” Williams weighed in on "Black Dynamite" as well as the intentions of Screen Gems, the studio promoting the Scott Sanders-directed film, which hits theaters in selected markets this Friday (Oct. 16). Although he declared his "love for the period," the film’s star, Michael Jai White, opted to use humor as a vehicle for showcasing a time in which films told universal stories via black actors and filmmakers. For White, "Black Dynamite" served as a “tip of the hat to that era.” "It's funny to do it as a time capsule and lay in some jokes that are only funny when you're looking at them now,” the actor told the LA Times. "You look at the '70s, is there a more entertaining time? That time period was so alive. It was a great time for black people -- they went from their heads being bowed to being up and strong." However, White’s approach did not earn high marks with Williamson, who is proud of the way his characters come across on the big screen. According to him, "Black Dynamite’s" attempt to honor his onscreen image fell flat. “He says that they’re payin’ homage to me. How can you pay homage to me in a comedy. I don’t do comedy. How you gonna pay homage to me?," said Williamson. “...My thing is to be the hero, to win the fight, to get the girl at the end of the movie and don’t die. OK. You go to see a Freddy Williamson movie. Ain’t no singin’, ain’t no dancin’ because I don’t sing. I don’t dance, in public anyway. So my kind of film, call it what you want. I have no idea what the hell ‘black exploitation’ means, but if you want to call it that, fine. But I don’t do comedy and you can’t pay homage to me by doing comedy.” Starring White in the title role, "Black Dynamite" centers on a 1970s action legend who sets out to avenge his brother’s death at the hands of The Man. During his quest, Black Dynamite (also White's character's name) discovers The Man has filled black orphanages with heroin and flooded the streets with bad adulterated malt liquor. The actions by The Man are part of a vast conspiracy that stretches all the way to the White House. While he has no problem with White’s performance, Williams expressed his displeasure over Screen Gem’s “ploy to get me involved so they can make more money” from the film. “It has nothing to do with anything except getting people thinking that it’s the kind of film that Freddy Williamson would do and would like and so the public would come out. You know, you can’t use me dog. No way,” the veteran actor shared. “I don’t appreciate what the studio is trying to do. I respect Michael Jai White because it’s a job. He’s working. He’s making money. I respect that. I don’t respect Screen Gems trying to bill this as a resurrection of black stars coming back and doing the kind of films that they want because I guarantee you, Michael White is doing this film, but it’s not what he wants to do.” “He’s a big good looking guy, a martial arts guy. He don’t wanna be doing funny. He wants to be out there kickin’ people’s ass and being the hero like everybody else. He don’t wanna do comedy,” Williamson continued. “I mean the guy worked all those many years to be a martial arts expert. He’s a good looking guy. He’s done mostly action films. He succumbs to a comedy because that’s all that’s left for him.” An action star with roles in "Three the Hard Way," "Original Gangsters," "Black Caesar" and "Hell Up in Harlem," Williamson is considered an icon among fans of black cinema. But while Black Dynamite may have missed the mark as far as he's concerned, the actor applauded Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of a black method actor in the hit film "Tropic Thunder." “The guy who paid homage to me was a white guy in 'Tropic Thunder.' Did you see that film? ... Robert Downey Jr. He did it in blackface with sideburns, looked just like The Hammer. When they reviewed the film in New York and all other venues they said he did a great interpretation of Fred Williamson. Now, I respect that. That means he knows who I am. He saw me. He respects the way that I talk. He respects the way that I project myself and that’s what he was doing. He was in a comedy, but he wasn’t comic. He was doing The Hammer.” Editors note ... Michael Jai White will speak for himself in tomorrow's EUR. Among other things, he'll tell how "Black Dynamite" came to be and why he thinks it's important. Meanwhile, as far as Mr. Williamson is concerned there's more. If you're still reading this, then we think you'll be interested and will want to HEAR the full interview with him. So, just click the player below. Let's just say the Hammer, who insists he doesn't do comedy, actually does although it's not intentional at first. But after our Lee Bailey broke him down, he got with the program. He's not so tough when his guard is down. Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now. -- Bringing diversity to perversity for over 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ Hotmail: Trusted email with powerful SPAM protection. Sign up now.
