Looking Back at Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter

Boxer and activist Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter passed away last month, and thanks to a memorable film, his story will continue to live on.

Carter spent his formative years being raised in Paterson, New Jersey, and getting into his fair share of trouble. He was an up and coming boxer whose life took a turn for the worst when he along with his friend John Artis, were charged with three murders both denied they committed. Both were found guilty. Carter would serve 19 years in prison before being freed in 1985.

14 years later, Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter's story gained new-found recognition with the release of the film "The Hurricane." Carter was portrayed brilliantly by Denzel Washington. Here's the trailer below.

Denzel Washington on Influence

The real story, the universal story, is that we all stand on a pair of shoulders. We are, all of us, the sum of our influences. We've all been taken by the hand and led to a better, more purposeful place.

                                                                         - Denzel Washington, A Hand To Guide Me, 2006

He's Gotta Have It: Spike Lee, Kickstarter and An Emerging New Trend

It seems Kickstarter is quickly becoming the SOS of many a filmmaker in 2013.

A few weeks ago Spike Lee was the latest filmmaker to enter the fray as he announced he was raising money to fund his current project, a vampire themed flick that he so far has been hesitant to go into much detail about. Spike isn't the first well known member of the film community to make his pitch for funds on Kickstarter, but the latest in what is an interesting trend.

Earlier this year it came out that Kristen Bell had made a pitch on Kickstarter for a Veronica Mars movie. She ended up raising $5 million. What was most interesting to me at least is that the Veronica Mars movie is being backed by Warner Brothers, who are one of the major players in Hollywood. Ultimately this begs the question of why go to a site like Kickstarter for funding if a major studio is going to be backing the project anyway? Zach Braff (from NBC "Scrubs" fame) also took to Kickstarter and raised more than $3 million for his own project.

I'm assuming Spike Lee heard about the success of these two projects and decided that it was time to throw his hat in the ring. Spike Lee is a very decorated director and his work has often made me think about cinema, specifically as it relates to people of color. "Do The Right Thing" is a classic in my book. "School Daze" was informative and "Malcolm X" was not only educational, but illuminating. "He Got Game" and "25th Hour" with Ed Norton, are also among my favorites.

Nelson George Looks at the Development and Prominent Role Black Characters Play at this Year's Oscars

In a in-depth and well written article, author and filmmaker Nelson George looks at the significance of black male characters in some of 2012's most heralded films. George gives a hard look at "Lincoln," "Flight," "Beasts of the Southern Wild,"and Quentin Tarantino's "Django," and the role the men in these movies play and their importance in overarching themes. I definitely suggest sitting down, having a cup of coffee, and taking a look at this NY Times piece.

You can read it here.

                                    Image courtesy of the New York Times

48 Years After His Death, Malcolm's Legacy Lives On in Media

When we talk about the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, there are a few names that stand above the rest. Dr. Martin Luther King. Rosa Parks. Jesse Jackson. All very important and influential people. However, it could be said that the legacy of Malcolm X -- perhaps not as clean cut as those other Civil Rights icons -- is no less important and should not be treated as such. Fortunately for Malcolm, on this day 48 years after his assassination, his legacy is more than just a man known as a fire-and-brimstone orator, but as a man whose rise and conversion later in life was nothing short of remarkable.

In 1992, the biographical film "Malcolm X" was released starring Denzel Washington as Malcolm X and directed by Spike Lee. The film portrayed a man far deeper than just the angry dude pointing his finger in most textbooks. In the film we see a young Malcolm terrified as the Ku Klux Klan burns a cross on his lawn at his home in Nebraska. We see Malcolm's maturation from a young hustler, to an educated prisoner, and eventually into one of the key leaders for the nation of Islam. Along the way we watch Malcolm become transformed with a pilgrimage to Mecca. Finally, there's the dramatic scene of Malcolm's death.

The Use of Media in the Recognition of World AIDS Day

Yesterday, December 1st, was World AIDS Day. Since 1988 World AIDS Day has been recognized as a day to not only remember those who have passed from the disease, but also to acknowledge the more than 30 million people worldwide still fighting with it every day.

The awareness of AIDS by individual people, communities, cities, nations and the global community, has come a long way since AIDS was first diagnosed in 1981. Looking back on media and newspaper articles from the late 80s and early 90s shows just how far we've come as a society in accepting people with the disease. That's not to suggest that everyone thinks like this or that there is no longer a stigma associated with AIDS, but it is no longer as publicly denounced as it once was.

A Salute to Black Military Film Roles on This Memorial Day

Today we remember all of those who risked their lives and who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

Film has often done an excellent job of telling these various war stories and allowing us to get more of an intimate look at the men and women behind the uniforms.

For black veterans the medium of film has also served as a way of illuminating their stories to the mainstream public at large. Whether it was due to racism or simply just being forgotten about, film has allowed the stories of more (certainly not enough though) veterans of color the opportunity to not only have their stories told, but get the proper due for their heroism.

Is an Oscar Win the Kiss of Death for Black Actors?

I rooted for both Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis during last Sunday's Academy Awards. I'm not one who usually cares for award shows, but this year's Oscars had the weight of history on its broad shoulders.

See, not only were two black women nominated for Oscars, they were favored to win. Both Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis had received critical acclaim for their portrayals as Minny Jackson and Aibileen Clark in Dreamworks' "The Help." The idea of black women playing maids and being awarded for it, is in itself nothing new. You can go as far back as 1940 with the case of Hattie McDaniel, who won an Academy Award for her portrayal as (you guessed it) a maid. 72 years later, it seems Hollywood has not come as far as one would expect in acknowledging black women (or women of color for that matter) for roles beyond that of domestics.