In 2013 there were plenty of films starring African-Americans with award-winning performances, but only a handful of them were tapped for recognition by The Oscars.  The most glaring omission was “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” from not only Best Picture consideration, but from individual accolades for stars Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker. RELATED: Cast Of “The Butler” […]

Last year was supposed to be a banner film for Black filmmakers. Fruitvale Station, The Butler, and 12 Years a Slave were released and their…

2013 will go down in history as the year Black cinema turned a corner.  While mainstream outlets like the NY Times  declared 2013  the “breakout year in Black film” and BuzzFeed cynically observed that “we’ve been here before” (we haven’t), ultimately moviegoers had the final say at the box office.  First time directors like Sheldon Candis (“LUV”) and Ryan Coogler […]

Entertainment, Film

Oprah Winfrey’s disdain for the word ‘N*gger’ is well documented. However, the dreaded N-word is not the only phrase that will get you uninvited to her Christmas party.  In this week’s “What’s Hot,” the star of “Lee Daniels’ The Butler explains why she is no fanatic of the b-word either, despite her character Gloria Gaines […]

  Movies about slaves and domestics usually inspire collective eye rolls in the African-American community.  After the controversy revolving around last year’s “Django Unchained” and 2011’s “The Help,” the patience of Black moviegoers has grown thin with portrayals of magical Negroes in subservient roles.  With “Lee Daniel’s The Butler”  we finally get a film that […]